Chugging along quite happily now. At the moment there's only two more chapters after this, then I'll probably start my SR2 branch. Anyways, enjoy!

We stumbled into the church in the early hours of the morning – the skyline to the east was already beginning to lighten. Aisha and Tia had already gone back to her place so Tia could rest up before travelling to Steelport, so it was just Dex, Gat and me. Though we were all less-than-sober, Dex had hit the bottle pretty hard by comparison.

"Yo Jjohnny," Dex slurred, "Show'r what wegot 'er." He pointed to me, "You'llike this'n, truss me."

I stumbled, trying to get my eyes to focus and smiling.

I felt Gat land a heavy arm over my shoulders, swaying slightly. "This way." He said, steering me towards his office, tripping over… something, on the floor. Dex landed himself face down on a pew and fell right asleep.

I blinked again, trying to focus. As Gat moved me into the small room and flicked the light on, I saw something very odd. A guy was sitting in Johnny's chair, in the middle of the room. Actually, a guy was tied to Johnny's chair. A guy in a bright yellow basketball jersey. Suddenly I stopped walking. The same pale eyes, goatee, and fucking crown tattoo. I stumbled backwards.

"The fuck?" I managed. I felt Gat's warm hand around my own, pressing the butt of a gun into my palm.

"Couldn't help notice the photos you put up on the board." he said simply. "Don't know why you're after him, but he's yours if you want it."

He moved backwards, wobbling only slightly as he leant against the wall. I stood still for a moment, looking at the man in the chair and then slowly, cautiously, took a step forward. There was a gag in his mouth, and he was bleeding from the head. He groaned, eyes squeezing further shut in the light before he slowly lifted his gaze, squinting at me. We stared at each other for a while, and I watched his expression melt from confusion, to recognition, to fury and fear. He tried to yell through the gag and jolted, attempting to break free of the restraints. I tilted my head and was reminded of something odd.

When I was a girl, I had a cat that had a nasty habbit of catching cockroaches and rodents. She'd smack them with her paws, letting them run from her, thinking they were free before pouncing again, claws or sharp teeth attacking just enough to hurt or disable, but never kill. Again and again, she'd torment the small creatures, drawing out their deaths, her yellow eyes rolling in her head with joy.

I could feel my own claws coming out. A small smile curled onto my mouth.

"You remember me, don't you?" I murmured to him, almost inaudible.

He tried to speak, his tone was angry, threatening. I tilted my head. Reaching around to loosen the gag, I tugged the fabric free.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," I said. He spat out the loosened gag and snarled at me.

"Bitch!" he spat, "Fuck you bitch! When I get out of here you and those fuckin pricks are dead!"

I cocked the shepherd Gat had given my and crammed it in his open mouth, pushing the barrel down into his throat till her nearly gagged. He froze, looking cross eyed at the gun and then up into my eyes.

"Look at where you are," I said quietly, "Look at me. Do you really think I would let you just walk out of here?" Impending murder was a good way to sober up quickly, I found. "Well?"

I watched the fear growing in his eyes. After a moment, I took the gun from his mouth, drew it back and whipped it across his face. He grunted, and I flew off the momentum to hit him again. He spat blood onto the floor.

"Stop!" he tried, "Look, I, I can get you stuff. You know, drugs, information, anything!"

"Somethin' tells me she's not interested asshole." Gat's dark voice purred from behind me. The Vice Kings were his job. But he didn't even consider the offer of information. This wasn't about gangs.

"You're fucking pathetic." I snarled at the VK, using the barrel of the gun to force him to look at me. "Cowardly piece of shit."

He was shaking, but then glared up at me, a dark smile curled over his lips.

"That don't change the fact I got the better of you, slut."

I blinked, straightening mechanically. I heard Johnny make a move from the wall behind me so I quickly aimed the gun at the VK's head. Johnny stopped moving. This one was mine. I saw terror quickly flash across the VK's eyes when he thought his life was ended.

Suddenly my hand dropped as I shot him, blowing his dick and nuts right off his body. He gave the most blood curdling, satisfying scream I'd ever heard. Behind me I heard Gat swear.

I took the gag and shoved the fabric back into the guy's mouth to muffle his screeching – no need to wake up the whole neighbourhood. I released a breath and listened to Gat's slow steps forward – soon the VK slumped forward and fainted.

"Thankyou," I said softly over my shoulder to Johnny. He was quiet for a moment.

"…Remind me never to piss you off." He said, the casual tone returned to his voice. I smiled, releasing a shaking breath and running a hand through my shaggy hair.

"We can get some of the new recruits to get rid of him," Gat continued. I chewed my bottom lip. As much as I had wanted to kill him, I felt in a weird way justice was done. In some countries, if you steal, your hand is cut off. If you rape, well... This asshole was just going to have to live as a dickless freak for the rest of his life.

"Unless," I broached, "… you wanted to drop him back across the bridge." I continued after a beat, "It's a hell of a message to send."

I felt Gat smile. "Girl, I like th' way you think."

Gat and I cruised through Stillwater in my car, an old Venom Classic I'd jacked and was in the process of cleaning up. I'd let Gat drive – he was much more sober than I was. Probably not enough to actually be driving, but that was a non-issue. We'd already kicked the VK out of the trunk and left him in a park in their territory. He'd be found by morning. If he bled out in the interim, big fucking deal.

I inhaled the city as we cruised back over the bridge to the south island, letting the wind whip through my short hair. I didn't bother anymore to try and convince myself to feel guilty about my life. Morality seemed like nothing more than a theory. The only distinctions I could make now was what I was, and what I had become. The then and now. I glanced across to Gat – his expression was peaceful. He hadn't asked me for any details about my 'acquaintance' with that particular Vice King. Neither he nor Dex knew my motivation. They just did it. They just did something nice (albeit twisted) for me.

I gave a wry smile, thinking of them, and of Eesh and Tia. Look at that. I had friends. I hadn't had real friends like that since middle school. I gazed to the east, seeing the sun rising over the sea, the sky painted a myriad of colour.

"Hey Johnny," I said, nodding towards the horizon "Look.". He followed my gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"You sure as shit better not be gettin' sentimental wit me." He said. I could almost hear his eyes rolling.

"What can I say?" I replied. "Blowing a guy's nuts brings out the romantic in me."

There was a beat before I realised what I had said. Gat gave me an incredulous look, and we both erupted into laughter.