Young Writers Society

Althea woke up, a stream of light centered on her face. She didn't know what time it was, but her stomach was growling, so she figured she should get up and get something to eat. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was 10:30 in the morning. Definitely time to eat something.

Althea stood up and walked out of the bedroom. She saw the stairs and went down them, only to walk in on a conversation between Danny and Ronny. They both stopped talking and stared at Althea.

Ronny nodded. "Morning."

Althea gave a warm smile. "Good morning to you too."

Althea walked over to the fridge and opened it up, looking over all of the food to see what she would eat. There were eggs and he had some grapes. She would eat that. She looked over her shoulder and asked both of the men, "Do you guys want anything for breakfast?"

They both replied with a "no." Althea shrugged and pulled out the carton of eggs and the bag of grapes. She set them both on counter and began looking through the cupboards for a bowl that she could crack the eggs into.

As she was looking, Danny walked over to the counter and stood next to her. "How did you sleep?"

Althea kept searching through his cupboards. "Fine. Actually, much better than I have in a while."

Danny grunted in acknowledgement. Ronny's voice broke the silence after a few moments of the clanging of pots and pans.

"So Danny, what do you suggest we do about it?"

Tylar

"You asked all your questions?" I wondered when Kurokawa did not speak again.

"For now," She replied.

"Then I have one. A favor actually."

"Oh?" Kurokawa raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I'll do anything for you?" I smiled and shrugged.

"Nothing but you'll probably do it anyway just because it fits with your current plans," I replied.

"And my current plans are?"

"Let's not go into that. I just don't think you should attack the cobras yet. In fact, I don't think you should attack them at all but then, that's your business." I finished my drink and stood, preparing to leave the club.

"The Cobras are not on my sh*t list right now." She tossed back the last of her drink an stood from the booth, smoothing her hair down behind her.


"Where do you think you're going?" Kurokawa asked as she gently grabbed his hand and drug him out to the dance floor.


"Well, I was leaving, but I guess I could dance with you first." He smiled as he said this. It obviously didn't bother him that she was holding him up. They danced together, rap and hip-hop blaring out of the speakers.


After a few hip-bumps, twists, and body rubbing, she led him to the door. Kurokawa smiled; she hadn't had that much fun in a long time.


"Well, you looked like you was ready to leave." She said to him tiredly, practically yawning.

"We need to...to hide...it." Danny said.

Althea cracked the eggs straight into the skillet. "Goddamn it," she said, "there is blood in the yolk."

"I like those the best," Danny smiled.

Althea smiled too. She looked a little cross, but Danny could cheer her up.

Ronny moved back into a separate room, and let them stay on their own. They needed some time on their own. He needed to think. He sat on a bed and looked at the ground.

[i]What can we do? First, Althea needs a place to hide. I...I need to see what I can do for the Eagles. I need a plan. Kurokawa isn't known for being kind to traitors, and even though I am not a traitor I am the closest thing to one. There is one thing I could do. And it's going to require some deaths. I will do it after we get her a place. It's the only thing we could do; that person needs to be dead in order for this to happen, or otherwise...i]

A sudden shot rang through the room, glass exploded on the floor; Ronny jumped up and fell on the carpet, no wound, but he could feel the mattress was punctured: He leaped up, went to hide behind the bed, and listened as shots fired at the floor; one whistled behind his head--he took out his pistol and shot, he didn't know how many times, but in the end the shots ceased and a low grunt came from the window...

The door was kicked open and Althea and Danny rushed in. "What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Did you kill them?"

Ronny got to his feet and walked to the open window.

"Oh my god."

Althea darted to look at the body too. "Holly s***!"

There, bloody and lifeless, was Joe, a Kadikoy who was once friends with Brian. A stiff freeze spread through Ronny's body, shock that made his eyes tremble in their pockets. He looked at that face.

And then Ronny said: "He's not going to be the last Kadikoy dead either."

It was then when Althea asked them. "What were you guys t-talking about? What did you say about me? What are you going to do with me?"

Danny took a step closer to Althea. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"It's been a while."

Althea nodded slowly, not turning to look at Danny, but staying focused on the eggs cooking in the skillet.

"How have things been?" Danny's voice was gentle, soothing to Althea's ears.

"Decent. Not to my liking... until now. But I'm hoping things will get better. They have to."

Althea felt Danny take other step closer, and then his hand was on the small of her back.

"Did he hurt you?"

Althea was surprised by the question. No one had ever asked her that. No one ever seemed to care.

Althea turned down the heat on the stove, keeping the eggs warm, but not so warm that they would continue to cook. She turned her face towards Danny, but didn't look him in the eyes.

"It doesn't matter now."

Danny lifted Althea's chin with his hand and looked her dead in the eyes. "It does matter, Althea. He shouldn't have hit you."

Tears began to swell in her eyes. Her vision was blurring and a lump grew in the middle of her throat, almost choking her. Even just the mention of it made Althea cringe in pain. She didn't want to remember that part. She didn't want to.

Danny drew her close and held her, his warm body a safehouse from the world around them. For the first time in days, Althea felt at home. She was going to be safe now. With Ronny in control and Brian gone, things were going to be better. They had to be. And Danny... Danny was here with her. She wanted ever so badly for things to get better. For this. For Danny.

The moment of calm was ruined by the loud sounds of guns shots, and then glass shattering. Both Danny and Althea broke their embrace and looked towards the direction of the sounds. More shots were fired. It was coming from one of Danny's spare bedrooms.

Danny put a hand on Althea's waist and with a firm voice said, "Wait here."

Althea shook her head no. Just because she was woman didn't mean she should be excluded from the events that took place in her gang.

"No, I need to see what has happened."

Danny began to walk towards the direction of the sounds. "It's not safe, Althea. We don't want you getting hurt."

Althea stood for a moment, almost completely lifeless. She thought about all of those people that had died because of her. Ronny wasn't going to be next.

"Ronny's my friend, Danny. I can't just leave him."

With that, Althea flew past Danny and towards the noise. She found a slightly cracked door and pushed it open, Danny running in next to her. She looked around the room. The windows were shattered, the walls full of bullet holes. And there was Ronny, crouched behind the bed with a gun in his hand, looking at... oh my god. There was a dead boy on that floor!

Althea took a step closer, but Danny stopped her.

"What happened? Are you okay? Did you kill them?"

Ronny got to his feet and walked to the open window. "Oh my god."

Althea darted to look at the body too. "Holly s***!"

Lying on the floor was Joe, one of Brian's closest friends, and biggest traitors. He had joined the Kadikoys against Brian's pleadings.

"He's not going to be the last Kadikoy dead either." Ronny's voice cut through the silence.

Althea looked in horror at the scene before her. There was a member of the Kadikoy's on Danny's floor and Ronny was almost shot. Did Kurokawa do this? And how far would she go?

Althea looked at both Ronny and Danny. "What were you guys t-talking about? What did you say about me? What are you going to do with me?"

Ronny walked over next to Danny. "We're going to try and keep you safe. Kurokawa is coming after you, Althea. She wants you dead, and we are trying to figure out how to keep you out of her reach."

Danny placed his hand around Althea's wrist. "Listen, if we can just get you away for a while--"

Althea jumped back. "What do you mean by away? Why can't I stay here? This is still my gang. You can't just dump me off somewhere. I won't go!"

"Calm down Althea. We aren't going to do that. We just need a safe place to go where Kurokawa and the Kadikoys can't find you. That's all."

Althea's old spirit came back. She clenched her fists and her eyes went icy. "I may have screwed up and Kurokawa may be stronger than me, but I'm not running from that filth. She will not scare me into hiding. I'm staying with you."

Tylar

"I am," I replied with a soft smile. "But it's been fun."

"I haven't had such a bad time myself," Kurokawa admitted. I took her hand in mine and brought it up to my lips so I could plant a gentle kiss upon the tender flesh. She was still watching me from behind surprised eyes when I stepped away.

"Until we meet again," I nodded my head and then turned, heading for the corner where Pyro was waiting.

"What took you so long?" He demanded, looking edgy. "I was getting close to sending back up!"

"We danced a few times," I informed him.

"Danced?" He echoed.

She leaned against the wall for a moment, thinking she was letting herself get too close to him. It was dangerous business getting close to someone outside of your gang, and Kurokawa seldom did it. She was thinking about it when out of the blue, Miss Annoying came running up to her, instantly killing her good mood.


"Someone better be dead!" Kurokawa screamed at the girl, and her face froze in horror, as if Kurokawa had read her mind. The girl looked at Kurokawa and nodded without speaking.


"WHAT?! Who?!" Kurokawa was again p*ssed off, but this time it wasn't the girl's fault.


"Joe. He saw what happened at the race and took it upon himself to avenge you. Jamey followed him, and said he went to Danny's house, where he was shot." The girl's eyes wavered from Kurokawa to the ground.


"Danny wouldn't have shot one of us..." Kurokawa looked to the ground, hiding her rage behind old memories of Danny's father; he was a good man. Balling her fists together, she headed out of the club, saying only one more thing, "The Eagles will pay."

Ronny, Althea, and Danny all escaped from the house. Each one had their weapons in their hand, ready to kill.

"We have to go somewhere where it's dark," Ronny said.

Althea stopped in her tracks. "Where are you taking us, Ronny?"

"To the bar."

"WHAT?!?"

Danny turned to Ronny and hissed, "What the hell do you think you're doing? You're takin' your favorite chickens to the butcher!"

Ronny looked at them both. "Listen to me. We are in the same danger if we step into that nightclub as staying anywhere else. Right? What we just saw prooved that. If they want to fight us, we will fight them. So don't give me that crap. You don't want to come, you don't have to, but I don't want to die either and I'm going."

"But Kurokawa's going to kill us!" Danny screamed.

Althea went behind Ronny's back. "I am coming. I want to show that b**** what real power is."

"But...but..."

"I am sorry, Danny. Are you coming or not?"

Danny took out his gun and looked at it. "How about...I stand from the alleyway. If someone is coming behind you, or taking their gun out, or anything, I'll kill them."

"Fine."

They set out, into the darkness, towards the club. The end of the road was only danger.

----

Kurokawa threw the front door of the club open and made her way to the alley next to it. The alleyway was dark, only a patch of light spilled out in one corner. She entered, pulling out her knife. She then heard some one approaching, and darted off into the shadows where she was not to be seen. There she would wait for them.

Caleb

I made my way down towards one of the kadikoy's bases. It was a small weapons shop, one of the 'not so well known' ones. I strode up to the counter and towered over the small, balding man before me.

"I'm here to sign up," I drawled confidently.

"Sign up? What for?" The man demanded.

"The Kadikoys of course. What's my challenge?" The man let out a short laugh and scratched his head with a pudgy fist.

"You can't just sign up to a gang ya know," He explained.

"I know. Why do you think I asked for a challenge? Look, you're short on members, your leader's planning a war and I need a gang so you want me or not?" He tipped his head to one side and looked up at me, nodding in approval at my tense muscles before stepping out from behind the counter.

"You're rather old to not have a gang. I take it you're not a street kid?"

"I am actually and I had a gang but I quit."

"And survived?"

"And survived."

"Then it can't have been a very strong gang if they couldn't catch one runaway."

"That or I'm very good at running," I offered his a pompous smile.

"You'd have to remove the old tattoo. Have another added," The man grinned back maliciously, spinning a dagger into his hands. I rolled up my sleeve and he stared at the old scar.

"When do I get my new tattoo?"

"Hey," The man stepped back. "Wait just one second. I never said you were accepted. The boss hasn't even interviewed you yet."

"Then tell her I'll see her in an hour. How's that?"

Tiny carefully walked into the Kadikoy club, she was disguised again and Killer was going to come in a while after her. He was also disguised though it wasn’t possible someone was going to mess with him anyway. She sat down at a far table and looked around. Kurokawa wasn’t in site and Tiny smiled,

“I’m gonna find someone who is venerable, but close to her. Hopefully one of Antonio’s killers will be there.” She had told Killer. He hadn’t replied, just gone along with her. Tiny flicked her now pitch black hair back over her shoulder. She closed her eyes and rolled them getting tired of the brown contacts that were in her eyes, they didn’t change her site, just the color of her eyes. Killer walked in and sat at the bar not even looking at her. She licked her lips and looked around for a Kadikoy, she wished Kurokawa was there, maybe just maybe she could deal with her.

‘Wait for Caleb to figure out who killed Kevin if he can, don’t go acting stupid.’ A voice warned.

Ronny, Althea, and Danny had reached the club, all three standing on the sidewalk next to the front doors.

"Better to come through the door that no one expects." Ronny's voice was firm.

Althea nodded. She turned to Danny and took both of his hands in hers. "I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this. I know that isn't fair to you."

Danny gave a weak smile. "Don't worry about it. What's done is done. Just-- be careful, alright?"

Althea stood up on her toes and kissed Danny on the cheek. "I will."

They broke away from each other and Danny nodded. He cocked his gun and turned away from them, going into the darkness of the alley.

Althea turned back to Ronny. "Are you ready."

"When you are."

They both nodded and walked through the steel double doors. There was music playing, but it wasn't near as loud as it was during the night. They looked around, trying to find Kurokawa. There was no sight of her, but they did see a few other... questionable characters... sitting in several spots around them.

Kurokawa sat sunken deep within the shadows of the alleyway, listening intently to the conversation ahead of her. Are you ready? She thought. They think they're going to kill me, ha! She removed her almost forgotten knife from her belt, and waited for Danny to pass by her.


Swiftly, she darted from the shadows, pressing the blade against his throat from behind, her other hand reached around him to grasp his gun and hold it in place. He struggled, but she spoke to calm him.


"Danny..." Her voice was a whisper that tickled the back of his neck and the bottoms of his earlobes. "I don't think your father would like this too much."


He cringed at her words, then replied, "I have to protect her."


"You would protect her even though it means going against your family's honor...or even killing me?" With that, she dropped the blade from his neck, and released his hand. He spun around to face her, gun held eye level to Kurokawa. His hands were shaking.


She stood still as a statue. It was like a classic stand-off in an old western, except one was no threat to the other; Kurokawa would not hurt Danny. After some silence, he finally lowered his gun.

"Please...don't kill her. I couldn't live with that on my conscious." He was serious? Kurokawa wanted to laugh.


"I told them to stay away, but they didn't listen."

"Then I can't let you leave." He raised his gun at her again, but Kurokawa turned and started walking back to the club, picking up her metal baseball bat.

Tanya

I saw Kurokawa with her bat and Danny with his gun aimed at her.I didn't know what the hell was going on so I parked the viper and reached into the back for my machete and my M16. I watched from behind tinted glass for any activity.

((All I've got as of right now...))

A man Ronny once saw with Kurokawa was there, but he didn't know his name. The man looked at them both with some kind of hatred, some kind of menace. But Ronny knew Kurokawa's men would never threaten anybody in such a public place.

They both treaded on, looking this way and that, and took a seat.

"I just hope Danny'll be okay," Althea said.

"Where is Kurokawa?"

They looked around the bar. She might be hiding...and then he saw. A woman, about his age, with brown hair, brown eyes. He knew her! Where from, he didn't know. A man was just walking away from her; she seemed very angry for a few seconds, then got back into character. She wasn't who she looked like.

"Stop looking at me."

It was Tiny. Ronny has forgotten all about the Cobras. As Althea eyed him with worry and curiosity, his face changed into understanding, and soon he felt himself torn apart.

Should he ally the Cobras, or is it still every gang for its own?

It was obvious what to do now. No gang could stand all alone--it's the thing that has been bothering him ever since he killed that Kadikoy! The only thing he could do is ask Tiny to join, even though he was against her before.

He stood up and slowly ambled towards Tiny. Althea was stupefied.