Realistic or Modern The City: 1990s Gangs - IC Thread

[Bellz]

Song for the Scene:
Stay Away by Nirvana

East Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse
~ Undisclosed Location, London ~

Thomas Porter​

Thomas bounded up the stairs to the third floor, taking the steps two at a time but was careful as his eyes were peeled to his surroundings. Guns strapped to his body, knife still in hand, his shoulders were extremely tense. Reaching the end, he slowed, carefully watching his steps now as he eyed the corners of the opening of the staircase that led to the open third floor. No one was moving…making it seem like no one was up there.

Likely story but he had to push on regardless. Thomas took one step with his left foot and another with his right. The knife held with the blade tucked against his chest downward in a defensive position as he listened. Looking from the left to the right, he saw nothing on the dimly lit floor. There was a flickering light in a closet to the right, but he wasn’t dumb enough to walk in that direction just yet given he didn’t believe anyone was dumb enough to hide in there. He knew there wasn’t another exit point than the stairs he was currently blocking.

Pivoting, his feet crossed so that he could turn to face his back against a wall, not leaving himself exposed. To his left, he saw a large industrial spool with something on the top of it. It looked like it was being used as a table in its free time, with a deck of playing cards spread out. But what caught his attention more was the chain with a hook on the end. A tow chain. Thomas inched towards it slowly, keeping his back towards the wall as he continued to look around. But from the staircase, movement. Thomas pivoted towards the assailant and the man lifted his gun for which Thomas dove straight for him, clearly catching him off guard as he then stepped back instead of immediately pulling the trigger.

The unexpected act of surprise was Thomas’s friend and he flipped the knife hilt between his fingers with a precision that had been practiced a million times during boot camp, whenever he was bored, and when he’d been stuck in that hellhole in Iran with nothing but a large stick to defend himself. Gripping it after maneuvering between his fingers, Thomas swung outward, catching the gunman's wrist that held the gun. His release on the weapon didn’t happen so easily though. Growling, Thomas quickly moved his left leg and foot up, kicking the asshole in the stomach sending him propelling back as he reached for the gun still in his hand. It slid from the assailant's fingers as he fell back to the floor, hitting the concrete with an unforgiving slap. Thomas unloaded the handgun with ease, letting the bullets clatter to the floor to let him know silently he was out of options.

He started to make his way over the man, ready to slit his throat silently and be done with it when he was hit in the back of the Kevlar vest with a bullet. Causing him to fall right on top of the man he was about to finish off. Thomas groaned out, "Son of a bitch." He growled out as the man under him cursed as well. He was expecting a second shot, but it never came…which was…weird. Grabbing the man by the mouth underneath him forcefully, Thomas covered it before slitting his throat. Listening to him struggle for breath, he waited until he was no longer breathing before rolling over to lay beside him. Blood and all.

Where were the second gunmen? Thomas groaned again, feeling like it was difficult to breathe. He wondered if he’d been grazed at all under the vest but it would have to wait. His head rolled back, looking at the chain on the industrial spool behind him…now only a few feet away. That would still come in handy. Thomas turned on his stomach, having a theory that he needed to stay low for now as he started to army crawl towards the chain on the spool.

Once he grabbed it, he heard Natalie radio in. He moved to turn towards the stairs, laying flat on his stomach still with the chain and knife in his hands, he radioed in. "Only one gunman taken down on the third floor, the second one got me…I don’t have sight of him. Proceed to the floor with caution. Stay low…it was a distance shot. Possibly another sniper. Vest works."
with: Natalie neverbackdown

West Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse
(in Van parked further down the lot)
~ Undisclosed Location, London ~

Wesley Roberts​

Jeremy did nothing to calm his nerves. But what the fuck was he expecting? Mr. Moody never was the most comforting person, and Wesley was the absolute last person who would receive any of it if he was. "Fine, Fine. A few more minutes." Wesley grumbled. Looked at Jeremy and Dermot before looking to the windows again. Truth be told. He was just trying to look at anyone else and focus on anything else besides the other person in the van with them. Rory. Why on god’s green earth did Klaus think it was a good idea to send her on this mission with him? Well…in all of his infinite German wisdom…Wesley was sure he would just tell him not to question it but — this was too fucking far. If he thought for one second that any of this was going to change the anger Wesley felt towards Rory? Ha.

Wesley wasn’t going to rush to save her if she got her ass handed to her in there. Thomas could play the hero. He had that vibe given his military background and all. And that didn’t at all make Wesley feel jealous "Not one fuckin’ bit." He muttered under his breath. The Northern Irishman found himself having to look away from the window just to keep the anxiety at bay but then his eyes found Rory’s and that was just a shit show. Fuck me. He groaned inside of his head.

Jeremy suddenly tapped him on the arm, breaking his thoughts and Wesley jumped a bit turning to him as the man said to go. "Alright, let’s do this." He gruffly said. "Remember the plan. Stick to it, and for the love of god, don’t get killed. No one wants to be the first kill on the first mission, ya?" Wesley turned all of his anxiety off as he said this trying to focus in just as he heard Natalie say that she was heading to the 3rd floor. Good. The plan was going well again. But then Thomas’s voice rang out just as they got out of the van. One gunman is dead, no sight on the other…he’s been shot. "Shit." Wesley said, looking to Jeremy before moving to radio in. "Natalie, get to the third floor, check him out. We will send another person to grab you both when we clear the area."

Wesley then looked to Jeremy, Rory, and Dermot. "We’ll take the four, head inside. Get what we need to. Rory, you push to the third floor and get them back down. Once we have what we need we get the fuck out. Got it?"
with: Jeremy BasDorcha ; Rory Melanin-Gxdess (welcome back bb ) ; Misty Gray (feel free to reply or don't! It doesn't matter )
mentions: Natalie neverbackdown

 

[Misty Gray]

Harper Residence
~ Stoke Newington, London ~

Kerry King​

Blake told Kerry to enjoy the chaos of her own home whilst it lasted, mentioning how the kids would soon be having their own kids and homes. The thought of that briefly made her cringe. Although Callum wasn't her own son and there were times when he pointed that out to her, she still cared very much for the teenager as if he was her own. He was already approaching adulthood and she dreaded to think of him having his own kids soon, especially as he already had a girlfriend he seemed serious about! As stroppy as he could be around the house, she found herself reassured that Collin was still living with Blake in his twenties - maybe Callum would stay at home for years to come yet. "That's all a scary thought," she commented. At least Harrison was only five, so she still had a good ten years with one of the kids still around the house. "I hope Collin manages to find somewhere nice. Liam has a great apartment, but I think the rent is pretty high - I'm surprised he hasn't been looking for roommates now that so many of their old group are back together." Hearing about Natasha's four kids caused Kerry to let out an impressed whistle. "She must be a strong woman to manage that. Two children and a moody teenager is hard enough!"

Kerry couldn't help but laugh when Blake pointed out how cold London was. "I suppose after twelve years in Cuba it's going to take some getting used to. On the plus side, it's a little warmer than Dublin," she lightly reasoned.

As they walked to the kitchen, Kerry found her thoughts catching up to her again, reminding her of their unresolved past surrounding Jackson's death. She took a seat at the counter before Blake offered her some refreshments. "White wine would be lovely, thank you," she requested. When the drink was poured for her, she thanked Blake again before taking a small drink from the glass.

When asked how she and her family was, Kerry genuinely smiled. "I'm good, as are Alex and the kids. Callum has grown into a moody teenager since you last saw him, but the rest of the time he's lovely, and Lizzie and Harrison are getting on great. It is weird having everyone back, but I'm so glad for it. It's had a great effect on Alex and Callum. Alex was holding things up here in all of the time they were gone, but now he's Spencer's second work's getting even busier for him. I guess that's the same for Adam now, right? With him working to close for Syd now. How are you dealing with that?" she curiously asked. From what she knew of Adam in the past, the man was always pretty committed to the Sullivan-Porter business, but after the last 12 years away from those responsibilities she imagined this was a big change for Blake and Adam. Although it wasn't quite the same, Alex had still had such responsibilities over the last 12 years, trying to keep things going with the Carters looming over them.

She softly nodded at the thought that some had returned whilst others hadn't. Not only had Harper passed away, but she was also aware Blake's family had lost someone in the form of Lucy Porter. She also understood that others hadn't returned in other ways, such as Conor, who had returned but retired and chosen to stay away from the mission in London, or others who may have decided to retain their lives wherever Interpol had sent them to in 1985. "Conor spoke with me back at the safehouse that night..." she began, recalling how the man who had always been vocally scathing towards her had cleared the air. "And I understand Adam had told Alex he wanted to clear the air and put behind us what happened in New York," she said, referring specifically to him being ready to kill her the night Jackson had died.

After taking a sip of her wine, she looked Blake in the eyes and took a deep breath. "Whilst their feelings and the effects of what happened to them are important, I know it's yours and your children's lives that were most affected by Jackson's death and... Well, if you're ready, I think now is a good time for us to talk about this, isn't it?" she asked, not wanting to push Blake if she was getting ahead of them.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Brooks' House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart and Christian Brooks​

The more Christian listened to May, the more confirmation he got that she was never the right person for him and she was willing to lie to even herself to paint him as a bad guy. "Great. A divorce it is," he simply told her, not wanting to pander to her any longer. "For the record, I've never felt trapped with our children or Alex and Kerry. Just you and your woe is me attitude." He shook his head when she made out that she would be seen as a better parent than him. "As I said, I'm starting legal proceedings for custody. Your job isn't as stable as you think, especially not if Ezekiel Carter finds out he has one of the Kings working for his own company." He found it odd that she thought the courts would consider her job better than someone who worked for the police force - practically the same line of work. Christian was an honest detective, which was why the Carters were threatened in the first place, but if he needed to pull favours to ensure the best homelife for his children then he would do exactly that.

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Christian shouted when May lied about him not been there for the kids. He had varied shift patterns throughout the week to ensure there were days every week where he could take them to school and pick them up, or pick them up and be there with them all evening; be there to help put them to bed at night. "Perhaps you need a psych evaluation because now you're being delusional. None of what you just said is true and I can prove that." He rolled his eyes at her once again twisting his words. "I want freedom from YOU. Not from our children."

Despite the harsh words been exchanged, Christian would always favour shared custody, knowing the kids didn't need to be deprived of either parent as long as they were both putting their kids first. May didn't give chance for them to come back to reality from their outbursts, instead storming inside and locking the door, putting a stop to them calming down and reaching a reasonable conclusion for the night. "Absolute child!" he uttered.

Inside the house, Trevor had been texting Declan, the only one of his children he could still get away with seeing for the moment - for as long as his child stayed off of Ezekiel's radar. It wasn't easier sitting back whilst May and Christian argued, just as it hadn't been easier seeing Alex and those grandchildren for the last time before he had to cut ties. When May finally re-joined him and asked why he was still there when he'd chosen Ezekiel's side, he looked to her and maintained a neutral expression. Of course, he wanted to be there for her and support her now, to make sure she could deal with the situation properly. But he couldn't. He had to make her think he was now with the Carters and against the Kings. "Just be careful, May. Christian knows the law inside out, so don't do anything that could be used against you." He lightly shook his head when she asked to be alone in her misery. "That's exactly the counterproductive behaviour that makes the prick think he's right about you putting the kids second." May was already bounding up the stairs, so he decided now was time to leave. He was sure he was still being watched from outside, so the sooner the better.

When he reached the front door, he found it was locked, so had to unlock it to even leave the house. As he did, he unhooked Christian's keys from the hook just in time to open the front door and throw them at the approaching detective, only just missing hitting his face with them. "She locked you out, so maybe stay out for now and return to the divorce conversation when you're both calmer," he suggested. Not waiting for a response, Trevor kept on walking to his car.

Christian did re-enter the house, but only to grab his phone and wallet, along with his coat. "May! I'll be back here in the morning to take the kids to school. Make sure that can happen," he shouted up to her. He was being compromising enough by leaving her in the house and with the kids, so expected she would be mature enough to do the same and let him take the kids to school. After leaving the house, he went to the neighbours to let the kids know he needed to stay with a friend for the night but would be there to take them to school the next morning. He then got in his car and drove away, knowing better than to try reasoning with May tonight. Instead, he headed to Kensington, where the best lawyer he knew lived.

BasDorcha (May)

 

[Bellz]

King Remedial
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

Reign's eyes were cast towards Billy watching him over by the drink area curiously. Men were simple creatures. Able to build empires, sure but...simple nonetheless. What they refused to show on their face was usually revealed within their body language and vice versa. Even the men with the best poker faces had a tell. They just had a really unique way of showing it. Reign was interested to know what made Billy King tick, what he would show, and what he would tell...whether he wanted to or not. So far, the request for a favorite drink seemed to cause a bit of a disturbance. She noticed his back muscles tense and that was enough for her to carry on with the conversation.

It was pleasing to her that her father thought the comments she made were amusing. Given the circumstances of the situation, there had to be a chance to make light of the sudden resurrection of the Kings and the Porters. Almost like Jesus, except these people were no one's saviors and more of a nuisance. It seemed to stick, her teasing because as soon as the topic of drinks had been settled, her father dove right in. Reign's chin lifted slightly as her father said she made a valid point, saying they'd practically risen from the dead asking how they managed. With her chin held high, the woman crossed her legs under the table and leaned forward in her seat, allowing her hand to rest under her chin as she waited with interest for the King's answer.

Family secret

"Pity." Reign's face twisted into a temporary smirk at the answer, in its hasty, feverish response. Interesting. Her eyes glanced at Billy for the briefest moment and when he didn't say anything, they glided back to Spencer. The pivot to business was even more interesting. While Reign wasn't one to argue with getting straight to business, observing the behavior of Spencer dodging such an answer both effectively and ineffectively was...irritating. Reign held the irritation from her features but her teeth clenched. All good things come with time and patience. If they were going to burn these foxes out of their hole...they had to wait until they were out of their den. Set the kindle, light the fire...a whole process.

Reign slowly nodded her head like her father, though, gave no smile to the Kings. She understood the files that were being shown to Spencer. Despite not having been old enough to get involved in the interworkings of the previous agreements, she'd done her homework well enough. She also understood this wasn't exactly what the Kings wanted to speak about. Tough. It wasn't shocking when Spencer said that he wished to take business in a different direction. Reign's lips twitched slightly at the way he so cockily spoke to her father. The woman let out a collected breath as her father spoke. Billy and Reign were just witnesses to the discussion. Both not having been a part of the original deal.

Spencer was clear he could give a shit less about Trevor. Which...felt real for the most part given the state they had seen him in. Billy, who Reign expected to be less as scathing, seemed to surprise her, her brows even raising to show it. Still, there was a hint of doubt with these two. Something felt off.

When Billy addressed her solely, asking her what her part in all of this was as well as her siblings, Reign moved to lean back in her seat...reaching for the glass he'd made her. Taking a sip, she looked at it and pointed at it, "Not bad." She gave the man a half-close-lipped smile before her face fell into a serious expression once more. "Loyalty to my family is my business, Billy. I'm sure you can understand, mm?" She looked to Spencer for a moment, then back to Billy. "As for getting my hands dirty. I worked hard to get to where I am. Went to school, earned my degrees and I work in a very reputable position at my father's very reputable company. All of which I worked extremely hard for. I am not sure what you're implying." Reign then smiled, giving the fakest smile she could.

"And my siblings are harmless. I'm sure you remember what it's like to be in your early 20s. Though I guess, you both were getting your hands dirty back then...weren't you?" Reign's eyes squinted just a little as she looked between Spencer and Billy, her smile only growing until it then just dropped off completely. Like it never even happened. "I am here to support my father in his business, business I think it would be wise both financially and in terms of reputation to continue."
with: Spencer/Ezekiel Misty Gray ; Billy Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Tonic Tavern
~London ~
Dawson Rogers ​

Another laugh escaped him, less anxious and more humorous as Emery seemed to be excited about being taken to a pub. At first, she leaned on him for support and Dawson was ready to continue to offer it but she then moved away. He didn't object, like he said, she seemed more than capable and he was blind. He laughed again, as she said that she'd rather not let him lead her into the Thames. As she wasn't planning on going for a swim or a fall. Pretty, and funny. Lucky him. Maybe being blind and stupid could pay off.

When Emery didn't immediately respond to the name suggestion, Dawson was starting to lose some hope that he even stood a chance. But then she said that it was okay, that she had worse...which made him wonder what exactly she meant by that. But Dawson didn't have long to sit there and ponder the words because they were followed by the free beer comment which made him smile, "As many as you'd like." Again, he found himself laughing as Emery mentioned that he didn't look that old. "Well that's good, I've been 29 for the last 11 years. I think time is finally catching on." He shot back, catching the teasing smirk and giving her a wink.

Much to his relief, Emery brought up the subject of his name. "Ah, New York Barger? I am almost positive I heard that in the papers before back home! Not a good article, mind you. Name's Dawson." He gave her a crooked smile. "Emery. A pleasure to run into you." She then asked what brought him to London before talking about the Queen. Dawson let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "The royal family is probably the least interesting thing about this entire place. Queenie included. So no postcards I'm afraid." He had felt like she was watching him closely, so he was trying not to fuck up any more than he already had. When she brought attention to the pub he nodded his head, "Yea let's head inside, I'll get you cleaned up and then get you that drink."

Once inside, Dawson smiled at the familiar face behind the bar. "Austin, man. Good to see you!" He said, and the man, in his early 40s with salt and pepper hair, looked up and smiled right back. "Dawson! How the hell are ya? And you've brought a friend. Hello!" Dawson nodded his head, "I'm good. Thank you. I was wondering if we could use your aid kit. Had a little accident." Austin was happy to give them the aid kit before asking if they wanted anything to drink, "Two beers, we'll be in my usual booth." With that, Dawson gestured for Emery to sit in the booth first before moving to kneel beside her leg.

Looking up at her, he offered a shy smile, "I'm not too far home. At least not anymore, I live outside of London. But I make frequent day trips when I can, just because. Never know what you are gonna find, or you know...who you are gonna run into." Dawson then looked to Emery's knee and winced, before looking down to the first aid kit and opening it. "I miss New York sometimes but this place is a hell of a lot cleaner. People are a lot nicer. The fact that you didn't immediately pull a gun or knife out on me after I knocked you over at the train station says a lot." His blue eyes met hers for a moment as he was pulling out an alcohol wipe to clean her leg. He nearly forgot what he was doing as he just stared at her, another stupid look forming on his face. But then he remembered and shook his head as he looked at her leg but before touching her, he asked, "Can I help you? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
with: Emery Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Harper Residence
~ Stoke Newington, London ~

Blake Harper​

After the drinks were poured, giving herself a glass of white wine as well, Blake listened patiently as Kerry spoke of her family. Genuinely wanted to hear about how they were all doing. Hearing that the kids were good, as was Alex was encouraging. Given the circumstances and having to transition to having everyone back, it could be different. Blake smiled slightly as Kerry mentioned Adam's new responsibilities being the same as Alex's. She found herself looking at the counter briefly, nodding her head. When asked how she was dealing with it, Blake let out a light breath. "It's...a change. I didn't think I'd find myself back in the same position I'd been in before. But my husband is committed to his craft, to the Porters and Sullivans. I am too at this point in my life. I'd do just about anything for them. It all feels...a bit like deja vu." She ended up admitting, though those were feelings that she had been working through mostly on her own.

Adam had enough on his plate as it was. A simple case of deja vu on her part wasn't something she felt she needed to bother him with unless it got in the way of her mental state or health. Then she would communicate that with him. Kerry told her that Conor spoke to her the night they were at the safe house, a conversation Blake heard about. Adam had also told Alex he wanted to clear the air. Something both Adam and herself had discussed in doing separately with both Kerry and Alex. Blake knew that to effectively work as a team, there had to be clear air. There had to be a fresh start. Bad blood over something that happened nearly 25 years ago now couldn't be the reason any of these people didn't come home to their kids like Jackson did on that night. Blake wouldn't allow it and she knew out of everything, it was the one thing she did have some control over.

No one else needed to be a widow, no child needed to lose another parent.
They all needed to work as a team now. Past or not.

Blake understood just how hard this conversation was, the heaviness she still felt in her chest just speaking Jackson's name was...hard to get past. But it wasn't over the loss of a love anymore, because Adam had swept her off her feet and filled the emptiness in her heart that she felt for years after Jackson's death. But it was over her best friend, one that gave her a chance. A second chance. Because he could have put a bullet between her eyes after figuring out she'd been working for the other side. So ready to betray the family he loved so dearly she had been and yet, he gave her a chance to redeem herself. And a beautiful marriage and two beautiful kids were the result of that chance. "I think it's a good time as well." She said, her voice hushed with the emotion she felt.

"T-That night. After they came home Conor told us that Jackson didn't make it." Blake cleared her throat. "I made them tell me what happened. Every detail, even if it killed me a million times over." The blonde moved to take a drink from her glass before setting it lightly on the counter again. Meeting Kerry's eyes, she said. "I want you to know, that at no moment, in the nearly 25 years since he's passed...have I ever blamed you for what happened to him."

She knew that perhaps this was going to throw Kerry off, and Blake went on to say, "Jackson's death shattered my entire world, and my children. Make no mistake. But I don't place blame on those who did what they had to to survive because I've been there, many times before," Blake's eyes watched Kerry. "The men in my family don't understand what it's like to be a woman in this life they've created..what it's like to be used as a pawn like we are some sort of fuckin' chess piece. Similarly, what it's like to be won like some trophy. In those cases, we are the casualties that don't die. Just used for what we're worth because in a man's world that's all we are good for." Blake sighed, moving to take another sip from her glass. When she removed the wine glass from her lips she said, looking towards her kitchen window.

"I'm sorry for the way Adam, Conor, and Syd treated you in the past. Conor and Syd loved Jackson just as much as I did. And Adam at the time, before we got together...was doing exactly what he needed to be doing. Protecting the family." Turning in her chair to look at Kerry, Blake then said, "But Jackson, he gave me a second chance when we first met. And I was in a similar situation as you had been, Kerry. While you and I don't know each other well, I see two people who have a lot in common. And I don't want your babies to suffer the same fate mine did because of bad blood over something that happened so long ago."
With: Kerry Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

First Post of 2024

The Porter Residence
~ Holland Park, London ~

Roxie Porter​

Roxie rolled her eyes, scoffing at her husband as she lifted her hands into the air and turned around to look at him as he said that what this all was wasn't a gang. Interpol was working hard to make sure that whatever this was going to end up being wasn't labeled as illegal or looked at in a negative light but Roxie was having a bitterly hard time seeing it that way now. Especially since her eldest son was expressing such genuine excitement over it along with the other younger members of their extended family. "Oh yeah, Syd? What the hell would you call it? A merry band of vigilantes?" She questioned, her voice heavy with sarcasm. But his voice raised and she bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from saying more. It was encouraging to hear that he didn't believe in taking a piece of the power that was being fought for over here but...that's not what was concerning to her.

Old dogs didn't learn new tricks and in the world of crime...Syd was as old as they came. The same could be said for the other older members of the family that were still active. They didn't just walk away from stuff like this, at least not completely. Roxie had no reassurance that later down the line when they returned to Dublin... they wouldn't continue to carry on the burden of organized crime. Their kids didn't deserve that. But how could she convey that to someone who gave their entire life to it?

"I know...I know!" Roxie said as Syd relayed the deal they made to be with their family again, to have the freedom to see everyone. She ground her teeth, eyes burning a bit with fresh tears before there was a long and unsettling pause between the two of them. She watched him as he hung his head, and her fingers twitched with her hands ready to just reach out to him. It upset her to see Syd like this and upset her even more that she was causing it. But...if she packed any more of these feelings on, Roxie knew she would be useless to help him later down the line. Especially if she was dead. Her chest tightened, causing her eye to twitch ever so slightly at the thought.

Exhaling a breath as he asked if he messed up, she didn't answer trying to just stand her ground and not rush to comfort him like she wanted to in that moment. Her eyes immediately looked to the ground and away from his face as he asked if she didn't want to come to London. "It's not...that simple." Roxie's voice was monotone, still unable to meet his eyes.

He was saying everything a man should be and yet, it was like he was talking at her and not actually hearing her. As much as Roxie loved Syd, he had a habit of that in the past, especially when overwhelmed. It seemed that they both had two completely different perspectives on their time in Germany. Sure, they could meet in the middle that it was horrible that they had been pulled from their family, devastating...but Roxie had been grateful for the help...for the peace. At least in the small moments, she had it, which tended to be more than what she ever got in the chaos during the years any of the organized crime was going on.

Again, Roxie found herself scoffing as Syd asked if she thought that he wanted J.J. to get hurt. "Of course, I don't, Syd! But please listen to yourself! You want to be everywhere, all at once, keep an eye on everything and everyone. You are spinning too many plates. You want to get through this mission with no casualties or losses?" Biting her lip, she shook her head. "You can't control it all, baby. If you do, you're going to get him or yourself killed. He can't be someone that falls through the cracks, and neither can you." Roxie's eyes watered and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Germany wasn't where you wanted to be but it gave our kids a chance at normal. Or at least a chance to understand what normal was. Even if it was a little slice of it. We got to raise them in a home with your mother, god rest her beautiful soul, and that place was what she needed in her state." She moved her hands to her eyes to wipe at the stray tears that fell at the mention of Lucy and the thought of Germany, all the raw feelings just too real to keep contained as her shoulders shook. "And you know, it might have been dumb, the fake identities, the jobs, all of it. But all of these normal people don't have to argue about this shit. And I envy that. I fucking do." She cried, wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands.

When Roxie removed them, she saw little lights flicker in her vision but ignored them. "I'll call this exactly what it is, it's not a gang? Fine. It's organized nonetheless. With the law or against it, doesn't matter. And could you guarantee me that when we return home we wouldn't somehow get caught back up in the same shit in Dublin? You don't just stop doing this, Syd. And what about J.J. how can you guarantee me now, that he won't get hurt?!" Her voice raised at the question.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

The Porter Residence
~ Holland Park, London ~

Syd Porter​

Syd’s eyes welled with tears as he listened to his wife point out his idealistic approach to the mission. Of course he wanted no casualties or losses, but deep down he knew it was never as easy as that. Accepting the risks had always been part of the life, and though Syd had been too young to have a proper grasp on what it meant to be mortal when he first joined, he had since learned the hard way that Death lurked around every corner and could take anybody at any time. The difference between life and death lay in a single bullet, a trip wire, a misspoken word. All it took was one wrong move and it was all over.

A tear rolled down his cheek when she told him he couldn’t control everything that ever happened. He noticed her eyes had filled with fresh tears too, the very thought of losing either him or J.J. being too much for her to bear. She went on to explain how Germany had been good for their children, providing the experience of normal that they may not have otherwise had, and when she brought up Lucy he let out a hard sigh, frowning as more tears spilled from his eyes. He was glad that his mother had been in a peaceful place away from war and crime during her final years. “But she wasn’t home,” he managed to get out, his voice strained and thick with emotion. It had always hurt him terribly to see his mother get confused about where she was, at times expecting to be in Chicago or Dublin or Queens. It terrified her sometimes and Syd always thought that maybe if she was in one of those places, then it would give her one less thing to get upset about. But Roxie was right…it would have been far, far scarier for her if they had been coming home with injuries like they sometimes used to during a war.

With his mother on his mind, his grief was drawn closer to the surface and he began to tremble where he stood. He watched as Roxie wept, envious of the people who get to lead normal lives without having to argue over the dangerous risks their son took. All while she had been quiet and not speaking to him or J.J., all Syd wanted was to have this conversation and have everything out in the open…anything was better than her keeping it all inside and shutting him out. But now that she was openly sobbing, it broke his heart. Her words cut him, because he knew she was right. All she wanted was a normal life - not the one he had given her. It’s true that they wouldn’t have met if he had never joined the business to begin with…but at least she wouldn’t now be suffering as a result.

Her final question stunned him into silence. He could feel himself on the cusp of losing all control of his emotions, like he was being tipped off a sinking ship and scrabbling to not fall into the sea. For a moment he was unable to speak as he fought to swallow down the lump in his throat and breathe. Then he began to shake his head. “I don’t want this either,” he admitted, and he bound his arms even more tightly around himself, his fingernails digging into his back. “I…I want to give you the life you want. I want you all to be safe and happy. Rox’, I don’t want to go back to that life - I had twelve years away from it and I didn’t miss it! All I missed was my family and my home.” Despite his efforts to stay in control of himself, he couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks, his voice sounding more and more desperate as he got more worked up. “I can do other things, Roxie, I-I have skills in other areas, and contacts from the businesses I had before! I’ll open another nightclub in Dublin, a new chain of garages, I’ll focus more on the charity work. I promise, once this is over, I’m out. I just want to be with you.”

He stepped towards her now, reaching out to take her hands into his and bringing them to his mouth, where he kissed them all over. “I’ll send the kids to be with Aunt Sinead and Uncle Peter. J.J. included. You can go with them and make sure they’re all safe and out of the way until it’s all over, and you can give us a headstart on that normal life you want. But I have to stay. Because that was the deal.” He kissed her hands again, blinking more tears from his eyes. “I have to stay.”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

King Remedial
~ City of London, London ~

Spencer King and Ezekiel Carter​

Ezekiel couldn't help the thin, curious smile that formed on his lips when Billy replied to say Trevor wasn't his dad. The youngest of the King brothers then asserted further, assuring him he didn't care what he did with Trevor. Ezekiel nodded in understanding with the words that he hoped Trevor was a changed man. "I believe he is. I wouldn't have the man in such a position if I thought he was going to try stealing from my business. Nor would I keep him on my payroll if I thought he was spending his wages on drugs," he said, making it clear he knew of Trevor's unsavoury past. "Not that I'm here to defend the man to you. He's much more useful working for me than if he were to crawl back into your good graces and be left to hit rock bottom again."
Spencer wasn't impressed with Ezekiel's comments about Trevor. Either his father had done well to spin his tale to the Carters, or Ezekiel was simply using what he knew to taunt him and Billy now. Spencer no longer believed Trevor would revert back to his drug and gambling addictions, with or without the Kings there to block him from temptation. They never were responsible for Trevor's decisions.

It annoyed Ezekiel when Billy began questioning Reign, but he didn't show it on his face. His eldest daughter was capable of speaking up for herself and given the responsibilities he gave her, he expected she could hold her own in answering. Spencer was quietly amused by his brothers questioning but stayed serious as he looked at Reign awaiting her response. When she pointed out that family loyalty was her business, Spencer couldn't argue with that, not when it was such an important part of his own family. She then went on to say she'd earned her degrees and position in a reputable company. Spencer could easily say the same as Reign, that he earned his degree and worked for the reputable side of King Remedial. She didn't admit to it, but she was also like him in that her family had other, criminal, businesses, which the Kings did too. Like he once was to Bruce, Reign was Ezekiel's protégé. "You know exactly what is being implied," Spencer commented, briefly looking in Ezekiel's direction to meet the other man's glare head on.

"I'm sure you and your siblings would know all about getting your hands dirty too," Spencer pointed out as he turned back to face Reign. He couldn't help but grin when she continued the pretence that she and her father were there for business only - the reputable kind. "My business will remain financially stable after severing ties with Carter Tech. As for reputation, my family's business will benefit from distancing itself from yours."

"Carter Technologies is one of the most lucrative in this country and has an extremely favourable reputation internationally. There is no way that King Remedial would benefit more from ending its deal with us than maintaining a stable contract," Ezekiel pointed out.

Spencer sat forward, closing the file that was still in front of him and sliding it back towards Ezekiel and Reign. "Let's quit with the pretence, Ezekiel. I'm not willing to continue business with you on a matter of principle and family loyalty," he said, looking at Reign on his last two words. "Over the years, you've threatened and extorted my family in London. My cousins have been intimidated and made witnesses to things nobody should have to see. Someone close to my family was recently threatened with violence in front of my own eyes, forced to hand over cash. There is no chance in Hell I would want to continue working with you in any capacity. I don't know what kind of power trip you've been on since we last met, but Bruce and I did not go into business with the man sitting across from me now."

There was a prolonged silence following Spencer's words, one Ezekiel was happy to let happen to give everyone chance to think about what had just been said. After a moment, he placed his hands flat on the table and sat up straight to look at Spencer and Billy. "Those are pretty damning accusations. I assume you lads have proof of that? Was I present when these cousins and close family friends were supposedly threatened? Was this cash handed to me? I assume such matters have been reported to the police, yet, here I am, clearly not guilty of the crimes you're suggesting."

"Do you mean the same coppers that are on your payroll?" Spencer looked away for a moment, irritated that everyone in the room knew the truth but Ezekiel was continuing to deny his deep corruption.

Letting out a chuckle, Ezekiel looked to Reign before focusing back on the two brothers again. "If anything, I would say such behaviours are more reflective of your family. We all know of the empire the Kings ran in London until your mysterious deaths." Ezekiel leaned forward, making sure to look each of the brothers in the eyes. "So it goes without saying, that if someone out there is making threats and demands, your family and friends know from experience you should continue to pay up. I imagine things would get very messy if not. How many times can someone come back from death?" he asked, clearly a warning hidden within his advice.

Pyroclast (Billy) Bellz (Reign)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Davies Residence
~ Kensington, London ~
Alessia Davies

​

Had Alessia known she was going to be as stressed out as she was, becoming a lawyer would've been the last thing she ever thought about becoming. Or maybe she would've chosen an easier specialty. Intellectual property or entertainment. Maybe she should've stuck with familial law. Then she wouldn't be tied up in the mess that she was and dealing with the mess that she was. Repeat offenders were the bane of her existence but even more so when they worked for her boss. Earlier that day she had won her court case for a defendant she'd gotten out of trouble several times now. She should've been happy that she was still on a winning streak, but she wasn't. "Reign, look. I'm all for doing what has to be done to get your guys out of trouble, but come on. They can't keep getting caught for doing the same shit." The first place Alessia visited was Reign's office. She was the more... Levelheaded option to speak with about matters like this. Her Uncle was sure to kill whoever was causing trouble and her father was always difficult to get an audience with. She didn't have time to waste and for sure didn't want her defendant dead. "These are your repeaters," she said, handing her 5 manila folders each with information and pictures. "They all have six strikes. Now, depending on the judge and prosecutor there's always a chance I can get them off, but that's not a guarantee. If you don't want to lose soldiers and have more attention pointed at you I suggest you have a talk or something with them."

Alessia wrapped things up with Reign and decided to take the rest of the day for herself. A nice lunch followed by a massage was just what she needed to get rid of the tension. She felt so much lighter leaving her masseuse and attempted to ride the high all the way home. Unfortunately, by the time her key entered the lock to her place it was gone. "Well, figure it out. No, no, no, we cannot lose, Carlisle. You need to dig deeper - if he's adamant about being innocent then find ways to fucking prove it. GLG hasn't lost a case yet and we're not going to start now, do you understand? You lose this case and you're looking for another firm to work for. If I have to cover your ass, you're looking for another firm to work for. You wanted to play with the big kids, here you go." Without allowing him another word, Alessia hung up her phone and took a deep breath. The scowl on her face was quickly replaced with a wide smile the second she walked inside her apartment. Bonnie & Clyde greeted her at the door, the former jumping on the latter as usual. "Alright now, Bonnie, one day Clyde is going to have enough of your kitty cat foolishness and treat you the way dogs are supposed to treat cats," she joked.

A few hours later Alessia found herself sitting on the couch with a glass of wine and a bowl of popcorn. Pride and Prejudice played on the tv for what seemed like the millionth time. So long as there were re-runs Alessia was tuning in. Just as Mr. Darcy was calming his nerves to propose to Elizabeth, there was a knock at her door. She groaned and threw the blanket off her lap in annoyance. "Just when I was getting to the good part," she grumbled. However, upon seeing who the visitor was that annoyed look on her face was half-way gone. Pride and Prejudice was her favorite and it didn't matter who it was - never interrupt her time with Elizabeth and Darcy. "I'd say what a lovely surprise, but you're interrupting my show, Officer Brooks," she teased. She opened the door wider and gestured for him to come in before looking at him properly. He seemed... Tense. More so than usual and perhaps even irritable. She could tell by the way he stood and the look on his face that something was bothering him, but instead of bringing attention to it right away, she led him to the kitchen and asked if he wanted anything to drink. "You know, we're not due for lunch until tomorrow." Bonnie and Clyde then ran up to him, running between his legs begging for his attention as per usual. "You two act like you haven't seen him in weeks, shoo." She softly kicked them away before handing him a glass of water. "Now. Unless you've gone and murdered someone and need legal representation, there better be a good reason you're interrupting wine and popcorn."

Christian ( Misty Gray )

West Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse
~ Undisclosed Location, London ~
Aurora Walsh​

There was nothing more boring than being in a van with people you weren't on good terms with or didn't know. Dermot was a new acquaintance, Jeremy was still scum, and Wesley still wasn't talking to her. For good reason, she guessed, but how long was he about to be upset with her? She was back, wasn't she? She apologized, right? There was the little issue with the fact that her leaving was a lie and that she was still lying but hey! What you don't know won't hurt you - at least, that's what she believed. And she thought that him knowing the truth would only make matters worse; that he'd really hate her forever if he knew why she left and that she orchestrated her re-assignment. If she were in his shoes, she would hate herself. But, he had to understand that it was all too much for her. Too heavy for her to deal with. That was acceptable... Right? She groaned out loud at her thoughts and ignored any looks or comments she received because of it. Sitting up in her seat she took a deep sigh. "Ya know," she said, clearing her throat, "They've got survey vans with swivel chairs now. Why do we not have swivel chairs?" She made her way towards the front, leaning between the two seats to see out of the window. She knew that Wesley was ignoring her, but she was going to make her presence known. Rory was going to make her presence known to him and get him to have a real conversation with her one way or another. Granted, that conversation meant she needed to tell the truth and the whole truth; a bridge to cross when she got there. "Swivel chairs next time, Wes."

She'd heard him mumble to himself and automatically looked his way. The second the two of them made eye contact Rory found herself wanting to blurt everything out. Her lips had even parted, but she stopped herself. This wasn't the time nor the place and she wasn't ready to face the repercussions of her actions. Luckily, Captain America got Wesley's attention and Rory was able to turn her attention elsewhere. He started talking and breaking down the plan - Rory moving back to her original seat to do one last check of all her weapons. Once she was finished, she hopped out and stuck a fresh piece of gum in her mouth. Just as she'd clicked the safety off her weapon she heard Thomas over the radio say he'd been shot, thinking it could've been a sniper. Wesley then gave orders which, she had to admit was very attractive to watch. "What about that sniper," she asked, immediately looking for what could be their vantage point. 'Where would I perch?' she thought to herself. Her head snapped back to Wesley as he ordered her to secure both Natalie and Thomas. With the lives of others in the balance, Rory switched on the serious version of her. It was one thing if it was just her life in the balance, but others? No, she wasn't going to gamble with their lives. "Be careful," she absentmindedly told Wesley - something she did before they split up on every mission they did together.

The next second she was creeping toward the warehouse, her head on a swivel. The fact that there was a possibility of a sniper being out just didn't sit well with her. They were dangerous and she wanted to take them out first. However, she couldn't just leave Thomas and Natalie struggling. "Fuck," she muttered, making her way up the stairs. Things seemed to be quiet and for a second Rory figured it was because they'd already taken everyone out. However, she was still going to keep her eyes peeled in case they missed- "Shit!" Rory noticed her attacker at the last second, using her gun to block the kick thrown at her abdomen. She didn't want to make any noise so she decided not to use her weapon. Instead, she ducked and avoided the punch he threw with his right fist looking for an opening. He had body armor on everywhere except... Rory fought dirty and what was dirtier than a swift kick between the legs? He keeled over and Rory delivered a swift punch to his left cheek followed by her knee into his chin. It was enough to startled him but not enough to have him out for the count. He groaned and kept swinging at her, Rory dodging and taking out her knife. His balance was still off and she took advantage and swept her leg underneath his. He fell hard to the ground and without so much as even a second glance she threw the knife into his throat.

Rory didn't even bother retrieving her knife before she continued up the stairs. "One more down. Moving to the second floor now." Once she was sure there weren't going to be any more surprises she moved to the third. "Alright, I'm here, but I don't see-," she stopped the moment she caught sight of Natalie and Thomas together. With the sniper in mind, Rory kept low to the floor and her eyes peeled. "G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane secured," she radioed in. She then looked at Natalie. "Injuries," she asked before turning to Thomas. "You feeling alright, soldier boy?"

Thomas, Wesley ( Bellz ) Natalie ( neverbackdown ) Jeremy ( BasDorcha )

 

[neverbackdown]

East Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse
~ Undisclosed Location, London ~

Natalie Smyth
​

As Natalie reached the stairs to take her up to the third floor she heard Thomas' voice on the walkie-talkie and froze for a moment, lingering in the shadows as she looked around her. "well shit" she muttered quietly to herself as she shook her head. Snipers were a completely different ball game and now changed the mission drastically if it was true, they were extremely dangerous as Natalie knew having trained as one herself and if there really was a sniper in the building then her and Thomas were essentially just sitting ducks and she didn't like it.

Moving up the stairs slowly with her eyes searching around her flickering towards every dark corner and high spot that she could see, Natalie made her way up to Thomas with an uneasy feeling filling her stomach. She closed her eyes for a second as she brushed down the bubbling nerves, deep deep down into the dark pits of her mind, if she gave into her nerves she was in more danger she needed to be calm and precise. She needed to get them both out of here alive and for that she needed to focus. Releasing a breath, Natalie opened her eyes and continued to the third floor, keeping herself low and in the shadows as much as she could, purposely moving in an almost zig zag so that if the sniper was watching her they wouldn't have a clean shot.

Once on the third floor it didn't take Natalie long to find Thomas. Her eyes moved over the dead body beside him before focusing on her partner "you alright, can you move?" she asked quietly as she bent down beside him looking him over for any other potential injuries and was glad to see that the vest did indeed work but she was sure that he was injured beneath it.

Not long after Natalie had got there she heard footsteps behind them and turned quickly, knife in hand ready to pounce but relaxed when her eyes landed on the familiar face. She gave Rory a nod in greeting "Ah nothing substantial but could be bad bruising under the vest" she commented motioning towards Thomas at the last part. When she really thought into her injuries she could feel the bruises and bumps beginning to show, taste the blood in her mouth from the hit to the jaw she endured earlier but in the grand scheme of things she was ok, she didn't need attention on it nor did she want it especially since she knew it would be brought up later on, coming home bruised and beaten after leaving out the finer details of this mission was not looking good for her but she couldn't help it. Natalie shook her head to rid her boyfriend from her thoughts he'd understand and besides she needed a clear head right now.

As Rory's attention turned towards Thomas, Natalie looked around them again making sure that their escape route ahead was clear, once happy that the route seemed to be clear she turned to look at Rory and Thomas again "okay so whats the plan we need to get down right?" she questioned quietly "can you make it down?" she asked directing the last question directly at Thomas.


*****************
Int:

Bellz - Thomas
Melanin-Gxdess - Aurora

 

[Misty Gray]

Tonic Tavern
~ Queen's Park Station, London ~

Emery Callahan​

Despite him causing her to fall over, Dawson's evident sense of humour made it hard to dislike him. He played along with her joke about his name before telling her his actual name, which she found herself strangely glad to learn. The man was insistent that he wasn't interested in the royal family, to which she nodded along but still displayed a playful disbelieving expression to further tease him.

Emery walked with him into the pub and didn't argue when he said he'd help her get her knee cleaned up. He didn't know her, so that left her to be the only one of them surprised that she was accepting his help at all. She decided she was going to roll with it and not put up a front like she normally would around her friends, family or colleagues. They approached the bar and the man serving them knew Dawson by name. She held her tongue as the two men spoke, then walked with Dawson to his usual booth. "First name basis with the bar staff and your own booth?" she asked as the approached the booth in question. "Do you have a drinking problem, Dawson? I'm afraid I'll be a very bad influence if that's the case. Alcohol is in my family's DNA," she joked.

Emery said down in the booth where Dawson had gestured and for a rare moment, she stayed quiet whilst she watched him kneel down by her leg. Usually, a situation like this would cause dozens of quips or innuendos to roll off her tongue, but for now nothing sprang to mind. She returned his shy smile when he told her he lived outside of London but liked to make trips. "Well, I hope you don't run into people often. I want to feel special about this," she told him. She watched as he opened the kit to tend to her wound. She had no doubt she could deal with her knee by herself, but she was curious to see how this went without her jumping in to take control. He spoke about New York, which brought a familiar smile to her face. Then the mention of pulling knives or guns out cause her to laugh, holding back from telling a man she'd just met just how much of her life was exposed to those weapons. "I'm afraid I left my knife and gun at home today... I'm not usually this forgetful," she commented.

Their eyes met for a time before Dawson realised and quickly shook his head to snap out of it. He was holding an alcohol wipe and about to clean her wound but he first asked her if he could help her, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. She quickly nodded her head, trying to figure the guy out and how he was still so willing to help after she'd initially been harsh towards him. He was being a gentleman, that was for sure. "I don't mind. It's only my knee. Not like you're touching my tits or anything..." Emery stopped, mentally berating herself for the comment. "What I mean is, it doesn't make me uncomfortable," she said, softening her voice.

"I lived in New York for a while," she told him, hoping to distract from any awkwardness. She felt the stinging as the alcohol wipe touched her open wound, but didn't show any discomfort to it. "I was just a kid when I moved there, but I lived there through most of my teens. I guess the people are nicer here, but everywhere has unpleasantness. I've lived in Dublin before and that was a mixed bag too."

Once her wound was clean and her knee patched up, Emery looked down and smiled. "Well, Dr Dawson the New York Barger, that's fine work right there," she told him. Once he was seated opposite her and the drinks had been brought to them, Emery took a long drink from her pint glass before setting it down on the table. "I think this makes things even now," she told him. "So you're not obliged to stay here - although, if you do leave, I may seize ownership of this booth from hereon. You'll have to start sitting in at the table in the dark corner, near the weird-looking group of tourists," she told him. Turning a little more serious, she studied his face for a moment before speaking again. "So what made you live in London? Have you got family and friends here?"

Bellz (Dawson)

 

[Misty Gray]

Construction Site
~ Limehouse, London ~

Damian Nicolosi and Zachary Costa​

Damian stood and gave Abel space as the younger man retrieved the blueprints. He watched with intrigue as he opened them out across the table for both of them to see. He leaned in closer when Abel pointed to a section of the plans. Listening as he explained why the area was a good spot to bury something he didn't want finding, he nodded along with interest. He studied the plans, seemingly committing to memory as much as he could. "Well, that sounds perfect, doesn't it?" he enthusiastically asked, a bright smile flicking onto his face. "And within a week it will all be gone and buried forever. It would add a little spirit to the building, wouldn't it? Let's face it, a lab needs bit of character adding to it."

Damian took a step back and gave Abel an agreeable nod. "Thank you, Abel. Your insight had been most appreciated. I'll make sure our boss knows how helpful you've been tonight." Taking his mobile phone again, he made a call to the second number on his burner phone. "Okay, it's time. Bring him in." Ending the call, Damian smiled at Abel. "We're almost done here. I just need one more thing from you before you can go home to that lovely wife of yours."

*****​

Zachary laughed when Jake said he was waiting for the right girl to come along. "Don't waste too much time, will you? Maybe get out there and be the right guy who comes along into the lady's life," he suggested. With the conversation diverted onto him, Zachary decided not to press his friend any further and would instead answer the question that had been redirected onto him. "I'm also single," he confirmed. "But I did meet someone a couple of weeks back. Her name is Melissa - hot as hell and I gave her my personal driving tour around London. It all stayed above board, but if I happened to see her again, then who knows--"

Zachary had been cut short when his muted phone began to vibrate on the dashboard as a call came through. Answering the call, he heard Damian's voice on the other end giving them their cue. "Alright, we're up," he told Jake. He turned on the car engine but kept the headlights off before reversing into the entrance of the construction site, making sure not to fully commit but to at least keep the car off of the public street. He and Jake then got out of the car to open the boot where the man had been kept for the last hour. Keeping the burlap sack tied around the man's head, they dragged him out of the car and onto his feet. The anonymous man's hands remained tied, but Zachary cut through the rope around his legs. "Get your fucking balance," he threatened him, wanting the man to walk with minimal help from them. The continued muffled sounds confirmed the man's mouth was still taped shut. Zachary supposed it was easier keeping their victim anonymous, but he was still curious as to who he was.

Jake and Zachary bundled the man into Abel's office, with the latter kicking him at the back of his legs to force him down onto his knees. "Ahh, here he is," Damian said, talking over the kidnapped man's muffled cries. He then signalled for Zachary to return outside to keep an eye on the car and make sure nobody joined them. "This bundle of a mess was found snooping where he doesn't belong," he informed Abel. "My money is on him being one of your cousin's lot," the told Abel, referring to the Kings.

"The thing is..." Damian began, making it seem like what he was about to say to Abel was somehow difficult for him. "I still need solid proof that you can be trusted." He turned to Jake and held his hand out. "Give me the gun," he asked, expecting Jake to hand him the pistol he'd told him to hold on to until needed. He then approached the man who was on the floor, pushing his head downwards to stop him from trying to stand. He pressed the barrel of the gun into the back of the man's skull all the while looking Abel in the eyes. "Right here. You're going to take this gun, press it right here, and pull the trigger," he commanded Abel. "Your wife may be gutsy, but if my friends don't receive a call from me telling them this job's done, then they will redecorate your living room with her blood. Are we clear?" he asked as he stood straight and held out the gun for Abel to take from him. "It's this guy, or your wife. Who would you rather keep alive?" he asked as he looked Abel straight in the eyes.

BasDorcha (Abel) neverbackdown (Jake)

 

[Pyroclast]

King Remedial
~ City of London, London ~

Billy King​

Billy enjoyed Reign’s roundabout answer to his question, that her business was in her loyalty to her family. He couldn’t help but grin, though did his best to make it look genuine rather than mocking. “I don’t dispute your loyalty,” he clarified. She was clearly offended by his prior words so he allowed her to argue for her credibility. At the fake smile she showed him, Billy had to bite down on his lip to suppress his amusement.

Once he had composed himself, he let a more serious expression settle upon his face. “In some ways, we’re not too different, Reign,” he pointed out. “You don’t have to explain what family means to you, or how hard you worked to get where you are. I know what loyalty and hard work mean. You’re just 20 years behind.”

While the meeting really felt more of an ambush, Billy decided that he was glad to have been caught up in it after all. Reign had been just a child when Billy had last been in London, and he hadn’t really known any of the Carter children other than by name - and even then, he had more important things to remember. Still, it was interesting to see the kind of woman she had become: enterprising and dogmatic, just like her father. It made him wonder how her siblings had turned out. He hoped differently, as he could tell that she was the sort to cause headaches, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with more of the same.

Eventually, Spencer and Ezekiel ended up talking about the future of King Remedial and the reasons why Spencer would not be renewing the contract with Carter Technologies. Since he himself had never been a business owner, nor had any professional involvement in his brother’s pharmaceutical company, Billy sat back and sipped on his drink while Spencer made his case to the Carter boss. Ezekiel was right, the accusations were strong, but Billy knew them to be true. That the man was feigning innocence was almost laughable, were it not such a grave matter. However, when he turned the spotlight to the Kings’ disappearance back in 1985, Billy set his glass down and sat up straight, his steady eyes fixed on Ezekiel’s. There was an implicit threat of murder in his words that Billy found infuriating - or maybe it was the concern that they wouldn’t be able to help Daisy out of her situation.

“Mr. Carter, I’m just gonna speak plainly, now,” Billy said, after an uncomfortable silence. “My brother and I ain’t stupid. It’s obvious that you’re tryna’ make us out to be fools - actin’ like we’re the ones disrespectin’ you by endin’ the business deal with Carter Tech, talkin’ up your prices and quality as if you might win us over, all while you’re fucking our family and friends.” He raised his hands to make air quotes as he added, “‘Clearly not guilty’ - yeah, ‘cause we all know you’re only guilty when the judge says so. Well, keep on denyin’ it if you want, it makes no difference to us if you pretend to have nothin’ to do with the little fuckers who work for you. Besides, if you are tellin’ the truth, then I guess they’re fair game, right?” Billy glanced to Spencer. “I suppose we can just deal with them as we need to, then, Spence. Since Mr. Carter is so clearly not guilty of any such crimes.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Ezekiel, Spencer
Bellz Reign

 

[Misty Gray]

Davies Residence
~ Kensington, London ~

Christian Brooks​

The drive to Kensington had taken Christian longer than it should have. After the heated argument with May, he needed to cool off before getting to Alessia's place so as not to overwhelm her if he went off on a rant. The drive did give him time to cool down. He knew things were said in the heat of the moment that perhaps wouldn't have been so harsh had they both been calm. However, the fact remained that his marriage was over and in reality it had been for a long time. It meant Trevor was right, but when it came down to it, his marriage to May needed to end and they needed to live apart.

Christian knocked on Alessia's door, waiting for his friend to answer, he briefly checked his phone to make sure he hadn't missed any messages. When the door was pulled open, he shoved his phone into his pocket and looked up to see Alessia. She teased him about interrupting her show, to which he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well I do apologise. I hope it's not one of those rubbish soap operas," he drily remarked, his Scottish accent someone sounding stronger. Despite his comment, his face naturally turned stoic as he was still weighed down by what had just gone down with May.

He followed Alessia into the kitchen and when offered a drink, he stopped short of asking for something strong, instead requesting a water. All of the arguing earlier had made him thirsty. She pointed out that they were due to meet for lunch tomorrow. "Yeah, I know..." he trailed off, his attention drawn to the cat and dog as they commanded it. It was a welcomed distraction for the moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. He reached down to stroke each of the pets for a short time. "I'm a dog person, but Bonnie is still sweetest cat I've met," he commented.

With the pets shooed away by Alessia, Christian stood straight and accepted his water, taking a long drink from the glass. When she asked what good reason he had for interrupting her, he let out an awkward laugh. "Actually, I may well require your legal services. Not that I've murdered anyone. I've definitely not murdered anyone, no matter how much Trevor gets on my wick and makes me want to throttle him. No... But I just had a huge blow up with May. Of course, she's blaming everything on me and making out like she's been a prisoner this whole time. I'm done with it, done with her. So we're getting divorced. No more fucking about - I'm done with her. But, I need to make sure she doesn't stop me from seeing Jensen and Chloe. She was making out like I was some absentee father, ignoring everything I do for and with the kids..." Christian stopped himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I told myself I wasn't going to offload about all this to you." He took a deep breath, wondering if it was possible to switch off. "Did you have some popcorn left?" he asked, trying to lighten the tone for her.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alessia)

 

[Misty Gray]

Harper Residence
~ Stoke Newington, London ~

Kerry King​

Kerry apprehensively nodded when Blake agreed it was a good time for them to address the elephant in the room. She took a deep breath to try keep her nerves calm as she anticipated how the conversation would go down. She felt saddened as Blake explained how she'd made Conor and the others tell her everything about what had happened when Jackson was killed. Kerry met her eyes, part of her worried what she would see staring back at her; dreading picking up on any hate in Blake. Instead, the woman told her she'd never blamed her for what happened to Jackson. Although she was shocked by that information, Kerry allowed herself to relax her shoulders, having not realised how tense they'd been.

Kerry nodded in understanding about how his death had shattered Blake's and his children's words. Blake acknowledged what it seemed Conor and others had struggled to see about the situation; that Kerry did what she had to do in order to survive. Feeling her eyes watering, Kerry lifted her hand to delicately dab at them whilst telling herself not to get upset. She listened as she was told that the men in Blake's family didn't understand how life was for both of them as women. She also seemed to know what it was like to be used as a pawn, which Kerry attributed to the wars the Irish mob fought, between the Morettis and other organisations.

Kerry quickly nodded when Blake apologised for the way the men had treated her in the past. Whilst she hadn't spoken with Syd to work out how he felt these days, Conor had already cleared the air and she knew Adam was ready to do so too. Though she had been terrified staring down the barrel of the gun that Adam had aimed at her, there had been times in the years that followed where her guilt had made her wish he had pulled the trigger. But she eventually moved on from those traumatic and guilty feelings, which allowed her to build a life she was now thankful for every day.

"I understand why they all treated me the way they did, but it means a lot to hear you say that," she told Blake. "The part I played in leading your family into that trap haunted me at the time, after, and will always be something I think about. You and I never spoke about it before now..." she began, nervously chewing her bottom lip. "I'd been tortured and threatened for days before Gabriel made me lead Conor and the others into that trap. What he threatened me with if I didn't do it was a fate worse than death. And that's not me trying to excuse what I did, but I was terrified and already beaten, physically and mentally. I spent a lot of time after that wondering what I could have said or done differently, but to this day I still can't think of a way where I could have stopped Jackson from being killed and avoided the twisted fate those monsters threatened me with."

Folding her arms tightly around herself as the thought of the grim path her life could have been forced along sent a chill down her spine. "Thank you." she said, her voice quiet and prompting her to clear her throat so she could speak louder. "After all of this time, it means so much to be able to speak with you now. I wouldn't have held it against you if you could never forgive or understand what I did, but it's a huge relief to hear this from you."

The thought of her children suffering because of bad blood was a scary one to Kerry. "With everything in common, I hope we can get along. Whilst I have Shona in the same position as us, I'm glad you and I have a chance at getting along too. The thought of this war with the Carters and Alex's part in it is terrifying. It would be good if we can all stick together and keep each other sane," she admitted. Kerry never wanted to think of losing Alex and her children losing their father. Blake and her children had sadly already had to live through that with Jackson's death.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Bellz]

King Remedial
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

"Do I?" Reign challenged Spencer as he said that she knew exactly what Billy was implying, her voice light as a feather. Her expression fell, now deadpanned, no longer amused by the conversation but not wanting to show the annoyance on her face. Her eyes briefly looked to Spencer to challenge him to speak further and when he did, she let out an unamused laugh. He was calling her family out for getting their hands dirty and denying business due to reputation issues. "I highly doubt it. Given the reputation your family has in this city. Dead or not. Can't clean the dirt you boys have on your hands off that easily, from what I understand...Wild you would accuse me and my siblings of having any sort of dirt, considering you were recently buried 6 feet under it."

Reign struggled with patience to begin with. Internally at least. But when it came to men....smug men. Well, something about them really just made her want to reach across the table and smack that look off his face. She was being fake, of course. But Billy looked on the verge of laughter. It was inappropriate, given the position Billy found himself in with his brother. Her face didn't move from the motionless expression, as he said they weren't so different. It was laughable, truly—a white male, telling her that he understood exactly what hard work meant...what loyalty meant. Almost as if he didn't realize the whole world was his ally. Ignorance truly is fucking bliss.

While Billy's expression had settled into a more serious one, Reign finally allowed herself to relax her deadpanned one. With his little speech over with, she leaned back in her seat, moving her hands in front of her so that her fingertips were touching.

"We are not the same." Reign said, her tone matter-o-fact sounding, dismissing his entire point.

Her eyes then turned to her father as he went on to say that Carter Tech was the most lucrative in the country and favorable in reputation internationally. Spencer seemed to be done with the 'civil' conversation, closing the file and sliding it back at her father and her. Reign just looked at him, her eyes giving him a hard glare as she continued to lean back in her seat. Even when the accusations came, she didn't move from her spot, just listening with practiced patience as her blood boiled under the surface of her skin.

Everything that was said was true. And? If they weren't going to play along with their rules, then it didn't matter anymore.

Reign let out a laugh at the same time her father did, smiling genuinely as she watched Spencer look irritated. "Or planned?" Reign wondered out loud, on the subject of their deaths, cocking her head at the brothers as she eyed them both. She watched for any reaction before looking away, a planned tactic herself. She looked like she hadn't seen anything from them. "My guess is only once." Reign said in response to her father, now giving the Kings a pretty smile while imagining stabbing them herself. Billy then spoke up and Reign turned to look at him with contempt in her eyes, her smile fading.

"I think you can do whatever you'd like to do, Billy." Reign said, her voice holding just a bit of malice to it. "But things are different since you resurrected. Reputation is everything in this day and age of technology and you'll find that people don't take too kindly to...brutality...of any kind. Whether you think it's just or not. But if you consider yourself to be the judge, jury, and executioner to people who are...not found guilty of anything in the eyes of the law and have the proof to back it up. That's your prerogative. It just proves even further that we are not the same." Reign gave her father a brief look, hoping he wasn't upset for the challenge she so openly shoved in the Kings' faces.
with: Spencer + Ezekiel Misty Gray ; Billy Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

The Porter Residence
~ Holland Park, London ~

Roxie Porter​

Roxie observed her husband, trying to anticipate his reaction to the conversation that left him speechless. It was always a toss-up how he would react. Usually, she could handle it, but now, she was unable to hold herself together. The loss of control in front of her husband, even after being together for so long, made her feel ashamed. But Roxie was too exhausted to put up a front anymore.

She looked down at the floor, unable to watch her husband as he began to fall apart. She couldn't be his anchor, at least not right now. But Syd surprised her with his honesty about not wanting to go back to the chaotic life they had before. Roxie's blue eyes filled with tears as she understood the painful choices he had to make. She tried to hold back her tears and cover her mouth, feeling that her tears were unnecessarily violent for a conversation like this.

Silently, she nodded her head at Syd's words, as he said he had other skills and that he could do other things. Moving her hands from her mouth, Roxie managed to say, "I know you can. You're great at it all." It came out as a breathy gasp that she didn't recognize. She winced as she sucked in a deep breath to try and calm herself down, but it didn't work. Syd said that when this was over then he was out. But that didn't solve anything and Roxie's mind panicked. Even as he reached for her, grabbed her hands, and kissed them affectionately, she was rigid...like a deer in headlights as anxiety gripped her thoughts.

Now, instead of fixating on one thought, all of them were jumbling into a giant ball of useless words and phrases. The comforting touch of Syd's lips against her hands felt like fire on her cold skin, and she thought she was going to burst into flames. What was he saying? The thoughts were loud. Send the kids with Sinead and Peter? J.J. included. She would go with them and give them a head start on that normal life, but I have to stay.

Roxie's eyes met Syd's and she lightly shook her head as if to object. But she knew the deal, she knew what was agreed to. He kissed her hands again, tears in his own eyes and Roxie's face crumpled in deep sorrow and pain. “I’m not leaving.” The pain in her voice was evident but it was strong, not lacking conviction. She never left him to his own devices, and she wouldn’t start now, even if every fiber of her being wanted to run as far away from all of this as possible, even if it was better for her health.

“The kids…the kids won’t either. Especially J. I know it because they are our kids.” Roxie let out a broken laugh through her thick tears, shaking her head. "The life I have with you, the life we created. Our kids. Nothing brings me more pride, more happiness than that. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I get to wake up every single day next to you, baby. Normal life or not.” Roxie croaked, "But…normal people stand to lose so much less than we do. And I have lost…” Her teeth clenched together, nipping the thought in the bud as it started to run wild.

"We’ve all lost so much.” Roxie's said instead, her voice full of sadness. It felt like her mind was everywhere.

"J.J. has it in his head that he has to do this, that he has to be a part of this and I barely want you a part of this." Her voice cracked, "Which is why when I came to you, I needed you to agree with me on it. Now he's in it. And I can't lose him like we've lost Jeanie, Syd. It hurts so much that I'm not talking to him but that's my doing, if he won't talk to me...I'll...I'll..."Roxie couldn't even finish the sentence, shaking her head as the air was pressed from her lungs and she saw stars in her panic. "I need to-- She squeaked out, trying to say she needed to sit down but her knees went weak to the point that she leaned into Syd unexpectedly for support.
with: Syd Pyroclast (she's not dying so calm down lol, just a little out of breath from all that heavy lifting she does for the family )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Davies Residence
~ Kensington, London ~
Alessia Davies

​

Even his joke felt off, Alessia thought to herself. Normally his sarcastic comments were followed by a smile of some sort but not this one. He was still as rigid and stoic as the first day she met him; which told her something was wrong with him. She slid the glass of water over to him and watched his every move. The creases on his forehead, the way he stood, and even the way the animals seemed to calm him down even for just a moment. But, instead of poking she would allow him to open up to her on his own. She scoffed when he called Bonnie a sweet girl. “You do know why I named her that, right?” Alessia shook her head and moved to the opposite side of the center island. She gestured to the cushioned stool, offering him a seat before doing the same. “Anyone who knows about Bonnie and Clyde knows she was wilder, crazier, more morally corrupt than he was. It just took the right one to bring it out of her… Or wrong, depending on who you ask.”

Alessia thought that talking about something else for a second would put Christian’s mind at ease. Get him a bit more comfortable and not so… Tense. There was a silence for a moment before Christian finally began to delve into what was bothering him. As soon as he mentioned needing her legal help she sat up straight in her seat. Her mind started racing, wondering what sort of legal assistance he could possibly need. He was the golden boy so no way he had killed anyone; and if he had, he wouldn’t be at her place acting so calm. Alessia’s eyebrows shot up and she it her hand out to ask him to slow down, but he kept going. Then divorce was brought up, followed by custody of their children. Alessia would be lying if she said she wasn’t taken aback but the suddenness of it all. Well, she thought, was it really all that sudden? Based on the conversations they’d had in the past it was only a matter of time before he was fed up; before he decided he wanted better for himself and for his children. She just didn’t think it would happen the way it was. He paused then, apologizing for unloading and Alessia just shook her head. “You don’t ever have to apologize for confiding in me, Brooks, you know this,” she softly said, resting her hand on his knee. “I should apologize though.” She paused and let her comment hang in the air before patting his knee. “Giving you water when you clearly need something stronger.” She hopped down from her seat and disappeared down the hall for a moment. Inside her office had been a nearly full bottle of Macallan 1926 whiskey. A bottle given to her as a gift by someone who didn’t know she was a wine drinker. She grabbed the bottle and walked back to the kitchen, getting her thoughts together.

“Alright,” she said once she’d re-entered the kitchen. “From my legal expertise, I would have to take a look at everything, you know? When it comes to divorce and custody battles it’s rare the father wins both or even comes out on top.“ She grabbed two small glasses and put a round ice cube in both before adding in the whiskey. “I’ve seen women way worse than May win both - it’s part of the reason I turned away from divorce court. Which,” she exclaimed, sliding his glass over to him before looking directly into his eyes. “I am rusty with, I won’t lie. If it’s alright with you, I may need a little extra help from a colleague.“ She then bit her lip thinking about it. “There’s a whole mess of stuff I’m going to need from you, Christian.” She only ever used his first name when she was being serious. “I don’t foresee this being an easy fight, either. So, please, make sure this is something you really do want to do.” It wasn’t just the strain of long, legal proceedings that had her worried. The second he mentioned wanting a divorce, something ignited inside of her. Well, more like the flames that were already burning had been stroked and fed. ‘Maybe,’ she thought, ‘This was a good thing for us both.’ She was honestly unsure how long she’d be able to watch the one who got away suffer the way Christian seemed to be. But as soon as she realized that’s what she was thinking she blinked the thought away. That’s not what he was here for and it’s not what he needed just then.

Clearing her throat she took her seat once more and shook her head. “But, Christian, are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I mean, a divorce is huge! It’s going to be taxing on you, her, the kids. Maybe even those around you. I’m all for, you know, supporting your decision, but, are you thinking this through?” Her heart was pounding, mind screaming at her to shut up. “Like, have the two of you tried couples therapy at the very least? Maybe the issues you two have are… Superficial and you can work through it - at the very least for the kids.” Alessia was trying her best to be supportive and not say what she really wanted to. She didn’t want to complicate things nor take advantage of how low he seemed to be feeling. Taking advantage of other people was okay for her, but when it came to Christian it was completely different.

​

 

[BasDorcha]

Construction Site

~Limehouse, London~​

Abel Stewart

Watching carefully, he examined Damian as he looked over the blue prints and looked at what Abel was pointing too. The smile that flickered across his face was anything but warming and made Abel feel even sicker in his stomach. Damian smiling was like looking at a dead body and seeing its features still moving. It was very wrong and not natural at all. It left an uneasy feeling in his soul that he couldn't displace. The idea of adding a little 'spirit' to the building was just a little to accurate for his liking and he couldn't force a laugh or response to Damian so he just nodded his head, silently. Just when he thought it was over though, he wasn't and his stomach did a double flip as he knew something worse had to be coming. Damian looked entirely thrilled and that couldn't be good for him.

When Damian called another person and told them to bring someone in, his heart beat increased three fold. What was going on here? Were they coming to jump him? Couldn't Damian do that alone? He desperately wanted to feel the handle of his pistol in his hand again but knew it would do no good, Damian had him trapped and he either helped or he was going to end up the one buried under the cement and possibly his wife Alice alongside him. A shake filled him as he sat back in his seat and waited to see what was going to happen, a million bad things running through his mind. When a new person, a man, was forced through the door bound, gagged (assumingly) and with a bag over his head, he paled despite his best efforts. Was he about to see another murder? What the hell did he have to do to stop this happening in front of him?

The blanch worsened at Damian's words - One of your cousin's lot. Did that mean it was one of his own family members. Shaking visibly, he stood and moved to the edge of the desk and gripped the edge of it for support, unable to make a noise despite wanting to ask a million questions. The next words nearly took his feet out from beneath him, hearing what Damian wanted was like a gut punch of the worst kind. "Wha-What?" He gulped, not moving to take the gun. The last statement made it clear he didn't have much of a choice. It was Alice or this guy he couldn't tell who was. He stared Damian down, unable to react. "Damian, I'm not a killer, I can't. My wife doesn't deserve to be part of this, she's a good woman, but I can't kill a man." He stumbled out, trying to talk his way out of it. When that failed, he gulped and struggled to breath, barely able to get air to his lungs.

Slowly he stepped forward, taking the gun and holding it in his hands. It felt lighter than his, but he didn't know enough about guns to know why. He hefted it in his hand, hanging it at his side uncertainly as life flashed before his eyes - images of his childhood and the things his father had taught him about being a good person, images of his family and his wife and their potential future. One day kids maybe even flashed with the images of potential growth of their little coupling and he knew he didn't really have a choice in this. With hands shaking like that of a new born babe trying to reach for their first bottle, he slowly lifted the gun, barely able to keep it steady as he pointed it at the back of the man's head.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He said quietly, holding the barrel to the back of the mans head for much longer than necessary before he finally put his finger on the trigger, took a breath and pulled. If you had asked Abel, the sound ricocheted around the room, louder than a normal gun blast, sounding like death itself but as time passed he realized the man was still sitting there, not covered in blood, his hands still clean. Gasping, he fall to his knees and gripped the ground, unable to control the blurring wetness in his eyes. Either the gun was empty or he had a misfire, either case, the man was still alive though Abel felt like the bullet had ripped straight through him.

Misty Gray - Damian and co

 

[BasDorcha]

West Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse

~ Undisclosed Location, London ~​

Jeremy Gray

Jeremy listened as Wesley and Aurora both commented as they left the van. Jeremy meanwhile was quiet, focused, paying attention to the movements of their soon to be prey ahead. As they neared, Aurora slipped away and made her way in, Jeremy, Dermot and Wesley splitting up to handle the four on the lower floor. Jeremy came around a corner and caught two of them ahead. Quietly, he radioed over, "Two ahead, on my nine oclock." Silently he moved up closer, keeping his back to the wall as the two talked ahead, seeming alert but not moving to assist as they appeared to be watching the area around them. Pulling out his silenced pistol, he got as close as he could before he finally let a bullet fly, catching the first man in the back of the head and sending him sprawling instantly to the floor, not moving. The second man was on him in a flash and a struggle ensued.

Jeremy felt the second man grab his wrist and attempt to twist the nine millimeter from his grip, but he held tightly, rearing his head back and smashing it into the assailants face as his free hand was struggling with the grip on it as well. The man fell backwards, slightly loosening his grip on Jeremy enough he could break free. Jeremy jerked his limbs back, spinning and sending a quick kick to the mans gut. A groan filled the air as Jeremy was caught off guard and kicked at the shins, feeling a splintering feeling shoot up to his knee. "FUCK!" He growled, taking a tentative step back and receiving more of the same feeling. If he had to guess, the man had just fractured his shin bone and each step was just making it worse. Ignoring the pain, he quickly pulled his pistol back up and laid a second bullet into the man gasping on the floor to regain his breath from the initial sensation of getting the air knocked out of him.

He grabbed his radio and radioed back to the group, "Two down. Injured but standing." Taking it as easy as he could on his leg, he limped back towards the exit door. "Standing cover at exit. Can't take the stairs." He quietly called over to them. He leaned against the frame in a dark spot, keeping eyes on the different entrances and exits within his view. He may not be able to climb the stairs and continue helping, but he could cover their backs from down here. Instead, he went to checking windows, looking to see if he could spot the sniper. When he finally spotted them, he called over the coms again. "Rory… West side. Roof top."

 

[Bellz]

West Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse
(Thomas - 3rd floor/ Wesley - Ground to 3rd)
~ Undisclosed Location, London ~

Wesley Roberts​

Rory asked about the sniper, which was the last thing on his mind when it should have been the first. But his mind was going a mile a minute and the sniper was new! The fact that it hadn't shot at them yet was alarming but he would have to worry about that once everyone separated. Rory then looked at him, telling him to be careful and he stared at her. They often said it to each other before they split up on a mission, every mission they went on together. To most people it was just normal well wishes, hope that their partner would return but...Wesley always understood it as something more with Rory, given the fact that she had a hard time communicating her feelings to begin with. All he could do was nod her way, the words caught in his throat as she turned away without a second for him to catch his breath.

Watching her leave, Wesley, Jeremy, and Dermot then split up. Wesley was...distracted. Which tended to leave him in trouble and other people, the wrong people dead. Shaking his head, Wesley reached for his pistol holding it in a defensive position pointed at the floor, switching the safety off. Jeremy's voice told him he had two at nine o'clock. "I got one." Wesley radioed in, seeing another straight ahead of him. The man was twice his size. How that was even possible, he had no idea considering he was a pretty big man himself.

After the shots rang out closer to Jeremy's position, the man looked a little less distracted by his teeny tiny cell phone in his hand and flipped it shut. Shit. From his position behind a large load of cargo boxes, Wesley sprang out of his hiding spot towards the man whose back was now turned. Aiming, he shot at his back but managed to get the lower thigh. What the fu-? Why was he so shaky?? The man growled out in pain but didn't fall to the floor like Wes would have expected, turning around the man looked at him with such rage in his eyes that it made him stop dead in his tracks. "Woah there." He said, aiming his gun at his chest. "Take it easy." But the man didn't charge him like he thought he would.

Rory...West Side...Roof Top.. Wesley's eyes widened as he went to dive towards the cargo again for cover, risking getting scuffed up in the process as the man he'd been ready to shoot and kill charged him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." He scrambled behind the cargo boxes, ducking the best he could just as the man appeared in his line of vision, gun drawn. Wesley screamed, throwing a fist out and hitting the man in the nose before knocking the gun out of his hand. Without a second thought, he shot him, in the face, eyes closing as he felt something he wished he didn't splash all over his face.

"FUCK ME!" He cried out, but his horror didn't last as long as it could have, when a sniper shot rang out, close to his shoulder, penetrating through the cargo box. Wesley gasped staying still and low. Hoping that would be enough to convince the gunmen he'd been shot, he waited 2 minutes before looking around the corner of the cargo boxes. Once he was sure he had a clear shot toward the entrance of the warehouse, he made a ran for it.

Only when he reached the west entrance did he see Jeremy, seeing he looked injured. "Another injury? Grand. Just fuckin' grand." He asked, but waved his hand, out of breath. "Never mind that now, sniper almost took my head off. Guess you are stayin' here. I'll collect the others, the evidence. Then we torch this place." Wesley looked irritated as all hell, shaken, and just ready to quit but he wouldn't until the job was done. "Dermot, mate. Did you take out that other guy? Jeremy needs your assistance. I'm gonna collect the others."

As if she'd heard him, Rory had radioed in. "Ah, here I was thinkin' she'd been faffin' around, as usual," Wesley grumbled before shaking his head. "Stay here." He said to Jeremy before heading towards the stairs. "I'm coming up." Wes radioed in to Rory.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha (stayyyyyyy, stay.) ; Dermot Misty Gray (also stay)

East Side of the Carter Druggie Warehouse
~ Undisclosed Location, London ~

Thomas Porter​

Thomas pulled his head to find Natalie inching towards him. "I'm fine." He said, "Can I move? Sure. But I don't think it would be wise to." Thomas's eyes looked past her momentarily, hoping no one else was coming up the stairs. Fortunately, the person who did happen to come up the stairs wasn't one he would have to gun down or use the giant tow chain he'd managed to grab. "Oh hilarious," Thomas said, his voice full of dry sarcasm as Rory called him G.I. Joe and Natalie, G.I. Jane. He was silent as Rory asked about Natalie's injuries before she turned to him, asking him if he was feeling alright, calling him soldier boy. "I'm fine. I'll be bruised for about a month...maybe two. But part of the game, isn't it? Spy kid?" Thomas smirked Rory's way. Thomas heard that the Sniper was on the rooftop, causing him to perk a brow.

"How did he get up there?" But then his eyes went to the closet area that he had been sure was nothing more than a closet before. "We might have missed something in the planning." He said just as he heard shuffling coming up the stairs.

Wesley was low to the ground and had been able to hear just in time what Thomas was saying, "That can't be right. We had the current floor plans for this place." He said, looking between the three of them. "You all okay?" He asked before looking towards the closet door that Thomas had been referring to. "You think that leads up to the roof then?" He asked and Thomas nodded his head, "It could." Wesley looked at Rory before looking at Natalie and Thomas.

"How fucked up are you?" Wesley then asked, "I can walk." Thomas said, "You can grab evidence?" Wes asked further and Thomas nodded his head. Wesley then looked at Thomas and Natalie for a moment longer before looking at Rory. "You and Natalie will go collect the evidence then. Take my pack. Rory, you and I are gonna check out the roof. Don't start the fire until we are on the ground floor, got it? Evidence is located near the east wing, ground floor. Take what you can in the backpacks and wear gloves, the rest will be torched like we said." Wesley looked to Natalie and Thomas before nodding his head, "Jeremy's on the ground if you need him but try not to because he's out of sorts. Dermot is also on the ground. Rory and I will take out the sniper and head to you as soon as possible."

Thomas nodded his head before looking to Natalie, "Alright, let's do this." He said, "Don't worry, you don't have to carry me down the stairs." He offered a grin before moving to drag himself up into a low seated position with a groan. With that, he started to move towards the stairs and Wesley silently moved towards the door he'd mentioned in the back corner, giving a single nod Rory's way for her to follow.
with: Natalie neverbackdown (back to the ground floor we go) ; Rory Melanin-Gxdess (to kill a Sniper we go)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Porter Residence
~ Holland Park, London ~

Syd Porter​

Seeing the love of his life in such anguish hurt Syd on a visceral level. All he wanted was to soothe her and take her worries away. He could feel the ache in her chest spread into his own as if they were one body, and almost wished she would break down crying so she could get some release, instead of her feelings and thoughts getting stuck in that tight, airless space that made it so hard to breathe. His hands cupped her face, brushing her tears away as they fell, watching as her face screwed up in pain.

Then, predictably, she told him she wasn’t going to leave. The dilemma was impossible to solve; Syd knew that he wouldn’t be able to cope if she and the kids left him even temporarily, but equally if they stayed then he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to keep them safe. He didn’t know the Carters, but if they were anything like the Irish Workers Union or the Morettis or how the Kings had been back in the 80s, he understood that family members were a prime target. Multiple attempts had been made on Roxie’s life, and even his children had been made witnesses to the murder of someone in their lives. He had no greater fear than losing his family, especially by his own failure, and he knew that was best avoided by sending them away. But Roxie was his anchor - he couldn’t win against his own demons with her fighting them alongside him. He needed his head on straight if he was going to keep the rest of his family safe throughout the mission Interpol had set them on, and he was sure he couldn’t do that without her help.

“But Roxie -” he tried to argue, but then she pointed out that he wouldn’t be able to keep the kids away anyway. When he thought about it, she was probably right - the chances of J.J. leaving the family during hard times were extremely low, and Jane, Lucia and Sebastian needed him as much as they needed Roxie. To part from them even temporarily would be too hard for everyone involved. Another tear spilled down his cheek as Roxie explained that her family brought her nothing but pride and happiness, as did getting to wake up next to him every morning. “Me too, baby, me too,” he replied without hesitation.

An ache flourished behind his eyes and Syd realised that he was getting stuck in that claustrophobic space now, too, like the air was being vacuumed out of his lungs, leaving a tight pressure in his chest and head. While of course he was glad she was finally talking to him, it didn’t make it any easier to hear what she was now telling him. “I know, I know,” he said, his voice wavering. “And I’ve almost lost you too many times, and I can’t -” The memories were so terrible that to even suggest that it could ever happen again made the words catch in his throat.

Before he could bring himself to finish his sentence, Roxie explained her own concern: that J.J. involving himself in the war could mean losing him. That he might end up like James, Jackson, Tommy, Ryan. Even Matthew, who wasn’t even a part of the life, had got too close and wound up getting killed. She expressed her disappointment that Syd had given their son permission to join the efforts against the Carters, effectively ignoring Roxie’s fears and concerns for his safety. Guilt coursed through him. It was one of those times when he could barely understand what had been going through his head. Upon listening to her words, he suddenly felt stupid, careless and like a terrible father.

Roxie suddenly became overwhelmed by panic and crumpled against him. “Roxie!” Syd gasped. He caught her in his arms and carefully lowered her until they were both sitting on the floor. “Breathe for me, okay?” he told her, his voice almost too frantic to be reassuring. “All you need to do is breathe, baby. I’ve got you.” He pulled her close against his chest and cradled her, rocking her gently to try and calm her down. “Roxie, I’m sorry,” he began, his voice cracking as his eyes filled with fresh tears. “I was stupid. I’m stupid. I won’t let J.J. have any part of this. He’ll stay out of it, along with you and Sebastian and the girls. You’re right, I can’t believe I…” A hard sigh escaped him, and his hold on her tightened as he was overcome by a strong will to protect her. “Of course I don’t want him getting hurt. I don’t want any of you getting hurt. If anything happened like that, I don’t know what I’d do...”

He went on cradling and rocking her for a few moments longer and then, with another deep exhale, he parted from her and raised her chin so she would look him in the eyes. “Roxie, I love you,” he insisted. “I love our kids. And I can’t imagine ever being without you again, but I…I have Adam at my side, a-and…” In his upset state, he found it a challenge to think of people in London who understood him enough that he could lean on them if he needed to. “Babe, I…I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and the kids safe. Go, take them to the Lake District. They’ll be fine, because they have you. Aunt Sinead and Uncle Peter will take care of you.” He stroked her cheek with a gentle touch. “Nothing makes me happier than waking up next to you too, but if something happened to you…” Tears sprang from his eyes but he continued to gaze fixedly at her. “You were taken from me before. I’ve almost lost you so many times and I can’t let that happen again. I can’t lose you again, Roxie. Please.”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

King Remedial
~ City of London, London ~

Spencer King and Ezekiel Carter​

Ezekiel didn't think he was better than other people based on class and upbringing, but as he sat across from the two King brothers it was impossible not to see their very differing backgrounds being displayed before them. All four of them were intelligent and educated people, but he was fully aware that they attended very different schools, with his being privately paid for, and then he went on to attend the best university in England. Ezekiel grew up in a stable and structured home, but the Kings, he knew all too well about the volatile and broken home they were born into. Still, he didn't believe that social class, upbringings or even accents made one person better than another. Ezekiel was a firm believer in anyone being able to succeed if they worked hard and put everything into achieving their goal. At one time, he'd seen that in the Kings, but now he thought they lacked that drive, instead allowing hang-ups over their family to get in the way and getting soft over people like Daisy having to pay up. Not only that, but both brothers seemed reactive and agitated. Whilst Spencer was doing better than Billy at hiding his aggression, Ezekiel believed it was in there and it wouldn't take much more to coax it out of him too. All in all, this meeting was working as intended - he was getting a feel for who the Kings were these days and he was going to leave the building feeling more confident than he had before.

When Billy addressed him directly, Ezekiel put his full focus on the youngest of the brothers. He managed to keep a straight face as he went off on his rant complaining about how he'd been messing with his friends and family. A smile crossed his lips when Billy made his sarcastic comments about him not being guilty. Everyone in the room knew Ezekiel was behind the attacks and the intimidation of those affiliated with the Kings, but even without witnesses around to back up the Cockneys he wasn't about to admit it in the middle of Spencer's meeting room. "I would advise you approach the little fuckers in question with caution. I've heard messing with them can prove most dangerous and I would hate to see old friends hurt," he commented, expecting to push even more of Billy's buttons.

Spencer caught Billy's glance and nodded back to him, a thin but hollow smile briefly showing on his face. "We can look after ourselves, Ezekiel. I'm sure we'd all benefit from cleaning the streets of those threatening innocent people. Leave it with us," he said with a nod. He then looked at Reign. "We will do what we want." He listened as she spoke of them needing proof to back up their claims about her family. "You, Ezekiel, and the rest of your family won't be able to hide behind this sham image you've all created forever. I've seen bigger organisations crumble and watched bigger egomaniacs fail. You'll all become another distant memory soon enough. The only reason you've got this far is because you've been sat on your throne high up in that shiny skyscraper with nobody around to challenge you," he said, sharing his focus between father and daughter. "You won't know what to do when faced with a real fight. My brother, my cousins, and any other members of my family you've been screwing with over the years will no longer be paying you a penny."

"We'll see," Ezekiel simply replied, giving Spencer a single nod. He'd caught Reign's glance but wasn't against her challenging the brothers. It had drawn a reaction out of both of them and he'd heard everything he needed to hear. The Kings wanted to challenge him and they believed they stood a chance. Had they chosen to comply and continue the contract between Carter Technologies and King Remedial, he may have been forced to consider some kind of a deal where he'd afford their family and friends some kind of leeway. Instead, he now had full confirmation any working relationship they'd had in the past had been left there. He had no intention of easing up on his rivals, instead already preparing to get his message across with more than words.

Regardless of the calculating thoughts in his head, Ezekiel simply smiled at Spencer and Billy. "Thank you for your time, gentlemen. It's been good to catch up... and most enlightening." Taking the contract in his hand, he got to his feet and looked to Reign to do the same. "We'll be in touch again soon, one way or another," he assured the Kings, his tone sounding exactly like a businessman ending a perfectly normal meeting.

"We'll see you out of the door," Spencer simply told Ezekiel and Reign, standing up alongside Billy. "In future, you should schedule meetings through the official channels."

Pyroclast (Billy) Bellz (Reign)

The King Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

After the Carters had left, Spencer debriefed Billy, making sure his brother knew they were going to deal with them. It wasn't just the Kings having to fight this time around, they had the Porters and Interpol on the same side. Spencer wasn't going to let Ezekiel's confidence set doubts in him. Mostly, he'd come out of the meeting knowing they needed to tighten security even further around those they were close to.

Deciding to stop showing Billy the ropes for one day, Spencer let his brother go on his way so he could then return home to Shona and the kids. When Spencer entered the house, the first person he saw was Lottie, who just happened to be walking by at the right - or wrong - time. He kept his eyes fixed on her as he closed the door and hung his coat on the hook. The familiar sassy facial expression of his daughter didn't escape his attention as she looked at him expectantly. "You lost the bet," she informed him.

"Ahh, it's lovely to see you too, kid," Spencer sarcastically commented as he stepped closer to her. "Now, what's this bet you're goin' on about?"

"When you left this morning, I bet you'd be late home. You said you wouldn't be and I said again that you would be. Remember?"

"Oh. That. How could I forgot?" he asked, smiling as he waited for her to get her complaint out of her system. "So, what do I owe ya? Pizza tomorrow? A game of Mario Kart before bed?" he suggested.

"Hmmm. Nope. You have to have a shave!" she decided, pulling a devious smile. "You said you needed to keep your face warm in Scotland, but we're in London now and you have to give up your beard."

"Well, that's just... harsh," he said, running his hand down his chin and beard. "Fine. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll take my punishment on the chin."

"Oh God," Lottie scoffed at her father's pun. "I've got to go in the shower now. Hopefully by the time I'm done I won't remember that joke you just said." Despite her pretend disgust, Lottie reached up to hug her dad and smiled as he kissed the top of her head. Letting go, she then bounded up the stairs to the bathroom.

Shaking his head as he watched her rush off, Spencer took a deep breath, as if to deflate from the meeting he'd just had. "Shona? Eddie?" he called out as he walked down the hallway. When he entered the living room, he saw Shona and smiled brightly at her. "Hey babe," he greeted her as he pulled her in for a long kiss. He held her close for a time before releasing her and looking down with a pout. "Sorry I'm late... If it's any consolation, Lottie has informed me of my punishment already. Say goodbye to my beard, love!" he informed her. Running his hand through his hair, he couldn't help but frown. "It couldn't be helped, though. The meeting I had back at the pharma - well, Ezekiel and Reign showed up. So Billy n' me had the earlier than expected pleasure of having to speak with those two pricks..." he revealed. "I can confirm he's every bit the arsehole we were told he is."

Pyroclast (Shona)

 

[neverbackdown]

Construction Site
~ Limehouse, London ~

Jake Hunter
​

At the mention of Melissa, Jake raised an eyebrow intrigued as he listened to Zachary, a smirk playing on his lips as he mentioned the potential of seeing her again. He had questions he wanted to ask and was opening his mouth to ask for more details when the phone rang and Jake sighed realising that it was now time to do their job. "We will finish this later" he confirmed "probably in a bar with some pints" he added in after thought before opening the door and stepping out of the car.

As they walked towards the building, Jake did his best to ignore the man in front of them and to drown out his muffled cries. It was parts like this that made him sometimes second guess the life he had become apart of. He had to remind himself that he did not know who this man was or what he had done to end up here, after all he could be a mass murderer or a peado and in that case then really Jake was helping out in the world, lurking in the shadows like batman ridding the world of evil. The thought, although ridiculous gave him peace in his life and Jake held onto it.

As Zachary left the room, Jake gave him a small nod in passing as if to say good luck before turning his attention back to Damien and Abel. Leaning casually back against a wall, Jake silently watched on with his arms crossed, his expression not giving away any of the confusion he was feeling inside at how this was going to go. What he definitely hadn't expected was that Damien would give the gun to Abel as soon as Jake stood back against the wall.

He watched silently on and the kid began to panic and scramble for words to get himself out of it but he should have known there was no point, the kid should have known better than to believe he would get out of this without doing as he was told. He crossed his arms as he kept his face neutral, almost bored in expression hiding the inner turmoil he was experiencing, he couldn't help it, he felt bad for the kid.

He couldn't tell if he was surprised or not when Abel took the gun but he found himself tensing, his eyes trained on him incase he decided to shoot anyone else but his target, thankfully he did as he was told and Jake watched as he put the gun to the mans head and pulled the trigger. He raised an eyebrow when the man didn't fall to the ground and looked towards Damien with a slight hint of confusion on his face.

Misty Gray
BasDorcha