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

[Melanin-Gxdess]

"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Front Lounge
~ Tottenham, London ~


Arabella Bellamy

At the mention of needing a little chaos in her life, Ari raised a brow at him. Chaos was the last thing she needed after living so calmly the past couple of years. Dealing with the deaths of both of her parents so close together was chaos enough. "I think you and I both know that I probably don't need any more chaos in my life," she stated matter-of-factly. It was sure to be missed by the strangers around her, but he would know what she meant. J.J. then backed the conversation back to her mentioning that his siblings were ranked higher than he on her list. "Then let me take you to the krankenhauser, frechdachs. You're number three," she teased with a smile. She softly grabbed his chin between her thumb and index finger - thumb gently stroking his chin. "Plenty of time to work your way up." Ari blew him a playful kiss before turning her attention back to the group conversation. It was interesting listening to their history and how big their family was. A pang of jealousy slammed her in the chest, but she was adept at hiding how she felt. Ari had always been a bit jealous of JJ and his family but knowing that there were such much more of them brought it all back. All of the family she'd known was dead. She was alone in the world and would never know what it felt like to have siblings and aunts and uncles and even cousins. The smile on her face twitched but she willed herself to keep it together.

Colin talked about partying and all of them going out together. Before losing her parents she had partied a lot when she was in Paris. It was a part of the experience and she enjoyed herself. After they died, however, the idea of partying and staying out late all the time no longer seemed interesting to her. There were times she and JJ went out together but even then she wanted to be home. Maybe this was her opportunity to get back into it all again. It was, after all, a new chapter in her life. Her attention was then grabbed by the same tension she'd felt earlier coming from Lucas, Collin, and Michael. She felt that maybe there was history there, that something was going on but of course she wasn't going to say anything. She glanced at JJ to see if he was feeling it too but then concluded he probably didn't. The boy couldn't even tell when someone was flirting with him let alone when others were flirting with each other.

Michael called her name, confirming that he was using the right one and she nodded her head. He assumed JJ had told her everything and she nodded, looking over at him. "Thought he was messing with me, but he did, yes." She then leaned forward with interest as he struggled to get his next statement out; question, rather. When he asked if the two of them were together she shook her head. "No, we're not." Most people would have been nervous about such a question or quickly jump to try and deny the allegations but Ari had remained cool, calm, and collected. The amount of people that asked them that had been aplenty and she was used to it by now. "I do consider him to be my best friend, but nothing more," she said honestly. She turned to look at JJ then, noticing the color of his face and for a split second she was confused. That confusion disappeared when Michael continued speaking and she turned her attention back to him. His warning and concern was touching, but it also worried her a bit. Had she agreed to something far deeper than she'd realized? Sure, she knew that there were... Dangers involved, but she didn't quite know the circumstances. A part of her now wondered if she should've come at all, but she hid it well behind her stony facade. "I understand," she said, clearing her throat. "I wouldn't have come if I didn't, but I really do appreciate your concern, Michael." She offered him a soft smile and nodded her head when he stated they should all be there for each other.

JJ looked at her, reassuring her that things would be okay and she reached for his hand in support - her own or his, she didn't know. The question was then posed of whether they were going to join or not and it was something that Ari was curious about as well. She'd never been one to get into trouble with the law or anything of that sort, so having moved with JJ where his family was had been... Interesting. And while it was all for a good cause, it was still an illegal business. JJ stated his answer then and when he did, Ari found herself slowly sliding her hand out of his. She wasn't sure what she was feeling just then, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach, but it came about when JJ mentioned he was thinking about it. Wasn't what their parents doing dangerous? With a chance of death or injury? Why would he want to put himself into trouble like that? Ari stuffed her hands under her thighs and looked down at her feet. After a few seconds of silence she shook her head. "Well, considering I'm just a baker, I won't be," she said lightly. "So if you ever want baked goods, I'm your girl."

"The Big House" - Upstairs Study
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~
Alexander King

Something about the way both Spencer and Bruce looked at him made his heart swell. Like they were both finally seeing all the hard work he'd done over the years to grow up and change his old ways. And it was a lot of work. For a split second during his journey, he'd thought he was about to slip up, but Kerry and his kids had gotten him through it. Even Trevor managed to help him out a little in unexpected ways. But now it was all paying off and his brother and uncle saw that in him. He'd probably gush about it to Kerry later but for now he was going to try and keep himself contained. When it was the Porters turn to decide who would lead them, Alex couldn't help but raise a brow when Syd decided he would. He knew the man to be erratic and emotional at times and wondered if he would be the best fit. However, with Roxie and Adam by his side he figured they would be alright... Right? He just didn't want the two families bumping heads again when they were supposed to be working together. The thought did stress him out a little but it wasn't something he was going to share with Syd across from him nor would he with Roxie or Adam. No, his reservations would be made known to Spencer and Bruce and to them only.

They then moved on to the contract and what guidelines they would need to follow. Roxie brought attention to the armored vehicle and Alex let out a chuckle. "You lot are actin' like we're goin' to war or somethin'," he stated before shrugging his shoulders. "Although, now that I think about it. When it comes to the Carters we basically are, right?" Alex continued reading down the list when Adam brought attention to some of the newer recruits and training. He agreed that some of them coming back to all of this would need it, though when it came to his own people he knew and trusted they could handle themselves. After all, they'd still been doing illegal work for him all these years. Spencer asked how they shaped up and if they were good enough and Alex shaped his head. "Definitely. I trust them to handle things when I'm not immediately present. I know one is downstairs - the other three are probably out on a job," he said in reference to Natalie, Albie, Lucius, and Archer. "But they're all good kids - I promise. They've proved that time and time again, but it does make me curious." Alex turned his head to Klaus. "This protection that we've talked about - it applies to them as well? They get contracts too, or are they protected through us?" Alex didn't want anything to happen to the four young adults who'd found themselves entangled in his family's mess. Sure, they were already doing some of his dirty work, but what they were now contracted to do far surpassed that.

Alex was then asked about the armored vehicles and if it would be necessary for them to use. He paused for a second, thinking about how much power the Carters had gathered and concluded that it probably could be. "Backburner," he said, rubbing his upper lip in thought. "Carter is a force and I wouldn't say no to extra firepower and defenses if necessary. Plus, I'm sure they could become useful in future plans - blend in with the police force here or something like that." He shrugged. There was nothing short of ideas when it came to how they were going to get rid of Ezekiel for good, even if they did sound far-fetched. Spencer spoke up then and the moment he mentioned Trevor working for Carter, Alex found Klaus' eyes. Alex knew the truth behind Trevor's employment but he wasn't allowed to say anything. Even if he wanted to he was afraid of how Spencer or Bruce would take such news. The raid had happened before any of them could work on repairing their relationship with the man, so it was understood that they didn't trust him. So when Spencer expressed his worry when it came to Trevor, he didn't quite know how to respond. "Erm," he started, clearing his throat, "I mean... Look, Trevor is... He's different now, Spence, but we'll get into that in private," he stated, not wanting the Porters to hear about their family issues. "Klaus," he said, turning his attention to him. "Anything else? I've got nieces and nephews to meet and a kid to make sure doesn't get in trouble."

The Laundrette
~ Hackney, London ~
Jakob Stewart
​

Jakob hoped his brother knew a bit more about the situation, but the moment he confessed he didn't Jakob tensed. It was bad enough that he was there unarmed but the idea of being somewhere and not knowing why made him uncomfortable. Damian then forced them to sit and Jakob complied, willing his girlfriend to do the same. He needed to play this smart otherwise there was a chance the three of them wouldn't walk out of the building alive. Damian started the intimidation act - restating the warnings they'd been given from day one. Jakob figured he and Abel had been doing a good enough job at it thus far. Daisy? He knew it was a struggle but surely she hadn't gone too far. That was his hope, anyway, and when he said the word, "Consequences," he turned to look at his girlfriend. "Daisy-," he started, only to stop when Damian demanded she stand up. Jakob's legs urged him to move, wanting to spring into action but when he saw the guns he didn't. He glared at them all and clenched his fists tightly together. "Don't lay a fucking finger on her," he threatened. He was normally level-headed - cool, calm, and collected, but when it came to the women in his life he was anything but.

The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion. When they brought out Justin, Jakob's eyes narrowed. At first, he didn't recognize him - the bruises and caked-on blood hiding much of his distinctive features. Daisy recognized him and shouted out his name and Jakob's heart dropped. Hearing her scream out for her brother was enough to make his blood boil and when Damian gripped Daisy's hair he jumped up from his seat sending it flying. He was reminded once more about the guns they were being threatened with and had to force himself not to do anything rash; despite wanting so desperately to. But Jakob was smart enough to know that if he did Daisy's life could very well be ended. That Abel's life could be ended. It was the only thing keeping him from jumping so quickly to force Damian to let her go. He watched helplessly as Justin was dropped to the ground and Damian explained what had been happening. They'd been torturing him for days he'd said. All to make a point to her.

Jakob wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid smirk off of Damian's face. No, wiping would be too polite. Pound it off his face. That would make things a million times better, he thought to himself. One of the men then moved to wrap a cord around Justin's neck and Daisy began to cry out for him. "That's not necessary, okay?!" He couldn't help but plead on their behalf - something he'd never really done before he met Daisy. "Look, she's learned her fucking lesson, so just let them both go, alright?!" But his pleas were falling on deaf ears and he knew that. He knew, deep down, that what was about to happen was going to and there was nothing he could do to stop it. That helpless feeling was starting to really settle in and he didn't know what to do about it. He was struggling with the idea that Damian really would kill his mother or brother or girlfriend if he did anything stupid and based on the state of Justin he knew the man meant business. Jakob watched as Damian forced Daisy to look her now dead brother in the eyes - Jakob fantasizing about killing Damian with his bare hands; making him suffer the same way he'd made Justin and Daisy. He clenched his teeth so hard he thought they'd break and when she was finally released he ran to her.

With his arms around Daisy, he tried to soothe her as much as possible while still in the company of Justin's murderers. And as awful as he felt about it he knew they had to leave Justin behind. But later, he thought, later he was going to demand that Carter at least let them give him a funeral. "Leah," he said, only using her middle name when he was serious or on special occasions, "We have to go, okay?" Jakob tried his best to ignore the taunts of Damian as he worked to get Daisy back up on her feet. Jakob then turned his attention to Abel, nodding his head toward the door. "Now. Let's go." He was smart enough to know when to leave. It was cowardly to do considering their current circumstance and therefore didn't feel like one. Once he'd finally managed to get Daisy out of the building he walked down a few blocks to safety where there were more people about. Setting his girlfriend in a seat of a nearby outside dining table, he turned to Abel. "Look after her for a sec, okay?" He reached into his pocket for his phone, dialing his mother's number. While it rang, he held his phone between his ear and shoulder and placed his hands on Daisy's cheeks. "It's gonna be alright, Leah, listen to me. I'm gonna get you home and we're goin' to figure this all out, alright?"

 

[Misty Gray]

"The Big House" - Downstairs Small Lounge
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Charlotte King​

When Bucky told her his Germany cousins were at the safe house, Lottie smiled brightly at him as she figured that was a good thing for him. When he mentioned they were part of the Porter-Sullivan family, she pulled a puzzled expression for a time as she wasn't sure who those people were. But then a switch flicked in her head as she remembered hearing her parents mention those names on the journey to London and something about them working together. "Oh, they sound really nice," she repeated Bucky's own words about the Irish family. "I think I'd like to meet them," she softly added.

As the conversation progressed, Lottie picked up on something within Bucky, some kind of sadness or deep thoughts that were in his head. She wondered if she'd said something wrong to make him feel bad. It reminded her a little of the odd occasions where she'd been having a normal chat with Logan and the man went quiet or looked sad. She was aware as far as Logan went, some words and topics made him sad because because of Katie's death. She hoped she hadn't done similar with Bucky now.

Thankfully Bucky continued talking to her and it didn't seem like she'd upset him. When he told her he enjoyed reading, she quickly nodded her head. She didn't enjoy it, but her parents were always making her read in her lessons, so she had to go along with it and humour them. She quirked a curious eyebrow when her cousin added that he liked to read whilst upside-down. She smiled back at him as she imagined the idea for a moment. "Hmmm. Maybe I should try that! Then I might enjoy reading as much as you do."

Lottie's eyes practically lit up when Bucky said he liked music too, that he played the piano and was teaching himself guitar. She was about to enthuse about their shared interest when he mentioned his mum and choked up a little. "It's okay. I bet she was a great teacher," she told him when he said his mother had taught him to play. Spencer had spoken about her Auntie Harper when telling her and Eddie about all of the family they had. Only, in Harper's case, she knew she wouldn't get to meet her because she died. Lottie couldn't imagine losing her mum or dad so she tried her best not to. "Cheesy music is fun!" she said, trying to lighten the mood for Bucky. "My dad haaaaates it. So I play it more just to bug him a little," she cheekily joked.

When Bucky told her his dad had worked with hers back in London, breaking the law, she figured he knew about Jeremy's lawbreaking like she now knew about some of her own father's. "Honestly, these grown ups. What are we going to do with them? Keep them out of trouble, I expect," she commented, shaking her head in a disappointed manner but mischievously smiling to show she wasn't being entirely serious. "So your parents already work for Interpol now? I think my dad is doing the same, though he always says he's working with them, not for them," she repeated Spencer's own words. "I'm sorry about your mum," Lottie said, her tone turning sensitive. "I've never lost anyone. Only person I knew that died was Katie - she was married to my "uncle" Logan... My dad says Auntie Harper was the best. I wish I could have met her, but maybe some time you can tell me more about her, if you want to," she suggested.

Bellz (Bucky)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Laundrette
~ Hackney, London ~

Daisy Richardson and Damian Nicolosi
Justin Richardson​

Damian stood over Jakob's body with a content smile on his face as he watched Jakob rush to Daisy's side. He lifted his arm so he could check his watch, making it clear Jakob and the others were now overstaying their welcome. Still, it had been a productive evening for him with Justin dead and Daisy in tears. He only wished he hadn't had to stop there, but if the Stewarts were like many of the pests getting in Ezekiel's way, he suspected it wouldn't be long before he could go to town and make a real mess.

Daisy felt Jakob's arms around her and it drew her mind back into reality. She turned to him, her eyes red raw and face soaked in tears. She then looked away from her boyfriend and reached out to rest her hand on her brother's cheek, closing her eyes tightly as another sob escaped her. Jason had been the only family she had left. Despite his reckless behaviour causing stress for Daisy and even leading her to sell their family home to pay off his debts to the dangerous people he found himself tangled with, she had never stopped loving her brother. She'd done everything she could to protect him in the past, but this time she'd failed. Why did he have to go and get himself on Carter's bad side again? Despite the fact he had, Daisy still felt the deep sense of guilt and responsibility. Would they have spared Justin if she hadn't stood up to the Carters?

Hearing Jakob say her middle name, she snapped out of her thoughts and opened her eyes. "We can't..." she said when he told her they had to go. She turned to look at her boyfriend. "I can't leave him." Despite her words and shaking her head, she stood up. The sight of Damian still standing over them making it clear they had no choice. She couldn't stand her ground now and risk Jakob or Abel being hurt too.

Once the three of them were outside, Daisy sucked in a deep breath of fresh her. She was quick to wipe the tears from her eyes and face with her sleeves. "Why couldn't he just stay away from them? Why did he put himself on their radar again?" she desperately asked Jakob and Abel. "I didn't think they'd kill him... I thought they'd just get at me. I just wanted to help my friends and stop those animals from thinking they own this city."

When they reached the outside area of a diner, Daisy was helped into a seat across from Abel. "I can't believe he's gone," she cried, looking across to her boyfriend's brother whilst Jakob made a call. She quickly nodded her head when Jakob reassured her it was going to be alright and he'd get her home. As he made his call, Daisy looked back to Abel and shook her head. "I'm sorry you had to see... I...Is Alice safe?" she asked. Although she was looking in Abel's direction, she couldn't see past the images of Justin's beaten and lifeless face. She was sure she'd never be able to unsee that sight.

Sarah had been working late at the office when Jakob had called her. She hadn't hesitated to drop work and drive straight over to Hackney where her sons and Daisy were. After parking up the car she rushed to the outside table they were seated at and sat in the chair beside Abel, facing Jakob and a distraught looking Daisy. It wasn't a sight Sarah had seen before, having only seen Daisy with a confident, upbeat, and sometimes cocky or argumentative air about her. The older woman had been about to address her sons but no sooner had she sat down did a waiter approach them, thinking they were there to eat. "We're talking!" Sarah snapped at the waiter. After a brief pause that was considerably more awkward for the waiter than it was for Sarah who couldn't care less, she looked back up at him. "Could we get four coffees please. And some shots of whiskey," she asked, her tone now firm but polite.

Once the waiter had gone, Sarah turned to Abel. "Alright. Who's going to explain to me what happened? Was it Carter's doing?" she firmly asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Jakob) BasDorcha (Abel)

 

[Pyroclast]

"The Big House" - Upstairs Study
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Syd Porter and Bruce King​

Seeing Roxie’s smile meant everything. It was true that Syd was often swept away by his emotions, but despite his excitement and pride to finally be taking his late father’s position, to have his turn at leading the family, he was still aware that it wasn’t going to be easy. For him, for the family, and especially for Roxie. She had suffered tremendously from the previous wars, losing loved ones, being kidnapped and tortured and almost losing her life at the hands of her own family on numerous occasions. To stand beside Syd and support him as he took on the responsibility of leading the family through another war, said a lot about her fortitude, and her love for him. Syd was beyond proud of her for what she had endured and everything she had done for him and the kids. And when she told him she was proud of him, that his father would be proud of him, he broke out into a smile and, with her hands in his, leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.

The support of his wife and the guarantee that Adam would help him take down the Carters and reclaim their home in Dublin bolstered Syd’s confidence and for the first time in a long time, he was hopeful. He sat back and smiled as Klaus moved the conversation onto the resources Interpol had in store for them, now in a far more receptive and cooperative mood. He scanned the list of resources keenly, and his apprehension over working for Interpol lessened the more he read. Weapons of all kinds, armoured vehicles, Kevlar vests. Since he was unable to quieten his paranoia for most of his time in Germany, Syd still had some equipment of his own, but he still expected Interpol to provide the family with what they would need given that they lost a lot of their belongings in the split. Even though he expected it, however, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t impressed. They had thought of everything.

Roxie seemed a bit nervous about having to have an armoured van, so Syd turned to her. “Remember the black Lincoln Continental I used to have?” he reminded her of their days in New York and Dublin. “Bulletproof windows, baby. Doesn’t mean what we’re heading into is any more dangerous than what we’ve done in the past - it’s just that that kinda thing is always worth having when you’re…well, in the business.”

Alex’s comment for a moment had Bruce concerned that he wasn’t prepared for what they were walking into. He put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Don’t forget what we’ve come from, son,” he warned him. “If we’re meticulous with our planning, careful in our execution, don’t skimp on security or underestimate who we’re up against, it don’t have to be as bad as the last time we was ‘ere.” He shot a glance at the Irish to let them know he didn’t mean any ill will towards them. “We’ve got two powerful families, Interpol, and all this equipment against the Carters, but that don’t mean we shouldn’t expect the worst.”

While everyone perused the list of equipment and weapons, Adam raised the issue of the people involved in the mission being likely out of shape after 12 years out of action. Syd was sure he still retained the muscle memory of all the weapons he had ever handled, as well as the training he had received. But he had to admit to himself that he wasn’t in the best physical shape he had ever been in. Depression and cigarettes had wasted him somewhat, and he often struggled to maintain a healthy appetite or have the mental capacity to stick to a fitness regime. Not to mention he wasn’t as young as he was… So, even though he was the leader now and therefore more likely to be in a contactable position rather than out on the field fighting, he still wanted to start training properly again.

Bruce nodded, a small, proud smile on his face as Alex put forward four employees that he trusted and who would likely be up to be trained for the mission. He then asked Klaus how far Interpol’s offer of protection extended. Bruce too had been wondering about the ones he had seen at the safe house who must have moved for the family rather than for the fight, and whether or not they could still choose to sign their own contract now that they were already in London. “I’ve got a kid who lived in France with Darcey and I,” Bruce mentioned. “30-odd, a child psychiatrist, fluent in English and an ex-gang member - not sure if he’s up for joining this fight, but I want him trained just in case. We can ‘ave the best security and protection in the world but ultimately the best course is to train people to protect themselves, ready ‘em for any eventuality no matter if they play a part or not.”

What Spencer said next was an issue Bruce had been waiting to be raised. His nephew had informed him earlier that day about the position Trevor apparently held in Carter Technologies. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, especially after what Trevor had done for Harper back in 1985, but Spencer clearly still held onto his past distrust of the man as he warned Klaus of Trevor’s dishonest and irresponsible reputation. “Before we make any hasty decisions, I want more information on him and what he’s been up to. At the turn of the split in 1985 he was starting to redeem himself - even saved Harper’s life once. I didn’t get to know him then enough to see if he’d changed, but now we know him even less. If Carter’s got to him, that’s somethin’ we’ve got to know about.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
Bellz Klaus, Roxie
Misty Gray Spencer, Adam

 

[Misty Gray]

"The Big House" - Front Lounge
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Lucas Sullivan and Liam Callahan​

Lucas had suggested they all went out around the clubs, but Liam held back from responding. He'd already spent the last few weeks dodging Emery's pestering for him to show her London's best clubs. For starters, he'd barely lived there long enough to know where was best, and further to that, he preferred more relaxed atmospheres to some crowded, loud nightclub his sister craved. He wasn't sure what kinds of clubs the friends he was now reconnecting with liked, but if he had to guess what kind of clubs Lucas wanted to go to, he'd put them in the same energetic category as what Emery liked.

Lucas smiled as both Collin and Michael agreed that they'd be up for going out. He figured with the two living in Cuba together for years they'd likely become good friends, maybe had the friendship he could have had with Collin had they not been separated. Either way, he was at least glad they were both up for going out. Then J.J. also enthused about going out as a group, bringing bigger smile to Lucas' face. "Then it's a plan. I'm sure we can find out which are the most fun clubs to be at around London." He then turned to Liam, who had managed to stay quiet. "What do you say? You up for it?"

"Me?" Liam asked, almost looking as if he hadn't been paying attention even though he had been all along. "Oh. Yeah. I'm up for heading out with you all. I won't be much use at directing you to the best places, though. I've not really explored the clubs since I moved to the city," he admitted. He figured it might not be the answer or attitude his friends wanted when they were all so enthusiastic, but he wasn't one to change himself too much to blend in and he expected his family and friends to respect that. "It'll be good to hang out with you all," he added, hoping to show he wasn't trying to blow them off or anything,

With the question posed as to what they all intended on doing now they were back, Liam once again stayed silent, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his lap as he looked to the floor in the gap between his legs. He lightly nodded his head in something of agreement when Michael said he didn't want to get close to the gang stuff and had only come back to see everyone again. When Michael said it was their parents who wanted to join the fight and addressed Collin to confirm what he was saying, Liam looked up to see Collin's reaction. He knew Chase and Adam had been heavily involved in the gang for decades, so it made sense they'd be up for starting back on it again. He hoped his own father wouldn't have similar ideas, seeing as how Peter and Sinead were now peacefully settled in the Lakes without another gang war to ruin all of that. Liam still remembered vividly the day he was almost abducted and he saw his own mother stabbed, almost bleeding to death. He didn't want that for his family all over again.

Michael then addressed Arabella, asking her if J.J. had told her everything about why they were back in London. When he then asked her about her relationship with J.J., Lucas's eyes widened whilst he suppressed a smile, waiting to hear how the pair in question responded to his enquiry. When Arabella replied to say they were basically best friends, Lucas lowered his gaze and held back from making any comments that might make the situation more awkward. Surely the two were more than just friends, though. Lucas believed he was good at reading the signals on that front. Granted, he had so far completely missed any signs between Collin and Michael that would have told him something was going on between those two.

Lucas was keen to hear what the others were intending to do now they were back. Hearing J.J. say he had been thinking about joining made him feel better about his own intentions.

Before Liam had to answer Lucas' original question about whether he was joining the fight, and before Lucas could confirm is own stance, Michael asked the group to make a pact. He wanted them all to promise to be there for each other no matter what. Liam looked his old best friend in the eyes and nodded his head. When they were kids, Liam always tried to have his best friend's back, at times getting in trouble for fighting with Michael's bullies. He'd never been one to seek out a fight, but when his friend was being bullied his natural instinct had kicked in and the need to protect him took over. He believed he'd do the same for his friend even now. "I don't want anything to do with this mission. With Interpol's permission or not, I have no interest in following in my family's business or joining this fight. After nearly being kidnapped and watching my Mam nearly bleed to death after she was attacked, I don't want to get stuck in the middle of all that again. I wasn't even going to come here today, but I wanted to see all of you again. I won't be joining this mission, but I want you all to know that I'LL still have your backs. Like I had your back when we lived in Dublin," he said, looking directly to Michael in that moment.

Although they had always got along well enough and were bound together on account of being cousins, Lucas and Liam had very different personalities. They also disagreed where the family business was concerned, with Liam basically rejecting it. Lucas had been aware of the criminal lifestyle as soon as he was old enough to understand it. He didn't judge his family for it and he cared for them all so much that he'd rather help them in whatever fight they were having. This new fight against the Carters was no different - he wanted to join the mission in whatever way he could if it meant helping his family succeed and survive. "Well, I'm hoping to find some lifeguard work or train to be a paramedic... But I also want to help our families with this mission. Seeing everyone again was my main reason for wanting to come here, but if the people we care about are going to be taking on this dangerous job, I have to offer my support and make sure we're all still standing long enough to enjoy being back together again."

Pyroclast (Michael) Bellz (J.J., Collin) Melanin-Gxdess (Arabella)

 

[Pyroclast]

"The Big House" - Front Lounge
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Michael Zegarra​

The slight stutter in Collin’s voice when he agreed that it was only their parents who were interested in joining the fight didn’t ring any alarm bells in Michael’s head; he just put it down to apprehension about their parents getting into trouble, because that’s what Michael felt. Besides, it didn’t even cross his mind that Collin would willingly put himself in a position where he had to choose violence. He was such a gentle person, so sweet and creative, not at all the aggressive kind. Then again, his father was that way, too - the quiet, artistic type - and Michael knew he had committed murder on numerous counts. But Collin was different. He could trust him to take a stand with him against the awful wars that their families and families like theirs had started.

Any anxiety in Collin’s voice seemed to disappear when he instead complimented Michael on his skills in graphic design and marketing. Whenever Collin said anything remotely complimentary to Michael in the presence of others, Michael couldn’t help but blush. Because Collin wanted to remain discreet, Michael always expected him to be kind of aloof towards him to avoid any suspicion that they loved each other. It almost felt like Collin was showing him off a bit when he did say something sweet in front of other people, and he had to admit he liked it.

One by one, everyone agreed with various levels of enthusiasm to go out together. Michael wasn’t sure what London was like in terms of nightlife; there wasn’t much in the way of nightclubs in the small city of Manzanillo, so all Michael really knew were the old bars that hosted live Cuban music and spilled out onto the cobbled plazas. He wasn’t much of a party animal by nature, but he did enjoy getting a bit tipsy and dancing on those hot summer nights. He was sure London would be a whole new scene completely foreign to him, and he wasn’t really sure what to expect, but he was willing to give it a go if it meant getting to hang out with his old friends again.

It was nice to hear from Arabella - she didn’t exactly have the air of someone shy or lacking in confidence, but Michael was aware she was the only person in the room who didn’t know most of the group so he was glad to get her talking. It did surprise him to hear that she and J.J. weren’t a couple; Michael was by no means an expert, but he could sense a definite chemistry between them from the way they interacted. The way J.J. seemed to blush even though Arabella confidently claimed that they were best friends and nothing more. Still, Michael wasn’t going to press - he had got the answer he wanted for now, and anything else was for the two of them to figure out in private.

Everyone agreed that they would be there for each other, and even though most of them hadn’t seen each other for 12 years - or in Arabella’s case, ever - Michael felt a strong sense of camaraderie. He may not know the ways in which everyone had changed, or if there was anything fundamental that would get in the way of their rebuilding friendships, but he felt secure in that moment at least that they really would be there for each other when times inevitably got tough. What they couldn’t seem to all agree on, however, was whether or not to join the fight. A surprising amount of the people in the room admitted they were intending to join - Michael for some reason was assuming that they shared his perspective, given that they all grew up around the same violence. He hadn’t noticed that Ari and J.J. were holding hands until he caught her slipping her hand out of his, and had to wonder if his intentions to fight didn’t sit well with her. Liam explained in detail why he wanted no part of it, which Michael was relieved about and understood far more easily - he remembered all the trauma that Liam had suffered back in the 80s, and as he listened to him recount it, he couldn’t help but reach out and place a hand on his friend’s arm before the two exchanged a look of understanding.

After hearing Liam’s traumatic experiences, it almost seemed more inappropriate for Lucas to then explained his intention to help the family with the mission. Michael understood his reasons, he supposed - the man just wanted to help raise the family’s chances of winning the fight by offering himself as extra manpower. “I just -” Michael immediately retorted, cutting himself short when he realised his tone might come across as argumentative or judgemental. Softening his voice, he continued: “I just wish our families never got into this business in the first place. We wouldn’t have had to run and hide and lose contact with each other, we wouldn’t have to put people we love in danger. I wish we were just a normal family who had normal jobs with no stupid crime or violence. Like, being a baker or a lifeguard or a paramedic or a designer!” He chewed on his lip, looking down into his glass of water which he swilled nervously. “Sorry. I get it, Lucas. It’s just not fair that you’re having to put yourself in danger to help our parents deal with a problem they shouldn’t have got involved in to begin with, you know?” He sighed, and took a sip of water before briefly glancing at Collin. He suddenly missed Cuba. “But obviously I’ll have your backs no matter what. I don't wanna see any of you guys get hurt, but I'll always be there for you.”

Interactions
Bellz J.J., Collin
Melanin-Gxdess Arabella
Misty Gray Liam, Lucas

 

[Bellz]

"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Upstairs Study
~ Tottenham, London~

Roxie Porter
Klaus Jäger
​

In an unsettling way, that Roxie didn't expect. It seemed like the roles were reversing now, in who was becoming much more surefire in their decisions and who was...anxious. When only moments ago it had been the opposite. Syd seemed confident now, ready to take everything on. And Roxie never wanted anything less for him. But she felt far behind, stumbling even after returning her husband's sweet kiss, seeing the smile he gave her after she reassured him that she would support him, that she was proud. Part of her, selfishly, couldn't help but feel like she had been robbed of having a more in-depth conversation about all of this. Instead, they were just jumping the gun. Quite literally almost. Adam had reassured her that he would work with her with helping Syd, not leave her in the dark. But it just didn't feel...like enough.

And now it was hitting her that Syd and Spencer were going to have to work together. Roxie wasn't sure just how that would play out given all of that...complicated history. But, she knew they both would have to be open-minded. Which depending on his mood, her husband wasn't exactly known for.

Looking over all of this stuff on Interpol's list of resources...while she was hearing it from Klaus, was putting things further into perspective on how big a deal this all might be. Klaus had been nonchalant about her question as if it was just run-of-the-mill stuff. But that just felt, bizarre to her. Even after all of her years being a part of this shit. Alex seem to get where she was coming from, voicing that it sounded like they were going to war more than anything else. Spencer piggybacked off Klaus, telling her that there was a high probability that they would need these vehicles before Syd caught her attention reminding her of the car he used to have. She nodded her head weakly, listening as he reminded her that the car had bulletproof windows and then gave her what she wanted to hear. It didn't necessarily mean what they were heading into was any more dangerous than what they'd done in the past. But Bruce had pointed out that they shouldn't expect the worst. Welp. At this point, her mind felt like mush. "All fair points." She murmured.

Again. Roles were reversed. Weird.​

Adam seemed to be having the time of his life with the packet, causing Roxie to look past Syd at him with her left brow raised. Might have been the most excited she'd seen him, ever. But his tone was serious as he said they needed firepower before commenting that they weren't toys, as if to remind himself of that fact before sitting up straight. Roxie tried not to laugh, it was funny, even if she was still feeling overwhelmed.

Klaus had been ready to hear any questions or comments anyone had so when Adam shared his suggestions he smiled naturally, the smile only growing wider when Adam admitted that he had been keeping up with weapons practice above board and sending him a wink. Adam shared his observations, what he thought should happen with training and the like and Spencer agreed. Though he had added it should be more than just Interpol training. Adam then added on that they should have a place to train, a big gym, and a shooting range, asking Klaus if he could arrange that.

"I can arrange something like that. Somewhere secure and private. I'll look into it." Klaus promised Adam, "And in terms of Interpol training, as far as that goes...we might step in to train your crew on things that you all might not have training in. Other than that, I won't dictate your training." The German said, being completely honest. Spencer then asked Alex about his employees, if they were in good shape, and if the armored vehicles were overkill. Klaus was curious to hear about how Alex was handling things in London, he hadn't had much contact with the second eldest King sibling so hearing what he had to say was important. It was good to know that his employees were in good shape and that they could be trusted. Bruce added in who he had brought with him, mentioning wanting the young man to be trained. But when the question of the protection extending to them came up, Klaus was stumped for a moment.

While the contracts themselves were binding to the families and those who came with them, they hadn't talked much about the lower-level employees. At least not in great detail. "This might still need to be hashed out between my higher-ups. Contracts would be the best way to go about it. Your family is easier to keep track of than individual employees, we would need the individual employees to sign their version of contracts. I'll speak with my boss about it as soon as we are done here. Have something written up as soon as possible, sound good?" Klaus asked, allowing Alex to move on to speaking about the necessary firepower that was listed in the resources packets.

Klaus was happy to hear that he agreed with what Interpol thought about Carter, he was a force, and the firepower was appropriate. It never hurt to have these things at your disposal. But then Spencer had turned to Klaus directly, causing the German to face him head-on. The inevitable name came up, one he'd been waiting for but didn't want to just casually slip into the conversation on his own, knowing it was a hot topic...for the Kings at least. Klaus listened to Spencer, wondering if he assumed that Trevor picking sides. He threw out some pretty harsh accusations. It was a stark difference from the glowing words Harper had for her father, begging Klaus not to make her go recruit him. Klaus opened his mouth to speak, ready to clue Spencer and the rest in when Alex spoke first. Alex defended their father in an off way, wanting to talk about it in private. He was trying to rush out, asking if there was any more to talk about. The Agent kept a neutral expression, listening as Bruce then gave his opinion on the Trevor situation.

Looking at the Porters for a moment, Klaus knew they wouldn't know much about all of this unless Harper had been open about her family situation with them. She was a pretty open person to be fair. "Well, I hate to squash any speculation you may have about your father, Spencer. But, Trevor is doing rather honest business...depending on how you want to look at all of this." Klaus tried to smile at the room. "Your father might hold a position within Carter Tech but he's kept up that job to feed information to us. And since I figure you might not believe me," Klaus turned around, grabbing yet another pile of papers, hidden in about 10 manila folders with a red CLASSIFIED stamp on the front. "We recruited him in January 1992. Well actually, Harper did." The German looked at Alex and Spencer before his eyes landed on Bruce. "That's all her paperwork. Every contact made, every detail or information received, and all the intake paperwork. She was very organized. And she trusted him to do this." Klaus knew that any conversation mentioning Harper could be a sensitive topic, so he tried to tread lightly, sliding the top manila folder towards Spencer so he could look at it himself. Klaus knew he was the one who would have the hardest time believing so he figured he would need the evidence right in front of him.

"We have to continue to work to keep his double agent status a secret. He is our only man on the inside. I cannot stress the importance of this enough."

Spoiler: Top Document Spencer would see

RECRUITMENT DOCUMENTATION
- THIS DOCUMENT IS CLASSIFIED - ​

RECRUITING AGENT FULL NAME: HARPER ELIZABETH GRAY
RECRUITING AGENT BADGE NUMBER: 01446
AGENT BASE LOCATION: BERLIN, GERMANY
RECRUIT: TREVOR STEWART
D.O.B.: JUNE 1ST, 1928
DATE OF RECRUITMENT: JANUARY 7TH, 1992
LOCATION: LONDON, ENGLAND


This document is the first of several documents. Please read them thoroughly. If you have any questions, please contact your recruiting Agent.

with: Spencer + Adam Misty Gray
Alex Melanin-Gxdess
Syd + Bruce Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Downstairs Dining Room

~ Tottenham, London~​

Jeremy Gray

It wasn't that Jeremy expected a roaring acceptance of his speech, but after everything he had seen, he was hoping to instill some honest to god fear in them. They were all kids compared to him, at least in his mind, and he didn't mean it in a derogatory sense, he was at least ten years their elders if not double that. As he watched the faces around the room, Natalie was the first face he landed on, seeing little reaction out of her. He wasn't sure how he felt about no reaction at all. He expected some childish antics out of Leo, and some tough guy routines from most of the men, but a zero-point response worried him that she was lost in LaLa land and not paying attention to what was being explained for their benefit. This certainly wasn't for Wesley or Jeremy who knew the drill going forward.

As the room collectively reacted the way he mostly expected he rolled his eyes, sucking his teeth and tisking at the two that decided to smart off like it was a good idea. The look he gave them was one of disdain and disinterest. "Sure, smart off like the children you claim not to be. That'll prove your point. Don't be idiots. I know some of you already have experience, but that doesn't change the fact I'm you're elder and always will be by an easy decade, meaning you'll never catch up on experience until I'm dead and you have spent at least ten years getting to where I am. I'm not trying to let you play stupid games, you just end up winning stupid prizes. You can accept that I'm here to help, or you can take the loss and not take advantage of it. Either way, not my life you're risking."

He looked at Wesley, hoping he understood that not responding the way he once would have was his way of trying to make this work. He didn't like them any more than they liked him - there was bad blood that they were going to hold onto even if Jeremy had learned to let it go in his line of business. Things were not the old days and it was time to get moved on and ready for this new mission. Waving off Wesley when he asked if the pissing contest was over, Jeremy took a seat at the front of the room, sitting on a tables edge as he listened to the man getting into the details of the operation. He didn't care if these kids came around or didn't, it wasn't going to be him getting hurt if they chose to ignore the advice of someone who spent more time than most of them had been alive in the criminal world.

Bellz - Thomas/Wesley
neverbackdown - Natalie
Melanin-Gxdess - Leo
Misty Gray - Logan

 

[neverbackdown]

Arthur's Steakhouse
~ Hackney, London ~

Jake Hunter
​

Gun still in hand, Jake held an almost relaxed stance as he came to a stop beside Zach, watching as Julia took to the stage and did as she does best, terrorising and killing the targets. He had to say that he admired watching her work but it also reminded him to never get on the bad side of her. Jake couldn't help but smirk at some of the comments that she made, the job was tough, particularly ones like this where innocents were being killed but humor was always a good technique for coping with it all. It had always been his go to coping method when things were going wrong and since joining this life he found himself using it alot more.

A nudge to the arm brought Jake back into the room and he turned to face Zach before following his gaze to the buffet table. His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned that area, wondering where Zach was motioning to before his eyes landed on the shoe, barely visible in the gap. Releasing a sigh, Jake all but rolled his eyes at the idiots hiding place, at least make sure you can't be seen.

When Zach instructed him to deal with it, Jake gave a small nod before slowly and quietly making his way over towards their desired victim. Normally Jake held some sort of resentment towards this side of the job, the killing but as he reached under the table and grabbed the man by the back of the neck, pulling him out into view, he felt no pity or second thought. This man had been inches from his family who were being killed off one by one and remained hidden to save his own skin, there was a special place in hell for people this slimy and disgusting and Jake was more than happy to help in sending him there.

"Now why don't we come out and look at the mess you've made Pal" Jake commented as he guided Noel towards his family with a hand on the back of his neck and the gun placed firmly against the back of his head. Finally Noel began to plead and beg for his family to be spared even going as far as offering to take their place. A cruel laugh escaped Jake's lips as he shook his head "bit late for that now, this could all have been avoided" While Jake was aware that none of the deaths so far would have been unavoidable, he still hoped to cause some kind of guilt or despair in the man for his family but he knew it was a lost cause.

"Enjoy hell" he muttered before pulling the trigger and lodging the bullet into the back of Noel's head. Noel's body fell with a satisfying "thump" and Jake smirked under his mask before drawing his attention back to the table in front of him. "Now who wants to go next" A woman's voice, he couldn't decipher if it was a sister or niece could be heard pleading from the table, claiming that they had achieved what they came for and to leave the rest of them alone, Jake shook his head before pointing the gun towards her "not quite" he muttered before firing a bullet into her skull and quickly firing another one into the the chest of the man sitting beside her. As both bodies fell into their food, Jake turned to look at Julia and Zach, motioning his head towards the remaining family as if to say "do you want to."

Interactions;-

Misty Gray - Zach
Bellz - Queen Julia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Downstairs Dining Room
~ Tottenham, London~

Natalie Smyth
​

Natalie remained leaning against the wall, expressionless and arms crossed as she listened to what was being said. Whilst on the outside she would look bored and uninterested, Natalie was paying full attention, analysing comments and storing information away for later on as she was sure she would eventually have to report back on this.

This meeting was essentially a planned start to a gang war and Nat couldn't help but be both intrigued and skeptical of the idea. She wasn't surprised in the slightest to know it was against the Carters but what did confuse her was the mention of the Porters and the Sullivans. She quickly put together that they must be all the families and friends greeting each other once again. She made a mental note to look into them or ask around once she had left this house and their presence afterall , she must be familiar with whoever she's meant to be trusting and fighting with.

The words "full immunity" sparked her attention as a small smirk played on her lips. She caught eye contact with Wesley and gave him a small nod as to say she was listening and agreeing. The part about families and identities meant nothing to her but she scanned the room quickly at that comment noting all the people that showed any interest in that. The fact that it seemed most people here were using a fake identity did nothing to help her skepticism but she brushed it off, calming herself by thinking about her sweet boyfriend waiting at home for her and how interesting he would find this news, how interesting they would all find the news. The thought of Lucius, Archer and Albie brought another question to mind and Nat bit her lip as she uncrossed her arms and pushed herself of the wall.

As she walked more into the room and towards the people present, she felt as though she was being watched and turned her head to see Jeremy looking at her with an almost unimpressed expression on her face, as though he was judging her. Natalie raised an eyebrow at him as they made eye contact as though inviting him to speak his mind on her but he looked away towards Wesley and she smirked, allowing her face to fall back into a neutral expression before coming to a stop beside the table. She leaned forward slightly as she placed her hands on the back of the dining chair in front of her. "Is this only for us present or does it stand for all associates" she questioned her tone strong and calculated as she spoke, it would be obvious that Natalie was thinking things through as they were happening.

Misty Gray - Jeremy
Melanin-Gxdess - Leo
Bellz - Thomas/Wesley

 

[Misty Gray]

"The Big House" - Downstairs Dining Room
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Logan Thomson​

When Logan made his sarcastic comments about expecting the mission to be partying and hanging out, he hadn't expected much pushback, and certainly didn't expect anyone to follow suit. He caught Leo's smirk and the other man made a sarcastic comment himself, mentioning someone named Agent Walsh had told him the same. However, Leo went beyond following suit and instead his comments towards Jeremy seemed more serious, perhaps even fuelled by some kind of history between the two men. Spencer had filled Logan in on the past war between the Kings and the Sullivans, so it was more than likely that Jeremy and Leo had crossed paths at some point. Regardless of that, it was clear Leo didn't like being talked to like he was a child either.

Logan looked to Jeremy, seeing clearly the man wasn't at all amused by his and Leo's comments. Still, he would surely just move on and get to the matter at hand. In the years he'd got to know Spencer, he knew if the older man wasn't amused by his comments then he was likely to call him a stupid twat, tell him to get serious, and move on. So when Jeremy reacted the way he did, Logan tried to imagine how Jeremy's and Spencer's friendship worked. Perhaps Spencer was different to Nathan and more tolerant of the kind speech Jeremy had now followed up with. He suggested Logan and Leo were smarting off like children, telling them not to be idiots. He then brought up the fact he was older than them and told them that meant they'd never catch up with him in experience. 'Depends on what kind of stupid you were in that decade,' Logan thought, shrugging his shoulders. He then held his hand out. "Apologies, old man. I'm grateful to be in the presence of your wisdom. I look forward to taking advantage of your help." As soon as the words had escaped his lips, Logan figured he'd be getting some kind of pep talk from Spencer, but he was willing to take it on the chin.

When Wesley asked if they'd got it out of their system, Logan gave the agent an affirmative salute. He grinned at the mention of a pissing match, but decided to stay quiet now. Given that Wesley had got caught up in the angry tirade Logan sent Spencer's way when finding out the Millers had been lying to him for years, he decided the agent had suffered enough awkwardness on his part for the time-being. He nodded his head when asked if they were done, knowing that despite getting annoyed at being talked to like a child, he did need to listen to what was being said and pay attention if he was going to be useful - and cause Spencer and Shona minimal stress!

Wesley told the group about the Carters and how they differed from the Kings when they'd been running London. Spencer had filled him in on a lot of the Kings' history, most of which he was told never to repeat in front of Eddie and Lottie. Something he had picked up on was that the Kings hadn't been all about the glamour and certainly didn't kiss the arses of politicians or the like, but it sounded like the Carters were very different in that sense. The Carter boss had managed to create some kind of a glowing reputation, making him a popular figure in the media. Logan didn't like politicians and he hated arse-kissers even more. Wesley explained that even Interpol hadn't been able to bring the Carters down, which was why they were now enlisting in the help of the Kings and the Irish Mob. Fighting fire with fire; using criminals to help take down others - ones apparently more dangerous. Whilst he knew many of the others had agreed to the deal in order to be with their families again, Logan's own reasoning wasn't simply so he could remain with Spencer and Shona. Since Katie's death, as well as before he fell in love with her, he'd never really known what his purpose in life was. He was just a trouble-maker, ex-con, fulfilling the predictions of his drunken and abusive father that he'd amount to nothing. The fact Wesley pointed out he'd be acting for the safety of innocents rather than himself, he nodded his head. He didn't much care about himself these days, so if he died doing this shit, then so be it. What was motivating to him was the thought that what he was going to do now could help innocent people. Whilst he wasn't proactive in preserving his own life, he was more than happy to put in the effort if it meant helping innocent people. He felt a sense of purpose with this.

He listened as Wesley spoke of excusing the crimes of the families and returning their identities, knowing those incentives weren't aimed at him as he never lost his identity and he'd served time for the crimes he was caught committing. Of course, the immunity for what he would do in the future did apply to him. "That's fair. If we're doing this dirty work for Interpol, then we need some protection. And I'm not about hurting innocent people," he assured Wesley. "No questions from me at this stage," he confirmed, figuring any queries he had would arise at the time of being set a mission. He followed the agent's gaze to Leo when resources were mentioned. He figured they meant weapons. He was looking forward to that, even if Spencer had been firm that he needed training before he was going anywhere near a gun. That conversation had escalated to Logan saying he didn't need a gun anyway; that he could get by with his fists and a trusty knife. By the time the conversation ended, it was closed with Spencer asserting his authority and Logan agreeing he would use a gun and accept training.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Bellz (Wesley, Thomas) BasDorcha (Jeremy) neverbackdown (Natalie)

 

[BasDorcha]

3rd Degree

~London, England~​

Jess Blaque, Maeve Thatcher, Bohemia Carter

May was nervous to say the least. As they joined the table, May looked about, sticking to Bohemia's side like glue. It had been years since she had been out on the town, living that mom life had really taken the bar girl out of her. Still, it felt nice to have a night away from the normal daily routine, and slowly she was starting to relax, a tiny bit at a time. When Bohemia pulled out a joint of her own and lit it, she passed it over to May without thinking, Maeve staring at it in her hands for a moment before she took a drag and deeply inhaled, before handing the joint on to the girl named Jess. Meanwhile, her eyes scoured the room, as if she might know someone. Instead, they landed on a guy that sent a series of tingles through her body. That was… weird. She shook her head and chalked it up to the joint taking affect and turned back to the group. Jess gave her a half smile half smirk, seeing the pupils of the woman dilate before her eyes as the weed began working in her system.

"Feel's good, don't it May? Welcome to girl's night. Don't mind Jolene here, she's a bit rough around the edges. It's nice to meet you. Here, take this." Jess pulled a single pill out of her bag and slid it across the table for her, Bo quickly passing some money over to her to cover Maeve as her treat as well as buying one for herself. Bo wasted no time in popping the pill down her throat and swallowing, not even bothering to wait for a drink to arrive. When the waiter passed, she did order drinks, pausing long enough to see that Maeve wanted a Tequila Sunrise while she herself ordered a double rum and coke. May looked the pill, then at Bohemia and the other girls - was it Jess, Bex and Jolene? - before swallowing her fear and following suit. Fuck it, this was her one night to do what she wanted. She already knew that Christian was working late, the kids had a sitter, and she was long overdue for some fun. Pulling some money from her strappy clutch that hung at her side, she handed it over to Jess.

"Whatever this will get me, please." She gave a shy smile and Jess took the money, doing some quick math in her head. Digging around in the leather pouch, she produced one of her last pre-rolled joints and a small baggy of coke. She took one long hard look at the older woman, sizing her up. "You don't look like a partier, so take it easy on this stuff. I avoided giving you any more pills, but the joint will help you mellow out if you start feeling over amped, and the powder will help you if you get to buzzed. You know, bring shit back into focus and all." She looked at Bo, who nodded in agreement and winked at Jess to let her know she was picking up the silent message that was being communicated. Don't make me responsible for her, you better watch her. Bohemia had liked Maeve ever since they met at work, the quiet woman always giving her a feeling that there was a hidden soul of passion and excitement underneath that years of being domesticated had dulled and boxed away. Tonight, she would see if she was right.

On the other hand, May turned a violent shade of red when the girl she guessed was Jolene from the comment made a few moments ago asked her first question. Of course the younger woman was right, but did age matter? Gulping down her anxiety, she tried to shrug it off. "Does it matter how old I am? Everyone deserves a night off once in a while, and I just decided to take Bo up on her offer. It has been a while since I've been out… but I'm the last person that would rat you out. It might have been a while since I've done anything wild and crazy but…" Her mind drifted to life before the death of her siblings, the raid, the moment that changed everything. A small, dreamy smile as she disappeared into memory for a moment took her face by storm before she shook it away. This girl had no idea the kind of things she had seen or done earlier in her life, and why she would never rat them out, but she at least understood where she was coming from and why she would be worried. "Don't worry, I'm doing it with you, so ratting you out would only hurt me in the process. 'Sides, once my girls night is over, I have to return to reality, and I'd like to avoid bringing any additional trouble back with me by being overly involved in someone else's business."

Bohemia beamed, feeling like that was a great answer on top of seeing the woman finally relax a bit. For a long while she had watched her looking like a caged bird who had no idea its wings had been clipped. Happy only knowing the life of being contained, but now starting to remember what freedom felt like. Jess watched the interaction quietly, arm around Bex but having reeled back in the PDA that she knew sometimes made Jolene uncomfortable. Something about her friend was sending red flags up in her mind, but she knew better than to try and address it here, in a crowded room, with people they had just met around the table. Instead, she focused on trying to keep the mood light. As the waiter came back with Maeve and Bo's drinks, she ordered a round of shots for the table, as well as gave a heavy tip to the waiter to keep the surrounding area as sparsely filled as possible. Jess serviced quite a bit of the staff with party favors on the regular, being something of a VIP without all the pomp and circumstance. A few moments later, the area had cleared a bit, with only a few tables remaining with quieter folks minding their own business. The wait staff had done a pretty good job of 'guiding' folks back to the main floor and away from their small corner of the world.

May sighed and stared at her drink for a moment, low buzzing feelings filling her head, "I just need a night to escape the day to day routine." With a forced but believable smile, she lifted her head and the mood lightened again around her. "Hope that's okay. I know I'm a bit older than you ladies, but I don't really have many people to go out with." Jess nodded, uncaring, and Bo patted her arm in a familiar manner, just happy to see the woman coming out of her shell. Jess watched Jolene to see how she'd react, hoping the drugs would be kicking in to help her relax a bit as she seemed to be running a bit tense tonight. Smiling at her wonderful girlfriend Bex, she winked and nudged her. "How are you feeling babe? You look like you're rolling something awful good over there. I think you might be enjoying girls night the most so far." Jess giggled and passed the joint to her. She'd love to take her home and make love to her, but that would come later. Right now, it was time to work.

Interactions:
Bellz - Jolene \ neverbackdown - Bex/Mystery Man

 

[BasDorcha]

The Laundrette

~ Hackney, London ~​

Abel Stewart

Abel could feel the tension in every inch of his body. Something was definitely wrong, and his intuition knew it with everything it could spare. Finally taking a seat, Jakob between him and Daisy, Abel remained quiet and stoic, hands clenching and unclenching in his lap as he was hyper aware of everything in the room from the guns, to the man standing before them, to his brother and his girlfriend at his side. Mentally, his mind was running at the speed of light, trying to calculate and prepare for what could possibly be coming, but little did he know, nothing could have prepared him. The seat felt uncomfortable under him, flimsy and weak as if it might fall apart at any moment. His chest felt thunderous, his heart hammering faster than he'd ever felt it before. Abel had heard stories, most of his family had, but he had never seen, much less been a part, of anything even close to this shady before. Abel was always the above the line, clean cut, nine-to-five, do it right one of the family. He'd never had any interest in the dark and gritty underworld, and was happy to leave it alone, but now it seemed he had been drug in against his will by none other than the devil himself - Ezekial Carter.

Being the one with the least experience, and the least idea what the hell was going on or why, Abel was much more in control of keeping his outward appearance calm and quiet while he could feel his brother ready to jump at the drop of a hat. Even Daisy had an air of steady and edgy unease he could feel through his brother between them. When Damian pointed at him and Jakob with the words warning on his lips, Abel felt himself tense another degree tighter but forced his body not to react openly. Of course Abel had already been warned about meeting deadlines, but this somehow felt much more final, much more threatening. Abel had always been realistic but quick at his job - moving efficiently and steady to make the work faster but sturdy and had never had a complaint. Even when talking with Ezekial today, there had not been anything set or said that he hadn't felt he couldn't meet after discussing the reasonable expectations with the man. So what was this?

The moment they all broke was the moment the man stated Daisy was there for 'consequences'. Given, Abel held it together better than both of them, but even he felt his quiet demeanor breaking. This was it, this was what he'd been sensing since the moment they turned off a familiar street onto some side road he had never even been on. Abel didn't know Daisy well enough to jump up for her, though she had dated his brother for some time, he had his own wife to worry about and would not be risking himself without restraint for the woman. Would he let it turn badly, if it were within his control? Of course not, he had been raised to treat women better, but he also knew that right now was not the time to play hero. That was Jakob's job if someone wanted to do it. He just needed to walk out of here alive, and for the moment, Daisy was still untouched so he stayed still in his seat.

Then came the threat about Alice. Ice shot through his veins, face contorting into a snarl, nails biting into his palms as he squeezed his hands so tight he could feel blood beginning to wet them. No one, absolutely no one, fucked with Alice even in words and got away with it. It might not be in this moment that he exacted revenge, but mentally, Abel made a promise that one day, he'd make the man eat those words and everyone he said after it as the threats turned then to his mother. Only a fool would explode at this moment, and his calculating mind knew it but one day, one way, somehow or another this would be repaid. He silently prayed that this would be over soon and not as bad as it was feeling, that the threats were for the moment just empty threats, but he had a deadly feeling that he was very, very wrong.

What happened next was like a movie scene, only he was caught in the middle and unable to turn it off and walk away. Just as he had started to think that Ezekial had a bad rap, this instance put it all back into perspective and Abel knew what he was truly involved with now. It could have been seconds, it could have been minutes, Abel didn't know as all sense of reality faded, his face turning white again his will, hands squeezing so tight the blood was losing circulation in his hands as Justin was dragged out and dropped while the man told the sickening story of what had happened to him. Abel fought everything in him not to throw up as time suddenly sped up and before he could catch his breath, the man on the ground was gone. Daisy wailed, Jakob nearly got himself shot, and Abel was frozen in place unable to react. Nothing, nothing in the world, could have prepared him for being part of a murder tonight. Everything went fuzzy, sideways and upside down as Jakob got them out of there and Abel followed in dead silence.

He couldn't back out now. He hadn't had a choice to begin with, had he? Why had Ezekial come to him to begin with? Why him? Why now? His whole world had been changed, his life rearranged on a single night after living a life of law abiding and moderate Christian morals for decades. It was all gone now. He helped usher Daisy out the door, following them in shocked wordlessness. His mind barely heard Jakob ask him to look after her, grasping it moments after he had said it and only nodding as he sat down beside her. What kind of comfort could he offer her in this moment? Who was he to offer anything to her? With a snap, reality came rushing back along with Abel's breath and without warning he was shaking with fury, rage and a horde of other emotions he couldn't even put names too. He moved like lightning as his hands found his own phone and dialed Alice, receiving her voicemail as he begged her to call him back the moment she got the message.

Standing, he began pacing in small circles before Daisy and Jakob. "Wha-what the fuck? What-what the actual-a-actual fuck?" Panic was rising in his chest and just as fast as his heart was running it felt like his sanity was leaving. He spun on his brother and Daisy, grabbing the sides of his head as he began losing control piece by piece. "What the fuck are you two involved in that now I've been drug into? Did-did that really just-just-" And the nausea hit so hard he bolted to the edge of the road and emptied what little contents were on his stomach. Abel had never considered himself a weak man - he was a man's man, strong and in control of himself and most situations he was put in, but this was like nothing he had ever even thought of, much less considered ever being part of before. He was going to have to get a gun. Sarah was going to need a gun. They needed to move, to run away. Could they even get away? Would that psycho find them? His chest constricted as he made his way back to the table, collapsing in a chair from the next table over.

When a text came through from Alice a second later letting him know she'd call him as soon as she could - she had some meeting with some of the parents of her students tonight - he began relaxing and calming as much as someone in shock could. "We need to get the fuck out of here.." Abel picked up his phone again, this time dialing the one person he thought might be able to help them. As the phone rang for his Uncle Trevor, Abel attempted to stop making a bigger and bigger scene. The phone continued ringing as Abel held his breath. There was no way his uncle worked as closely as he did for the psycho business man and handle experienced something of this nature, so now he needed that experience to help him and his brother. If the man went to these lengths just to teach Abel - a clean cut, honest and hardworking man that didn't even need the incentive - a lesson, what was he really capable of?

When the phone picked up, Abel wasted no time.

"Uncle Trevor, we have a problem... a very... big problem. I-I don't know what to do, Jakob is here with me, Daisy is too. Justin, her brother... we just found out he's going to need a funeral, courtesy of a common business exec we both know..."

Misty Gray - Damien, Daisy
Melanin-Gxdess - Jakob

 

[Misty Gray]

"The Big House" - Upstairs Study
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Spencer King and Adam Harper​

Adam smiled and nodded when Klaus said he could arrange somewhere secure for everyone to train in. "Spot on. I'm sure between Syd's lot and Spencer's, we can put together a decent team to lead the training. With Interpol bringing in what they have to offer too."

When Alex made his comment about everyone acting like they were going to war, Spencer remained stone-faced. It seemed to him like they were. Alex soon came to conclude the same, prompting Spencer to nod along in agreement. He was glad to hear his brother confirm his employees could handle things. He trusted his brother's insight on this. "Still, they might need some training to make sure they know what they're signing up for." Spencer looked at Klaus when Alex questioned if the protection applied to his employees too. The agent admitted it would need clearing with his superiors but contracts would be the best way to secure the protection of Alex's employees. Spencer had only brought Logan with him, but given how things had played out in front of Wesley, contracts had already been sorted for Logan.

Spencer noticed the way Alex eyed Klaus when the subject of Trevor came up. He couldn't quite pinpoint what the look meant, but it seemed suspicious to him. He didn't question though as Alex soon spoke up to assure him their father was different now. Not the same man they'd known up until 12 years ago, apparently. His brother told them they'd get into it in private, but Spencer wasn't willing to let the matter go when his father's employment clashed with the whole mission at hand. He didn't want Trevor to cross them, nor did he want Klaus or the Porters to suspect their family had secrets. "No, not yet," Spencer halted his brother when he tried to move the meeting on so he could see his nieces and nephews, as well as tend to Callum.

Bruce spoke up and whilst he sounded more diplomatic than Spencer, he wanted more information on Trevor and what he had been up to as well. Spencer gazed straight ahead as his uncle mentioned how the man had started to redeem himself and saved Harper's life in 1985. His eyes soon found Syd's face, wondering what the man was thinking as the Kings were now airing their family's dirty laundry. At least the Irish would see they weren't the only ones with some dramas brought to the table. Unaware of just how much Syd and Roxie knew Harper from their time in Germany, he looked away from them and back to Bruce as the man made it clear they needed to know if Ezekiel had got to Trevor. Spencer couldn't see any reason for his father to be working for Ezekiel, other than for some self-serving motive that would harm the Kings yet again.

When Klaus started by telling him Trevor was actually doing honest business, Spencer couldn't hold back the disbelieving smirk that crept on his face. Still, the fact the agent added it was honest "depending on how you want to look at it", made it sound about right. Spencer's experience of his father was that he rarely did anything without selfish intentions. Hearing that Trevor was still working at Carter Tech because he was feeding information to Interpol rendered Spencer speechless. That allowed Klaus to continue explaining the situation without interruption. Klaus handed him a pile of papers and he didn't hesitate to put on his glasses and open up the file to look over them. "You're fucking kiddin' me..." Spencer muttered as he heard how Harper had recruited their father five years ago. The paperwork certainly backed it up and he couldn't think of any reason Interpol would lie about it. After reading over the paperwork, he slid it to Bruce, given that it seemed Alex already knew the truth anyway so probably didn't need to look. "Bloke always did have a death wish," Spencer commented as he removed his glasses and set them down on the table. He couldn't help but laugh at the situation. "Jesus Christ..." he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

When told they all had to keep Trevor's double agent status a secret, Spencer had no choice but to nod his head in agreement. He couldn't believe that in all this time, not only had Harper been working for Interpol, but she'd gone along and helped them recruit Trevor to the investigation. Interpol didn't know the man, but Harper had and she'd somehow put her faith in him to complete such an important mission. "I don't owe him a thing, but I ain't about to rat him out if he's finally fighting on my family's side," he said, glancing to Alex. "I take it he's proved himself useful if you're keen to keep him on the inside and protect his status. Has he?" he asked Klaus.

Adam didn't really know the full Kings history and why Trevor seemed to be such a sore subject, but it sounded like the bloke was working on the right side, so he didn't have any doubts to put forward. "If he's on our side then my lips are sealed," Adam confirmed. "Sounds like the bloke's taking a big risk though. Hope you're compensating him for it," he commented.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex) Bellz (Klaus, Roxie) Pyroclast (Syd, Bruce)

 

[Misty Gray]

Arthur's Steakhouse
~ Hackney, London ~

Zachary Costa​

Zachary stood silently and patiently as Julia set about shooting Noel's wife, then moved on to pushing another woman to squeal on where Noel was. He was aware they were beginning to overstay their welcome and they needed to wrap things up soon to make a smooth escape. His eyes shot to the woman who was being dumb enough to stay silent for a man who clearly didn't care about her. He rolled his eyes when a man then began to beg. Julia snapped at him, managing to put the fear into a number of people in the restaurant. He wasn't about to go showering her with compliments, but he found it impressive. Well, he figured her ways were no doubt a product of whatever she'd gone through that rendered her more unhinged than himself. When she shot both the man and the woman, Zachary smirked beneath his mask. Clearly she was enjoying tonight's mission.

The focus was then on Noel as Jake took his cue to drag the coward out from his hiding place by the neck. Yet another man to add to the list of cowards Zachary had seen. He'd killed many people before and he didn't think a lot of them deserved it, but Noel did deserve this. Not a single second thought would be shared for that man's life. He watched on as his friend gave Noel some last words, making him think he could have stopped members of his family from being killed had he shown his face sooner. The man squirmed and begged for his life, but soon enough, Jake fired a bullet into the back of his head. There was barely any time for the cries and screams to register when Jake asked who was next. He went on to then shoot two more people from around Farringdon's table. When he offered the remaining members to Julia and himself, Zachary shook his head. "You two just take the rest of them out," he told them.

Zachary approached one of the guards at the door and gave his cue for them to beginning dousing the restaurant tables and carpets with petrol. They'd been ordered to kill all of Farringdon's family and close associates, the other diners were fair game. They would be given a fighting chance to escape the burning restaurant, but not before Zachary and the others had made their escape. Having seen her from the start, Zachary grabbed the only child in the room. Wrapping his arm around her waist and lifting the crying girl from the floor, he held his gun to her head. "Anyone tries any funny business or tries to stop us from leaving, this kid gets it," he warned the diners. Deep down, he had no intention of harming the child. If anything, he was doing her a favour by getting her outside to safety.

After motioning for Julia and Jake to follow, Zachary left the restaurant through the side fire exit, his hand now over the girl's mouth to stop her from screaming. Once they were close to where they'd parked their van, he let the kid go. "Go on. Piss off!" he commanded her. Soon enough the three of them were in the van where they waited until they were soon joined by the other guards who had sprinted from the building having set fire to the place. With all of their team accounted for, the driver started the van and set off down the street, passing the hotel where the flames were already engulfing the restaurant.

Bellz (Julia) neverbackdown (Jake)

 

[Misty Gray]

A Café near to The Laundrette
~ Hackney, London ~

Trevor Stewart, Daisy Richardson and Sarah Stewart​

After having a coffee with Xavier, Trevor finally decided to leave the office and head home for the night. He was halfway home to Islington when his phone began ringing on the dashboard. Glancing down whilst stopped at a red light, he saw Abel's name lit up on the handset screen. As soon as he could, he set off at the green light and pulled into the first space he could find. Whether it was his family, the Carters, or those disguised Interpol calls, Trevor had learned to treat every call as important these days. When he did speak to his nephew, there was an urgency not only in Abel's voice but also in the content of what he was telling him. Trevor soon set off driving again, now heading towards Hackney and at a much faster driving speed than what was legal.

Trevor parked close to where his nephew had told him he was and rushed across to the diner. He approached the table, see Abel, Jakob and Daisy, as well as Sarah who had got there shortly before he had. He didn't get chance to speak before Sarah stood up and walked up to him to see could stare him head on. "My sons just had to watch as Daisy's brother was killed in front of them," she hissed, keeping her voice down so anyone else around their family couldn't hear. "Your excuse for working with that bastard is so you can protect our family, yet here were are. Three of them threatened and a man dead," she said, outstretching her arm towards Abel, Jakob and Daisy. "I call bullshit."

Trevor shook his head and brushed past Sarah, pulling up a chair at the end of the table so he could sit between his nephews. He looked to Sarah and pointed to the seat she'd been occupying so he could urge her to return to it. After briefly addressing Daisy directly and reassuring her, he pulled out a box of cigarettes, removing one and placing it into his mouth before lighting it up. He tossed the pack and lighter on the dining table so anyone else could help themselves if they wanted. Daisy was quick to oblige and light up a smoke for herself. "Sarah," Trevor said, blowing out a breath of smoke as he waited for her to pay attention. "Something else I told you. Both of you," he said, his voice softening as he looked to Daisy. "I told both of you to ease off and stop provoking him," he said, mindful not to mention Ezekiel's name in public, even if there wasn't anyone else sitting within earshot. "I'm working my arse off trying to keep him off your backs and let us all get on with our business without stress. Let us all stay out of each others' way and get on with shit in peace. Now, I know that means having to hold our tongues and go along with orders we don't agree with. But we need to be patient and go along with what he wants until we're in a position to do anything else about it." Trevor shook his head. "Sarah. I admire your guts and strength, but right now, we're not in a position to stand up to them. He's losing patience and it seems like tonight has proved that I can't always hold him back. You need to stop antagonising him. Abel needs to continue working hard to meet the deadlines he's had set. We all need to keep in line until we're in a position to stand our ground," he firmly urged everyone.

Daisy would usually argue by this point and tell Trevor she was willing to take it on the chin, but it had just been demonstrated to her that doing so would bring danger to those she cared about and not just herself. She managed to walk away without a scratch whilst Justin had been tortured and killed because of her actions. She wanted so much to shout up and argue in favour of standing up to the Carters, but right now she felt weak. Having just watched her brother be killed in front of her, the fire inside of her had been extinguished.

With Daisy in no position to speak up, Trevor turned to his eldest nephew, Abel. "What--" He paused as the waiter interrupted to serve some coffees and whiskey shots for the table. When offered a drink, he quickly shook his head and dismissed the staff member. Having taken another drag from his cigarette, he looked back to Abel. "What happened tonight?" he asked. "Was he there?" he added, having known that Ezekiel had been at the construction site with Abel earlier.


BasDorcha (Abel)
Melanin-Gxdess (Jakob)

 

[Bellz]

"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Front Lounge
~ Tottenham, London ~

J.J. Porter
Collin McCarthy ​

J.J. wasn't going to sit there and pretend he wasn't hurt by the fact that he was friend-zoned for the millionth time by Ari. But, that hurt was nothing new. In fact, it had become a regular thing. People would ask, he'd make a full of himself stuttering and sputtering and she'd cooly fill them in on what they weren't and what they were. If anything, it was the only thing about their life that was routine. No surprises. Completely dare he think it, normal. The color on his face was also nothing new, but the confusion that crossed Ari's face was definitely something different. It was like she was noticing for the first time that he was reacting to that particular question in such a way. How could she be confused when she taunted him so? With the flirty little chin grabs and the kisses she blew in his direction? He almost always reacted like that. He wasn't exactly a master at keeping his face unreadable. J.J. would be absolute trash at poker, he thought at that moment. Still, she only looked his way for a split second before turning towards Michael once more, as he spoke again.

J.J. hadn't been sure what she'd make off all this warning, especially coming from someone who wasn't him, or his mother. But Ari seemed...hauntingly indifferent. Her face is unreadable for a moment as she said she understood, adding that she wouldn't have came along if she didn't. J.J. felt like for a second, he could breathe a little easier. If only just a little, as Ari offered Michael a small smile. Still, J.J.'s reassurance that slipped past his lips, when he reassured her that things would be okay...he wasn't sure what to make of it. Did it sound convincing? Not really. But he had to try. At least until things weren't okay. Ari seemed to appreciate it because her hand reached for his and he immediately took it without any hesitation.

The young man turned to look at her as their hands were intertwined and he gave her a sweet boyish smile, just showing that he was okay and hopefully showing that she would also be OK. When their eyes met, he gave her hand a light squeeze. The conversation had, of course, taken another turn to a more heavy topic. J.J. was sure he would be in deep shit with Ari, and with his Ma when he eventually told her his intentions. But he said what he needed to.

Just as soon as their hands had been intertwined, Ari was pulling her hand out of his and J.J. felt his heart drop into his stomach.

Collin had just been observing. Uncharacteristically silent for a few minutes now. J.J. and Lucas both stated their intent to join. Liam and Michael wanted nothing to do with it. J.J. and Ari were apparently not together but were literally just holding hands up until J.J. mentioned joining and then Ari just pulled her hand away. And Ari said she was just a baker, so if they wanted baked goods, go to her. Collin could use like...a pound of something sweet right now. Especially after seeing in real time what announcing your intent to join could do to people who were apparently hiding their feelings for each other.

There was no way he could say anything now even though part of him was leaning towards at least wanting to try it out. After the progress he'd made with Michael...he'd do anything to keep him happy because he loved him. Anything except come out of the closet. But that was already dealt with. Liam talked about what he experienced, the trauma back in Dublin. That was the reason why he didn't want anything to do with the mission. It made sense. The poor guy already went through enough and now he wanted to live in peace. Collin nodded his head gently, as he heard Liam say he'd have their backs.

It was interesting what fueled people. Liam wanted to stay away because of his trauma. It seemed like J.J. was willing to dive in head first because of his. Lucas was here to help in the fight just like his two dads always had and Michael was choosing to reset his own family pattern by opting out as well. Then...there was Collin. How is it that he ended up confused about every single choice he's ever had to make? Sure, he never got to know Jackson McCarthy, his biological father, the man he only knew about through word of mouth or pictures because of the choices the man made with the Sullivans and Porters. But, Collin didn't feel like it was reason enough to dive head-first into this stuff. He had a good life. A lot of kids without fathers didn't have a good life and he had a pretty good one. He almost felt like a fraud sometimes when he got to thinking about what he was robbed of and even in this very moment he was thinking that way so he just shut it down.

Michael caught his attention, Collin's eyes glancing up as he spoke with such a tone that he rarely heard him take on. His boyfriend seemed to realize it and softened up a bit, saying that he wished their families never got into the business in the first place. It was that wishful thinking that Collin got caught up in a lot. But so much would be different if their parents hadn't made the choices they had, and hadn't done the things they did.

"Whether we like to think it or not. The choices our parents made, as awful or as...heavy as they may be at this moment, lead us all to sit in this very room together right now. I have your backs as well, even if I'm just working some theatre job or whatever I end up doing here." Collin said, his voice cracking ever so slightly as he lied about what he planned on doing, his eyes meeting Michaels before they looked at each person in the room before finally landing on Lucas. "Whatever happens, I'm only a phone call away."
with: Misty Gray Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess

- End of Scene -​

 

[Bellz]

"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Upstairs Study
~ Tottenham, London~

Klaus Jäger
Roxie Porter ​

Klaus was pleased when Spencer nodded his head in agreement to keeping Trevor Stewarts' identity a secret. He was the only one Klaus was worried about here. So having him on his side for this was all that mattered. The rest were silent for the time being and Klaus took that as agreement. Spencer said that he didn't owe him anything, but he wasn't going to rat him out if he was finally fighting on the family's side. When asked if Trevor had proved himself to be useful if they were keen on keeping him on the inside. Klaus nodded his head once, "Exceeded expectations actually. We were wary at first, especially given his background. It had been your sisters' word against his record. But, we trusted her enough to give him a chance, and like you've come to find out, we are desperate. Trevor Stewart has proven to be a great asset to our mission and protecting his status for as long as possible is one of our number one priorities." Klaus said, his voice neutral.

Adam confirmed that his lips were sealed, saying that he hoped that Interpol was compensating him for what he was doing and Klaus nodded his head. "I wouldn't worry too much about that Adam, Trevor is being well taken care of for his work within our organization," Klaus said, looking to Syd and Roxie where Roxie spoke up for the both of them. While the Kings didn't know anything about the relationship they had with Harper in Germany, she was sure all of that would come to light soon enough. "If anything we trust Harper's judgment on this. If she trusted this man to carry out that sort of job then we will carry such a secret. I just hope you know what you're doing now that the Kings are here, surely he will want to see his family." Roxie pointed out, meeting Spencer and Alex's eyes specifically before looking back to Klaus. "That could blow this whole thing out of the water, could it not?"

"For the time being, any meetings will have to be under the supervision of Interpol, pre-planned, and in one of our safe houses. How we will go about arranging those will need to be worked out, if anyone should want to speak with him. Also, meetings with Interpol will continue to be as they have always been, but for now, I will let that continue to be a secret until you all absolutely need to know." Klaus said, offering the table a kind smile. "Which will be soon, I promise."

With that, the German clasped his hands together, looking at each person at the table. "I believe we've made a lot of progress today. More than you might be willing to give yourselves credit for. I'm going to dismiss this meeting formally and allow you to catch up with your loved ones. I have another meeting to run to, arrangements to make for those still needing housing, and of course, those training sessions to plan. Keep near your phones, I will be contacting each of you in the next day or so. But for now, enjoy your loved ones, take it easy, and more importantly take care of yourselves."
with: Misty Gray Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess

***
"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Downstairs Dining Room
~ Tottenham, London~

Wesley Roberts
Thomas Porter ​

Wesley sighed, moving a hand up to rub his temples. If it wasn't for Rory completely ruining his morning, maybe he'd actually be finding some more amusement in this situation right now. But at that moment, all he was feeling was...irritation. Just wanting to press on. It was like taking care of kids, except in actuality, Jeremy was included in that band of children. And in reality, Wesley communicated better with kids. No egos. Sure, some sass. They smarted off from time to time but unless you were their parent, they listened. Also, Wesley could almost guarantee that right now, at this very moment...all the kids were just getting along COLLECTIVELY. No bad blood, no gang bullshit.

Still, Wesley didn't interrupt, just allowing Jeremy to get it out. He had to be an impartial leader. Klaus had taught him that much. If he was going to continue to lead these people in some sort of fucking direction he had to just keep his mouth shut while they got it all off their chest. Thomas Porter had said nothing, Natalie Smyth was silent too.At least for now. Logan and Leo were mouthy but within reason. It just seemed like it would be challenging with those three. Logan had been snarky and quick in his retort to Jeremy, but when asked by Wesley if they all got it out of their system. He had given the man a salute, causing Wes to raise a brow at him. It didn't seem he was being cocky with him at least.

The information on the Carters was vital. At the end of his speech, Logan confirmed he didn't have any questions, seemingly pleased with what he had to say and the Northern Irishman nodded his head with a small smile. Natalie had asked about immunity then, wondering if it applied to people outside of the room or only the people present. "Excellent Question. Ideally, it applies to all associates. But I know it'll take some legal shite to get that in writin' so the big wigs upstairs are talkin' as we speak. We'll be sure to keep ye in the loop once we have something more concrete. Should be soon, I gather." Wesley's smile was a bit wider, as he looked to Natalie, trying to maintain a friendly atmosphere.

Thomas had finally cleared his throat, "Are these missions going to be a mix of our two families? Or are we keeping things separate?" His voice was neutral, not pointed at anyone or anything, just a question given what just happened. Wesley watched him for a long moment, before opening his mouth, "The goal is to utilize both of yer families together. No separation, Mr. Porter. I understand the nature of yer question. But I can assure ye, ye have nothin' to worry about." Wes looked at the room. "Big egos or not, bad blood or not, all of it will be left out the window." Wesley even looked to Jeremy for a moment, "Doesn't matter if ye feel one way about the other or not, that kinda shite will get ye killed in a matter of seconds. Or worse, someone ye love and care about. So let that bad blood wash away quickly, or don't. Yer all adults. But if ye have someone or something to live for, get over whatever the fuck just happened today."
with: Melanin-Gxdess BasDorcha neverbackdown

***
In Chapter Bonus Scene:
"The Big House"
(Interpol Main Safe House)
Upstairs Study
~ Tottenham, London~

Klaus Jäger
Wesley Roberts ​

Once both meetings were adjourned, Klaus and Wesley met in the same study upstairs where Klaus had just met with the heads of the family. "Ah Wesley, come in. Shut the door behind you." Klaus said, gathering some of the paperwork he had been working on, just writing down some notes to get back to the office. Wesley came in, shutting the door before taking a seat in one of the chairs, slumping in it. Klaus had briefly eyed Wesley before returning to look at the papers, "That bad, huh?" He asked and Wesley let out a tired sigh, moving his hands to drag down his face. "Aye, but I didn't get choked by Spencer King, so I guess ye could call that a win."

Klaus let out a laugh, "I think Syd was ready to choke me." He admitted and Wesley raised an eyebrow, "He must have been ragin'. Am I gonna have to tell ye off for givin' him grief? Cus I will, Klaus. He's a good mucker of mine, I'll give ye what's what if I have to." Klaus had turned away from his paperwork to look at Wesley who was putting up his fists animatedly now, like a 1900s boxer. "Alright, I'll shut my gub. I can see that look. Who took what? Was it who we thought?"

Klaus nodded his head, "Exactly who with thought, though I do worry. Things felt a little unsettled on the Porter side. But, we didn't have a lot of other options. How was Leo Sullivan downstairs?" Wesley pulled a look and Klaus looked disappointed. "Jeremy was doing his best but...Jeremy is...an interesting person without said other person." Wesley said, not wanting to say what he was thinking. Klaus understood. "Logan Thomson and Leo Sullivan seemed to not take a likin' to his speech, it was all downhill from there. All three of them are hot-headed. Leo Sullivan certainly would have been a poor choice for the head position. At least for the time bein'. I could hardly get in a word in edgewise. Jeremy didn't exactly make it better. I cut the meetin' short once I saw a few people from yer meetin' downstairs. Figured they all needed to interact."

Klaus shook his head, "Well that's...troubling. The meeting up here ended on a good note. We have a few things to get done. We have a warehouse location not far from here, with a few levels that served as a training location for new recruits a long time ago. It hasn't been used in about 2 decades. I think it's the perfect location to train all these big-headed mobsters turned Interpol agents hmm? We need weapons training, fitness, and tactical before we let them go on their first mission. Sound like something you'd be up to organizing with me?" Klaus asked, and Wesley watched his boss for a moment. "Oh sure, put a bunch of people who think they already know shit together in a room, what could possibly go wrong? Do I really have a choice?"

Klaus smirked, "No you don't. But it's always nice to ask first." Wesley gave him the finger, turning the desk chair to get out of it so he could leave as Klaus just laughed.
with: Me (nice to meet me)

- End of Scenes -​

 

[BasDorcha]

The Laundrette

~ Hackney, London ~​

Abel Stewart

As the minutes ticked by, Abel was surprised at how much he was able to calm himself between the call to Trevor and the arrival of both his uncle and his mother. It felt like a whole lot of telling himself to level the fuck out and breathing exercises he didn't even know he knew. The feeling of paranoia would not leave though, and every person who walked by made him subtly flinch, his eyes roaming from one face to the other, unable to clearly read if they were a neutral bystander or some secret spy for his new villain of a boss. He watched as Jakob tried to sooth Daisy, not upset in the slightest he seemed to forget for a moment that Abel was there too and had now been drug into whatever the fuck street level scum she was involved with. The sudden distaste for Daisy in his mouth was almost enough to make him sick again. Would tonight have even happened if Jakob had been dating a nice normal girl, not someone who was apparently part of whatever subworld he had now entered?

The thoughts were interrupted when Sarah arrived first on the scene, actually shocking Abel a bit. After telling her he was okay, she moved to check on Daisy and Jakob who looked to need her much more than he did at that moment. Abel wasn't easily thrown for a loop, and when he was it was at least helpful that he tended - no matter how badly it was - to bounce back fairly quick. It was as if his mind processed things quickly and before you knew it he was starting to plan for the next step, it seemed to help in keeping himself from getting lost in the negative emotions whatever threw him usually brought with it. When Trevor showed up finally he felt a pressure release from his chest for reasons he couldn't quite understand. It's not like he had been super close with his uncle - no more than normal in any case - but something about seeing him arrive when he had called on him in a needed moment just confirmed for him that the things his cousin May often said were true.

"Trevor may not have been a perfect father in his younger years, and I know your mom and my husband do not like him working for Carter, but trust me when I say there's more there than meets the eye. Sure, they think it's in a way that everyone will disapprove of, something underhanded and illicit I'm sure, but I don't get that feeling. When a leopard works as hard as Trevor has at changing his spots, he's not going to give up all of that to go back to it. Faith isn't easy, especially to give to people who have made mistakes in the past, but it wouldn't be called faith if it was. I know my da' has become a better man, and I know no matter what I could go to him for anything." And as she said, Abel had given a little faith, and Trevor had arrived without question.

Abel looked up at his mother and reached an arm out to touch her elbow, drawing her attention to him. "Mum, you can't expect him to be everywhere at once." As his words went unheeded, he looked up at his uncle and focused his attention on him instead. Once everyone was settled around the table, Abel on one side, Daisy and Jakob across from him, Trevor to the right and Sarah to the left he felt himself sliding into the mind set of being the oldest son and his need to protect his family and step up driving him to be focused and calmer than even before. Abel had never smoked before, except to try a f.a.g. once in school that nearly made him sick but at this moment it seemed necessary. After Daisy lit one for herself, Abel took the pack and removed one for himself, holding it oddly until he found a comfortable way between his fingers and picked up the lighter to strike it. To be fair, he knew he'd probably hear it later from his mum but at this second he didn't care. As Trevor began speaking, he looked up at his mom, his eyebrows knitted together in frustration.

It was no secret that Sarah had a strong dislike of Carter, not nearly enough fear of him as Abel now knew, and had in fact been warned on many occasions to stop provoking him. Now he would be a lot more vocal in supporting said warnings and in attempting to keep his mother in line. He nodded, confirming his agreement with Trevor as he spoke with renewed vigor. He had agreed before, of course but now there was a much better, clearer reason to do so. He found a new feeling in listening to his uncle talk, a new sense of worry, a new need to be careful, a new understanding of what so many around him had been dealing with and he'd been for all accounts and purposes oblivious too because he thought it would never affect him. When Trevor said his name, his eyes snapped back to his uncle, nodding again along with him.

Taking one of the whiskey shots the moment the waiter handed it over, Abel tossed it back without hesitation or thought. The burn in his chest was a nice distraction from what had happened even if it only lasted a few seconds. The cigarette in his hand had burned back a little without Abel taking a drag, but watching his uncle more closely now prompted him to imitate his actions - taking a drag and exhaling it between them. Quietly, voice barely loud enough for the table to hear him, Abel recounted in enough detail - albeit extremely vivid in his head - for Trevor to understand exactly how and what had happened. Not that he knew any names, but he left the descriptions general except for when he described the man who had spoken to them. He found himself offering up much more description than he meant, shaking his head and moving on. In the end, it was obvious that Ezekial had not been present and would be unable to be considered at least physically part of what happened.

"Other than dropping me off outside, the man was not present at all. Only faces I didn't recognize." He sighed and leaned in closer to his uncle, now speaking just loud enough for the man to hear him. "Cousin May has always said to have some faith in you Uncle, that despite everything there must be a good reason for you to be working with the Carter's. From the way you talk, you're looking to bring the man down one day, despite being a trusted employee. Well, I want to help, regardless of what it is. I want in."

The look in his eyes was one no one - even himself - had seen before. The normally gentle and happy eyes were cold and calculating, serious and suddenly more mature than they had ever looked, as if tonight had aged him dramatically. He meant every word he said, and if there was any doubt that Trevor would agree to bring him in on whatever it was he was doing, Abel didn't show it. Instead it was said like a statement instead of a request. Maybe it was his way of asking his uncle to have some faith in him. Maybe it was that for the first time in his life, he knew true fear and wanted to protect those around him. In either case, or any other for that matter, Abel knew things would never be the same from this day forward and eventually he would find a way to help his uncle, with or without his permission.

Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

*placeholder*

 

[Misty Gray]

10 days later...

Undisclosed Hotel
~ Tottenham, London ~
Thursday 2nd October 1997

Spencer King and Trevor Stewart​

'Room 206.' the text message on Trevor's mobile phone simply read. As he entered the hotel, he slipped the handset into his back pocket and made a beeline towards the elevator, bypassing the reception desk. After a short ride, he reached the floor in question and stepped out of the lift when the doors opened. After a brief walk down the corridor, he found the room in question and firmly knocked on the door, taking one last moment to look around to make sure nobody was watching him. The door in front of him being opened drew his attention back to the room in question and he caught sight of his eldest son. He was sporting a lot more beard since they'd last spoken, but other than that Spencer looked like he had when they'd last properly spoken in 1985. The younger man still carried the tough and confident exterior he had back then. "Spence, you... You look well," he told his son.

"Trevor," Spencer flatly greeted him as he stepped aside to let his father step into the hotel room. Closing the door securely behind them, Spencer led Trevor into the lounge area of the hotel suite. "Kettle's boiled. You want a cup?" he offered his father some tea whilst pointing to the sofa for him to take a seat. When Trevor accepted the offer, Spencer poured them each a drink before placing the filled mugs on the coffee table and taking his seat in the armchair across from his father. "You're looking well too. Turns out getting a job, sticking around your family, and contributing to society is a good look on you. Who'd have thought?" Spencer drily remarked.

"What can I say? I'm converted," Trevor lightly retorted, but kept his smile relaxed and friendly. "Thanks for the brew," he said before having a drink of his tea. He then set the mug down and studied his son for a moment. "So, you're in charge now," he commented, having been officially updated on the change of leadership during his catch-up with Bruce earlier in the week. "Regardless of whether you're willing to let me into your life on a personal level, we need to find a way to work together and cooperate, given our shared objectives. I want to do what I can to make sure you and I can work well together on this. From my point of view, we're going to have to clear the air between us to be able to do that."

Spencer nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure how easy it would be to do what Alex had and get close to their father to a point where they could play happy families; having Grandpa Trevor over for dinner and let him look after the kids. That being said, Alex's assurances about Trevor having changed for the better, along with Klaus revealing the man's commitment to his undercover work, made Spencer more open to trusting his father had changed. It might be difficult to openly admit it, but Spencer was hoping to give the man a chance to prove himself as a reformed family man. That being said, there was something he first needed to get off his chest. "So I hear me an' the others have got a new little brother. Bloody 'ell, Trevor," he said, letting out a disbelieving laugh. "Tell me about him. And about the mother. You didn't mess her life up or anything dumb like that, did you?"

"Christ, of course I didn't," Trevor told him. "Things with Anne-Marie were going perfectly well and our relationship was a healthy one. She was working at Carter Tech too, which is how we met. But I ended things with her when Harper got me recruited with Interpol. I didn't want any complications. I'd have had to keep secrets from her and possibly put her safety at risk. I found out a few months later down the line that she was living in Watford and we had a kid together. There ain't any chance for me and her to get back together - that ship long since sailed - but I see Declan as much as I can. He's five years old; full of health and has a cracking little personality. Maybe one day you could meet him."

"Yeah. Maybe so," Spencer said, flashing a brief smile. "Bit weird to have a brother younger than my kids, but he's family, right?" He could have made plenty of sarcastic comments and judgements about Trevor having an unplanned child at his age, but he didn't have it in him anymore. There were greater issues at stake and he agreed they needed to find a way to work together. With Alex and May so close to their father, Spencer knew he couldn't keep up the hostility towards Trevor that he would have shown 12 years ago. Eddie and Lottie were bound to be affected if their cousins were able to see their grandfather but they couldn't. Spencer just wasn't sure if he was yet open to the idea of introducing them all. "Perhaps one day you can meet Eddie and Lottie. They've suddenly got all of this family to meet and I'm suited for them," he admitted, managing a rare soft smile in front of Trevor.

"I'd like that. I have no doubts you and Shona have done a spot on job with them. You did a great job with your brothers and Harper all those years ago," he pointed out. "Alex's kids and May's two are looking forward to meeting their cousins, I know that much. What are Eddie and Lottie like? What are they into? Please don't say hats - Lizzie has us on our toes in that area."

Spencer caught himself about to laugh at the comment but quickly stopped himself, his face falling flat as he remembered who he was talking to. It felt too weird to be having such a conversation with his father and he was still deciding if the old man had any right to ask about Eddie and Lottie. But he reminded himself the main purpose of the meeting was to try to make the effort on a personal level. If the two of them were going to work together against the Carters, they needed to work on their relationship with each other. Spencer knew he had to be willing to open up and make the effort, especially as Trevor was doing his part now. Spencer let out a sigh, almost as if it was exhausting to have to have the conversation with Trevor. Thinking of his children, he allowed himself to naturally smile. "Eddie is spot on. I'm not sure if it's possible to even be more proud of him than I already am. He's confident, smart and damn good at footy. He was the team captain in Fort William and I'm going to see to it he gets on a team in London."

"For real? That's in the genes. You were always good at football too," Trevor pointed out.

At that moment, it could have been so easy to shut the conversation down. Spencer could have questioned how his father would even know what he was good at as a child when he was never around. Or in a different tone, he could point out how he quit his childhood football team after he returned home from practice one day to find his mother dead. But Spencer's time in Scotland had given him years of reflection and years to overcome the residual traumas and anger of his younger years. He didn't have it in him to hold onto that anymore. "Maybe you're right... but I reckon Eddie's better than I was at his age," Spencer observed. "And Lottie is the best daughter I could ask for. She's chatty, creative, brave and is obsessed with music. She's also a little stubborn and hot-headed like her old man - but I wouldn't change her for anything!"

"I hope that one day I can meet them," Trevor sincerely told his eldest son. "I think Declan would like to meet them too. He and Harrison get along well, being around the same age and all that."

"Bloody hell. I don't know how I'm going to explain to Lottie that she's now got an uncle who's five years old... but that's how this family rolls, ain't it?" Spencer drily remarked.

Feeling they were making progress - a breakthrough, in fact - Trevor sipped his drink, giving himself time to decide to move the conversation on to business and not push his luck where family talk was concerned. "Now Bruce has put you in charge, it means we need to find a way to work together. I'm open to putting in all the effort to make sure it works between us. The Carters are fucking with our family and this city, but if we all put our heads together I believe we finally have a chance at knocking them down."

Spencer nodded in agreement. "Last time I spoke with Ezekiel, he was a decent guy. Easier to work with than many of the associates Bruce and I had to deal with back then," he explained, thinking of Gabriel as a prime example. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to meet him and suss him out for myself, but right now I need to know from others what I'm dealing with. You're working up close and personal with him, so you're in the best place to tell me everything you can about Mr. Carter and how he operates..."

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 3: Joining Forces
Friday 3rd October 1997
...11 days later...
London: Afternoon - Dry, Cool, Overcast
Dublin: Afternoon - Dry, Cool, Sunny

******************************

******************************

En Route to Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Spencer King​

Since returning to London, Spencer had barely had much time to himself to relax. It was a stark difference from the years spent living in Scotland where he'd been wishing for more excitement and action to keep him on his toes. So whilst he was presently being pulled at from all sides, he wouldn't change it to return to sleepy Fort William. Besides, he was sure once everyone was settled things would become more controlled and opportunities for more breathing room would arise. Although there had been a lot to get through in terms of business and the mission against the Carters, much of Spencer's time had also been taken up on a more personal level. Between catching up with family and friends, he'd also needed to make sure the house was up to scratch for him, Shona and the kids to settle into. He still had his remaining beloved businesses to check in to, but getting his home back and being able to step foot on London soil again had been enough to fill in the piece that had been missing in his heart for so many years.

The last couple of days had given Spencer the opportunity to revisit and once again put away the traumas of his past. He'd visited the cemetery to pay his respects to his mother and to Harper. Of course, they would always have a place in his heart, but he was no longer a man who allowed his grief and trauma to control his emotions. It was also for that reason that he'd been open to speaking with Trevor last night. Although Spencer had agreed to give his father a chance when they last spoke in 1985, he'd never been able to forgive him or really believe the man had changed as he had been made to leave London before he could witness any proof. This time, their talk seem more optimistic and Spencer did now believe Trevor had changed. Not only that, but the man was now on the same side and a crucial part in helping take the Carters down. He wasn't ready to address Trevor as his father, and not quite ready to let the man spend time with the kids, but Spencer was now open to the idea that one day things could be better between them. As long as Trevor didn't fuck things up.

Although even in Scotland Spencer had taken on plenty of jobs and social responsibilities that took him away from the kids, his time away from them since getting to London hadn't gone unnoticed. Weekday evenings in particular had routinely been when Spencer was able to devote some time with his family doing normal things. With so much going on now, that time had become extremely limited and Lottie had expressed her irritation a couple of evenings ago when her father had to cancel training her in boxing again. His daughter wasn't one to hold back on her frustrations, so Spencer got the message loud and clear. Therefore, after some boxing first thing in the morning today, he'd then taken the kids across to Victoria Park, along with Shona and Logan. It was a location he loved as it was where he'd spent much of his outdoor time as a child. As he was for now trying to keep a low profile, he'd kept his head down much of the time in the park and invited Logan along as a newcomer to London so he could put himself in the centre of the action when it came to kicking the football around with Eddie. Soon Spencer's presence would become known to old friends and new enemies alike, but for now, he was happy to cling on to the anonymity for as long as he could. As he sat on the bench in a quiet area of the park, with Shona at his side, he watched as Logan and Eddie played, with Lottie bringing it upon herself to referee and boot the ball back into play whenever the opportunity arose.

Despite everything that awaited them where the Carters was concerned, Spencer absorbed himself into the moment. He had the rest of his family back and was even making progress with Trevor, but more than that, the very sight of his kids playing in his favourite park and with Shona by his side was something he would never tire of seeing and would commit deep into his heart. Of course, that time eventually had to come to an end as after they'd had lunch, Spencer needed to tend to business and Logan had to go train.

If anyone had told him a few weeks ago that he'd be not only leading the King family but also working directly with the Irish Mob, Spencer would have laughed in their face and suggested they seek psychological intervention. Now, however, Spencer was not only in charge of the family business but that afternoon found himself on his way to meet with Syd Porter - the same man who at one point had been an enemy and someone he had been directly at war with. If the two men were going to work well together, they needed to get to know each other and forge a healthy working relationship. Given that Syd wasn't too familiar with London and Spencer needed to reacquaint himself with his home, this seemed like an ideal opportunity to spend some time on the job with the Irishman.

Getting out of the car, Spencer approached Syd and reached out to shake the man's hand. "How's it going?" he asked in a friendly manner. "Are you and your family feeling at all settled?" He looked over his shoulder, noticing the vehicle parked nearby with who he figured was Porter security seated inside. This time around, he knew that security wasn't there to keep him away from the Irish, so he wasn't concerned by their presence.

Before getting into the car, Spencer decided to brief Syd on his plan so the man didn't feel trapped in the situation. "I've got a route around London planned out, where I can show you the locations of the King bases and the safe houses Interpol set up. We will make sure we're clear on the danger zones - the heavy Carter operated areas. There's also some businesses Alex and the Stewart side of my family have held on to, which I can point out to you. A week or so ago, Daisy, my cousin's girlfriend, was attacked and her brother was murdered by the Carters. We've gathered one of Gabriel Moretti's old psychos has joined the Carters and was leading that one. Damian?" he asked, figuring Syd knew the name and possibly the face too. "Daisy has a nightclub in London and therefore it's one considered a protected business under our scope. I'm told she'll be there today, so I figured we should stop by and take a look at the place. Identify how secure we can make it and I hope to reassure her too. I've never met her before, but she's a part of the family now," he reasoned.

After a moment for Syd to take in the information, he looked straight at the man, trying to see how he felt about the afternoon they were about to spend in each others' presence. Even when he was Bruce's second-in-command, Spencer had always found it easy to command and control others, giving out orders and making sure people did as instructed. Given that Syd was his direct counterpart for the Irish Mob, he knew it wasn't as straightforward as commanding him and this needed to be a mutual agreement. "Got any requests or concerns of your own? We ain't exactly worked together before, so I know we need to figure out how to do it now. I wanna make sure we're on the same page and able to work well together," he sincerely told him.

Pyroclast (Syd)
(Will later join Daisy, Pyroclast (Dion), Bellz (Julia)

Warehouse 0517 (Training Centre)
~ Lower Clapton, London ~

Dermot Murphy and Lucas Sullivan​

Lucas had been thrilled to finally catch up with his cousins and childhood friends. He'd been especially happy to see Collin again. Despite having not seen each other since they were kids, it felt so easy to be around him and he was looking forward to the opportunity to pick up where they left off with their friendship. Of course, he couldn't deny that he felt a strong physical attraction to Collin, which made matters more interesting. Deep down, however, he knew he couldn't follow up on those kinds of feelings. Having not seen Collin for twelve years, he didn’t know his friend was also gay, and whilst he didn’t like to make assumptions, he was sure his friend was attracted to women. Still, those thoughts did little to shut down his feelings for Collin.

After arriving in London, Lucas had managed to reunite with his sister, Melissa, and be the one to tell her and Robert that their fathers were still very much alive. He wasn't at all surprised Melissa had pursued her career in the medical field and thought he didn’t consider his achievement nearly as big as hers, it was cool to know they’d both followed medical-related careers.. Until he could figure out his own living arrangements, Lucas was glad his sister had offered for him to move in with her for the time-being. Whilst he missed Finn and George greatly, Lucas was loving being around his friends and other family members in London. The only thing he was secretly apprehensive about was his agreement to help out with the mission to take down the Carters. He wanted to support his family as best he could and was up for the risks involved, but at the same time, he couldn't help but take some of what Liam and Michael had said to heart, especially as he remembered clearly how his family had been affected when Sinead had been stabbed.

Lucas was no stranger to intensive training, but that was more along the lines of the fitness and safety training he'd been put through to become a lifeguard. Today, he found himself entering the building to a secret training facility for firearms training. Funnily enough, on the face of it, this was the exact opposite to saving lives. After being led to the underground shooting range, Lucas took a seat on the bench near to where the guns and targets could be seen. When Collin and J.J. arrived, he rushed to his feet, smiling brightly at them. "Long way from toy guns and water pistols, right?" he cheerfully told them, remembering the games they played as kids. Once again, his thoughts were drawn back to Liam and how as a kid his cousin had even been against playing with toy guns. Shaking off those unwanted negative thoughts, he made a point of looking over his shoulder to the nearby weapons. "Are you both looking forward to this?" he asked.

Soon enough, the three of them were joined by the familiar man, Dermot. After spending the last twelve years working underground and dodging the radar of cops and Interpol alike, he was glad to be back in the centre of some real excitement. Granted, he hadn't been overly keen with the idea of working for Interpol, wondering if it went against his own chosen set of morals. Interpol surely belonged in the same shitlist as cops and politicians. Soon enough, he reasoned that if it meant he was supporting the Irish Mob and his old comrades, he was willing to throw aside what little morals he bothered to have anyway. If any of his friends were to die in this war, he’d rather have been fighting by their side and putting his all into supporting them.

With Adam having taken on the role as Syd's right-hand man now, and the Zegarras busy elsewhere, Dermot had stepped in to deliver firearms training to some of the recruits. When he entered the shooting range, he was surprised to see the three young men there. He was aware of who he was training in advance, but it was more of a shock to see the three lads all grown up now. "Shit. Now I do feel bloody old. Weren't you lot still pissin’ in potties when I last saw you?" he exaggerated. He then went on to give each of them a firm handshake. "It's good to see you all again," he told them.

Once the introductions were over, he instructed them to follow him to where various types and sizes of firearms were hanging on the wall. Stopping and turning to face the group, he carried a serious expression. "Before we start. Have any of you lads fired a real gun before?" he asked, first looking at J.J. for an answer, then to Collin and Lucas.

Bellz (J.J., Collin)

Warehouse 0517 (Training Centre)
~ Lower Clapton, London ~

Hendrik Janssen
ft. Olivia McKinsley​

Since moving to London with Billy and Charlie, time had flown by in something of a blur. Hendrik had met so many new people over the last two weeks that he'd started to struggle a little to remember everyone's names and if they were with Billy's family or the Irish family. Despite his introverted nature, he felt he had been able to keep up with all of the interactions and be confident around so many new people, especially as he wanted to make things go smoothly for Billy's sake. Of the names and faces he made sure to remember, he had by now at least become familiar with Billy's siblings and their partners. One of the stranger introductions had been to Billy's ex, Erik, but again, Hendrik made the effort for Billy's and Charlie's sake. Although he was certain he didn't need to be concerned about Erik's presence, Hendrik would be lying if he said he hadn't felt out of place and overlooked on occasions where Billy and Charlie were concerned. Given that they were catching up with their loved ones after so many years, Hendrik reassured himself that he had nothing to worry about and his boyfriend just had a lot going on at the moment.

As it happened, Hendrik somehow ended up with plenty going on for himself in London. It had been during an introduction to Alex and Kerry that he'd ended up being offered some shifts as a chef of one of their restaurants. He had yet to start that job, but was excited to put his culinary skills to work again, having been worried he'd have to leave that behind when he moved to London. That wasn't the only work he'd agreed to. Although he hadn't intended to move to London to help with any criminal activities, Hendrik had somehow found himself accepting the offer of working with the gangs and Interpol to deliver training to their members and their allies. He wasn't actively going out breaking any laws and he knew Billy, along with his family and friends, needed to be in good physical shape if they were going to help take the Carters down.

Hendrik had arrived at the facility earlier than the sessions had been planned for, wanting to finish setting up the equipment and get in some workouts of his own given that his routine had been disrupted over the last couple of weeks. It was during that time that he met Olivia McKinsley, a fitness instructor related to the Sullivans. It wasn't just being in the same professional field they had in common as he soon learned she was half Dutch. As she helped him set out the equipment and he then assisted her with some weight training, Hendrik enjoyed being able to have natural conversations with her in his native tongue.

As time drew in for them to deliver training to the groups they'd been assigned, Hendrik brought their own impromptu training session to an end. "Ik zie je later, Olivia," he said, smiling at her as she left him alone to go find the group she would be training in self-defence. As he turned away from the blonde woman, he saw Billy approaching. When his lover reached him, he placed his hand on his shoulder and moved in to kiss him, taking advantage of what little time they may have alone. "Are you ready for your training, Billy?" he playfully asked him. "I think I should be treating everyone in the group equally. But you'll be my favourite student today, let's keep that as our secret," he teased. Despite being fully aware Erik was one of the others joining them, Hendrik wasn't dwelling on that fact. That part of Billy's life had been a long time ago and this was all professional. He would treat Erik as he would Raphael or any other person he was being paid to train.


Pyroclast (Billy, Raphael) Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)

The Brooks' House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

As supportive as Interpol had been over the years, Trevor couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and greater hope now that Spencer and the others, along with the Irish Mob, were back and on board with the mission to take down the Carters. Things had seemed desperate before two weeks ago, but after Daisy's brother, Justin, had been murdered and the attack on the Farringdon's the same night, the urgency had shot up. Trevor had been unable to provide the Stewarts with enough in terms of reassurance he could protect them, but now he felt like there was an extra level of protection. He was experienced enough to know things were going to get more dangerous, people were going to keep getting hurt, but now be believed his family had a fighting chance against Ezekiel in the long run.

Over the last few days, he'd managed to have constructive talks with but Bruce and Spencer, which was certainly a boost. He wasn't about to get ahead of himself, but he had a feeling that one day his eldest son would let him back into his life and then he could finally get to know more of his grandchildren.

One relationship that showed no sign of improving was the one he had with his son-in-law, Christian. Things were at an all-time low between them and presently, Trevor didn't believe he was the driving force behind the latest tensions. Christian was clearly irritated with his father-in-law and did little to hide that fact. Although he didn't want to cause waves for May and the kids, Trevor was honestly past caring about what Christian thought.

When Chloe had been sent home from school early the previous day due to illness, Trevor offered to look after her today whilst May and Christian were at work. Having worked overtime during the week, Trevor had already been granted the day off work by Ezekiel. Although it had been May who he'd seen when he went over to the house to stay with Chloe that morning, it was Christian who returned home first that afternoon, having finished his shift at work. Other than Trevor updating Christian on how Chloe was feeling, the conversation had been blunt and abrupt. The fact the child was sleeping soundly on the sofa was likely partly the reason why no frosty words were exchanged between the two men.

Trevor had been happy to get out of the Brooks' house once Christian was home, with too much on his mind to get into any debates with his son-in-law. As he reached the bottom of the driveway where his car was parked, he saw a woman approaching the Brooks' home. It took a moment for him to realise the woman looked familiar and even longer to piece together why. He hadn't seen her since the day he'd walked out and left over 30 years ago. He wasn't quite sure how he felt in that moment. With everything else going on around him, he wasn't quite sure how much more drama or chaos he could take. Regardless, the woman was there in front of him and was clearly heading to see their daughter. He knew he couldn't just walk away this time. "Kathleen?" he asked, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here? I mean... how are you doing?" he asked. After him ditching her all of those years ago, but it being many many years ago, he wasn't quite sure how she was going to react to him now.

BasDorcha (Kathleen)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess BasDorcha neverbackdown​

​

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 3: Joining Forces
Friday 3rd October 1997
...11 days later...
London: Afternoon - Dry, Cool, Overcast
Dublin: Afternoon - Dry, Cool, Sunny​

***********

***********

Undisclosed Interpol Location
~ 1985 ~​

The sound of dripping water stirred her from whatever involuntary sleep she'd been put in. Next, the chill cut through her like a knife. She was fully clothed as far as she was aware but it was so...cold. "She's awake." A voice had said. Lights turned on from above, blinding her through her lids. Julia let out a whimper, still not completely alert as she shifted on the table. When she moved to lift her hand, she, of course, couldn't. Still, she couldn't act quick enough, barely even unable to force her eyes open as they stared at a hanging fluorescent light. Her mind couldn't even comprehend where she was. Why she was strapped to a table. What day was it? Ricky...where was-? Then it all hit her, like a truck. Only she was wishing now that she'd actually been hit by a truck.

"I'll..fucking k-kill you." She wheezed out. And a group of people just let out a laugh in ominous unison, in various pitches. "I don't think you're in any position to be making threats strapped to a table, Julia." A husky male voice said, all too confident, sure. Julia wanted to punch the mystery man in the jaw. "Let me out of these straps so I can get into position then." She hissed and again, it only brought on laughter. Apparently, she was funny. "Who the fuck are you guys?" The woman asked, lacking any patience as she fought against the straps again, wincing as her body ached with the movement.

"Asking the questions? That's not really your job. That's ours, and you, Julia. Are going to tell us exactly what we want to know." Now it was Julia's turn to laugh, the sound coming out so loud that it echoed off the walls. "You can shove it up your ass." She growled, "I'm not answering shit." The man finally revealed himself, a rugged-looking fella, well exercised, shiny bald head, in his 40s. He did not look amused. The scar above his right brow didn't even dance.

"Does death not scare you?" The man asked and any humor Julia exuded went flat. "All of what was left of me died in Ireland. You'd be doing me a fucking favor, pal." That scar danced, only slightly as the man smirked. Julia stared at him as he leaned in close head covering the fluorescent light, "It looks like we'll just have to keep you alive through all of our interrogations then, hmmm? Can't be doing a criminal like you any favors."

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Julia Avvocata ​

Julia's eyes briefly glanced around the intersection they were stopped at. A few blocks away, she had set up a shelter in an alleyway after escaping that basement torture chamber. They had made days feel like months, keeping true to their promise. If she was sitting on the brink of death, they brought her back. Every wound was cleaned and patched up before they gave her a series of new ones. I.V. drips were the only things keeping her alive, she was given no food, no water. They wanted information that she actually didn't have. The locations of the Porters, Sullivans...the Kings, and some of her friends in the Moretti family. Julia was telling the truth. Told them exactly what she knew up until the night of the party and yet, they just kept at it.

The light turned and Julia stepped on the gas, gliding through the intersection and leaving the reminder of the circumstances that made her who she was now behind. Dion was in the passenger seat. The job was clear and easy, they were on debt collecting detail. Daisy was their target. All of it would be a piece of cake after the last job. "Shame the only time I go into clubs anymore is for this kind of stuff. Though I think at my age it's probably for the best." Julia said, flashing Dion a smile as she pulled into the parking lot. After putting the car in park, Julia looked towards the building for a moment. "Hoping she doesn't put up much of a fight." The woman said at first before another smile formed on her face, her brows raising deviously as she gave a small laugh, "Who am I kidding? Hope she gives us a hard time so we can give her a clear message." Julia cleared up, sucking in her lower lip to bite on it as she looked to Dion before pulling back on her enthusiasm.

"Ready?" She asked, and when he said he was, she turned off the car, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and go out. After locking the vehicle, she made sure to pat her right and leg sides respectively, checking her jacket pockets for her gun and knife in a non-obvious sort of way, just sliding her car keys into one of the pockets. Once she confirmed that she had everything she needed, Julia fell into step with Dion as they moved in the direction of the club. "Keep your eyes out for any others. She might have hired someone after what happened." The bouncer let them pass and Julia stepped inside, her eyes glancing around quickly. The noise, and the low light level, didn't phase her...but it wasn't exactly ideal for having the best bird's eye view.

Still, Julia would keep the impression that they had the advantage and upper hand until proven otherwise. "Lead the way." She said to Dion, having to raise her voice over the music slightly, "I'll watch your back, check to make sure no one is following."
with: Dion Pyroclast

----

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

There were a lot of things Reign really hated. Dairy. Incompetent people. And her Uncle Elijah. Not necessarily in that order. But pretty close to it. To the young woman, her Uncle happened to make up two things on her list. And since he wasn't a carton of ice cream or milk, you could figure out what two he made up in her head. After the job had been finished at the restaurant, everything was thought to be in order. Successful. It was never that easy. Fortunately for Reign, she wasn't someone who shied away from dirty work, especially when that dirty work involved her snake of an Uncle. In fact, she had to not seem so eager to deal out any warning that her father had given. The nuts-for-brains cops in town actually sniffed out some evidence that could lead back to them, needless to say, it wasn't Zachary or Jake. Which only left that psychopath her Uncle kept on his payroll along with his other band of misfits.

At least that was how the story would go if any of this would actually come back around to haunt them in the eyes of the law. But they would make sure it wouldn't. Reign wouldn't even have allowed one mistake but...this wasn't her employee to punish nor her employee to order around. All she could do was relay the message her father had given her. That was more than frustrating. On her way out of the meeting she'd had with her father, in the lobby, she caught sight of Xavier looking...blasé at what was going on around him. It was the end of the work day. Everyone was getting ready to go home or had already started to leave. He looked like he was on his way out as well. Knowing her father was a creature of habit, she figured he'd been in his office for at least another 20 minutes finishing up business. Reign looked behind her, over her shoulder, before walking up to her brother, offering him a closed-lip smile.

"You know, I don't remember looking so bored at your age, Xav. Heading out for the evening? Let's walk to the lot together." Her voice was clear, and concise, as she nodded her head towards the doors, making it clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer. A plan in her head was brewing. She didn't look so bored at Xavier's age because her parents didn't restrict her freedom as they did with him. The health problems Xavier had, were a curse in more ways than one and while he was healed now, they haunted him in unprecedented ways. Their mother fretted like an anxious monster, and their father kept him behind a desk at a computer, helping people with the most mundane problems. While Reign wouldn't call herself an empathetic person, she did feel for her siblings who she felt deserved more than what they were getting. Xavier, she had a soft spot for. Maybe that soft spot was gonna get her in trouble here but...

Once they were outside of the building, Reign walked a few paces away with Xavier following before stopping suddenly. Her face was obscured of any emotion, stolid, as she watched her brother's face for a moment. She looked around them for a split second before meeting his eyes and saying, "I'd like you to accompany me on an assignment. I see you sitting behind your computer and that desk day in and day out and you look absolutely dreadful." She paused, looking him up and down, "No offense, I mean you just look like you want to do more. And I think you should do more." Reign said, her voice was rough, almost sounding harsh but she wasn't scolding him nor was she upset. It was more of an urgent tone, just wanting to get what she needed out. "But if you come with me, you must promise to behave. The last thing I need is Mum jumping down my throat more than she already will. Dad I can deal with it, but I can only bear her piercing tone so much, you get me, Xav?" She asked, raising her left brow before crossing her arms.

"We will visit Uncle Elijah, but it won't be pleasant. Sound like something you can handle? I want to help you get this experience, but you need to tell me right now if this is something you can or can't handle." Her hip jutted out as she shifted weight onto her left foot, arms still crossed tightly as she waited for her brother to answer.
with: Xavier Misty Gray
mentions: Elijah Melanin-Gxdess ; Roman Pyroclast

Warehouse 0517
~ Lower Clapton, London ~

Thomas Porter
​

Mourning with kids was...challenging. It wasn't as it had been when it had just been Elena and him. He couldn't just shut down anymore. But Thomas didn't slight any parent who did because the urge to was...debilitating. When his brother and sister told him that his mother had passed, 5 years ago in fact, Thomas was lost for words. Tears came in their place, silent, heavy...but enough to fill the void of all the things he just couldn't find the strength to say at that moment. In the initial moment, with Elena next to him, all he could feel was shock. It was a similar feeling to the one he felt when he'd seen his mother's face for the first time after waking up on American soil, in the Veteran's Hospital in Washington D.C. The ever dedicated mother to her children, Lucy Porter had driven the 5-hour drive in the middle of the night to be there when he woke up. Flowers were already arranged on the nightstand, glass of water was already filled. In Thomas' faintest memory of waking up, he remembered her fretting over the smallest things like his pillows being soft enough for his head after what he'd been through, even getting a nurse to bring a bunch of them to test them out. Syd and Olivia had both offered their support, but Thomas...needed time to process.

The shock had taken a few days to wear off, him just running on some sort of autopilot, waking up and nearly forgetting the information he'd been told one of the days before it all hit him again like a ton of bricks. Until, one very, very very small, thing...just undid all of it. He hadn't been able to bring a lot of things with him to Cuba. Most of his possessions were god knows where. But he'd been able to rebuild with the beautiful family he had now and that was all that mattered. But the few things he did have, he'd brought back with him and kept in a small box. Keepsakes etc. It had been a long time since he'd gone through it. But upon opening the box, he'd found his dog tags. All of the shock wore off, all the tears came and he'd cried over them while sitting on the bed.

Elena was a huge help in comforting him, and he of course had his own service dog, Tramp, to make sure he didn't get deregulated in it all. Leo had also been there for him when he needed it or if Elena needed to take care of the kids. Little by little Thomas let Syd, his family, Olivia, and her family back in. But it was difficult. With grief, came feelings of anger, and while Thomas knew he couldn't be angry at either of his siblings...he felt somewhat angry at Lucy. Was it misplaced? Maybe. He couldn't help the way he felt right now. Nevertheless, the dog tags that helped open the doors to let him properly grieve were once again around his neck. His mother had been insistent on him keeping them after he was wanting to throw them out, shortly before they moved back to Dublin in the 80s.

"You might not be proud of what you've done. But I'm proud of you. You saved people. They are a reminder of what you went through, to help others. Those tags are a reminder of what you can get through. We don't have a lot of tangible reminders of such things in the life we live, Thomas. You owe it to yourself to keep it, to tell yourself that you can and you will."

The training facility Interpol had, was hard to find, but Thomas had managed to find it. It was in a warehouse. But not just an average warehouse. It had different floors. Even underground floors. Massive. It was in the same area as the Big House apparently, about 10 minutes away. Once Thomas was able to get clearance and find where he was meant to be, he was hearing his mother's voice in his head again. "Now don't argue with your mother, you know I'm always right." He had smirked, only briefly. That was exactly how she ended that whole inspirational speech about keeping the dog tags. She was always right. Given that she'd passed, Thomas would finally let her have that. "Yea, I guess you are." He had murmured under his breath, not audible enough for anyone else around him to hear if they were to pass him. Still, it didn't take away from the fact that he was angry. It hadn't shown itself yet...but he'd try to be as patient with others as he possibly could.

Stepping into the training room he was meant to be in, he focused past his own issues for the time being as his eyes immediately went to all the tactical gear hanging up on some racks and then it was spread out on the mats on the floor. Letting out a low whistle, Thomas observed what looked to be some basic tactical attire kevlar chest plates, helmets, gas masks along with protective gloves. To the left of that was a layout of unloaded weapons that seemed to only be for demonstration purposes and testing: submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, handguns, and flash bangs as well as tear gas grenades. To the right of the attire was the sight enhancement equipment: tactical binoculars, and night vision goggles for low-light situations. And then included looked to be an array of walkie-talkie equipment and earpieces.

Thomas was immediately brought back to his time as a SEAL. Most of this stuff was used in Iran, probably updated for convenience, but basically all the same. Moving to crouch down, he let his hand lightly brush one of the sniper rifles, just to remember the feeling of it, dog tags dangling slightly over the gun as he looked over the gun. Might have looked odd to some but to him, it brought back memories. Once unpleasant but now, they only affirmed that he knew what he was doing. What he was doing here? He had no idea considering he knew how to use all of this. But hey, he'd just sit back and let someone reteach him if it meant he didn't have to do much. Thomas knew it was never that easy though. When footsteps could be heard, Thomas stood slowly, turning his head to whoever it was and nodding his head towards them, "Looks like this is enough to start a war with a small country. Are we planning on invading North Korea or something?"
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess ; Logan Misty Gray ; Jeremy BasDorcha

Sullivan Residence
~Dublin, Ireland ~

Natasha Sullivan
x Little Sullivans ​

The first few weeks without Leo had been hard on the kids and even hard on Natasha. She was having bouts of anxiety that knocked her sideways just thinking about what could possibly be going on in London right now. But when work picked up, classes were in full swing, and all the kid's extracurricular activities kicking off, it was easy for just a moment to forget about the chaos brewing over there. Her day started at 5:30 am, she got up before her alarm now showered, and let the dog out, before getting them up and into the showers. While they did that she was making coffee, breakfast, and making their lunches while also trying to get her schedule straight for work and after school. By the time the kids ate, were ready to go, and were bickering as they walked out the door to get into the car...Nat barely had time to grab herself anything to eat but managed to grab an apple some days and others just went without. Coffee normally always sufficed.

Today, Friday, was no different, except she was expecting some special company over later this afternoon. The thought of it was making her more nervous than she had been in weeks. She had started to figure out that change just wasn't her thing, whether it was good or bad or otherwise...maybe now she wasn't for it. Too much changed in her life at one point that it scarred her for life.

School ended for all of them nearly around the same time. Since she taught at the same school as the triplets, it was easy to just grab them and go before rushing to pick up Seana at the other school down the road. Practically ushering the kids into the car like a herd of sheep, she had put on her seatbelt, making the kids put on theirs before taking off to pick up the quietest of the clan. The bickering and chatter were surprisingly comforting today, Natasha wanted to experience some normal before she was exposed to people in her home she wasn't used to having over, even if it was someone she had been so comfortable with.

Conor Sullivan was always welcome in her home, as was Ali and the girls. They'd been nothing but sweet to her, her mother, and Collin. Which was what made all of this so much more difficult. Leo and she had left things on such a...difficult note after he'd signed the papers. Natasha had made it clear she wasn't leaving, that she wouldn't expose the kids to anything. Sure they'd talked about this all before but that had been before they were so traumatized by everything. But Leo somehow just...forgot. Or maybe he just wanted to so bad that he wouldn't even acknowledge what they'd been through before even a little bit, even though it was important to what Natasha was trying to tell him now. To what she was feeling and fearing.

"Mam?" Veronica said, but Natasha hadn't heard her, causing Jaxson to groan and say louder, "Yo, MAM!" The woman jumped in the driver seat, realizing they suddenly were home, parked in the driveway. "Can you unlock the car please?" Veronica asked, staring daggers at Jaxson as she slapped his bicep which he glared at her for, turning to Wayne, "What's with her?" He asked his brother before Natasha unlocked the car and the kids got out. She was the last to get out, locking the car and walking up to the front door to unlock it. Milo, their large labradoodle, greeted them warmly, jumping on the kids animatedly as they moved to set their backpacks down on the designated table in the foyer. Seana, Wayne, and Veronica had taken their shoes off but Jaxson just ran off with Milo bounding after him. "Jaxson! Get those shoes off! They are all muddy!" Nat called after him. "Sorry, Mam! I'll go outside with Milo!" Jaxson called from the other room, the back door opening then closing as the dog barked in the distance.

Since it was Friday, the kids weren't being forced to do their homework, but Natasha was going to force them to dress at least a little bit nicer and help with getting the house straightened up for their grandfather, grandmother and Lauren, Leo, and her's niece. While it wasn't a huge gathering, it was more people over than she'd had in at least a few months. The house was cleaned, food was prepared, and an early dinner/late lunch was full of finger sandwiches, desserts, snacks, and refreshments on the dining room table just out for anyone to grab. It was all set.

Jaxson was over by the desserts, reaching for a cookie and Natasha had walked up behind him without him noticing, slapping his hand away from the platter. She noticed at least half of them were gone. "JAXSON! Did you eat half of these already?! You haven't even eaten dinner yet!" Jaxson turned to his mother, face clearly stuffed with at least 3 chocolate chip cookies as he tried to smile sheepishly. "Wormry." He managed to mumble, "You're going to choke! Spit that out right now." Natasha grabbed a napkin for him to spit into and the boy shook his head, "Mmmph." He said, already starting to chew quickly. His mother looked at him, watching with a raised brow until he chewed and swallowed. Reaching for a lemonade on the table, she handed it to him and he took it, drinking it quickly. "Thanks," He sighed, gasping as he allowed his food to settle and Natasha rolled her eyes.

"You have chocolate all over your mouth, come here." She knelt down, moving to wipe at his mouth but he swatted her away before grabbing the napkin. "I got it! God, Mam!" Natasha laughed, "Well, maybe you shouldn't stuff cookies in your mouth like that." Jaxson rolled his eyes, glared at her, and walked off not finding her amusing at all. Before she could dwell on it, or the fact that Leo wasn't around for any of this, the doorbell rang. Not bothering to round up the kids at that moment, she just went to get the door, opening it to see who was behind it first...
with: Conor Sullivan Misty Gray ; Lauren neverbackdown

Cruisin' Around London
~ London ~

Lucius MacAllister
Archer MacAllister ​

The MacAllister brothers were an unusual pair to many but they felt like they truly belonged in the King's world. Lucius was currently in the driver's seat bother physically and figuratively, the eldest of the two brothers who normally made all of the decisions with his girlfriend, Natalie seated in the passenger seat. Archer, the younger brother although taller than Lucius, by quite a few inches, was seated in the back with Albie, his friend and Natalie's best friend next to him. Archer was the more relaxed one, tending to go wherever his brother did without much of a fuss. Though at times, they did have a good spat which Lucius particularly enjoyed while Archer absolutely hated. "Look, I'm not sayin' youse wrong Archie, I'm just sayin'...you might not be thinkin' about this from all angles we need to be. I mean, what if these Interpol guys end up takin' advantage of us all? I mean, I don't doubt Alex for a second, at least I don't try to, but these tossers are the fuckin' law. Aren't you worried that maybe we are being led into some sort of trap? Or at least wanting to be cautious of it?" Lucius looked to Natalie in the passenger seat, reaching for her hand as he took one of his off the steering wheel at a stop light. Looking her in the eyes for a moment as the light was red, he tried to read her. His question might have seemed pointed with anxiety, worry, and fear but his face wasn't shrouded with it. More with a stolid, stoic expression.

Archer cleared his throat, not wanting to interrupt a moment between them as he dipped his head, shyly letting out a knowing smile at the small little gesture his brother made to show affection towards a woman he loved before turning to look out the window to give them some privacy. "All I'm sayin' is, I think it isn't something we should continue to worry about if Alex and his brothers have it handled. And if this immunity that those agents talked about extends to us then I think we should trust it. Alex hasn't ever steered us in the wrong direction before, if he trusts these guys who are we to question him and the others in charge, eh?" He asked, his voice deep, calm like his brothers as he turned from the window he was looking out as the car started to move again.

"Like I said Archie, I am not sayin' I don't trust Alex...it's these Interpol people I don't trust." Lucius sighed, glancing at Natalie again, his hand still in hers as he gave it a light squeeze. "What about you, love? You were there? Can we trust these people? I mean even those Sullivan, Porter people? It just seems like there are a lot of extras to consider when before we only had ourselves and those shithole Carters to worry about." The man was genuinely curious to hear more about what Natalie had to say. They had been given a rundown on what happened before, but they were finally able to have a deeper conversation about things in private as they were headed on a job. Just checking on the businesses Alex and his family had around town. Easy enough for now before things would most likely pick up.

Archer had turned to Albie in the back seat of the car, looking at him as they sat next to each other, and offered him a crooked smile, only one side of his mouth lifting as he mouthed, "Sorry about him. He tried to keep the blush from forming on his face, unsuccessfully, and ended up having to dip his head downward again. "He can kinda get a bit nutty with change, I promise this will all pass once he gets some more reassurance from Alex." Archer said to Albie, and Lucius was stopped at another light, turning his head briefly without interrupting Natalie he said, "I can hear you." and Archer laughed, saying, "I know."
with: Albie Melanin-Gxdess ; Natalie neverbackdown

 

[Bellz]

Warehouse 0517
(Shooting Range)
~ Lower Clapton, London ~
J.J. Porter
Collin McCarthy
​

Things were...awkward right now for J.J., at least at home. While his father had been supportive of his want to join the family business, his mother had been...well, unsurprisingly opposed to the idea. "Absolutely not." She had said, "You make us proud. You are confusing what you think makes us proud with putting your life at risk. J.J., this isn't your purpose. Your purpose is so much greater than all of this."

J.J. didn't want to upset her and he'd been made to feel caught in the middle of her feelings and his own when she took it badly. He thought he was doing the right thing by at least being open and honest with her first. J.J. thought that he could have like many others might have done, gone straight to his Dad first. But he valued wanting her approval. He wasn't stupid, though, and knew he wouldn't get it so easily. Or maybe even ever. Even after whatever conversation his parents had, or argument...which J.J. had a feeling that was what ensued, he was told he could join. He didn't exactly feel great at first.

Whenever J.J. tried to have a conversation with his mom, she wasn't as...herself with him. She wasn't ignoring him, or aggressive or anything. But there was just this distance that he couldn't put his finger on. And it seemed like she was putting distance between them, especially in one on one situations now. J.J. tried not to think about it too much for now, just holding onto the fact that things were okay in the sense that she was okay. His Dad was excited that he was taking interest and J.J. was excited himself. Like any other parent, his dad was, of course, always reminding him that he needed to be safe and smart, not stupid in his actions and decision-making.

Which was why he was currently in training. He'd been briefly taught how to fire a gun. When you live with Syd Porter since birth, on and off, and then on permanently, the man will teach you what you need to know to defend yourself. Either justified or fueled by pure chaos but you just take bits and pieces and run with it. A running family joke is the man could probably survive a zombie apocalypse with those survival skills alone, paired perfectly with his paranoia. Still, J.J. was keen on learning more, learning from people he always looked up to and thought he'd never even be able to see again while catching up with others. And things with Ari were...well, that was another whole issue. They were fine but clearly not fine. J.J. was just swinging and missing everywhere it felt like.

Collin wasn't really sure how he managed to convince his Mam to let him do this, or at least...the agreement they decided on, try it out. But here he was. Standing at the door to the training room like an idiot. Actually, he was standing in front of the door because guilt was keeping him there but...what was the difference? After figuring out the deal with his Mam, Collin decided to not tell Michael. And the guilt of it all was eating him alive slowly but surely. Which at this point he was convinced was his fate for all eternity. Michael might have seen it as lying but Collin was just trying not to hurt him while he was figuring out if this was what he really wanted. Why tell him that he was doing this when this wasn't even something he wanted after all? Collin was lying because he loved Michael that much. And he was willing to die slowly inside little by little each day for that love as he continued to lie to his face. And Lucas was in there...which was making him nervous. Maybe he should just turn around and go. Now one had seen him but the Interpol people. They could just lead him back out-

"Forgot how to open a door?" J.J.'s voice called out behind him and Collin hesitated, Goddamnit he thought. Giving himself a moment Collin took a soft deep breath before he turned to glare at him playfully, "Aye, haven't heard that one before, you're funny!" He said, smiling as he shook his head. "Figured I'd give myself a minute, not sure what I'm walkin' into yet." J.J. finally reached him, thanking the Interpol person who helped lead him to the right place. Collin had turned to look back at the door, not bothering to pay attention to the Interpol person as they left but just staring at the door again.

J.J. stared at it too for a moment, before looking to Collin, his brows raising. He had a feeling he knew what this was about..."Think you're gonna get shot once you walk in? Sheesh Collin, it's just a training day. Come on!" J.J. reached for the door and opened it, gesturing for Collin to go in first. "Brains before Beauty." Collin barked out a laugh, "Not a lot goin' on up there then?" The blonde asked, and J.J. laughed with him, "Depends on which of my sisters you ask!" Both were laughing when the doors opened and closed to the shooting range, but died down as they both saw Lucas so they could bring their attention to him. Collin's cheeks immediately started to warm up, when Lucas smiled brightly at them. "Hope this doesn't mean we can't still play with those." Collin cracked a joke, trying to keep the mood light. When Lucas looked over his shoulder, Collin found himself looking that way too.

J.J. spoke up first to answer his question, "Definitely. Though won't lie, I'm a bit nervous. Things are starting to feel a little more real now." The smile he had died down a bit to a smirk, just glancing around the room as Collin nodded his head, "It will be...enlightening I think." Collin wanted to ask Lucas how he was feeling, but he also didn't want to seem so personable. He was getting a nervous feeling but it felt different. Before he had a chance to ask, the three of them were joined by a man both J.J. and Collin recognized.

Both young men laughed at the picture he painted over the last time he saw them, smiling brightly as they firmly shook his hand. Both said it was good to see him too, hoping that the last 12 years treated him well. Once all the introductions were out of the way, Dermot didn't waste time getting straight to business as he led them all to the different firearms on the wall. Despite the comical expressions and smiles from earlier, both J.J. and Collin were serious now, just listening intently as Dermot asked if anyone fired a real gun before. Almost sheepishly, J.J. raised a hand, "Long time ago, like... a few years back."
with: Dermot + Lucas Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

Brook's Home

London​

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Kathleen Thatcher

In the days since the meeting with Thea and May, Kathleen had spent a lot of time going over what happened. May had not responded well to seeing her mother and had in fact gotten quite angry with the both of them. Since then she had given her some space, hoping that after a few weeks she would cool off and be ready to talk the next time. Her simple house she had rented when coming to London was bare and contained just the things she needed to survive. It felt even emptier knowing she had her daughter nearby but couldn't spend time with her. That morning she had sat at the window, watching the clouds floating over the sky in the early light of the day, gray but brightening by the moment. Today she would go try again, today she would start winning back her daughter, even if it wasn't the end of the battle.

As the taxi pulled up and dropped her off, she stood just a bit down the street from where she was headed, looking up at the house she would be approaching. A private investigator had been able to locate her home easily enough once Kathleen had her married last name - something she had lacked before Thea had introduced them and explained that Maeve had been married in the years since she last seen her. It wasn't unexpected really, Kathleen just hadn't know what new maiden name to look for, so she worked with the information she had - Maeve Thatcher - to try locating her before. It had led to several dead ends, though she had found out about the explosion at the Mercury some years before through a newspaper article that mentioned her and several other people who had been involved, as well as some of the casualties and deceased.

Finally, she neared the house, seeing a man exiting as she got closer. At first she was not the most attentive, concentrating on her goal and how she was going to approach Maeve had her distracted and focused on the plan of attack she needed for such a difficult situation. It wasn't until the voice called her name that she looked up and really took in the form she had grown so close to, eyes focusing and losing focus several times before she blinked it away and her sight grew clear on a face that still looked so similar to how it had nearly three and half decades before. Shock rippled through her, a hand lifting to her lips to cover them. She couldn't believe it, what was he doing here?

"Tr-Trevor?" She barely got the words out of her lips before he started asking question, stilling her in her spot. How could she speak to him now? She held no ill feelings towards him even after he walked out on her, she had known what they had was not serious and that he had never promised to stay, so she had never blamed him. Maeve, unfortunately, had caught all that blame over the years, something she dearly wanted to apologize for and was part of the reason she was here. "I-I… I'm here to see Maeve… What are you doing here? How did you find her?" She couldn't be bothered to answer the rest of his questions, her brain hadn't processed it yet. Eventually it caught up and she shook her head, trying to smile - a pretty smile that matched Maeve's but was tinted with nervousness. Ironically, the nervousness there spoke more to Maeve's she nature than she likely knew it did.

"I'm… I'm good. Thank you. But Trevor… How do you know about Maeve?"

Misty Gray - Trevor Stewart

 

[BasDorcha]

The Coffee Mug

~Bethnal Green, London~

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Maeve Brooks

Buzz… Buzz… Buzz… wooooshhh. The sound of her blood thrumming through her veins as the world spun on around her. Since her night out with Bohemia a few weeks before, May had been indulging more in the illicit substances she had found that night. A few trips had been spent going to Jess to purchase more weed and coke, both of which now filled her system. She had called off for the day, not wanting to deal with the drama of work, the arguing with Christian or even the stress of home life. She had thought that she would have to set her plan to have a day to herself - just herself - aside when Chloe got sick, but her father had offered to stand in and in doing so allowed May to continue her one day vacation with no one around but her own soul.

The outside chairs and tables of the café offered a nice place to sit with a cup of tea and let the world pass by while she examined the contents of her internal being. Sunk down between her chair and the next one over where she propped her feet, Maeve stared at the sky watching each cloud slowly moving over, making shapes out of it as the weed and coke made her system feel light and ecstatic. For the first time in weeks she felt unburdened and at ease. Her heart occasionally turned to her child and worried, but she reminded herself it had been years since she took a day just to herself and she deserved a break once in a while. If anything happened with Chloe, Trevor would call her immediately. A stomach bug wouldn't be anything to worry about.

As she relaxed, the waiter came up and asked her about a refill which she gladly accepted. There were so many things in her life that made no sense right now. In fact, her life felt ready to rip apart at the seams and there didn't feel like a thing she could do about it. The longer she sat there, the longer she tried to work out how to fix it. Christian and her… Seemed the least likely able to be fixed and that took some of the air out of her sails, so to speak. Chewing on her lip, she contemplated how to fix it, but coming up with nothing, she turned her thoughts back to the sky. What would it be like to float away and fly into that great blue, never having to return to this again? A single tear leaked down her cheek as she heard her father's words again about divorce. Would that be the right choice? Maybe she could just quit Carter Tech and that would fix everything? No. Not with her still being Trevor's daughter - that would never be something she could change.

Huffing at where her pleasant thoughts had turned too, and the affect it was having on the nice buzz she had previously been enjoying, she sat up rather abruptly, swatting at the air but accidentally colliding with the tea cup that had just been placed on the table by the waiter, sending it flying at a gentleman walking by. Her cheeks turned florescent red as she slowly looked up, already attempting to stammer out an apology. "I-I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean- I wasn't paying attention- Shit-"

neverbackdown - Tea Soaked Bystander