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

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead listened as Aliana revealed she and Conor had agreed to have another child, one which Leo hoped would be a boy. "Aww, that's so sweet. Conor was so good with Savvy and Emmy, I just know he'd be happy if you had a girl. Feel sorry for any boys she might want to date, though," she half-joked. She knew how much it hurt Conor having missed out on Michelle's life, so she was sure he'd put in overtime and spoil his next daughter rotten.

Sinead looked down to her stomach when Aliana pointed to it and asked her question. "Oh, I don't know," she mischievously replied, unable to shift the twinkle in her eyes. "Petey and I hope so. I mean, I haven't checked for sure yet, but maybe..." she replied. She liked the sense of possibility and knew a negative test would take away that excitement, but she knew her patience wouldn't hold out for much longer and she wanted to know for sure. "I'm going to avoid any stress this time. After I los--"

Sinead was dragged off track by the loud banging sounds coming from upstairs. "If those boys are breaking things. Luce will go nuts!" she grumbled as she rushed to stand. The sound of the man's voice shouting made it clear it wasn't the children causing mayhem. She followed Blake upstairs and was shocked to see the state Gwen was into. Still, she wasn't surprised given what she knew about the fellow redhead's battles with addiction. Worriedly, Sinead rushed back down to the lounge and was going to call for an ambulance but Blake confirmed she would drive Gwen to the hospital.

Sinead was briefly held back by a confused looking Olivia and before she could make sure the kids were staying put, Blake had set off to rush to the hospital.

"Okay, kids..." Sinead distantly trailed off to the girls, given that the boys were still playing outside, oblivious. She nervously bit her lip as she couldn't help but worry about Gwen and the effect it was all going to be having on Lorelei. She knew there was already enough on the man's plate, but Sinead knew James needed to know about Gwen, especially if things were as bad as they'd appeared. "Olivia..." she began, about to ask the girl to retrieve the phone book but seeing she looked worried. "Hey, come on. Give your Auntie Sinny a hug. Girls, come on," she delicately told them, holding her arms out and beckoning them closer.

Melanin-Gxdess Bellz Pyroclast

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris

(PIC TBC)​

Time seemed to slow as the final seconds ticked away. Each strike of the hand of his watch seemingly echoing about the phone box. The car with Rhys in sat there, the engine idling. Whilst Tony may not have been pulling the actual trigger, he would be the instrument to make sure that when that red button was pushed, Porter would be shuffling off the mortal coil. Steve had intercepted the wife, and that was the last piece to fall into place as his watch swept round to half past. The quarters rolled into the machine with an audible thunk. Like nails being hammered into a coffin. Removing a piece of paper from his pocket Tony punched in the number. He didn't really need it, the number was stamped into his mind, the result of hours of near constant repetition. As the last number was entered he raised the phone to his ear. Licking his increasingly dry lips he glanced through the glass confines of the phone box once more. The first time it dawned on him how open it all was, standing here literally in the shadow of Porter.

There was a click as the receiver was picked up on the other side of the call. And there it was. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. Deep dolcet Irish tones, the booming authority of a man whose empire stretched over one of the most densely populated cities in the world. But he sounded, well, like a man. Same as any of them, it wasn’t so much of a let down, as a realisation, James Porter, not a god, not some behemoth to be feared, just a mere mortal. The smile, long absent as the nerves had crept into him over the night, returned, filtering into his voice as he leant against the glass wall of the phone box, his eyes craned up towards the gods and the floor of the apartment block where he knew Porter was taking the call.

“Jimmy Jimmy Porter… the man, the myth, the legend. Well legend to some, outright boogie man to others. You should hear what Mr M has to say about you, talks about you like you’re the scourge of the city, coming in like a blood stained tyrant, bringin’ death and destruction. Let's be honest, you can see where he’s comin’ from, if he had been at that party then we wouldn’t be havin’ this conversation right now, I’d still be across the pond, and you’d still be rulin’ from your blood stained little roost without consequence. Now don’t get me wrong, I find it kind of impressive, that sheer ruthlessness and lack of mercy, and then at the end of the day you dress it all up behind your perfect little family and your houses and cars, by the end of it you look like anyother borin’ old businessman walkin’ along the street. But under all that we’re quite alike aren’t we. Monster’s in the trappin’s of men,”

Tony chuckled and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, cramming it into the side of his mouth. Allowing James to say whatever his piece was before continuing.

“Of course this is all business you know, do I have anythin’ personal against you or any of your boys? I mean aside from being a bunch of mick bastards, and your arsehole of a brother, by and large you seem like any other bunch of yanks, a shower of bastards. Once things get personal things get messy. And unfortunately you made things personal all those years back, well unfortunate for you anyways.”

He flicked the lighter and the end of the cigarette caught, smoke curling inside the box, as Tony inhaled deeply. He turned his eyes locking on the car that he knew contained the watching Rhys, just waiting for the signal to end it, to end all of this.

“Tell me Jimbo, do you know what Nemesis means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an horrible I'm uncultured... me.”

And with little more than a flick of his head, he signaled Rhys.

(Interaction: Misty Gray James, Enzyme Rhys, Pyroclast Steve)

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

Savannah’s tender kiss was returned, a soft look forming in Danny’s eyes when they broke apart. Theyeft the restaurant hand in hand and began to head towards the arcade, walking on the side of the street where the colour from the evening sun settled and gave the illusion of warmth. Perhaps it was for being a little further from the places she had been targeted before, but Danny couldn’t help noticing that she seemed more relaxed than usual. She had mentioned her training with her father, of course, but he hadn’t asked much about what that entailed on the basis that it seemed like the kind of thing the mob would rather keep quiet about. Still, whatever it was, it was apparently helping her to overcome her trauma. In turn, Danny felt more relaxed, too, having got used to being her eyes out on the street when they were walking together.

Spending time with Savannah always felt slightly like a dream in that he would often forget about the other things going on in his life while he was with her. However, in her natural concern, she made sure to ask about them and so he was soon reminded of Owen and their involvement in the investigation surrounding Ryan’s murder. “Yeah, I think they got as much out of me as they could get,” he casually replied, keeping his low relatively low just in case. “Owen’s…I mean, he’s had a hard time, you know, it makes him kinda retreat into his own head. Can’t always find out what he’s thinking, but I can tell he’s thinking a lot. He’s a difficult guy, but I do what I can to look out for him. Like this whole business with the drugs...Adam’s making us report proof of rent payments on the storage unit we keep it all in, so I try and just handle that myself - guess they don’t wanna take chances anymore. Hey, so is Adam my new boss for good now? I haven’t seen Syd in like, two months. Is he still in hospital? Did he have to quit the business?”

As they turned the corner, the last remaining sunlight was lost behind a row of tall skyscrapers, leaving them to walk in the shadows. The arcade was in sight, now, at least - but Danny looked instead to Savannah when she spoke up again, teasing him about being a troublemaker in the eyes of her parents and the many questions her mother would have for him. “Oh, God,” he said, though he couldn’t help but grin with amusement at the thought. “You’re tellin’ me I gotta rehearse some lies to tell your mom, now? What do I do for a living, what do I do for fun...Bet she wouldn’t be too impressed with truth, huh?” He gave Savannah’s hand a squeeze, reining her in closer. When he looked up again, he noticed a man dressed from head to toe in black, his hands resting together in front of him. The way he was staring directly at them unsettled Danny slightly given that he was with Savannah, but, not wanting to stir up any post-traumatic symptoms she may still suffer, he told himself the man must just be a security guard.

It was much warmer in the low-lit room than outside, and the neon lights shining from the walls reminded him of the nightclub he worked at. “Man, I miss coming to these places to have fun,” he lightly remarked. “Now I just seem to come looking for customers! When did I get so boring?” Looking around him to see where to start, he noticed that, while the place seemed full, a lot of the people there were just occupying the stools, smoking or speaking to each other in hushed tones rather than partaking in any games. Then he noticed how similar they all seemed to dress - head to toe in black, just like the man standing outside. “What is this, a funeral?” he joked, though there was no humour in his tone. Despite the music, his comment apparently caught the attention of someone sitting nearby, and once their head turned, so did everyone else’s. Still holding onto Savannah’s hand, Danny glanced back towards the door, only to find that the supposed security guard had followed them inside and was now blocking their exit. “Sav, I don’t know about this place…” he said. “Maybe...maybe we should head somewhere else?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Warren Taylor​

Warren sat back on the sofa, watching on as James remained sat by the telephone on his desk waiting for the anticipated calls to come through. "You need a vacation from all this crap, you know. I'm sure we can all keep things running for a week or two," Warren suggested, knowing Conor and Jackson were around; both actively trying to take some of the weight off their boss' shoulders.

"Take a vacation in the middle of all this chaos? I'm sure Moretti would love that, not to mention it being pretty bad form if I buggered off in the middle of a war," James argued, quickly shaking his head.

Warren shrugged his shoulders and sat forward, meeting his brother's eyes. "This is what pisses me off. I want to do this, to be a part of the business, yet you and my dad are always trying to talk me out of it. That's the difference right now. I'm here because I want to be, but you're doing this only out of duty these days. When do you get to live your life, James? You had a shit childhood, but now you've got a family who you should be given the chance to live some normality with."

"Jesus, you sound like Luce. In fact, let's change the subject before she comes in and I end up with the both of you on my back." James moved to stand up from his desk, to join his brother seated on the sofa. Instead, he ended up knocking his mug full of cold coffee over, causing it to spill all down his front. "Fucking... Son of a..." James shouted, looking down at his soaked shirt and trousers.

"Ah, nice one, Jimbo!" Warren called out, unable to stifle his laughter. "Go get yourself changed before I tell Lucy you've pissed yourself."

"Little shit," James grumbled. He picked up a tennis ball that had been left on his desk by one of the kids and threw it at Warren, forcing his brother to shield himself with his arms as he continued laughing. "I should wait by the phone..." he deliberated, cracking a smile himself as he watched his brother squirm.

"I can answer the phone. I'm not a complete moron," Warren lightly reasoned, standing up and rounding the desk. "Hey, I'll even do my best James Porter impression if I take a call. Make 'em feel right at home," he remarked. "Go on. Make yourself look presentable for the wife and I'll clean this mess up." When James reluctantly agreed and left the room, Warren set about cleaning up the spilled coffee from the desk and chair.

Whilst James was in the bedroom getting changed, the telephone began ringing in the office. Warren tossed the cloth aside and lifted the receiver to take the call, remaining standing as he expected it to be a quick one or that he'd keep the caller on hold until James could get back. "James Porter's--" Warren began, grinning as he mimicked his brother's accent. He fell silent as the male, Cockney voice on the other end spoke over him. The way he spoke immediately sounded hostile and clearly wasn't from any of his brother's employees. Warren was about to correct the man and tell him he wasn't actually speaking to James, but in a split-second decision, he decided to let the man keep talking. His brother had enough going on that he didn't think he needed the extra stress some threatening call might cause. Warren sat in his brother's seat and pulled the notepad towards him, ready to jot down anything the man said that could be useful. It didn't take long before it was made clear the man was one of Moretti's. 'Morettis. Cockney.' Warren scribbled down. The way the man spoke of James irritated Warren, as he believed his brother was a better man than their enemies. He tightened his jaw as he held his tongue.

There was a silence, inviting Warren to speak back to the caller. Warren glanced up to see James approaching the doorway, so he brought his finger to his lips to urge James to stay silent. His older brother complied, stopping in the doorway as he curiously observed. Warren switched the call onto speakerphone, allowing James to listen to what was being said, but made it clear he wanted to handle whichever prick was on the other end. "You really think Moretti is any better?" he asked, continuing to mimic James as he asked his question simply to keep the man on the line.

Warren quickly shook his head, urging his brother to let him deal with the call rather than taking on more problems. The man proceeded to speak offensively about the family and their Irish roots. When the caller referred to James' brother - Warren himself - as an arsehole, Warren couldn't help but grin as he looked to James. He pointed to himself and pulled faux offended expression. However, James kept a straight face, forcing Warren to do the same and to take the call more seriously.

When the man finished his speech with reference to the meaning of Nemesis, Warren shifted forward and decided it was his time to give the Cockney a piece of his mind. "Alright. Listen..." he firmly began...

Enzyme (Rhys) Pyroclast (Steve) Bellz (Lucy) RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Jason wished he could reassure the tearful girl standing outside the room, but he was lost for words. Instead, Blake scooped her up and ran her down the stairs. Her screaming could be heard from the lounge as Jason followed as quickly as he could with Gwen in his arms. While Blake restrained the child, Jason ran past her, setting off down the driveway. “It’ll be okay, Rory!” he called back, only hoping that he wasn’t lying to her. There were so many cars, he didn’t know which one to wait beside. He looked down to Gwen, raising his elbow to support her head. As if acknowledging his presence, she seemed to put more effort into her breathing - but it sounded more like chokes, causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end. The blood and froth coalesced into one thick, ropey stream that dripped down her colourless face and onto the gravel at Jason’s feet, every laboured breath feared to be her last. As he was calling out for help again, Blake appeared and opened the car door for him.

By the time he had climbed into the passenger seat with her, she had stopped breathing again - the only thing making her look alive now was the continuous flow of foam from her mouth and nose. “Fuck!” he cried, followed by a further string of profanity as he quickly readjusted her into a more accessible position. “Gwen, don’t you leave me! Don’t you leave me, now! You can fight this - come on, babe, just hold on a little longer!” Jason was once again thrown into action; not even noticing how fast the car was going, he started pumping heavily upon her chest once again. She suddenly felt so fragile, as though her bones might break under the weight of his palms. He wasn’t used to seeing her so limp and the fear that she might never wake up again rose up inside him with such incredible force that it seemed to take on a corporeal form of its own, to the point where he felt like his body was being taken over by another being. As before, he sealed his lips around hers and blew, straining to suppress his sobs in Blake’s presence as he lifted his head again. He couldn’t protect her from occasionally hitting her head against the car door as they veered between the obstructive traffic since his hands were too busy performing CPR, but he still continued to do everything in his power to bring her back to life.

After a painfully long minute, the tendons in her neck constricted as she drew in a deep, rattling breath and Jason rolled her into him to prevent her from choking. Her fluctuating between life and death left him drained, weak with fear - and yet, at the same time, his determination to save her filled him with a powerful, overriding strength. Curling himself over her body in an almost protective manner, he brought a hand up to shield his eyes and quietly sobbed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, though he knew she wouldn’t hear him. Knowing that she had felt the need to hide her continuing struggle, to lie for his sake after watching him sink into the deathly arms of alcoholism, filled him with an overwhelming guilt; he wanted nothing but for her to hear how much he cared for her and loved her.

When the car came to a halt outside the hospital, Jason pulled himself together and hauled Gwen out of the car with him, scanning the lot for paramedics as he hurried through the entrance. Her fluttering eyelids and laboured breaths reassured him that she was holding on, though he couldn't be sure how long she had left. "CAN WE GET SOME HELP OVER HERE?!" he yelled, the power in his desperate cry resounding through the room. Their dramatic entrance turned heads, and as he stood cradling her limp weight, a group of medics rushed over, shortly followed by a trolley bed. He laid her down, almost reluctant to let her go, and only once his arms were empty did he remember that he wasn't alone. His frantic eyes soon found Blake and when one of the medics asked them if they were family he quickly nodded. "Husband and sister," he told them, grateful that they accepted his lie despite the lack of wedding ring on his finger.

They wheeled Gwen down the corridor so fast the walls appeared to distort around them, but he managed to focus just enough to supply them with quick answers to their questions. When they rounded the corner, they almost crashed the bed into someone and Jason had to dodge around him. So focused on Gwen, he wouldn't have noticed who he was had one of the medics not said, "Sorry, Finn!" and for a second Jason was torn between staying to explain to the man what had happened to her and running to catch up with the bed. "Finn..." he murmured, shaking his head in despair. His miserable eyes locked onto the man as he reversed towards the bed once more, urging the doctor to follow them.

Interactions
Bellz Finn, Blake, Gwen

Melanin-Gxdess (did Aliana come to the hospital or stay home?)

 

[Enzyme]

Rhys Caddel​

Rhys's hand cocked back to eye the leather watch secured around his wrist. The arms nearly dropped to 6:30, and the cigarette smoke intoxicating the vehicle was beginning to resemble gunpowder. He could feel the weight of the detonator, it's deep red light illuminating the back of the nylon seat. Entirely unsuspected, the car remained idle on the sidewalk, a good fifteen feet from the apartment. While the paths weren't over cluttered, it was New York nonetheless, and the street had been populated like any other suburban neighborhood in the city. He wondered how this would appear on the news, a sudden flash of light, followed by the destruction of an apartment's face. Perhaps it would be declared an act of terror? No one would have a clue to the explosion's origins. With the napalm-like compound in the mixture, a trace wouldn't be left behind. It would be as if an extraterrestrial had aimed from the furthest reaches of Earth's outer-orbit, disintegrating the room without prejudice, not a single molecule spared.

Rhys could makeout Tony in the enclosed glass box between the hood and trunks of the passing vehicles. He looked relaxed, which seemed to be his usual demeanor during a job, despite the risks. He wondered if the man hadn't gotten enough oxygen in the womb, as if the part of his brain responsible for panic hadn't adequately had the chance to develop.

Before his mind could wander any further, the long-awaited signal was given. Rhys's eyes trailed down to the detonator, and the once red light had now shined a bright, warm green. The color seemed inviting of the procedure as if the turning of the key was fate and Rhys's hand was nothing more than destiny's vessel.

His fingertips slowly undid the scotch tape, peeling the key from the metal. With the unique, toothless key in his fingers, he took one last glimpse up at the unscathed apartment, for its appearance was about to be changed forever. He slid the key into the hole, fitting like a well-tailored glove. The twisting of the key was silent, no more resistance than a simple spring, coiled around the hole. A faint zip sound was made from the detonator, and then all was silent.

A bright flash emitted from the other side of James's curtains, causing the dark fabric to turn transparent. As sudden as the flash had appeared, the curtains disintegrated and the metal bars holding the fire escape twisted out and contorted unnaturally, breaking apart like splintering wood.

BOOM!

Large shards of glass cascaded down from the office windows like chunks of ice, exploding on contact with the cement below. A few screams escaped from the surrounding pedestrian, but they were startled screams, a natural reaction to such a bizarre event. Rather than fleeing the scene, like what would be expected from civilians witnessing an explosion, the perplexed commoners instead gathered the scene and looked up to the decimated apartment, completely starstruck as to what had just taken place.

Misty Gray (James/Warren) Pyroclast (Steve) RayPurchase (Tony) Bellz (Lucy) Fletchawk (Owen)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Just like that the mommy time Aliana was having with her friends was over. A loud banging noise from upstairs caught their attentions before screaming and crying followed. The three of them hopped up from the couch, rushing upstairs to find the source of it all. But once they did find the source, she wished it would have just been the boys messing about. Blake was the first to spring into action, grabbing up Rory and moving back downstairs as Jason picked up Gwen to move her. Everything was happening so fast as they all rushed downstairs, Blake trying desperately to keep Rory staying inside the house. Ali's first instinct was to go with Blake, but she knew she couldn't leave Sinead alone with all the kids. Watching the crying girl try to run out of the house, she quickly intervened. "Baby," she said, picking Rory up and trying her best in case the young girl tried to fight her back. ", it's okay, it's okay. I need you to be calm, alright? You have to stay here so they can get her to the hospital and get her feeling better."

Walking back into the sitting room, she set the girl down and looked to Sinead. The woman looked like she was trying to hold it together for the sake of her nieces and Aliana was going to be there to help. After briefly checking the window for the boys out front, she turned to the group of ladies currently occupying the sitting room. While Sinead comforted the two girls, Ali looked at Natasha who was more than likely confused and scared because of the events that had just unfolded. "Hey, you wanna come with me to the kitchen? We're going to bring the girls juice and snacks, okay?" Knowing she was shy, she wasn't going to take offense to her rejecting her offer but she would be glad she took it, even a bit surprised. Ali had to think about what their next move was going to be and fixing up snacks for the girls was helping her thought process. Sure, the guys needed to know about what was going on here but she didn't want to distract them from the important tasks they were doing. Besides, Ali, Sinead, and Blake were all capable of handling situations like this without the guise of their husbands.

Once she was finished, she put the cups of apple juice and crackers on a tray and walked back into the room. Setting everything down on the coffee table, she sat on the floor with her legs crossed. In all honesty, this was going to be difficult to address and even talk about but it had to be done. One more glance for the boys before she turned all her attention on Sinead. "Sin, let's let the girls snack while we go fix something for everyone to eat, yeah?" She suggested, standing up.

​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
~ Simone Lawrence ~​

James had heard the second half of the phone call as his brother put the caller on loudspeaker. There was a very different tone to the phone call he'd received from Maddox Parker some months ago, but it still carried with it a similar message; that someone was clearly making reference to the mob's actions years earlier. James would have to be a complete idiot not to figure the caller was one of Moretti's men. A Cockney caller with a clear distaste for the Irish. It all sounded quite familiar and James wondered if it was the same man who had bothered Conor and Finn a few weeks earlier.

Whilst Warren found humour in being called an arsehole, James had too much on his mind to be at all amused and it showed on his face. This caused his younger brother to take it more seriously too and Warren began to respond to the caller. The younger man barely got any words out when a blinding flash, accompanied by a deafening boom filled the room Warren was seated inside of. The explosion knocked James back from his position in the doorway, causing him to fall over onto the floor in the lounge area. The man was quick to his feet, but his mind seemed slow to catch up as he was left stunned and shocked at what he'd just seen. He looked through the doorway into his smoke-filled, destroyed office. He didn't need to see clearly beneath the hazy clouds to know his brother had been obliterated along with the furnishings around him.

James hadn't even registered the various cuts to his face and arms caused by the fragments of glass that had been projected at him int he explosion. He remained oblivious to the minor bloodshed that resulted. Even if he had, what were a few cuts compared to what had just happened to his brother before his own eyes? The ringing in his ears made it difficult to hear anything around him, only adding to his disoriented state. "Boss?" the male voice repeated for the fourth time, finally snapping James out of his trance. "Sir, we've got to get you out of here," the guard said as he and his partner attempted to lead James out of the apartment. James' head snapped around to meet the faces of his two employees, his expression reflecting a man who was about to snap at them both or even lash out physically.

"No. I..." James began, turning to look towards the office once more. He fell silent and relaxed his clenched fists. Despite his shock, there was no part of him that was foolish enough to expect some miracle. Warren had been ripped apart before his own eyes and nothing he could do would change that. James looked back to the two men, nodding his head and allowing them to lead him out of the room in his distracted state.

Simone had been about to leave her apartment to start the night shift covering some of Porter's clubs, but she was thrown off course by the nearby explosion. From down the corridor, the place still seemed to shake. She retrieved her hand gun and slotted it down the back of her waistband, ready to grab it if needed but keeping it concealed beneath her jacket.

When she stepped out of her apartment, it soon became clear the location of the bomb her boss' apartment. She saw James being led out of his apartment, a few doors down from her own, by the two guards. She reached her hand back, allowing it to hover over her gun as she looked up and down the corridor to check it was clear. "Come into my apartment where it's safe," she suggested. If this was an attack on her boss, she figured they needed to secure the building before letting him leave, especially if hostiles were on site.

James entered the woman's apartment alongside one of his guards, pacing the kitchen area as he struggled to process what had just happened. Meanwhile, Simone caught up to the other guard and peered into the smoke-filled apartment. "Well. Shit..." she mumbled. "Hey, where's Warren at?" she asked, expecting he was around the building securing the place. The guard looked to Simone with a grave expression, shaking his head as he used his thumb to point inside the apartment. Simone's mouth opened but no words came out as she struggled to wrap her head around it. She and Warren had only been dating a few weeks, but in that time they'd grown quite close. She took a couple of steps back as she tried to process the information. She bit her bottom lip as she forced back her emotions for the sake of focusing on the job. "What happened?" she asked, her voice faltering slightly before she consciously straightened her posture.

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy was just about to step around Steve when a loud explosion shook the ground for only a second. Gasping, Lucy peered up at the building dropping everything she had in her hands. Shoving Steve to the side, she sprinted up the stairs as fast as she could, not waiting for Owen to follow her. Once she was on the right floor, the hallway was filled with smoke. "James?! Warren?!" She called out hoarsely as her heart hammered in her chest. There was no answer and Lucy's chest painfully tightened as she made her way down the long hallway. She stopped just outside the apartment, struggling to breathe from the thick amount of smoke coming from it. Eyes burning with both tears and from the smoke, Lucy practically jumped out of her skin when one of the guards placed a hand on her shoulder. "W-where are they?" She asked, and the guard looked at her with a solemn expression on his face. "Boss is in the neighbors apartment." Lucy stood there for a long moment as she processed his answer. Warren...? With her lower lip trembling, Lucy sucked in a deep breath before nodding her head and following the guard into Simone's apartment.

Seeing her husband pacing the kitchen, she stopped in the doorway to assess his wounds, only seeing a few minor cuts and scrapes a part of her was relieved, but she knew she couldn't express it in that moment. "James..." Lucy murmured, capturing his attention before walking up to him and throwing her arms around him tightly. Squeezing him tightly, she blinked a few times to keep the tears away as she took a moment to hold him in her arms. He didn't need to tell her that his brother was gone, she had put all the pieces together. Not saying anything for a long moment, she just held him, rubbing her hands up and down his back until she could muster enough strength to finally say, "I'm so sorry."

James had fought hard to keep Warren out of the family trouble and Lucy stood behind him on it. The pair were so much alike that it was hard at times, Warren was always read to fight battles for James. Lucy had been fighting this uphill battle with her husband for years and yet, nothing could keep him away from the business. She had a feeling that this was going to be a turning point for her husband, for their future. Lucy couldn't imagine losing one of her siblings...it was just too painful to think about. One of the guards cleared their throat and Lucy loosened her grip softly to look over at him, "We need to get you both out of the area." He said to which Lucy nodded her head. Taking a step back from James, she caressed his wounded cheek gently, looking into his eyes. "I've got you, love. You don't have to be strong for me." She reminded him as he was normally the one to push down his feelings after moments like these. "Let's get you home." She whispered before taking his hands.
with: James Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter nodded his head as Maddox expressed his hope for Roxie's safe return. Before Sinny and him learned that Roxie was kidnapped, they both had a discussion about her being safe while pregnant and after learning what happened to Syd's girlfriend Peter's nerves had been all over the place. Listening as Maddox when on to express that he probably would no longer be in a position to provide new leads for the family, Peter tilted his head with slight interest.

He told him that all he could do was give insight on the men they were dealing with: cold and savage. Didn't sound much different to the men the Porter's had dealt with in the past but Peter didn't take the information lightly. "Don't worry, Dr. Parker. We are not taking the situation lightly now that they got ahold of Roxie. Our families are going to be looked after to the fullest extent possible." Peter was starting to doubt himself in that moment regardless of the words he spoke. Maybe now wasn't a good time to bring another life into this world, surely after what happened to Roxie, it was warning enough. But Sinny was very much excited by the idea and Peter didn't want to upset her any further than she has been in the last few months.

"Seeing as you've helped us out, we will try to provide you with the protection you need to get the fuck out of this city." He told Maddox as Peter turned to eye Conor on the phone. "Do you have any plans once you are free?" He asked curiously, he had heard about a possible girlfriend from Conor but not much was said on the subject.
with: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan
Blake McCarthy​

Blake had pulled into the ambulance parking of the hospital which was right outside the entrance. Jason was already out of the car before she came to a complete stop and Blake threw open her door before slamming it behind her, "Hey hey hey! You can't park here!" One of the medics yelled at her but she just rolled her eyes, "It's for emergencies, ain't it!" She shouted back and the medic looked at her dumbfounded as she ran after Jason and Gwen. He yelled for some help and people immediately got to work as a they brought over a bed for her to be laid on. Blake caught the whole, "Husband and sister" lie but she didn't care at the moment as she was sure they wouldn't have been allowed to go back with Gwen otherwise.

Blake was only a few steps behind the bed when it almost crashed into a familiar face. "Finn!" Blake exclaimed, a small smile forming on her face as the Doctor looked at both Jason and Gwen with a surprised expression on his face. Meeting eyes with Jason, he saw the despiration in his face and quickly turned to his colleague who had been following closely behind him. Shoving the files he had been holding into his hands, Finn headed down the hallway as they turned the corner into one of the available rooms. Once they transferred Gwen onto a proper bed, Finn moved to grab his flashlight from his pocket before gently grabbing Gwen's face and opening her closed eyelids.

Blake gently grabbed Jason's shoulders as a few more nurses piled into the room and she backed him towards a few chairs that were in the corner. "You've got to sit tight, love. Let them take care of her." She said before taking a seat next to him, watching intently as the doctor's did their work. "Pinpoint pupils, aren't responding to light." Finn said before a few nurses moved to cut off the shirt Gwen had been wearing. "She's breathing but barely. Sounds like a lot of blood in there." One of the nurses said to which Finn nodded his head. "Get her connected to a morphine drip, I need a Thoracentesis kit ASAP." Finn told another nurse to which she responded, "Right away, Doctor."

Once she was set up to a heart monitor, Finn turned to Blake and Jason, "Right now we are going to get the blood out from her lungs and make sure her heart rate returns to normal, the saline and morphine drip should help flush the heroine out of her system quicker so that she can hopefully regain consciousness. We may have to keep her under if it looks like she's not returning to normal." Looking at the pair, he offered a sad smile, "You got her here right on time." With that, the kit that was asked to be brought in arrived and Finn's smile faded as he got back to work.

Taking a scalpel, Finn very carefully cut between her first two ribs before taking a long narrow needle connected to a vacuum like machine and carefully pushing it until it pierced the inside of her lungs. Aware of the audience he had, he turned to look at the pair, "This is just a needle that will help remove the blood from her lungs." Turning on the "vacuum", it began to suck out what appear to be a good amount of blood. A nurse held a stethoscope to Gwen's chest as she listened for her breathing. Once it was clear that the blood was gone, Finn pulled out the needle and quickly moved to cover the cut he had made with a bandage. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Finn looked to the heart monitor a moment before moving to grab a face mask, placing it gently around Gwen's face before turning on the oxygen.

The worst of it seemed to be over as nothing but the heart monitor could be heard. Finn took his gloves off before throwing them into the garbage can. Blake cleared her throat before asking, "Will she be okay?" Finn nodded his head, "Over time she will be, she's stable for the time being but with most heroine users especially ones who have been dependent as long as she has...it's better to keep them under for a small amount of time, we will monitor her as she comes down and check on her every 15 minutes." Finn moved to take a seat beside the two and sighed, looking at Jason as he set a hand on the man's shoulder. "You did the right thing." He murmured softly.
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Whilst Aliana occupied Natasha in the kitchen, Sinead remained sitting on the carpet as she took one of Lorelei's hands in her left and one of Olivia's in her right. She sent the girls a soft, reassuring smile before looking to Gwen's daughter directly. "Hey, listen to me, sweetie. Your mum is a fighter, okay? One thing I know about the Porters is they're really tough. Did you ever see your Old Uncle James sick or resting in his room past sunrise? Naw, they're built like machines and your mum is hard as nails. Just stay calm and wait to hear back, okay?" she asked. As she spoke, she gently squeezed Olivia's hand, in the back of her mind sensitive to the fact the girl had only recently lost her own mother.

When Aliana returned to the lounge with snacks, Sinead released the girls' hands and tried to direct their attention to the treats. "Oh wow! Apple juice and crackers?" she enthusiastically spoke up. When Aliana suggested they left the girls to eat, Sinead feigned a disappointed face. "Well, it turns out I'm not part of the juice and crackers club. You girls get plenty to eat and we'll be right back," she suggested.

Sinead got up and followed Aliana into the kitchen. She retrieved a loaf of bread from the counter so she could set about buttering a few slices to absent-mindedly makes some sandwiches. She suddenly stopped and turned to her friend, quickly shaking her head. "I think we all had some suspicions she was still taking drugs, but... I didn't expect it to be that bad. And poor Lorelei had to see her mum in that state. That stuff stays with them, y'know? Emmy was only a little thing when Petey went to jail and I had my breakdown, but she remembers it even know. Gwen needs professional help," she said, with a soft sigh. "And Luce will be so worried when she finds out."


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Bellz (Lorelei, Natasha)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy
(No Picture Needed)​

Jackson kept his head nuzzled against the wall hard enough to where it looked as if he were trying to imbed it in the block. Brick crumbs dusted off the sides of the building as more gunfire roared from the direction of the statue. The shots were less powerful and more rabid, suggesting that small armed goons were approaching from the field, attempting to pinch the Porters and force them back to the docks. Everything Syd had mumbled through the whipping wind had already been confirmed in Jackson's head, as he silently pondered to himself. His hands gripped the M1911, with a sudden urge to pop out of cover and take his own shots at the approaching men. With the creeping darkness, however, they wouldn't have the time to find a target before their overwatch blew a hole clean through their chest.

As Jackson was moved up the brick, Syd suddenly bolted around the corner. "Syd!" Jackson shouted, moving off to the edge of the brick, as he went to follow, another chunk of the wall blew off in front of his eyes, forcing him back behind cover. Jackson's eyes met Garretts, who gave him a solid nod that confirmed Syd was okay.

The gunfight had turned to a standstill, and soon enough, the sun had disappeared behind the water, leaving them in complete darkness. The only light came from the muzzle flash of the approaching gunfire, the rest was left to the senses. Through pitch black, Jackson could make out the Porters beside him, a bounce in their feet resembling that of a trapped rat, scrambling for a way out. It didn't look good for them, but Jackson wasn't going to give up hope yet. The ripping sounds of the M700 was a clear indicator that Syd was still in the fight, but with the Moretti men marching closer and closer, they wouldn't have much time to change the tides.

"Hold it!" Jackson shouted to his men over the roaring gunfire. "Hold it!" Jackson shouted once more, keeping his men at bay. The familiar blasts in the distance, were music to Jackson's ears, coming right on time. "Hold it!"

POW! POW! POW!

Suddenly, the night sky lit up an assortment of neon colors, illuminating the harbor like a nuclear blast. "Now!" Jackson spun around the side of the building, the Moretti men were no longer hidden behind the darkness. With the abrupt reveal of the Porters, the guards barely had enough time to take their last breath before they were torn to pieces and sent to the grass for early retirement.

The victory was shortlived as the reminder of the sniper was made known with another powerful gunshot. As to who was hit was left ambiguous as everyone darted back for cover. The mystery was only brief, as Garrett's soft groans danced off the bouncing blades of grass. Jackson looked over to the other building with a grim expression, seeing Garrett's cold body sprawled on the shrubbery, the only life coming from his blonde hair, swaying in the relentless wind.

Without wasting any more time, Jackson moved around the other edge of the building. The front of the base was protected by a small grass hill, which was just visible from the basement ledge. Around the front, Jackson could see the M700 poking out of the ground like a steel rod. He kept his head down below the base of the hill, keeping his skull out of the sniper's crosshairs. "Syd!" Jackson shouted as he approached the basement ledge. "He's in the second window to the left!" He felt as if his words were lost among the bleeding wind, as Syd's gunshots overpowered any chance of his voice being heard. "Second to the left!" Jackson repeated, to no avail.

Jackson slapped his hands down to the scorching barrel, ripping the M700 from off the basement ledge. Tucking the rifle in his shoulder, Jackson threw himself down to the grass bump in the field. He slid the .308 rounds from his pocket and began loading the rifle from the top breach. His covert position was exposed by the tip of the barrel, and the sniper's gunfire fixated on his position. Jackson dug his elbows and knees into the earth and pulled himself up to the top of the hill as chunks of mud and fertilizer was torn up around him. Throwing the M700 onto his left hand, the cracked scope had only a split second to settle on the window before he slammed back the worn trigger. Then Another. Then Another. With no retaliation, Jackson stood up on the hill, slammed back the bolt, and continuously fired at the sniper's position, breaking off chunks of the building's face. He only stopped to reload the gun with whatever he had left in his pocket, before walking and firing at the nest.

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

When he heard Lucy speak his name, James was brought out of his stunned state. The presence of his wife seemed to be like some kind of permission or invitation for him to let his guard down. With a deep breath, things rapidly began to catch up with him, enough to make him feel like his chest was weighing him down and the pit of his stomach commanding a feeling of nausea. The guard who had accompanied him decided to excuse himself from the room, slipping back out onto the corridor so as to give his boss some privacy with Lucy.

As Lucy held him tightly, James froze but soon put his arms around her in return. He took in her warmth, but even that couldn't provide him with the usual comfort his wife's embrace usually brought with it. He tightly closed his eyes as she told him she was sorry. Her hands gently rubbing his back was soothing, but that only served to allow his feelings to catch up with him. "It should have been me, Luce. I just saw my own brother literally sat in my seat and that should have been me. Why is it never me?" he asked, shaking his head as the relatively rare tears began to escape his eyes and trickle down his cheeks. "When Tommy died, all those years ago, that should have been me. Now Warren's dead and yet I'm still here. This isn't right," he said, choking back his tears.

When the guard returned to say they needed to get out of there, Lucy broke the embrace and James took a step away too, turning his back on the guard. "Yeah, alright. Wait outside," he dismissively told the man, who complied by returning to the corridor. James then turned back to Lucy as she caressed his cheek. "This is my fault. That Moretti bastard gave me the chance to step away from all of this and I refused. Now he's keeping to his word and everyone around me is suffering for it."

Lucy told him he didn't have to be strong, which reminded James of how hard he found it to let his feelings show. James dropped his head forward and covered his eyes with his hand as he failed to hold back his emotions. "Luce, he's... I can't believe he's gone," he forced his words out over his crying, the sound only coming out a little louder than a whisper. "His dad was right and this is all my fault."

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Having been the first to take the role of protecting Gwen from a fatal overdose, it took Jason a conscious effort not to remain at her side when she was transferred onto a proper hospital bed. Instead, he gave the doctors some space to work while he gazed helplessly at her. He kept his eyes on her as if her life depended on it, almost convinced that if he looked away for even a moment then the heart monitor would flatline.

Blake’s hands guided him over to a row of chairs, willing him to sit and wait. The way he leaned forwards in his seat with a hand over his pounding heart showed how restless he was, his eyes still glued to the woman he loved. An uncomfortable heat rose to the surface of his skin and the descriptions that Finn was giving of Gwen’s state sounded increasingly distant as he grew dizzy from the shock.

Jason was by no means a squeamish man - he had no problem with needles, incisions or bodily fluids of any kind - but the fact that it was Gwen’s life in the hands of the doctors sent him to the edge of sickness. As quickly as the tube connecting her to the machine filled up with blood, he felt his own blood drain from his face and instantly bowed his head, bringing his hands together to shield his eyes. In all of his 37 years, Jason had never been to hospital for anyone else. It was a reflection of his guarded personality that he had never let anyone in far enough to care or be cared for to such a deep extent. Gwen had become the most important figure in his entire life, for she had been the only one to have ever truly reached him since his Nana had passed away. He was only just coming to learn about what it meant to want to devote himself entirely to somebody else - and now, she was at Death’s door.

Unable to keep his gaze off her for long, he ended up watching Finn complete the procedure by placing an oxygen mask over her mouth. Then the room fell quiet, all except for the short, intermittent beeps of the heart monitor. Jason drew a deep breath and slowly sat up in his chair, looking up at Finn as the man approached and took a seat beside him. When he inferred the long years that Gwen had spent addicted to heroin, Jason felt a surge of guilt rush through him. The man placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and praised him for doing the right thing, but he could only respond with an uneasy grunt, his eyes dropping to the floor with shame. For a while his mind was so riddled with hateful words for himself that he couldn’t quieten them enough to speak. It still felt wrong for him to show weakness and be comforted, something that he would perhaps never get used to, but because Finn and Blake were also close to Gwen, he felt that she was somehow bringing them together to share his pain.

“No, I didn’t,” he eventually resisted, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow as he looked over to her bed. “She was lyin’ to protect me, tellin’ me she’d recovered to save me from drinking...because I couldn’t stand to see how sick she was getting in her withdrawal. I was weak. I-I’m the reason she went back to it. Had I just stuck it out, been there for her...she could have made it.” Hearing his voice begin to crack, Jason cleared his throat and closed his eyes. “Finn, tell me honestly...is there any chance of a happy ending here? Will she ever be free of it for good?”

Interactions
Bellz Finn, Blake, Gwen

 

[Misty Gray]

Valentina Moretti​

Valentina's features softened whilst Teddy told her how he was doing. Although she was much more sensitive and caring than her father was, she often displayed a stern face without even intending to, no doubt having inherited that stony expression from Gabriel. She was visibly concerned for Teddy as he spoke, letting out a pensive sigh as it was clearly affecting him having to make it up to the boss. "Well, I for one am glad you did not choose death and I can think of at least four other people who feel the same. I hate the Porters and that you had to give them what they wanted, but your life is more important than some drugs. My father is an inventive man, so he'll soon replace what was lost, even if he does hound you about it."

Valentina couldn't help but display a proud smile when Teddy described her idea as smart. Despite his current position with her father, Teddy had been a key player and a respected associate within the business until his recent torture. That meant she appreciated and trusted his opinion on the matter. She flashed a devious smile at mention of having the cops in their back pockets. The Morettis had allies within the force back in Miami and it had proved a powerful move having the right ones at their disposal. "Well, who wouldn't be fed up of the Porters by now? They've messed this city up and the damage keeps piling up. My father might be relentless, but at least he doesn't leave so much of a mess behind." She nodded her head at his question. "Pay the right ones off and I'm sure the drugs would be easier to shift. I'm sure there's many other benefits too, including getting them to turn against the Porters in favour of us." She nervously bit her lip before looking Teddy in the eyes. "My father will make it difficult for me tomorrow. But be straight with me - do you think he'll consider my idea or just rip it to shreds from the word go?"

She closed the file and turned to Teddy, folding her arms in front of her. "How about you? Have you come up with any ideas about how you're going to fix things.... between creating crazy genius art, of course?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Shrouded in darkness, Syd could barely make out the windows of the statue from such a far distance. But since moving from his position was impossible, he kept aiming blindly - albeit with as much accuracy as he could - at the row of windows that he suspected the sniper was shooting from. He had tucked himself into a narrow gap between the basement steps and the wall, a ledge hanging over to offer him protection. It would have been a prime position, but unfortunately he couldn’t see what was going on above him. He could only hear the deafening barrage ring out overhead, so explosive that no single shot could be distinguished from another. It was over as quickly as it had broken out, and once again the noise was claimed by the firing of his own M700 against the sniper, and the continuous fireworks in the distance.

So consumed by his task, Syd was stunned and equally horrified when somebody reached down and grabbed the barrel of his rifle, wrenching it from his tight grip. He immediately replaced it with his sidearm, bolting around the steps and pressing his back against the wall of the building to get a better view in case anyone was targeting him. Bodies littered the ground, their lifeless silhouettes illuminated only by flashes of gunfire and fireworks, flickering like dying light bulbs. The rifle was in Jackson’s hands now and Syd watched from a low stance as pieces of earth flew up around his head. He was in a dangerous spot, but with only a pistol in hand, there wasn’t much he could do to help his Godfather. Still, as soon as the man stood up on the knoll, Syd automatically did the same, bolting up the basement steps to return to his side.

Since it had become clear that the sniper was no longer shooting back, Syd took a moment to scan the area and round up their remaining men. He shouted for them over the bursts of Jackson’s rifle as he rounded off the fight. Only two men stepped out from the shadows. In such low light, they might have missed the way Syd’s face fell when, after briefly scanning the ground, his eyes landed on Garrett. Letting the others go ahead of him, Syd ran over to briefly examine him, not wanting to leave anyone to suffer further at the torturous hands of Stefano and his men if he were to wake up later. On his return, a small shake of the head would confirm to his colleagues that the man was dead; there would be no need to risk their lives for him from this point onwards.

With everything that had happened to take him out of work, it had been months since Syd had last engaged his militant side. It was like a wire in his brain had been disconnected; he witnessed death without emotional attachment, he killed without guilt or mercy. There was no time to address any of it until much later. For now, all there was to do was go forward.

One thing he did wonder, though, was why Stefano had arranged for so many men to patrol the island when the film reel he had sent two weeks ago was clearly meant as bait. They had drawn him to the statue just as they had wanted, surely with some kind of climactic ending planned. It almost made Syd feel invincible, unwilling to believe that they would let him die before he got to the end of the chase. Maybe it was simply a test to see what he was made of - but impressing them was by no means his mission. All he wanted was to bring Roxie home alive.

They took off through the trees towards Fort Wood on the basis that the wide avenue would leave them too exposed. The cold November wind continued to tear dead leaves from the branches above; there wasn’t much left to cover them at this time of year, but at least the park kept them far from any light. Syd slowed down, close enough now to see details of the statue even through the darkness. He had been expecting an ambush by now, but there had been no movement since the sniper and the guards near the docks had been killed.

“Alright,” he said, coming to a halt near the edge of the park. “We go in expecting the worst. Let nothing take us by surprise. We may only be four now but we’ve won every round so far, so don’t think we can’t do it again.” He looked between the three men before his eyes landed on Jackson. Despite his confident words, Syd was finding it increasingly hard not to let the pressure get to him. Having heard no update on the state of Roxie since the day he had watched the film, he had nearly lost his mind at the thought that he might never see her again. Now, their small team of four would be her last hope of ever coming home. If they didn’t make it, then she would never see the light of day again. The darkness in Syd’s hollow eyes grew tinged with emotion at the thought, and he soon broke his gaze from his Godfather to look once again towards the Fort’s entrance. “Let’s go get her.”

Interactions
Enzyme Jackson

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Aliana watched as Sinead comforted her nieces, a faint smile on her face. She was actually handling the situation a bit better than she thought, reminding herself to give her more credit in the future. The one thing on her mind, however, was what would happen to her friend and nieces if Gwen didn't come back. Who knows how long she was up there in the state she was found? It would no doubt tear those girls apart and Sinead included and she worried about it. She just hoped Jason and Blake got her to the hospital in time and all her worrying would go away.

The show Sinead was putting on was convincing, but maybe it wasn't enough to distract the girls. As the two of them shifted into the kitchen, Ali took a deep sigh and scratched her head listening to everything Sinead was saying. After she washed her hands, she set out to get plates and sandwich fixings for all the kids in the house. She herself had actually lost a lot of her appetite from all the events so she would just help Sinead feed the kids. Hearing about Gwen's suspected drug problem she was in awe, but it was believable. With all of the things happening to the family, happening to her, one would need some sort of outlet. Granted, it would have been more preferable had she turned to something non-destructive but it was still understandable of how it all happened. Sinead's voice mentioning telling Lucy about everything made her look up from the cutting board, her knife stopping mid tomato cut. It wasn't in surprise, it was more of her remembering that they would have to tell the rest of the family. Telling people bad news was not her strong suit.

"Ah, we do have to tell them don't we?" With a deep sigh, she cut the rest of the tomato before putting the vegetables on the bread Sinead had ready to go. "I hope their jobs or whatever are going somewhat like they had planned. That way, when we do break the news about Gwen it won't... I don't know, add on to something if they had a rough mission?" It was a lot to process and she only hoped she could get it together when their husbands came home. "Let me get the boys, hold on." Ali stepped out for a second, calling on the male children of the household to wash their hands and getting ready for dinner. When she returned, she paused and looked at Sinead. "You're... Handling this better than I thought. Is it because of the kids? You can talk to me, you know. I know we've been wrapped up in our own lives as of late, but you're still one of my best friends 'sis'." She joked, hopping on the counter next to her to sit.

​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Theodore "Teddy" Wycliff

He gave Valentina a sad smile, nodding his head. "Thanks kid," he teased the younger woman, "I appreciate that." It felt great, knowing he actually had people in his corner that didn't want to see his head on a spike for snitching. He knew he should have just died with that information, but the man wasn't ready to go just yet. He had things he wanted to accomplish and what good was he to Moretti if he was dead? There were some times he thought about how small all of this was, but then again to his boss it wasn't. To a lot of people, it was his job to die with that information. But, how would Gabe be acting had he done just that? How would he be acting if he was actually killed by the Porters? Gabriel Moretti was a calculating man but take out someone close to his family and he didn't know what could happen.

Teddy knocked his knuckles against the counter as he nodded his head in response. "That I agree with. Porters are like children; they leave a mess wherever they go. I looked into some of the old places they used to be set up before New York. Dublin and Chicago? Cops hate them all over the place. If they just HAD to be in cahoots with a criminal organization, the Moretti's would obviously be an option. Make the negotiation portion of it smooth sailing from there." The thought of taking control of the city from the Porter's through the police made him chuckle to himself before Valentina asked a genuine question. When she looked into his eyes, he could tell how badly she wanted this to work. If he were to be honest, he truly did believe the girls plan and was even proud of how hard she had worked for it. She needed some sort of reassurance and confidence and if she needed him to be that person, then he would. Placing his hands softly on either side of her cheeks, he returned her look. "Listen kid, your plan is well thought out and creative. None of us, me Rhys, Amato, none of us have even thought of something like this. Gabe should be proud and I'm sure he'll think so too. You're smarter than you realize, you know?" He took a pause before stepping back and clearing his throat.

A smirk appeared on his lips when she spoke about his art project. "Well, hahaha. I'll have you know this is just my process for when I hear stuff on the street and need to get my thoughts together." Walking over to the board, he made gestures with his hands to help her follow everything. "Customers, Dealers, Distributors, the works until we get to the Connect. We convince him we're better business than the Porters, the drugs they took back plus the rest of their supply will be ours. It's easier said than done, of course, since I haven't set up the meetings or anything just yet. I wanted to make sure none of these efforts will go to waste if I started this process."
​

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

It was very unusual for Lucy to see James break down before her, she was normally the one easily swayed by emotions. But unlike most people, she knew her husband wasn't made of stone so when he started to cry, Lucy reached up to wipe his tears away with her thumbs before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. His words broke her, wondering why it was never him who was taken away. A part of her was so relieved that he was okay but another part was horribly guilty that Warren had to pay the ultimate price for the family. She knew they needed to leave like the guard had said but she wanted to give James a moment to grieve.

He covered his eyes with his hands and Lucy stared at the back of his hands for a long moment, her own tears forming in her eyes as she shook her head. He was blaming himself like he had for some many other deaths and Lucy couldn't bare to hear it. "Please James, please." She whispered gently. "You can't blame yourself, and neither can Warren's father. You know he was just as driven as you...no matter how you tried to keep him out of trouble he always found it. He wouldn't want you blaming yourself for this. I don't want you blaming yourself either." Lucy gently grabbed his hand so that his eyes would show again, looking into them deeply, she took the hand she had and kissed it gently.

"I can't answer your questions...and I don't believe in a God. But the universe works in ways we cannot explain...you should know that by now. Warren's death will not be in vain, you won't allow it to be, and I don't expect anything less from you..." The guard cleared his throat once again and Lucy let out a slow sigh in annoyance. "We are coming." She said through her teeth before taking her husbands arm in her own.

The smell of smoke was nauseating her along with her endless amount of nerves. "For now, we need to get you looked at. You look paler than I have ever seen you, love." She murmured before giving his hand a squeeze. Taking a step forward, the pair walked outside of the apartment with guards leading from the front and following from behind. When they hit the bottom steps outside, Lucy almost tripped over a cabbage she had dropped earlier but regained her balance so that they could make it to the car. Opening the passenger side for James, she waited for him to take a seat before gently shutting the door behind him and rounding the car to the drivers side.
with: James Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah nodded in understanding when Danny pointed out that Owen was a difficult guy. She'd known of many of those over the years, both within her family and its employees. The ones keeping quiet despite clearly having much on their mind. Another drawback to the business, she didn't doubt. "Adam... he's a difficult guy too, though perhaps in different ways. Not to mention, he has zero interest in the theatre, so you can imagine his face when he's stuck there waiting for me," she remarked, rolling her eyes. It wasn't that she had an issue with the man and she did feel safe on the times where he'd got stuck watching her back, but they had very little in common to strike up conversation. Warren she found much easier to talk to, but he'd been off-duty since being shot. Even when he'd recovered, it wasn't safe for him to be protecting her when the Morettis had put a price on his head.

"From what I gather, Adam's taking more of a role in things here since it all became more challenging for my family," she began. She knew enough to know Adam was often working in South America, keeping relations with their Cuban allies, securing and guaranteeing some of the supplies to the Porters. Usually, she wouldn't have felt comfortable around a man so openly dangerous, but he was a friend of her father's and having a dangerous man on her side could only be a good thing when it came to protecting her from hostiles. "He seems very committed to what he does and not exactly open-minded, but I'm sure if you just report things how they are then he can't be a jerk to you. I mean... you're not struggling to pay the rent or anything, are you? I will totally get my dad to have a word with him if you're worried. You're not the enemy, so I don't want Adam being shitty to you," she tried to reassure him. She then frowned a little and shrugged her shoulder when asked about Syd. "Syd came out of hospital a couple of weeks ago, but with Roxie's disappearance, he's not doing too well. I just hope they can find her and bring her home," she said, biting her lip as she tried not to let her emotions get the better of her as she couldn't help but think the worst had happened to her close friend. "I think Syd just needs a bit more time but I'm sure he'll be your boss again when things have calmed down a little. Syd loves the club and helping his dad, so I doubt he'd quit for good."

As they talked about her mother, Savannah couldn't help but return the grin. "Oh yeah, you're going to have to tell her you're running for President and you like nursing sick puppies back to health in your free time," she joked. "Seriously, though. She knows you work at Syd's club and how you make a living. She's not exactly impressed, but I've told my family to trust me and let me make my own decisions. So, in terms of impressing my mum... She's a really peaceful person, which I think you'd both have in common. She'll just want to know you're not going to mess me about and that you're a sweet person. She was born into this life, even if she doesn't agree with it. I know she'll like you, just how she likes and understands lots of people who are involved in the business. You don't need to worry, Mum and I have talked about this stuff already."

Savannah smiled as she felt Danny squeeze her hand. Getting lost in the moment, she didn't pay attention to the man staring at them, for now getting lost in the date and wanting to get into the arcade. Once inside, she took in the neon lights. It wasn't an unfamiliar kind of sight to her, but it felt special being in it with Danny. A lot of things felt better when she was experiencing them with him. His presence was calming and their relationship was a breath of fresh air. She felt like she could be herself with Danny, unlike in past relationship where she'd felt pressurised to look and act how her boyfriends had wanted her to. There was no pressure to be who others wanted her to be or to please them. She liked being able to be herself with Danny;

"Ah, you're never boring," she told Danny, giving him a nudge as she looked to his face. When he mentioned something about a funeral, Savannah looked around the place and properly took in the people around them. There was something a little unsettling about everyone being dressed in black and not exactly having any fun. Had they walked into some private venue or something? Whatever it was, Savannah didn't feel at all welcome or comfortable where they stood. She tightened her hold on Danny's hand for a moment before turning to him. She then noticed the man standing between them and the exit. She hoped it was a coincidence and he would step aside to let them leave. "I agree. Let's go somewhere else," she said, nodding her head.

Savannah was reminded of the gun she had concealed in the inside pocket of her coat; the conscious awareness of it seemed to make the weapon feel like a much heavier weight than it actually was. She hoped it would be able to remain hidden and she wouldn't felt forced to take the weight into her hand. Savannah walked with Danny, looking up the the man standing in their way. "Excuse me, please," she politely asked the man, hoping her manners would ensure they could leave the building without any trouble.

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Pyroclast]

Steve Kelly

The seconds were ticking by and Steve was eager to round off the conversation and make his own escape. He didn’t really care what she said to him from this point onwards - his watch already told him that Tony would be on the phone, so unless by some chance James had left his apartment, he would only have seconds left to live. Steve’s eyes snapped back to Lucy, only vaguely taking in her words. “Yeah, yeah...you’re right, this city’s full of good people,” he played along, not believing a word of it himself. He checked his watch again, and this time the woman questioned him on it. “O-oh yeah, my, uh - my friend was picking me up at 6:30 to come help me look for him.” The lies kept pouring out, but he was losing interest in the interaction, itching to get away from the site before the explosion rained glass over his head.

Thankfully, she excused herself, even mentioning that her husband was upstairs waiting for her. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of what she was about to walk in on. “Sure thing, lady,” he said, taking a step back and putting his hands together. “Thank you. God bless you and your husband.”

As soon as the door had swung shut, Steve’s smile stretched into a grin and he turned on his heel to run back to the car, hopping between the busy traffic. He was halfway across the road when it happened; even though it was expected, the explosion still made him jump and barely miss getting hit by a taxi. Once he had reached the other side, he looked up towards the decimated office window like all the other passersby were doing. Unlike them, however, his eyes were not filled with confusion, shock and fear, but awe and excitement. They had done it. History had been made.

Steve was the first to make it back to the jeep. At first he could say nothing, too busy gazing out of the tinted window at the chaos they had caused. Then a surge of energy rushed through him and he slammed a hand against the door in his excitement. “Shit, man! We actually fuckin’ did it!” Despite the seriousness of the crime they had just committed, any anxiety residing in Steve came out as uncontainable laughter, made even more animated by the cocaine in his system. “Let’s get this back to the bosses. They’ll throw us a fuckin’ party.”

Interactions
Bellz Lucy
Enzyme Rhys
RayPurchase Tony

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker and Conor Sullivan​

Maddox glanced to Conor as the man remained standing at his desk despite having ended whatever call he'd been making. His client seemed interested in looking through the paperwork that was on his desk, but he didn't feel he was in a position to question the man for invading his privacy. Then the telephone rang and Conor was quick to answer it, apparently expecting the call. Maddox looked back to Peter, deciding to trust Conor, given the circumstances. He nodded when Peter assured him they were taking the situation seriously. Given that Roxie's own father had kidnapped her, the counsellor had done what he could to warn the Porters they would likely be entering into a hostile and dangerous situation trying to rescue her.

Maddox was grateful for the Porters offering to help him get out of the situation, but even showing gratitude seemed like an insult towards them. After everything he'd done to the family through misusing the trust Syd and Conor had for him, he still couldn't understand why they would go out of their way to protect him. Granted, Conor believed Maddox to have a hold over him, but in a few months that insurance would expire and killing the counsellor would be much easier to do whilst avoiding repercussions. When asked what he planned to do with his freedom, Maddox glanced to the window before looking to Peter again. "I intend on getting far away from this city to start a life free from this violence and corruption that I allowed myself to become consumed by. This isn't living, Mr. Callahan," he told him, in a way urging the man to consider his own place in the city and how it affected his own loved ones. As much as he wanted to mention Ani, he knew he couldn't. Nobody could know they were still in contact, be it the Porters or the Morettis.

Conor hung up the phone and walked towards the window of Maddox's office, looking down and across the street to the diner were Adam had just called him from. Conor couldn't see the street at the front of the building, where he and Peter had seen the two men waiting in the parked car, but Adam had watched them get out and use the payphone before they signalled towards another nearby parked car. Conor turned away from the window and returned to Maddox's desk, swiping the paperwork he'd been especially interested in. He then returned to sit next to Peter and handed Maddox the piece of paper and envelope. "Aren't you gonna put a signature on the resignation, Doc?" he asked. "I read it and it all checks out. Whatever happens from now, you won't be returning to this office." Conor still needed confirmation as to whether Maddox had come good with the information on Roxie, but for now, they needed to get him out of the building. They could decide if he deserved a pardon or death later.

Maddox looked the paper over again, confident nothing had been tampered with and it was all his own handwriting. He then signed the paper and slotted it into the envelope, ready to leave it on Laura's desk on the way out. "I've already taken what I need from the office," he confirmed, knowing full well this had been inevitable. Dead or alive, he wouldn't be returning to work on Monday morning. He'd made a recommendation in his letter that Dr. Henderson continued with Conor's case, knowing his colleague to be fair and understanding.

"That's good, because we might have enough of a job hauling your arse out of here without you carrying a pot plant with you." Conor said, getting to his feet. He looked to Peter and motioned to the door. "You ready, Pete? Harper," he began, referring to Adam, "said the way we came in is off-limits. We're going to have to sneak out of here through the rear fire exit and be ready in case some Italian wankers are waiting on the outside," he said. The fire door only opened from the inside, so Conor wasn't too worried about anyone meeting them on the inside stairwell. He then turned to Maddox who was putting his coat on ready to leave. "Bring your car keys so one of our blokes can move it from out there later." From what had been confirmed by Adam, Maddox's car was under close surveillance as the enemies awaited him leaving the office to drive home.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James took a deep, struggled breath as Lucy tried to reassure him Warren's death wasn't his fault. He allowed Lucy to move his hand from his face, looking down as she gently kissed it. "It's hard not to blame myself. Even though he wanted in on the business, I had the power to refuse his wishes to be involved." When Lucy said Warren's death wouldn't be in vain, James nodded his head. He couldn't see far beyond the wall ahead of him that was rendering him in shock at watching an explosion rip his brother away from him. But even then, in the back of him mind he knew he was going to be forced into making big decisions. For one of the first times in his life, he didn't feel like he could switch off his emotions to think about what his next actions would be. His usual decisiveness was being blocked by that thick, dark cloud.

When Lucy mentioned how pale he was, James looked her in the eyes and subtly shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not dead, though, am I? I don't need looking at," he abruptly told her. He walked with his wife out of the apartment. His face had stiffened as he held a cold expression. With his guards covering them from all angles, he resented having any of them see him in a state, so had to force himself to maintain some semblance of control. The last thing his men needed was to see their boss appearing as hopeless as he felt. He couldn't let his men see him at his worst and risk lowering their motivation.

As soon as they were in the car and Lucy had driven away from his employees, James allowed him to let his guard down again. He glanced to his reflection in the wing mirror, seeing the minor streaks of blood on his face but not concerned at all to do anything about it. He looked forward onto the road ahead and slowly shook his head as he struggled to wrap his mind around what had just happened. "Rayna's going to... This'll break my mum's heart. How do I even tell her that her son is dead?" he asked, the tears once again fighting their way out to run down his face.

Bellz (Lucy)

Sinead Callahan and James Porter​

Sinead bit her lip and sadly nodded when Aliana agreed they'd have to tell the others about Gwen. She then returned to the fridge and retrieved some strawberries, setting about washing them so she could chop the fruit up to make some fresh milkshake for everyone. "I hope it's all going well too," she sadly agreed. "I'm all for giving people second chances and some kind of redemption, but if my husband and brother get hurt protecting Dr. Parker, I'll get him myself." Whilst Sinead wasn't one to start killing others, she was concerned for Peter and Conor. "And Syd and Jackson..." she began, looking around to make sure Natasha wasn't around. "I'm really worried about them. Those people who have Roxie are really dangerous," she admitted.

Whilst Aliana briefly stepped away to call Leo and Thomas inside, Sinead looked down for a moment, allowing her worry to show on her face for the time while nobody was looking to her to be strong. By the time she was rejoined by Aliana, she managed to mask her concern again, not wanting the children to see her looking worried as they passed through to wash their hands and wait in the lounge. Alone with Aliana again, she looked to her friend as she pointed out she was handling things well. "Am I? I mean, I'm so worried about the guys all out on their jobs and I'm concerned Gwen might not pull through... I saw the state she was in," she said, briefly shaking her head. "But I have to stay strong for the kids. They don't need to see us worried - they need to see us strong and hopeful. I failed to hold myself together when my children were little. I don't want to give my nieces and nephews upsetting memories that will stick with them too." She paused as she contemplated telling Aliana what else was on playing on her mind. A secret she'd kept to herself for a few years that had recently resurfaced to play heavy on her mind. "I'm also trying to stay strong and to keep my stress levels down. If I'm going to have another baby, I need to stay healthy and relaxed throughout the pregnancy." She looked her friend in the eyes as she decided to come out with it. "The last time I was--"

Sinead heard the sound of the front door closing and the excited barking of the dogs that followed. She hoped it was Blake returning with goods news. "Come on," she said, beckoning for Aliana to follow her to see what was going on. As she quickly walked down the hallway, Sinead was surprised to see Lucy and James - shocked to see her brother-in-law looked like he'd been crying. Her heart suddenly sank as the grave expressions on their faces could only mean the news was bad. "Luce? Did you get back from the hospital? Is... is Gwen okay?" she delicately asked, imagining Gwen was the reason for their upset.

"Gwen?" James quietly asked as if too exhausted to even speak. He briefly looked to Lucy with a confused expression on his face. "What is she talking about?" he asked, half-expecting Sinead was fretting over something of nothing.

Bellz (Lucy) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
(+ kids?)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy
(No Picture Needed)​

Jackson fired round after round until only a single bullet remained in his pocket. He ejected the steaming shell in the chamber and replaced it with the fresh led. As his eye peered through the scope, his movement came to a halt. The sniper's nest was as lifeless as Garrett; it's exterior riddled with bullet holes. The only resemblance of life that came from the window was the torn curtains, fluttering proudly in the roaring wind. Jackson stopped to look at his surroundings to see who was still with him. They had arrived with a sharp seven, but now only four of them remained. It was a handful of Porters verse an army of spineless Italians; he liked those odds.

Despite the victory that had taken place in the fields, the night was far from won. With their numbers staggered, they'd need to remain ahead of the curb to overcome the odds. They used a blitzkrieg mentality, and they'd need to continue to hammer the fortress with speed and power. The men scaled the concrete staircase to Fort Wood; their backs pressed to the side rails in the event a guard tried to get the jump on them. Jackson was enjoying these last few seconds of quiet, as the moment they entered the star structure, they'd need to attack with the ferocity of a feral hound.

Jackson stopped beside the doors, their backs pressed against the structure. Syd had spoken in the woods, and he seemed optimistic about Roxie's state. With how heavily the island was guarded, something definitely had to still be here. Jackson certainly hoped Roxie was clinging to life, not for the morality of a pregnant woman surviving the horrors of torture, but for the sake of Syd's wellbeing. Just before the point of no return, he looked to Syd. "This is it. No matter what we see in there, this is all our chips. Let's give 'em fuckin' hell." Jackson spat, spinning off the concrete.

Jackson's shoulder pounded into the fragile door with such force that he nearly exploded the glass. The guard to the right looked up at him with utter bewilderment, his hand stuttering before it could lift to his slung rifle. Jackson's aim drifted to the guard's chest and fired down at the man point-blank. A quarter-sized hole, spread apart the guard's sternum, punching through the back of the spine and digging into the display case behind him. He flew back as if he were controlled by wires, smashing his head against the glass of the box, embedding himself in the wood structure and the shards of glass. Jackson charged the other man with the unloaded rifle, slamming it against his throat and driving the man into the girder. With both hands on the rifle, Jackson snarled as he pinned the guard to the layered brick. The man's legs flailed as he choked and sputtered, desperately clawing at the rifle. Jackson let out a hard grunt as he yanked the rifle up, bending in the man's windpipe instantaneously.

After disposing of the first two men, the crew approached the basement stairs. Jackson held his M1911 in both hands, sweeping the corners before proceeding. Guarding the basement were two men at the bottom of the staircase. With the sounds they'd heard, they had their aim traced on the corner above. Jackson and one of the Porter's quickly darted around the corner, dropping both men in the blink of an eye. The extra rounds they had fired into the fresh corpses found their way into the door, punching small holes through the wood. "On the door," Jackson ordered, moving to the wall.

The sounds of the men's heavy boots echoed down the hall as they stacked up against the door. While Jackson wanted to burst into the room and neutralize any targets that stood, there was something poking in his gut that kept his feet tethered to the cement. Perhaps because this was the last room that they hadn't searched with a closed door, and a light shining below the wood. People were in there, maybe Roxie. His eyes flickered to Syd, his hand inching ever closer to the handle. Whatever was on the other side - this was it.

Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Stefano/Roxie)