《Krowe's Nest》


 Nul

    Crime was a big problem for humanity even on Earth. Millions of law enforcers spent months and years trying to tame the streets of their towns and cities to no avail. So once other planets began to become habitable and colonised it was only a matter of time until crime began to grow in these newly established cities.


    Nul was the first city on the planet Venus, which had been heavily terraformed to be suitable for human life. It''s once boiling temperatures had been reduced to a tropical climate, letting construction begin on a place where crime would soon find its throne.


    Sitting alone on an empty beachfront was a row of three big warehouses that once held the city''s many needs and wants, but now they lay dormant and unused. For the most part. A big gang had taken residence inside them and were using it as their base of operations, the gang was known as the Rattlesnakes, led by the infamous Krowe Sands. A young teenager who picked up the life of crime after his parents were involved in a gang attack, and sought revenge on the gang who did it.


    Krowe was always one to take a chance and fly by the seat of his pants, if he saw something that would help his gang, he would take it. If one of his members was hurt, he''d hurt whoever did it back. Whilst he was notorious for his brutality against other gangs, he was also well received by his subordinates for being surprisingly caring. However today was a day where he didn''t have the chance to show his more caring side.


    Deep inside the warehouses basement, a grown brown haired man had been strapped down to a metal chair with his arms behind his back. A single light shone down on him with intense heat and a blinding glare, he seemed confused until a tall, broad teenager stepped out from the darkness.


    The teenager had a built and very muscled body, his shoulders were wide and his neck was thicker than average. His chin was sharp and his features defined, especially his dull green eyes which seemed to reflect a lot of the light back at the man in the chair. His hair was short, with a dirty blonde tone to it, it was spiky but at the same time flat. He folded his arms and looked at the man before walking closer "I don''t think I need to tell you who I am" he said, his voice uncaring and intimidating.


    The man nodded, clearly distressed "O-Oh Krowe. Krowe, Krowe! Yeah yeah, I know you I know you!" he repeated himself, it made Krowe give him a little smile.


    "Okay. I can tell you know how I do things. So just tell me what I wanna know and we don''t have a problem" when he spoke, his voice had a distinct and thick Irish accent, but he continued on "I want to know where Darov is keeping his fancy armored cars"


    The man in the chair paused for a moment, before tilting his head. It seemed so odd of a question that he made light of his situation "...Darov? You, you don''t seriously plan on going up against Darov" but before he could finish his question, Krowe had delivered a swift and powerful punch to the mans jaw, which knocked his chair back and onto the floor.


    "Gugh!" was the sound he made when he hit the concrete, but Krowe walked over and crouched down beside his head, which was bleeding now "Yes. I do plan on going against Darov, now stop stalling and tell me where his cars are. And maybe. Just maybe, if you play nice, I''ll let you out of here with at least six teeth".


    The man nodded shakily, scared of what the younger man was going to do to him if he didn''t cooperate. But he took a deep breathe and sighed "Darov''s cars... They''re inside a train car down by the old car factory. A big orange one that''s still inside the main building. He figured nobody would look in old trains in an abandoned factory..." he sputtered out, hoping to save his teeth.


    Krowe pondered and nodded slightly "Alright, alright... Good boy, for telling me that" he spoke with sarcasm and malice, standing on one of his fingers. He then turned to face the darkness of the room "Kestrel, go check out the car factory. Take some guys, if Darovishiding his cars there, he''s gonna have more than just a locked door to protect it" and after he spoke, footsteps were heard, before a metal door squeaked open, and slammed shut.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.The man looked up to him and shuddered, feeling his own blood pool around his head "Krowe, at least tell me why you''re going up against Darov of all people. The Rattlesnakes and Legion have always had a good relationship"


    Krowe looked down to the man on the floor and stared at him for a few moments, before looking into the darkness again "Vulture, put him in the cells. Make she he has nothing to break out with. And Peacock, come with me. We''re going to the Business to get some extra weapons. Darov''ll be coming for us after his cars go missing"


    After speaking, Krowe made his way out of the darkness of the room and out into a hallway that ran underneath the warehouse.


    Peacock followed behind him, and was a small, petite girl with tanned skin due to the tropical climate of the planet. She had very long hair that had to be braided into a ponytail, and even then it reached her hips. One eye a dark blue, and the other a vibrant and unnatural yellow "We''ll need a truck if we''re getting some gear to fight back against Darov, Krowe. I''ll go get some of the boys to bring a van".


    Krowe nodded as he walked along the concrete hallway, which had been decorated by the Rattlesnakes with graffiti and posters, as well as hanging lights on the ceiling "Alright P, thanks. Don''t want to attract too much attention".


    She nodded and turned off at a branching hallway and jogged off up a set of stairs that led to the warehouse garages.


    Krowe continued forward and deeper down the corridors until he came to another staircase and went up it, which led him to the main warehouse floor. It was vast and open, with many of the tall, sturdy shelving units still there. A lot of the gang members had set it up as their home and place to relax. Walkways had been connected up to the different levels of the shelves, and a whole towns worth of people were all living inside here. Beds and seats were atop the shelves, as a second floor had been thrown together using metal plates and wooden planks that bridged across the gaps between shelves.


    Krowe wasn''t too focused on the surroundings at the moment, so he walked through and between the units until he came to a metal ladder. He climbed up and into a small crane cockpit and closed the door behind him, before reaching down to the control panel and pressing a circular green button which would turn on the warehouses speakers.


    He tapped the microphone that sprung up in front of him and cleared his throat "Alright everyone. Today we''re going to be stealing a few armored cars from Darov. And we all know what that bastard''s like. He''ll come here with a response, and I need all of you ready and armed to defend our home from that suit wearing jackass"


    Being the leader, it only took his voice to catch the attention of his gang members, but his words riled up them all, who began to cheer and throw their fist up into the air.


    He continued with his speech "Today we''re going to show them all that we are not just another petty gang for him to throw at small problems he doesn''t want to deal with himself!"


    As he spoke, the huge door at the front of the warehouse began to open slightly, when a black van drove in with Peacock in the drivers seat, and a few other of the Rattlesnakes in the back.


    "Grab your guns, grab your bats. We''re going to war with the Legion, and we will show them what the Rattlesnakes are made of!" he shouted down the microphone, causing an uproar in the crowds below. He was beloved by them all, and hearing him rally them got them riled up for a fight.


    Peacock climbed out the van and looked up to the crane and waved. But before anyone could really see him climb out, he had began sliding down the ladder he went up and moving over to the ban "Alright, four guys, you and a van. I''d say we could get quite a bit of gear. We''ll need to get some cash though. But I''ve got that."


    Peacock nodded "You have that fancy card you took from some big shot" she snickered, then looked to the van "We best get a move on, the Business doesnt stick around in one place for long".


    Krowe nodded "Agreed."


    And with that they all climbed into the van, and set off to gather weapons to start a war that would change Nul.

 Drive

    Krowe sat in the front of the van, one hand on the wheel as the other rested on the open window with the wind blowing through. The road was bumpy and cracked due to years of neglect by the government, who were too focused on the tourism to care. Krowe and the other Rattlesnakes were set up in the slum side of Nul, which was so packed full of buildings that they were essentially climbing over one another. Even the road had buildings above it because they had to go outwards from their intended size.


    Peacock was sitting in the passenger seat with a small handgun, no bigger than a game controller. It''s body was a pure black, with a hastily painted blue stripe down both sides of the barrel. She pulled the hammer back and grinned to herself "I gotta say Krowe, it''s pretty ballsy to go for Darov. But that''s fine, we all love the danger" she said as she put the gun back into her holster that she had underneath her long coat that only an insane person would wear in the heat.


    Krowe rolled his eyes and pushed his foot harder on the pedal, he wanted to get to the Business fast "I know the risks, but even Darov wouldn''t storm the warehouses. We have too many people there and we actually know the area" he spoke, his accent as thick as ever.


    The van hit a big pothole, causing the people in the back of the van to fall over, and Peacock nearly hit the ceiling.


    She glared at him and poked his cheek hard "Watch it man! I coulda'' went through the roof!"


    He chuckled and looked at her through the corner of his vision "Could have. Then we would have been a lot lighter and get there faster".


    Peacock simply puffed up her small cheeks and turned away from him "You''re a meanie" she said with a higher than usual tone of voice.


    But just as it seemed that things were going to be quiet for the trip, Krowe''s phone began to ring. He picked it up within a few seconds of it going off and pressed it to his ear "Hello? Krowe here".


    Immediately the voice was panting, it was a female''s voice "Kestrel here. We''ve secured the armored cars from the factory. There was a pretty big group of guys but we got them all..Two of our guys are in the vans being bandaged, and another got his leg crushed when they shot an old crane''s cable that was still holding a container... But no deaths at least".


    Krowe nodded and pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he reached down to the side buckets on the inside of the door, before taking out a chocolate bar and opening it with his mouth "Good work Kestrel. Take the cars back to the warehouse. Try to not be seen, it''ll be a lot easier if they think it''s another gang doing this until we make a move. Spray paint some small gangs symbol if you need".


    "Alright. Got it, I''ll see you back at home" and with that she hung up.


    Peacock glanced over her shoulder at him "Kestrel got the cars?" she asked curiously, to which Krowe gave a simple nod and focused on driving.


    Giving him a small sigh, she looked out the window and at the slums around them. Poor people were forced into cramped apartments, and the gang violence made them scared to go out. Of course this is what the Rattlesnakes liked to see. They didn''t see the need to help others out. If they aren''t one of their own, they''re on their own. Krowe made that apparent when he charged through a burning building to save Vulture, who would become one of his most loyal members alongside Kestrel and Peacock. Even today the burns on his back remind everyone what Krowe would do for them, and in turn they would do the same for him.


    One of the men in the back reached over the seat to tap Krowe''s shoulder, who glanced back to them for a brief moment and asked "What''s up?".


    The Rattlesnake glanced down at his phone and then back up to Krowe "Apparently there''s gonna be a big dinner party at Darov''s mansion in the hills in a few days. That''ll be a good chance to try take him out won''t it?"


    Pondering for a moment, Krowe nodded "Yeah, it would. He doesn''t know we''re trying to get him so I can just dress up all fancy, get into his private little lounge and poison him or something".


    Peacock seemed concerned however "Don''t you think a guy like that would have made himself resistant to that? Y''know, like you Krowe" she scoffed and poked him, back to her normal self "If someone as thick-headed as you knows about that then I will bet my legs and arms that Darov has too".


    Pouting, Krowe nodded "Then I''ll walk up to him and blow his fuckin'' brains out then. Is that better?".


    "Hmmm, you might miss. You''re a pretty bad shot".


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident."I am literally the number one person on the leaderboard for our gun range".


    "I think you forged that".


    "Peacock I''m about to slap you with my c-..."


    She smirked "No, no. Go ahead, finish that word please. I''m sure it rhymed with my name".


    He sighed and rolled his eyes "You''re so annoying".


    "But you still loooove me~".


    Krowe held the side of his head and then looked down at the small girl "I can take you back to that sewer pipe".


    She gasped and held the side of her cheeks jokingly "Really?! I''d finally find something that smells better than you!".


    Krowe''s eye twitched, but he sighed and let it go. He had never won an argument against Peacock, and that definitely wasn''t going to happen any time soon.


    The drive went as normal, and soon they came to an alleyway behind a gun-store. They pulled up and climbed out of the van, with Krowe leading the way down the path, which was only lit up by a flickering street lamp that had been cracked. Probably by someone throwing something at it.


    Peacock looked up to the sky, or at least she would have if it weren''t for the giant mega-highway that shadowed them. It was made of a special kind of concrete, and hanging walkways for maintenance swayed gently in the breeze.


    Up ahead was a trio of black vans parked adjacent to each other, their doors opened and wide tables folded out of them with a lot of different weaponry across them. A small group of hooded men were standing around it all.


    Krowe made his way over, glancing at the tables with a hint of jealousy in his eyes, but he shrugged it off and looked to one of the men, this one in particular was lacking a hood, and over on of his eyes was a metal box with what looked like a scope and a few other gadgets attached to it.


    Krowe lifted his hand up to high five the man, which was gladly returned "Bizz, you son of a bitch" he said.


    The metal eyed man known as Bizz grinned as they began to arm wrestle in the air. He was struggling, and Krowe was all too eager to point it out.


    "What''s wrong? Writing too many receipts?"


    Bizz sighed and let go, losing to Krowe "Aw dun'' be like da''" he spoke, his voice surprisingly high pitched for a broad and gruff man, and his accent was...


    Well, it was something.


    Krowe smirked "I''d love to catch up but, got a little bit of a war coming up".


    This was music to Bizz''s ears. A war meant people needed guns, and people needing guns meant money in his pocket.


    "Ah, guns guns guns? Well, ye came to tha'' right place" he said, walking over to the van "Whatchya'' lookin'' fo''? Ah'' got big guns, small guns, big fuckin'' explosive guns. Ah'' got shit I ain''t never even seen".


    Krowe, interested in his selection, walked over to the table and looked to the biggest piece in the set. It took up two tables. It was a giant machine gun, it''s barrel square with its end cut diagonally. The handle was meaty and strong to support its immense recoil, and the box of ammo attached to its side was about the size of a small fridge.


    He pointed to it "What''s the story with this little guy?" he asked.


    Bizz looked to it and placed his hands together and rubbing them "Oh, this beaut''? Ah'' call ''er Backspace. Cuz ye'' hover over what ye'' want, pull the trigger, and it ain''t there no more" he said with a hearty belly laugh.


    Krowe nodded "I''ll take it. I''ll take it all".


    Bizz''s laugh was cut short, as he looked up at him and narrowed his eyes "Ye'' sure about da''?" he asked, tilting his head "Das'' a lotta money I''m askin'' fo''".


    Krowe just held up a blue card with a black line down the back of it, to which Bizz''s eyes widened "Das'' one of them'' big bank people cards. How''d you get tha''?" he asked, puzzled. Then he frowned "...Hey, tha'' means you really didn''t need those discounts ah'' gave ye''".


    Krowe smirked "Well, you''re a business man. You know saving money''s important".


    He sighed and nodded "Fine fine, shut yer trap... Boys get these here vans to tha'' Rattlesnakes warehouses"


    The other men nodded and got into the vans, starting their engines as the tables folded away, and they began to drive off down the alley.


    Bizz sighed and kicked over a can "Yer a real'' asswipe Krowe. But goddamn ah'' can''t get enough of chu''" he said, giving him one last high five.


    Krowe nodded and waved "I know. See you around Bizz" he waved, walking back to the others in his group, who just stood there in surprise.


    Peacock looked to him as he walked past and placed her hands on her petite hips "Okay. Cool, big gun. Where you gonna put that? Cause I ain''t keeping it in my room"

 Preparations

    Back at the warehouses, the three vans filled to the brim with weapons and ammunition were being unloaded by some of Krowe''s men and being laid out on a set of metal tables. They were being organised by a few others, and overseeing the whole situation was Kestrel. She stood atop a crate with her arms folded, her whole being radiated with seriousness. She had bright cyan hair that was swept across one side of her head, and a large scar down across her right eye that was covered by an eyepatch. The one eye that she had was a dark blue, unwavering and stoic. Her was mature and developed, and she wore what seemed to be rather durable looking armor over a normal hoodie and jeans.


    Her voice was strong, commanding and charismatic "Careful, careful. Don''t drop those guns!" she hollered out, a strong English accent tinting her tone. The men looked over to her and nodded, struggling to carry the Backspace over to a place that had been designated for it.


    Just underneath where all the weapons were being dropped off, the gang''s main garage was hard at work modifying the armored cars that were taken from the abandoned car factory that Darov hid them in. Krowe was overseeing the workshop, four identical cars were rigged up on industrial cranes and lifts as many members of the gang adjusted things, welded and moved. Krowe''s eyes however were stuck on a green one, which he walked over to and eyed it interestingly. He looked over to one of the men welding and folded his arms "I want this one as my...''flagship''" he said with a dark grin "I want the Backspace to be on the to be on the roof of this one." The worker obviously couldn''t say no to an order from his boss, so he simply said "Of course sir, as soon as we can" and went back to making the improved armored cars.


    Excited to watch his new toy get built before his eyes, Krowe sat himself atop an empty crane hook an watched the blue sparks fly from the amount of welding going on. Heavy footsteps approached from behind, making Krowe look over his shoulder to see who was coming.


    A tall and broad black man was walking over, he was extremely muscled and looked like he could take a truck to the face. His hair was black and unkempt like the rest of the Rattlesnakes'', but his was in a dreadlock ponytail. His eyes were a dark brown, and he had a fair share of scars on his roundish and wide face. To make a long description short, the man was a bear. He was wearing a big, thick trenchcoat that looked a few inches thick, with a gray shirt under it that showed off his abs and pecs through the tightly fitting fabric. And on his legs were thick trousers with big pads on his knees, likely bullet and stab resistant.


    The man walked over and sat next to the hook Krowe was sat on, placing his backside on a poor toolbox that creaked under his weight.


    Extending his fist towards the man, Krowe smiled "''Sup Vulture? Come to see the new gear?" he asked.


    Vulture looked up and grinned as he closed his fist and fist bumped Krowe, his hand twice the size of his friends. But he nodded "Yeah, yeah. These are Darov''s, so there''s probably cup holders in them"


    Giving him a quizzical glance, Krowe raised an eyebrow "Big ass armored cars with guns and you care about cupholders?" he questioned, then paused before looking back to the cars "...Yeah, cup holders are pretty sweet"


    Chuckling, Vulture nodded and spoke in his deep, booming voice as he turned his attention to the mechanics replacing parts on the cars to give them the trademark Rattlesnake chaos. Shifting his eyes around, Vulture nudged Krowe''s left arm "So how are you doing? For real" he asked, genuinely concerned for the well being of his leader and his friend.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Krowe had to think for a moment, he exhaled and leaned back as he had to think for a moment, before looking to Vulture "If I''m completely honest, a little nervous I gotta admit" he whispered, grinning.


    Vulture just simply nodded and chuckled "Everyone here is bud, we''re going two to two with Darov. The Silent Cut himself"


    Darov received the name the Silent Cut back when he was merely a teenager working his way up the ranks of a street gang. Tasked with taking out a man who didn''t pay the dealer, Darov managed to sneak into the house and quietly killed all of the inhabitants without any noise. Of course when blood started pooling out from under the front door and a ghastly stench began to come from the residence people began to notice.


    Krowe nodded and flicked a stray bit of hair out of his eye "Silent Cut is such a dumb name, if you''re quiet then nobody knows that you''ve done it" he mumbled and leaned back "I would want people to know, otherwise nobody would fear to wrong me"


    "Perhaps, but different situations call for different actions"


    Krowe just nodded, then exhaled as he stood up off of the crane hook and patted Vulture on the shoulder "I''m going to go see how Peacock is" to which Vulture nodded and waved as he went.


    Walking through the many underground corridors and passageways that the warehouse had-some even dug out by the Rattlesnakes-Krowe made his way to Peacock''s room. It was in a secluded section away from the main warehouse. Standing in front of a sliding metal door, Krowe used the back of his fist to knock. The metal reverberated for a moment, then Peacock''s voice called from the other side "Come in!"


    The door squeakily slid open to the side and Krowe walked in to see Peacock in a hammock reading a magazine. There was a flatscreen on the wall which was showing news footage of a brown haired man with a hat and flashy coat standing on a stage as what seemed like thousands of people watched in front. Another younger man was on the stage watching. Krowe didn''t come to look at the TV though, and he looked to Peacock who gave a thumbs up.


    He walked over and sat on a comfy looking chair "How''re you feeling about going to war with the Legion?" he asked her with a concerned tone.


    Peacock looked up and then sighed as she closed her magazine and placed it to her side "You want me to be honest? I''m scared. The Legion doesn''t fuck around" she said, crossing her legs "I just don''t want anyone to get hurt, but I know that isn''t going to happen"


    Krowe nodded and sighed as well, he looked up to her from his place on the couch and gave her a cocky smile "Come on, P. We''ll get through this no problem" he spoke as he pulled out an extremely large knife and twirled it in his fingers "Before he can hurt any of us, this blade''ll be deep in his skull. Promise"


    Peacock rolled his eyes, before hanging off the edge of the hammock and extending her pinky towards him "Pinky promise?"


    Krowe looked to her pinky and smirked "What are you, six?" he asked sarcastically as he wrapped his pinky around hers and tightened it "Pinky promise"

 Party

    With an annoyed groan Krowe stepped out of a fancy looking limo wearing a lavish black and white tuxedo. He tugged at the collar, earning a slap on the hand from Kestrel who was also dressed nicely. But not in a dress as she despised them, but in a suit that looked more fit for business meetings


    She sighed "I don''t like these clothes any more than you do, but we need to wear them to get in" she said, looking at him with her one eye. Her usual black pirate like eye-patch was replaced with one that had a glossy finish to it.


    In front of them was a huge mansion in the style of old Earthen architecture. With stone pillars and angled roofs, it was definitely out of place in the city of Nul, but luckily for Darov it was a fair drive away from the main city and it was hidden by the trees. In front of the staircase up to the main doors was a big fountain where the road went around it. Many others were there in fancy suits and dresses, but Krowe and Kestrel were there to do one thing. Kill Darov.


    Krowe sighed and nodded, walking up the staircase and towards the over-sized oak doors where two butlers were waiting. Stereotypically they had British accents, and one of them bowed their heads towards Krowe and Kestrel


    "Ah, Mister Sands and Miss Oshin, the master has been expecting you two to arrive" the man said with a cheerful smile "He''s waiting for you in the VIP lounge, he''d like you to see him before he does his speech in two hours"


    Krowe wasn''t quite sure what to say as he walked past, so he just looked to Kestrel who rolled her eyes and cleared her throat "Thank you very much sir. We''ll be sure to do just that" and then they walked past. Kestrel sighed at Krowe, giving him an odd look "You need to work on your people skills"


    "Pft, I don''t need to work on people skills. I work much much better at people skulls" he punched his palm to emphasize his point, which only made Kestrel lightly punch his arm.


    Once inside, their senses were met with a vast range of stimulants. The smell of freshly cooked roasts and vegetables traveled up their nostrils, the sound of classical jazz being played by an actual band reached their ears, and the stunning sight of the buildings magnificent and lavish architecture made even the thick-skulled Krowe a little envious.


    In front of the main entrance was a grand staircase which began separately on either ends of the room, then met in the middle of the room on the higher floor. On both the right and left were big hallways full of well dressed people, golden chandeliers hung from above and filled the white painted halls with light.


    To the right was the way to the ball room, and to the left was the dining room. Krowe nodded and then looked to Kestrel as they walked up to the staircase "Let''s be quick about this. Poison or gun?" he asked quietly as he brushed past a drunk couple who seemed to be having a little too much fun.


    Kestrel kept her eyes forward and wrapped her arm around his "Poison first, we''ve give it a half hour and if he''s still up then shoot him"


    "Got it, do you have the vial? Or will you pour it in?"


    "Whoever gets the first opportunity, this is too big of a deal to take chances"


    Krowe nodded and gave her a slightly grin, but it seemed that they where approaching the VIP room as two large men in suits reached for the door handles of the big oak door in front of them. One of them nodded "Mr. Sands, the boss is expecting you. Ms. Oshin, I''m afraid I''m going to have to ask you to wait outside. The boss said what he wanted to talk about was leader to leader"


    Hearing this, Krowe''s eyes glanced over in her direction, but she kept her cool and simply nodded "Oh, I see. That is understandable. Of course, I''ll just wait down in the bar, if one of you fine gentlemen would treat this lady to a drink"


    One of the men seemed intrigued by this, and nodded "I shall accompany you Ms. Oshin. Lead the way please"


    Krowe just watched her with a bewildered look, then turned back to the door "Oh, right. Thank you" he said, walking in after the doorman opened it and stepped aside.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Krowe glanced around the VIP room. It was immaculately clean and its entire aesthetic was one of superiority and wealth. It was dimly lit, and the smell of smoke did linger in the air. But he shrugged and walked deeper in, until he came across a big square room with booths around the edges. The middle of the room was lower than the rest, and poles connected the ceiling to the floor. A few attractive women were dancing on them, but Krowe wasn''t there to oggle. He looked around for his target, then spotted him. Darov was sitting at one of the booths and getting ready to eat a big meal from the looks of it.


    Strolling over to the booth, Krowe gently brushed the curtains away so he could see in and wave "Hey Darov, you wanted to talk to me?" he asked, nudging in and sitting down. Nobody else was actually sitting with him which he found curious, but focused on what needed to be done.


    Darov was a small man, with a broad build and almost elderly appearance. He wore a blue suit with a white shirt underneath, and a pure black tie. Atop his head was a fedora which concealed his dark brown hair. In his right hand was a very large cigar with a green banner around it, and in his other hand was a ring he was fiddling with. His eyes covered by a pair of black sunglasses, and he glanced up at Krowe who gave him a wave.


    Clearing his throat, Darov began to speak.


    "I''m glad you could come today Krowe. You always liven the parties up" he said, his voice gruff and tough


    Krowe just smiled and looked down at his lap "Aw, thanks D. You''re makin'' me blush" he said as a joke, before looking up "Though before I can get to making this party a party, there''s gotta be some alcohol D. You ain''t hiding the good stuff from me again are you?" he smirked and gestured to the table that lacked any drinks.


    Darov blinked a few times and held his head "Ah shit, how''d I forget that" he muttered, then looked out to a passing waitress "Hey hey, get us a few bottles of Feirwator would ya!" he called out. The waitress nodded "Of course sir"


    A few minutes passed, and soon the waitress came back with a tray of big glass bottles of alcohol, labelled "Feirwator: Great taste since 3141"


    Darov smiled and poured a big wine glass each, sipping his and exhaling as he smacked his lips "You cannot get better than Feirwator. Their wines, their vodkas..Mhm, it is all divine" he said with a lot of confidence.


    Krowe nodded "I think their rum is a little bland but yeah, they''re usually really good... Oh, you wanted to talk to me about something"


    Nearly coughing on his drink, he nodded "Oh yes yes.. Yes" he sat up "Recently some punks attacked one of my little stashes, took three armored cars and left nobody alive. Lost a lot of pretty good men..." he sighed and looked down at the table.


    Krowe looked up to the man and nodded "I see. That''s pretty bad. Some random wannabes might have those cars. But how can I help?"


    "It seemed that in their little rush of success, the people who did it spraypainted their logo onto the wall of the factory. It''s a sword with a gun behind it in an X shape"


    Krowe looked up to him and nodded "Okay, I''ll keep an eye out for any logo like that and make sure to get those armored cars back to you"


    He nodded and smiled "Thank you very much Kro-Ah shit" he groaned as the ring he was fiddling with fell out of his grip and down onto the floor, landing with a tink. Darov leaned down to pick it up, and in that moment Krowe made the decision. Whilst he was leaning down, Krowe took out the vial of poison and poured it into Darov''s drink, before going back to sitting like before.


    Darov sighed as he came back up from under the table, and held the ring "Ah..Can''t be too careful with this ring... I got it back when I started the Legion, and got this ring to make sure that I never forgot the people who die under my leadership" he said, reaching for his wine and sipping it.


    Krowe watched and nodded "Very honorable if I do say so myself"


    But whilst Darov sipped his wine, he furrowed his brow and smacked his lips as he licked the insides of his mouth. It took him a moment but he looked up to Krowe


    "I thought you were smart enough to use a tasteless one at least, Krowe"

 Party Crasher

    "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit" yelled a panting Krowe as he ran down the stairs, bullets screeching past his shoulders and head. He had really done it this time. His attempt at taking out Darov and cutting off the head of the Legion went horribly wrong, as he had chosen a poison that could be easily tasted, and one that didn''t even bother Darov either.


    And now he was being chased out of the building, but before he could leave he had to find Kestrel. But she seemed to have gotten the hint after hearing the gunshots fire off upstairs.


    He jumped around the corner of the staircase and knocked over a large marble statue to block their pursuit and give himself some cover as he ran down the wide open hall.


    Guests were terrified and most were running out of the building, but those who worked under Darov only got their weapons out and made their way towards the fighting in order to protect their boss.


    Kestrel was in the main dining area, pulling out her own custom handgun from under her dress that she had strapped to her thigh to get through the security check before guests were allowed in.


    Knowing that the plan didn''t go well, she had to get to Krowe and escape before they got trapped.


    Two guards in front of her were busy checking the hallway, which she swiftly embedded two slugs into both of their heads.


    The gunshot was immense, the muzzle flash like that of a firework.


    Kestrel''s handgun was of course custom made, but she went a little overboard with designing a quick reloading magazine that takes shotgun shells and slugs.


    She essentially had the power of a full sized shotgun in an easy to conceal package.


    As she was walking along, the dress got snagged on an upturned chair that had been knocked over when people were rushing to get out of the building. She glared at the dress and grabbed the fabric firmly, giving it a big tug as she ripped the dress. Now it only went down to her knees, but she didn''t care. It was only in the way.


    Now free from the restraints of the dress, she went to the doors that led into the main hallway through the mansion and peeked both ways. She noticed the guards rushing towards the right wing, where the VIP lounge was. Knowing that''s where Krowe was, she held her gun tightly and hastily made her way down there and hid behind a marble statue that was sitting in a small part of the wall that had been moved back to give it room.


    She waited patiently for the guards to run past, before climbing out and following the gunshots that were getting louder and louder with each step.


    A few moments later she came to a big staircase that went up two flights, and her eyes landed on Krowe using a corpse as a bullet sponge as he shot back at an unseen guard up the second flight. At least ten guards laid dead and bloody on the staircase up, and two more at his feet.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Tossing the body shield away, Krowe ran down the stairs and grabbed Kestrel as he told her what had happened upstairs


    "So. Yeah, it failed. We gotta go now though before anyone else shows up!" he exclaimed as he kicked down a wooden door. It led out to a stone patio overlooking a beautiful garden and a hedge maze, but it was obvious this wasn''t where their car was.


    Kestrel looked around, before looking to the left of the garden and over a tall barbed wire fence was the car park. With their car just in sight.


    It looked like the only way to there from where they were was the maze. It was die trying or die surrendering.


    Like if it was instinct, Kestrel grabbed Krowe and pulled him down the stone steps and towards the maze entrance, which made him look at her confused


    "You want to trap us or something?!" he yelled out as they ran, narrowly dodging bullets as they fled into the dark hedge maze.


    Kestrel just sighed and pulled him along "Do you wanna sit back there and die? Look, this maze leads to the car. Trust me!" she demanded more than suggested.


    Krowe simply groaned and followed, holding a handgun that he got off of the body of one of Darov''s men.


    The maze was... Well, maze-like. The pair continued to run into dead ends and wrong turns. And whilst they were navigating around the hedges, they could hear the voices and footsteps of the pursuing gunmen.


    Kestrel wasn''t about to get shot up by a bunch of party bouncers. She pressed the barrel of her handgun against the hedges and fired repeatedly at whoever was on the other side of it.


    There was a groan and a yell, with at least three getting hit.


    Krowe sighed and held his head "You just gave us away!" he yelled, diving down and pulling her out of the way as bullets rained through. They would have hit them if not for Krowe''s dive.


    They both scrambled and ran through the maze, dodging shots, weaving through the paths and taking down the odd guard. They eventually got through the maze and reached the car park.


    There it was, their suped up muscle car. Angular and sleek, it was an older model of a popular car line called the Trinity. Made by a branch of the system wide tech company Triicorp.


    The two ran for it, sprinting across the concrete and diving into the car. Kestrel fumbled with the keys and started the car. Narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets as the sped out of the car park and drove down the road, leaving skid marks and a cloud of smoke behind.


    Walking behind them was Darov. He held the side of his hip, an angry, but also saddened expression on his face.


    Down the road, the pair were laughing and panting at the fact they nearly died. Then Kestrel punched him and said"You''re a fucking screw up"

 Calm before the Storm

    Everyone in the Rattlesnake''s warehouses were rushing around preparing defenses and steeling themselves for what was to come. Darov would be there soon with a vast force of Legion members, and everyone knew that it would not be an easy fight.


    The Rattlesnake''s were the second biggest gang in the city, but they had nowhere near the resources and wealth that Darov had at his disposal. They had to work with what they had.


    Krowe was pacing back and forth on the walkways above the main floor of the main warehouse. He was in a deep thought, going over every possible scenario in his head. Where they could come in from, what they would be using, what he could do to stop them and how to minimize injuries or death.


    He had pretty decent knowledge on how Darov worked, he wasn''t very tactical with his men as he preferred victory through overwhelming firepower. And he had the tools to back that up, the three armored cars that Kestrel and her group stole was only a tiny piece of his arsenal.


    He had to think of something good, fast.


    He was brought out of his trance by the sound of Vulture''s deep voice. Vulture was walking along the same walkway as he waved to the troubled Krowe.


    "Hey man. How''s you doin''?" he asked, making Krowe sigh and lean against the railing of the walkway.


    "I''m really, really tired" he glumly spoke, bags under his eyes and a dead look on his face, making the big burly Vulture frown and wrap his arm around his shoulder.


    "Aw, you been jacking it too long buddy, by the time you bust, sun''s comin'' up and you gotta get up to work"


    "Do you think of me so lonely that I''d have to jack it, Vul?" Krowe asked, half serious.


    "Maybe, maybe. I see those glances you give Kestrel man, but I''ve yet to see you slap that ass" he laughed and nudged him a bit, earning an annoyed, but still amused glance from him


    "Dude don''t say that" he mumbled and pushed Vulture away, making him chuckle


    "Alright alright whatever you say boss" he said, playfully punching him. At least what he thought was a playful punch. Krowe nearly fell over cause of his sheer strength, but he shrugged it off despite his now dead arm


    And then the two shared a moment of silence, simply watching the gang members set up below them. It lasted a few minutes before Krowe broke it


    "I''m worried I''ve bit off more than I can chew with this one. I don''t want you, Kestrel or Peacock to get hurt. If things go bad, I want you three to take the boat behind the warehouse and go somewhere safer. Maybe even offworld..."


    Vulture just stared at him, then shook his head "Afraid we can''t do that man. We aren''t just going to leave you here. If we have to run away then you''re coming with us. Otherwise, we''ll all die here together"


    Krowe looked to him and thought for a few moments and nodded, patting him on the shoulder "I understand then" he sighed, before smiling "We win together, or we die together"


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    The two nodded at one another before Krowe pushed himself up off of the railing and stretched, he had important jobs to do before Darov''s inevitable attack.


    And he got right to it, helping out other members of the gang set up sandbags and barriers, setting up gun emplacements to gun down anyone who tries to get inside and making sure that there''s enough ammo to at least last a few days.


    He swept sweat off of his brow and took off his shirt, letting his muscled and toned body out for the viewing. Crouching down, he grabbed the bottom of a big, empty metal dumpster and tipped it over on the outside of the warehouse''s front door.


    Rings of sandbags were set up for people to hide inside and shoot out of, and they used whatever metal they could find to make barriers.


    Up on the roof of the warehouse, Kestrel was setting up a sniper''s nest, hidden under the sheet metal roof. The person inside could see out and below, whilst it was almost impossible to see into it. She sighed, glancing down as she worked away, not noticing that Krowe was watching.


    He would soon shake his head and get back to work on the barriers and sandbags. There was at least a hundred meters of sandbag walls and rings, tipped dumpsters and any metal that could be propped up and used as shields. It went all the way to the halfway point of the road up to the warehouse. If Darov wanted in, he would have to go through their forward defenses.


    A barrage of multiple heavy turrets would shred the toughest armored car he could throw at them.


    Whilst Krowe was making sure that everything out front was set up and well defended, an entourage of vans began to drive down the road towards the warehouse. Seeing them approach, everyone dropped what they were doing and ran towards the nearest cover or closest gun and took aim.


    The van in the front seemed to notice and began to frantically honk its horn and pulled over, with a familiar looking man climbing out and putting his hands up into the air.


    "Woah woah woah, ye wouldn''t shoot yer mate wit the guns would ye?!" he called out. It was Bizz, with his usual cocky smile on his face.


    Krowe just rolled his eyes and ordered everyone to stand down before running over


    "What are you doing here? Darov could attack any time and you don''t want to be here when that happens" he spoke, concerned for his friend''s wellbeing


    Bizz just shrugged and gestured to the vans behind him, there was at least seven "Darov''s bin'' top dog fer'' a long time. I''d like to see ''im kicked off ''is throne" he did a bow and smirked "So ah'' thought ye'' could use some extra guns and men"


    Krowe looked to him with a confused, but thankful look. He smiled and extended his fist to him, to which he fist bumped back.

 Warehouse Holdout

    Krowe was right on the front lines as Darov''s men came into view. They barreled through the front gates to the harbor in their armored trucks, smashing the gate that the Rattlesnakes had fashioned out of old metal.


    They left smoke as the rubber on their tires skid across the concrete of the roads until they came to a stop in front of the warehouse, about a football pitch away from the main doors. The skirting of the trucks clicked off and was lowered to the floor by hydraulics, making it impossible to see right under the underside of the trucks. This was to protect their feet and turn the trucks into full sized barriers.


    The sound of the side doors sliding open could just be heard from above the soon to be battlefield as Krowe sat behind a sheet of reinforced metal on the upper walkways, he held a radio in one hand, and his gun in the other.


    He looked to two of the machine gunners he had brought up with him as they both stayed hidden from sight as well when shuffling reached their ears. Many footsteps hitting the hard floor and metal being clanked about.


    Krowe didn''t have much time to think however, as the radio buzzed and he quietly answered it.


    "Hello? Krowe here" he whispered


    "It''s me, Kestrel. The crane is positioned over the front entrance. If anyone gets in, Peacock can drop a whole bunch of the giant metal pipes on them"


    "Right, good work. They''re setting something up out front from the sounds of it"


    "Machine guns maybe? Be careful"


    "Will do, stay safe" he spoke, turning off the radio and looking to it for a few moments. He then turned to the two gunners with him and slowly stood up, but just as he did, bullets went flying.


    They blasted through the metal and rattled the whole building. The machine guns sounded like a hammer being slammed against a bolt of lightning, a loud thunderous clap, followed by a sharp pang. Krowe couldn''t tell how fast it was going, but it was definitely faster than the combined heartbeats of everyone in the warehouse. But it seemed to only get faster for every single one of those heartbeats they found and silenced.


    He covered his head and looked to the gunners, pointing at them and yelling "Shoot back, shoot back!" He ordered. And they did just that, they picked up their obviously older model of machine gun and clamped it onto the railing. They began to fire back at them, which a much slower rate of fire and not nearly with as much lethality.


    They only fired for a few seconds before Krowe watched their bodies burst into a red liquid that was sprayed behind them, and then they fell limp and onto the floor. What was left of them anyway.


    Within a few seconds he had lost the front gunner, he had hoped they would have kept them out for at least a while. His hopes were crushed, and he wanted so badly to pay his respects to the two who had died for him, but he knew there would be more, and if he stayed any longer he would just die as well, and their deaths would have been in vain.


    He grabbed his gun and ran down the walkway staircase into the upper offices of the warehouse. Windows looked down at the workfloor and at all the Rattlesnakes preparing to fight, but the machine guns went right through the doors. Their bullets had no problem going trough the metal. The only thing that seemed to stop them was the armored cars that Kestrel stole earlier.


    Leaning out of the window, Krowe took a breath and called out "Everyone get behind the armored cars! The bullets can''t go through them!" he did his best to be heard, but only a handful of people could hear him over the gunfire. They tried to tell others, and soon enough most of them were behind the trucks.


    Krowe ran down the hallway and towards the elevator down to the ground. He stepped in and pressed the button, which of course sent him down. He tapped his foot impatiently, but he suddenly fell to the floor when the whole building shook, and an ear shattering explosion went off.


    The elevator creaked and groaned for a few moments, causing Krowe to slowly look up at the cable through the metal grating. It was being held by a few threads. He felt his heart stop, and he looked for a way out. He slowly inched towards the door, but with the small shift in weight, the cable snapped.


    He yelled out and grabbed onto the side, but the elevator came to a stop with only a small thud. Turns out, he was only a few inches away from the ground anyway.


    Krowe glanced around a little to make sure nobody saw, before stepping out and continued to make his way to the workfloor. He ran as fast as he could, which his breath nearly running out. He turned a corner, and what he saw devastated him.


    The whole front wall to the warehouse was gone, reduced to a smoking pile of rubble as Darov''s men walked in with ease, shooting anyone they found. Even those injured. The machine guns had stopped firing, but he couldn''t see Kestrel or Peacock.


    That was what worried him the most, he couldn''t find those two no matter how hard he looked from the position he was in. The crane above was empty, but undamaged. Kestrel must have gotten her and moved somewhere safer, which is all he could hope for.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.But Krowe didn''t want to stick around in such an open place. He moved behind a container and checked the radio.


    "Hello? Kestrel, Peacock? Vulture? Anyone?!" he called out, hoping for a voice. But the one he heard wasn''t the one he wanted.


    "Krowe, Krowe... Did you, actually think you could take me on because you got away with stealing three little armored trucks? I thought you were smart. You knew I had more than enough to take out this warehouse of yours"


    Krowe''s blood ran cold with fear, and boiled at the same time with anger at the sound of Darov''s voice.


    "I genuinely thought we had something going on. I helped you with your things, you helped me when I needed a more... Urban touch, y''know? And now, you''ve done this"


    He grit his teeth "Where are they you fancy suit prick?!"


    "They''re safe, with me. I''m sure you''ve watched it in movies before, the whole.. If you want them alive, do as I say, blah blah" he sighed "See, I made a deal with someone far far far bigger than even me"


    Krowe''s eyes twitched as he clenched his hand so tightly, his nails drew blood.


    "This person needs someone strong, capable and ruthless. And he wanted to make them so much stronger. So much more than human. So, being the kind friend I am, volunteered you. And I give you my word that this isn''t a trick either. You go with this guy, do this thing and become the next step or whatever he said, then you can come back, take your friends, and never show your backstabbing face to me again" he said, malice dripping from his lips "You live happy, I become powerful outside of this city, and we both win, right?"


    Krowe growled and punched the container he hit, which probably cracked something. But he couldn''t feel it, not now. He didn''t like the sounds of it, but if it meant getting his friends back, he would do anything. "And you give your word, that if I do this, those three won''t be hurt at all?"


    "I give my word. They won''t be allowed outside of my sight of course, but they''ll be treated fairly... Well, it isn''t going to be a luxury hotel but you can rest assured that they won''t be starving in some cell, is that good enough for you?"


    He felt overwhelmed with emotion at this point, a scowl on his face, tears in his eyes and anger in his voice. "Fine!.. Fine... What do you need me to do?..." he spoke in defeat, his head hung low.


    Darov seemed pleased "Good, good. All you need to do is come out here and meet him. I can see his ship approaching"


    Krowe  looked to the burning rubble of the front door and slowly walked out into the open with his hands up. As he walked, he took in the sights, of the bent, warped metal that fell down from the ceiling, the bodies of his friends and family he had been with for so long. They were all dead because he got too greedy.


    Bizz''s body was there on a pile of metal, a pipe skewed through his heart. That caused Krowe to stop for a moment and stare at his body. He didn''t know much about him on a personal level, but he was a business partner for years, and he often was there at nights at the bars. He caused his death.


    His head hung low, as he walked out. And sure enough, the screech of a jet engine was just coming into hearing range. He looked up, and a sleek, black and red jet was coming to land just in front of the warehouse. It''s engines were in the middle of the winds, and seemed to be on a joint that let them move around. The jet landed like a helicopter would and a few moments after a well dressed man with brown hair stepped off of a ramp that folded down. He wore a flamboyant black and grey jacket. He glanced around the harbor and smiled, taking in a deep breath and exhaling. He jumped off the third step of the ramp and sighed happily "I love the smell of smoke. It''s so, sharp. And distinct" his voice was gruff, but charming. His accent was a thick English one "It really, wakes you up"


    He walked around for a few seconds before looking directly to Krowe, then he smiled and began to walk towards him "Ah, you must be Krowe! Darov said many good things about you during our meetings. He''s such a gentleman.. However you, seemed to have upset him quite a bit with your stunt here"


    Krowe wanted nothing more but to strangle this man and his stupid demeanor.


    The man just chuckled "Oh I''ve seen that look before, I love it. Feisty" he grinned and walked around him "Strong, young...My, you really are perfect for it.. I would have preferred a bit younger but, you will do nicely"


    Darov seemed to notice what was happening and walked over "Theodore, is he to your liking?"


    He looked up and smiled "Ah Darov, of course he is. Look at these muscles. So densely packed together, like a wall this one. I think he''s got potential to be one of the best, if we can get rid of the...Frankly, disgusting side affects of an animal"


    Krowe looked around and glared at Theodore "Stop talking, I hate your voice. My friends are on the line, and I want this done with"


    Theodore paused, then turned. He had a smile on his face "Oh, I do like an angry one. Rebellious"


    He said as he walked over to him and leaned in, quietly speaking "I think you''ll find that it would be beneficial if you cooperate, if you want to see your friends again. If you try to escape, I''ll have Darov bring all three of them to me, and I''ll strangle each of them, whilst you watch. And I''ll make sure that you know that it''s your fault. Because you betrayed a man who wanted to help you"


    Krowe went quiet, and Theodore looked at his face, and smiled. He went back to talking normally "All settled? Great, excellent. Now let''s get going, we have many things to attend to after all" he spoke as he walked back to his jet "Ah, keep the machine guns Darov. My gift to you for this young gentleman"


    Darov smiled and bowed his head "Thank you very much. Have a good flight"


    Theodore waved, and Krowe followed him aboard. It was lavish, luxurious and expensive. Theodore sat at a table and poured a glass of wine, before offering Krowe one. He smiled at him "So, Krowe. I hear that you''re very fond of snakes. Have you ever wanted to be one?"