Chapter 2: Crime and Punishment (4/4)
"This morning, it has been confirmed that the Stranding Haven Killer has claimed another victim. The body of Raphael Torres was discovered by the police this morning inside of an abandoned motel located in the South Area of Stranding Haven. Torres was identified as the Drug Lord that goes by the name Dust Storm after several drugs and documents with information and details about the drug deals that were made by him were found at the location."
"What kind of stupid name is Dust Storm anyway?" Terrence asked as he looked at the TV. He was wearing a brown pull-over hoodie, blue worn-out jeans and Nike Air Revolution safari for shoes.
"I really hope someone gave him that nickname, because if he was the one who picked it." Joshua responded in amusement. He was wearing a white short-sleeved casual shirt with a black long sleeved undershirt, black APO Jeans and a pair of Air Jordan 1 Retro in the color Black and White. His bag and Skateboard were right beside him.
"The details of the cause of death were not released by the police yet, but some sources claim that he was forced to ingest a variety of foul liquids until his stomach burst."
"Here we go, boys." The waitress came to deliver their food.
Joshua and Terrence were both inside of a diner that was located in front of the basketball court where they were playing not long ago. Now, they were basically sitting on one of the tables waiting for their order.
"Thanks." Terrence thanked the waitress as she placed a Michigan Hot Dog with a cup of Orange Fanta in front of him.
"Thank you." Joshua did the same as the waitress placed a BLT Hot Dog with caraway remoulade, a cup of Coca-Cola and some onion rings in front of him. The boy with emo hair eats an onion ring before looking at the TV.
"The three bodies that were encountered at the abandoned construction site are yet to be identified but the police have the survivor of the mysterious shootout in custody and reports indicate that the Stranding Haven Killer was also responsible for their deaths. Some rumors seemed to imply that these groups were members of the dangerous street gang that goes by the name of Stranding Parasites, who were about to have a drug exchange with the man nicknamed Dust Storm." Joshua took a bite of his hot dog as he showed the image of the crime scene after the bodies were removed. "According to our sources the SHK utilized a high precision sniper rifle to fire at a propane tank that he had hidden inside of a car that belonged to Raphael Torres, which he used to cause a small explosion while the group searched for the drugs that were supposed to be exchanged." He drank from his cup as he listened. "According to a commentary that was given by one of the detectives in charge of investigating the infamous serial killer, this event indicates that the Stranding Haven Killer possesses high-level skills in the use of firearms while also confirming that the shootout that has occurred in the abandoned shopping center was indeed another act done by the Stranding Haven Killer, as several witness claimed that a man wearing some type ballistic armor has entered the building and killed several people with an assault rifle." He eats yet another onion ring. "The location has been used as a base of operations for the drug trade employed by Raphael Torres and the victims of this massacre were men working under him."
"So he killed a fucking drug dealer, a most of his henchmen and a bunch of gangbangers?!" An old man that was sitting at the table beside the one that they were sitting on. "Is he supposed to be the one on the wrong in this?" He asked as he drank a cup of coffee.
"Man, one of the shitheads that he killed mugged my ass a bunch of times." A middle-aged dark skinned bald man wearing a jumpsuit that was eating a plate of beans told him in response. "Good riddance."
"Dude, my aunt used to buy drugs from this Dust Storm and he sent a guy to her house to beat her up with a baseball bat when she didn't pay for the drugs." A skinny guy with long hair that was eating a burger commented. "I heard the SHK shot the guy with an assault rifle."
"Is your aunt okay?" Joshua asked him as he ate an onion ring.
"She needs a cane to walk now, so..." That guy told him with a sad look. "On the bright side, she completely quit drugs after that, so something good came out of it."
"That's really nice." Joshua said with a smile before moving his head to look at Terry, who was enjoying his Hot Dog slowly.
"Still under the subject of murder, the police have seized the investigations over the murder of two young men due to the lack of new leads. The victims in question were Harold Plenu and Troy Madison. Plenu was strangled to death with what the police identified as shoe laces that were wrapped around his neck, and the reason for the murder seemed to be connected to an attempt of rape towards a young lady that preferred to no be identified, however, an arrest was done as the police found a bottle of Rohypnol inside of his clothes which possesed the fingerprints of another young man, Paul Jennings, who was arrested on the spot for Drug possession."
Good riddance. Joshua thought as he appreciated his hot dog.
"However, there weren't any arrests in regards to the murder of the young man named Troy Madison, who was brutally beaten to death by what appeared to be a pair of brass knuckles. Despite finding a considerable amount of leads, the SHPD theorizes that the leads were placed there on purpose in order to get them off track."
Absolutely right, and I was playing with Erika's beautiful boobs while they searched for these false leads. Joshua still feels bad about it, since Mr. Graham didn't deserve the extra work. But, the lovely sight of his daughter's breasts were too wonderful to be regretful about it.
"A few hours ago, Deficere Labs has declared that they have been purchased out by Land Industries after the disastrous presentation that has led to the death of several bystanders after an accidental leak of toxic substances. Details of the purchase were not released to the general public but the confirmation that the project that has caused the accident has been terminated."
Joshua didn't really care about that and simply continued to enjoy his lunch with Terry.
After eating, Joshua and Terry decided to make their way back to the basketball court, but they were mostly throwing free throws from a distance. The basketball court was right next to a park that had benches, a small grass field that was clearly artificial grass and some trees with a fountain in the middle that had been vandalized.
"So, has your uncle been having trouble at work?" Joshua asked as he landed a perfect shot.
"Why the hell would he have trouble at work?" Terrence asked as he grabbed the ball and also landed a perfect shot.
"Well..." Mr. Graham and Mr. Higgins are the ones in charge of his case and another victim showing up alongside several other corpses can't be good for them. "They could end up in trouble due to another victim of the Standing Haven Killer showing up." It's kind of hilarious, the major cause of their trouble is the one getting worried about it. I just wished they'd be taken off of the investigation and let some other detective fail miserably at handling it, it would make me feel less guilty about that. "Unless they actually found a clue because of it..." They didn't.
"Nah, I heard my uncle complaining to my grandfather that they now added heavy combat training to the profile of the Stranding Haven Killer." Terry explained, despite his clear lack of interest in the subject. "According to him, the SHK was most likely a Marine or even a Navy SEAL." You don't need to be in the fucking military to be a good shot. "So... I don't know... I think they are actually pleased because they have more suspects now or some shit like that..."
"Oh, alright then." They'll probably search for college educated people that have extensive military service now, who have access to a wide arsenal of military grade weapons due to the highly modified AR-15 assault rifle that I used, alongside the armor that Michelangelo produced that was confused with common ballistic armor. "Did he say anything about the Dust Storm guy?" He asked as he tossed the ball and got another perfect shot. "Did he really die because his stomach bursted?"
"Man, my uncle had to take a bunch of showers to get the stench off his body." Terry responded as he grabbed the ball. "My uncle said that the killer made the guy drink a mixture of piss,shit,vomit,guts and a bunch of infected blood." With Hepatitis A,B,C,D and E, to be more precise. "My uncle said that when they tried to move him out of the spot, his body smelled so bad that two officers puked on one another." Joshua chuckled at that, because he knows that it's true. "If it somehow smelled worse than my uncle's uniform, I would have puked my guts out too."
"Okay, now I regret asking." Joshua joked before he grabbed the ball and ran towards the hoop before he jumped and performed a Under The Leg Dunk.
"Fuck, how do you do it so easily?!" Terry asked in deep frustration.
Artificially enhanced physical capabilities from birth. "Maybe I'm cheating." He half-joked before tossing the ball to Terry.
"How the fuck do you even cheat a dunk?" Terry asked as Joshua stepped away from the hoop. So Terry could run towards and perform his own dunk, a Tomahawk dunk.
"Nice..." Joshua spoke as he grabbed the ball. Before Terry could say anything to him, he noticed that Terry made a worried expression. "What?" He asked.
"Someone just grabbed your bag and skateboard!" Terry yelled at him while pointing at one of the doors of the court.
Joshua turned his head around and saw that there was a guy wearing an orange hoodie, riding his skateboard down the street with his bag on his shoulder. "Motherfucker!" That was his sole response before he sprinted after the guy. Leaving Terry behind as he ran towards the basketball court entrance and ran after the guy that just stole his stuff. The street was relatively empty with only a few cars on it, which made it easier for him to just sprint down towards the idiot that was riding his skateboard casually, probably because he didn't notice that there was someone running after him. Several people that were walking on the sidewalk noticed him running at a remarkable speed after the robber, and stopped to watch. There's nothing of value inside of the bag and the skateboard can be replaced, but I have an emotional attachment to those things and I really don't want anyone to take it. Joshua thought as he got closer and closer to the guy that took his stuff. Which got easier because the dumbass stopped to speak with some guy that was standing on the sidewalk.
"Yo, check th-" Before the guy could speak to the other, Joshua closed the distance and delivered a flying side kick into the guy's back. "AAH!" Which landed and caused him to fall off the skateboard, right into the ground.
"Holy shit..." The other guy that the robber was talking to, spoke in deep surprise as he laughed at what just happened. It was a long haired guy with a soul patch, and he was wearing green beach shorts, a white tank top and black flip flops.
"AAAH! The fuck's wrong with you!?" The guy that Joshua just kicked asked. He seemed to be in his early twenties, he was wearing worn-out blue jeans and sneakers. And he had a goatee.
Joshua grabbed his skateboard from the ground before replying. "Seriously, you steal someone's stuff and you're asking what is wrong with me?" He asked sarcastically. "Hand the bag over before I bash your skull in!"
"Ahh!" The guy grunted as he held the side of the head that Joshua just kicked. "Aren't you gonna help me?!" He asked his friend who was just standing there.
"Unless you want a kick to the face as well, I suggest you stay out of this, you pothead." Joshua bluntly told the other guy, who was clearly under the influence of marijuana, because of the red eyes, droopy eyelids and the fact that he can smell it since weed and marijuana have very distinctive smells, and the smoke will cling to clothing and hair.
The pothead just giggled like a bloody idiot at what Joshua just said, which gave another confirmation that he was high. "Pothead..." He busted into laughter despite the fact that it was pretty much the perfect way to describe him. Joshua rolled his eyes in response before he delivered a spinning back kick to his crotch. "Mmmmm..." Despite clearly being high, he definitely felt that, since he fell on the floor grabbing on to his manhood right away. "Ooooo... My balls..." He grunted in pain on the ground while speaking painfully slowly.
"Jesus, how much pot did you smoke, asshole?" Joshua asked despite not caring about that. "My bag, now!" Then he moved towards the idiot that was on the floor.
The guy then stood up from still touching his cheek in pain. Then he reached inside his pocket to grab something, which Joshua already knew what it was. These clowns never learn. He thought in annoyance as the guy pulled out a peasant knife. "Look, just hand the skateboard back and I'll consid-" The idiot spoke as he unfolded the knife. "Aahh!" But was interrupted when Joshua tossed the skateboard on his face, and while he was stunted by the impact, he closed the distance and grabbed both his wrist and bicep before he redirected the knife and pushed into his thigh, stabbing his leg with his own knife. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" With him screaming in agony and falling on the ground as soon as the blade pieced his thigh.
"Dumbass." Joshua spoke in response to what just happened. "My bag, now!" He yelled at the guy on the ground.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" The guy cursed as he grabbed onto his leg in visible pain. "Just take this shit!" He removed the bag from his shoulder and tossed it at Joshua.
"Asshole." Joshua insulted him before putting his messenger bag on his shoulder and grabbing his skateboard from the floor. Then he looked at the potheaded idiot that was still on the ground after getting kicked on the balls. Then he approached the guy and inspected his pockets to see if he had a cellphone on him. He had a Nokia 6310 1999 on his left, which he used to call an ambulance. Hilariously, a bunch of people just saw what he did, but the vast majority chooses to ignore it since crime is painfully common around that area.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Hi, I need an ambulance."
"Shit man, did you actually do that?"
After calling the ambulance, Joshua tossed the pothead's phone into the rooftop of the building that they were standing in front of and left the two idiots to deal with the explanation of how they ended up like that. So he hopped on top of his skateboard and rode his way back to Terry who was trying to follow him during the chase but got lost. Joshua explained what happened and Terry couldn't believe it.
"Yes." Joshua spoke before hopping on top of his skateboard and jumped in order to perform a feeble grind on the handrail of the step streets that they were approaching,before landing perfectly on the ground. I know a lot of knife disarms from several different martial arts, that was actually a simple one. He thought as he picked up his skateboard and strapped on his messenger bag. "Controlling a knife is taught in some martial arts."
"How many martial arts do you know anyway?" Terry asked him in curiosity as he descended down the stairs.
Aiki-Jūjutsu, Aikido, Arnis, Baguazhang, Bajiquan,Battōjutsu, Bokator, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Bujinkan, Canne De Combat, Capoeira, Choi Kwang-Do, Drunken Boxing, Dumog Eskrima, Fujian White Crane, Gatka , Hapkido, HEMA, Hwa Rang Do ,Iaidō ,Iaijutsu, Juttejutsu, Jujutsu, Jōdō, Judo, Jūkendō, Kajukenbo, Kalaripayattu, Karate, Kenpō, Kickboxing, Krabi–Krabong, Krav Maga, Kuk Sool Won, Kumdo, Kung Fu, Kyūdō ,Kyūjutsu, Lethwei, MCMAP , Muay Thai, Muay Boran , Naginatajutsu, Nguni Stick-Combat, Ninjutsu, Okinawan Kobudō, Pencak Silat, Pradal Serey, Sambo, Savate ,Shaolin Kung Fu, Shidōkan Karate ,Shōrin-Ryū Shidōkan, Shorinji Kempo, Shuai Jiao. Shurikenjutsu ,Sikaran, Silambam, Silat, Singlestick, Sōjutsu, Subak, Systema, Taekkyeon, Taekwondo ,Tai Chi, Chuan ,Taidō, Tang Soo Do, Vale Tudo, Vovinam ,Wing Chun, Wrestling, Wushu. Xing Yi Quan, Zoorkhaneh and Zui Quan. Joshua ended up listing all of the martial arts that he knows in his head but decided to not say it out loud. "Some, I basically just absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially my own." Which is basically the main aspect of Jeet Kune Do, which is what Joshua mostly practices.
Terry then reached the bottom of the stairs and signaled Joshua to follow him into a corner.
"Where exactly are we going?" Joshua asked since he was basically following Terry around.
"I heard there's going to be a party and I want to see if I can get in." Terry explained to Joshua as the two walked besides one another.
"Where?" Joshua asked.
"In the Royalty Passage." The Royalty Passage was a street that was located right before the entrance of the north area of Stranding Haven. The name is basically an ironic foreshadowing, since the north area is the part where the rich and the fancy live. The few times Joshua went there, he can tell that the difference between the north and the south is pretty absurd. Joshua, Erika and Lydia live in the center which is kind of middle ground between the two, not being as good as the north but not being as bad as the south.
But Joshua had to raise a brow at what he just heard. "T... Where and how did you hear about this party?" He decided to ask because he has no idea why Terry is interested in some party that is happening at such a place.
"Ahhh... Well... Ummmm... You see..." Terry was clearly trying to find an explanation to give him, but his difficulty in conjuring one, really worries Joshua.
But then Joshua remembered something and easily figured out what it was. "Oh for fuck's sake," And he wasted no time in reprimanding his friend. "Are you after that girl from the Black Rose?!" The girl that Joshua was referring to, was the girl called Monica, who does acting classes at the same place where Erika has her ballet classes. Whom Terry developed a massive crush on despite only talking to her once.
"Errrr..." By the face that he was making, he basically confirmed his suspicion. "Fine, you got me." Before he actually confessed. "Erika kind of overheard her saying that she was going to a party at the Royal Passage, and I want to see if I can get in."
Joshua sighed. "And I assume that you have no idea what kind of party it is, yet you're dragging me along to see if I can help you crash the party in order for you to stalk a girl that you spoke to once that didn't even pay any attention to you." He basically described the situation as he saw it.
"Hey, I ain't fucking stalking anyone, I'm just trying to create an opportunity for us to get to know each other better." Terry immediately tried to justify his actions.
"By crashing into a party that you weren't invited to and trying to get close to a girl that doesn't even know your fucking name?" Joshua sarcastically asked him.
"Are you gonna help me or not?!" Terry asked in anger while folding his arms since he probably triggered him by explaining what was wrong with his flawed logic.
Joshua sighed in response. I guess he's one hundred percent determined, since I can't talk him out of it. "Fine, but don't complain to me when it backfires."
"It won't, I know what I'm doing." That was a big fat lie.
The only reason why Joshua was going, was to do damage control when Terry makes a fool out of himself in his pursuit of Monica. And also because he was curious on how it would backfire. "But, do you have an address or something?"
"Ummm... About that..." He clearly didn't.
"You got to be fucking kidding me, T."
"Are you fucking serious?!"
"Yup."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!"
After finding out that Terry had no idea where exactly was the party that he was planning on crashing in was going to be other than the street. The two friends ended up taking a bus that would take them to Royalty Passage. During the ride, Joshua called Lydia and explained the situation to her. And understandably, she bursted into laughter.
"Oh god! HAHAHAHAHAA! Ohhhh..." Lydia laughed really hard on the phone. "Okay... Hahahaha..." It took a few seconds for her to finally stop laughing. "Alright, it's probably not going to be very difficult, just see if you guys can hear loud music or a crowded place." She gave him some advice.
"Good idea." Joshua pointed out.
"Fuck, I got go, my mom needs help with something." Lydia told him. "I'm gonna sleep here today, so don't wait up."
"Alright, see you tomorrow." Joshua told his best friend.
"Bye." Lydia said goodbye. "Give me the details later... .Hahahahahaha!" She laughed a bit more before hanging up
"Did you just fucking told Lydia everything?!" Terry, who was sitting beside him on the bus, asked.
"Yup." Joshua admitted as he placed his phone in his pocket. "She bursted into laughter, then gave me some advice on how to search." Which was what he was already planning on doing but it was nice of her anyway. "Just a warning, she's gonna tease the shit out of you tomorrow."
"Thanks a lot, asshole." Terry was already preparing himself for it.
"Don't mention it." Joshua replied with a goofy smile.
Terry then moved his head to look at the bus window and was surprised by what he saw. "Damn, look at how clean the street is." He couldn't help but comment. Joshua moved his head and he has to admit that the difference between that place and the south area was night and die. There wasn't a single damaged property in there, the streets were impeccably clean, and there were a lot of fine looking cars parked next to one another which definitely would be a terrible idea in the south area.
I don't know if this is purposely or not, maybe it accidentally got like this or they purposely made it like this, whatever it is, it's kind of annoying. Joshua thought it a slight annoyance, since he really dislikes how the social structure of Stranding Haven is so obvious. But he wasn't really surprised since that's usually how things go. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the bus stop. "Here we are." The boy with emo hair spoke as he signalled Terry to move.
The two friends then moved out of the seat in order to make their way to the exit of the bus. Once they stepped outside, they could see the street much more clearly and it shocked them how big of a difference it was, compared to the south side of the city. "Fuck... Look at this place..." Terry noticed too.
"Try not to pay too much attention to it." Joshua suggested.
"So, where do we start?" Terry asked him, despite this being his idea.
Joshua just sighed and pulled out his phone in order to access some social media sites. Basically searching for a Black Rose page, which he found right away, before searching for the girl called Monica in it. It didn't take long for him to find her account and for him to discover that his full name was Monica Norwood. It didn't take long for him to see her posting a selfie on her account. The selfie was of her, hugging a very beautiful girl with spotless fair skin, long straight medium brown hair , aqua blue eyes, a button nose, heart shaped lips and she was wearing very expensive clothing.
"Damn, she looks awesome with a jacket." Terry, who just moved his head to look at Joshua's phone, commented. "Monica Norwood, that's a pretty cool name."
He had an urge to tell Terry to not stalk her on social media or something like that, but he decided against it since he would probably do it anyway. "Look, see this." The selfie that they were taking seemed to be in someone's backyard, and the background had a pool, a dance floor and a bunch of other people on it. "I think it's someone's birthday party." Which made Joshua a little reluctant to help Terry crash the party.
"Cool, but where is it?" Terry, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.
Joshua sighed and observed the photo so see some point of reference. And he caught the sight of a strange looking billboard that was pretty far away but it gave him an impression of the direction where this photo was taken. He moved his head up to search for it and actually saw the billboard from a distance, then he compared the direction of his view with the direction in the photo. "Come on."
"Dude, look at this house." It didn't take long for them to actually find the place after Joshua used the distance and the direction of the billboard in the photo to pinpoint the location. It was a house of pretty modern and complex architecture, though Joshua thinks that whoever designed it may have been a little pretentious because some parts were highly exaggerated. There were also large windows on it and he could see a bunch of people inside, kind of adding to his theory that it was a birthday party or at least some type of celebration. "So, how do we get in?" He asked Joshua.
Joshua moved his head around to see a way in, there were some people at the entrance and he really didn't want to risk going through there because people will easily see that they weren't invited because by the looks of it, they're all acquaintances of one another. Moving his head to the right, he actually saw someone approaching the place. "Follow my lead." He told Terry as the person approached. "Excuse me?" He called out the person.
"Y-yeah?" It was an Asian boy that seemed to be at the same age as them. He was pretty scrawny, apparently underweight. He has straight short black hair with bangs that part down the middle of his forehead and black eyes with what appear to be notable bags under his eyes. He has a kind of soft face that in Joshua's opinion, makes him look like a girl. He was wearing a green and black striped long-sleeve t-shirt, beige cargo pants and white canvas shoes.
"Sorry to bother you, I just wanna ask what kind of celebration is that?" Joshua asked while pointing at the house. "You see, a buddy of ours texted us to grab something for him at his home and bring it here but now he isn't answering his text and we don't know if we can go in to give it to him." He made an elaborate excuse to why they are there. "Is that a birthday party or something?" He asked. "Because I really don't feel comfortable crashing into someone's birthday like that." The boy with emo hair gave his friend a pretty subtle disapproving gaze while he was saying that, which Terry just waved off.
"Ummm..." The boy they were talking to seemed awkward, his posture indicated that and he was clearly uncomfortable with them. "It's a... House party, ummm... The parents of the... Guy that lives here went on a trip so he invited a lot of people from school to come." He awkwardly explained to Joshua in a very soft and somewhat high-pitched voice.
"A house party?" Terry reacted to that accordingly. "Man, and we're wasting our time out here." After getting confirmation that he won't have any trouble, Terry made his way inside, leaving Joshua behind in order to probably go search for Monica.
It turns out, he didn't need my help. Joshua thought as he watched Terry enter the party with no trouble whatsoever. The boy with emo hair then moved his head back to look at the boy he was talking to. "I'm Joshua by the way." He introduced himself. "Joshua Reese."
"Mmmmm... My name... Jun." He introduced himself as well. "Jun Bin."
"Hmmmm..." Joshua caught something interesting about that name. "Depending on the kanji used, Jun can mean pure, clean, simple, or moisture." Jun is a Japanese name. "Bin, can mean empty, void, or white." Bin is a Korean name. "In a way, it kind of fits together if you think about it." It kind of did in a way. "So, does that mean you are Japanese and Korean or they just gave a Japanese first name and a Korean last name for fun?" He asked out of curiosity despite already knowing the answer.
"No... I-I mean yes..." Jun seemed to be having difficulty answering. "My mother is Japanese and my father Korean." He confirmed.
"Oh, cool, my mother is British and my father is Russian." Though, according to them, my ancestry goes all over the globe. "But that doesn't really matter," He moved his head to look at the party. "Don't take this the wrong way but, you don't seem very eager to go inside." Joshua noticed that by his body language, as he seemed nervous to go in.
"Errrr... You see... " Jun awkwardly looked at the party. "I didn't really want to come, but my grandmother kind of told me to come." He admitted to him.
"Well, that's something we have in common." Joshua didn't want to go there either. "The truth is, my friend Terry has a crush on a girl that is at the party right now and he made me come here to help him crash the party so he could try to get close to her." Which was unnecessary since all he had to do was walk in.
"What girl?" He asked him.
"Monica Norwood." He responded.
"I know her, she's the daughter of the vice principal of the academy." He revealed it to Joshua.
"Oh, you guys study on Padmus Academy, right?" Padmus Academy is a very prestigious private school that is located in the north area of Stranding Haven, it's a place you only get in if you're either rich, very intelligent or know the right people. Despite Joshua possessing all the three qualifications, he prefers the normal school.
"Yes..." He confirmed. Joshua then observed Jun in order to try to figure out which of the three got him into the school. He can tell that he wasn't really rich, because his shoes were quite worn-out and there were some stains on his cargo pants, indicating that he wears them quite often and has owned them for a while. The way he carries himself indicates social awkwardness that may reach social anxiety levels, indicating that he was an introvert that doesn't interact with people much . The bags on his eyes indicated sleeping deprivation, clearly by forcing himself to stay awake until late at night, which could be due to studying but there's a multitude of reasons why someone would stay awake until late at night. He also mentioned that his grandmother told him to come to the party, which pretty much indicates that he's prone to asociality due to his apparent social anxiety and she's trying to make him interact with people despite his clear discomfort.
"Did you have other plans for tonight?" Joshua asked him.
"No..., I was just going to play online games." Jun confirmed. By the tone of his voice, Joshua could tell that he does that often, confirming that his sleep deprivation comes from playing online games until late at night. He probably knows someone that got him into the academy. "But, my grandomother said that it's not healthy for boys my age to so anti-social."
The boy with emo hair moved his head to look at the party. "I better go inside to see if my friend isn't embarrassing himself, wanna come along?" He asked Jun, mostly to not waste the trip there and because Jun was clearly reluctant to go in alone.
Jun was surprised by the offer. "Ummm... You don't mind?" He asked.
"I don't know anyone in there and you don't wanna go there, so I think it's a good combination." Joshua responded. "Besides, we can go in and then leave, so you won't have to lie to your grandmother because you actually went to the party." That was his logic on the situation.
"Ermmm..." He was still reluctant, but he was considering his offer. "Alright.." After two minutes of contemplating, he accepted Joshua's offer .
"Cool, come on then." The boy with emo hair then signaled the feminine looking boy to follow him. "My friend's name is Terry by the way." Joshua informed him as Jun followed behind him.
With that, the two made their way to the door. Upon entering, they caught the sight of a large living room where some people were just hanging around there, but the vast majority was in the back. There was some loud music going on outside, but it wasn't really of his taste. Moving his head to the right, he saw a pretty elaborate kitchen that was separated from the living room by a counter, the top of the counter was filled with bowls that had snacks on it, bottles of soda and alcoholic drinks. Moving his head to the left, he saw stairs that lead to the second floor. "Who's house is this?" He asked Jun.
"A guy named Ethan, his dad is an architect." Jun informed him, which made sense since the house seemed custom built.
"I see." Joshua responded before making his way to the kitchen. Where he ate some chips from one of the bowls and poured some Coca-Cola into a disposable cup.
Jun followed him and ate some chips as well.
Joshua just observed everyone in the living room, who seemed to be just hanging out together. He then noticed that the cough in the living room was empty and that there was a nice looking TV there. T, can handle himself. Joshua thought as he checked the cabinets of the kitchen, where he found three large bags of Doritos, Cheetos and Lays. "Hmmm..." He grabbed the three bags and searched for an empty bowl around the kitchen. Once he found it, he emptied the three bags inside the bowl, before picking up alongside the bottle of Coca-Cola and then he signalled Jun to follow him.
Making his way to the couch, where he placed the bowl and the Coca-Cola bottle on top of the glass table in front of the couch. Then he grabbed the remote control and turned the TV on.
"Should we be doing this?" Jun asked before he sat besides Joshua
"Probably not." The pale boy responded before putting his feet on top of the table and offering a Cheeto to him.
Jun accepted and ate without questioning.
On the TV, there was a Football game going on. Joshua watched despite not being a big fan of Football, since he was more of a Basketball fan. Jun clearly wasn't a fan of sports, but he watched anyway. And Joshua could tell that it was because of him.
The two watched the game silently for a few minutes until Jun asked him something. "Didn't you say that you were going to look for your friend?"
"Terensu wa jibun no mendō o miru koto ga dekimasu." Joshua spoke in perfect Japanese to respond to him. Which visibly surprised Jun. "Kare ga Monika no tsuiseki de nantoka tōwaku shita to shite mo, sore wa kare no seidesu.
"You actually speak Japanese." He was very surprised.
"Hai, Kankoku-go mo hanasemasu." He responded "Sate, kore o machigatta hōhō de uketoranaide kudasai.. Anata wa hontōni otokonokodesu ka?" Then he asked him a question..
Jun was very surprised by the question that he asked. "Ummm..." There were clearly some reluctant to answer. "Watashi wa on'nanokode wanaku otokonokodesu." Until he finally did in Japanese
"Hmmm..." Joshua heard what Jun said loud and clear. "Gomen Nasai." He apologized for the awkward question in Japanese. "Watashitachi wa mojidōri atta bakari de, kono tane no shitsumon o shite imasu." He pointed his mistake before he drank a bit of Coca-Cola. " Demo watashi wa anata ga kawaī to omoushi, dansei ga kawaī to wa amari omowanainode, watashi wa tazunemashita." Then he explained why he asked that.
Jun's eyes widened after hearing what Joshua said and then a blush appeared on his face. Joshua smiled in response to that. Fuck, he's cute, I really don't know how but I'm actually attracted to him. . Then he returned to watching the game and eating snacks. "Let's leave it at that." He decided to end the uncomfortable subject since it seemed to be a delicate matter. Weird, I'm very certain that I'm not attracted to guys, which is why I was having my doubts whether he's actually a boy.
"Errrr... Thanks." He was grateful. If he is, whatever, maybe he's the exception like I am with Lydia. His attraction comes mostly due to the fact that he looks like a girl, which only adds to his certainty that he's not attracted to guys.
For the next hour, Joshua and Jun simply sit there watching TV. With Joshua just enjoying the snacks and the game before he went searching for Terry.
Q AND A:
If Joshua doesn't care for his moments of reflection I'm sure as he gets older even when he's alone he won't care much about reflecting
Nice to see he's great at voice impersonation to haha
Seems like he heard more about Monica's family
Joshua further proving himself to be a man of culture by how he decided to pass time with Daniela
Wonder what Daniela thinks about a almost 14 year old giving her what I hope was her best fuck haha
Nice to see he had fun sniping to
Huh so he does have toys unexpected but hey ho and who knows maybe for his birthday the organisation will send him m3gan as something like home security
Hm I still like the idea that the organisation plays nice with Joshua due to knowing despite all their power if they tried to hamper him he could end them hence why they like keeping him happy and they could also want him to take the seat at the head of the table of their group one day
With his brothers while generally second to them all in the feature that makes them special can Joshua be number one in terms of his ability to kill like if he wants something dead it's dead and when it comes to treating him a bit like a errand boy that's mostly the I guess middle management of the organisation the higher ups know of the seven he's the most dangerous
I also liked the idea more that Joshua didn't fear any of his brothers just varying levels of tolerance for them all
Plus I imagine his brothers despite their own talents are a bunch of odd balls and a bit hampered by them being raised within the organisation compared to Joshua who was the only one to express a desire to be in the outside world out in the wild so to speak
Okay now I'm picturing the Cenobites telling the organisation one how little regard they have for them and two essentially revealing they are like Joshua's fan club
By the way been meaning to say if Joshua and co go to somewhere from real life like for example say they did go and see a WWE show in like New York because the setting is a real place not dangerous or supernatural or whatever happens Joshua, Lydia and at least Erika would go to the show enjoy it and if their lucky get a photo and autograph with the likes of Liv, Alexa and Shotzi and then they'd head home
Think of whenever Joshua is in a real place its like a anime ova haha
He ends up thinking about things that are unpleasant to him.
He puts it to good use.
Angelica's family actually.
He had a lot of time before the meeting, so he decided to spend time doing something pleasant.
Most of her clients are more interested in their own enjoyment so...
Yup... Despite not particularly liking the rifle that he was using.
Not like M3GAN but, Michelangelo may be very close to create this world's version of an Android (And it would a be a mash-up between Aigis and YoRHa No. 2 Type B) But the Organization will reject if he does.
The Organization actually underestimates him due to his supposed "inferiority" in comparison to his brothers. (
Unfortunately no, one of his "brothers" is actually the World's Greatest Assassin (Imagine 47 from Hitman.) You see, the only thing that keeps Joshua from being discarded completely is the fact that his parents are higher ups in the Organization, if that wasn't a factor, they would have ended him already. (Try to end him, actually, succeeding is a whole different story.)
The one he tolerates the most, is Michalangelo (Four) because he is the nicest one {They have a Solid Snake and Otacon type of dynamic.}. The levels of tolerance drop at each brother, with Cain (One) being the one in the middle {Think of Gaunter O'Dimm and Geralt of Rivia's dynamic, that what you can expect when Joshua meets up with him.}.
You're one hundred percent correct. Joshua is the most normal one of all of his brothers and that is a little disturbing if you think about it.
Kind of more complicated than that. (They have a different name here.)
Well...
Just some more dumb fun but say Joshua, Lydia, Erika and another girl did go and get pictures and a autograph with Alexa and Liv at say Raw one Monday night say the next night they go to NXT to get those with Mandy Rose haha
The idea of them just going up and politely asking for something like a photo is kinda funny to me and the idea that he'd love to meet the previously mentioned wrestlers
Plus I imagine afterwards Lydia would be like to Joshua oh my god they were all hot as hell to which he'd agree haha
More dumb fun if Joshua ever gets a pet hope it's dog and it's either a Golden Retriever or a Doberman
With the organisation being like the Sco foundation if they have entities like or similar to certain scp well one if Joshua goes to a site it's noted all the scp's behave themselves for one reason or another like even if they don't see him they feel him a unique reaction he gets but with specific entities
Scp 1471 like entity could be on Joshua's phone
2006 like being is friends
811 friend ( Joshua is her favourite hair dresser )
953 friend ( respects a fellow hunter and admires him for being immune to her charms but that makes her want him all the more )
166 friend
106 fears Joshua
3887 friendly
1765 "their" much loved and adored little brother who they want to "spoil" and also the one who they send their research to for him to pass on
835 could call him Senpai
847 only reacts to Joshua these days
As for the thing Joshua was birthed from while he might be concerned for what his father could do I hope it actually sees Joshua as it's dear son
That would be funny.
Because it is funny.
Definitely...
Joshua's favorite breed of dogs are the German Shepherd and the Labrador Retriever. (He might get one as a gift at one point.)
Sadly, most of the creatures are mostly similar to the monsters you see in a Junji Ito manga.
Oh, no, Joshua's parents are humans. His relationship with them can be summarize like this:
{
Vladislav : Der'mo, I wish I never met your mother.
Joshua: What the fuck are you even talking about? You literally only met her after I was already born, you worthless sack of shit.
Vladislav : Meeting you was the highlight of that day, but meeting that woman was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life.
Joshua: Wait, meeting me was the highlight of that day? (Confused.)
Vladislav : Oh yes, you took a shit on my arms, ruined a one million dollar suit and bit my finger off, after that I knew that you were going to be a good for nothing brat.
Joshua: (Bursts into laughter in response to that.)
Vladislav: Now, get rid of the pests. (Points at the entrance of a building that is infested with people that resemble Cenobites due to being brainwashed by the the Unnamable.)
Joshua: Fine. (He laughed a bit more, before he removed ushanka hat and moved towards the gate in order to enter the place.) But I'm out of here once this is done.
Vladislav: You still don't understand that you don't a have a say or a choice about this?
Joshua: (Has a fancy looking shashka on his left side of his belt, an MP-443 Grach on a holster on his right ride side, a Saiga-12 shotgun on his back and a PP-19 Vityaz on his hands.) You're the one that still doesn't understand that I'm here because I chose to and not because I was forced to. (Removes his emo hair from his green eye, that is identical to his father's eyes.)
Vladislav: Ty razdrazhayushchiy mal'chik, ty znayesh' eto?
Joshua: Interesno, otkuda ya eto vzyal? (He told him this with a smile.) Uvidimsya pozzhe, papa.
Vladislav: Postaraysya ne umeret'... Synok.
}
{
Samara: You know what needs to be done, right? (Pushes a guy chained to a wheelchair inside of a tank that has a great white shark inside.)
Joshua: Don't you think there's a better solution for that, mom?"
Samara: (Immdiately turns around and slaps his face, hard.)
Joshua: (Touches his cheek in suprise.)
Samara: (Gives him a Yandere look with her blue eyes, which are identical to his blue one.)
Joshua: Can we try a different way, Mommy?"
Samara: (Gives a very sweet smile before embracing him while a man that was tied to a chair scremmed in horror as the shark eats his brother.) Of course, baby. (Immediately plants kisses on the spot that she slapped.) But we need to act quickly.
Prisoner: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Samara: Excuse me. (Grabs a sledgehammer and smashes the guy's head in with it.) Come on, let's get out of here, Baby. (Drops the sledgehammer and extends her hand for him to take it.)
Joshua: Mommy... Can you please tell me what is going on? (Holds his mother's hand.)
Samara: I'll tell you tommorow. (She french kissed him on the lips after saying that.)
}
Only Cain (One) is actually related to the Unnamable. (Imagine the Unnamable as giant mash-up between: Every single final boss from every Persona, Majora from Majora's Mask and Great Ones from Bloodborne. ) Joshua isn't really related to it, which is why he thinks the nickname that him and his "brothers" get (Sons of the Unnamable) is stupid.
ANSWERING ANOTHER REVIEW FROM Mr Guest:
Quick thing about the possible stories
With Cerberus reject did you consider doing something similar to the Legendary Scoundrel where like how Ruvik replaces the Warden, Champion and Inquisitor so the Oc would replace Shepard as the hero of the series so the events would cover the games instead of being a post ME3 story
Oc could still be Cerberus greatest creation just that he busted out before ME1 and by the time of the mission to Eden Prime the Oc could be the Galaxy's greatest mercenary/assassin publicly and secretly the shadow broker with his most frequent client being the Systems Alliance ( so they can swallow the fact he's the first human spectre not someone in house )
He could have a starting team of
Miranda - never joined Cerberus joined up with Oc immediately after she fled her father
Jack - freed from Cerberus by the Oc
Samara - swore a oath of fealty to Oc after he helped her kill Morinth
Edi - …. Events transpired to create her early and give her a body
Nyreen - joined up with Oc after run in on Omega
Oriana could be the group secretary haha
You know regardless of what time it's set could be fun if in this universe Cora, Vetra, Peebee and Sara Ryder stayed in the Milky Way
Plus if set during the games the Oc could get with a female Shepard
I also hope the Oc regardless leans more to the Paragon side of things and yea I did play all three games as Paragon things just end up better that way and it be cool to see a Oc make things even better than even Shepard could
… and also not fucking die at the end for one of three light shows
Recommend starting scenario Miranda peeling off lingerie for the Oc as Jack and Edi join them in a bedroom
Bit of trivia while I love all the Mass Effect girls best girl for me is Tali what about yourself?
Tale of Calavera really hope Laugh Tale isn't the only place the Oc wondered into really hope he's wandered into Wano and left with Yamato and Hiyori plus a fancy sword and he's wandered to egghead island and left with S Snake like he found her still growing in a tube woke her up and she essentially imprinted on him so she got all her powers and the only authority she listens to is Calavera
Best of it is if Vegapunk says S snake shouldn't actually be functioning so he has no idea why the Seraphim is up and moving around and listening to Calavera
Hope he's been to Amazon Lily and that Hancock loves him and yep really hope you settle on a Multi pairing for him
Pragmatic Disturbance
Hope alongside knowing every technique and lesson papa Roshi would have to teach him hope Zaspion has also learnt everything the residents of the look out could teach him before Bulma ever shows up at his house
I also hope due to his adopted aunt being a Witch Zaspion learnt magic to primarily using it as a healing method but can use it in various ways
Speaking of Roshi hope in the story due to essentially being the primary sparring partner for Zaspion Roshi has grown really strong like in terms of earthlings only the Androids will be stronger than him and you know what maybe this Roshi finds a girl that can put up with his antics
Also with Zaspion having a harem I do hope we get a moment where Roshi sheds a single tear and just says that's my boy haha
Back to techniques hope Zaspion also developed all the Ki techniques Broly would have used and also he has the same kinda techniques as Caulifla does ie the crush canon
By the way hope Zaspion achieved his legendary super Saiyan state as a child and unlike other Legendary Super Saiyans we've seen Zaspion is a master of self control so he doesn't go berserk when he uses his power similarly when he first went Great Ape he retained control
Cerberus's Reject:
Yeah, I agree, honestly the idea I had wouldn't really work in general. It would be much easier to write if I just replace him with Shepard.
I like that idea better. The OC would call himself Hades, mostly because the project that created him was called Project Hades, that name is mostly because Cerberus wanted him to be the closest thing to a living god as possible.
Those are awesome ideas and I will consider.
He would be more on the Neutral side of things, both Paragon and Renegade.
Haha.
For me is between Tali and Liara. (Liara for me is mostly because you can romance her in all three games, making her the longest relationship that Shepard can have, it's a shame we never got to saw those little blue children though.)
Tale of Calavera:
He's already has been into a lot of places after he finally accepted the title of Pirate King. (His weapon of choice are two Sword Pistols that he wilds simultaneously.)
Kind of... Just a little different.
Hancock kind of forced him to marry her while he was hiding in Amazon Lily but he doesn't consider it valid.
Pragmatic Disturbance:
Zaspion learns a lot from Roshi before Bulma shows up and that's all that I'm going to say.
She does teaches him magic but his abilities on it aren't very remarkable, he does use it mostly for healing.
Haha... Our favorite old pervert deserves some happiness, I agree.
LOL! I can totally imagine this happening.
Pretty much.
Unfortunately, that is not going to be the case. (If he achieves he Legendary Super Saiyan mode, he will go berzerk like Broly.)
Should have had money on his name being X of course now I hope when he meets the hopefully female V when he learns her name is V the two just give each other a look that just says nice due to their choice of name haha
Okay so maybe the part Japanese comes from his great grandfather or great grandmother and that the family just kept Japanese as a language they spoke in the house alongside English up to the time X was born
Ah something tells me Johnny and Rogue started fucking and X caught them and in the break up as you said Rogue went with Johnny I also imagine this is what broke up Samurai in this version X left the band and then the rest just broke away from each other still despite the outcome cool that X was best friends with Johnny for a time and was the drummer of Samurai and the one to come up with a good chunk of their songs
But I can imagine how hurt X would be over Johnny not only getting the lions share of the fame and constantly sidling him but also Johnny having Alt's love and Rogue's to I imagine he'd also feel pretty angry about it to
With Morgan could I suggest instead of them falling out have it be they didn't fall out at all it's just X realised he was repeating what he did with Johnny in that working alongside Morgan he wasn't building up his own legend all that much he was just adding to another's legend and once again being just a supporting act and just making another legend even greater at the expense of his being a middling one again so he parted with Morgan on good terms
I do like learning that Saburo essentially adopted X as another son and gave his blessing to Hanako to be with X which tells a lot of how highly Saburo must view X considering Hanako is his favourite child
Still hope for the possibility of it being a clone body he wakes up in
I also hope we get a scene where X walks into afterlife sees Rogue and he goes over to a set of drums and plays a drum Solo only he could do perfectly and Rogue is aware only X could do the solo perfectly and she knows the man playing the drums that's looking right at her is X
Alt being fully aware of X being in a young body is something I hope is the case to
Hm wonder if he will be able to save Sasha haha the crew could then alternate between her Kiwi and Lucy for jobs haha
Well...
He's only part Japanese but I like the idea.
That was exactly what happened. He made a bunch of iconic songs that actually surpassed the ones that Johnny wrote in popularity.
Pretty much, Johnny got the girl he loved and the girl he was dating and he got extremely bitter about it.
Yeah, I like that idea better.
And X and Hanako's daughter is his favorite grandchild.
Unfortunately no, and X is okay with it because his original body wasn't exactly attractive, but his new body is. (X's original body looked like a cross between Marilyn Manson and Gene Simmons , while his new body resembles a cross between Kurt Cobain and Jared Leto.)
Preview below.
It is.
Well..
Preview:
{
He didn't know what came into him or what was the purpose of this, but there was a part of him that couldn't help it. This was something that was stuck down his throat for dozens of decades already and he knows that this is the perfect opportunity to get it out.
"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked as the rest noticed what he was doing, but the rest of the people that were inside the AFTERLIFE didn't notice him, but he didn't care about them. The only person he wanted to notice was sitting down, not far away from him, talking to a bunch of nobodies.
"Hey!" Suddenly, the bartender noticed him sitting on his original drum set. "You can't touch there!"
I can't sit on my own drum? X thought in deep irony, despite the fact that part of him is still furious that Rogue took his Drum and put it on display on her Club. Was it regret? Was it mockery? Was it a memento of her deception? X can't think of an answer. Moving his head down, X noticed that his platinum drumsticks were on his seat. A smile appeared on his face when he saw it, since he thought he would never see them again.
"Hey!" Once again, someone yelled at him. "Put that down!" It was one of the bouncers, who seemed to be about to pull his gun on him.
"Don't even think about it, assface." But Rebecca was quicker and immediately pointed her own gun at his head.
But X ignored them and proceeded to sit down and it was as uncomfortable as he remembered and he loves it. "Get out of there!" The bartender tried to order him as X felt the nostalgia of sitting on his original drum set. Rebecca answered by kicking the bartender in the face as he tried to approach him, which gave the bouncer time to draw his own handgun and the two pointed at one another with mean faces.
Holding his drumsticks on his hands once again, X had an urge, no, an uncontrollable desire to play. I haven't played the drums since... decades ago... Do I still have it? He asked himself. Now, whatever this was, it wasn't about his ex-girlfriend anymore, it was about if X still got it or not.
So...
He just gave in.
One...Two... One, two, three!
It was as natural as shooting a gun or driving a car. The music just came out of him like blood coming out from a gun wound. As he was distracted by the music, he didn't notice that both Rebecca and the Bouncer were now staring at him, surprised by how good he is with a drum. His drum solo seemed to be attracting the attention of some, but the attention of a single woman that just moved her head to look at him. And as soon as her gaze was upon him, he started to sing.
I met her on my way to night city
Once he got started, everyone's attention seemed to shift towards him. But he wasn't paying attention to them, it was the music that mattered for him.
Where I was all alone
His voice was different, but he has to admit, his new voice is much more pleasant to listen to. His original voice was quite unpleasant, but it did serve the music style.
And so was she so I asked her for her name
Rebecca made a shocked expression with her mouth wide open as he started to sing, moving her head to look at Pilar, who seemed to be enjoying the song since he was clapping alongside the tune.
She smirked and looked at me
This should be just a random guy playing a set of drums without permission. But X was the only one capable of playing drums like that, especially the tune that he was playing.
I was so shocked to see
Rebecca seemed to have gotten over her shock and joined her brother in enjoying the song.
That a woman like that was actually into me
Memories of the day he met Rogue appeared in his mind. They were quite unpleasant memories.
She said she didn't have no one
It didn't take long for more bouncers to show up. But instead of charging towards X, they simply stood there. Apparently because someone ordered them not to attack.
Lived life each day at time
Of course, the one who ordered them, happened to be the person who that song was for.
She told me she was all alone
Was that a lie or an exaggeration? X never found the answer. But he strongly believes in the former.
Sad at in a room, she didn't have noNet
He knew that she was lying, but he didn't care. He knew that it was an invitation.
She said just to give her a hand
Why she wrote it on my hand with a pencil, is still a mystery.
Ninety-four was the code she gave
If she had any doubt that the one playing was anyone other than X, it disappeared after he sang that part.
She lied to me, lied to me
The rest of the public seemed to be enjoying themselves. Since someone turned off the lights except for the one that was illuminating him.
Cause she was lovin' him, not me
He knew very well who ordered that.
Yeah
By now, his hands were moving by themselves. Like a reflex, he never touched an instrument again since he left Samurai, but it feels like it was just yesterday that he stopped playing.
I never would've thought she would do something like that
That was a lie, part of him always knew. She never looked at me the same way she looked him
Her words seemed so sincere
And he believed every single word.
When I held her near she would tell me how she feels
Everyone seemed to be paying attention to the lyrics now, watching as he sang to know how it would end.
It felt so real to me
There was a tone of melancholia as he sang that part. But the drums were as intense as it could possibly get.
This girl, she had to be
He sang beautifully to the audience, his new voice fit this song perfectly.
An angel sent from heaven just for me
Now I know that the only angel from heaven that I ever had in my life... Was my daughter. Oh my Nanako, I miss you so much.
She said she didn't have no one
With that, it really stopped being about her and more about the music itself.
Lived life each day at time
That was the biggest difference between the two, it was always about the music for him. Not about sending a dumb message that was mostly misunderstood anyway.
She told me she was all alone
I poured my heart out in all of my songs, but all he did was pour his petty hate.
Sad at in a room, she didn't have noNet
Somehow, the drum solo became more intense. But he didn't know what was the source of it.
She said just to give her a hand
Was it hate, was it sadness, was it happiness. It could be all three if he had to be honest.
Ninety-four was the code she gave
Was he bottling all of this up? All this time? He really didn't know the answer.
She lied to me, lied to me
All he knew was that he was playing it better than he ever did.
Cause she was lovin' him, not me
His eyes were closed, because right now, it was only him and the music.
Yeah
The most repulsive part is that it actually felt like he was there, playing his guitar alongside his drum, like old times.
She tried to live a double life
But that was a pathetic irony, right now, it was just him and everyone was looking at him for once. It was refreshing to not have to see someone else being adored for a song that you wrote.
Lovin' him while she was still my girl
She was never mine, who am I trying to convince.
She thought that lovin' him was cool
And loving me was a chore.
While I at work and his girl away
She didn't deserve that, not one bit.
She said that it would never end
That was the worst part, she knew that his heart was hers, but she still picked him over X anyway.
Tried to get him any way she can
Even if it was by using me.
She lied to me, lied to me
ALL LIES, NOTHING BUT FUCKING LIES!
Cause he was my family, family
No, he wasn't, he was just a fucking leech.
Yeah
Yeah...Yeah...
Why? Yes, no and yes... alright... alright...
The drum solo has become more than intense now, it was outworldly and everyone just looked at him like a bunch of babies looking at something shining. And as much as he hated to admit, there was something incredibly alluring about that. Which was probably what Johnny felt when he was on stage.
He did know she was already spoken for
That was a dumb thing to say, no one could ever speak for Rogue.
Cause he was that kind of man
That was an understatement.
If it was I, I would have never looked her way
I loved Alt and would have never betrayed her like you did, you fucking bastard... But she loved you, no matter how much of an asshole you were...
I never felt so betrayed
And I never felt betrayed after that, probably because I associate myself with people that appreciate me. It's hilarious that Saburo Arasaka was better to me than you ever were, Johnny. So much so that I became the father of one of his granddaughters.
And things had to change
In the end, it changed for the better. Because my life actually improved after I got the hell away from you all.
You should know that I'm holding him to blame
Not entirely, of course. You're the one who chose to fuck him afterall.
She said she didn't have no one
Hilariously, X was using music to burst out his hatred. Which was practically what Johnny did, but his hate was petty and stupid, X's hate was justified.
Lived life each day at time
Betrayal, lies,cheating, lack of appreciation, everything that he had to put up with when he was best friends with Johnny Silverhand.
She told me she was all alone
I did love you, Rogue. Not in the same way as I did Alt, but it was love and I gave you all my heart and you just stabbed like it was nothing.
Sad at in a room, she didn't have noNet
It was clear that she recognized him, and he would have to speak with her once the song was done.
She said just to give her a hand
But he won't lash out at her or anything, that was years ago and they are different people now. It was not fair, despite his youthful appearance, he was an old man that had too much resentment in his life. A resentment that he decided to stop allowing it to get to him. Not anymore.
Ninety-four was the code she gave
Rogue looks great, despite her age, she was still one sexy lady. He couldn't help but think now that she looks at his ex-girlfriend.
She lied to me, lied to me
As his solo calmed down and dropped at it's intensity, now it was a low but still quite melancholic tone that got everyone to look at him in deep curiosity.
Cause she was lovin' him, not me
Rebecca kept giving him a thumbs up as he arrived at the last part of his song.
Yeah
Hilariously, he actually forgot why he went there.
She tried to live a double life
He's gonna have to ask Rebecca to remind him, since he is a little confused now.
Lovin' him while she was still my girl
But only after he talks to Rogue.
She thought that lovin' him was cool
X and Rogue were looking at each other now, and by the look she gave him, he could tell that she knew exactly who he was.
While I at work and his girl away
X closed his eyes and decided to just continue with his song.
She said that it would never end
Despite how it ended, I actually miss those times. When all I cared about was playing drums and spending time with either Rogue or Johnny. Which was a very depressing case of nostalgia to him.
Tried to get him any way she can
I also miss the times where I would run around with Morgan, doing job after job after job, without a single care other than getting paid.
She lied to me, lied to me
I also miss my time in Arasaka, the constant backstabbing, spying and my "forbidden love" with Hanako were quite exciting.
Cause he was my family, family
But all of those moments are gone and I had to move forward.
Yeah
Starting now.
With that, the song ended.
}