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

[Enzyme]

Rhys Caddel​

The dust had settled and soon enough, a crowd had formed around the spectacle. A sinister smile crept up onto Rhys's face as he pulled the burning cigarette back to his lips. Adios, Mr. Porter. He tossed the detonator beside him, reclining back in the seat. The leather-taste of the cigarette in the corners of his mouth had never felt so savory. The adrenaline rushing through his veins had turned from gut-wrenching dread to pure euphoria. He looked to the driver, who stared back at him through the review mirror. "You just witnessed history, my friend," Rhys said with a chuckle. The sounds of the sirens echoed in the distance, and soon enough, the whole block would be consumed by a plethora of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. This time, however, they were in no rush to escape. They could stay there all night, and the cops wouldn't bat an eye.

As Steve entered the Jeep, Rhys met his enthusiasm with a cocky smirk. "It's over, Steve. We won," Rhys commented, tipping his head to him. Rhys wasn't one to physically display his joy, but he felt the urge to embrace the man, although the amount of the STDs the sleazebag possibly had kept him at bay.

Once Tony clambered into the Jeep, the vehicle peeled out of the neighborhood just as a squad car arrived on seen. As they drove down the road, a platoon of police cars zipped by, their loud sirens turning to whispers as they drifted around the corner. Rhys's eyes lingered on the vehicles from the back window, before sitting back in his seat with a chuckle. "Enjoy this feeling, men. This is what true victory tastes like," he chuckled, squeezing Steve's shoulders.

The Jeep arrived at Gabriel's apartment, met by the cheers and hoorahs of the patrolling guards. It felt like a true hero's welcome, with a few men clapping as the Jeep pulled around the fountain. Rhys's smile felt truly natural, as he acknowledged the surroundings guards for the first time. Despite the cheers they were receiving, there was a more important man he wanted to share a drink with.

Rhys stepped to Gabriel's office door, the men on the mission behind him. "Gabriel," Rhys spoke with a telling tone, opening the large wooden door. "The Porters are no more," he let an enthusiastic chuckle, raising his arms to his boss.

Pyroclast (Steve) RayPurchase (Tony) Misty Gray (Gabriel)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

As he heard the door being pushed open, Gabriel looked away from Alistair and towards the entrance to see who was joining them. With everything going on that day, it could have been one of many people. It could be Stefano returning with news of Syd's bloody death. Perhaps even his men dragging the two-faced counsellor to him ready for slaughter. But the fact it was Rhys who the Italian saw first meant his visitors were bringing him news on James Porter's assassination. Along with his consigliere were Tony and Steve, which confirmed two men Gabriel and Alistair had put forward to assist Rhys had made it back in one piece. The tone of Rhys' voice was a clear indication the mission had been a success, but Gabriel remained firmly in his seat as he awaited the man's words to confirm it. Then there were the words he'd been waiting to hear. "Is that so?" Gabriel asked, letting out a chuckle to match the trusted man's.

Gabriel got to his feet and approached Rhys, pulling the man in for a brief embrace and firmly patting the man's shoulder as he did. The beaming smile on the Italian's face was a rare sight. It wasn't laced with any sense of malice or unsettling undertones. Even more of a miraculous sight was the man not only embracing Rhys but then moving on to give Steve and Tony each a proud squeeze of their shoulders whilst proudly looking them over. After the Porters' devastating attack that wiped out Moretti's family, it was pleasing to know James had met a fitting end. "This is most pleasing. I'm proud of every man in this room." He then snapped his fingers and pointed to the guard standing by the door. "No. Not you, Lorenzo. You're just standing there like a gormless sap. Make yourself useful and pour these fine men a drink," he said. Despite his boss' high spirits, Lorenzo still rushed to comply and quickly set about offering the expensive alcohol to the men in the room.

Once everyone had a drink in their hand, Gabriel cleared his throat and straightened his face, once more locking his joyful expression away. "With Porter dead, the rest of them will fall. Syd Porter will soon be joining his bastard father," he knowingly told them. "That dumb piece of shit, Conor Sullivan will follow, and then then rest of their empire will crumble." He raised his glass. "For now, we will drink to the death of that Irish rat, James Porter. May he rot in Hell!"

Pyroclast (Alistair, Steve) Enzyme (Rhys) RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

Alistair gazed wearily at Gabriel as he vocalised his regrets for Maddox’s wasted potential. He could understand why he would be disappointed, but Alistair had never been too keen on the counsellor to begin with and, despite the time he had devoted to the cause, hadn’t considered him to be of much value. “Hmm,” he grumbled. “I find your view of him to be rather overstated. Sure, Parker was an intelligent man, but he hardly did anything for us at all in the end. Four years of promises, that’s all it was. And he broke them. You have a man on your side for four years and he doesn’t complete a single task for you? Even if he had found loyalty to us, he would have needed to take on a lot more responsibility than you gave him for me to consider him indispensable. Let me assure you, we’ll be just fine without a Judas on our side.” The reminder of what James and Syd would face that night made Alistair smile back at his colleague, and he let out a sinister chuckle around the cigar between his lips.

The pair took turns to reassure each other of the troubles most getting them down, with Gabriel then offering Alistair his support in tracking down Ani Sarraf and ensuring that she would be duly punished. Even with everything else going on, Alistair had found himself plenty of time to imagine what he might do with her once she was returned to him. With no brother to watch over, he didn’t doubt that she would have made it out of the state by now, perhaps even the country. But he still wasn’t ready to give up the hunt.

Their focus soon turned to the gangsters that they had not lost, something which Alistair rarely took the time to appreciate. “Mm, those two certainly possess the sort of energy and enthusiasm that this business demands. They show no sign of slowing down, either, which is good news for them.” Alistair leaned forward to tap away the ash hanging from his cigar before raising it back to his lips. His stony expression didn’t waver when Gabriel mentioned Rhys, wishing to mask his quiet distaste for the man until he chose to vocalise it. Still, the thought of him working with Ethan wasn’t exactly a pleasant one.

“Ethan is a man I am proud to have worked with for many years,” he told him, releasing a smooth exhale of smoke into the air. He smiled when Gabriel added that he had never got to know him. “I make a point of not getting attached to the men I employ, for obvious reasons. Ethan, on the other hand, I see as...someone more than just a member of East Harlem. He has value beyond the flawless work he carries out for me. If I were ever to trust another man, Gabriel, it might be him. See, unlike most gangsters that I have worked with, his passion and dedication is concealed beneath an impenetrable layer of calm. There is no detectable chaos about him - his demeanour is one of pure control and respect, and it shows in his work. He needs minimal instruction and yet has a proven ability to carry out his tasks exactly in the way I would have described, or even better. And on top of that, I can admit that he is a much more patient man than myself...” Realising that he may have got carried away in his praise, Alistair cleared his throat and reset his facial expression to rid his eyes of any softness. He rarely gave such high commendation to anyone and while he was occasionally vocal in his liking of Ethan to his face, he had never been asked to recite his reasons before. “Perhaps I’ll have to invite him to a meeting of ours someday. I can think of no reason why you two would not get along, and I’m sure Ethan would have no objection.” He made no mention of Rhys for now, having not quite made up his mind about how he felt on the matter. It had him wondering, however, why Gabriel was keen to bring those two together in particular.


Alistair Sawyer and Steve Kelly

The din of sirens that whizzed past them as they drove towards Gabriel’s apartment were like a victory song to Steve. They brought no paranoia, just a feeling of accomplishment that he wished to revel in forever. It was amplified still by the cheer that they received from the guards at their arrival, which made Steve truly feel like he was on top of the world. They had assassinated their greatest rival, and he was sure that no one would be able to prove their involvement.

Once they were inside, Rhys interrupted the bosses’ meeting with the good news that they had been waiting to hear. Steve watched with an irrepressible grin on his face as Gabriel stood to join in their rejoicing; the atmosphere of the room was so high that there was something surreal in it, as if it were a dream. But feeling the tight squeeze of the shoulder from Moretti himself confirmed that he was indeed awake. Alistair set down his cigar on the ashtray and stood to join the party. Being a practical man, he was slower to celebrate; he never wanted to get ahead of himself and so believed it wise to keep in mind the possibility of a severe backlash from what remained of the Irish Mob. Having both witnessed and heard of all of their emotional weaknesses, it was of course possible that James Porter's death could be their downfall as hoped, but he refused to let himself assume anything so important.

"Good job, men," he lightly praised, giving out no such affection as Gabriel was. Still, he couldn't help a proud smile form on his face as he looked between the men in the room. The plan had been an impressive one, and the fact that it had been carried out to perfection lifted one heavy concern from Alistair's shoulders. He looked to Steve, somehow especially impressed that the young man had played a part in achieving such a victory at his age. He could see the excitement radiating from him, from the glimmer in his wild eyes to his unrelenting smile, and the restless shifting from foot to foot. Steve, upon seeing Gabriel's uncharacteristic glee, felt himself permitted to express his satisfaction in the form of a hug to the East Harlem boss, and bounded over with open arms. Alistair, of course, stopped him with an extended hand to the shoulder, preferring to keep everyone at arm's length. It was then that he saw the young man's dilated pupils. Alistair's own eyes grew dark for a moment, unleashing a glare on him that, even in the bright atmosphere of the room, he couldn't hold back. He made a mental note to address it later on. For now, however, he saw no good reason to sour the mood.

When Lorenzo put a drink in his hand, he raised it to the room. "Cin cin," he cheered. Gabriel seemed enthusiastic about their future, and while Alistair believed that James' death would likely propel them towards their desired end goal, he was unwilling to celebrate what had not yet been achieved. Syd was expected to die that night and he hoped that Conor would follow like Gabriel predicted, but for now Alistair was determined only to focus on the successful mission. "Well, Rhys, congratulations on your plan. Know that I will be keeping in mind every aspect of this mission for the benefit of all future jobs. Perhaps we will have you three working together more often, unless any of you have anything to report?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel
Enzyme Rhys
RayPurchase Tony

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

With every step that took him closer to the entrance of Fort Wood, Syd’s chest tightened with intensifying fear. None of them knew what to expect when they reached Roxie, which made it almost impossible to form a plan, and with so much at stake, going in blind was extremely dangerous. Up until this point, his determination to get to her as soon as possible had driven him forward, but the pressure and anticipation were now stalling him. He leaned his back against the exterior wall of the fort as Jackson and the other men did and stared back into the blackness, trying to control his breathing. He gave a firm nod to Jackson’s words to give the illusion of confidence, though they did little to abate the dread that kept him rooted to the spot.

The three men spilled into the building, immediately followed by a gunshot and the sound of splintering glass. It took Syd a second to overcome his nerves before he could follow them, but when he did he entered with his sidearm secure and raised. Two guards lay dead on the floor already and he nodded to his team to let them know he wouldn’t lag behind again. In the silence that fell, Syd heard a light shuffling come from the bottom of the basement staircase. They hadn’t made it yet - there was one final obstacle. Even though he knew they had made their presence known by now, the suspense made it seem dangerous to speak to one another. So he just stood back as Jackson and Chase crept to the wall, poised to shoot if anything went wrong.

An explosion of rapid gunfire erupted from the stairs, but it lasted only a second before he heard the slump of guards collapsing at the bottom. Syd released the breath he had been holding. With the last obstacle now removed, there was nothing holding him back anymore. He was desperate to reach Roxie - he was sure that if she was alive and conscious, she would have worked out by now that he had come for her.

Shoving past Jackson and Chase, Syd leapt down the steps and burst into the room, causing the dead guards to slide further across its threshold. He was brought to an abrupt stop, however, when he found himself staring down the barrels of four pistols. It wasn't surprising that Stefano would have had his guards surround the entrance as soon as he had heard of their arrival, but it frustrated him to be instantly overpowered and blocked from reaching her. His own weapon was rendered useless at that point, so he let it hang by his side while he peered between them to find her.

"Drop your weapons," one of the guards gruffly commanded. "All of you."

But Syd paid them no attention. In the centre of the room, under a spotlight, sat Roxie. It was exactly as it had been in the film, except she now appeared to be on the brink of death and her belly was far more swollen than it was in Syd's memory. Stefano had his own gun pressed to her head. Was that what he had lured him to witness?

"I said, drop your weapons." The guards closed in on him, forcing his attention back on them. With no time to think of an alternative, Syd dropped his pistol to the floor and raised his hands. His eyes returned to Roxie before eventually settling them on Stefano with a fierce glare. He had never met the man before to form any kind of impression besides what Roxie had told of him, but as he stood over her with his gun against her head, Syd wanted nothing but to watch the life drain from his piercing eyes.

Interactions
Bellz Stefano, Roxie, guards
Enzyme Jackson

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Listening to Sinead speak about her worries, she felt bad for her. A lot of this stuff, grief, sadness, suffering, fell on her shoulders. If Ali knew anything about her friend from all the years they've spent together it's that she was strong until you put too much on her. That's when she wore herself down and Ali would mentally chastise her friend for doing so. She didn't want to make her feel bad which is why she never verbally said her thoughts but it didn't mean she didn't care. Sometimes she wished she could share some of the stress the woman was going through, now that her own had subsided. "Sinny, you know, if you ever need a break from all of this don't hesitate to call me or come over. I get lonely at the house when everyone is about doing their own thing." She reassured her, rubbing her arm. Ali knew what it felt like to feel the world on your shoulders while feeling like you had no help. It was awful and she didn't want someone like Sinead to go through the same.

Sinead changed the topic, back around to her pregnancy. Now that she had told her she was also trying to get pregnant, she was happy she could have someone to go on this journey with. Granted, Ali had just stopped taking her pills and anything else that would prevent her from getting pregnant, but she would at least be able to share her let downs. It sounded like she was about to tell her something important, something deep she hadn't told anyone else. From the context she was given, Ali could sort of tell what was going to come out of her mouth had they not been interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Following Sinead out to where James and Lucy stood, she could tell something was... Amiss. Before she could stop Sinead from mentioning Gwen before finding out what was wrong, she had already done it. The looks of confusion on their faces after it was mentioned told her everything she needed to know and understand; this was about something else and not Gwen. "Well," she started, "There was an accident not too long ago... Gwen-... She-..." Why was it so hard to spit out? To tell them the bad news? Maybe it was because they had bad news of their own and this was just adding on to it. She decided to just suck it up and spit it out.

"Gwen over-dosed. Jason and Blake took her to the hospital and we're still waiting to hear back."

​

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

The cold expression that had replaced sadness was not surprising to see on her husbands face, but he'd never been so abrupt with her before. Trying not to take it too personally, Lucy looked to him briefly as he asked about Rayna. That was something that hit home with Lucy, being a mother herself. Syd had tried to take himself away from her for many, many years but the pain in her heart never diminished. Lucy couldn't imagine losing him, not being able to see him or talk to him despite the way he treated her. Warren was a sweetheart with his mother..."She won't blame you for this, James. As a mother, we cherish are children and see no fault in them. She still has her children, she still has Warren. Believe me when I say this, okay?" That was all Lucy could say on the subject because she knew that there was really nothing she could do to quell his sadness.

The car ride home was silent as Lucy didn't want to say any more to upset James. When pulling into the driveway, Lucy noticed there was one car missing but didn't think anything of it. Following her husband to the front door, they were greeted by their pack of excited dogs, their barks echoing in the entryway. "Shhhh." Lucy told them as she reached down to pet Ireland and Nana who chose to walk right up to her. Seeing Sinead and Aliana, Lucy couldn't even muster a smile to greet them as she looked to James again. Her sister asked if they had gotten back from the hospital, quickly asking if Gwen was okay which confused Lucy greatly.

James looked to her and asked for clarification but Lucy shrugged her shoulders almost helplessly, "I...I have no idea." She said weakly before Aliana went on to explain. Lucy's hand went to her mouth as her friend explained that Gwen had over-dosed and that she was currently at the hospital. Lucy's wide eyes peered at James before she moved her hands to his shoulders. This was far too much for one person to handle and James was already slipping through the cracks as it is. "Shit." Lucy muttered in disbelief before rubbing James shoulders gently. "We need to go over then...the kids...? Did the kids see anything?" Lucy asked the girls before Thomas appeared with little Lorelei in tow. "Hello, darlings." Lucy murmured gently before taking her arms off her husband and reaching them out to hug the children.

They both ran into her arms and Lucy squeezed them tightly, running her hands through their hair before kissing them both on the cheek. Lucy didn't want to say Gwen would be okay because she had no idea how bad the situation was. Instead, she stood up and offered the kids a smile, "You've been good for your aunties?" She asked to which Thomas nodded and mumbled a yes, Lorelei didn't answer. Lucy stared at the girl for a moment before looking to James, wondering what he wanted to do.
with: James + Sinead Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

The fancy diner wasn't exactly Ethan's cup of tea, but it was pretty much what he'd been expecting would be situated across the street from Porter's expensive apartment. He'd been there since a short time before the explosion had been set to go off. Although he wasn't a direct part of the job to assassinate James Porter, he was one of the man tasked with keeping watch over the area from a distance. Considering Alistair had invested some of his own men to aid with the mission, it was deemed appropriate for Ethan to ensure his colleagues were not at risk from any threats that could become apparent. There hadn't been anything to worry about and the job seemed to go off without a hitch, much to Ethan's satisfaction as he watched the explosion from the comfort of his seat.

Across the table from Ethan sat a woman of similar age and a 10-year old boy. Erica was a low-level member of the East Harlem gang and the boy was her nephew. Seated at the table, they were all convincing enough to appear like a regular family, able to avoid any kind of attention as the dined together. Ethan had made sure they were positioned by the window so he could keep watch as everything unfolded. The group of onlookers gradually grew as people were drawn to the aftermath of the explosion. Ethan's eyesight was near perfect, so when he saw James Porter walking out of the building with Lucy, and flanked by his guards, it quickly became apparent the Irish boss had escaped the apartment unscathed. Ethan looked to Erica and the kid, glaring at them for a moment before speaking. "Go join those nosy bastards out there and see what you can find out. Unless I'm seeing dead people, something fucking went wrong," he quietly spoke through gritted teeth. As Erica and the boy left the diner, Ethan sat back and refilled his mug of coffee. With the cops and Porter guards on the scene, Ethan knew better than to stand out in the middle of it all.

********​

Ethan was fully aware Alistair was at Gabriel's office that evening, given all of the jobs the two bosses had going on that day. The information he had for the men wasn't exactly something he felt should be given over the telephone and so he found himself driving a short distance to Murray Hill so he could deliver the news in person. Once in the building, he got into the elevator and pushed the button for Moretti's floor. As soon as he reached it and the doors opened, Ethan stepped out and stopped in the hallway, outstretching his arms as he anticipated the guards searching him for weapons. "Don't lose any of my shit," he grumbled as they armed men took his gun and knives from him. He understand and was used to the high security, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to grumble about it.

When Ethan entered the apartment, he was met with an energetic and high-spirited atmosphere. It wasn't that he was surprised by people wishing to celebrate the death of their greatest enemy, but from the likes of Gabriel, it was such a rare sight that he felt like he'd walked into a parallel universe. "Evening, gents," he calmly greeted everyone, his face remaining straight. He caught Gabriel's eye and sent the man an amicable nod. The Italian looked pleased to see him, but Ethan suspected such a sentiment would be short-lived once the truth was out. As much as he respected the Moretti boss and their shared cause, when it came down to it, Alistair was his boss. As such, Ethan approached the East Harlem man. "Ah, Steve," he said, pausing as he studied the younger man's face. No doubt smacked up already. "Give us a minute alone, yeah?" he asked, trying to be as polite as he could muster.

Once Ethan and Alistair were out of anyone's earshot, Ethan let out a sigh before looking his boss in the eyes. "James Porter isn't dead. The asshole walked right out of that building with his wife at his side," he gravely informed him. "Whoever Tony spoke with on that phone wasn't James. I sent Erica and the brat to get as much information as they could. The kid overheard two of the guards mentioning his brother, Warren, had been killed. The lads have crossed one of the Porters off the list tonight, but it wasn't James."

Pyroclast (Alistair)
Mentions: Enzyme (Rhys) RayPurchase (Tony???) Pyroclast (Steve)

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan
Blake McCarthy
Gwen Bryant​

Finn wasn't surprised to hear that Gwen had told Jason she'd recovered in order to keep him from harming himself. Lying was second nature to drug addicts. Letting out a sigh, Finn thought carefully about his answer to Jason's question. "Well, with lots of intensive rehab, she has a chance. But she has to want it. Can't just force people to do what they don't want to do, without that drive it can't be done." Looking over at Gwen a moment, he shook his head. "I know she loves her family, loves her kid, loves you...so the drive is there. She just has to want it." A nurse came in to inject more morphine into Gwen's IV but Finn quickly stood up, "Let's actually see if she'll wake up before we give her more of that." He suggested and the nurse released the IV, nodding her head once before leaving the room.

"Her heart rate is stable and she isn't struggling to breathe, which is all a good sign. The morphine and saline we pushed through her IV should have pushed the heroin out of her veins...so waking up might be a good idea at the moment." Finn took his stethoscope and placed it in his ears before pressing the metal part on Gwen's chest, wanting to take a closer look at her breathing. It sounded clear, no longer sounding wet like it had before, which meant the procedure he'd performed before had worked wonders. Blake stood from her chair, wanting to offer some privacy to Jason, "I'm going to go get us some coffee from the cafeteria." She murmured to the men before walking out of the room.
Finn waited until the door was closed again before gently removing the oxygen mask from Gwen's face, replacing it with nasal cannula that would continue to give her oxygen without covering her face. The redhead shifted ever so slightly and Finn offered a small smile to the woman as her eyes fluttered, "Gwen? It's Finn? Can you hear me?" Before she could muster up an answer, the PA announced that he was needed in emergency immediately. Finn looked to Jason, "She's at least responsive. I have to take care of someone in emergency but I promise as soon as I'm done I will come and assess her again. Just try talking to her, ask if she knows where she is, her name...amnesia is common after this type of thing so be patient with her. If you need anything press the red button above the bed and a nurse will immediately be able to assist you." With that, Finn left the room, leaving the pair alone.

Gwen heard the door close rather harshly behind him and the PA asked another doctor to head to emergency, causing her to stir even further. Her eyes fluttered open and at first, she only looked ahead of her, not seeing anyone. But then she turned her head and saw Jason, for some reason she couldn't really understand, she smiled weakly, "Hi." She whispered.
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Stefano Carriveau
Roxie Carriveau​

Roxie heard steps coming from the stairs and the door burst open without trouble, but the guards were already one step ahead of them as they aimed their guns at the party who had come to rescue her. Syd stared at her and Roxie's eyes began to water as the guards demanded him and the rest to drop the weapons they had in their hands. There was hope but then it was gone all too soon. "Y-you shouldn't have come here." Roxie croaked out to which her father let out a harsh laugh, pressing the cool metal even further into her temple, causing her head to tilt to the side. "Now now, didn't I tell you he'd come. You should be excited, my sweet daughter. Watching these men try in vain to save you." Roxie ground her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as she slightly shook her head.

Suddenly, the gun that had been pressed to her head was pulled away and Roxie let out a gasp as he pointed it towards Jackson and Syd. "It is beyond me why you think my daughter is worth all of this trouble, took you 2 weeks to find her...but I knew you wouldn't give up." Standing only a few feet away, the guards rounded into a circle as Stefano casually pointed his gun at Syd. "Isn't it frustrating not knowing who you are up against? Hell, you had no idea what I looked like until this point but yet, I know everything about you. Where you were born, into a broken home if I recall. Mr. and Mrs. Porter took pity on you and brought you into their home. I've heard the whole sob story yet when I thought when I met you for the first time I'd be more...impressed."

"See you've become a problem, Mr. Porter, and I do not take too kindly to problems. When I have one, I like to fix it before more damage can be done. Seeing as how you caused more damage than you are worth, I took it upon myself to set up this trap to take you and whoever else came along out." Roxie watched Syd with wide eyes as her father pointed the gun at his head, her heart pounding in her chest as she thought about what she could do to help the men who'd come all this way to get her.

"Wherever there is a wrong, there is always a right. God works in mysterious ways, and he has brought you to exactly where you need to be." Roxie shook her head letting out an audible hoarse laugh as she listened to her father ramble on about God. He, for years, claimed that he was a religious man but people who believed in a God, feared God would not do this type of thing. She knew that he believed he was God himself in a way, flawless beyond reason. With the guards surrounding them, and Stefano's aim trained on Syd, Roxie's tired brain scrambled to figure out a way to distract her father. If she wasn't careful, he could shoot her dead...but if that's what she had to do to save Syd and the rest...

"Would you listen to yourself?!" Roxie suddenly screeched and sure enough, Stefano turned his back to Syd and the rest quickly. "You were never a man of God, there is no God. If there was, you wouldn't even exist! You are the devil himself!" She hissed and suddenly, his arm raised and the sound of a gun firing filled the room. The pain was sudden and great but Roxie didn't make a sound as she doubled over, blood rushing out of the bullet hole that had slice clean through her shoulder.
with: Syd Pyroclast ; Jackson Enzyme

(LIGHT HIM UP MOTHERFUCKERS)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Roxie’s words, while ominous, didn’t instil any more fear in Syd than he already felt. Given that Stefano had baited him to come and find her, it would have been foolish not to expect some kind of trap lying in wait. His eyes softened slightly as he took in the devastating sight of her, but they quickly regained their fire when Stefano spoke again.

“Roxie, don’t listen to him,” he quietly warned, not breaking eye contact with Stefano as the man took his gun away from her and instead aimed it at him. In the two weeks that she had been held hostage, he didn’t doubt that Stefano would have played severe mind games with her, affecting her hopes and beliefs. He had no idea what Stefano’s plan was, but he still wanted to reassure her that she was going to get out of there alive. The fact that there was still a fighting chance was all that was keeping his confidence from shrinking away to nothing.

The guards, still with their guns raised, soon edged back to form a circle that would enclose the space between Stefano and the Porters. As desperate as Syd was to rush to Roxie’s side, there was no move he could make that wouldn’t result in getting shot. Having been in the mob for over a decade, he was used to having guns pointed at him, but in his current situation he felt almost as nervous about it as if it were his first time. It wasn’t death he was afraid of, however - it was only that, if he and his men were killed, he knew Roxie would never make it out alive.

So, as much as it pained him, he was forced to listen to Stefano’s odious gloating. He ground his teeth to help fight the urge to interrupt. The man even went as far as to bring up Syd’s biological parents, which turned his face red hot with anger and shame. He could only imagine that he had got that information from Dr. Parker. Still, as he struggled to keep his breathing in check and his heart still, Syd managed to remind himself that Stefano was only bringing it up to make him feel vulnerable and break him down until he was too weak to fight - just like Alistair had previously done. But it wasn’t going to work this time. The loathing that he was aiming to arouse in Syd’s mind didn’t come to target his self-esteem, but rather Stefano himself. He had spent weeks fantasising about killing Roxie’s father, and now each word that fell from his lips was throwing fuel into the fire.

He spoke of Syd causing more damage than he was worth and his mind instantly jumped to the baby that Roxie was carrying, and how a man like Stefano might have reacted when he had found out. But he couldn’t wonder for long, as he soon sharply directed his pistol at Syd’s head. Still with his hands raised, Syd’s eyes drifted to Roxie’s, suddenly unable to hide the glimmer of doubt. If this was his last moment alive, he wanted Roxie to be the last person he saw...and, although he couldn’t bring himself to say such final words, he wanted her to feel him communicate his love for her in some way.

But Stefano didn’t fire. Instead, Roxie started to laugh at his talk of God. So close to believing he had seconds left to live, Syd hadn’t even registered what Stefano had said until Roxie began to scream back at him, accusing him of being the devil. It caught her father by surprise, too - enough for him to turn to face her. Even the guards turned their attention to her, perhaps not having expected her to have the strength to muster such vocal outrage.

Suddenly, an unexpected blast shook through the room. There was no scream, but the way Roxie slumped forward was all Syd needed to see. Then, so much happened at once that time seemed to slow right down to allow it. With one sharp flick of the wrist, the bead bracelet that Jackson had fixed to Syd’s wrist snapped, scattering metal beads to the far reaches of the floor. Not a moment after his Godfather’s snubnose revolver slid into his palm, Syd fired it directly at Stefano’s head.

He didn’t even have time to see the man fall; all at once, the guards opened fire and Syd collapsed. A searing pain rapidly unfolded from the side of his rib cage across his torso, so excruciating that it meant to pin him to the ground - but of course, there was no time to let the shock or the pain keep him down. He was wearing a bulletproof vest so he wasn’t about to die. Roxie, on the other hand, could already be dead for all he knew.

Miraculously, the revolver had remained in his hand as he fell. As another guard moved to fire at him, he managed to shoot him in the kneecap, deflecting the man’s aim so that the bullet only grazed Syd’s neck. The adrenaline allowed him to get to his knees and finish the guard off with another round in the chest. Two more armed guards then spilled in from the exit, and he watched Chase manage to shove one into the firing line of the other and then shoot the remaining one down while he was caught off guard.

Interactions
Enzyme Jackson
Bellz Stefano, Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Sinead Callahan​

James had to pause to process the words Aliana spoke. With everything that had happened, he had to wonder if he was hearing things or if his mind was playing tricks with him in his state of upset. But the way Lucy reacted and the fact she began rubbing his shoulders to reassure him only served to confirm he had heard Aliana correctly. "An overdose? Fuck---" he began. His face was by now white as a sheet but the only thing that stopped him from breaking down in that moment was the fact Thomas and Lorelei arrived on the scene. James had to turn away from everyone, looking up towards the ceiling as he tried to contain the emotions that were building up inside. The fact the children were around rendered him to feel trapped, trying to maintain some composure so as not to upset them.

He turned back to the others, using the moment Lucy was embracing the kids to his advantage so he could look to Aliana and Sinead. "Has anyone been in touch since? Is she going to be okay? I need to..." James pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to focus. If there was a chance his sister was dying, he needed to be at the hospital, but he felt too weighed down to think straight. "I need someone to run me to the hospital.." he mumbled.

"Nobody's called yet," Sinead softly spoke up. She wasn't used to seeing James the way he was and she knew something had already upset him before he found out about Gwen. She wanted to ask, but was afraid to now the children were around. Still, her expression was enough to tell James what she was thinking.

"Before I go..." he began, deciding he had to tell them about Warren before they heard it somewhere else. James sat down on the bottom few steps of the staircase, feeling too overwhelmed to stay standing in the moment. "Thomas. Come here..." he said, beckoning his son over to sit next to him. He knew Thomas was fond of his uncle and so he might not take the news well. James placed his arm around his son and found himself staring off into the distance as he tried to formulate the words. "Something, um... Something happened today and Warren..." James sat up straight, clearing his throat. He looked to Lucy before turning his head to look down to Thomas. "Your Uncle Warren died. He's... he's dead," James softly told Thomas. He put his arm tighter around the boy, pulling him in closer. James bit his bottom lip, trying with everything he had in him to keep himself together. But with Warren's death and the uncertainty about Gwen, he could feel everything building up inside him, threatening to boil over. The fact his sister had overdosed only added to the guilt he was already feeling about Warren. He hadn't been able to help his own sister and in some ways, he felt accountable due to the fact he actively sought to maintain a supply of drugs in the city.

Hearing that Warren had died caused Sinead to gasp and almost choke on her own breath. She placed her hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle any audible reaction. To see Gwen the way she was and then find out Warren was dead was to much to take in at once. She looked to Aliana, as if wishing to borrow some of her friend's strength. Sinead was sure she was about to breakdown in tears but she was pulled away from her own emotions as she heard sniffling coming from nearby. The redhead turned to see Olivia standing quietly in the doorway of the kitchen listening to the adults talking. "Oh no..." Sinead quietly said, looking to Aliana for help. She turned away and rushed over to the child, quickly scooping her up in her arms and carrying her into the kitchen. Sinead held the girl tightly, allowing her to bury her face into her shoulder as she sobbed her little heart out. Sinead tried to keep her own upset contained, but that didn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. There was too much going on at once. Gwen rushed to hospital and Warren dead. Neither of those two had been concerns for Sinead a short time ago. Now she was worried about how Peter, Conor, Syd and Jackson were doing. She knew all of those men were in dangerous situations for sure. It seemed like nobody was safe.

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas, Lorelei) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy
(No Picture Needed)​

As Jackson's hand glided to the door handle swiftly, time seemed to slow down. The sound of the door being thrown open was muffled and faint, even as it clambered roughly against the chipped wall. They fanned out, as they planned, consuming the available space with their small numbers as best as they could, like the hairs sticking up on an intimidated wolf, attempting to appear far bigger than it's frail stature. As the men had anticipated, they were outnumbered and outgunned with Roxie on display amid the opposing goons' firepower. Jackson felt the muzzle of an assault rifle poke into the back of his ribs, causing him to stiffen up like a board. With the bark to drop their weapons, there was no choice left. Along with the rest of his men, Jackson laid his palm flat and let his M1911 fall to the dirty floor.

While his eyes locked onto Stefano in front of him, his attention was directed to Syd beside him, whom he could only imagine the dreadful feeling he held at the sight of his pregnant girlfriend tied up. He could practically feel the heat radiating from Syd's smoldering skin as Stefano continued to rejoice like a true performer. Jackson had seen a handful of men like Stefano in his days, and they all suffered from the same problem; they talked too much. He was sure Syd was imagining a million ways to make the man suffer, but he hoped his godson would keep his composure and stick to their backup plan.

The sudden gunshot bounced off the walls of the small room like a rubber ball, even managing to make Jackson jump in his skin, which was certainly no small feat. Without any hesitation, Syd busted the bracelet the moment Roxie was out of the line of fire and blew a hole between Stefano's eyebrows. The two Porters moved to disarm the guards behind them and before anyone could mutter a single word, the ballet of gunfire commenced.

Jackson smoothly slid the kinetic knife from his belt loop and spun around, sticking the guard behind him just under the jawbone. He yanked the guard to him like a hooked bass, throwing the man's body in front of him as two guards scattered in from the back door. He felt the man's body spasm in front of him as fragments of bullets tore through the guard's back and imbedded themselves into Jackson's leather blazer.

Jackson's head pressed against the deceased guard's neck and his hand slapped onto the grip of AKS-74U slung around the man's mangled shoulder. He shot freely from the hip with one hand, the barrel of the rifle flying around the room. With the amount of paint, dust, and gypsum powder clouding the room, it was unclear who had hit who, but the men who had entered the room didn't stand on their feet long. After they'd collapsed, Jackson dropped the meat shield, yet his finger didn't release the trigger. His aim waved across the wall like an automatic sprinkler, riddling the wall with enough bullet holes to practically render it useless. He only let up once the extended magazine did.

After the gunfire relented, the dust particles lingered like fallout and everyone in the room was left with a tendonitis ringing. A single guard remained alive, his punctured body dragging itself across the rubble with his only functioning arm. While his determination was admirable, it was evidently hopeless. Jackson bent down and his hand scooped up the M1911 off the ground among the crumbs of drywall. The guard seemed to accept his fate and flipped onto his back, his breath stifled by the rushing blood in his throat. In three steps Jackson was standing above him and the dust-covered barrel of the hitman's handgun was lowered to his forehead. BANG.

Jackson paid no attention to the ripped fabric at the top of his shoulder, even as it bled profusely. Instead, he looked to Syd who had been sprawled out on the floor. "Looks like the party's over. Hop on up, lad," Jackson ordered, running the finger that gripped the trigger across his nose, wiping away the blood that had beaded down from Jackson's hairline. His weak eyes looked to Roxie in the chair, her head sunk into her lap. She could be dead for all he knew, but no matter, she was coming with them.

Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Roxie/Stefano)

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

The man blocking their exit wasn’t of a particularly imposing stature, more lean and wirey-looking, but the way he stood so unmoving as the couple approached him gave him an intimidating air. Danny peered behind them again to look for any staff members, but even the woman behind the bar looked to belong to the same crowd. Every head in the room had turned to face them, each with the same cold stare. In all the times he had come to the arcade in the past, he had never known it to be like this. He looked back to the man, who had his arms folded, and watched as his face twisted into a slimy grin. His teeth were stained yellow, one replaced with a gold implant and a few more missing from the back. He took off his sunglasses and leaned down, fixing his steel grey eyes onto Savannah’s.

“You made a mistake coming here, little girl,” he sighed, feigning sympathy as he dropped a heavy hand onto her shoulder and gave it a long, tight squeeze.

“Sav -” Danny’s hand was wrenched from hers as someone grabbed him from behind and hauled him away. He attempted to squirm out of their grip before the sound of a pistol cocking right behind his ear made him freeze on the spot. “What the hell are you doing? Don’t do anything to her!”

The man straightened up and looked over at Danny with narrowed eyes. “Do anything to her? Like what, boy? You want to give me some ideas? ” He held his expectant eyes on him for several seconds, dragging out the silence between them until Danny wondered if he was actually waiting for a suggestion. But then he turned back to Savannah and continued. “City’s crawling with dangerous folk, Miss Callahan. You should know that more than anyone, with everything you’ve been through. Say, what you doing out here unattended, hm?”

As if he could see Danny glowering at him, the man holding him at gunpoint jabbed the barrel sharply into his head, reminding him not to fight back. “Well, I’m not one for long speeches, am I, boys?” the wirey man went on, to which the woman behind the bar subtly rolled her eyes. “Now that we’ve got her, let’s not give her any chances.” He theatrically whipped out a Smith and Wesson M1917 for all the room to see and pointed it close to Savannah's chest, bringing his other hand round to grip the back of her neck. As he began to lead her away, Danny couldn’t help but leap forward. With no other hope, he forgot about the gun to his head and took his chance to reach her. However, he was instantly caught by the arm, wrenched back and pistol whipped. Once he was knocked down, the men surrounded him and began to kick him mercilessly in the stomach and ribs, blocking his view of Savannah completely.

The man ushered Savannah through a door that read ‘PRIVATE’, holding his revolver on her all the while. “This is nice, isn’t it? A bit of peace and quiet, away from all that ruckus.” The room was a small security room with one computer that had been switched off, a shelving unit holding overflowing trays, and pieces of deconstructed arcade machinery propped up against the walls. He smiled at her, his gold denture glinting under the flickering tube light. "Part of you must be relieved, I expect, Savannah. All this torture and misery, all this paranoia, not knowing whether it's safe to go out without mommy and daddy there to protect you. Well, lucky for you, it all ends here."

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah's body tensed when the man blocking the door moved in towards her. The twisted smile and distinctively horrible teeth were something she was sure would be ingrained in her memories, assuming she got out of the arcade alive. She did everything she could to remain firmly where she was standing. Though her feet stayed fixed to the ground, she couldn't help her body's natural response of leaning back to avoid the man getting too close to her face. She didn't realise she'd been holding in her breath, but when he told her she'd made a mistake, the worry began to set in and the breath she released was accompanied by a brief, unintentional whimper.

"Nooo!" she cried out when Danny was snatched away from her. "Leave us alone!" As she moved to get to Danny, one of the men stepped towards her, making it clear she wouldn't get far. She quickly turned her head back to the man standing in front of her, feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach as his request for ideas from Danny about what he could do to her was deeply unsettling. "We haven't done anything," she desperately gasped. When he questioned what she was doing out unattended, she lowered her gaze. She resented being babysat and having little freedom, yet now she found herself wishing she and Danny hadn't been alone on their date. Surprisingly, she would have given anything to have Adam around as backup in that moment.

"STOP!" she cried out as she watched the gun being pressed into Danny's head. The fact she had been mentioned by name made it clear she was the reason for the hostilities. It was her fault Danny was being threatened and potentially hurt. As the man brought his gun out and held it at her chest, Savannah flinched and began to tremble as she looked down to the weapon being aimed at her. Her own revolver was so close, but there was no way she could get to it before the man could kill her. Her heart began to pound in her chest as the fear began to get the better of her. Even though to her knowledge he wasn't around, she still couldn't help but think of Steve, half expecting him to step out into view with the creepy, twisted smile on his face. The feeling of the man's hand on her neck snapped her back to reality and she was soon forced into a private room and separated from Danny. The tears rolled down her cheek as she feared for both his life and her own.

As the man spoke to her, he began to man it clear his intention was to kill her, selling it as if he was doing her a favour. She knew she had to think fast if there was any way she was going to get out alive. Her mind was cast back to when Gwen and the others were threatened at the Jazz Club. Hiding under the desk in her mother's office, Savannah had watched as Sinead distracted that gunman to buy some time to formulate an attack. Savannah wasn't sure if she was as brave as her mother, but she was confident in her own acting skills. She had to do something to try prevent being killed.

"You already know who I am, so surely I'm more useful to you alive," she said, looking up to him with her large, pleading eyes. "Please, I will do anything. My family will give you whatever you ask for," she tried to bargain with him. However, she was convinced all the man wanted to do was kill her. She'd at least bought a little time for him to pause for thought. However, remembering her mother had use tactics to disturb the situation and catch her attacker off-guard, Savannah decided she had to act. Considering how nauseous she already felt, it wouldn't be too hard. "Please don't..." she cried, visibly trembling. She then brought one hand to her mouth and placed the other on her stomach as she doubled over. Clutching at her tummy she let out an unsettling wretch, making it seem she was about to vomit there and then.

Crouched over, she used the opportunity she reached inside her coat to grab the handle of her gun. She briefly eyed the shelving unit and junk beside her. In a swift move, she whipped out her revolver and snapped it forward towards the man, squeezing the trigger and lodging a bullet into the centre of his chest. She grabbed what appeared to be an iron coin box from inside an arcade machine, and swung it out, knocking the man's firearm away from her before he had chance to return fire. She them stumbled away, continuing to look in his direction. Raising her gun higher, she squeezed the trigger again. She turned her head away as she knew if the bullet hit him it would be likely lodge in his head or neck - neither of which she wanted to see. The bullet ripped through the man's right eye socket, causing a mess of blood and brain matter to decorate the wall next to him.

Other than a loud thud caused by the man's lifeless body hitting the ground, everything was silent. Savannah opened her eyes and reluctantly turned to look in the man's direction. Not only was there a mess, but it didn't take long for the realisation to hit her that she'd just killed someone. No longer needing to act, Savannah crouched down and threw up on the floor beside her. Her whole body began to fiercely shake as she looked to the mess of a man she'd just shot dead. She quickly shook her head as she began to sob. She knew she had to get out of there before the other thugs realised what had happened. Her whole body felt heavy as she stood up and dragged herself to the door. She cast one last glance to the man, knowing the view of his bloodied dead body would be something that would stick in her mind forever.

With the revolver held out ready to fire, Savannah slipped out of the room and delicately rushed down the corridor to the nearby unattended rear exit. As soon as she was outside, the colder air hit her face and she sprinted away from the arcade and across the street. She took refuge in the nearby parking lot, slumping down between two parked trucks as she struggled to breathe. She took in quick, pained gasps as she tried to control her breathing. She'd just killed a man and she was convinced Danny was dead too. She maintained a tight grip on her gun as she struggled to see past the vision of the dead man to consider how she was going to get to safety.

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter nodded his head in understanding as Maddox stated that he was planning on getting far away from the city. The man envied the counselor in a way, with everything going on with the family, it was only a dream to escape this place now. The sound of the phone hitting the receiver caught Peter's attention and he turned to look at Conor, wondering what Adam just filled him in on. Watching as Conor grabbed the envelope, it seemed like everything was in order to get Maddox out of the building. He signed the resignation form and slipped it into the envelope. Peter took that as a cue to stand up, reaching into his jacket pocket to reach for his gun. Nodding his head at Conor's words, Peter moved towards the fire door and waited for his brother-in-law and the counselor to follow after him.

"I'll take the lead down, Con. Just make sure Maddox doesn't lose his head, yea?" Peter said before placing his finger on the trigger of his gun lightly before turning the safety off. No one was going to unexpectedly meet them in the stairwell, that much was known but Peter was preparing for whoever was bound to be waiting at the exit. Once they reached the bottom steps, Peter raised his hand to stop the men before slowly moving his hand to reach the handle of the door. Turning it slowly, Peter could hear someone shuffling closer outside, getting closer and closer. Feeling slight resistance on the door handle, Peter knew it was likely one of the Italians trying to open the door. With all the force he could muster, he shoved the door open and sure enough, someone's face smashed right into the metal surface, causing him to curse loudly. Peter was quick as he reached to grab the man by the shirt, pulling him close before firing a bullet directly into his chest. "Down you go," Peter said gently as he carefully dropped the man to the floor, pulling him into the alleyway so he couldn't be seen.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man turning the corner, brandishing a gun. Peter turned, kicking the door closed with Conor and Maddox still on the otherside before lunging towards the larger man, catching him by surprise. They tumbled into the busy sidewalk and people passing by stopped and screamed at them to stop. Peter knew that if he were to shoot the man point blank, he could get in trouble especially with man witnesses around. Of course, he was the only one to think this through because the other man fired blindly in the air. Peter managed to get on top of him, pistol whipping him hard in the face once, twice and then three times before the man fell unconscious. Looking around him, Peter got up quickly before calling to Conor, "Let's go!" Waiting for him to barrel out of the fire escape with Maddox, the men quickly headed to their car. Once inside, Peter wiped the blood from his nose, his hands shaking from the adrenaline. "Those fuckers clearly don't give two shits about other people watching." Turning to see where he had left the Italian's body, he saw him getting up as people reached out to help him, he roughly shoved a few people away before making eye contact with Peter from across the street. "Shit. Short nap for him, let's get the fuck out of here."
with: Conor + Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

The gunfire continued to unfold around him, lighting up the dark corners of the basement. He could see that Chase and Jackson were still on their feet fighting off the last of the guards, but he was slow to raise his gun again. The pain radiating through his body affected his coordination too much to make an effective shot; everything seemed to move faster than he could keep up with, so he struggled to figure out how to help. Prompted by a sharp twinge, Syd curled in on himself with one arm wrapped tightly around his ribs. When he sucked in a sharp breath to help block it out enough to sit up, he ended up inhaling dust and rubble. The gunshots tapered off as the fight came to an end, leaving only the sound of Syd coughing over the ringing in everyone’s ears. Each cough rattled his broken ribs, causing him to double over once more.

Eventually pushing himself upright, Jackson commanded him to get to his feet. Syd let the light guide his eyes towards the chair in the centre of the room; Roxie was slumped forward, her belly between her knees, and her shoulder and arm were soaked in blood. “Roxie,” he croaked, scrambling to his feet and finally rushing to a crouch at her side. “Roxie - Roxie, it’s me, it’s Syd. Can you hear me?” At a closer glance, he could see that it was her shoulder that had caught the bullet. Syd had been in the business long enough to know that those injuries tended not to be fatal, but he knew it needed to be tended to fast. He swept a hand across her cheek to look into her eyes and instantly felt how hollow they had become. Holding it against her so as not to let her head fall again, Syd turned around to find Jackson.

“It’s in her shoulder,” he confirmed, gently lowering her head before shrugging off his coat and jacket. He then balled up his jacket and pressed it to her wound. “Help her into the coat - it should hold this in place…” His voice trailed off, having to focus to keep the pressure on her. As his Godfather approached, he gave him a quick scan for injuries. “Are you hurt?”

In the corner, Chase and Darragh were quietly assessing each other as Darragh appeared to have suffered a deep gash across his cheek. He didn’t seem too fazed though, and soon stepped into the light to see how Roxie was doing. “She alright? What can we do?”

Syd shook his head, answering both questions at once. “Go get Garrett,” he commanded, his voice strained as he forced himself to keep it together. “Take him back to the boat and wait for us there.”

The two men set off ahead of them, leaving the exit door open. With Roxie fixed into a makeshift gauze, Syd slowly hauled her to her feet. “We’re gonna take you home now, Roxie,” he said, glancing to Jackson like he couldn’t reassure Roxie without needing some reassurance himself. Despite his efforts to remain strong for her and Jackson, his voice was weak and lacked confidence, shaking slightly on each word. “It’s okay…” he went on, carefully stepping over Stefano’s corpse. He hadn’t even taken a look at the man yet, so it was quite shocking to see him lying there, face down in an expanding puddle of dark blood.

Roxie's father.

His baby's grandfather.

“It’s all gonna be...okay…”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie
Enzyme Jackson

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
​

Squeezing her eyes shut, Roxie clenched her teeth together painfully as she tried to block out the pain coming from her shoulder. The gunfire only a few feet away from her echoed as if in a distance for her heart beat roaring clogged her ears. She left herself in the dark of what happened after she was shot, purposely so. not wishing to see either scenario that had slipped into her thoughts moment before. Syd's voice called her name and Roxie forced her eyes to open as he lifted her head. None of what was happening felt real to her, even though she could feel his hands on her face. She'd been hearing voices for weeks, her mind finding ways to trick her in the darkness. Her eyes ached and she let him lower her head as tears formed. Pressure was applied to her shoulder and Roxie let out an almost silent cry.

Words meshed together in as she was beginning to lose consciousness but before she could close her eyes again, Syd helped her up on her feet. Her weak legs wobbled wanting to collapse under her own weight, muscles burning as they tried to build up strength after being seated in a chair for two weeks. When she could stand, her eyes immediately wondered to the dark red liquid in the middle of the floor. Taking one glance at her father's corpse she immediately regretted what she saw and felt like she was going to be sick in that moment. A strangled sob caught in her throat and she looked away as they stepped over him. Syd was telling her that it was okay and for the time being, her mind allowed it to be so.

The second glance would forever be in her memory but for now she did her best to cast it aside, having enough energy to realize that if she didn't she wouldn't make it out of the basement. Her body was screaming at her for moving so much so quickly but Roxie wanted to get as far away from the basement as quickly as she could. Every limb shook with effort as she climbed the stairs with the help of Syd and Jackson and when they finally made it to the outside, Roxie almost began tot cry with relief. The early night air was cool and breeze, it was her favorite time of year, fall. While she had been trapped in that basement, she'd wondered what the weather had been like outside...almost forgetting what it looked like despite having been in New York her entire life.

It took her a moment o realize where they were location wise, but Lady Liberty stood tall casting a shadow over the three as he moon was beginning to climb into the sky. After all of what she'd been through, after no food, no water, no human interaction except when her father wanted to torment her....she couldn't help but think of one thing...

How ironic it was, that she'd been under a statue that was suppose to represent freedom...and she was anything but that. It that subtle attention to detail that spoke volumes to her, something he knew she'd think of, if he'd failed in the end. He'd succeeded by forcing her to be a damsel in distress, mocking her strength...while it seemed this whole thing was about ending Syd, Roxie knew that it was the final attempt to crush her like he'd always wanted to do. He was dead, but he'd succeeded. She was crushed.
with: Syd Pyroclast ; Jackson Enzyme

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer
~ Steve Kelly ~

Steve was halfway through his drink when he heard the door open, and spun round with such enthusiasm that he almost choked. "Ethan!" he cried out, throwing his arms into the air. The wild movement caused his vodka to slap against the side of the glass and splatter onto the floor. But of course, he didn't care. "Come join the party!"

Ethan approached, seemingly to fulfill Steve's wish, but soon explained that he had to speak to Alistair alone. Something about his tone caught the attention of the East Harlem boss, and he excused himself with a courtly nod to his associates.

"You don't look ready to celebrate, Ethan," Alistair observed, taking a sip of his bourbon. He could always tell when he was about to receive bad news, but he couldn’t imagine what it could be this time. Had Maddox got away? Had Syd escaped? They were waiting on so much news that day that it could be one of many disasters. The answer he got, however, was the last thing he was expecting. Alistair’s face fell, his eyes growing darker and more troubled as Ethan went on. At first, he could find nothing to say, instead displaying his frustration in the tight grip he had on his whiskey tumbler and the sour look on his face.

He could have asked Ethan if he was certain of what he had seen, but he knew he could trust his observations. “The man’s a fucking cockroach,” he growled, downing the rest of his bourbon and then slamming it down on the counter beside him. Glancing back to Rhys, he found himself glowering at the man as he recounted how cocksure he had been that his plan would succeed. “Why is it that you seem to be the only one around here who can actually do his fucking job?” It was perhaps the least friendly tone in which praise could be delivered, but he was too affected by the anger that pricked at his skin to sound pleased with Ethan's dutiful reporting.

After letting out a sharp, frustrated sigh, Alistair marched over to the group and snatched the drink from Steve’s hand. “Party’s over, folks,” he snapped. Steve began to protest, but quickly shut up when the boss slammed a hand on his chest to push him out of the way. Latching a fierce glare onto Rhys, he jerked an accusatory finger in his direction. “You arrogant piece of shit,” he huffed. “So sure your plan was fail-safe. Well, you can stop singing praise to yourself, because James Porter is alive and walking free.”

His fierce eyes turned to Tony, then. “Tony, I don’t know where you left your half a brain this morning, but the man who you spoke to on the phone wasn’t the Irish rat we were trying to kill.” With another heavy sigh, Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Someone please explain to me why this man keeps getting out alive. Because I’m at a loss, I really am. All these plans are a wasted effort if someone goes and fucks up the job.”

“Hey, I didn’t fuck up my job,” Steve boldly defended himself. He was more disappointed that his moment of glory had been cut short than hearing that James was still alive. Alistair snapped his head towards him with a glare so icy that the young man practically froze. “Oh, I’m sorry, Steve! By all means, go on celebrating!” He picked up a bottle of Scotch and flung it forcefully into Steve’s stomach for him to catch, or otherwise have the wind knocked out of him.

“Rhys,” he said, lowering his voice again. Noticing his eyes were closed, Steve quietly opened the bottle of Scotch and proceeded to take a swig. “Please tell me what it was you missed. And how the fuck you managed to miss it.”

Interactions
Enzyme Rhys
RayPurchase Tony
Misty Gray Gabriel, Ethan

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and Maddox Parker​

Conor hadn't yet had confirmation that Maddox being honest with the family about Roxie's whereabouts, but he had no choice but to reserve judgement. The best option was to get the counsellor out of the medical centre and to a safe location where members of the mob could keep the man under armed guard. Whether the arrangement would be to protect Maddox or to keep him under close watch so they could kill him later was yet to be decided.

Conor agreed for Peter to take the lead whilst he kept Maddox in one piece. He appreciated his brother-in-law's help on the job. He might have simply been doing it out of duty to the mob, but Conor couldn't help but see it on another level; that by helping keeping Maddox alive, Peter was also helping to safeguard Conor's freedom from prison. With Peter heading out in front, Conor made Maddox walk closely in front, keeping a firm hand on the counsellor's shoulder as his right hand gripped onto his gun. After the brief pause to allow Maddox to leave the resignation letter on Laura's desk, they focused on following Peter out of the building.

Maddox was well practised at keeping a level head, even in the present situation where he was fully aware Moretti had sent men out after him. Still, even he wasn't immune to some anxiety and though he masked it well, his heart was racing his his chest as they neared the exit door. There was a chance he could be gunned down on the street, but that wasn't something that he was afraid of. What did scare him was not being killed on the street and instead being captured to be brought before the Morettis. He knew what Gabriel and his close associates were capable of. Sickening acts such as the way Alistair forced Ammon to burn to death.

As Peter listened at the door, Conor shifted to now stand in front of Maddox, motioning for the counsellor to get down against the wall. He wasn't aware of the counsellor's own skills with firearms, but even if he was, he wouldn't have cared as he didn't want to return any kind of power to Maddox. The man simply needed to stay down and follow their lead. When Peter shoved the door open and stepped onto the alley way, Conor raised his gun, ready to cover his brother-in-law's back. He heard the gunshot as Peter took one of the men down but the door was kicked shut before Conor could step outside. The big man turned to looked down at Maddox, a man he had once considered a friend but now he struggled to see past his betrayal. "If anything happens to Pete, I'll put a bullet in your head right here," he gruffly threatened the counsellor. He shook his head, hating that there was a part of him that sympathised with the counsellor and had prevented him from simply killing him the day he found out the truth.

Thankfully, Peter called out for them to join him outside. Conor beckoned Maddox to follow him as he opened the door, holding his gun out ahead and ready to fire if they were ambushed. Seeing Peter seemed to have the situation under control and Adam was no doubt keeping the remaining Italians at the front of the medical centre busy, he couldn't help but briefly smile. Things had gone relatively smoothly and he was glad the risk he'd taken paid off. More than that, it gave him confidence in the decisions he was making and that he'd be able to keep taking some weight off of James' shoulders in the future. As he tucked his weapon out of view, Conor had Maddox walk alongside him. Once they reached the car, Conor told Maddox sit in the back while he took the driver's seat and had Peter sit alongside him.

After delivering Maddox to the safe house and checking in with Adam for a debrief, Conor returned with Peter to the Callahan household. He wasn't yet due to pick Aliana and Leo up from the Porters' house, so decided to have a cuppa or two with Peter. With the car parked in the Callahan driveway, Conor stepped out to hear the sound of loud music coming from inside the house. The two guards standing outside the front door sent Conor and Peter knowing smirks before stepping aside. "Take it Em's home alone," Conor remarked to Peter as he followed him into the house.

Emery was laid across the sofa with her cat, Jasper, curled up next to her. Hearing faint sound of the front door closing, she sat up, causing Jasper to dive off onto the floor. Emery looked up to see her father and uncle entering the lounge. She could see some blood on Peter's face but overall he seemed to be in one piece. "And what have you two troublemakers been getting up to?" she playfully berated them, her voice somehow louder than the rock music she'd got playing.

"Evening, Gobby!" Conor shouted out to his niece. He couldn't help but grin, even if the music was doing nothing to help him clear his mind, it was still some semblance of normality. With enough time spent getting Leo under control, he was glad Emery was Peter's responsibility.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Jason did his best to be receptive to Finn’s encouraging words and not let his fear stop him from believing in the chance that Gwen could recover from her addiction. Everything he was saying made sense - Gwen had plenty of loved ones that could inspire her to get better. The only problem was, he wasn’t sure she could physically want anything more than heroin. He opened his eyes when he heard the doctor say that she might wake up. Finn went back to examine Gwen further and while he went about checking the clarity of her breathing, Jason anxiously arose from his chair to pay closer attention. Blake stood up at the same time with an offer to get everyone a cup of coffee. While he would surely benefit from it, his focus was too fixed on his girlfriend’s state to answer her and so barely acknowledged the woman leaving the room.

He caught her eyes flutter open and took an impatient step closer, having to fight the urge to rush to her side before Finn gave him permission. His gaze was drawn to Finn when he turned around and announced that he had an emergency call to attend to. The warning about amnesia made his heart heavy. Shortly before his first prison sentence 17 years ago, his Nana had started to show similar symptoms in her old age and he remembered how hard it was to watch her gradually forget who he was. He could only hope that any signs of amnesia Gwen may show wouldn't be permanent.

His concern lifted slightly when she smiled and spoke to him. With everyone else now out of the room, Jason's guard began to crumble and he let a shaky smile form on his lips, moving to crouch at her bedside. At first he was too choked up to speak, only managing to slowly extend a hand to hers and hold it. "Gwen," he finally said, barely above a whisper. The last time he had gazed into her eyes, they had lacked all signs of life - now, they were looking just as deeply into his. What he couldn’t tell, however, was whether or not she knew who she was looking at. “Gwen, love,” he gently murmured, a mix of fear and relief in his smile. He rubbed his hand over hers, admiring the softness of her skin. “How - how're ye feelin'? D'ye know what’s goin' on?”

Interactions
Bellz Gwen, Finn, Blake

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

Savannah’s pleas stretched the man’s crooked smile into a grisly laugh. The nicotine addiction was evident not just in his yellowed teeth but in his vocals, too. “Will they give me your dead body if I ask for it?” he loudly taunted, as though his affiliates had their ears pressed to the door. His revolver remained fixed on her as he chuckled at her display of weakness. However, when her hand flew to her mouth, the other clutching at her stomach as she bent forward, the man let out a grunt of disgust and took a step back to protect his shoes. “Ugh - get it out, then, you disgusting child,” he commanded. Then he realised he had never shot anyone before while they were puking, and grew curious as to whether her gag reflex would still work in the seconds after her death. “Oh, what am I waiting for?” he asked himself. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, however, Savannah twisted upwards, compromising his aim. A shot rang out in the room - but it hadn’t come from his gun. Something heavy then smashed into his hand, sending the revolver flying straight into the wall. Unaware of what had happened as he rapidly lost control of his body, he crashed into the table behind him before collapsing onto the floor. A faint groan escaped him, but was cut off when a final bullet pierced his eye, casting a heavy silence over the room.


The heavy beating hadn’t had to last long to convince Danny to stay down. His face was turned into the floor, his laboured breathing creating ripples in the pool of blood and bile that the gangsters had kicked out of him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask them: who were they; how did they know Savannah’s name; why were they targeting her? But every time he tried to speak, his lungs would spasm, trapping his breath until it released in a sharp retch that brought tears to his eyes. The gangsters had lost themselves in conversation again, drowned out by the heavy music that drilled through the arcade, and were no longer wasting their energy or attention on Danny.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded over the music, shortly followed by another. Danny raised his head towards the source of the noise, in total shock at the thought that Savannah had been killed. People stepped over him as the room bustled with fresh activity. His eyes clouded over with tears, and the pain from his bruises intensified as his body tensed with shock and grief. Hatred was not a feeling that Danny was familiar with, but right then he would gladly have seen everyone in that room dead if it meant Savannah could turn up alive.

As though his improbable wish had been magically granted, he heard somebody shout that the body in the room was not hers, but the man who had held the gun on her. Forgetting about Danny for a moment - or perhaps assuming he couldn’t get up - the gang formed a crowd around the door to the security room before someone roared at them to split up and search for her. Without wasting a second, Danny scrambled to his feet and, keeping low behind a row of arcade machines, darted out of the now unguarded exit.

He ran as fast as he could down the street - which, for all his torn muscles and heavy bruising, was not very fast at all - and drew the attention of many passers-by. It wasn’t long before gunshots rang out behind him, followed by the screams of civilians. He turned into the next street along and saw a yellow cab coming up on the other side. So desperate to get away, Danny took his chance and stumbled into the traffic to hail it. Not seeing him, it began to pull over for somebody else, but Danny caught the door handle first and let himself in. The other passenger slammed their first against the window, shouting abuse at him, but he didn’t care. “Where to?” the driver asked, indifferent as to who he took aboard. “Damn, son, you been through the wars, huh?”

A bullet shot into the passenger door. “Shit, not again,” the driver grumbled, slamming his foot on the pedal. The taxi meandered at high speed between the traffic, but the further they got from East Village, the more Danny relaxed. “So where you bringin’ your trouble to, son?”

“Um…” Danny squeezed his eyes shut as he wracked his brain for Savannah’s parents’ address. He had never been there before, but had seen pictures of it in her apartment while he was staying there. “Forest Hills.”


After wandering between the many large, beautiful houses in the Queens neighbourhood, Danny eventually found one that he recognised. It looked like some of the houses owned by his richest customers, except maintained far better. As he stumbled up the driveway, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. He had no way of knowing what had happened to Savannah after hearing of her escape and was sure that when her parents found out that he had taken her somewhere dangerous and then lost her, they would hand him an unimaginable punishment.

Wrapping an arm protectively around his bruised stomach, he knocked on the door and tried to peer through the window from the front porch to see if he could see her. When the door finally opened, his eyes widened as though he had been caught red-handed. “Sav -” he blurted out, not even introducing himself. “Is Savannah here?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Conor, Savannah
Bellz Peter

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter ​

Thomas looked to his father as he called his name and slowly walked forward tot sit with him on the bottom step. James wrapped his arm around his shoulder and Thomas leaned into him as he stared up with wide eyes, watching his face as he spoke to him. The sadness etched upon his features was clear enough for Thomas to understand something had happened, but when James finally told him that his Uncle Warren was gone, Thomas locked up with shock. His hand squeezed his father's as hard as he could, fighting to control the tears that wanted to flow. "D-dead." He repeated shallowly, his wide eyes unable to stop watering as his father pulled him in for an embrace.

As soon as his head buried itself into James chest, a loud sob escaped him and his shoulders shook. Lucy took a few steps forward, her own eyes already flowing with tears as she helplessly looked to her sister and Aliana. All was silent except for Thomas' sobs when the phone suddenly began to ring from the other room. Lucy quickly turned on her heels, wiping at her eyes as she grabbed the phone from the receiver, "Hello?" She croaked, and a familiar concerned voice spoke her name softly. "Blake? How is she? Please, please tell me she's okay?" Lucy begged. The fellow blonde sighed on the other end and Lucy's heart stopped for a moment. "She's going to be okay, Luce. We got her to the hospital just in time...Finn and Jason are with her now." Lucy grabbed her chest, blink a few more tears from her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Thank god." She gasped out. "I'll be here with them for as long as they need me, so I'll see you later tonight." Lucy said her goodbyes before hanging up the phone.

Quickly walking into the entryway of the house again, Lucy looked to everyone, "Gwen's going to be okay, Finn is taking care of her as we speak." Her eyes landed on James, "I think it's best we let her get some rest, Blake said she'll stay as long as she's needed, I'm sure Jason won't leave your sister's side tonight." Lorelei cried out and clung to Lucy's leg tightly before Lucy moved to pick up and hug her, rocking her back and forth. With all the kids being upset, the house didn't feel like home in that moment. "It's okay, love." She murmured before looking to the other children in the house. "Aliana, Sin? Can you help me get them fed and ready for bed. I think it's been a long day. Thomas dear, why don' you stay with your father for a little while, keep him some company while I get dinner started."

Thomas moved his head slightly to look at Lucy before nodding his head once. Squeezing James tightly, he mumbled, "I love you." Into his chest before pulling back to look at him, trying to understand what he could do to help his father during such a difficult time.
with: James + Sinead Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter felt a sense of relief at seeing his home as they pulled into the driveway, though the thought of something happening to him wasn't on the forefront of his mind, deep down he was just thankful another mission was successful. Exiting the car, they were greeted with the sound of loud rock music coming from inside he house. Laughing at Conor's remarks, Peter took the lead and entered the front door, the music ringing loudly in his ears as they stepped into the entryway. Heading into the lounge, Peter smiled at his daughter, he somehow managed to hear her over the music but decided to ignore her question. "A bit loud, don't you think?" He shouted over the music before heading to the record player to turn it down. Once it was at a more comfortable volume, Peter shook his head, "Can't even hear my own thoughts, Em. I'm surprised your ears aren't bleeding." Walking over to give her an embrace, he kissed the top of her head before answering her question. "And you know what we were up to, protecting your spoiled ass from danger." His voice was teasing as he beckoned Conor to follow him into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Peter moved to make a pot of coffee. He was silent for a few moments before he cleared his throat, "You know with all the things that have been going on recently, getting Dr. Parker out of there was easier than expected." Reaching into the cabinet next to the stove top, he grabbed two mugs before moving to set them on the island in the middle of the kitchen. "I know that should be a good thing, but something isn't sitting right with me..." With Sinead possibly pregnant, Peter was becoming more and more paranoid with keeping her and the family safe. "I wonder if Maddox kept his word...I hope Syd and Jackson are okay." Sighing, he reached for the freshly made coffee in the pot before pouring it into the mugs. Peter looked to Conor and offered him a smile despite his worrying, "Looks like you are officially a free man, I hope it fucking stays that way, no more getting into trouble."

He was about to joke with him more when a knock sounded at the door. Peter looked to his brother-in-law, eyebrows raised as he wonder who was at the door. Sinead wasn't due back yet and Emmy was home, "I'll get it, Em!" He called to his daughter before walking towards the door. Opening it, he was greeted by an unfamiliar face. He asked if Savannah was home and that raised red flag. "Savannah? How do you know her?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he sized the kid up. "Who are you?"
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Danny Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

Having grown up in a large and diverse household with an unconventional definition of the word ‘family’, Danny had never been one to behave according to somebody’s rank or status. In his eyes, everybody was equal, with their own flaws and habits and beliefs. He could knock people off their pedestal just by refusing to look up to them as a superior. Yet, as he stood on the doorstep of the Callahan household face to face with a man demanding an explanation, Danny found himself feeling unusually intimidated.

“You’re her dad, right?” he asked, still catching his breath. With his arm coiled around him and tucked into his jacket, it could look like he was ready to withdraw a weapon - but his mind was too preoccupied to consider it. “I’m Danny.” There was a small pause. “Savannah and I have been dating…” Accepting that his first impression on the man had no doubt been ruined, Danny subtly tried to make himself look a little less ragged. With some reluctance, he carefully brought his arm back down to his side and tried to stand straight. The strain on his torn muscles made him cough, drawing a sour, metallic taste into his mouth. Some light spatters of blood landed on the back of his hand as he caught it and he had to quickly wipe it away. He was desperate to sit down, but knew he wasn’t in a position to ask for such refuge. “We...we were just out together down in East Village,” he explained, stifling a groan. “In the arcade. But it got taken over by these, like...I don’t know, this gang. They knew her name, and they took her. We both escaped, but I...I didn’t find her.”

Running a hand through his hair, Danny peered back up the driveway, hoping to see her approaching. But she wasn’t there. He turned back to Peter with desperation in his eyes. “Please, I swear to you I didn’t mean to put her in danger,” he implored, getting increasingly worried about Savannah’s safety. The thought that the men had caught up to her and killed her was a real possibility, and he would never be able to forgive himself then. “I’ll - I’ll go back and I won’t stop ‘til I find her, and I’ll bring her home. I promise.”

Interactions
Bellz Savannah's Scary Dad
Misty Gray Conor, Savannah

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti and Ethan Turner​

Alistair's tone when asking if Ethan was the only one who could fulfil his job was a harsh one, fuelled by the man's anger. Ethan had a thick enough skin to not take offence or even fear the man's outburst. Instead, he maintained his straight face and gave a single nod in acknowledgement. As stated, he wasn't the one who hadn't succeeded in his mission. Even so, he wasn't one to gloat either, so he took no pleasure out of seeing others fail, especially when it meant James Porter was still breathing. Everyone in the room had the same enemy in common.

One thing that did evoke a visible reaction from Ethan was Steve's behaviour. He couldn't help but shake his head to the younger man as he swigged the alcohol, silently warning him to fall into line and avoid being the recipient of anyone's fury in the moment. Ethan's attention then fell on Rhys, listening on as Alistair demanded to know how the supposedly airtight plan had managed to fail.

*****​

Gabriel's jaw tightened when the celebratory atmosphere took a severe nosedive upon Alistair's furious tirade. He set his glass down on the nearby counter and fixed his dark, piercing glare across the men around him. Everything suddenly felt chaotic and the Italian despised chaos. To hear that James Porter was still alive was the last thing he wanted to hear in that moment. His brief moment of cheer and triumph had been ripped away from him, seemingly as fast as the explosion that decimated most of his family all those years ago. Although his posture and demeanour remained controlled, there was an undeniable, visible fury burning in Gabriel's eyes, as if the next person to say the wrong thing would be torn to shreds.

Gabriel allowed Alistair to question Rhys on what he'd missed in his plan. He looked to his consigliere, on the inside willing him to present a good reason. "There was an explosion, was there not? How can that be possible if Porter walked out of that building in one piece?" He then fixed his eyes on Tony. "How?! Who in God's name answered that call?" he asked, his tone still calm, but with a menacing edge to it.

"I believe Warren Taylor may have been on the other end of that call when the room was blown to shit," Ethan pointed out.

"So, a man who should have been killed weeks ago is only now wiped out. And by accident? Why the--" Gabriel was torn away from the beginnings of a tirade as someone dared to open the apartment door. Moretti's head snapped around to see two of his men entering the room. He furrowed his brows as he studied them, noticing a distinct lack of Maddox Parker in their grasp. He waited until the door was closed and the two men were stood very awkwardly as the atmosphere of the room practically smacked them in their faces. "Where's the counsellor?" Gabriel asked, the words escaping his mouth as a venomous hiss.

"He got away, Boss. He had help... from the Porters."

Gabriel sent a glance to Alistair before shaking his head in shared disappointment. He then returned his focus to the two men he had put in charge of overseeing Maddox's capture, pointing to a space away from his trusted associates. With both men stood alongside each other and facing him directly, Gabriel stood in silence as his eyes bore holes through each of their skulls. He reached into his pocket and slowly brought his pistol into view, making sure both men saw the weapon. "Samuel. Gio," he said, addressing the tallest and the shorter of the men respectively. "Which of you is to blame for this? Who was in charge of your failed operation?" Samuel remained standing still, his hands clasped behind his back as he tried his best to remain deathly still rather than display the fact his body was trembling. Gio, however, allowed his eyes to shift upwards, in Samuel's direction, giving away who devised the failed plan. Gabriel simply nodded his head as he made a decision in that moment. Without hesitation; no warning or beginnings of a speech, the Italian Boss raised his arm and squeezed the trigger of his gun. The loud gunshot rang through the room and the bullet ripped into the centre of Samuel's forehead. The blood decorated the surrounding mahogany wall panels and the landscape painting situated directly behind the shot man, whilst Gio's face was also splattered by red liquid. A loud thug accompanied Samuel's lifeless body falling onto the floor. Gabriel himself managed to be sprinkled by speckles of Samuel's blood, but he ignored it and fixed his eyes on Gio. He lowered his hand, keeping the gun in his grasp as he addressed the man. "Get out of my apartment and find Maddox Parker. Get your crew together and scour the streets. Do not eat or rest until you find him. If I see you again and you haven't found the counsellor, then you will be joining Samuel in the bottom of the fucking river. Now. Leave," he fiercely warned the man, who scurried out of the room without needing to be told twice. Catching Lorenzo's dumbfounded expression, Gabriel pointed to the door Gio had left through. "I want you out of here too. Go!"

Gabriel took a deep breath and set his gun down on the table nearby, before turning back and directing his attention to the men in the room. He reached into his pocket and retrieved his handkerchief, using it to wipe away the majority of blood from his face. As if there wasn't a dead body inches from his feet, he continued with the conversation that had been going on before the two idiots had interrupted. "Rhys. Alistair commanded an explanation. Please enlighten us," he calmly prompted the man. No matter how much respect and faith he had in his consigliere, James Porter had survived the attack and everyone needed to know what had gone wrong...

Enzyme (Rhys) Pyroclast (Alistair, Steve) RayPurchase (Tony)