FRAGMENT OF THE 109TH PAGE OF THE COMPLETE ANATOMICAL AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF NON-HUMAN SENTIENT ENTITIES BY DOCTOR PARADINIGHT-
"The strange world that we live in is filled with so much knowledge that can not only help the living understand the plights that affected those in the past but to ensure those said plights can never be repeated again; Some believe that not all knowledge is meant to be studied, plenty of reasons for it but some are dubious at best.
One of the beings that defy much explanation and understanding in their day to day is humans themselves; The most genetically diverse species in the known world and beyond, us humans come in so many shapes, sizes, ethnicities, builds and dimensions that long ago these differences led to major conflicts and dark moments in our history.
Take the most recent conflicts that only apply to humanity, The American civil right movement, the long and arduous "battle" for human equality between humans of different skin color. There's not much else to say without changing the topic of this work but it touches on a rather enduring aspect of life in this ever-growing global society: Fear to the Unknown.
Nothing encapsulates this fear as a Chimera: Which has been categorized as the hybrid between two or more different non-human species forming a compatible and stable offspring. The first chimeras were officially discovered in South Korea but its believe that Japan saw their fair share years before. Nowadays to the non-enlightened the word Chimera is slang or nickname given to the members of the Ultra-nationalist insurgent group called "Sons of the free world" due to their open ranks to all non-humans who believed in their way of thinking. Others confuse Chimera as the group of South Korean super soldiers meant to destroy the SFW but to the scientific community its people born with the dominant features of their parents allowing to be unique and "impossible to duplicate" people.
In my time in Shanghai, I've met one Chimera by the name of Dartmouth, who was a crossbreed between a "Needler" (Porcupine humanimal) and a Ghoul. His Kagune sprouted from his shoulder, but it created a massive neck-brace like weapon that reassembled a massive mouth full of razor sharp "fangs". In our secret meetings he explained that in most of Asia being a Chimera was illegal since the Chimera Wars, due to the strife and war crimes caused by said Soldiers. he believed that many of the stories were fabricated to bloat the infamy but that's all he could add.
I was unable to get much information due to the Shanghai authorities raiding his home and forcing him to flee to Europe where he perished in a bar brawl a few weeks later. I also fled the country as the authorities wanted to "deal with me" due to my connections that allowed the meetings in the first place. It took three years of searching any vague lead to find another, but she was incarcerated in a dingy rat-infested prison in Brazil.
She didn't say her name but her codename during the war: "Hati". Her most distinct feature, her sharp canines that protruded out her upper lip, curved downwards as her main Chimera gene was that of a African Wild dog. Our conversations ranged from hushed twenty-minute talks to the rare instance of a two-hour talk, admittedly it was during a riot, but the fact remains.
Chimera was originally created in a currently declassified laboratory in South Korea, on the outskirts of Gangneung just ten miles south of the Beobwangsa Buddhist Temple. The project was called "Sam-wi Ilche" which meant "Trinity" and it was designed to create super-soldiers capable of single handedly take out a enemy stronghold if the need of retaliation if South Korea was invaded. However, the project was rapidly sped up when the UN's approval of equal rights to non-humans sparked a war with the aforementioned SFW insurgent group. (Unknown to her Japan had naturally born chimeras years prior).
"The unpredictable mixes that were used to create the Chimeras were unstable at first, mismatched hormones and enzymes... Until they realized that duos of 'unpredictable' subjects began bonding and you know... this union stabilized them but there was a catch, separate them and they both become severely weak" she told me, as her reason for her imprisonment; She was unable to escape and find her bond mate, knowing he was alive because she could still smell him and soon, they would be reunited. Three days after our last talk I've returned to my study as I felt a hunch that I should leave Brazil, later found out she did escape with her bond mate after a massive riot broke out.
As much as I've wish to finish this study on Chimeras, they've become even more rare as the years pass, I fear that they're extinct as of this publication.
AT THE DISCO, DRÁL'S BASE OF OPERATION-
Drál walked past his crew, inspecting the products and workers alike to ensure everything was running smoothly. His most trusted "moneyman" or simply Drál's personal tax collector and number whiz, Danny "Moneybags" Lebanon, was to his right while Rupert Dunn aka "The Breeder" was to his left.
Drál was doing one of the daily tasks he forced himself to do as a way to instill self-discipline as a businessman: Keeping accounts in order and counting up profits. "820,000 Units" he thought as he saw a few women in swimsuits pack up cardboard boxes full of Z67, a non-addictive substitute to Adderall that his "Golden Goose" had created. Kanari and other countries haven't considered it a illegal substance yet since Drál brought a DEA agent to confirm that they weren't doing anything crazy. Of course, the fact that Drál kept the production, packaging and distribution of Z67 separate and secret was already shady, his methods were still connected to his prior illegal business practices.
MB: Sir, this is our biggest concern at the moment, if this shipment reaches New Eden as intended then the Authorities could track it to us here, so I suggest an additional swap of transport vehicle. -His monotone voice spoke coldly and quick enough to make his point-
Dunn: MB is right, normally these shipments go to Scion, Yrden and Lazarus THEN from there the shipments arrive at Eden, so they can track it. Sending one direct shipment could fuck us, Sir. -he adds before shaking hands with one of the guards-
Drál: Its bait boys, this shipment is to see if they're going to track it, lead them to Old Eden, they will stop when the trail stops in the underground. -he says as he walks up to one of the girls, looks over her shoulder into the box-... Don't quad stack, three up and four wide not the other way around. -she nodded quickly before fixing her mistake-
Dunn was once upon a time a Kanari born adult entertainment actor whose involvement in a series of movies involving some elaborate and outlandish "action", gave him the title of "The Breeder" shortly after his Co-star got pregnant (Even when she was extremely infertile). Years later he retired and took up a lucrative hobby of helping up-and-coming businesses which led to a long relationship as an economical backer and international outlet for Drál's businesses. As of late he has used his own business, Horseman Courier LTC, to provide Drál with money, transportation for goods and international clientele, a good investment for the last four years.
On the other side was Danny Lebanon who had made his growth in Kanari's underworld due to nepotism by his father, Charles Lebanon. Just as his old man before him, Danny was now an accountant for The Wolves, especially close to Drál; His job was simple yet a bit hard at it's core, he is to keep Drál's businesses in the legal side of the coin while on occasion stepping into the gray but keeping it visibly legal (even when it wasn't). Reclusive but extremely smart with numbers, his books were worth more than gold to him.
Drál: I'm expecting a big shipment of concussion dispensers, MB you think you're able to price them up? -he asked as he took a knife and a pouch full of the raw material for Z67, the trio moving towards the main area of the club-... Office, wait for me there.
Dunn and Danny went as they were told then Drál moved towards one of his many guards handed it to him, without a word spoken the guard nodded and walked away, to deliver it to the "client". Drál moved towards his office up the stairs and before he entered, he looked into the room where Nika was staying at, it was empty, and she had packed up her stuff.
Drál: Goddammit... -he whispered to himself as he saw that her previous threat was true, she wasn't a bluffing person-... fuck...
He took a deep breath then turned around and moved towards his desk, he sat down and drew a cigarette quickly and lit it, concerning both his trusted men; He looked at them and retrieved a journal from inside his desk.
Drál: Alright you two, first of all... MB remember my question? -he asked him while gesturing to him with his hand-
MB: Yes sir, I can, and I will as soon as you allow me. -he responds while vigorously writing on his clipboard, then checks his watch before writing something down on his smart-watch-
Dunn: I believe there's a big fish from Europe that wants to speak to you Sir, 'bout something he was all too keen to keep to himself. -he said as Drál reached for the remote, he then turned on the TV to see the news-... but I reckon you have another thing you wish to speak about.
Drál turned his attention to the TV, gesturing them both to pay attention as he searched his desk for the remote control:
"-Thank you, Sierra, now behind me is the site of another horrific murder however instead of a innocent losing their lives, it was a Serial killer wanted by the KIPD who victim was of what's believed to be Vigilante justice" The anchor spoke as he was gesturing to a building behind himself but his report was switched to the next channel to the HCW channel, where the young magnate's current topic resided.
Drál: I don't watch this shit but it's relevant for the situation at hand... -he points at the two wrestlers on screen, one of them had made a deal with Drál about few days ago-... See the dude with the juiced-up arms and the face of a desperate man?... his name Brock Madison, his professional name is Havok, he recently bought a UAF weapon from us and he's been using it to enhance his physical ability however the idiot is unaware that we never gave the Synth-key to him, technically his UAF is deactivated and its only giving him a very minimal boost... -he then gestures to his smartphone, showing pictures of Brock talking secretly to another wrestler-...but he has recently been bragging about his strength to some of the competition, they have talking about their suspicions and we can't let them or him expose the extent of our suppliers. -he tells them, he turns and presses a button on the intercom microphone on the table and leans forward-... Sally, could you bring three cups of rizen tea please.
Dunn: Do you have a plan?... you know... that involves us sir, normally this is Miss Flôerre's specialty. -he says to Drál before looking and nodding to MB-... or dare I say Ms. Dubois' expertise.
Drál: The Twins aren't going to be subtle in their approach and Brock would recognize them, so I need someone else who can fully disable his weapon while he's in his next match... I bet a lot of money to see the fucker lose and I expect it to be so. -he explains, giving Dunn the key to the weapon-... Find someone to do it other than Dubois, she is overseeing another, more delicate situation at the moment. -Dunn nodded at the order and quickly sent out a text on his smartphone-
MB: -He checked his watch then with the same stoic voice as before-...Now if you don't mind sir, I believe the shipment will arrive in ten minutes, I shall bring your numbers as soon as I have them. -MB takes his belongings and took off quickly, Dunn lights his own cigarette as Drál writes down something on his journal-
Even though MB's behavior was seen as disrespectful by Dunn, Drál did not mind mostly because Moneybags was at the top of his game when he works at his own pace and without interruptions. However, Drál did frown in annoyance as Dunn made a phone call without excusing himself first:
Dunn: Sarah send word to Daniels that I wish to speak to him urgently about some business... -he says before listening to her talk then interrupting the voice as he remembered something else-... Oh yeah also give the "big-fish" this number, we got some issues to sort out. -he hangs up before turning to Drál and grinning innocently-... Sorry Sir, you know what they say... The Breeder's Business never stops... -he says sheepishly-
Drál: I hope your phone call was important... -he says still quite annoyed but before he could grill Dunn for his blatant lack of respect, Secretary Sally comes into the room and drops off the tea-... Thanks Sally... -As His secretary gives him a set of documents alongside the tea, Dunn stands up, takes his own cup of tea then leaves the office quickly-... Slippery bastard. -he blew on his tea, sipped it and turned around to look through the curtains of his singular window-
He contemplated the idea of a boring day in the office before remembering his beloved Mika, remembering that he wanted to apologize for his outburst earlier. He dumped his tea in the trash, walking out of his office without reading the paperwork that Sally had dropped off and after changing his suit and tie to his favorite beat-upped bomber jacket he got onto his bike, taking off towards the last recorded IP address that Mika's phone was detected in; Drál was once upon time a gifted hacker and technological wizard, so finding her whereabouts like this wasn't hard for him.
Drál was now a smart businessman who was quite savvy in the criminal underground of the island but some bits of his previous knowledge of technology was still there, a bit rusty but it was there. He used his phone to keep the IP address marked on his GPS, flying by the Skjall roads for about twenty minutes till he reached the general area of the address, now basically in Yrdén. He arrived at a restaurant, Rosé La Fleur, where he walked up to the counter then sat down:
Waiter: Bon après-midi Sir, how can I help you today? -He asked before giving Drál a menu then gave him a glass of whiskey on the house, as it's the policy for the restaurant for new customers-... May I offer you our special of the day: "The coq au vin"?
Drál: Can I have a cup of coffee and another glass of whiskey please? -he asked as he drew out a chip worth twenty and passed it to the waiter-... by the way, have you seen this girl? -he showed the waiter a picture of Mika to him-... she's my girlfriend and I haven't seen here in while, has me concern for her health.
Waiter: Oui, seen her with Victoria around here a few days ago, guess they've been enjoying some of Victoria's coffee in her house. -he gestures to the alley that led to Vhjil's house-
Drál drank his second glass of whiskey then chugged his coffee before tipping the man a 25-Üs as he took off down the alley towards Vhjil's home; The closer he got there he could smell Mika's perfume in the air, he didn't care how old it was he needed to follow it, he arrived at the door of this nice-looking house hidden away from public view.
He sniffed the air and knew that Mika had been here recently, her scent was strong against the wooden door which was locked firmly; He tapped the lock and realized that no matter how hard one would strike the door, it was not barging open. After a few long minutes of searching for a way in he angrily starts to leave the alley, where he shoves an approaching drunken homeless man out of the way:
Homeless Man: What the Fuck?!... -he shouts behind Drál before getting in front of the man, shoving him back only for Drál to shove him onto the nearby wall-... You wanna die pretty-boy?... who do fuck you think you are you fucking piece of shit?! -he draws a knife in his anger, pressing a little button on the side which pops the blade out, ready to be used-
Drál: A knife?... seriously?... -he angrily took a deep breath before his right arm sprouts out a wickedly sharp and serrated kagune; His arm reassembles a sword with a halberd head attached to the tip of the blade, it pulsated bright blood with steam coming out of it-... I have no fuckin' time for you. -Then without mercy he drives his kagune through the homeless man's chest and lifts him up into the air where he proceeded by tossing him aside, over the nearby fence hearing a loud splash of water-
The ghoul then cracked his neck, popping the air bubbles on his spine which causes his arm to dissipate the kagune, he growls as he walks away with his arm covered in blood, down by the side of the restaurant he finds a tap where he washes off the blood before heading back to his bike. "Goddammit... too brash... too brash" he thinks as he quickly gets on his bike and takes off, leaving the homeless man floating on the hotel next door's pool.
ONE HOUR LATER-
Mika awoke from her nap inside Vhjil's tub, she climbed out and groaned as her hands were wrinkly and she felt like an old woman as she dried herself up. Then got dressed with a few new clothes she bought after leaving Drál's nightclub, he looks in the mirror checking herself out, ignoring the sounds of sirens nearby. She walks down the steps till she reaches the living room and stops dead in her tracks after smelling Drál nearby; She opens the door and sees nothing but smells him like if he was just here, however the sounds of sirens were even louder in her ears than before, so she does the one thing that most people would do: She climbed up and looked over gate seeing the dead man floating on the pool, surrounded by emergency workers pulling him out of the water just as the cops are talking to a few hotel guests.
"Those wounds... Drál did this, I know it..." she thinks angrily before lowering herself down and going back inside Vhjil's house, twenty minutes later she emerged with her shoes on and dashed around the corner when she saw more cops, she hurried to her bike then after starting it she floored it, leaving the murder scene quickly and heading back to her apartment.
While Mika disappeared towards downtown Scion, the paramedics and cops pulled the dead man out of the pool and after retrieving his wallet they've got his ID: Detective Terrance Lyons, who was off-duty and intoxicated. The cops reported the findings via radio and began to clear the area for the inevitable arrival of the homicide detectives.
MEANWHILE IN THE GAVINSON RESIDENCE-
Reggie hugged Dean for while his two friends raided the fridge for some grub, the two brothers then let go of each other and Reggie fluffed Dean's hair, something that he did to his little brother all the time before he was arrested.
Reggie: Well, good afternoon... uh... Dean's friends... -he seemed to not know how to talk to all these strangers in his old home, so he assumes they were friends of Dean-... You're friends of Dean, right?
Tatsumi: Oh hi... Reggie how... how you are doing?... -Tatsumi knew he had escaped from prison, but he was equal parts shocked and happy for his arrival-
Before he could respond, the axolotl humanimal girl hopped down from the counter chewing on a cream pie treat, she slapped her hands together getting everyone's attention, her dark black eyes looked at everyone:
Petrovita: I can sense cringe and awkwardness brewing here so let's settle this before it gets worse... My name is Petrovita Salazar, I'm a humanimal and this lovely and fierce amazon of a woman is my girlfriend, Henrietta Torrez who's also a humanimal... you know, if you couldn't tell. -She says with a cheery voice-... Now you!... -she points at Reggie-
Reggie: I'm Reggie Gavison, Dean's older brother, I was falsely accused of being a non-human but I'm human. -he says to the group before passing the finger to his brother-
Dean: Hi... I'm Dean Gavinson, standing owner of this house and currently the smartest dude in this room... -Reggie elbows him in the side-... Ow dick... -both chuckled then the finger was passed to Tatsumi-
Tatsumi: Sup... um... crap... I'm Tatsumi Sekia, I was born in New Eden and now I live next to the Frecc's memorial bridge... um... -He seemed so unsure what to say as Petrovita gestures him to go on-... Dean's best friend and student on my last year of high school, currently on spring break. -he reluctantly points at Nick who still had a wicked headache-
Nick: What's good... I'm Nick, I'm a ghoul, I live in Skjall and collect old memorabilia of cartoon and pop culture from the early 2000s... I work on a kitchen by Scion. -he groaned as his head kept aching, he barely pointed at Vhjil who was very silent throughout the entire conversation-
Vhjil: -She seemed very on edge about the three escaped MSEC inmates but seeing everyone looking at her, forcing her to talk-... I'm... Valera Jillian the second, I'm a retired competitive gamer and I'm trying to live peacefully in the island... because I'm a Miraimera ant... -she reluctantly spoke then pointed at Alú who was chugging a water bottle-
Alú: I'm Alú, I'm living with Vhjil and I'm a ghoul... -she looked around and didn't see any next to her, so she pointed at Ava-
Ava: I'm Ava, an akaname and I've been dominated by master Dean. -she simply says to the group, Reggie coughed as she finished then he patted Dean in the back as if he was very impressed-
The young boy, Bobby, was listening to this entire time so now he assumed it was his turn, so he jumped up and raised his hand like if he was in school wanting to ask something to his teacher:
Bobby: I'm Bobby!... -he says very happy-... I escaped a weird hospital and somehow woke up in a sewer and now I'm here... -he says to everyone-
The group then seemed to lose a bit of the edge that they had with each other, allowing Reggie to sit down and pour himself a drink after taking Tatsumi's glass as his own. Reggie is a 6'7 foot, 227-pound young man with a very lean but strong physic; His outfit is composed of brand-new dark jeans, black combat boots, dull colored flannel over a tattered tank top and a pair of dog-tags. His hands were tattooed like most of his neck up to the bottom of his lower jaw, his eyes were mismatched with one being dark chestnut and the other was a bright yellow, his head is shaven high and tight with the exception of the short topknot.
Reggie: My young and nerdy brother dominating a Succubus?... -he says laughing and smacking his thigh-... Holy shit, I didn't expect that you had it in ya'... But don't try that shit again, I mean it... it was ballsy, she could've easily killed you. -he said suddenly serious before looking at the group as a whole-... but yeah I'm sorry if I showed unannounced and probably scared the shit out of the law-abiding ones here... -he pointed at Vhjil and Nick-
Vhjil: Don't worry I think... I'll get over it soon... you don't seem like bad guys... -she looks at Henrietta and then back at Reggie-... for the most part, no offense.
Henrietta: None taken... -she says before downing a few spoonsful worth of lucky charms once stored in the pantry a few seconds ago-
Tatsumi: I feel like I can tell what's the question on everyone's mind... -he says while turning to look at everyone other than Henrietta and Petrovita-... Aside from the obvious, How the fuck are you here Reggie? -he asks honestly-
Reggie: Well... -He starts with his flashback-
REGGIES' STORY: A FEW DAYS AGO, MSEC FACILITY-
The security guards of the infamous institution walked on the catwalks that sat twenty feet above the common areas for the inmates. These men and women wore heavy body armor and face masks, their only way of self-identification were numbers painted on their backs; Most of them were carrying custom MSEC-ARs, a five-seven sidearm and either a stubby riot shotgun or a CQC-DMR, their uniforms are orange suits with black armor, High tech inmate suppression gauntlets and a few gadgets on their belts like radios and other stuff.
"It was in the middle of chow-time, twenty minutes to pick your poison and eat before the guards stuffed everyone back in their respective areas... hell that day was red slop and non-drugged water day, a good day I guess... -he sighed before continuing- ...It wasn't common for folks to openly talk about escaping, it didn't matter to the guards one bit, so a few of the more crazy dudes there were trying to come up with a plan to remove the Jenny collars then try to beat the guards before hauling ass to the exit, These two and myself sat by the stairs to the catwalks, away from those fuckers' eyes when we suddenly were hit with a crazy ass earthquake..."
Reggie, Petrovita, Henrietta and three more inmates were dressed in their light grey jumpsuits and their matching genetical enhancement suppression collars (nicknamed Jenny Collars), all of them sat crisscross apple-sauce while eating from paper plates and plastic silverware next to a long spiral stairwell closed to with a Gene-ID locked security gate; The earthquake cuts the power and spills their meager cups of water over, causing chaos as the entire prison shakes and goes to full panic mode. A emergency alarm blares loudly with a warning message: "EMERGENCY STATUS/ ALL INMATES ON THE GROUND OR BE SUPPRESSED BY THE STAFF WITHOUT HESITATION/ NON-ESSENTIAL STAFF MUST EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!"
"Call me an asshole but I found it cathartic when one of those pieces of dogshit fell from the catwalks and broke his neck... but we nearly shit ourselves when another guard rolled down the stairwell... -he saw as the heavily armored man rolled down till he collided with the gate, a few of his tools falling out from his belt during the fall-... and if we'd been blessed by some higher power, his radio fell out of his belt and fell onto Marco's lap... -all six hide the radio and crawl to the door just as the back-up power starts up, the radio's integrated ID chip links up to the door with a soft beep, Marco pressed the only button that lit up green which unlocked the door-... With the door open them crazy fuckers started charging up the stairwell before the guards could start shooting, we stood up and ran up after we got our shit together " -The group managed to use other inmates that were ahead of them as bullets shields till one of Reggie's friends, A massive man Gary picks up a guard like a toy and charges forwards using the guard like bull-shield, bulldozing many guards out of the way with little to no effort-
The guards keep firing at Gary whose human shield is now falling apart like if he was made of hamburger meat; The non-human tank roars as his skin turns to stone, surprising everyone and showing that the suppression collars are deactivated. Both Gary and the other inmates now start fighting the guards with their powers and abilities, allowing Gary and his friends to push through towards the massive double doors that led to the next area's catwalks.
"Gary was one tough muthafucka, could turn to stone at will but he wasn't invincible as we found out soon enough when he opened the doors and sixteen guards fired at him together, tearing him apart... -He turned to dust after taking so much gunfire at that one moment-...The others charged by the carnage, some of them wielded the guns from the fallen guards, gunning down the others; We ran through the doorway they fought off more of the guards... -He stayed quiet then after a few seconds of considering his words, Reggie continues his story-... long story short, we reached the doorway that led outside, many of us reached the exit and we ran like hell just before the sentry guns outside woke up and started killing us, like those unlucky enough to be too slow."
Reggie, The lovers (Petrovita and Henrietta), A young man called Tristan and few more inmates ran together towards a big cluster of industrial buildings and warehouses; A few of the non-humans leapt up into the air from the street and landed on the rooftops, some of them were shot and killed by pursuing guards, they fired their guns without caring about who stood between them and the inmates.
"I dragged Petrovita, Henrietta and two more people away from the emergency stairwells where those folks were killed... so we ran behind the warehouse, we leapt through a window after we couldn't budge the door so then we hid in some opened shipping crates, then locked ourselves in. Which to be fair, at the time we didn't notice they got loaded onto a truck till the driver drove away in a panic... -he clicks his tongue then sips more of his drink-...We took a nap in the back of the truck till we reached the city of Yrdén, when the driver opened the crate, we knocked him out and we escaped, all three of us ran away towards the only place I could think off..."
Bobby: So you came here, to your home, right?... this is YOUR home, right? -He asked Reggie who finished his drink-
Reggie: I've scouted the house for a bit to make sure the cops or MSEC didn't show up to smoke me and my friends... -He looked at the group, then continued-... and you lot too, by the look of it. -he added before nonchalantly gestured at the situation-
Vhjil: Well... -she stood up and patted herself down to remove some of the dust that came from the cracks on the ceiling-... I'm going to leave now because I have some responsibilities to get through as soon as possible... -she finished her water bottle and walked out of Dean's home accompanied by Alú-... Pleasure to meet you guys.
Alú, Vhjil and apparently Bobby left, leaving behind the rich and enclosed community as fast as their feet could move, a few minutes Nick said a silent goodbye and took off too towards his home. This left Tatsumi, Dean, Reggie, Petrovita and Henrietta in the living room, Ava had gone upstairs to do something in the meantime:
Reggie: You two still studying? -he asked Tatsumi and Dean as the two women sit next to him-
Dean: Last year for both of us. -he says, he then looks at his brother closely-... What are you planning to do, the cops are looking for all three of you.
Reggie: Gonna hide out in a safe place then when things cool down, I think I'm gonna head to Canada, always wanted to live in Quebec... well since my deployment to Alaska. -he chuckled-
Petrovita: Might come with, going back home is out of the question. -she adds-
Henrietta: Hate the cold but where Squishy goes, I go. -she says earning a head pat by Squishy-
The two young men go to the kitchen where Reggie is standing, he placed a sophisticated glass cup on the counter before going rooting around the bottom shelves, moving a few pots aside till he pulled out an expensive bottle of alcohol, wrapped around in paper; this reveal surprised Dean which Reggie spotted, he grinned then opened the bottle and poured himself some:
Reggie: What?... you didn't know Dad keeps his pricey bourbon under the sink and in the back behind the false wooden panel. -he gestures to the bottle, the label is in white, red and silver coloring, "Pierwsza edycja biały Wilk, rocznik 1139" was written on the center of the label with tribalistic Wolf head insignia underneath the words-... This bottle is absolutely ancient, top fucking quality and super expensive, it was a gift from grandpa for his wedding. -he says to Dean and Tatsumi-
Tatsumi: Should you be drinking that?... -he asked-... It's like old as fuck.
Dean: Yeah Bro, that shit is older than our entire bloodline combined. -he adds as Reggie chugs it down, he grimaced then pounded his chest as it went down rough-... Yeah, old and strong, right? -he saw how Reggie hooted and hollered as he washed the cup and hid the bottle-
Reggie: Is not for the taste, it numbs the headaches... -he coughed then went towards the two women who were whispering to each other, he sits down and looks like he's high now, but she shakes it off-... Don't drink that shit little man, unless you don't got painkillers for a broken arm or some shit. -he comments before looking at the two young men who seem to be worried-... Hey, stop looking at me and turn the TV on, I want to see something fun.
Tatsumi turns the TV on, the news is currently showing a breaking news broadcast about the current development on a Mayoral press conference which is related to the MSEC escapees, Reggie gestures them to leave it as Petrovita heads to the bathroom as Henrietta stays, she stands and as she watches and paces, Gavin raises the volume of the report:
"Today we come to New Eden where Mayor Raine has signed a new temporary policy where he allows MSEC's Security Forces to join the K.I. Police department in the investigation, search and capture of the Escapees however in a very controversial move, the mayor has also signed a contract with the Sentinel PMC to assist with the capture of the more dangerous inmates, essentially leaving out the Enforcers of the upcoming operations" the reporter says before switching to the footage from the conference where the Mayor is flanked in both sides by two men, the Warden of MSEC and the Military leader of the Sentinel PMC.
As the news broadcast shifts to the announcement from the Mayor of Kanari Island, Reginald's heart sinks. Memories flood back to him, memories of his time spent in the MSEC prison and the familiar faces of the Sentinel PMC mercenaries he encountered there in his early teens. Reginald's expression darkens as he recalls the brutal treatment and harsh conditions he endured during his time behind bars. The Warden, a big muscular old man, bald and rocking a massive, braided beard smiles at the camera as he shakes hands with the mayor:
Warden Stephan Faraday: Good morning lawful citizens, today I, Stephan Faraday, promise you that before the year ends, the KIPD and my professional agents will find and send these foul dissidents back to their cells. -his bottle like glasses gleam by the camera flashes, his teeth were like pearls and his wrinkled brow hides a evil man, one that Reggie knew too well-... I'll make the statement clear here and now... -the mayor turned to him quickly like if he didn't know what he was doing-... I take full responsibility for their actions, they escaped under my predecessor's duties yet even now as I take upon his burdens, I will not rest till all of these inmates are taken in. -he says with a deep, firm voice-... My forces will work tirelessly with the professionals from the Sentinel PMC and the Police force.
Reggie: He's fucking lying... -he says softly, his anger hidden under the calm demeanor-... He blinks a lot when he's lying, that evil fucker is counting the words with his eyes.
Henrietta: He must absolutely be livid to work with the cops AND the Mercs. -she says to him as the two young men seem to listen to Reggie and her words-
Gavin watches his brother closely, his concern evident in his eyes, Tatsumi's brow furrows as he takes in the gravity of the situation. He realizes the added danger they now face with the involvement of the Sentinel PMC, especially considering Reginald's history with them. The commander was once upon a time a friend to Reggie, but he knows now that if they ever meet, only one would leave that meeting alive; Fergus North III was a short stocky rugged man, a veteran from the Chimera Wars, his jaw was surgically repaired with a mechanical jaw, his hair is short and black like tar. His uniform was heavy and armored, covered in insignias and on his hip sat hefty handgun:
Head Sentinel, Commander Fergus North the 3rd: -His sky-blue eyes focus on the reporters as he taps on the mic to test it before talking-... As the honorable mayor Raine and Warden Faraday has previously mentioned, The Sentinel PMC are committed in the security of you, citizens of the free city of Kanari, a place me and my boys are new to but we'll soon put these criminals back behind bars. -he says as a few reporters begin asking questions-... You, Lady in the green. -he gestures to a reporter even as the Mayor's security whispers something to him-
Reporter #1: Yes, Leslie Hunt with Japan Channel six, Mr. North, many advocates for the demilitarization of Kanari Island's police department are actively boycotting outside due to your official union with MSEC to freely stalk the streets and as part of the contract, which specifically written in section 3 line 7, it says Sentinel agents have the authority to enter any domicile if suspicion of it being harboring one of the inmates, which many see as unconstitutional, how do you respond to this? -she asks him which makes the Mayor uneasy, proof as he fidgets with his mayoral pin-
Head Sentinel, Commander Fergus North the 3rd: I understand where people could be concerned that a private military is now contracted to assist the police department, I can see where one could feel unsafe, but I assure you, our involvement should make you feel unsafe. -he says surprising the reporters-... These criminals are empowered by their superhuman abilities, some are virtually bulletproof, the weaponry and tactics that the KIPD use aren't enough to stop them so your mayor, somberly, hired us to ensure your safety is kept at all costs, I feel nothing but pride at our collaboration with the KIPD, where both parties can learn from one another in other to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. -he says to the reporters, the mayor nods with a big smile as he agrees with the soldier-
Henrietta takes the tv remote and changes the channel in anger, Reggie stands up and lights a cigarette as his stress is starting to show; Gavin and Tatsumi watch as the older man paces as he passes his cigarette to the Humanimal woman, who seems angrier than he's stressed:
Reggie: Fuckin' bootlicker, Raine doesn't know what he's unleashed onto the streets, Sentinel and MSEC will tear the city apart and raze hell even after all of us are captured, Faraday alone will send his hounds to kill anyone who they even think is a "Dissident"... -he says as he angrily points at the tv, even after the channel is just the cartoon channel-... That's complete bullshit!... They will stack bodies more than some of the sick bastards that escaped will and the worst part, they'll get away with that shit! -he says before looking at Henrietta-... Get Petrovita, we need to get in contact with an old friend, warn him of the hell that's coming.
Gavin: Hold up! -he says as he stops Reggie from opening the door-... You're wanted by the cops, so why not let me help you stay under the radar? -he says to him as he blocked the door-
Reggie: The hell you are... -he says getting him out of the way-... You're not gonna risk yourself in other to help me you idiot, I can handle it.
Gavin: What are you going to do?... call them on the phone? -he asked before gesturing him upstairs-... The Cops and MSEC are after your ass so there's a good chance that they're listening to conversations through wiretapping so I got a way to converse with someone that can't be tracked. -he says to Reggie-
Reggie: Oh really, then you'll also tell me that money grows on trees and pussy isn't used for selfish reasons? -he said sarcastically before crossing his arms over his chest-
Gavin: I'm serious, I know more about this shit than you do Reggie, tech and other shit has evolved in the decade you were gone. -he says to Reggie who raises an eyebrow-... what you don't believe me?... -he says before giving a cheeky grin-... I've grown and learned a lot about all kinds of things, even got myself a job because of it.
Reggie follows his brother silently, taking in the idea that his little brother was growing up and that he could take care of himself even when their parents where away; As he thought about his adoptive parents it became apparent that their house had changed, the L shape hallway was missing most of the pictures and one of the rooms seemed to be missing. He though back to his early childhood where he lived here, he was sure that there were five rooms on this hallway but now he felt like some Mandela effect had occur because one of the doors was missing.
Dean stopped in front of a solid wall where he grabbed a big photograph of the family, to Reggie's surprise behind the picture frame was a DIY mechanism that was connected to a skinny cable running up a hole on the ceiling, Gavin pulled the cable then using a broomstick he poked the attic door causing the chain to fall out. Reggie watched as his brother did all these steps just to open the attic door, soon the ladder clambered down allowing the duo to climb up.
Reggie looks around seeing the different furniture and boxes laying around like a solid wall against the attic wall, at the center of the attic's back wall where once had a door now a massive "super" computer was connected to cables running from bulky bundles sprouting out from the wall. It looked like something one would make in a secret base, like stuff Reggie did when he served in the Air Force. He sat behind Gavin as he prepped the computer and started to type away.
Reggie: This think is massive... -he says as he looks over at the massive computer-... Holy shit Gabe, this computer is absolute insane... -he says to his brother-
Gavin: I spent a lot of money and burned a lot of bridges just to get this monster up and running, It's my priced possession. -he says to his brother before turning his head to look at Reggie-... It can enter any website, access anything connected to the internet and investigate any bit of information in the world with enough time and commitment, plus my security in absolutely unbreakable, trust me I made sure. -he says proudly-
Reggie: Okay then, let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is... Search for "Darwin L-E-V-E-S-Q-U-E" -He spells the name for Gavin to search, he found it interesting and weird as he put on a set of goggles then searched it, thousands of pages and images flash across the screen at an extremely fast flashes as the computer began cross-refencing all information till it marked up the most relevant and most recent results-
On the screen there was one report that Reggie pointed at, Gabe opened it and the headline says "FIREWALK DISCO RE-OPENS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT":
"Today the city of Skjall celebrates the Re-opening of the once loved Firewalk Disco, since the turmoiled selling of all of it's assets a few years ago during the Gentrification of the city; The new owner, Darwin Levesque, has not spoken to us about the establishment's refurbishing and the subsequent blockbuster party that is raging as we speak. As for those who have never come to this business before it's reopening, this place was a hotspot for race equality in the early years of our cities' founding as a safe haven for non-humans and humanimals across the island" Reggie tells Gabe thanks then as he pulls out a cellphone, Gabe stops him:
Gavin: Is this guy a friend of yours, the dude you wanted to meet right?
Reggie: Yes, why ask? -he says before storing his phone-... Isn't obvious, though you were smart. -he jokes to his brother-
Gavin: Okay smartass, I ask because if call him on your phone you can get tracked but if you know this guy then I can send him a direct message with something that only you two know then ask for safe place to meet, if he remembers then he'll respond, all done in a few messages and without any authorities getting wind of you. -he says to Reggie-... Smart right? -he rebuked with a cheeky grin-
Reggie: Damn, you smart as fuck... -he exaggerates a nerdy voice before fluffing his hair-... Yeah you're good bro, umm... Can I write the message?
Gavin: Sure, here... -he opens a debug window in the official website of the Disco for his brother to write on it-
Reggie leans down and starts to carefully type away about an old memory that his friend and himself hold close to their minds or at least that's Reggie believes, he types the location to meet then sends the message before heading out, Gavin in close pursuit deciding to go with his brother, even if Reggie did not want him to come, Gavin made up his mind and no one was going to change his mind. Tatsumi stayed behind with the three girls at the house as the two brothers went to meet:
"Two Pups went into a noodle shop, one got hurt but both became wolves. Let's talk D, In the den we made it reality" The message read, arriving to its target in an instance.
IN SKJALL'S DOWNTOWN, STILL HECTIC AFTER THE EMP SHOCKWAVE-
Alu and Vhjil walked across town carefully as the city was in a massive stir, cars were being worked on in the middle of the street and businesses were selling their goods on the street as the electricity wasn't fully back, the duo of women passed by rowdy folks partying across the street playing music on their phones as their building had no power.
As the duo of girls kept carefully making their way through the streets, they saw how the cops began pulling up, behind them came a few members of MSEC Soldiers talking to the cop quickly but then sat behind around the patrol car, Vhjil flipped her hoodie up as she felt these men stare at her, Alu was wearing her mask once more and she flipped them off as they simply stared at the girls. The MSEC soldiers looked like they were ready for war, full battle-armor and large assault rifle on their arms, standing still in a eerie fashion as the only thing that moved was their heads and their hands which gripped their weapons harder.
The Cops were here to help the citizens move their cars out of the road while the MSEC men sat guarding the cop car, some people watched from afar as these militant men simply watched them like weeping angels; Some of the Non-humans who seemed to know about these men hurried away, others watched them while some of the rowdier began talk crap to them, insulting them and calling them "Racists", "Killers" and other less than savory words.
Skjall may be a mostly touristic city on the surface but a lot of the city's population was Blue-collar Non-humans who worked on the factories nearby, those who didn't labored away in these jobs were tourists, young people and refugees from less free countries in the world, where Non-humans were treated like less than people; Most of these folks were vocal about their hatred towards MSEC, a PMC turned permanent security to the only Maximum Security Prison in the world that incarcerated exclusively Non-humans.
Vocal Civilian: Go home you racist bastards! -a man shouted as others rallied behind him-
Masked Woman: I hope you die for what you did to all those people! -another woman shouted from the doorway of a coffee shop-
Vhjil and Alu could feel the tension rise up from the streets as few people shouting at the MSEC men turn into a crowd then into a large mob, not even the cops could defend their unwanted partners so they got into the car and started it as they urged the MSEC soldiers to get in; As they started to get in one civilian threw a beer can at one of the soldiers who quickly changed from a stoic stance to a forward leaning posture his weapon pointed at the man, the crowd backed away as the other soldiers did the same while swaying their aim towards the crowd ensuring they stayed back:
MSEC Agent: Officer Matthews arrest that man or we will. -he warned as the cop walked towards the guilty man with the ES-Cuffs-
Police man #1: Don't tell me how to do my job Sir. -he says to the agent before putting the cuffs on the man-... You're under arrest for assault on a governmental entity and for disorderly conduct. -he tells the man before stuffing him in the back of the patrol car, letting the MSEC agents without a ride-... Sir, we'll call an additional cruiser to come for you, so please try not to incite the crowd. -he says to the leader of the trio of MSEC agents-
Vhjil and Alu were angry at how the cops could allow these men to point their loaded weapons at an unarmed crowd, they started to walk away when a group of masked people were making a Molotov behind a corner, Alu quickly stepped in front of the group as Vhjil froze from the realization of what they were planning to do:
Alu: Yo, the fuck are you doing?! -she loudly whispered at them before casually sniffing the air like if she was trying to clear her stuffy nose, in fact she did this in order to tell that they're ghouls like her-... Do your clans approve of this?! -she leaned in to say before they looked at her, Vhjil saw in their eyes, they were ghouls like Alu just as her friend already found out-... Or should I talk to Carter or even Laughing Jack? -she warned the Ghoul Hoodlums, they got scared and dropped their bottle, breaking it out of sight by accident-... Go home you little shits.
They nodded nervously and took off into a nearby alley, Vhjil stared at Alu surprised that she knew Laughing Jack but before she could ask Alu, the ghoul grabbed her and pulled her down the sidewalk quickly as one of the MSEC Guards were watching them intensely. The cop car flew down the road leaving the Soldiers to walk through the crowd confidently and towards the nearest shop, a Taco shop where the owner closed their doors to them, they simply sat on the table outside.
As Vhjil and Alu headed towards to the Miraimera ant's house, they looked back as the MSEC guards essentially kept their eyes trained on them through their helmets; As they left the ruckus behind and moved a block further, Vhjil stopped and pulled Alu to a Laundromat in other to talk, place was pretty empty except for one guy that was asleep on a bench waiting for his clothes to be done:
Vhjil: What the fuck! -she says while looking at Alu, surprising the ghoul-... What was back there?!
Alu: I have some street cred alright; I'm not going to let those kids get themselves killed for these Racists! -she says before turning around and taking off her mask before looking away-... I know what is like to get burned for fighting for giving in to your impulse, alright? -she says while letting her long hair cover her face-... I could not let them throw away their lives because some set of shiny pricks start talking shit.
Vhjil: I don't mean that, I found you telling them to fuck off for their own good to be most noble and selfless thing you've ever done. -she said to the ghoul, who blushed at her words-... But what I'm concern about Laughing Jack, how the fuck you know him? -she questions her, she put her hands on a loop as she shows her indignation-
Alu: What's he to you? -she rebuked quickly-... For all I care for, he can go fuck himself. -she responds to Vhjil which makes her nod agreeably-
Vhjil: Good, fuck that asshole, I'm glad that you're not working for him.
Alu: We can talk about this in your house, V, these walls have ears and on occasions... -she looks around subtly, noticing that the man who was sleeping was not awake and leaning forward, staring at the washing machine without breaking eye contact, clearly listening to them talk as he refused to acknowledge their presence-... They have eyes watching about. -she urges Vhjil to leave we her, so she quickly joins her and as they reach the sidewalk, they saw how much of the city was back to functional status, emergency vehicles were dashing across the streets and helping people who were caught in accidents-
Both kept moving towards Vhjil's home, as they walked Alu thought back to Aza, the woman who saved them earlier from that massive man. She thought to herself who those people were, Kanari is no stranger to weird and crazed individuals, but that man was a MSEC escapee, and he was talking to her like if they knew each other, perhaps she did not want to know who they were. She was wished that they had no need to ever meet again.
A FEW HOURS LATER INTO THE DAY ACROSS THE CITY, MARCELLA AND MALCOM-
The duo was sitting in the safehouse that Drál had told them to stay in for their safety, they were watching the current broadcast HCW, which was playing on every channel that would allow them as the company was a large contributor and supporter of the Kanari Cultural Festival, so the local channels were playing the broadcast in different angles. As they watched the current bout which was The Diabla and the members of the Heel (Bad Guy) Faction called The Legion versus four "Good Guys" in a "Crazy house of Pain" match. As they watched the intense battle their front door opened suddenly scaring Marcella enough for her to draw a pistol and aim at the sudden intruder.
She calmed down when Drál walked in with three people right behind him, He was unfazed by Marcella drawing a gun on him as he sat down on the adjacent couch to the duo, Malcom coughed a bit as he sat up straight as he watched the unknown people checked and cleared the house, one was carrying a shotgun while the other two had very compact looking submachine guns with silencers, all this scared Malcom to his core.
Marcella: Drál what the fuck dude, you scared the fuck out of me, I could've shot you... -she said to him as she placed her gun on the coffee table as Drál unloaded his pistol and placed it next to Her's, he lit a cigarette and offered one to her; Malcom quickly made sure to spot that Drál's cigarettes and even the box were he drew them from was custom made, one could say unique-
Drál: Shut up Marcella, if were to shoot me, not only would've survived but in less than ten seconds myself and my associates would've turned your ass into a closed casket statistic. -he says calmly as he took a long pull of his cigarette, his eyes glowed purple and jade green as the pitch-black smoke emanated from his nose-... I wanted to talk to you lot about something important. -he says to them before snapping his fingers which prompted the large, masked man to walk towards him, handling him a small notebook which Drál flipped through and gestures to the duo to read what was written there-... I need you to do me a favor and I'll keep your Gimp here doses coming, and your hides hidden from questioning eyes and ears. -he says to the duo, he seemed calmer than before probably because the trio of bodyguards watching them-
Marcella looked at the notebook and saw a hyper realistic drawing of a girl, not older than mid-twenties, her face was cute but strangely held a hidden fury to it, to Malcom it wasn't the case but to the shifter Marcella, these little subtle strokes of the pencil drawn emotions were a sign of two little things: This drawing was made by supernatural means and that this girl was a firebrand, even a quite dangerous girl if underestimated. Marcella grinned as she took Drál's cigarette and took a puff, noticing how her vision became clearer and her heart slowed down it's beating, her mind felt clearer and even her finger felt numb; She licked her lips before passing it back to Drál:
Malcom: You want us to... -he hesitated for a second-... Kill her? -he said, feeling his anxiety run very high-
Drál: No, you idiot, simply to keep an eye out for her, report back to me if you see her. -he says still calmed, chill like ice-
Marcella: What's she to you then? -she asked as she eyed the duo of sharply dressed bodyguards looking around their fridge and kitchen shelves-... Girlfriend or some rival?
Drál: Girlfriend... -Marcella scuffed at this but he was serious-... Hard to believe?
Marcella: Actually yes, last time I remember you care for someone even remotely, was Reggie and clearly you abandoned him in a blink. -she noticed how he winced at her words before furrowing his eyebrows in hidden anger, however she knew that he wanted something so he wouldn't want to push them away by throwing a fit-... so you can see, I'm skeptical that you have room for someone in that cold heart of yours, especially a girl.
Drál: She means a lot to me... -he gestures the trio of bodyguards to buzz off, he waits for them to leave the living room before talking-... I spent years with her, as a fling but I felt something deeper for her, Love, you may say... -he chuckled before continuing-... I love her more than I've ever loved anything in my life, I tried keeping her a secret but she's... she's a strong woman, the only one I can't outmatch, so some of my rivals have ID'd her so... -he stops before taking a quick pull of his cigarette-... She's missing, three days gone actually, and I can't find her, I got men looking the shadier corners, but she knows who my people are, so in case that she's actively avoiding me, I need folks like you... -he gestures to them-... Unknowns, to track her, so please contact me if you find her.
Malcom: -he stops Marcella from responding-... Sounds easy enough, we'll do it Mr. Drál. -he tells him before looking at the drawing-... Can I request something extra?
Drál: Shoot kid. -he says as he watches the young man-
Malcom: I'm looking for someone too, my little sister, she was taken from the United States, and I believe she landed here so I've looking for her for years, I need information and I know someone with your sway and influence can do what I could only hope to do myself. -he says to the man who leans back on his chair before killing the cigarette in an ashtray-
Drál: Do this for me Kid, I'll see what I can do but tell Marcella everything you know about your sister, send it to me and I'll get my people go to work, deal? -he stretches his hand, Malcom takes it and shakes on it, Marcella is less than pleased but remains quiet-... Alright then... -he stands up, straightens his suit then snaps a picture of them and sends it to someone-... There, now me people will treat you like family, don't abuse the privilege or I'll personally fuck you up, got it?
Malcom and Marcella: Yes.
As he collects his pistol and reloads it one of his bodyguards approaches and talks to him in Gaelic, loud enough for the duo to listen to:
Bodyguard #1: A dhuine uasail b'fhéidir gur mhaith leat é seo a fheiceáil... -he hands him a burner phone with tiny antenna and a "X" drawn on the back of the phone with yellow tape- Chuir duine éigin é seo chugat, teachtaireacht chriptithe inár gcainéal rúnda. -He waits from Drál to respond but the kingpin licks his lip subconsciously before storing the phone in his pocket, Marcella was now concern: Drál seemed Terrified, his eyes focused on his smartwatch before urging his bodyguards to hurry up to the car-
Without any more words, Drál and his bodyguards rush out and get in the SUV, after a few seconds they took off and disappeared into the city. Marcella and Malcom wait outside for a second then as they are returning back into the house they see their neighbor, a young man looking at the SUV as well, soon accompanied by a duo of Humanimal women, who Marcella felt like those two had served time or were savvy to the criminal underworld of Kanari by the looks alone. She took a mental note of the trio before closing the door behind herself and sitting back down in the living room with Malcom.
"Drál, you paranoid bastard, you really left three of your lackeys next door to watch us?" she thought before recalling their faces: A Croc or an alligator, a frog thing and a young dude. "They look like some hitters, got to be careful, if we cross him... those three could smoke us without any need to feel mercy" she thinks before continuing to watch the show, she drifts her eyes to Malcom who seems happy for once: "It was a stupid idea to make a deal with Darwin, he's always got twenty ways to bend deals in his Favour but... I couldn't tell him no, he would never forgive me if I stopped his chance to find his sister... Fuck man... This is definitely going to bite us in the ass" now all she can do is relax on the couch and later she'll see if she can earn Darwin's favor once more.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, DOWNTOWN SKJALL-
"We got the whole place surrounded Sir, if there's someone in there, they're fucked" a voice spoke through a radio inside the SUV, Drál listens as he loads his pistol, a move that's Ill advised by his bodyguards but this was something he have to deal personally; Someone sent him a secret message through his men's hidden channels and they knew about his past: "Two Pups went into a noodle shop, one got hurt but both became wolves. Let's talk D, In the den we made it reality" with these twenty words, Drál had mobilized nearly sixty of his men in a matter of seconds, all to converge to an old storage unit depo, once upon time a busy Chinese food shop.
He remembered that day like it was yesterday, reminders of that day were painted on his torso, it took three bullets to change Drál's life forever and it all happened in this building. His memories brought him back, to that day where one simple hold-up ended with a deadly firefight and Drál nearly killed but he was saved by one guy, his best friend who saved his life, but he never saw again.
Bodyguard #1: Boss, molaim duit athmhachnamh a dhéanamh ar an méid atá tú ag iarraidh a dhéanamh -He says to him, in his hands he held his shotgun from earlier, Drál was nervous, he could tell even as his one good eye was focused on the road, the driver was making is way behind the depo, parking and shutting the engine off-... I'll say it... in... English... -he got his boss's attention now even if he struggled to speak English-... Is dang-ger-rous... let me... go in. -he says to Drál but the man coughed then with a smile steps out the car, cocking his gun-
Drál: Don't worry Nathan, I don't deserve you, just stay put and call Dubois and get her ass here now. -he says to his bodyguard before walking towards the building-
He gestured to his men to keep an eye out for the prying eyes, then he gestures them take out anyone that gets too curious, all informed via voiceless hand gestures; He then walks through the front door of the building where a young clerk sat scared on the counter, Drál gestures to leave which the young man does without missing a beat. The Kingpin pushes the door open with his gun in hand, as he crosses the doorway into the hallway he spots two guys, a man wearing a hooded jacket and a teen, both talk unknowing of Drál's presence until he pulls the hammer back of his pistol:
Drál: Okay you two, you wanted to Goad me, here I am, turn around slowly or I'll bury you both here. -he says serious, the teen lifted his hands up kick and did as he was told the man did not-... You are fucking deaf, turn around slowly motherfucker. -he ordered again-
Reggie: You know, I spent a decade in the clink but I'm damn sure that's not how you greet an old friend. -he takes off his hood, turns around uncaring of the gun pointed at him and as their eyes meet, Drál felt his heart skip a beat, his hand went slack which caused the kingpin to drop his gun in shock as his eyes widened at the sight-... Sup Darwin, kept you waiting for that beer, huh? -he says with a sly smile, warm and friendly-
As Gavin stood up, he saw the gangster close the gap between them and in a blink of an eye both men exchanged haymakers before standing there looking at each other, Gavin was frozen as his brother's left eyebrow was bleeding as the man's bottom lip but then they hugged for a long second:
Drál: You son of a bitch... -his voice cracked as he held Reggie in a fierce hug, his eyes watered and he sniffed hard to hide his now runny nose-... Where the FUCK were you?! -he asked before pulling away, no tears ran down, but he was overtaken by the surprise-
Reggie: Well, I have an absolute TEARJERKER to tell you dude. -he urged him to sit down on a chair he pulled out from an open depo crate-
IN YRDEN CITY, SOME UNKNOWN ROOFTOP IN THE DOWNTOWN-
The woman from before, Aza, sat on the edge of the three-story building, her face was bruised and her chest was tied up in bandages covering many scratches from the fight with Gryhmn back in Skjall, she drank from a water bottle while waiting for her contact. She watches the lights of the redlight district not far from where she's been living in.
She hears the open behind her open, she stands up and turns to the man, the one she was expecting but he wasn't alone, he was flanked by a dozen equally masked people, all Ghouls like their leader; The man wore a very expensive looking spiked leather jacket, black militarized cargo pants and withered Contruction boots stained with motor oil, his face concealed by an Oni like mask, an evil smile covered his blood red visage, his eyes blackened with the irises glowing like hellish balls of fire:
The Laughing Jack: Lady Aza, pleasure to meet you, heard a lot about you so you have no idea how excited to finally get to speak to you. -he says to her, his charismatic voice was dripping with false and hollow words, Aza knew this Ghoul was full of shit, but she needed him, so she played his game for now-
Aza: It's my pleasure to meet you, Jack, truly a privilege. -she says to him, reciprocating his false desire with some courteous bootlicking-... Okay handsome, I wanted a professional for a little job I need done, I need someone found and brought back to me ASAP. -she offers him a cigarette, even though Aza does not smoke often, only when she's tense, something she's not now, in fact she's confident and relaxed even as she speaks to this sleazy ghoul-
The Laughing Jack: Bet, Dead or alive? -he asked her while sneaking a quick look at her rear end as she spins around to get her bag that sat a few feet away on the edge of the building, she purposely bent down and essentially hypnotized the seasoned criminal with her voluptuous assets-... Whatever you choose, it changes how much I'll charge you, Mi capisci faccia da bambola? -he says in Italian, with sly charm something that Aza rolled her eyes at, away from his view of his men's-
Aza: Alive, 20K now, 20K later if you bring him, keep him safe for a few days till I can get my people to find some safe passage for him, deal? -she returned to him with her purse in hand, she stood in front of him, a foot between them as she drew her phone and waited for his response-
The Laughing Jack: Deal. -he says to her, as she looks down at her phone to send him the money, he reaches for her chest-... Ragazzi, non pensate che la figa esperta sia la migliore, eh? -He says with a truly sleazy voice while looking at his boys, however as he was about to touch it he's caught completely unawares, she reacts in a lightning-fast demonstration of power and awareness by swatting his hand away with her hand, now clutching a long karambit knife pressed to his neck causing him to sweat, his heart beating furiously-... Mierda... -he curses suddenly getting his men ready to fight-
Aza: -she did not care about the dozen or so Ghouls sprouting their Kagunes, Jack tells them to calm down and to wait-... Ah Ah Ah~ -she chastised him before her beautiful face leans forward, her minty breath passes over his lips as she speaks to him slowly, a evilly glee smile crosses her face-... Jack, hai sentito di non guardare e non toccare? -as she spoke his language, his face was drained of color as fear filled his heart, now realizing she understood him-... Non scopare con questa figa esperta o potresti rimanere un po' a corto di un cazzo con cui giocare, capiscimi Bel ragazzo? -she says seriously, as she pushes him away slowly by nudging the blade closer to his throat-... Now, I guess you'll give a discount, huh? -she laughs cheekily to him, his response is to nervously nod as he backs away to his men-... Good, now get to work Jack.
The Ghoul chuckles nervously before leaving her alone on the rooftop, she texts him the target: A young boy called Bobby, last seen in Skjall. Her text included a picture of the kid then as she sent the message to him, she sat down on the edge of the building, watching Jack and his men leave in their cars, blowing a kiss to him as he pulls away and takes off into the city.
TO BE CONTINUED...