Down in the Gutter: IC, Surviving to See Tomorrow is Goal #1 Options

[adamu]

02:25:32 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Grack

Once his concerns regarding his one true cerri had been allayed, Grack set about reevaluating his plans for It. While less than an hour past his design had been to feed on It's flesh at the earliest available opportunity, the Shining One's glorious teaching had convinced him that he must not act precipitously. No, if his immediate future lay with the October Ravens - and he was sure beyond any shadow of doubting that it did - then he would have to put the eth first, and It's renowned scholarship meant that some bridges may have to be unburnt for the sake of the organization's newest incarnation.

At least for now.

So preoccupied was he in these ponderments that he at first failed to notice the knot of people that had suddenly come into view. Only The Duke's sudden air of caution roused him from his thoughts, and then our protagonist met a sight that nearly stopped his young heart.

There, talking to the egrand swordsman he had once called master, was the Object of His Affection, she for whom he had pined and plotted from afar.

But now he had the Power - no longer must he skulk in shadows in awe of her Presence. No indeed. She was to be his Queen and he would brook no further delay. Cutting the volume on his earbuds to a mere whisper of tortured violence, he strode into the center of the group with an air befitting his rank, paying no heed to his lessers as they engaged in their petty tobacco-exchange rituals.

Of course, our young Hero was not only an unstoppable force of death and hate, no, to the contrary he was also schooled in all the higher arts of life and love. Thus, addressing Legion directly, he brought to bear all the not inconsiderable gifts of oration and rhetoric that were his noble birthright.

"Give her to me and I will forgive your turgma."

[rob]

02:25:32 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Bockscar

Some dude who looks like roadkill interrupts our conversation. Says some dumb shit in Or'zet, but that language seems written specifically to say dumb shit, so who knows.

His approach unfocuses me enough to see movement out of the corner of my eye, and roadkill's boy trying to slide round my rifle side. Pretty casual, like the way I was tryin' to slide round Legion. The classic conversation-that-might-turn-to-beef-quick move. I think Leon introduced me to this kid at some point. Don't remember. Too lazy to look it up on my commlink. Says alot about my mental state.

Cram's making me focus too much, shoulda seen the kid earlier. Pull another square and a packet of weed out, offer him the smoke. He can ask for the weed.

"Thumper, right? Bockscar."

[Abbandon]

02:25:32 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Fool

Fool's new thoughts about getting into bikes was somewhat put off by the freezing wind. He wondered how in the hell Child put up with it, he didnt even have anyone in front of him shielding him partially from the effects of the beginning of the winter weather, he was just taking it all head on. They turned the last corner and Fool could tell that the something was up. When they had left Legion had sent everyone off to do their own thing and now everyone seemed to be gathering again.

Except now there were more than before. As they got closer he could make out Ink rubbing a torch all over a brick wall, was he drawing something, it was to hard to make it from where they were. There was a girl in front of Legion and Grack had just walked into the center of it all.

Fool leaned in closer and tried to raise his voice enough to carry through the wind, "Looks like there are some new people to meet. We better stop about half a block away from them and walk the rest of the way so nobody gets spooked."

As they got closer the entire group turned to face them. Some had already had there hands on their weapons casually and now they were taking stances to face a threat when the bike slowed down and then Child killed the engine. Fool unstraddled the bike and began walking by Child's side towards the group.

Fool saw people exchanging glances with one another and especially at Legion and then he barely heard Legion say something and everyone turned back towards him and thier gathering ingoring the two new guys except an occasional glance here and there.

Fool nooded at people and who glaced his direction and then took up position so that he could hear everyone easily. He glanced around at the surrounding buildings and up and down the street but it looked like everything was ok right now.

He folded his arms and tucked his hands into his armpits to get the feeling back in them quickly in case he needed to fight. It looked like this was a feeling out process the way everyone was positioning themselves.

[Mister Juan]

02:25:32 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Felix

Felix tagged along silently, next to Shade and a few steps behind Aziz and Doc. His ankle was still painful enough that after about a block, he had pulled his hood a little further on his face to hide his winces. Truth was, he wasn't really walking next to Shade... it was his friend who had slowed down his pace to keep up with him.

Stepping off the curb, the young psychic made a slight a grunt, as his leg almost gave up under his feather weight. It need to rest... he needed real rest. Ever since the 162s had came for them, he had found himself on the run, with no time to sleep or eat. Slowly but surely, fatigue was starting to catch up with him rather heavily. He would need to settle down soon, or he'd collapse.

As they neared 124th avenue and 130th lane, Felix was once again the very last one to notice the small band of people that had started to congregate. It wasn't that he wasn't very observant... it was more due the fact that it was hard to spot things ahead of you when you mostly looked at the ground. A quick and timid glance around was all he needed to recognized most of the faces. Felix didn't quite know every single ganger around Kingsgate, but the Splintered Crash had dealt, at one point or another, with pretty much everyone. That and they threw really great parties. The Splintered Crash had never been very clear cut gang like all the other ones either, more of a group of friends hanging out all the time and finding ways to help each other out. By doing so, the Crashers had not only never been seen as a threat by anyone else, but it also wasn't as frowned upon to socialize with them.

Aziz moved forward to introduce himself, and Felix was about to tag along, but Shade's firm hand took a hold of his shoulder. He glanced back over his shoulder, a puzzled face hidden behind his breathing mask. The young Asian man simply smiled at him for a brief moment, slightly shaking his head from side to side. Felix answered back with a nod and retreated to the nearby curb, where he sat down to watch things unfold.

As he painfully sat down on the bare concrete, Felix slid his shades off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was getting tired, really tired. But things weren't about to slow down. At least, not right now. The young mage might have been an optimist, he wasn't fragging stupid. Everybody seemed mellow on the outside, but everyone was as tense as they could be. In the blink of an idea, things could explode. Looking up from the sideline, Felix started to release control of his mind, lowering the constant barrier that he had walled himself in.

They started as distant murmurs, like far away sounds carried by the wind. Slowly, the murmurs turned into whispers, and then into a mix of almost discernible voices. Felix hadn't listened to the voices in some time... he just never really needed to when around his friends. He already knew them well enough. But right now, his friends might need all the help he could muster in the blink of an eye. The back of his head was already starting to throb from all the voices filtering in and out of his mind when the colors started to shift. Long colored tendrils began to glow in the space around him. Like water, they flowed around space, emanating from people and from the air around him.

Slowly, certain voices started to grow louder in Felix's head.

[pragma]

02:25:38 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Thumper

Keeping his hand steady as he moved it was an ordeal, like playing tug of war with a bullet. The wires wanted it to jump at Bockscar, but Thumper knew that enough was resting on the line here that he had to keep it together.

Slowly, with only a few tremors passing up his arm. He took one of the proffered cigarettes.

"Yeah, it's Thumper. Thanks, man."

Leaving the cigarette hanging between his lips his hand slowly went to his pocket and fished shakily around. It came back with the remains of his punctured flask and a heat warped, but functional department store lighter. He struck it a few times before getting a flame that, in spite of licking dangerously at the lighter's plastic case, sufficed to start his cigarette.

With the same slow deliberate movements he'd used to take the cigarette, he offered the lighter to Bockscar.

[rob]

02:25:41 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Bockscar

Let Thumper light my cigarette. It hurts to smoke. Course, it hurts to think, but there ya go. Conversation's muffled between us - I dont want to miss the 3-ring circus happening in front of me, so its one of those "don't look at each other and talk out of the corner of your mouth" deals.

I know he ain't swervin', 'cause he wouldn't be acting like this if he was. Somethin' else up.

"You tweakin', man?"

[pragma]

02:25:45 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Thumper

"Wires. I think they're old Russian shit; makes them shaky." It was said with a calculated detatchment.

Thumper put the cigarette to his lips as he eyed his companion's side, noting for the first time the contraceptive bandage.

Gesturing with the cig, he spoke in a more genuine tone:

"You Okay? That shit doesn't look too good."

[Vegas]

02:25:41 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Nevada

The smell or rather stench alerted her to their presence before the visual of their shapes came into view. Two large Orks, they had moved up behind Legion with no sign of malice which only made her a little more edgy. Three whores, a beat to shit street merc and her wouldn’t exactly hold their ground for long. As Grack moved out of the shadows and into the light Nevada could clearly see the amount of flesh that had been removed from his face. As he spoke to Legion she was acutely aware of the movement of his jaw and the visibility of his teeth. Grack’s demands however only amused her.

“Ain’t gonna happen boy-o.� She coolly pulled the black cigarette from her lips between the fingers of her right hand.

“For two reasons. One, I’m not his to give.� She exhaled the lungful of smoke she’d been holding in Grack’s direction.

“Two, Sugar… you’re not my type.�

As she kept her eyes fixed on the Ork who seemed to think he deserved her, the long fingers of her left hand snaked further down the stock of her shotgun that leaned against her leg.

[adamu]

02:25:44 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Grack

This, dear reader, was the first time our Grack had heard the voice of his queen-to-be. Melodious, it was, even more beautiful than Orxanne's "Bite Me, Bang Me, Break Me," if such a thing were possible in the universe of all things aural. Of course he paid the words themselves not the slightest heed whatsoever. It was nothing he hadn't heard a thousand times before, but they all changed their tune. Our Hero's memories were fresh in his mind of his first, blossoming infatuation, watching her on her corner years ago from the safety of a gutter drain. Standing there at night for G-Daz, and then for Caine. They were lesser creatures, unworthy, but for them, any disease-ridden weakling became her type for the price of a hot meal.

It was what had given him hope.

Not sparing her a glance, his fiery eyes bore into Legion's. He knew Gator's will placed him with the October Ravens, but Gator had not said who or what, exactly, the October Ravens necessarily were. So he gazed at the wounded man he had followed for so long, and searched for some hint, some inkling, of whether he could be trusted; if tonight's flaunting of djoto had been fleeting, or an eternal stain on his status as egrand.

"If she is yours to give, buy your redemption."

The shining warrior shrugged, his axe hanging carelessly from one hand.

"If she is not, I will take her now."

[Abbandon]

02:25:46 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Fool

Heh. Fool ran his cybernetic eyes over the female Grack was talking about...and the other three. They were pretty good looking but the one Grack was obsessing over had something special about her. A backbone. He could tell her words werent just a warning meant to scare Grack away. She really would fight him if he tried something. She was a warrior. That was sexy. Fool briefly concidered the benefits to stepping in and acting like her knight in shining armor. Would it be enough to get him laid? Would she atleast put on a nice little show for him so he could record it with his eyes?

More importantly could he take on Grack. Fool was fast and deadly but Grack's appearence and his way of talking were more than convincing that he would be extremely tough. Bah screw it he thought. I'm already working on a girl and I dont need to possably ruffle feathers with my new gang. Fool laughed to himself at his own joke.

[rob]

02:25:47 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Bockscar

"The condom? Nah, that one ain't nothing. I poked that hole so I could breathe." Puff out a breath, note with pleasure that the condom doesn't flutter up. Nice to see that the lung is mostly resealing. Readjust my jacket a little, loosen it up. Point at the entrance wound, turn away and motion to the gaping exit wound. "That's the bad one."

Pause as the circus unfolds. Take another drag, wallow in the smugness that with the chest resealing I'm probably not gonna die unless I get an infection. And I got some antibiotics in my first aid kit.

Roadkill says some more dumb shit. Puff a cloud of smoke. "Your boy gonna make a scene? It's late for this shit."

[Lindt]

02:25:50 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Child

Child had seen posturing before. It was something he always watched intently. There where often far more subtle aspects to it then simply whipping it out and comparing the goods. This was looking to be a case of whipping it out and waiting for the response, and while scary as hell Grack might be out matched by the strength of will he was about to deal with.

The hours spent driving around south Kingsgate had been all but a total loss. There where no safe usable locations. Not with the recent destruction. The Quik-Lube place had some promise, but it would put them right on the lines with the wrong people right now. He would need to find time to pull Legion aside and give him the skinny on the area.

It was some what reassuring to see a number of people that seemed to be in the same situation as Fool & himself, homeless and soon to be hungry. A quick glance at Ink told him that he had the torch well under control and was just getting into something with what may have been wings. Now was his turn to turn it on a little, and see who he could make friends with. The big one with the big gun was a safe bet, especially with how bad that hole in him looked. But first...

Child dismounted his pilfered ride and pulled the crushed pack of Camels from his pocket. A simple peace offering He knew of the tattooed arabian with the fancy sword, and made a simple assumption. "Your Aziz right?" His voice came out almost a whisper compared to the guttural tones Grack was going on with. He offered a smoke to the man with the topknot.

This post has been edited by Lindt: Nov 10 2007, 08:46 PM

[Mister Juan]

02:25:50 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Felix

Felix simply sat on the curb with an idle stare on his face. Under the green hood of his battered sweater, the number 410 still shoulder-patched, the young psychic's mind was occupied by a thousand different things. Voices came and went through his head, murmuring their feelings and whispering their thoughts.

A few years ago, he had found him driven to the edge of sanity by the voices. Listening to them day and night, they kept him awake; twisting and bending his mind around until it had almost shattered. They all had something to say; something to teach him. But it was just impossible to understand them all. He had then started to ignore them entirely... but that had proven as bad of a choice. They would plague his dreams, transforming every moment of rest into the most horrible nightmare. Finding the balance between opening his mind and closing it had been the very key to his survival. It was in moments like these that he was somewhat glad he was in tune with them to certain degree.

Putting both of his tiny fragile hand on the edge of the curb, he pushed himself up slowly, avoiding to put weight on his ankle as much as he could. Seeing him rise to his unsteady feet, Shade immediately looked down at Felix, his brow furrowing. He'd known the little wizkid long enough to feel when he had an idea under that little hood of his. The young Asian man had his hand already outstretched toward him, half to help him up, half to restrain him, when he met Felix's green eyes. Even behind his breathing mask, he could sense the gentle smile.

“It's alright Shade. I think I can help.� simply said the young mage, motioning him to hold off.

With an uneasy limp, the little fragile mentat approached the main source of everyone's attention. During his sideline watch, another kid, not much bigger than him as a matter of fact, had apparently joined in. Felix couldn't help but smile when he noticed it was Child. He was actually really glad he was alive and in one piece. The now probably ex-SSR had worked on his bike a few times, and he had found his company very enjoyable.

Shuffling his feet around a few more steps, the tiny wizkid arrived next to Aziz, putting a fragile hand up on his friend's shoulder. It wasn't just as a sign to let him know he was there to back him up... it was mostly to help him stand off his ankle. Head still held low, his own eyes avoiding everyone's, Felix simply stood next to his friend, not saying a single word. Not yet at least.

[Meriss]

02:26:15 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE

Ink

Ink finished the piece with his usual flourish. Hell, yes!

The Cubano glanced over at el jefe and saw that the boss man was dealing with some new faces. Some of the faces were familiar to him.

Nevada he knew anywhere with her creamy skin and take no shit attitude. It looked like Grack was hasslin' the boss about "payback" and shit.

Can't take hermano nowhere.

He sidled up to the group and pushed his grinning brown face between two of the girls.

"Como esta chicas? How's about we blow this shit hole?"

He notices Bockscar's gaping wouds and decides that the muchacho could use some help.

"Que pasa homes? You gonna smoke all that primo weed outta a hole in yer side? Or you gonna share?"

[WinterRat1]

02:26:15 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Shade

As Felix rose slowly to his feet, Shade immediately felt a twinge of concern. Right now everyone was chill, playing it cool. They were still feeling each other out, working it with the others in their own way.

And that was fine, except there was a lot of potential here for things to go south in a hurry. The giant ork with the holes in his face called Grack was acting more than a little psycho, and who knew who he'd swing at first if things got ugly? The way he was talking, there seemed to be an equal chance he'd swing at Legion and try to whack his boss(?) or take Nevada's legs off at the knees and bang her brains out while she lay bleeding and legless in the street.

The other ork, Thumper was making nice with the guy who called himself Bockscar. It figured he'd jump in on Grack's side, but would he do so against Legion? And who the hell knew what that assault rifle could do if its owner decided to rock and roll? And the quiet guy giving Nevada the once over who'd called himself Fool...there were a lot of ways this could end badly and not enough ways it could end right.

Even as Felix motioned him to hold off, Shade whispered as quietly as he could, "If things get crazy hide yourself and get out of here. Don't risk getting killed, cause these people will play for keeps. Aziz and I can take care of ourselves."

“It's alright Shade. I think I can help.�

Reluctantly, Shade backed off. He didn't want Felix to feel like he was being babied. If he was going to be on the streets with them, he'd have to be able to take care of himself. If the young mage thought he was up for the task, Shade wouldn't hold him back. He nodded in acknowledgment and support as Felix walked past him.

Double checking the wires were on and the spurs ready to pop at a moment's notice, he remained where he was, not wanting to appear as if he were 'joining' a particular group and risk making things more tense than they already were.

[rob]

02:26:15 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Bockscar

This is getting fucking ridiculous. YET ANOTHER shitbag pushes up into the middle of the fucking conversation. There's more fucking specatators than the goat show in Little Hollywood. Part of me wants to pop the slivergun out and blender this dumbass's intestines. Instead, I stub my cigarette out on the butt stock and turn to the kid.

"Share the weed, or the holes in the side? Roll us up a couple. Papers in the bag."

Hand the bag to him. Gesture at a space away from the cluster-fuck as I do so. Look around a bit, see who else wants to get their opinion in. Two skinny kids seem alright. Glare at the giggly dumbass hypnotized by Nevada's ass. Arab dude's being affable, grab myself another square and hand him one. Light it up, but fake inhaling. Lung hurting too much.

[Fresno Bob]

02:25:55 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Aziz

Aziz blinked a few times as the scene unfolded. The ugly ork that smelled like a rotting cow that exploded on a hot summer day had strolled up, demanding the pretty dark-haired girl, pre-empting his cigarette request.

Well that's just rude..., he thought, briefly fantasizing about grabbing the newcomer by the hole in his cheek and pulling.

"You're Aziz, right?", a small voice said behind him. He instinctively jumped a hand to Kalila's hilt and whirled around. There was an equally small frame to match, holding out a wilted pack of Camels. Aziz smiled and let his hand drop from his sword, instead reaching out to negotiate one from the pack.

"Yeah... thats me.", he said, looking back down at Child. He sticks the cigarette into his mouth and reaches into his jacket, pulling out a zippo to light it with.

"Guess my reputation precedes me... where do you know me from...?", he asks, turning his head slightly and pausing to get a name.

Felix's small hand landed on his shoulder, and Aziz glanced over and checked on him.

Tag's looking down... hope he isn't wigging out. Good that he's standing with me, though, let everyone know he's not to be messed with.

[Meriss]

02:25:58 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE

Ink

"Whatchu, think dumbass?" Ink snags the dime bag and rolls a joint. He considers the shot up ese. He rolls up another and passes the muchaco his weed back, plus the fresh joint.

"Step into my office and we'll take care of those holes, ese."

He waves his backpack into the circle of gangers.

"That goes for everyone. Can't keep a bod goin' if jou bleedin'. I ain't the Losers, but less jou wanna bleed yer way up there, I'm it."

[Mister Juan]

02:25:59 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130th Ln. NE
Felix

Both hands still stuck deep in his pockets, Felix's gaze kept hovering toward the broken asphalt surface of the street. He had now pretty seen everyone's shoes and boots, and no ones eyes. Slowly, his head went ever so slightly up, until his green eyes peak from under the hood of his sweater, and over the rim of his glasses.

Felix looked straight at Grack, a sort of strange fixated gaze in his eyes. He stood there, a few feet away from the ork, and just looked straight a him. Matter of fact, it almost seemed as if the young little wizkid was looking straight trough the tough ork. Looking at something only he could see.

Everything around Felix became distant. Sounds muffled themselves, as if words were spoken slowly underwater. The clouds froze in the sky. Everything slowed down, until it was as if, to Felix, the world itself had stopped spinning. Even the constant hum and drum of the voices was silenced. He was well alone in the universe. Alone with Grack.

Slowly, Felix's lips started to move ever so slightly. No actual words escaped his thin lips. Nothing anyone but Grack's subconscious mind could hear, at least. He started to murmur to him; to whisper him feelings and thoughts that weren't truly his own. Just as Felix started speaking to Grack's mind louder and louder, something else happened. They weren't alone anymore. Something big, dark and menacing was also there with them. Under his fingertips, Felix felt the something rough and scaly brush up, like a dull razor blade slipping by passed him. He never saw it, but he felt it's looming presence between Grack and himself. It was something bigger than he had ever encountered. Something totally alien to him.

It approached him, it's shadow clouding everything around Felix.
It was big. Very big.

It made some sort of lot guttural roar
... and then it came for him.

It drove him back, abruptly cutting the grasp Felix had started to hold on Grack's mind.

Everything rushed back. The sounds. The smells. The sights. The voices.

Felix started to blink again. Once. Than twice, faster. He saw Grack looking at him. He averted his own eyes, lowering his head again.

[WinterRat1]

02:26:15 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Legion

Legion pulled the slim cigarette from the package Nevada offered. It wasn’t his usual brand, but he would never pass up an opportunity. Lighting up, he blew a stream of smoke towards the darkened sky. He could feel the storm gathering once again, a restless electric energy fed by the raw emotions of his fellow predators circling. He shifted to grip the cigarette between the ring and pinky fingers on his left hand, the hand that still held his sheathed sword.

“No, Grack, she’s not mine to give.�

He let his eyes rove up and down Nevada’s body, lust evident in his frank appraisal.

“She might be mine to take, though.�

Legion pivoted away from the look of interest on Nevada’s face, the edges of the world beginning to sharpen to razor clarity beneath the influence of adrenaline.

“You speak of redemption, Grack, as if I had sinned against you. As if you could sit in judgment of my actions.�

Legion faced his enforcer, his attention focused solely on the tall ork.

“You have been my brother for more days than I can remember. We have shed blood together on this battlefield. You are right to push, it is the law of the jungle, the law of the pack. But haven’t I followed the laws of the pack as well? Haven’t my decisions been ruled by the laws of the jungle? Have I not looked to the welfare of the pack as well as my own?�

His voice was quiet but it carried in the night, filled by a tone of deadly calm. There would be no blame, no recriminations. Only action. This was a moment of decision, and like all pivotal points in the urban jungle, history would be written in motion, perhaps in blood.

“If we’re going to do this, do it now. Let it begin here. But know they will not follow you. Push now and all you are doing is finishing the job Raider Nation started. The decision is yours, brother.�

[adamu]

02:26:25 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Grack

Our Champion held Master Legion's gaze for some time, though perhaps only the smoking human himself could see that Young Grack's eyes were unfocused, his stare bent inward.
Indeed, his mind swirled with a veritable kaleidoscope of impressions, each new shade superimposing upon the last in a dizzying array of spinning colors, tumbling down a rabbit hole into an emotional maelstrom.

Five minutes earlier, everything had been so simple. The Scintillating One had said to be a Raven, so he would be a Raven. For the Ravens, he would let It live. For the Ravens he would consider overlooking Legion's befouling of djoto.

And then SHE had appeared on the scene. But even then, it had been simple. Two choices. She was his to give, in which case he had been determined to receive. Or she was not, in which case he had been equally determined to take.

But it seems that there had been a third choice. Indeed, the look that had passed between his future Queen and his erstwhile Master had not been lost on our partially paralyzed in perplexity protagonist.

And suddenly it was about more than simple rights to a common joygirl.

But before his razor-keen faculties could line it all up, the talking had begun. Here was Legion to a tee - talk talk talk. He always confused things, muddled them up in the fiercest of ways. He spoke of a pack...quiet ...he spoke of brotherhood...shut up!...no, not this time, you will listen. He spoke of past glories. He spoke of eth. He reminded our bewildered knight of what he'd had, and what he might be giving up. And without Legion, there would be no October Ravens, and the Glorious One would be most displeased indeed.

And he would be alone again.

And then with one phrase, the Young Lord was jolted back to reality as though his mind had become a prism distilling truth. ...they will not follow you. What? Was this more than about the whore? To be sure, Legion thought he was about to be brutally slaughtered over leadership of the gang! To think that the Master saw our very young hero as a rival?

Why, this opened up worlds of possibilities indeed. A rival.

But a rival for what?

He broke his gaze from the other man's. He looked around. He saw a motley collection of weaklings and boy-lovers. The only real people present were The Duke and Master Legion himself.

And so, several long, confused, and tense seconds after the egrand had finished his soliloquy, Lord Grack knew he could not hide from the truth that now forced itself, transcendant, upon his heretofore resistant consciousness. And casting a glance at It, and then back to Legion, and then out into the universe at large, he asked in a low voice the only question that mattered: "Is it true. Are they all dead?"

[Abbandon]

02:26:28 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Fool

Fool looked past all the ritual hand shaking and crotch sniffing going on around the center of the newly forming gang, his bright blue neon pupils narrowing and then expanding to get a crystal clear close up of Legion's reply to Grack's question. This would be a very important answer for this new gang, did Legion care about his troops, did he learn anything from his mistakes. Whatever he said would likely influence how long this gang was going to be around.

[rob]

02:26:28 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Bockscar

To roadkill and Legion: "Leon and some kid are. Badmarsh is. Except this crew, that's everyone I saw on the north side. I'm Bockscar. Leon's cousin. We met last week."

Pop the joint that tatooed dude rolled behind my ear. Might need it in a few. Sideline to tatooed dude: "Thanks, but unless you know more'n I do, ain't much you can do for this I ain't already done."

[Lindt]

02:26:29 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Child

"Guess my reputation precedes me... where do you know me from...?"
The Arab stood a good head above Child.

"Heard stories. Not many Persians with something looking like that out on the streets. I kinda made an assumption."
Child vaguely waved an unlit Camel at the weapon that Aziz had at his side like it was a natural extension of his being. "Heard you could ride too. Word on the street is your pretty good." He pulled a book of matches from his pocket and let the cigarette. He was doing his best to pay respects to the bigger stronger new comer.

"''Round here I'm Child. Fix stuff. Try not to get shot at. S all I'm good for."

The pecking order was falling into place as he stood there. Always good to know who is where. Make friends.

[Fresno Bob]

02:26:35 Saturday, November 1, 2070 - Intersection of 124th Ave NE and 130h Ln. NE
Aziz

Aziz looked down at the smaller boy, and smiled.

Flattery will get you everywhere...

"I also make a pretty good shawarma, but that hardly ever comes up out here...". He laughs and takes a drag from his cigarette.

"You hoping to join up with Legion, too? Quite an assortment out for that purpose it seems."