Chapter 10: Hurt
Benjamin King's Estate:
As the morning went by, Matt and Kristen had continued to look around the building and noticed how clean it was. A smell went through the air that had shown how well maintained the house was. The evidence was also with the now noticeable sounds of workers going down the halls and using vacuum cleaners as they walked. The carpets in the house were always kept tidy so that dirt wouldn't attract to them. When you have a very clean house, it's always a priority to make sure the slightest stain is kept isolated and is able to be removed easily.
The halls of this house were really bright, making it easier for guests to see where they were going. So far this building was the nicest that both Matt and Kristen had seen since they had gotten off the plane. It was possible that due to the fact that Crystal City was actually filled with huge crime that everything there was the 'standard' kind of rich and not the show off kind.
Right here, everything was a lot less busy, since it was the private property of Benjamin King. Despite the lack of people when comparing it to the city's, these halls only got louder as the day was going from the morning to the afternoon. Still, it was a lot quieter than the city only minutes away. At least it was safer here and no one was trying to get into your business and such.
"I'm still feeling more impressed as I walk through here, Matt. This entire property is amazing. It's a shame we didn't have this kind of property around when we were in Steelport. It would've been cool to have owned a mansion." Kristen says.
"Well, Steelport is behind us now, love. We can settle down here with the gang, now that the Saints can't intervene." Matt says.
"Yeah, I hope so." Kristen says back. "Do you really think we can claim this city from the gangs that run it, Matt? I mean, the way mister King- Ben had explained it to us, it seemed as if we might be facing a really big challenge."
"I'm aware of the danger that we'd be facing but we can't predict the future. Starting here seemed like a good idea at first, but now I am sort of unsure whether or not it is really worth it." Matt says, but earned a funny look from Kristen. "Don't get me wrong. Mister King does seem like the type of guy you would want to have as a handler for running operations in a crime infested city, but the price does seem too high, even with his help."
"The price might be big, but it doesn't mean it'll be that bad. We're an experienced crew and we owned part of a city. Now that Steelport is no longer ours, we can take that lesson and think about what we can do to take this city." Kristen says. "I didn't mean to say that we're going to have a very dangerous challenge, but history has gone against us. The Saints took us down and now we're on the offensive in our new city. But to fight, we need to make sure we have our crew ready."
"I liked the way you had explained that, Kristen. You almost sounded like a historian for a moment, with yourself mentioning 'Saints' like in those old books people read." Matt says.
"It's because I actually like to learn." Kristen says. "You can learn to be a hacker and use technology to get you on top, but it doesn't mean you're smarter for expressing it. At least I like to appreciate things that don't always require the Internet to use. Otherwise you become too dependent of it."
"I see your point, I guess. It does consume us too easily at times. In fact, I suppose trying to be a cyber god does seem too farfetched anyway, right?" Matt asked.
"It does. I'm glad you understand what I was explaining to you." Kristen says. "Now let's go see what else this place has to offer."
"Go on, I'm right behind you." Matt responds.
Steelport Sunset Park Planet Saints:
The Boss and Pierce were currently looking for some new outfits at the local Saint store in the downtown area. Since the two had just been forced to swim up from the water, it was very annoying to walk around with soaked clothing. Besides the discomfort for the two, it was actually time for The Boss to go and get spare suits and ties. While it seemed like a waste just to get more of the same clothes, it was already annoying enough that The Boss and Pierce were always relying on the same clothes every day.
Right now, The Boss was looking at clothes that fit him and made sure that there wasn't anything wrong with the clothes he would buy. Because if anything he bought had any rips on it, there was no doubt that he would be coming back with a grenade to the manager's face.
"Yo, Boss!" Pierce called from the other end of the store.
The Boss sighed and turned around to face his friend, only to see him holding some very… interesting choices of clothing. "Pierce… uh… the hell are you getting?"
"I was just showing you these fine boxers that I was going to get, but since my boat was destroyed, I guess it's pointless now." Pierce says while holding up the two pairs of boxers with words on them saying 'party on my deck' and 'put my deck against your deck'.
"They're stupid, anyway." The Boss responded.
"How are they stupid?" Pierce asked with some offense.
"Because you're not gay…" The Boss answered, not believing that Pierce had to ask.
"What are you trying to say, man?" Pierce asked again and looked back to the text that was on the boxers. Once his mind had finally clicked on to what The Boss was saying, Pierce had finally got what was wrong with his selections. "Oh…"
"Pierce, you moron, man." The Boss says with a snicker.
"Hey, at least I ain't the expert of shoes here!" Pierce retorts while putting the boxers back.
"For your information Pierce, those shoes that I spoke about were obviously last season. I mean, the bitch didn't even get it right and they were well listed as last season." The Boss said getting defensive.
"So you remembered something like that from ten years ago and you said they were listed?" Pierce asked, almost laughing.
"Man, fuck you…" The Boss says sounding displeased. "You found anything you like yet? You know, aside something that'll attract guys in hot dog suits?"
"Oh man, that one was low." Pierce says sounding insulted.
"Well you made fun of me, so I made fun of you." The Boss says trying to make this sound fair. It actually was.
"Whatever… and yeah, I did." Pierce responded.
"Alrighty then." The Boss says. "What did you find?"
Pierce looked back to his Boss and used both his hands to hold what he wanted. Pierce was holding a white jacket, a purple undershirt, a white hat and a pair of white-
"Pierce, this is the exact same thing you're WEARING right now!" The Boss shouts.
"What do ya expect man? A Saint's gotta keep his image in check. And you're buying the same thing you're wearing too." Pierce says.
"Yeah, but… eh, you know what, fuck it." The Boss says. "Let's just buy what we came for, steal ourselves a car, get back to the crib and wash our wet clothes."
"Fine, lead the way, Boss." Pierce says back.
The two Saints got to the register and get served by a woman in a Saints hoodie with the hood covering her head. From the looks she was giving the two Saints, she seemed to be a big fan of the crew and their celebrity status among the people in both Stilwater and Steelport. The Saints were a very influential gang and it always brought out respect in some people. This woman was one of those people that seemed to respect the Saints.
After an easy transaction was made, both The Boss and Pierce had left the store without a need to waste any bullets on anyone. Their new clothes were being held under their secondary arms while they kept their right arms on their 45 Shepherds they had. The Boss looked around the area and noticed that there were a few STAG patrols looking around the area. The Boss knew that both he and Pierce needed to be careful. Since the city was on lockdown, STAG could shoot anyone that appeared on the streets. The only places that were literally safe around here were the inside of buildings, which explains why Planet Saints was open, so that other people could get in, should STAG try an aggressive approach.
The STAG patrols around this street were too focused on talking to each other to even notice the leader of the Saints roaming around. This could prove to be the perfect opportunity for the two to get out without being spotted.
"Follow me, Pierce." The Boss commands. "We're going to disguise ourselves in a normal car. Without there being purple on it, it should give us the edge to avoid getting shot at."
"Right on but the lockdown is still on, so STAG might start shit, even if we blend in with the civilian crowd." Pierce says.
"I was thinking 'bout the same thing, but at least we're taking a chance instead of letting ourselves get hit in the open." The Boss responded.
"Alight, man. You lead the way." Pierce says back.
The Boss looked around the street for a potential car to steal. Because of the STAG lockdown, there was literally a more limited amount of vehicles that traveled the streets. That also meant that there was not that many cars that were available in the parking spaces around here. From what The Boss could see, the cars in the area were mostly of the basic kind, like Infuegos, Solars and Quasers. But one car that The Boss had his eyes on was one that didn't have a doppelganger parked elsewhere on the street. It was an Attrazione, which was colored orange with very shinny paint.
"Oh yeah baby, you're going to be mine." The Boss says getting a greedy expression plastered on his face.
"Uh, Boss?" Pierce started.
"Hold on, Pierce. This is the bad boy that I want right now." The Boss responds.
"Uh, but Boss." Pierce says again, but it was too late.
The Boss had run for the car and did a 'BO-DUKE-EN!' through its passenger side window. But the entire idea didn't go through The Boss' mind as he had planned. An alarm had gone off after he had smashed through the window. The entire idea of sneaking back to the hideout was a bust after the leader of the Saints had decided to jack the Attrazione. Pierce couldn't even believe how this plan had changed in just a few seconds. Even he would've had better common sense than that.
"Ah, shit…" The Boss cursed, knowing that the presence of STAG had been attracted to his attraction. He hated how he always got into trouble because of the stupid things he did at times, but he never dwelled on them. This was going to be one of those unspoken moments he faced.
Pierce had opened the door to the car and quickly sat in place on the passenger seat. The door to the car then sealed itself shut. Once closed, The Boss had started the engine and zoomed out of the parking space and tried to avoid the now incoming STAG gunfire heading towards the vehicle. But all of the shots had missed, as the speed of the Attrazione was good enough to avoid them. However, the opposition was on their tail with N-Forcers. The cannons of the STAG vehicles were already aiming for the stolen car and were firing repetitively.
Pierce took risky looks out the window to view the approaching enemies coming at them, but soon realized the mistake he was making. As he stuck his head out of the window, he saw one of the cannons firing towards the right side of the vehicle and he quickly put his head back in, barely avoiding many rounds from making holes in his skull.
"Shit, I almost lost my head!" Pierce cried loudly.
"That's what the mirror is for, Pierce." The Boss responded.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that. Shit." Pierce says back.
As the two Saints continued to move, they didn't slow down just yet. They zoomed right past the crib in downtown but didn't turn back. They needed to avoid returning, as coming back to the Saints HQ would only attract STAG there a second time, meaning that they might actually burn the place to the ground next time.
As the Attrazione was heading down to the end of the street, The Boss did a quick sharp turn around the corner. He was heading north, which was in the direction of the park. The option didn't seem like the best to go along, but it gave him more ground, should he need to go a lot faster to lose the STAG forces.
"Oh shit!" Pierce shouts as his hat had been blown off by the wind and sent flying out of the car. The celebrity looked back out the window and saw it lying on the middle of the road. He wanted to go and get it back, but all hope was lost, as he saw it getting ran over by an N-Forcer that was swinging around the corner. "No! You assholes! That was a limited edition!"
"Limited edition my ass, Pierce! You just bought that thing from Planet Saints!" The Boss responded to Pierce's unnecessary bitching.
"So? Planet Saints has all the good clothes we like." Pierce says back calming down a bit.
"Doesn't mean you need to complain about a hat you paid five bucks for." The Boss says back.
Pierce didn't respond to his leader and The Boss was glad about that. Without his annoying complaints, he would be able to focus more on the driving. He was driving on the middle of the road, making sure that he had more space and less chances of collision. However, the chances of avoiding collisions on his current path were now unlikely. As The Boss continued to look ahead, he saw four STAG tanks in a line aiming for the orange Attrazione with their cannons. As an add on to this blockade, five STAG soldiers with Annihilator RPGs were positioning themselves around the tanks and crouched down on their knees.
"Oh, fuck me…" The Boss complained.
"Shit man, make a turn Boss, make a turn!" Pierce cried.
But sadly it seemed as if The Boss was out of options, as the STAG tanks had fired their cannons and so did the STAG soldiers near them. Nine projectiles were heading towards the Attrazione at a fast pace and the leader of the Saints had very few options to pick from. He didn't know what to do at this point and he was sure that both Pierce and he were fucked. But then something had burst beneath the vehicle and instantly started spinning chaotically in circles, making the two Saints dizzy.
As they kept on spinning, time seemed to have slowed down around them and the missiles that were coming from the STAG soldiers and tanks were easier to notice. The two Saints saw the missiles go directly towards their car, but noticed that only three of the explosive shots had actually made it close to the car while the other six had swarmed in different locations. As the vehicle kept on spinning, the three projectiles were actually very dangerously close to the men and with a very small chance, a unlikely occurrence had happened.
One of the missiles had gone right through the windshield but just barely missed as the vehicle turned at a fast rate and went out at The Boss' window. The second one went through Pierce's side and then exited out the windshield. The final one then went through The Boss' window and out through Pierce's, also getting chipped on the door on the way out yet not exploding. The expressions on their faces were in complete utter shock as this one-in-a-million chance had occurred. Pierce's face however seemed to be very humorous despite carrying a fuck load of shock. The Boss' wasn't that different though was slightly less funny to observe.
Suddenly, the Attrazione was getting dangerously near the STAG tanks very fast and the soldiers with the RPGs instantly gone into a panic and ran their separate ways in an attempt to avoid certain doom.
Then the Attrazione had made a direct smack into one of the tanks on the side, but it didn't stop there. Gravity and logic no longer seemed to make sense, as the vehicle had ascended into the air from the impact to the tank and went flying over it, most likely making the crew within the vehicle crap themselves. The car did constant barrel rolls into the air and eventually landed onto the other side of the blockade on its four wheels. Then the acceleration had ceased and the vehicle had slowly but surely came to a sudden stop from the lack of power being transferred.
The Boss waited for a few moments, wondering what the hell just happened. He looked over to Pierce who seemed to be leaning over the window with his head poking out. Judging by the sounds that he could hear, The Boss could tell that Pierce was letting his insides out onto the city's road. Even if Pierce was vomiting and making a mess on the outside, it didn't make the city look any dirtier than it already was.
"Yo, Pierce. You alright?" The Boss asked, actually showing a slight amount of concern for his lieutenant.
"BAWHBAWHBAWHBAWHBAWHBAWHBAWHBAWH31BAWHBAWHBAWHBAWH..!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"I'm gonna take that as a 'yes'." The Boss says with an awkward tone, not wanting to make respond to him directly and possibly be on the receiving end of his bowls. "Man, they really need to make vomit bags in these things."
"Yeeaah…"
The Boss looked back towards the STAG tanks and noticed that the forces blocking the road were starting up again, with a will to stop the Saints still. He sighed and hoped that they would lose them. The vehicle then started accelerating again and the leader of the Saints zoomed off away from the soldiers, expecting to be able to return to the crib in one piece.
Benjamin King's Estate:
Matt and Kristen had both stumbled around the estate garden for a little while and noticed the types of flowers and plants that Benjamin King had planted. Despite the old stories of a big time gangster from Stilwater who seemed cold, it seemed as if the time after running the Vice Kings had made him into a softer man. He seemed to value the life of plants from the looks of things. Considering the mall that he had recently opened up, you would think that he would be more interested in technology instead of having a garden. But a man could have many interests, right?
Matt didn't seem to take much of an interest with the scenery outdoors around here. He was more of a technological man than an environmental type. He didn't appreciate the things like nature, as he was more glamorized with the advancements he had made. It wasn't surprising that he felt that way, as his side of the Syndicate had him showing dedication to technology.
Kristen however seemed to have taken an interest in what she saw out here. She looked over to where a whole row of pink roses were and admired how they appeared in the morning sunlight. Their glow made her feel a sense of happiness. Despite noticing them however, she got more of her attention drawn to another set of roses that were blue, a very dark blue. She was surprised to have seen such a sight out here, as she hadn't seen anything like them before. She then decided to lean down in front of a set of flowers and observed them carefully. Matt just gawked at her in response. As he watched her observe to flowers, the silence around them seemed to have kicked in, making things feel awkward for the male Goth.
"I don't see why you find interest in such things. I don't find flowers that interesting." Matt says breaking the silence.
"So? That doesn't mean that they aren't cool, Matty." Kristen responds.
"What's exactly so cool about flowers when all they seem to do is be there? They don't really do much besides that." Matt says. "They're too basic and simple."
"Maybe because they're basic and simple, that means that they are cool." Kristen says.
"What are you talking about?" Matt questioned.
"Just focus on the colors, Matt. Then you might see from my perspective why I like them." Kristen says.
"Yeah, but… I find the idea of liking flowers to be somewhat… girlish." Matt says awkwardly.
Kristen then stood back up from her place on the ground and continued to view the garden from up high. She understood what Matt was referring to when he said that, as nature seemed to have been as more of a feminine thing rather than something most males liked, though he needed to understand that this wasn't something entirely admired by women.
"Matt, liking stuff like flowers isn't specifically for women to enjoy. A man can like them as well. Look at Benjamin King, all of the stuff here belongs to him and he is one of the manliest men you'd ever get the chance to meet. Everything out here doesn't do anything to make him seem any less manly." Kristen explained. "Do you think he is too soft after seeing this?"
"I guess not… but it is said to be like that." Matt says.
"Liking nature isn't something to be ashamed of, Matt. I like it myself, but I don't care what anyone else says about it." Kristen says. "Try taking a look at everything else around here. Maybe there'll be something you might just like."
"I suppose I'll give it a shot." Matt responds.
"That's my boy."
Matt observed the entire garden area and noticed all kinds of plants in the area. The specifics went a lot further than just flowers in the ground that you could pick. There were also vegetable patches around the area that had freshly grown eatables. There were carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and a lot more. Matt also noted that there were tomatoes grown as well, but they were considered as fruit.
However, despite noticing the obvious types of plants, he suddenly got his eyes caught on a singular flower that was in a patch with what appeared to be hidden in the middle of sun flowers. This flower however seemed to be with a very unique blue color to it. However, it seemed to carry a very distinctive glow around it illuminating with the colors it spread. Matt didn't know what was causing it, but he had already begun to reach for it. He didn't know why he was reaching for it, but oddly enough he didn't seem to care. Before being able to get a good reach however, he had decided to get into a crouching position.
The Goth's right hand reached for the root of the flower and it pushed past the yellow flowers shielding it. His fingers then tucked around the flower and he got a firm grip on it. The flower was surprisingly delicate when it was picked, as it was like pulling a piece if tissue apart.
Matt had then gotten back to his feet and looked deeply into the face of the flower. He didn't want to admit it, but he found it to be pretty to look at. There was a deeper feeling he felt to the flower however, like it was trying to make a connection with him. He didn't know how to express it, but it felt like it was giving him a lighter feeling, as if it was making a connection to him that calmed his nerves.
He kept silent about the feeling for a moment and instead turned around to face his girlfriend. When he saw her, she was currently down at the same spot she was before observing the nature that she seemed to enjoy. Matt then decided that he would bring up the flower later and tucked it away safely in a side pocket within his inner shirt.
Matt then decided to go to Kristen, feeling a lot more open and wanting to spend more time with her. He couldn't express why he felt that, but it was all because of a single flower. It gave him some perspective of being a better person. It was opening him up further.
Saints HQ:
The Boss and Pierce had finally got back to the crib with their bodies intact and their attitudes pissed off. The leader of the Saints couldn't care about the car and more and just got out of it. Pierce also followed this action and the two men had gone for the main doors at the front to get inside. They really felt the need to crack open a few cans and chill for a bit.
"Fuck, can this day get any worse?" The Boss asked with annoyance.
"I dunno, but my head is killing me, man." Pierce says.
"Well once we get inside I think we should definitely call it a day." The Boss says back.
"I hear you, Boss." Pierce agreed.
Before the two Saints could get to the glass doors however, they heard some smashing noises coming from down the street and the screech of some car tires. The two of them watched in the direction to see what was happening. They didn't want to end up in another fight.
But instead of being introduced with more conflicts by STAG, the two men saw the Attrazione they had taken accelerating very fast into direct traffic, sending civilians' life threatening injuries and the high possible chances of death. Normally The Boss would've taken a bit of surprise on his account to something like this, but right now he just shook off the surprise and desperately wanted to go indoors.
"Forget about it, Pierce." The Boss says getting Pierce's attention. "Whatever goes on beyond the crib's walls is nothing we're giving a fuck about for the rest of the day."
"Understood, Boss." Pierce responds.
The Boss and Pierce then proceeded into the Saints tower, with the intention to get a proper break. They shut the doors behind them, wanting to make the screams from the street quieter so they could walk to the elevator in peace. There was always a lot happening on the streets of Steelport and sometimes The Boss needed to get a break from it.
Pierce watched his leader noticing that his face was fidgeting along the way. Normally he seemed a lot more stable than that, but he had been through so much the last few days that made him desperate for a break. Despite going through worse many times in the past, The Boss still got annoyed at things happening one after the other. The thing that seemed to make him more noticeably agitated was that he was holding his 45 Shepherd with a tightened grip and kept flipping his gun around with his index finger. The balance of the gun however was unstable a few times and almost slipped from the finger. However he kept it secured a few times and inevitably decided to return it within the layers of his clothing. The celebrity of the Saints then sighed silently with relief, knowing that he wouldn't try anything foolish.
The two Saints had finally gotten to the elevator and The Boss pressed the button upon arriving. The time it took for the elevator was short, but in his mind it was taking a lot longer than he wanted. His teeth were grinding during the wait and it was disturbing Pierce since he didn't quite understand his leader's mental health well. Then again it was always the opinion of many people that he was literally batshit crazy. Perhaps people weren't too far from the correct answer.
The elevator arrived and The Boss was quick to swoop in first and shove his second in command out of the way. Pierce didn't like the way he was treated but over the years he had gotten more accepting of how much crap he was served. This was like a normal day for him to deal with. It did however make him handle it a lot better and not be as cowardly and foolish like he was back in Stilwater five years ago when he had only joined the Saints. He just shook off the rudeness that he was served and followed in directly afterward.
Soon the two had made it up into the penthouse and noticed that it was silent inside, however there were a few Saints sitting around on the couches in the front playing a game of cards. The Boss counted at least four purple gang members sitting about with cans of Saints Flow on the floor. Some were tipped over with some remains of the purple liquid around it and others were stacked up like a pile of beer cans. The stacked cans kind of reminded The Boss of a certain pimp he had worked for in Stilwater twice during his course of taking the city twice. He couldn't remember the name, but right now the past was all he didn't want to remember right now.
"Hey Boss, seems some of the crew is here. They don't seem to be too loud. What do you want them to do?" Pierce asked.
"Eh, as long as they ain't too loud then they should be cool, but lock the elevator. I don't want anyone to start a party." The Boss responds.
"Sure." Pierce responded.
"And get me a beer." The Boss adds.
Pierce nodded and proceeded up the stairs to the bar area where the liquor cabinet was located. The contents inside were beers called 'Lagerow' which Pierce simply decided on getting because it had 'row' in the title. The Boss wouldn't agree with Pierce's interest in it, since it also costs a lot of money for a single slab of it. But when The Boss had tasted the beer it was something that he couldn't pass by. It was rare for him to find beer with a good flavor to it and this one was one of them. It was the one exception that he made that Pierce had brought on him.
Pierce had come back with two beers and passed one on to his leader. The Boss took it gladly and found a quick method to opening it. He reached into his shirt and pulled out his 45 Shepherd once again. Pierce watched closely as he waved the firearm out into the air. He often wondered how many times he pulled a pistol out from his clothing.
The Boss then aimed for the cap of the bottle and made sure that the center of the barrel was focused on the cap and not on the glass being covered under it. He made sure that his gun didn't shake when aiming and then he let out a loud 'BANG!'.
The bullet had successfully hit the cap of the bottle without breaking the glass. However, it all didn't go according to plan. The bullet that had spat out of the silver pistol had enough force flowing that it had started ricocheting around the crib, bouncing from wall to wall many times. The Saints playing the card game then dodged from the couches and landed on the floor, eager to avoid the bullet flying everywhere inside. Finally the bullet was heading towards Pierce and then it impacted with the hat on his head. The bullet then bounced off one more wall and then went straight through one of the rectangular windows near the pool.
The Saints took a few more seconds of being on the floor and then looked up from the couch with their pistols in hand. They saw their Boss with his pistol in his hand and his beer in the other. He simply looked mildly surprised but then took a sip of his bottle.
Pierce was crouched on the ground with his hands patting his head. Slowly he stood back up and looked behind him to find his hat on the floor with a stray shot being seen in the center. The celebrity then walked over to the hat with his hand hovering towards it. He picked up the hat and stretched it out to see how much damage was done to it. Because of the bullet's strength, it seemed as if it took more than it bit.
"Damn man, not again." Pierce says.
Every one of the Saints then looked toward Pierce.
The Boss simply glared at his second in command and then turned around to look for a free spot on the couch. There was a space next to one of the female members and he took it. Pierce then followed The Boss and got down into a crouching position next to his leader.
"At least just like last time I didn't take your head off." The Boss simply responded to Pierce's statement before taking another sip.
Pierce just sighed and looked at his hat again before throwing it behind himself leaving it to sit on the floor, disowning it.
The Boss focused of the four Saints as they got back to their game. So far he could see that they were playing a game which involved betting a fair amount of money in. The Boss counted at least two thousand and five hundred dollars from each of the members. He didn't see it as much money as he carried a lot more in his pocket, which made this much money seem like only a few dollars compared to his. As he kept on watching the game, he thought that he understood it enough to join it himself. He reached for his pocket and decided to join in on the game. He counted the amount of cash he had taken out and split it enough to get the exact amount needed. The Boss then placed it onto the table away from the other four Saints' cash.
The four Saint members then stopped their game once again and looked at their leader with questioning eyes, but not deciding to ask any questions about what he was doing.
"Count me in; I'm in the mood for a game." The Boss announced.
The Saints didn't ask any questions and instead decided to let their leader join in. One of the male members took the big stack of cards and sorted a fair amount of starting cards for The Boss to take. The Saint member then put six cards down on the side of the table where the Saints' leader would control.
The Boss picked up the cards and then looked at them. He then waited for the game to continue on its advancement.
"Alright, let's get this shit started." The Boss says."
Benjamin King's Estate:
Matt was sitting down on his phone texting the remaining Deckers that were currently heading to Crystal City. The time that they were wasting was time that could easily be spent building up the gang once again. Matt saw this as a problem, because their cover as regulars in this city was only so bleak. They had already gotten into some trouble that could get them known by the public, which meant that they could be screwed before their crew had arrived. The Deckers would be wiped out quickly this way, especially with their current strength.
The leader of the Deckers found it interesting when he had searched and observed the gangs within this town. Besides texting his allies, he had also done his homework and got some basic information. There were six key gangs spread out in this city and each of them controlling areas that related to their business. He read each of the following with notes saved as well.
The Metal Arms – A gang that focused on weapon manufacturing in the city and carries some rather interesting arsenal that competes with other gangs in the city, though raids have also brought other gangs these violent pleasures. They wear grey.
Asesinos Caza – A gang name that translates to 'Hunting Murderers'. The name could be misunderstood as a group that deals with criminals, but in reality the title indicated that they were actually murderers that hunt their prey, meaning that most civilians tend to step away when they were around. Rumors heard around the city indicated that some of these men were actually members of The Carnales gang from Stilwater ten years ago. That indicated that surviving members against the 3rd Street Saints were still active. Considering being veterans, they could be just as strong. They wear the color red and have death markings on their gang tags.
Rollin' Heights - A gang that focuses on vehicular improvements but also does its fair share of gunrunning. Because of the local and imported parts that the gang had in stock, it was clear that they are big in pocket. They make a lot of money selling cars at a high price as well as doing racing. They are a spitting image of the West Side Rollerz in Stilwater, only richer. They wore blue which was rather similar to the Stilwater gang.
Public Busters': A gang that doesn't only focus on gang warfare but also focuses on public terror, just like the Asesinos Caza gang. The gang acts like scavengers and breaks into peoples' houses, taking whatever they can get their hands on to sell or use for their own needs. Sometimes they leave traces of their presence to inspire fear into investigators who dare set foot on the properties. They wear green and yellow.
Syndication: A gang that focused on the business sections of the city. The gang is controlled by a rich man of a dark family who caused many problems for over two hundred years. Each gang member was heavily armed and took public control seriously. The gang is easily noticeable and wore armor and suits. Their colors are green and pink. The Decker leader thought that they looked similar to the Luchadores of Killbane's gang. Besides the territories in the business area, they also had more turfs mixed around the areas of other gangs. Most of the time, the attacks that other gangs were attempting against them were failures.
The final gang however was one that Matt found most worrying. Besides his gang, apparently there was another gang in the city that focused on hacking besides the Deckers. The story of this gang involved a CIA agent who had gone rogue. He had been doing his own work which went against the law and he was arrested for his crime. However, the agents had underestimated him and before they knew it, he had broken out and went off the grid, until he had found a loyal crew of people who knew about hacking as well. Considering his knowledge of getting through networks, this guy could be a real challenge to handle. He started a gang and called it 'Neo Deckers'. The title implied that this crew must be an image based of the original Deckers, as this gang has only been around for two years while the Deckers have been around for five. Matt not only found this offensive, but he found it troubling. If there was someone running under his nose that was with the CIA, this could do more damage than the other gangs combined. And Matt thought that the Saints were a problem, but this seems to be a bolder while the Saints are a rock.
The Decker leader sighed and puts his phone back into his pocket. He looked around the room to try and get distracted. Kristen wasn't located within the room, as she was exploring the building still continuously, leaving Matt alone by himself.
The Goth teenager was thinking about where everything was heading. The direction that he was heading for when he decided to go to Crystal City was to improve the gang and move away from the 3rd Street Saints. However, with the news of six rival gangs with considerable power, it was all feeling like an unstable sloop on the edge of a cliff. On the inside, Matt wished that he could leave this place and find another city to start in, but with everything that was happening right now, especially with Benjamin King. Kristen was adapting to the city, but Matt was checking on the inner layers and noticed potential danger all over. A gang leader like Matt should be ready for such things like this, but with his lack of proper combat experience, he just couldn't hold his own without the confidence he needed. He needed to think of something, but he didn't want to do it now.
The Gothic boy sighed and stood up slowly from the couch he was sitting on. The seat was rather relaxing to be in, but he didn't feel like staying in one location for too long, it made him feel exposed. He only felt truly safe when he was in his house in Steelport, but with it taken away from him, exposure was all he felt. He was able to handle the first few days in the city pretty well, but the news he was getting from the place made him feel some unease. There was no place to hide, but he had to admit that being in this estate was giving a small sense of security to him. Matt sighs again in frustration and decided to go for a solo stroll around the building, to try and get his mind on other things.
Space:
Deep in space, a red glowing ship was drifting through space with a big fleet escorting it. There were basic frigate based ships, but the main one is gigantic compared to the rest. There were also smaller round ships flying around the fleet, making sure that nothing strange was going on around their general area.
Inside the mother ship, grey beings with intimidating looks were walking around and constantly using computers. There was a lot of activity going on and there was no time for breaks for the crew, most of the beings were the same height as a full grown human, but one of them in particular was over two times the height. He had a red cape on his back that almost touched the ground, but remained only a few inches away. Right beside the tallest being, there was also another one next to him who was just like the regulars. This one had a purple cape and appeared to be the servant of the tallest one.
The tallest being had a cup in his right hand and was shaking it around in a circular pattern softly. The hand had two fingers and a thumb, making it two less than a human's. All of the creatures on board the vessel had the same amount. He was staring into what appeared to be a big tank with glowing orange liquid. There was a devilish smile plastered onto his face, meaning that he was pretty impressed about something. The servant had a small device in his hand that was for monitoring something, though it was unclear what.
"Your majesty, the subject is unconscious and doesn't seem to be aware of anything. He's completely unaware of anything that's happening." The servant announced.
"Excellent, Zinjai." The taller being responds and turns his head around to project his voice to the others. "We've caught ourselves a rather interesting specimen, gentlemen. With this man captured and under our containment, we're going to have things running more smoothly in this sector of space. With the capture of one of the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy, everything else should run much more smoothly when our official invasion commences. In time the planet will be ours for destroying, and that time will come in precisely five years."
The taller being silenced himself for a moment before stepping closer to the tank and putting his left hand onto the glass containment. He was staring with a dark grin at whatever was inside and spoke once again.
"I do hope that you'll love what I have in store for you once we finally get you into a personal simulation. I'm sure that someone with your history would have a few interesting experiences that I can exploit. At least, we've finally got you in our grasp… Johnny Gat."
That's right, Johnny Gat was the creature who was in the tank, fully in the nude with his arms spread out and his head facing downwards. He even lacked his signature glass which he wore all the time. He couldn't do anything to gain control, as he was completely out of it. A simple bubble pops from his nose as he remained unresponsive.
Saints HQ:
The Boss was currently keeping up with the game that he had joined in on. He liked it so far, as he was winning. It was also possible that the other members playing the game were letting him win, but The Boss didn't bother to bring it up. The other Saint members weren't saying anything as well, due to the possibility that their leader might bug out on them.
Despite enjoying the game, The Boss had a frown on his face that meant there was a sense of unease. He placed down his cards, taking a moment away from the game that he was playing. He leaned back on the couch that he was sitting on and crossed his fingers together. He watched the game continue onwards while going into deep thought. He didn't know where this sudden feeling was coming from, but he knew that there was something serious going on. It felt completely distant to him, but he couldn't keep the thoughts out of his head.
"Yo, Boss!"
Everything ever since arriving to Steelport has always been feeling different. This place was nothing like Stilwater but he really didn't see that as the current issue. He had already accepted the differences between the two, but that was only a difference in location and structure. The difference was how his crew has changed significantly over the last few years to now. With the thoughts of accepting that Johnny was on longer around, it didn't bring any closure for people like Shaundi who always felt remorse for the event that transpired on the Syndicate plane. Because she heard Johnny's only known last words, it made her feel like she was always at fault for not being there for him. The Boss has explained it to her many times that his 'death' wasn't her fault, but she always denied it and always felt angry, never ceasing to calm down when everyone else was chilled.
"Yo! Boss!"
Then there was Pierce, the face of the Saints, the man who had always been treated like crap constantly when he came up with an idea. Despite what he had been through he had been rather hurt by the absence of Gat himself. Despite the negativity that the badass of the Saints' had given him at times, he always viewed him as part of the family. That was actually pretty much how the crew felt about one another here in the Saints. The Boss found it funny that the gang was as close as it was. Considering the amount of work that they had been through the last few years with Ultor, it seemed as if they would be associates rather than friends or a team. However, it seemed as if the gang bonds never died, but instead went through turmoil when shit happens. The Boss seemed like the only one who could leave through these problems, but they never were able to see things from his perspective. From the eyes of anyone else, they saw their leader as a sociopath bent on the world's destruction, but in his head there was something more to his killings and murder sprees. He just didn't know what it could be that he his looking for.
"Yo Boss! You playing or what?!"
"Huh, oh shit." The Boss says openly getting out of his thoughts.
"You were doing that thing again. That really needs to stop real soon. We don't need to be fighting the Syndicate with your mind out of the game." Pierce says seriously.
"Just relax, Pierce. I'll be fine. I was just thinking about something." The Boss responds.
"Well alright, then. It's your go, just don't go into a black out while you're going man. It'll be really annoying." Pierce says back.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The Boss responds. "But just remember this, Pierce. I'm gonna whip your ass at this."
"I doubt it. You don't play these games often, so it'll be a different front than fighting on the streets." Pierce says in a smug tone. "That also means that waving your gun around at us doesn't count as winning."
"But it does count as giving each of you body bags to sleep in." The Boss responds darkly but as a joke. Pierce couldn't see the humor however.
"Yeah… okay man; I get what you're saying." Pierce responds before taking a sip of the beer beside him. Once he put it down, he watched as The Boss took his turn. As he watched, a thought came to his mind. Despite all the troubles that they had already faced today, Pierce wanted to bring up a pressing concern.
"So what do you think Killbane is up to? He's been surprisingly quiet for a while now. Is it possible that he might send a crew here to take us on?"
"I never thought I'd say this, but I hope not. I've already handled enough shit since the past day and I would really like to forget about all of it, at least for today." The Boss responded tiredly.
"Is it really that different from when we were in Stilwater? It seems similar still. You had to save Shaundi's ass again." Pierce says.
"Besides all that Pierce, shit's just been thrown at me from every fucking corner. If I can't get a proper break from all of this shit, I might just go insane." The Boss responds honestly.
"Ha, and people already say that you're crazy." Pierce says with a slight laugh.
"I don't give a shit. People may call me 'The Butcher of Stilwater' but titles don't mean shit." The Boss responds.
"That's a new one. I've never heard that one from you before." Pierce says impressed with the words.
"I said the same thing to Shaundi when we had only started dealing with the Samedi. It's nothing new to come out of my mouth. I'd say its common street smarts." The Boss responds picking up a new beer placed next to his left leg. He hadn't noticed that he had finished his beer already and made sure he got the new one. "I wonder what Shaundi's doing right now…"
"Why don't you call her? She doesn't pick up for me." Pierce says.
"Yeah, I suppose that's a good idea. Hope she picks up. She should get into this game." The Boss says thoughtfully.
None of the other Saints denied the idea and watched as The Boss pulled out his phone from his pocket. He swiped the screen a few times until he reached the contact number of Shaundi and pressed the call button.
Shaundi's Loft:
Shaundi was lying in bed with her phone in her hand and tears in her eyes. She was searching the Saints book, refusing to respond to any calls or texts that she received. Most of them were from Pierce asking if she was doing alright. She was still thinking about Johnny and how she wouldn't see him ever again. There was a hole in her heart that couldn't be filled. She was all alone in this building since her ex wasn't here. Not long after he had allowed the Saints to say he had been killed by a Morning Star drive-by in the Downtown area. Shaundi didn't mourn for him since all her pain as directed towards Johnny. She did feel a slight amount of remorse for her now deceased ex however.
Another phone call started buzzing on her phone as she tried to keep distracted from the outside world. Shaundi just sighed in frustration and gave up trying to stay alone. She answered the call and started going off her nut.
"Oh for fuck sakes! When I don't answer MY calls that means that I DON'T want to talk to you! SO just fuck off!"
Shaundi didn't get an answer straight away, but she expected a message was sent to Pierce. Though the response that she had gotten back took her of guard.
"Shaundi, I know you're going through a lot right now, but you don't talk shit to me like that, NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN!" The response was given to her really intensely. The reason why? Because it wasn't Pierce that was calling, it was The Boss.
"U-uh, oh shit… Boss I… I didn't mean to-" Shaundi started while stuttering.
"Just listen to me!" The Boss's voice was heard saying. He had calmed down now and was clearly going somewhere with this conversation. "Me, Pierce and a few of the Saints have gathered together and we're having a game. We think that it might be best to have you hear with your friends. Now, can I get you to play along with this?"
"I-I don't know, Boss. I'm just not feeling it right now…" Shaundi responded sounding down.
"C'mon, girl. You're stronger than this. You know that you can't stay in your room forever. I know that since STAG got you last time that you must be a bit shaken, but you do need to come out sooner or later." The Boss says honestly.
"Hey, I can handle myself with STAG. I CAN handle myself." Shaundi argues.
"Well then, if that's the case, then come on over to the crib. We want you here with us." The Boss says back.
Shaundi sighed before giving up. With the way The Boss operates, it looks as if she couldn't win this anyway. "I don't have a say in this, do I?"
"Nope, and I expect you hear within fifteen minutes." The Boss commanded lightly.
"I need a shower." Shaundi says.
"Fifteen minutes."
It was after that that the call had ended and Shaundi sighed in annoyance. She threw her arm out violently and her phone went right through the air smashing into the wall on the opposite side of the room. She wasn't going to be having a good day, though she couldn't really say it was a good one anyway.
"I can't believe the fucking shit I have to go through. Why couldn't he just let me be at peace?" Shaundi asked out loud into the empty room. "He could've just sent Kinzie over instead."
"No thanks, I- oh crap!" The redhead's voice could be heard through the computer.
"I fucking knew it! You tapped into something other than my phone, you little bitch!" Shaundi roared at the computer.
"Wait, I didn't mean to-"
"Perv on me when I'm in bed?!" Shaundi asked angrily. "I told you that I need my privacy and that you shouldn't fucking eavesdrop! Is that too hard for you to do?!"
"Hey, I didn't want you talking behind my back again. I find it really disrespectful that you do that." Kinzie argued.
"Oh, and hacking into my life is better than that?!" Shaundi retorts. "I can't believe The Boss even keeps you around! If you're a member of the Saints, then you should at least give us room!"
"I… I suppose that is exceptional, but I only wish you gave me more respect than to just get jealous." Kinzie says sounding sad.
"Jealous? Kinzie, I've never been jealous of you." Shaundi says in response. "Don't think I'm acting against you directly, I still have a grudges against others in the gang too."
"Like Viola for one?" Kinzie asks. "I understand that you detest to her being in the gang, but your issue with me seems to reside besides the hacking that I might do."
"You wanna know why I have a dislike towards you? Fine, I'll tell you. It's because of Johnny." Shaundi responds softly.
"What has he got to do with this?" Kinzie asked sounding curious and a bit clueless.
"It's because not only has left our lives but it feels as if everyone new in the crew from Steelport is taking his place. It just isn't the same without him and it feels just as worse with the members changing." Shaundi says loosening her hands slowly. They were cradled within each other during the beginning of the conversation.
"Wow, I get it now. The real reason why you seem to feel anger and resentment all the time. I didn't think it would have to do with someone who… isn't around right now." Kinzie says picking her words wisely.
"That's because you don't understand how most people work when it comes to emotion. You spend all day and night on your computer. You don't give yourself the time to understand what people go through. If you were to see things from a proper perspective instead of a camera, then you'd see what we mean." Shaundi says getting into a sort of teacher role.
The girl who once had dreadlocks could hear Kinzie on the other end of the phone breathing fast. From what Shaundi could tell, apparently Kinzie didn't like the idea of socializing with people. Then again it wasn't much of a surprise. It was Kinzie after all.
"You know things will have to change at some point, Kinzie. Maybe then, I'll start to like you a little better." Shaundi says clearly.
"It… wouldn't work. I've tried it before once."
"And when was that?"
"…"
"Exactly my point. You haven't tried hard enough to get out of that shell. You spend more than enough time thinking and working that you don't know what it's like to have fun."
"Fun is a distraction from priorities. Sure, I might not be in the fun mood I used to be, but that's because of all the things happening recently."
"Because of Johnny."
"Not just because of Johnny though. Losing him still hurts worse than anything else I've been through. Work related stuff like my dating show really annoyed me, and the lack of smoking up didn't help either. Though I'm glad I'm off of the drugs. They did more to make me slack off. Especially after we took down Ultor."
"If the drugs didn't help you, then why did you say they made it worse than when you were off them?"
"Because they helped me keep the stress away. But now, I just don't want it anymore."
"Well, thanks for telling me that. I appreciate it, that you had told me about all that."
"It's alright, at least I got to be able to explain how I feel on the inside and how my life has been. So now you know something new about me."
"Actually, I already researched you about all that, I know more about you than you think."
"Fuck off!" Shaundi finally said, feeling as if her words were wasted. Talking to the ex-FBI agent was starting to sound good at first, but when she had said that, Shaundi found it annoying. "I need to have my fucking shower anyway…"
End of chapter: