Realistic or Modern Empire City: The Irish Mob - IC (Closed)

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti and Maddox Parker​

Having directed his questions towards the East Harlem boss, Gabriel was able to study Alistair's face with more focus. It was clear the man was deeply unimpressed with Maddox by the way he stared the counsellor down. The Italian did not like seeing his closest allies disappointed, believing it would create cracks in his operation. The only broken foundations he wished to see were those that held up the Porters' empire. He was a patient man, but he could see himself running out of patience if the present meeting wasn't enough to keep everyone in line. If people weren't loyal and successful in their duties, then he had little use for them. Those who were useless to him would be dealt with by the most drastic of methods. The fact he was even having to consider such eventualities irritated Gabriel, but he acknowledged he was surrounded by intelligent men and ones who would know better than to fail him. The likes of Maddox and Ani needed reminding of their place in the operation.

Maddox nodded at Alistair's response, briefly glancing to Gabriel before speaking up. "Syd and Conor will be dealt with, I can assure you of that. I've committed my last four years in this city to working on the both of them, so I intend on finishing the job."

Gabriel nodded his head before unexpectedly standing from his spot on the sofa. "That's all we needed from you, Maddox. I'll walk you to the door," he calmly told the man. The Italian began walking alongside Maddox but when they reached the door, he stepped ahead of the counsellor to block his path and turned to face him. Though he kept his voice loud enough for the others to hear, Gabriel wished to make his point directly to Maddox. "For four years you've been working with my family and the fact you have never let me down is the reason I'm giving you a chance now. I do not like being refused. I do not like failure. If you don't succeed in your duties, then I will take it as you disrespecting me and my brother. Francesco trusted you, as do I. I will not have our judgement brought into question. Nor will I stand for you wasting the time of Alistair and Stefano."

"I have never let you down. I am just as committed to destroying the Porters as you are. I owe it to my own family to finish what I started," Maddox assured the man.

"I believe you will fulfil your duties. If you don't, then you won't even need to be concerned with what we think of you screwing Ani, because you will be six feet under and I will have put you there myself," he darkly warned the man. "I like you and I consider us to be friends, so I will take any failure personally. The fact I'm even entertaining doubts offends me." Before the sudden tense atmosphere had chance to crack Maddox, Gabriel let out a humoured chuckle and firmly patted the man on the back. "Don't worry. We're good," he cheerfully told the man, while maintaining a bright, yet sinister, smile. "I know you're too smart to mess this up. I'll check in with you for an update very soon. I look forward to hearing your progress," he said, his friendly voice contrasting the fact he'd seconds area made a grim threat towards the man. He stepped aside and pulled open the door for Maddox. "Your father would be proud," he added. His last comment sounded like a kind gesture, but its purpose was to serve as another reminder of the counsellor's desire to avenge the dead man.

After Maddox had left, Gabriel returned to the main living area and sat back down on the sofa. Any unsettling smile had by then been replaced with the man's serious, stern expression. "Whilst I trust Maddox is an intelligent man and will do what's in his best interests..." He paused to ensure all of the others were paying attention. "I would appreciate Alistair's input on following up where Ani is concerned. Show her that she and Ammon will suffer further should Maddox let us down. If she and Dr. Parker insist on getting cosy together, then we will manipulate their feelings for each other to our advantage."

Pyroclast (Alistair) Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Bellz (Stefano)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson pressed his forearm to the metal and pushed open the heavy door. He quickly moved down the jagged concrete steps into the shaded alleyway, with the sun's light fleeting behind the tall concrete building beside the hospital. The alleyway contrasted the pristine hallways of the hospital with grimy, old trash bags stacked against the walls and potholes filled with murky rainwater. With no signs of life beyond them, excluding the loud noises of traffic beyond the confines of the concrete, this seemed to be the perfect place to lose any captured attention.

"You're not goin' back," Jackson hissed back at Conor quickly, keeping his eyesight locked on the end of the alley. As the police officer shouted for them, Jackson's eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. He couldn't believe the guy had followed them all the way out to the alley. The tone in his voice suggested the man was getting ready to pull his standard pistol, causing Jackson to raise his hands by his sides in an attempt to deescalate the situation.

"You're not goin' back," Jackson repeated in a softer manner.

As Conor spoke, it seemed he too understood what needed to be done. Jackson grimly muttered, "You often meet your fate on the road you took to avoid it." His hand slipped into Conor's waist, pulling the knife from his hip. He then nodded to Conor slowly, before turning on his heels to the cop. As he suspected, the man's hand was on his holster. Jackson lowered his hands, offering a friendly smile to the man. "Is goin' for a stroll illegal now?"

The sound of the spring flicking the blade open broke the quiet sound barrier. Without saying another word, Jackson sprung towards the officer with an animalistic snarl. Wrapping his hand around the man's wrist to stop him from pulling his handgun, he plunged the sharp blade into the cop's throat - forcing him up against the grotty brick. The cop's feet flailed under Jackson's enforced stance, spewing and hissing as the blade sliced through his esophagus.

Pulling the blade out of the man's neck, the cop crumbled to the wet asphalt and seized against the brick wall. Jackson brought the knife down into the man's rib cage in three rapid burst, ridding any remaining life the cop could cling to.

Jackson shot back up, spots of blood sprinkled across his deranged stare. His aggression pumped out of him with each heavy breath he took, until he returned to his usual calm and collected self. Swinging down to the corpse, he unclipped the handgun from the man's holster. He racked the slide back to make sure the chamber was loaded, before shoving it in the back of his belt. "Alright then," He ran the back of his hand under his nose, looking down at the poor bastard. "Let's get him in the dumpster before his mates come lookin' for him," Jackson said, tossing the blade into the open trash.

Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Savannah Callahan​

Savannah looked Aliana in the eyes as the older woman placed her hands on her cheeks. The blonde took controlled breaths as she tried to keep herself calm in the scary situation. Her aunt assured her everyone was going to be okay and Savannah quickly nodded her head as she tried to help convince herself it was true. When she was told to go phone members of the family and gang, she took in a deep breath as she processed the instructions. "Yeah..." she whispered back. "Yes," she said, her voice firmer.

Sinead's office was straight down the floor of the club from where Savannah had been seated, and thankfully at the opposite side of the stage and club to the area where the armed men were. Being as quiet and nimble as she was, Savannah was easily able to make her way to the office without being seen, using the booths and various wall separator to her advantage where needed. Closing the office door behind her, she rushed to the wide mahogany desk and sat in the seat as she lifted up the telephone receiver. She first called Conor's place, knowing he lived closest to the city, but there was no answer. She next tried her own house in hopes her father would answer, but Peter wasn't home either. Although she knew James wasn't at the mansion, she then called the Porters' place but was told by Finn that neither James nor Jackson were home. She hadn't been able to remember the number for the Porters' apartment, but thankfully Finn had been able to provide her with it. After dialling the number for the Manhattan-based apartment, the call rang a few times before James eventually answered, no doubt expecting news of Warren or Syd.

"Uncle James. It's Savvy. We need help. I'm at my mum's club and there's some men with guns. They've got guns to Gwen and they're threatening my mum too. Ali's got a gun but we're outnumbered and I don't know how many more guys there are and..."

"Sav, calm down and take deep breaths. Listen to my questions and give me quick answers," James' voice was heard down the receiver, sounding controlled and firm. "How many hostile men are there? Is anyone hurt? Did you hear anything? Maybe they said what they're after or mentioned someone's name."

"I think there's four or five of them, but I don't know if there's more outside or backstage," she said, clutching her free hand to her forehead as she felt her skin burning up. "Nobody's hurt yet, but they look like they would hurt us. I didn't really hear what they were saying, just angry voices. They didn't see me, so I'm in Mum's office and I--"

"Okay. We're coming right over to help. You need to find somewhere to hide. Do not go back out there and don't let anyone see you until you know this is over with. Don't leave the building, as there could be men guarding the exits. No matter what you see, do not try to step in and help. They don't know you're there so keep it that way. Understand?"

"Yes. Yes," Savannah replied, instinctively nodding her head despite James not being there in person. As soon as they ended the call, Savannah looked around the room for an idea of where to hide. She soon looked under the desk and settled on that spot. She pulled the leather chair out and climbed underneath the desk, the backboard completely hiding her from being seen should anyone enter the office. Once knelt down under cover, she pulled the chair in towards herself to provide further shield and concealment. As she concentrated on slowing and silencing her breathing, she found a small screw hole in the wood that she could use to spy through and keep an eye on the room door.

*************​

Sinead had to stop herself from scoffing at Alex when he called her club tacky. It was classy and glamorous, so she took offence to hearing such a bad word said about it. She looked to Aliana, both relieved and worried that her friend was involved in the hostile situation. Despite Gwen saying the men was leaving, it was clearly not the case and that was concerning to Sinead. There was a mention of a boss being owed something and it was made clear the boss didn't like the Porters, which immediately caused Sinead to wonder if they were an established enemy or something else.

The talk turned to money and before she knew it, Sinead let out a gasp as two guns were aimed against the back of Gwen's head. "No," she gasped, quickly shaking her head. Alex then made it clear that Gwen would be harmed if they didn't get 2,000 dollars. Sinead awkwardly bit her bottom lip as she began to mull over the situation. Gwen told her not to give them any money, but the club owner quickly shook her head. "I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but I cannot let someone get hurt for the sake of money. Lives comes first," she firmly told her. She wasn't completely sure how much was in the safe, but it seemed like the only option there was.

"I'll have to get the money from my safe, but 10 seconds? It will take me at least 20 to get to my office. Please, just give me chance to get the money from my office," she requested of the men.

Soon enough, Sinead was accompanied by Regan to her office to retrieve the money. She walked quickly in her heels, having to find the balance between being fast and not hurting her feet in her new shoes. The redhead stepped into her office and her eyes immediately fixed on the telephone, but it was too far away and impossible she could even attempt to make a call for help. With Gwen and Aliana outnumbered, she knew she had to comply. Completely oblivious to Savannah's presence, she turned and reached up the the safe that was on the wall to the right of the doorway. After unlocking the safe, she reached her hands inside and retrieved a jiffy bag that was clearly packed out with cash. "I need to count it to make sure your friend's getting the full two grand." Her hands shook as the adrenaline kicked in. As soon as she was holding the envelope of money in view, she realised she was holding it upside down and before she could stop it, a pile of cash slid out of the jiffy bag, floating downwards with the notes separating and littering the carpet with money.

"Oh shoot, I didn't realise. This whole thing is making me very nervous," she began to sweetly complain. She decided she was probably coming across as a airheaded ditz, but on this occasion she figured it was better than him thinking she was being calculated and intentionally stalling. "You might wanna help me down here so we can get this sorted out faster," she suggested to Regan as she crouched down to scoop up the paper cash.


Bellz (Regan)

Mentions: Pyroclast (Jason) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Gwen, The Jerks) ((Y'all are in your scene together, Sinny/Savvy are in a separate scene for now))

 

[Enzyme]

New York Harbor​

Mitchel kept his head pressed under the steering wheel as the following rounds ensued. He felt the stray metal and glass debris fly about the car as if both ends of the vehicle were spitting them back in a retort. Through the ear-splitting ringing in his ears, he could hear the muffled shouts of a panicked Adam. While he hadn't gotten a good look, by the amount of shots the car had taken, he felt as if they were outnumbered. Keeping his head pressed to the steering wheel, his hand crept up to the glove compartment.

Ricochet rounds ripped past his hands as he pressed onward, causing him to recoil briefly, as if he were reaching into the agape mouth of a crocodile. His sweaty fingers grabbed the clip of the compartment, revealing a loaded HK P9 inside. He struggled to pull the handgun to his grip as the rounds continued to tear his cover to pieces, but when the gunfight hit what he assumed was a reloading lull, he pulled the HK to his grasp.

Keeping his head low to the seat, he fired through the riddled passenger door to where he thought the origins of the gunfire was located. He was quickly met with responding gunfire, more fixated on his position. The dashboard around him took most of the fire, but there was no denying he'd already been hit - the adrenaline was the only thing keeping the pain at bay. The dust and metal shavings thrown in his face caused him to rapid fire the handgun, until the slide shot back and the trigger moved freely. As he was acknowledging his empty handgun, a round connected with the side of his cheek, sending his teeth scattering in his obliterated mouth. The shock of the hit subdued the instant pain, but he was unable to touch his lips together as his cheeks swelled to the size of apples. His head bobbed down as his body's immediate reaction was to shut down. He fought for consciousness, slamming his head against the car stereo.

The car's ceiling reflected a bright orange, flickering against the black paint. Mitchel followed the light down to the hood of the vehicle, which had been lit ablaze. The fire from the hood of the vehicle quickly traveled to the blood-smeared deck of the ship and instantly ignited the flammable wood.

The left half of his body refused to respond, but through sheer will, he gripped onto the steering wheel with his right hand and pulled himself up. Through the gunfire, Mitchel shifted the gear into reverse and slammed on the gas. Despite heavy resistance, the car shot back and left a trail of glass and fire on the concrete.

The wind gushed into the vehicle through the broken windows, scattering glass shards around the interior. Mitchel was losing the battle with consciousness and it was evident in his driving as he recklessly swerved around the docks. The back of the car smashed into the security checkpoint, ripping through the fragile wood like a rock through wet tissue paper. Propelling through the small shack, the momentum of the vehicle was only stopped once it met the concrete barricade on the other side.

Luckily for the security guard, he had left the checkpoint once the gunfire had begun. The security guard stepped out into the open with his standard-issue handgun and fired down upon the armed van, popping shots through the tinted windows to try and hit the gang members stationed on the other side.

Misty Gray (Adam) Bellz (Peter/Rebel) Pyroclast (Steve) RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

With the nurses observing the room all currently occupied, Syd managed to get away with his small outburst without drawing attention to himself. For several seconds he lay nestled against Lucy's arm, letting his eyes glaze over as he listened to her comforting words. The feeling of her hands running through his hair pacified him; he began to settle down and soon lost the energy to argue with her, instead becoming more receptive. She and James both assured him that he did nothing wrong, that he had spoken to Maddox only in confidence and therefore he couldn't have known that he was being exploited. They both spoke with such conviction that he gave up the fight and when he moved to sit up again, the hollow, distant look returned to his eyes as though his mind had reset. It was like an automatic coping mechanism that came into place to stop him from dwelling on things beyond his control; not thinking at all was sometimes better than thinking too much.

After that, it became harder to fully concentrate on what his parents were saying, but he understood that they were going to take matters into their own hands and deal with the situation on his behalf. "Okay," he whispered when they told him that they would do their best to keep Conor away from Maddox. Without the power to do it himself, all he could do was trust them. Now that he had finally told somebody, it wasn't just his burden anymore. He just had to trust his parents, and the fact that they seemed to be taking him seriously made it easier to do that. "Thank you."

When his mother mentioned that Roxie was going to come and visit him, Syd found it even harder to keep up with the conversation. "Roxie's coming?" he quietly asked, in slight disbelief. As far as he was concerned, he had been stuck in the hospital for far longer than four days and couldn't understand why everyone had suddenly decided to visit him at once. Time went by much more slowly when his sleeping pattern was so sporadic; the nightmares, self-inflicted starvation and intermittent sedation as a means of control conflicted with the routine to which the staff tried to keep him confined, so the days seemed often to bleed together.

Whenever his parents' tone suggested that he respond, he gave them a nod regardless of what they were telling him. His mind was on Roxie now, wondering about her and struggling to remember how the two of them had been the last time they had seen each other. Soon Lucy squeezed and kissed his hand before announcing their departure. Syd looked up as the two of them got to their feet. "You're coming back?" he asked them, suddenly anxious about being left. His father reminded him about his duties back home and Syd immediately saw it as an incentive to try to get better. "Yeah, I'll be out soon," he confirmed, fully believing it for a moment. "I'll help you and Roxie and Conor and..." Another face sprung to mind then and his distant eyes narrowed slightly. "And Jackson..." Syd didn't exactly know what he wanted to say, but he knew he wanted to acknowledge the man somehow. If his Godfather hadn't arrived when he had, it's likely that Syd would not be alive. "He was there, for some reason -" he stuck his hand out as though to object to any corrections of whether he had really been there or not - even if it had all been in his imagination, he had still managed to stop Syd from killing himself and therefore deserved some recognition. "Thank him for me."

He was so tired that he didn't even think to stand when his parents did. When his mother assured him that he was going to get through this, he looked up to her with a soft, weary smile and said, "So are you."

His smile faded as he watched the pair of them leave and he leaned forward to hold onto the opposite side of the table where they had been sitting. The nurse was back in his position and briefly caught his eye, prompting Syd to sit up straight and place his hands face down on the table where the man could see them. He didn't want any trouble, nor look like he was going to start any. The nurse kept a watchful eye on him as Roxie approached him, but he didn't even notice; in that moment, she had all of his attention.

"Roxie," he softly spoke, his voice sounding slightly dazed as though he had just woken up. She seemed nervous to see him, almost awkward, and as soon as she said hi to him she reached into her bag and withdrew some photographs. "What..." Syd moved his hands out of the way so that she could push them towards him and once he saw what they were, he picked them up and a smile slowly formed on his face. "She is," he agreed, when Roxie complimented Arrow's photogenic nature. Looking his dogs in the eyes, he addressed them and said, "I'll be home soon. Be good for Roxie. I love you."

After a few more seconds of admiring the polaroids, he looked away and passed them back. "I'm not allowed to keep these. But thank you...I really needed that." Syd looked across the table to Roxie and studied her face. Like his parents, she looked more burdened than usual and while he wanted to reach out and touch her, he wasn't sure how well she would receive it. "I miss you, Roxie," he admitted, voice falling to a near whisper. "I'm sorry I'm here instead of at home with you. How are you doing? How's the raspberry?" He nodded in the direction of her womb before looking up at her with a softened expression. According to their book on pregnancy, the baby had only been the size of a raspberry the last time they had checked. It seemed like an easier conversation to start with than the subject of his suicide attempt and the fact that he was currently an inpatient at a psychiatric ward. He hadn't gone into huge amounts of detail about his past attempts and experiences in hospital so he felt a bit awkward about having involved her in it. He didn't imagine it was an easy obstacle for any relationship to overcome, but especially one still in its early days and even more so because there was a baby involved. It was easier for him, and seemed more appropriate, to keep the focus on her well-being instead.

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Lucy
Misty Gray James
Enzyme Jackson (mentioned)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor sent Jackson a weary yet warm smile as his friend assured him he wouldn't end up back in jail. He hoped he was right, though the approaching copper was certainly a complication that needed to be dealt with, much to Conor's apprehension. He then glanced down to watch as Jackson took the knife from its concealed place at his waist. Although there was a part of him that felt he should be dealing with the police officer himself, he knew the urgency of diffusing the present situation called for Jackson's experienced hands. Conor and Jackson were both seasoned fighters, fraudsters and businessmen. Both had been central to mob activities and processes for decades. However, Jackson had much more experience when it came to killing and that meant Conor knew it was wiser for his friend to deal with the officer.

Conor turned to face the cop as Jackson addressed the man. In a flash, his friend had attacked the officer and stabbed the switch blade into the man's throat. Conor kept alert whilst watching Jackson then repeatedly thrust the knife into the law enforcer's ribs. The deed was soon complete and then Jackson stood as he regained his usual composure. Conor cleared his throat and nodded as his friend addressed him. Despite the dead man on the ground, the atmosphere was relieving rather than uncomfortable, on account it meant neither of the two men left standing would be getting dragged into a cop car.

After Conor had stepped in to assist with disposing of the cop's body in the dumpster, then two men continued on their way to the back of the hospital. They soon managed to flag down the vehicle belonging to two of the Porter gang members who had been on standby around the hospital since Warren's admittance. One of the men was sent into the hospital to keep watch over Warren, whilst the other was to drive Conor's car, taking the two injured men to an ally in Hell's Kitchen who could get them patched up fast.

After being treated and obtaining a change of clothing, Conor and Jackson made their way to the Emerald Pub. The Sullivan man hadn't felt up to returning home or seeing any of the family until he'd had time to get his head around everything that had just happened. Upon entering the pub, Conor was hit by the welcoming feeling that always came from entering the beloved building with the assortment of regular customers. Although he shot an amused smile in Larry's direction as the old drunk went through his usual routine of heckling the owner, Conor couldn't help but feel tense beneath his jovial exterior.

Rachel folded her arms as she stood behind the bar. "Well, you both look like you haven't been keeping out of trouble," the woman knowingly pointed out. Still, she relented with a smile and relaxed her posture. "What can I get you both?" she offered, figuring the two needed a drink.

"You don't need to get us anything, Rach," Conor assured the woman as he stepped from the customer area and behind the bar. He reached past Rachel and retrieved a full bottle of whiskey from the shelf. Catching the woman's disapproving expression, he held a defensive hand up but soon continued extending his arm out to grab two clean glass tumblers. "Don't you dare lecture me, else I'll tell my Mam you're trying to steal her job," he playfully teased the female bar manager. He handed Jackson the bottle of whiskey whilst allowing his features to turn more sincere to address Rachel levelly. "Jackson and me are heading into the back office for a private meeting. No need to put Mitch or the shrink on standby - I'm not going off the rails and getting pissed up like the mad fuckers back there," he said, thumbing over his shoulder in the direction of Larry and the others.

Eventually, Conor and Jackson were sat alone together at the round table in the private office at the back of the pub. The pub owner offered Jackson some whiskey before pouring a surprisingly tame single shot into his own glass and knocking back the alcohol. He sat back in his seat and began fidgeting with the empty tumbler in his right hand. His eyes were for a time fixated on the glass as he was clearly deep in thought. Eventually, he glanced to Jackson and nodded his head as if some thought had suddenly finished processing in his head. "That bloke back at the hospital was the second person I ever killed, y'know. In fact, the first I intentionally killed," he revealed. He let out a scoff before sitting forward and putting the glass down on the table. "I've hospitalised a lot of wankers and probably fucked a bunch of 'em up for life, mind you. But this is different..." he trailed off. "It's what I have to do to protect my family. I couldn't protect them all those years ago and I couldn't even kill that bastard Vinnie, even after everything he did to us. I know this is something I'll have to get used to and I don't doubt I'll have to do it again now that Moretti tosser is sticking his nose in..." Realising he was droning on at his friend, he took in a deep breath. He knew the likes of James and Jackson were all too familiar with killing others, having both been hitmen at some points in their criminal careers. "Does it get easier?" he seriously asked his friend.

Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Hardly another word was shared after the alleyway encounter. After what Conor had done, Jackson assumed murdering the cop was probably the final nail in the coffin for him. He remained quiet throughout the car ride from Hell's Kitchen, allowing Conor to process his thoughts. Jackson spent his time in the passenger seat examining his stitches, which he hadn't received since his near-death experience back on Dublin's port. He studied the thread between his fingers with the single thought that he'd be on the front of yet another war, this time on foreign soil. At least this time, he wouldn't be killing his own, which gave him some sort of reassurance. Despite being a hitman for a large part of his career, killing had been far from easy. It had been a monstrous struggle Jackson fought with for the majority of his upbringing, causing a blackhole in his conscience for as long as he could remember. Looking back to Conor, he placed his good hand on his shoulder and gave him a tight, reassuring squeeze. The same demons Jackson had come face to face with were now materializing out of the darkest shadows of Conor's mind, but Jackson wouldn't let his closest friend face them alone.

Jackson smiled to the patrons as they greeted Conor at the door. While being hundreds of thousands of miles away, the warmness of the pub truly reminded him of home. He placed himself down on one of the stools beside Conor, sinking onto the soft cushion as if it were his first time since the fight that he'd felt at ease. He flashed Rachel a smile, shrugging his wrapped hands on the bar table. "We've both looked worse," he looked over to Conor, "Hell, not even a scratch on our faces," he added.

Jackson's mind had wandered to a lager, but Conor was quick to dismiss Rachel. While a bit disappointed, it was soon uplifted by the bottle of whiskey placed in his hands. Seeing as it was from the top shelf, Jackson managed to overcome his longing for a pint. He smiled to Conor, although he knew the bottle they were sharing was far from celebratory. Dragging the bottle up from the wooden counter by the stout, he brought it with him behind Conor.

The small, cozy office gave an incredibly intimate atmosphere, as if beyond the door was empty space. Jackson reclined in the chair, seemingly lost in thought until the sound of the bottle hitting the table had refocused him. He looked to the whiskey, filling his own glass with a far more reasonable portion than his counterpart.

He looked to his friend as the man stared off into the air. He could make out the thought process flicking through Conor's retinas, as it resembled the same pitiful expression he'd held many years ago. He listened as Conor confirmed his suspicions, nodding silently as he pressed the glass to his chin. At the question, Jackson let out a stifled sigh. "On its own? Afraid not," he mumbled, tipping his glass up. "You could kill one man, you could kill a hundred, the pain will only subside if you let it." Acknowledging the duality of man was accepting that monsters don't hide under your bed or in your closet, but within yourself. The thought seemed rudimentary, and it was, but many would never have to experience the extent of what others were capable of, let alone themselves.

"The blokes in 'Nam have it the easiest, cause they can buy that they're killing injustice, that what they're doin' is right in it's purest form. Us," He shook his head and shrugged, "Nah."

"Everyone of us in this game deserves to die; us, them," he chuckled softly, sitting up to refill his glass. He went to speak once more but hesitated, his eyes flickering back up to Conor. He slowly sat back into the chair, taking a reserved sip of the whiskey.

"If you accept that the reason you're killin' is for your family, the ones you love, then it's no different than what the boys overseas believe. At the end of the day, its either you or them." He took another sip, shaking his head. "The big struggle comes when it's not. When the consequences of pulling the trigger or not are far more dire for them than it is for you. When they have everything to lose and you," He struggled, wrapped up in his head, "You have nothing." He slowly trailed off, suggesting that he held remorse for some of the targets he'd killed in the past.

"But that's not what you're doin'. You're doin' what you have to," he assured Conor.

Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor listened as Jackson spoke back with his own thoughts on accepting taking the life of another. He took the bottle and poured a second modest shot of whiskey, briefly toying with the tumbler before bringing it to his lips to drink the alcohol. Though Conor had already fought in two wars, they weren't the same kind as the ones the soldiers in 'Nam were a part of. It was easier for those soldiers to justify their killings, but not so much for those tangled in gang wars. He couldn't help but drily smirk as Jackson pointed out that gangsters, like himself, deserved to die in the battles they were tired up in. "Honestly, it's a miracle most of us fuckers aren't dead yet," he scoffed.

Conor noticed Jackson hesitated, but his friend began speaking again before he felt he should speak up. The mention of killing for the ones he loved caused Conor to nod his head. As difficult as it was to process the murder he'd just committed, there was no doubt in his mind that he would do it again and again to help those he cared about. He'd kill another man if it meant saving Warren's life - that much he could feel certain about. "Yeah, I know this is what I have to do. I'd rather have the killing of the enemy on my conscience than be grieving for someone I care about because I failed to act. I already have some of those regrets deep inside me; wondering who would still be with us if I'd stepped up sooner and put down the enemy. My old man, Tommy... If I'd had my head in the game and accepted my role in this business sooner, I believe they wouldn't have been killed when they had been."

Conor looked to Jackson, noticing the way the man trailed off and his words seemed to reflect some deeper feelings within him. Conor sat back in his seat and allowed his face to show a gentle concern. "Have you... Have you killed people when you had nothing to lose?" he asked, struggling to word his question as sensitively as he intended. "We all have things that weigh heavy on us. Regrets or guilt. What I mean is you seem troubled yourself right now." He sent his friend an encouraging nod. "You know you can tell me anything, mate. We've been through a lot together, especially when things got messy back in Dublin..." he trailed off, hoping to prompt Jackson to open up to him about his own demons.

Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Leaving the meeting had been something of a relief for Maddox. Having to face a pack of wolves and appease their bloodthirsty needs had proved exhausting even for him. Despite Syd supposedly being the enemy and James being even worse than that, Maddox hadn't felt any better for it. There had been no release, no closure and he hadn't been relieved of the intense feeling of loss he'd carried with him for all of those years. The morning had seemed to confirm the doubts he was having. They were dangerous doubts to have and ones he couldn't take lightly about giving in to, not with the likes of Gabriel threatening his and Ani's lives. Despite his hatred for the Porters along with Moretti's serious threats, Maddox remained conflicted. Pushing Syd to destruction had been terrible enough the first time and he wasn't sure how he could go through with having him killed now. In that moment, there was only one person he needed to see.

Knowing Ani's shift was due to end, Maddox entered the hospital but waited near the reception entrance for her to leave for the day. When she eventually came into view, Maddox greeted her with a gentle hand on her shoulder and a kiss on her cheek. "How has work been, love?" he asked her, managing to allow a warm smile to show on his features. His troubled eyes would give his inner concerns away - he was only permitted to show his vulnerable side to her. "How about we get a takeout for lunch? I've just left the meeting with Moretti and the others... It didn't go well and there's a lot I need to tell you, for both of our sakes," he told her.

Leading her to his parked car, Maddox turned to Ani and looked her in the eyes. "Stay at my place tonight, Ani," he asked in a calm and loving manner. However, as his face turned more serious and his tone darker, it was clear he didn't want her with him for romance alone. "In fact, why not just move in with me? Then we can see more of each other... and I'd feel better knowing you're safe," he said, his words no doubt confirming the meeting had left him concerned for their safety.


Bellz (Ani)

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris
The Docks
​

Tony grinned as flames erupted from the car bonnet, that should get them shifting, unless they wanted to end up as a well done steak. The fire was spreading to the boat as well, in a perfect world they would have taken the drugs as well, but if they destroyed as well as the Porter money that would be a win in his books. Just had to avenge the deaths they had suffered in the ambush. That wasn’t to say that the situation was fully under control, the car suddenly reversed out, flames still flickering from the bonnet. The shock was short lived however, and Tony tracked its erratic movement, keeping up a steady stream of fire until it came to a crashing halt, nearly embedding itself in the concrete barrier. They driver was clearly a nutjob, but he’d done his job, Tony just catching movement of the remaining Porter’s heading into the maze of containers, of which he was currently on the edge of. He turned towards the East Harlem foot soldiers, yelling over the now slightly subdued gunfire.

“I want 2 men securing that boat. I want as much of cocaine and cash in our hands. Rest of you fan out and lock down these crates. There’s a bonus to each man who brings me a Porter corpse,”

He ducked momentarily as several round pinged off the container about him. Pistol rounds, he glanced up to see the Port security guard with his pistol raised, his checkpoint had been reduced to match wood, and now he was trying to be a hero, wrong fucking move. He raised his rifle and let off a single round. The back of the man’s head erupted in a fountain of blood and brain matter, and he slumped to the floor in heap of limbs. Tony shook his head.

“Daft twat, should have left well enough alone…”

He dropped his rifle without ceremony, it falling to the concrete floor with a metallic clatter, and removed his handgun from his armpit holster, the long barrelled 44. Magnum. Capable of putting down a charging bear, it would have no problems stopping an Irishman. His fingers curled around the grip, his right index finger resting against the trigger guard. He took comfort in the heft of the revolver, a proper gun. He’d had it for 10 years now and it worked as well as the first day he’d bought it. With surprisingly light feet, he proceeded into the maze of containers, he could near enough smell his quarry, and there was no way he was going to let them get out of here the easy way.

Misty Gray , Pyroclast , Bellz , Enzyme

 

[Pyroclast]

Steve Kelly

Through the flashes of gunfire, Steve was trying to count the moving silhouettes of his targets. Hearing Tony call out some encouraging words, he realised how heavily they outnumbered the unsuspecting mob and a cocky grin appeared on his face. It was amusing to him that they had come so unprepared given that they were carrying out an important exchange out in the open. Steve laughed as he continued to fire his M16. Shards of glass and metal were strewn about the Porter's car as it was torn apart by the onslaught of bullets sent in their direction.

His arrogance was momentarily brought down when he felt something pierce through his left bicep, causing him to lose grip on his gun and sink beneath the cover of the truck to where it fell. Assuming he had been shot, Steve rolled up his shirt sleeve to examine the entry hole only to find multiple small flesh wounds of varying depths. One had a slice of metal sticking out of it, which he swiftly pulled out with a sharp exhale. "Ah, you fuck," he winced. He knew that there may have been more shrapnel lodged deeper inside the other wounds but he didn't have the equipment or the time to extract them for the time being. The sharp stinging seemed to pulsate through his arm when he rolled his shoulder back and he groaned in frustration at the thought of his movement being restricted from so early on in the fight. Still, he didn't lose hope - if anything, the pain only aggravated him.

Once he had picked up his rifle, Steve returned his attention to his surroundings and looked over the hood of the van to reset his aim. Not realising how much he had tuned out, he was surprised to see that the car had been set ablaze - unfortunately spreading to the yacht, too - and for a moment he forgot about the foreign objects lodged into his arm and simply gazed through the flames in awe.

His cocky grin returned as he watched the car kick into a clumsy, meandering reverse. It almost distracted him from the real targets; once it had moved far enough away, however, he remembered that the Porters had previously been taking cover behind the burning vehicle and so lifted his gun to open fire as he had before. But when his perception caught up to his reflexes, he realised that they had moved to take cover elsewhere and soon spotted them heading into a maze of shipping containers.

As Tony was ordering two men to secure the goods from the yacht, Steve slotted in a new magazine to his rifle and then took hold of Kaladin's shoulder. "You and me, come on," he commanded, pushing his comrade out from behind their cover. Tony and a few other foot soldiers headed into the maze while the two of them sprinted over to the yacht. Despite the fact that it was on fire, the biggest threat to Steve was still the arrival of security guards, cops or more Porter men. He looked down to the corpse at his feet and rolled his boot over what was left of the Colombian man's head to reveal the damage of the exit wound. "Anyone catches us, we throw all this in the van and split," he asserted, peering down at the gruesome mess of brains and blood. "We ain't got time to round everyone up."

The heat of the fire was making his eyes water, but it looked clear enough on the deck that he was confident in their ability to reach the cocaine and the money without getting burned alive. With his right arm, he hurdled the edge of the yacht and descended down the companionway in search of the goods. The focus that the mission demanded along with the added time pressure entirely distracted him from the pain in his arm. His eyes lit up when he spotted the crates containing tightly packaged blocks of cocaine and ran over to start unloading them without hesitation. There came an occasional clanging sound from up on deck as the yacht continued to burn, but, as always, Steve wasn't ready to give up yet.

Interactions
Enzyme Kaladin, Mitchel
Misty Gray Adam
RayPurchase Tony
Bellz Rebel, Peter

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson
Warren Taylor​

George could see small traces of the anger that was bubbling inside of Keegan. Despite knowing Finn was the kindest and most gentle man there could be, George suspected even that wasn't powerful enough to just wash away the grief Keegan was suffering through. Keegan muttered an expletive before taking a long drink of his Scotch. George took a moment to gently squeeze Finn's hand and send the man an apologetic glance. George disagreed that things wouldn't get easier, but it was far too early and not his place to say such a thing in that moment. As the grieving man dug around in his pocket, George tried to formulate some words that could help ease the man's irritation, but he found himself struggling in the unfamiliar territory.

The sound of the front door closing was heard and the footsteps in the hallway sounded too heavy to belong to any of the playing children. As the lounge door was pushed open, George couldn't help but feel relieved by the prospect of another person joining them and hopefully helping to ease the tension. Rather than it being one of the family members, it was one of the guards who was stationed at the Porters' mansion. George felt concerned in that moment, hoping there wasn't any trouble outside.

The clean shaven Irishman's attention seemed focused on Keegan more than Finn or George, though he addressed all of them. "I've just had a call at the gates from Conor and he wanted to know if anyone here is free to help keep an eye on Warren down at the hospital." The guard knew Finn and George weren't involved in that side of the business. Keegan was and Conor had been very specific in making sure one of their more trusted men stepped in. "Between us lot, there was an attempt by the Italian's to get to Warren and now they need more men experienced keeping watch. You up for it, Keegan? If not, I can make some calls..." he told him.

*********​

Warren sat up in his hospital bed, his attention drawn towards the door as he watched the moving shadows visible in the gap beneath the door. One of James' employees had already been in to inform him there'd already been trouble that morning. Even though the details about what had happened were kept to a minimum, Warren still knew to act like he'd seen and heard nothing at all about it. He wouldn't say anything that would drop Conor, Jackson and others intro trouble. Given that there were cops around, there was a chance they'd find Warren's presence of interest.

Knowing there'd already been an attempt by the enemy to get to him had left him extra vigilant from his vulnerable place in the hospital bed. When the door was pushed open, Warren's hand moved straight towards the emergency buzzer at his bedside. Seeing it was the same attractive nurse from earlier that morning was a relief, but in an attempt to mask his startled action, he reached for his beaker of water, grimacing as the movement caused his skin to pull and drag against the stitches in his chest. "Take it easy there, Mr. Taylor," the woman told him. "I'm just going to take your vitals again," she informed him as she moved to start taking his temperature.

"I can confirm I'm still alive," Warren informed her, flashing a boyish smile when she rolled her eyes at him. He then diverted his attention to the opened door and could now observe the activity taking place on the corridor. It seemed like things had calmed down out there though that didn't make him feel any less vulnerable. "Well, I feel better already. Perhaps you could tell whoever's in charge that I can be discharged now." Warren paused as he felt short of breath trying to hold back the discomfort in his chest.

"You're not going leaving anytime soon, Mr. Taylor and I wouldn't try convincing the doctors otherwise either," the nurse firmly told him. She then set about replacing the fluid bag in his IV and sent him a bright smile. "You need to lie down in your bed and rest. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll get out of here."

Warren watched the nurse leave and as soon as she closed the door, he sat back up again. Despite the increased discomfort the action was causing, he wanted to feel more aware of his surroundings.

Bugsy (Keegan)
Mention: Bellz (Finn)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Rebel Holt​

Everything was happening too fast for Peter's brain to process, but he was acting on pure instinct now. Adam called out to them to take cover in the maze of shipping containers but Peter just looked to Rebel before nodding his head in that direction. "Ladies first." Rebel rolled her eyes before nodding her head and moving as fast as she could towards the shipping container closest to her. Peter stayed behind for a split second and that's when Mitchel pulled the car into reverse, revealing Peter to the mass of bullets flying towards him. Cursing, the man turned around and ran as fast as he could but a bullet caught him in the leg and he was sent spiraling towards the ground.

There was a few large blue metal barrels near him so he dragged himself as quickly as he could towards them before hiding behind them completely. He could see the men moving towards the fiery boat but Peter wasn't going to dare attempt to save the shipment now. Human lives were more valuable than drugs. Rebel had moved deeper into the maze of containers until she found what she had been looking for, a few metal barrels stacked on top of each other. Without thinking too hard about her dangerous decision, Rebel hoisted herself up on the barrels before hopping up onto one of the containers. Getting the higher ground would have its advantages in this fight. She could see everything from the container she stood on and all of the men who were coming out of the van were too busy paying attention to the men on the ground.

With a smirk on her face, Rebel made sure to reload before aiming towards Tony and firing, sure she had caught him in the arm she started running as fast as she could on top of the container before daring to jump to the one a few feet a way. Her legs gave out during her landing and she rolled into a seated position on the container. Quick to recover, she aimed her gun towards the yacht where Steve and Kaladin were helping to unload the stash.

Letting out a light laugh, Rebel couldn't help but feel satisfied with the fact that the men were so foolish as to leave themselves in the open. Instead of firing a few rounds at the men, she aimed her gun at the supply and vigorously fired in that direction not letting up until she was completely out of ammo. From this distance she could see the white powder, falling like snow onto the deck of the yacht. Reloading, Rebel moved quickly as she ran and jumped on top of another container, making sure not to stay in one spot for too long.
with: Enzyme Misty Gray Pyroclast RayPurchase

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie nodded her head as Syd said that he wasn't allowed to keep the photos and she reached out her hands to grab them before turning to place them in her bag. Roxie waved her hand as he apologized for not being at home with her and asked how her and the baby were doing. "Same old, same old, I'm afraid. Nothing terribly interesting going on as of yet." Roxie murmured honestly before there was a moment of silence. Clearing her throat, Roxie looked around the room before deciding to speak up again. "I have been staying with my parents, funnily enough. And let me tell you it's going as well as I thought it would, which is not at all. My mother has gone from barely talking to me to not talking to me at all, so I look for something to do to fill the silence and well, My father always has such a way with words, always criticizing me when he finds the opportunity to." Shaking her head slowly, Roxie absently placed a hand on her stomach before sighing.

"Your mother and father reached out to me for support but I politely declined...I didn't want to be a burden." Roxie was still feeling awkward around the Porters in all honesty and she didn't know how to help them during their time of grieving, she thought it was best to leave them be and do her own thing. While she wanted to talk more about her time away from him, she knew she was simply stalling from asking the questions that had been floating in her head for the last four days. Looking at Syd's appearance, she wasn't sure if now was the best time to ask him such questions about his suicide and was beginning to feel guilty about coming to see him in the first place.

She knew that he didn't intentionally mean to hurt her, but the pain wasn't lessened by that fact. It was a confusing time for her because how could she be hurt by someone she barely knew? Her feelings for Syd were still up in the air but here she was visiting him, ready to explain to him just how much pain his suicide attempt had caused her, but was it even worth it? He clearly was not ready to move on from his past relationship with Skye. Looking down, the wedding ring on his finger taunted her and she stared at it openly for a few moments. Clearing her throat again, Roxie forced herself to look to his face before stating, "You still love her."

The statement had to have been true, she was sure of it. He still wore his ring, pictures of her still graced his walls all over the house. He was willing to leave Roxie and their baby behind for his dead wife..."You wanted to be with her." Her tone was emotionless as brought her hands to sit on the table. "I've thought about this nonstop for the last 4 days, Syd. It's making me physically sick. It's stupid, but I feel betrayed. I shouldn't because...I know you don't have feelings for me, but somehow, in the last 2 months...you've grown on me. I don't know what to call these feelings, I don't know if they are real. But all I know is that I'm hurt."

Clasping her hands together, she shook her head slowly, "You have your reasons, and I am more than understanding of them. But all I want to know is, why? Why didn't you talk to me that day? I was there offering my full support...and you just..." She couldn't even finish her sentence as her eyes watered. Turning her head to the side, she buried her face into her arm for a moment as she took a deep breath.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper​

Rebel managed to sprint across to the maze of crates before Mitchel pulled the car into reverse and left Peter exposed. "Jesus..." Adam grumbled, though he figured the driver hadn't had much choice or control in the matter. He grimaced as he watched Peter running with a shower of bullets hot on his tail. One of the shots managed to hit his friend in the leg and the man fell to the ground. Seeing Peter recover quickly and rush out of sight, Adam felt relieved the man hadn't taken more bullets whilst down on the ground.

Adam headed behind the crate he'd been taking cover from and sneaked around it, then heading down the pathway between two crates. Holding his AR-15 ready to fire, he soon realised the rapid gunfire had ceased now the enemy had run out of targets for the time being. Adam carefully rounded the corner and scanned the area before spotting Peter hiding behind the metal barrels. He lowered the large gun and looked to his friend. "Alright, pal. You need to get a head start on getting to safety. You're a sitting duck down here and once those assholes start advancing towards us..." he trailed off. "I'll cover you here, but you need to head down the yard until you get to the first green crate, then you turn left and walk two rows in, then right, then keep walking and you'll soon find yourself out of the maze, facing some greasy breakfast joint across the street," he suggested. He'd spent enough time in the area to know his way around the maze and the best vantage points.

A short time after assisting Peter, Adam heard the gunshot caused by Rebel's firearm. Heading back into the maze, he lowered his AR-15 and swung it aside. He removed his 9mm pistol from its holster and began to carefully navigate towards the source of the bullet. Not knowing who had fired meant he wasn't sure if Rebel was hurt or if she'd been the shooter. By the time he saw Tony, Rebel wasn't around to be seen. It soon became clear that Tony was the one who had been shot and not wanting to give the man time to retaliate towards Rebel, Adam stepped around the corner and aimed his handgun at the enemy. Without hesitation, he squeezed the trigger and the 9mm bullet ripped through the flesh of Tony's cheek. It should at the very least be enough to throw Tony's focus and slow him down.

Hearing the gunfire Rebel was showering the yacht with, Adam set about carefully making his way around the maze to see if he could catch sight of the woman. The drugs were practically lost to them by that point and Adam didn't want any more of Porters' employees to be destroyed with them. Content Peter was getting himself to safety, he needed to make sure Rebel wasn't in a vulnerable position, once he was sure he was covered himself. He ducked for cover behind one of the crates as he assessed his surroundings.


Enzyme RayPurchase Pyroclast Bellz

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

Eyebrows raised in a somewhat derisive fashion, Alistair nodded along as Maddox insisted that he would deal with both Syd and Conor as instructed. It wasn't that he didn't believe him, but there was a general sense of insecurity emanating from the counsellor that he wanted to use against him. He seemed to be the sort of man who was driven by a need to prove somebody wrong. By expressing doubt in the man's abilities, Alistair's faith in him actually increased. It made the threat more real - they would be monitoring him closely to catch him on any slip-ups or signs of betrayal, and he knew this. As long as he understood that there would be consequences, Alistair didn't even think that he needed to know the details behind what those consequences would entail.

Gabriel soon walked the man to the door and Alistair remained still, not even glancing to Stefano. He knew that the man would be eavesdropping, too. It was hard to tell if Maddox was as genuine about wanting to complete his mission as he was about not wanting to get on the wrong side of Mr. Moretti. Of course he knew of the man's initial motives, but the way he spoke with such desperate insistence made Alistair wonder if he was now driven more by fear than anything else. There were a lot of threats being thrown around and despite the air of confidence that he put on, it was clear that the counsellor was uncomfortable in his position.

When the Italian boss returned, Alistair sighed and sent him a knowing look. Maddox's relationship with Ani was brought up once again and Alistair leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs, ready to debrief on their short meeting with the counsellor. "Of course," he replied, when it was suggested that they use the couple's feelings for each other to their own advantage. "We are the ones in control here, after all. I never agreed to make accommodations. Maddox and Ani work for us under whatever conditions we set in place. Their relationship is an obstacle, because to disallow it would most likely only drive them away from us and lead to some rebelling. The best thing to do, like you say, is to let them be together and simply use it as a mechanism to keep them driven."

His gaze drifted downward and he brought a hand up to stroke his chin as he reflected on the situation more. "I do wonder if keeping him on such a tight leash might make him want to break away from us, though. He seems to already be tugging at it." Alistair looked to Stefano before settling his eyes back on Gabriel. "Forgive me if you think otherwise, but the man didn't exactly sound enthusiastic about carrying out the job we set for him. It's not that I don't trust your judgement, Gabriel, nor that I don't think he's intelligent, because he clearly is - but he had a defense up for that entire meeting. With such a serious role in our mission, we need him to be more on our level. I caught a strong whiff of weakness from him, which, while easy to manipulate, isn't a quality that helps me trust a man." His expression hardened, showing how firm he was in his opinion of Maddox. "If you really believe that he won't stray, Gabriel, please explain to me why. I know he has shown loyalty so far, but he is a serious investment in our cause and I need to know that he won't let us down."

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel
Melanin-Gxdess Teddy
Bellz Stefano

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Hearing Gwen tell her the men were just leaving made her look between her and the men threatening them. This made her think Gwen had something to do with this. It wasn't until the topic of wanting money from her was brought up that everything was confirmed to her. "Ahh... So, they're here for you then?" She asked, looking towards the woman. A part of her just wanted to give her away, but she knew she was family and therefore couldn't and wouldn't do such a thing. The woman was obviously in some sort of trouble which meant she was going to need help getting out of it. She watched the interaction, trying to figure out how they were going to get out of this with minimal damages and nothing but casualties on the other side. Ali didn't want any of this violence to occur in Sinead's club like it did her restaurant, but it seemed that was going to be inevitable. She could only hope her niece go to the office and called help fast enough. Otherwise, this was going to be messy.

It was always about money with men and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the thought. It wasn't until they grabbed Gwen and stated their husbands weren't around that she started to get annoyed. "I hope you know that we don't need our husbands around to make sure none of you survive today's encounter." Her tone wasn't cocky, but more like confident in the words, she was saying. Years ago you wouldn't have caught Ali killing people. But after the warehouse and Conor's incident, she became more comfortable with playing the role of judge, jury, and executioner when it came to her family. If she knew they deserved to die, then that would be the time she pulled the trigger that would end them. Sinead speaking up, saying she was going to give them the money scared her. She stepped forward, hesitantly to stop her, but knew her sister-in-law would protest and do everything herself. Another concern was Savannah and if she stayed in the office or if she had left the building. It worried her that she didn't know if they were all going to make it out of there alive.

Watching as Sinead walked away and with one of the goons, she balled her free left hand into a fist, clenching her teeth together. The whole situation was causing her stress as she had to figure out a way to take these three out. Once she was sure Sinead and the other man was gone, she turned to the two who were aiming at Gwen before she sighed. "All of this is about money? Two thousand dollars at that. What, your boss couldn't afford to lose two thousand dollars?" She scoffed, trying her best to get the one to the right of Gwen clear of the girl's skull. The odds of three men pointing their guns at her compared to two were a little bit better. Besides, at the angle Ali was in she was sure going to hit Gwen and she didn't want that to happen. "I spend two thousand dollars easy every week and don't even bat an eye. Though, it does make sense why he'd be so pressed about it. Paying idiots like you who fail at their jobs must be rough." She could tell her target was getting antsy, the regripping of his gun becoming apparent. "How does it feel, I wonder, knowing you're about to get killed by women?"

She waited a beat, making eye contact with Gwen, trying to get her to understand what she was about to do. Her eyes signaled the man on her right, which should tell her that was her target. Using the fact her hair was straight, she pretended to get the hair out of her face to show her where she needed to move so she wouldn't hit her. If she understood what she was trying to do, she would have a better shot but it wouldn't exactly be clear so she needed the goon to get annoyed. If he did exactly as she wanted and moved to aim at her instead and give her a clear shot, Ali would take her gun from her pocket and shoot, one in the gut and the other in the chest.


​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

There was something unsettling about the disinterested tone in which Roxie spoke. Since being sectioned, Syd often found himself thinking of Roxie and the baby and worrying that he was missing something important. So when she told him she had no updates, he couldn't help but wonder if she was lying. For the amount that he had missed her, their encounter was so far a lot more awkward than he had imagined. "That's good, I guess," he mumbled, in an attempt to keep himself from focusing on his more negative interpretation.

He continued to observe her as she looked around the room. As far as he knew, this was her first time setting foot inside a place like this and he wondered what was going through her mind - if she was judging the place, or judging him for ending up there. Syd anxiously linked his fingers together and began to turn his wedding ring as he listened to Roxie tell him about her living arrangement with her parents. He couldn't tell if she was trying to make him feel guilty for displacing her, or if he just felt guilty already. Either way, he knew that it had never been her intention to go back to living with them and had only done so because of him. "I'm sorry, Roxie," he whispered, his eyes briefly dropping to the table before he forced himself to look back to her.

To hear her admit that she felt like a burden to his parents disappointed him, but he couldn't blame her. He knew exactly how that felt. "Roxie, you can talk to them," he gently assured her. "You're carrying my baby, their grandchild. You're family. If they're finally making an effort for us..." Had his mind not been so clouded by fatigue and the medication, he would have had a better chance of communicating his thoughts to her. The emotion in his eyes was perhaps his best replacement for words, though that was even harder to control than what came out of his mouth.

After a prolonged silence, Syd followed the direction of her gaze and realised she was staring at his wedding ring. The two of them hadn't talked about Skye for a long time, most likely because of his unpredictable nature and fragile mental state. He realised how much she must have been suffering in silence, repressing her opinions, perhaps even living in fear of him. Rather sheepishly, Syd slid his hands under the table and cleared his throat. If he could have thought of something else to talk about to avoid the conversation, he would have spoken up there and then, but the guilt had already taken a front seat in his mind.

Syd looked down before she even said the words. It wasn't like he could deny it, either. He did still love Skye. He always would. The conclusion he had previously reached was that his relationships after her death would only work if his partner could accept it and live with it, and it worried him that Roxie would never be able to. While he had certainly had real feelings for Roxie, they had been hard to focus on, understand or develop once his mental health had begun to degrade. Now, he wasn't sure where the two of them stood. He cared deeply for her and was invested in her, but he hadn't given enough thought as to what his feelings really meant or where they stood as a couple. Were they even a couple at this point? They had certainly been intimate and affectionate with each other, but their relationship had escalated faster than Syd could comprehend.

Still, when she accused him of wanting to be with Skye, he shook his head and looked to her with a wounded expression. "I didn't - I didn't want -" he helplessly stammered. She still had no idea why he had put that gun to his head. He hadn't even really wanted to die. "Okay, before...yes. When she first passed away, I didn't want to live in a world without her, s-so I..." Flashbacks of his earlier suicide attempts began to flicker through his mind, blocking his thought process. Collapsing on his way to the dog park; breaking down in his bedroom; left in the garage, alone. Thinking about them had always disturbed him, but they were undeniably a part of his identity. Syd wrapped his arms around himself as tight as if the nurse really had restrained him. "Roxie, it wasn't like that this time," he implored, though his voice was weakening under the pressure. "She was there, but she - she just wanted to help me. She told me to call my mam."

Syd dipped his head, roughly running his hands through his hair to ease the oncoming stress. He had been about to tell her that he hadn't wanted to be with her when he died, but he wasn't sure that was true. "I didn't want to die so I could be with her," he argued. "I...I thought I had to kill myself, I had no choice. But when she turned up it just made me feel better about going. I wouldn't leave you for her, Roxie. I wouldn't. But just in that moment, I felt better, knowing that I wasn't alone." There were tears in his eyes when he raised his head to look at her, his face tensed to stop himself from crying. Desperate for her to understand something he could hardly express, his hands crawled across the table to hold hers. "I do have feelings for you, Roxie. You're the first person I've felt anything for since Skye. I didn't think I ever could again, but then you came along...a-and I'm sorry I haven't explored it more, I know you've...you've seen the worst of me."

As the disappointment in himself set in, his eyelids drooped and his vision clouded over. "I don't mean to hurt you," he whispered. "All I wanted was to support you through this pregnancy and to have this baby with you. I didn't know that that day was going to turn out the way it did. I'd have said something to you if I'd known what to say. All I can say now is, I'm sorry." A lump was burning in his throat; he raised his hands to cover his face and closed his eyes for a moment as he fought to gain control of his emotions. He felt a rising tide of emotions threaten to pull him under and drown him. But he wasn't going to succumb to them, not while Roxie was so upset with him. He had to control himself, for her sake.

Once the intensity had passed, Syd brought his hands back down to the table and exhaled. He looked across to her with dark circles beneath his eyes, his heavy eyelids flickering under the weight of his fatigue. "When I get out of this place...Are you planning to come home with me?"

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel listened as Alistair spoke his mind about the relationship between Maddox and Ani. It seemed like they all acknowledged the relationship was a complication but he too was inclined to agree the best they could do now was manipulate the romance to their advantage - to keep both parties in line. The fact of the matter was, the Italian considered Maddox to be more of an asset than Ani was. However, at this stage it was difficult to take one out of the equation without risking driving the other away. Either they both fell into line, or Gabriel would be inclined to make an example of the pair of them. Deep down, he would prefer it wouldn't come to that and Maddox would heed the warning he'd been given. One failure would be more than enough.

Alistair continued to express his concerns about Maddox and the man's apparent lack of enthusiasm for his tasks. Whilst the Italian didn't like anyone questioning his judgement, he was more disturbed by Maddox's uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm for making the Porters suffer. Ideally, this was merely a blip and the counsellor would already have come back to his senses. Alistair then questioned Gabriel, wanting an explanation as to why he believed in Maddox. While he too was concerned about the counsellor's loyalty, he wasn't exactly keen on being questioned. Still, the men were all looking for the same outcome and all were committed to their cause, so he understood it was reasonable for his own choices to be questioned.

"I would be foolish not to have doubts of my own following the way Maddox just conducted himself and rest assured I will follow up on such concerns." Gabriel sat forward he decided to explain why he'd trusted Maddox in the first place. "This is Maddox's cause just as it is ours. For him to suddenly turn his back on it is not only suicide but quite an erratic act, which comes as a shock from a man who is so in control of his own mind as well as the minds of others. The man has been dead set on getting revenge on the Porters for over a decade now. His only reason for moving to New York was because the Porters were here and he couldn't enact any justice back in Dublin without them present. He reached out to my brother and pledged loyalty no matter the cost, in return Francesco helped him get the job he has now. I have methods at my disposal to deal with Syd and Conor, but Maddox wished to take this on himself and has been working on Syd for years. For a man to go to such lengths to get revenge..." He quickly shook his head as he thought about the situation. "I struggle to fathom how Syd being locked in the nuthouse is anywhere near enough compensation for what the Porters did to Maddox."

Gabriel sat back and thought over the working relationship he'd had with Maddox over the years. "That man has done so much to ensure we're in the position we are in now. The information he's been able to get for us has been of exceptional value. He's even contributed ideas of his own and recruited men to our cause, all of which have strengthened us in our challenges against the Porters. In this business, it's most wise to trust nobody completely. However, I find myself trusting just a few people, those in this room and Maddox included. However, your concerns are warranted and Maddox's assurances have not eased my doubts. Whether it's Ani or something deeper, there is a possibility Maddox has grown weak. I will be monitoring the man and if I don't see results from him..." He cleared his throat and stood from his seat. "Every threat I gave Maddox was a promise. The second he messes up, I will kill him myself. I would take it personally if any of the men I trust deceive me."

Once the discussion was over, Maddox would allow Alistair and Stefano to leave and continue with their day. Teddy wasn't so lucky and would be spending the remainder of the day out on business with his boss. Before they were to leave the apartment, Gabriel asked Teddy directly how he felt about Maddox, both before and after the meeting they'd just had.

Pyroclast (Alistair) Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Bellz (Stefano)

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf ​

Stepping into the reception area of the hospital, Ani smiled warmly as Maddox greeted her, placing a kiss on her cheek. He asked how work had been, Ani let out a tired sigh. "This city has got to be riddle with bullet holes, by the number of them I've had to remove from patients today." From the moment, she had clocked in only a day and a half ago, patients had been pouring into the emergency area. She was living on a 3 hour nap and it showed. It took her a moment to notice the look in Maddox's eyes, but when she finally did her smile began to fade away.

Before she could ask him what was wrong, he suggested they get takeout for lunch and carried on to tell her the gist of how the meeting with Moretti went. Ani was silent as she allowed herself to take in his words. "Yes...takeout sounds lovely." She finally said, choosing not to react to the fact that they were about to have a serious conversation about what their future held. As she was lead out of the hospital, Ani took a look around the familiar emergency room entrance and all of the nurses and staff bustling about. Even in her tired state, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that their lives were about to change soon.

Once they were near the car, Maddox turned to her, asking if she could stay at his place. She started to smile but instantly saw the change on his face, her expression turned concerned. "Maddox, I can't just leave Ammon, you know that." Her heart started to race as she eyed the parking lot, now feeling as though they were being watched. "I can't move out until he's in a facility. And even if he's in a hospital, how do we know he'd be safe from Moretti and the others?" Anxiety crept its way into her chest and she took shallow breaths. Normally, she would be able to handle hearing such concerning news but with being so tired her guard was down.

Moving a hand to push her hair back, Ani looked to her other hand in Maddox's. "How are we going to do this?" She said with a weakened voice, "Imagine what they will do to us, if they find out what we are up to? They will kill you and I will never forgive myself if they do."
with: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Maddox's mind lingered for a time on Ani's comment about the city being riddled with bullet holes. Whilst he knew the direct blame for that was the Porters, whether by them firing the gun themselves or their power merely inviting challenge. It happened that the primary challengers to the Mob were the very people he'd been aligned with for the last few years of his life; those led by Gabriel. Perhaps those admitted to the hospital that day were injured as an indirect consequence of the work Maddox himself had done to better equip the Morettis and their allies.

Maddox let out a sigh and reluctantly nodded his head as Ani said she couldn't leave Ammon. He'd expected such a response yet still hoped for otherwise. He unlocked the car door but hesitated to open it as she voiced her concerns about how they were going to get by; how they would get away with betraying their bosses. He didn't immediately answer, instead pullingd his car door open and motioning for Ani to get into the passenger side. He'd feel safer knowing they were out of anyone's earshot. Once they were both seated and the car doors closed, Maddox shifted his seating position so he could face Ani directly.

"Ani, they threatened all of us today. You, me, and Ammon..." He tapped his hand on his knee as he spoke. "They're going to use Ammon against you, and you against me. Your brother is a danger to the public and he's a danger to you. How can we possibly protect Ammon whilst trying to survive ourselves?" he asked her. "If I don't show them results soon, they'll hurt you to send a message to me. They want me to kill Syd and get Conor put back in jail. I don't want to hurt Syd any further, but what choice do I have? If you and I are to stand any chance at surviving, I have to give Moretti what he wants. I'm not sure how you could stand by me after that and I've realised I might not be able to live with myself after it either. What I've done so far has brought me no relief; there's no closure and the empty void hasn't been filled. My family is still dead. Only now, I'm no better than James Porter and I've been too blind to realise that Gabriel is even worse than Porter." He shook his head, clearly conflicted by the whole conversation. "Loving you makes me want to be a good man, but to keep you means I have to be a monster. We're going to have to make sacrifices because we can't stay in New York if we want a life together and but Ammon can't be a part of our future. I can't refuse Moretti without signing our death warrants. Am I really worth all of this, Ani? If I fail Gabriel it should be me who suffers - not you."


Bellz (Ani)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

The wounded expression on Syd's face made Roxie cringe and she watched as he stammered to explain himself. Explaining that when she had died, he didn't want to live in a world without her and Roxie tried to imagine how that felt. Sure, Syd's attempt had put a lot into perspective for her but she felt what she was feeling didn't even come close to losing the love of his life. Not able to finish his sentence, Roxie waited as he seemed to be thinking about his earlier attempts He finally spoke again and said it wasn't like that this time around. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as he then told her that she had been there to tell him to call his mother. Roxie knew that he had gone through something horrible, but she never really understood just how far his psychosis went.

Roxie said nothing as he ran his hands through his hair, she shifted in her seat at him looking so stressed and in that moment she instantly regretted bringing up her fears to him. Syd explained that he thought he had to kill himself and this caused Roxie to lean forward in her seat, resting her elbows against the table, she listened closely. Her heart skipped a beat as Syd told her that he wouldn't leave her for Skye, that in that moment he saw her, he had only felt better knowing that he wasn't going to be alone. Eyes water, Roxie nodded her head lightly as she let out a shallow sigh. His pained expression made her chest ache and when he reached his hands out to her, she took his tightly and squeezed them.

Looking into his clouded and droopy eyes, Roxie continued to nod her head as he explained himself. Once he finished with an apology, Roxie took his hand and lifted it to her lips before he took them away and covered his face. "Syd." Roxie murmured softly as she watched him fight to contain his emotions. Staying silent, she waited patiently until he brought his hands down on the table again. He looked very exhausted and Roxie felt the burning desire to nurture him. His question didn't surprise her and a small smile played on her lips, "Well, as much as I absolutely love to be at my parents place...it just doesn't feel like home. It never really did." Roxie reached for his hands again, tangling her small fingers between his. "I will definitely be coming home with you. But I don't think you will be getting your side of the bed back. The dogs have found their way into bed with me and they are rather fond of my side." Her smile grew a bit wider as she thought about the dogs.

After a moment, she sighed and her smile faded as something pressing was on her mind. "You said...you said you thought you had to kill yourself? Why? Why would you ever think to take your precious life away? I'm sorry for the questions...I've just never been in such a state and I want to be able to understand so that I can help you if this happens again..."
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Enzyme]

New York Docks​

Each time the slack of the trigger replenished, Kaladin ripped it back, firing off the rounds in quick succession. His aim had been fixed on the vehicle as retorting muzzle-flashes lit up the interior. Kaladin had been suffering from such intense tunnel vision that he didn't hear the order from Tony. His attention was pushed free as Steve shook his shoulder, forcing his vision towards the blazing yacht. The sizzling of the cocaine crackled onto the wood, sending sparks into the dark, blue water.

Kaladin shoved his hand into his coat pocket, retrieving spare rounds. He shoved the brass rounds into the receiver as he sprinted out of cover with Steve. Over the railing of the dock, he could see one of the guards sling the rifle over the metal bar. Instinctively ducking his head to side, he heard the sound of a round rip right by his skull. Through the intense, disorienting ringing in his ear, he quickly shouldered his rifle and fired. A large chunk of the man's skull popped off like a bottle rocket, flying over the side of the boat. The guard's body crumbled over the railing, blood spurting out of his exit wound into the ocean like a busted fire hydrant.

Through the flames, Kaladin grabbed the melting steal and hoisted himself on deck. Steve beat him to the crate, ripping the rest of the tarp off of the metal. Kaladin's eyes widened at the sight. He couldn't believe how much cocaine was packed inside. Steve seemed hardly fazed, tossing the bricks out systematically. Kaladin quickly threw the sling of the rifle over his shoulder and began grabbing the bricks Steve was pulling out. He began tossing them onto the dock, trading safety for speed, with the occasional brick busting open on the concrete.

Before they had a chance to empty the crate, several shots rang out around them. Kaladin instinctively recoiled and tossed his hands over his head. His head snapped back to see Rebel ontop of one of the freight containers, suppressing them with heavy gunfire. Cocaine rained down from the sky like ash, coating his shoulders as if it were dandruff. He scooped an accumulated pile off his shoulder, rubbing it under his nose. A distinct white line covered his thin mustache as he flicked his rifle back into his hand. "Come on, ya' fuckin' whore!" He shoved the rifle into his shoulder, firing off rounds as she jumped to another container. He rushed to the back of the yacht as he continued to fire at her, tearing into the metal at her feet.

He ripped the bolt back, feeding in shells manually, loading the magazine from the top. He used the side of the rail as support, snapping his aim down to Rebel.

Bellz (Rebel/Peter) Pyroclast (Steve) Misty Gray (Adam) RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris
The Port

​

The tops of the crates. You’d have to be a new level of stupid to go up there, no cover, exposed to the world. It’s why Tony hadn’t even considered looking up, and that had cost him. His forward momentum was almost completely arrested as the rifle round connected with his shoulder, spinning him round and dropping him onto the floor. As well as the surge of white hot pain from his shoulder, he felt what seemed like someone had jammed a knife into his side. The injury from the ambush had not fully healed, and it felt like that impact had set him back to day one in terms of recovery. With a grunt he pushed himself up, just to see the barrel of a pistol in his direction. Now Tony was a fast man, especially for one of his size, it had gotten him out of a fair few scrapes. But even as he scrambled for cover, he knew that it was too late, if you see the barrel then chances are it’s all over. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as the burning smell of fuel and wood filled his nose from the yacht, and the sound of gunfire filled his ears. He wouldn’t have chosen to go any other way, far better than slipping away into nothing, too sick or decrepit to do anything about it. Better to confront death defiant, a gun in hand and a smile on your face, taunting and goading the bastard with your dying breath. It would appear that fate had other plans for Tony however.

Time suddenly sped up as quickly as it had slowed as the bullet drew a bloody line across his cheek, thankfully his momentum pulled him behind a shipping crate, his chest heaving as he struggled to draw enough breath as adrenaline surged around his system. His left arm hung limp by his side, the damp patch on his shoulder steadily growing. The cheek was just a flesh wound, but this was more serious, right now the nerves and muscles were in spasm, and with the adrenaline the searing pain had for now been reduced to a dull ache. But there was a good chance the bone was broken, if not shattered. He reached underneath his jacket, his fingers probing the wound. He let out a cry of pain, similar to some bellow of a beast of burden, and as he withdrew his fingers, they were slick with blood. Thankfully it was a clean shot, through and through, which meant it most likely hadn’t hit the bone, and it wasn’t a gusher, so no vein or nicked artery. Even so he was down to one arm. But that would have to be enough, they were still at a critical juncture here. Everyman was needed.

He struggled to pull himself up, pushing his back up against the container and sliding himself up it into a standing position. The Magnum was gripped in his now bloodstained right hand. The blood was stark against his pale skin, some bloody handed god come to reap what he had sowed. He stumbled out from behind the container, keeping low and tracking the sound of gunfire, latching onto it like a bloodhound with a scent in its nose. It would have been easy to simply turn around and limp back to the van to lick his wounds, both physical and mental, but he wouldn’t in fact it was more like he physically couldn’t. He didn’t have the willpower to turn from the fight, set in his pale and death like face, his eyes were well and truly alive, a fire burning behind them, wounded but not down. Whoever had taken that second shot had thought that was enough to seem him out of the fight. Should have done the job right and put a fucking bullet in his head instead of disrespecting him. A wounded animal was the most dangerous. He slid along the containers, keeping his back to them, he wasn’t going to be caught out this time. Approaching the end of the container the gunfire seemed to be coming nearly next to him. It was then that he saw movement above him, his lips curled back into a smile, one that didn’t do anything to soften the fury in his eyes. His pistol snapped up at the sprinting woman above the containers. The barrel tracking her, she was fast, but fast enough? His finger depressed the trigger, and the sound of the .44 caliber round leaving the chamber echoed throughout the port.

(Interaction: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Enzyme )

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Rebel Holt​

Peter had been huddled behind a few blue metal barrels when Adam suddenly appeared. Panting, Peter nodded his head as the man said he needed to head to safety. "I'm getting way to fucking old for this shit." Peter hissed out before moving into a crouched position. With the help of Adam, Peter quickly moved out remembering the directions the man had given him.

Rebel was quick to jump to the next container but Kaladin was just as quick to fire her way. "SHIT!" She hissed as the metal tore underneath her feet. She needed to get off the containers and make a run for it. Seeing Adam fire at Tony caused her to smile up until the man aimed her way. With eyes widening, she sprinted to the backside of the container and hesitated for a split second to jump. It was a long fall towards the ground, she could possibly break something if she didn't--

Suddenly something tore through her back and she screamed out harshly before losing her balance and fell towards the ground. Somehow, she landed on her feet without shattering anything but her balance was off and she rolled on the ground as she cried out in pain. Briefly protected by the large container, she scrambled to her feet and looked down at her stomach. The bullet hadn't gone through her and it was most likely lodged in a muscle in her back. Luckily, she could still use her legs so she hoisted herself up and grabbed her AR-15 before hobbling towards the direction she had seen Peter go in.

Seeing Adam, Rebel waved her hand for him to follow. "Let's get the fuck out of here!!" She shouted his way before hobbling off in the direction Peter was going. Once Adam caught up with her, Rebel shook her head. "I tried to destroy a good amount of the goods but those two fuckheads were using me as target practice. One of them managed to get me in the back...but I think the fall from the container hurt worse than the fuckin' bullet." Once they made it to the otherside of the street where the breakfast joint was, Peter collapsed to the ground, causing Rebel to scramble after him. "We need a ride." Peter huffed out as he looked at the few cars in the lot. Rebel nodded her head as she struggled to lift him to his feet. Once he was on his feet, the woman slowly walked over to an old two door Ford truck and before anyone could say anything more, she took the butt of her gun and smashed the driver's side window in. Opening the door from the inside, she moved quickly to mess with the wiring of the vehicle, starting the car after a minute. "Let's go, I don't want to stick around to see what happens when they find us."
with: Misty Gray ; Enzyme RayPurchase Pyroclast