Liuba Tucker had just gone to bed as she heard the door open. Her husband Finn had just returned from “work”.
“Honey, you would NOT believe the day I had!” Finn threw his police clothes on the floor and jumped in bed, almost hitting his wife in the face with his elbow. It would not be the first time he had hurt her, but the first one not on purpose. “Me and the boys had to arrest a couple of hookers, but Phil almost crashed the car. I could have been killed.“
I could have been killed.
“Hey, you mind getting me a beer? And while you are up, wash my uniform.“
I could have been killed.
“Hey! Liu! I’m talking to you!
Liuba stood up from bed and picked her husband’s clothes up from the floor. They smelled like cheep perfume. Like dead roses. She went out to the kitchen to fetch Finn a beer. All the while that one sentence kept bugging her.
I could have been killed.
I bugged her as she opened the bottle of beer.
I could have been killed.
Those five little words repeated themselves in her head again and again.
I could have been killed.
Her husband had done much to her, given her many bruises and worse, but it was as if this was the worst he had ever done to her.
I could have been killed.
She then threw the beer bottle out of the window, pissed as hell
I could have been killed.
How DARED he tell her that as if it was a good thing? Liuba had few reasons to be hopeful, but whenever her husband left their home and went to work, Liuba knew there was a chance that he would get killed while he was on the job. And not even THAT would he do for her?
I could have been killed.
Liuba grabbed a roll of paper towel.
I could have been killed.
Liuba took the biggest knife she had from the kitchen.
I could have been killed.
And then she went back to the bedroom.
...
They were known as the Three Wise Monkey Brothers. Ichiru, Seto and Kaoru Sarutobi ran the drug dealing in Twilight with the efficiency of a machine. They were triplets, had been together their whole life and had done almost everything together.
The only one of them who held secrets from his brothers was Seto. But he knew how to keep things hidden from Ichiru and Kaoru, he was also the smartest out of the three of them. He was the one who had got the idea of getting into the drug business to begin with and how they could make a network that would reach the entire country.
It was Tuesday, meaning that their main subordinate in Twilight City, Sebastian “Confidence” Jones, would give his report about how much money they had made this month and if the whitewashing went as planned.
But he also brought something else beside his report. A DVD. That didn’t mean much to Seto since he was blind.
“What is on it?“ Asked Kaoru.
“I don’t know, boss.“ Confidence said, sounding uncharacteristically gloominess. “I... It was given to me, told that it was important you saw it.“
“From whom?“ Seto asked.
“Ah... From... that idiot who jumps around with the cat mask, he-“
“You are fired, Jones.“ Seto said.
“What should we do with it?“ Ichiru asked after Confidence had left their house. “Burn it, right? Most likely a trap.“
“I say we play it, it is probably some superhero bullcrap, a speech or a warning.“ Seto sat on their sofa in front of the sofa. “Chances are he will give himself away if we listen. Would one of you mind putting it on?“
Seto was soon joined by his brothers as they sat in front of the television.
“Hello, hello! It’s TV time!” A voice came from the TV.
“It’s the cat-man.” Ichiru said to Seto.
“I’m blind, not stupid, Ichiru.”
“My good sirs, a congratulation from the Cat.” Seto could hear the film went on. “I bow to you. You are by far the brightest pushers the world has ever seen. I have tried and tried to shut you down, one dealer at the time. But that was like plucking leaves off a dandelion. The three of you are the root.”
“This is getting boring.“ Kaoru yawned.
“But the three of you are just too smart for me. So I made this very special movie for you, as a prize from a loser who accepts defeat. Enjoy!“
And then, Seto could hear moaning and gasping coming from the TV.
“Guys?“ Seto asked. “Ichiru, Kaoru, what is going on now?”
Kaoru and Ichiru did not answer.
The moaning and gasping went on. Seto listened, wondered if it was a recording of someone getting hurt. But as he kept listening, he thought there was something familiar about the w’voices that gasped. And they didn’t sound like they were in pain as such. In fact they sounded like they were-
“Man, I can NOT believe you, Seto!“ the Cat’s voice returned. “How could you do that? Total dick-move, bro! And BOTH of your brothers’ wives? At the SAME TIME?! Seriously, who does that?”
And THEN Seto realized what kind of footage was on the DVD.
“Ichiru... Kaoru... I don’t know what you just saw, but... Look, whatever it was, you can’t trust this wannabe Batman, okay? You know me, I would never-“
Seto Sarutobi did not get a chance to finish that sentence.
...
Joshua was digging through the garbage, looking for bottle, or maybe even food that someone hadn’t finished before throwing it out. What he instead found made him lose his appetite. What he found in the thrash-can was the head of a woman.
The head of a police woman named Helena Pines. She had been stupid enough to report that her now deceased partner had been a dirty cop.
...
Diane walked home as a woman without a job.
She had only taken that stupid job at the “Kinky Crucifix” since she thought that it was work she could do without the risk of getting shot. But after almost getting a bullet between the eyes, she decided that she was done shaking her ass at strangers. She knew that the local convenient store at Dumpster Street needed someone for stocking, so she would go there right away.
And she would have, if it wasn’t because some idiots were about to shoot each other. As by instinct, Diane took cover in an ally where thrash was thrown since no one gave a crap.
“HELP! WHAT IS HAPPENING?! HELP!”
Diane herd the cry for help and carefully peeked from her hiding spot. It was that blind girl everyone was so scared of. Diane had no idea why she was so feared that she created temporarily peace in Dumpster Street when she walked the street, and neither did most of the other poor schmucks who lived here. At the moment, she did not seem to be a danger to anyone as she was trapped in the crossfire of a shootout.
Diane remembered what her mother had told her the day they moved to Dumpster Street years ago: Mind your own damn business, and you will live a little longer.
And then, she jumped into the fire, hoping that whatever happened at the Kinky Crucifix wasn’t a fluke.
Diane had no idea if she was dumb luck or her magic powers that gave her a telekinetic bullet shield b instinct, but she reached the girl and picked her up in her arms.
“What is your name, kid?” She yelled, trying to outshout the guns.
Ella!” The girl gulped. “Ella Nogrog! What is going-”
“You are save now! I'm getting you home!“
Diane reached the door to the apartment and was ready to try and kick the door in, something she was very sure she could’t do... and was surprised by the fact that it was unlocked.
Once both Ella and Diane was inside and Diane had shut the door and then catch her breath, she was astound by how nice the apartment looked looked inside. It wasn’t luxury or anything, it just looked... nice. And clean.
“Am I home now?“ Ella asked, putting a hand on the wall, feeling the wallpaper. “Wow, that was crazy. This is usually such a quiet neighborhood.“
Diane was about to make a sarcastic laugh but controlled herself. Then, she noticed that she couldn’t hear anything. The walls had to be soundproof. Whoever owned this apartment could afford to rebuild it to keep this girl in the dark about what a terrible place she lived in.
“Thank you so much, lady.” Ella said to Diane. “You saved my life.“
“Ah, it was nothing.“ That was bullcrap, but Diane saw no reason to scare the girl more than necessary.
“Wait here, I HAVE to tell my mom this!“ Ella left Diane and walked through the hall while her hand stroke the wall. “This is so exciting, we NEVER get any guests!“
Diane was alone for a few minutes. Then, Ella returned and asked her to follow her to the living room.
As Diane entered the room, she bit her lower lip so hard that it began to bleed.
Ella’s mother pale. Instead of having legs, she had a massive tail that made a loud rattling noise at it’s end as it vibrated. Her face was covered by a black veil, but her hair made of living snakes was visible, removing any doubt in Diane’s mind that she stood face-to-veil with a gorgon.
“Sweetheart.“ The monster spoke to Ella. “Could you let mommy and the lady speak alone for a second.“
Ella left the room.
“You have saved my daughter, mortal. I intend on feasting on the flesh of those fools who almost killed her and reward you handsomely. Tell me how to repay you.“
“Well, I could use a job.“ Diane blurted it out before she had a chance to think, then covered her mouth too late.
“Is that all?“ The snake woman made a noise that Diane guess was some sort of laugh. “That can be arranged. I have contacts.“
...
Josh looked up from behind the counter.
Cat had finished beating the snort out of the gang of Dumpster Street Pythons who had come for protection money.
“Thank yew, thank you all!“ Cat bowed like a circus artist for the knocked out thugs. “You are ALL beautiful!”
And as a sign of gratitude for saving the store, Josh grabbed a crowbar that one of the Pythons had dropped and knocked Cat in the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.
...
“Noah? Noah, wake up, sweetheart.”
Ten-year-old Noah Tucker woke up as he heard his mother Liuba call for him.
She looked happy.
“Noah, how would like to go for waffles and ice-cream?“
“Mom, dad says we can’t afford waffles and ice-cream.“
Liuba smiled like a split watermelon.
“Dad is no longer in charge.“
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