Tubio thanked Irina - the girl was younger than Tubio but used to hanging out with the group he was with. She was a young girl with long brown hair and the bridge of her nose and under her eyes covered in freckles. She turned back when Alexei stared at her once tea was served. Tubio looked at his hands out of habit, to the tattoos on his hands, a habit he'd never been able to break as a child. His mother had taught him the meaning of tattoos, Alexei's had always given him the creeps, but it became even worst when she explained that they belonged to old mafia traditions. Even though the latter had for the most part disappeared and become nothing more than vague traditions, Tubio had always been intimidated before. Today, compared to Gaton's gaze, Boris' impassivity, Janissa's hysteria, Spike's moods and Ruby's aura. He thought it was pretty normal. Drinking his tea, Tubio had already thought about what he was going to say. No information about Ruby will be necessary after all, I don't think he's interested in her or that she'll bring any danger to his business. Neither would his discussion with Pavel.
Putting down his cup, he spoke. Alexei didn't interrupt, listening from the beginning of the evening with Doug to Gaton's death and the assault on the gang, which allowed him to return to his neighborhood without risking anything.
-So Doug took a shipment from the Maelstrom and made you a scapegoat.
-As luck would have it, I saved the group's leader from a stray bullet. Otherwise, I think they would have landed on my mother's doorstep or just killed me that night.
-Are you sure the leader of the cell you were with is dead?
-Sure, his replacement was with me in the car the next day and they were as close as family. We were attacked and I survived. I know the replacement won't follow me.
-You say that like you killed him.
-It wasn't an attack that night, it was a purge. 80% of the cell was killed and other groups rushed in to get whatever was left.
-You did the right thing, Antonio. You managed to survive in a complex situation.
Alexei lit a cigarette. Tubio could see the patriarch thinking. He had just told him some serious news. It wouldn't take him long to corroborate his story. A massacre like this doesn't go unnoticed even in Night City.
-Your story is worthy of a movie, but I've seen worse. I have nothing to say about your behavior. But try to avoid telling anyone you were part of the Maelstrom. People have reason to be afraid of their members. The only problem I have with this story is your father.
-Ex stepfather. I'm thinking of taking my biological father's name.
-Mm, good choice. If your assumptions are right, then you need to cut his balls off fast. The fact that he just found out you're alive will probably push him to do something stupid.
-Problem is, I don't have any proof it was him.
-You have proof he cheated on Elizabeth. What are you waiting for? You're still too nice...
-How did...?
-Antonio, do you really think I would trust this guy over my own son? For years I've known about his other wives and many of his other questionable dealings, I think I've been very careful in dealing with Doug. I made it clear to him that if he set foot on this floor, he'd go down the center hole. Snakes have no place in my garden.
-You could have told my mother.
-She didn't believe her own son and you wanted me to intervene?
-Yes, I thought you would!
Alexei banged on the table before pointing a finger at Tubio who had raised his voice.
-Careful how you talk to me. I mind MY own business. Other people are none of my concern. Do you know why I became the boss of this level? Because no one would leave my family alone. I wanted to bury my head in the sand and people died because I refused to act! So don't you dare lecture me!
Alexei's outburst of anger had surprised Tubio; he'd always shown such control. He took a drag from his cigarette before resuming.
-I don't owe your mother or you anything. If she refuses to see reality, I'm not going to shatter her illusions. At any moment she could have come to see me. Antonio, you're young, you haven't experienced real defeat yet. In your place, I know young people who would have executed Doug the minute they got back. But you took pity. The problem with pity is that it brings nothing.
-Should I have executed him in front of my mother?
-There are many ways to destroy a man. The truth is you're still afraid of him. You may have matured, I can see that, but some scars are harder to close than others. At any moment, you could have sent him a holo telling him never to come back or you could have revealed his infidelities. Why didn't you?
-... It would have hurt my mother.
-Antonio, you know what pisses me off? If you had taken matters into your own hands Doug would have been history long ago. Now I see one big problem. He didn't hesitate to rat you out to one of the most powerful gangs in Night City. If they'd wanted, your guy Gaton could have swooped in and set H2 on fire. And I'm not talking about the gang war between us and the Clouds. Only 4 floors had burned, I'm talking about the whole tower.
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******
Gang warfare is commonplace in Night City. Gangs are born, live and die. Some have lost their way. Others die in silence. Those that are born are flamboyant, until they wither or corrupt themselves, before imploding or become a legend. The H2 megabuilding is a living being. It fights against itself to sustain itself. When a gang wants to take control of something, the inhabitants have the choice of letting the NCPD take care of it, or defending themselves. Those who let it happen have nothing to say.
When the Clouds boostergang was born, it wanted to traffic in drugs and cybernetic prosthesis. But drugs are easier to sell than prostheses and the money came in very, very quickly. Many people joined the group, which grew from a dozen members to almost a hundred. The first members disappeared to make way for the second generation. Most of these new members were addicts or opportunists looking for eddies or a high. The Cloud gang went from black-market smugglers to drug dealers. Prosthetics weren't selling fast enough for them, so they stopped selling them and stayed in their corner smoking at level 40, one gang among many. Doing their own thing, but they were a gang of addicts, and sooner or later the gang would have disappeared, drowning in its own poison.
But one day, one of them stood out. A certain Waylon Aliarson. Waylon was a small-time dealer for the clouds. The story goes that one day, he came to pick up his drugs only to discover that all the guys present were totally stoned. He killed everyone in cold blood. Taking total control of the gang, he put his best partners and the sanest guys in the group in charge. He completely overhauled the gang, turning the addicts into cannon fodder to beg for money or sell drugs. Of course, this didn't really work, as the addict used all the product for himself after a while. Except that where his predecessors continued to give to non-addicts, relying on them to deal and bring in money. Here, a vicious circle was created, with the addicts assaulting, robbing and thinking only of their drugs. The sane ones were the executioners, giving just enough for the addicts telling them to go and fight for money which they would then give to the sane ones.
Waylon knew the system wouldn't hold, so he created a new drug. The purple cloud. As its name suggests, it produced a special purple smoke. Waylon had used his war treasure to have it made. This drug was as addictive as any other, but the craving disappeared for longer, helping some people to wean themselves off other drugs. Not realizing that it actually cut off the receptors in their body completely. It begins to break down without knowing it.
Some spent weeks thinking they'd stopped for good, before one day realizing their legs were no longer holding them. Their hands would tremble before they collapsed, their nerve cells screaming in pain all over their bodies. The relapse was so violent that no one was able to emerge unscathed without catastrophic after-effects. Victims in the terminal phase no longer controlled their bodies, even the cybernetic parts no longer responded to the brain, leaving you at Waylon's mercy, waiting for the moment. He targeted and stalked those he deemed worthy of interest, the weak, single or poor men and families, making them breathing the violet cloud, so that the moment it fell into his hands he could control them like puppets. If any drug is a mass weapon, the purple cloud was an individual bullet. Because once Waylon got you back in need of purple cloud. You had to start working for him. Work your dose so you wouldn't fall one day and never get up again. Creating the expression falling off the cloud.
Some people managed to escape the vicious circle by having the means to seek treatment when the relapse came. But few knew what hit them, and usually ended up despoiled. In the end, the purple cloud was nothing but a delayed poison. After this initial success, Waylen created a second version. A drug of some kind that he passed off as the real thing. Trying to blur the lines between the real targets and the random addicts, his blackmail became more and more notorious, so his sales took a hard hit.
But already his territory was growing. Back to more common drugs, which they sold to other gangs. Waylon gave up purple cloud production. Too dangerous. At least, it was no longer on the market. They had become a real boostergang, and the junkies had long since disappeared from Waylon's true ranks, with a doctrine of zero tolerance where his men were concerned.
Everything was going well for the Clouds, the territory was under control and drugs were being sold. But just when all his lieutenants wanted to continue expanding. Waylon put the brakes on. No one in his gang understood except for him. They were getting too big. Unlike gangs like the Animals, who were scattered all over Night City, they lived in one place, and all their products were in one place too. The Purple Cloud had enabled him to steal a great deal of real estate on the near poor floors. But his attempts to expand were met with strong counter-attacks from inside and outside H2. His victims were too far away from him and his men to feel intimidated, and went straight to the NCPD to receive the treatment the doctors had created specifically for the Purple Cloud. Unlike the Maelstroms, they didn't have high-tech prosthetics, they didn't have the armament of 6th Street or the outside support of the Tiger Claws.
They were alone and becoming a menace, not a force, a threat in Night City. And Waylon had no idea what to do about it. Waylon knew that the NCPD had brought in spies and that it would only be a matter of time before they sent the MAX-TAC to set the labs on fire. His forces included opportunists, addicts and people he'd blackmailed. Even his lieutenants were becoming increasingly unfaithful.
Waylon did what every successful criminal must do. He took all the money and ran. Abandoning gang, house and girlfriend and disappearing with a ton of eddies. Never to be seen again.
The rest ended in bloodshed, with every one of the 4 floors from 37 to 40 that had been taken over by the Clouds ending up in chaos. The lieutenants tried to keep control, but with no money to create the drugs and no drugs to control the addicts... mass expansion was one of their only solutions. Abandoning their comfort zone, the lieutenants tried to hold on to as much power as they could, going even deeper into H2 and scattering across the floors, trying to recreate Waylen's blackmail network. Without achieving the desired results and backfiring a lot. They became increasingly dangerous and imprudent, going to kidnapping and direct assault of other groups and individuals in the floors. The other gangs that were carefully defeated by Waylon, raised back up from the grave and fought against the assaults. Some Cloud’s members began to take Purple Cloud again making them insensible to even mortal pain. The NCPD and the Clouds fought mercilessly in the corridors of the floors. Entire levels were evacuated to make room for fighting. The Lianovack fought violently to protect their homes, there were many deaths. The Clouds held them responsible for many incidents, such as the fact that they assisted all the forces present except the Clouds.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The Climax of the War in the Clouds, was their assault of the 34th floor, far beyond what had been attempted on their part. Many people died that day.
After the fighting, everyone on the floor had to be treated because the Clouds had spilled monstrous doses of Purple Cloud inside the ventilation system. In time, the lieutenants were all dead and the floors were captured by the authorities. Labs were destroyed, members killed, arrested or disappeared. Less than a year later, the dwellings were rebuilt and new inhabitants from the poor and middle-class peoples moved in. The only remnants of the Clouds are on the ghetto of 40th floor, which are huge tags of a creepy purple cloud.
image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1178789115622326365/1210605681703522324/03506b05-e1f3-4f79-a3f9-1b5fbd6c7d85.jpg?ex=66101566&is=65fda066&hm=7bb1a8fbe34a167c70aed6d3a827d1ee178ff6507d908bc89c8ecfd9d80e0b2b&=&format=webp]
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******
Tubio was a child when it happened but he will always remember the flames and tears of other children in the shelter. Towards the end the Clouds were just desperate. The Purple Clouds were going to kill them because the production labs were destroyed. They wanted to take as many people with them as possible. Tubio knew that Pavel and the others had almost died that day. So the subject was taboo for a lot of the survivors, and while life in Night City went on, the gang disappeared from memory. Tubio remained silent while Alexei recalled this period and how inactivity had led to all this suffering.
-At any time when the first cases of Purple Cloud appeared, Waylen could have been crushed... How many people could have been saved? What Doug did was to bring death to our doors. What would have prevented him from doing the same thing from that night with the Animals here? Mm? So Tubio, I'm gonna tell you what I want from you, I want you to make him understand that the stunt he did took away all the credit he had left in Night City. And if one of my men or associates sees him, he’ll be hunted down and dealt with properly.
Tubio remained silent while Alexei continued smoking. Tubio then imagined what a horde from the Maelstrom would have been able to do. He thought back to the club where he had met Gaton. The Clouds had never exceeded a hundred men. The Maelstrom had exceeded a thousand. In a way, Alexei was right. To guarantee his tranquility, he would kill Doug. That night he'd almost killed Pavel too and clearly had no remorse for all the dead in the club.
-Yes sir. I'll do what it takes.
-Of course I'm not asking you to kill him. You may have been baptized in the Maelstrom, but I'm not a monster. My men will take care of him if they must.
-My mother has already agreed to get rid of him in our lives. She received some incriminating evidence when I dropped by. A... gift from the grave by my old boss and let's just say when I ran into Doug this morning I made it clear I'd shoot him if I ever saw him again.
-Ah! Perfect. If it comes to that, I'll tell Vernon to blacklist him immediately and open a contract for his departure from Night City. Are you interested?
-You... want to hire me?
-Antonio. You're old enough to look after yourself. I suspect you'll become a merc in a group or a Solo. I usually hire older men, but you'd be perfect for some of my contracts.
-Not a problem for me, sir. In fact, I'd be happy to work with you.
-Have you ever had a fixer?
-I've already got a few jobs under my belt, but no murder or anything extreme like that.
-I see. Are you interested in the ultimatum for Doug?
-... I wish I'd discussed it with my sister first. She's the only one not in the loop and my mother would like to tell her herself.
-An answer tonight. Do you understand?
-Yes, sir.
Alexei got up from his seat, Tubio too. He held out his hand and Tubio took it. Like Boris, Alexei put his hand on his shoulder.
-I'm glad you survived.
Alexei led Tubio to the door, and they both went out. The bouncer stepped aside as they descended the steps. Coming out Tubio could see the portrait of a woman above the counter. Pavel's mother, Tubio had only seen the lady once before, at the nursery with Pavel. He wished he'd known her better. Alexei called out to the counter. Asking for 2 shots of vodka, Vernon entered and the other customers looked on. The shots were brought in front of them. Tubio received his from Alexei, and raised his glass to the room.
-To the return of Antonio Rivière. Здоровье!
Both drank at once, resting their glasses on the counter. The cafe was silent for a second before Vernon began to applaud. The bouncer and waiters followed. Even some of the customers, Alexei smiled at Tubio. Tubio thanked him before excusing himself, Alexei didn't stop him. On his way out, he shook hands with some of the customers he recognized by sight or had known since childhood. Vernon shook his hand with an ear-to-ear smile.
-We now consider you a man, Antonio. I expected nothing less when I saw you.
-I've got to go, Vernon.
-Go, work before pleasure.
-We'll have tea, I promise.
Tubio passed through the door and headed for the upper level.
Vernon returned to his favorite table, Alexei sitting beside him. The two engaged in a holo-conversation.
-So, how did it go?
-As your information told me, the kid's been through a lot and truly was in the Maelstrom. It's a miracle he survived. But he doesn't live with Elizabeth.
-So we're talking about someone else. How did you find him?
-He may not have proved himself in the orthodox way, but he's prepared. He's still naive. But that's more due to youth than recklessness.
-You wanted to kill him one day, didn't you?
-Irrelevant, I was biased. He's shown everything we look for in a recruit, it's just a shame it's taken him this long to develop his potential. And you know I'm not objective when it comes to my children's. He’s gonna be a Solo i think which is not bad either for us.
-So do you want to tell me what it took for him to become a man in your eyes?
-Brace yourself...Oh, and put a contract out on Doug Moreau. Antonio has the first pick until tonight.
-Why?
-You see...
A few minutes later Vernon hit the table so hard he nearly broke it.
*****
-Madre?
-What's going on?
-I just saw Mr. Lianovak. He knows what Doug did. He's giving me until tonight to tell him to get out of town or he will take matters into his own hands.
-Mi hijo...
-He had to, madre, he already knew. You'd better call Sabrina right away, because I intend to accept the contract for the ultimatum.
-I understand, do what you have to do.
-See you later, ma.
Tubio had once again crossed the upstairs corridors, passing the Lianovaks' neon cocktail glass once more. Passing unhurriedly up the stairs, he arrived on the new landing and already found the difference between the two floors. Garbage bags abandoned against a wall. Passing by out of habit, he continued on towards his new destination. Now he wondered what Pavel's reaction would be. His mother had told him that Pavel had taken his advice. Taking over and updating the 35th floor weight room, going into debt to his father, he would have made a killing offering matches on certain evenings in his brothers' club. He even planned to set up a local amateur boxing tournament. Tubio could only smile at his friend's success. He was passing through one of the corridors when someone coming towards him caught his eye. Pavel was running towards him. Then he thought again of Irina. Obviously.
-Are you in a hurry?
Pavel stopped, catching his breath and pointing.
-You!
-Me?
Tubio could feel the smile rise to his face.
-Bastard...
-I heard that a certain Lianovak had bought a certain gym...
-Shut up and come over here.
Shaking his arm and giving him a hug, Tubio burst out laughing as Pavel continued to catch his breath.
-You owe me...
-An explanation. I know you do... You're not the first one I've had to explain myself to.
-I don't care about your explanation. Dude, you were dead! One minute you were behind me, then I turned around and you were gone.
-Long story, not here...
-Okay... hey, you want to come see my gym?
The two of them continued joking before arriving to a sign planted above the gymnasium door, humble from the outside. a grid of bars covered the windows where you could see inside, the facade had been redone brand new. The sign of a dragon flexing a bicep with the name of the “Dragon's Grip” made Tubio smile.
-You and your obsession with dragons.
-Shut up, you weren't there to choose, so you've got nothing to say.
Passing through the doors, Tubio was surprised to see the room in such a state. The walls who were tagged and mildewed had been remade, and the leather machines were so worn that the foam had long since been repaired or replaced. New mirrors had been installed, the ring, too, had been repaired, having its lost ropes found, was now flamboyant. Tubio couldn’t have listed all the changes, Pavel smiled at his surprise. Tubio tried to pass as not impressed.
-Yeah, I guess it's all right.
-Shut the fuck up choom.
Continuing inside, the gym was a large room with an office in one corner, a reception area in the other and two changing rooms, one for men and the other for women. Nothing in the layout had changed. Inside, he could see that the clientele had changed too. A lot of young people with old hands. Men and women. Where no girl in her right mind would have set foot a hundred yards away from here.
Tubio recognized old acquaintances, some good, some not. Ignoring the stares, he and Pavel went into his office. The room was separated by tinted glass, and the simple, practical office was exactly Pavel's definition. Work with a little pleasure. A fridge in the corner provided two beers, which Pavel opened.
-And so...
Tubio told the whole story. Once again forgetting to include Ruby. Pavel may have be his best friend, but knowing that a maelstrom slayer lived in his house wouldn't bring him any good.
After a story, a beer and some anecdotes, he and Pavel had finished their beers and story.
Pavel also told his side of the story - he was the one who had mentioned Tubio suspicions about Doug. Be it to his father or Elizabeth. After Tubio's presumed death, he and his sisters created a market study for the gym with the aim of introducing it to their father to help him invest in it. It took a long time, but with a combination of calculation and margin, if he managed to survive more than 6 months, the loan should be repayable within a few years. His father agreed, but only because Pavel had put his savings into it. With the protection of his family and the possible sponsorship of his father and brothers. Pavel was on a roll.
-Wow...
-Yep... so I think I'm going to become a merc. I've done contracts before, but for the first time I'm going to work for your dad.
-No... What's that?
-Guess what? I have to find and inform Doug that he has to leave town or your father will have his skin.
-Nice. One less piece of garbage in H2. You know that son of a bitch wasn't even here for your funeral.
-I hear that. Any idea where he's been since my mom kicked him out?
-No, but I know he's cribbing out of H2 now. Check it out with your info, he's probably with one of the women he cheated on your mom with. Lazy as he is, he must have gone back to one of his conquests.
-Mm. Yeah, it's worth a shot.
-Anyway, who cares if you say no to my dad? Vernon'll send the steel rods to take care of Doug.
-I'll miss all the fun of watching him run. Besides, it'll prove my capabilities.
-Damn, the Maelstrom's really changed you, man.
-You have no idea. I even raised my voice at your father.
-Nah, I don't believe you...
-Just talk to him. We even had a drink when we came back from the VIP room. Well, I'll be off, then. Doug's not gonna start running for nothing. Is there anything else?
-Yeah, my sisters are gonna kill you.
-One problem at a time.
-Two in this case.
-Details. Come on, I delta...
Tubio stood up before taking his friend in his arms.
Going out with him, he found a young tattooed Latino in the ring, clearly staring at Tubio with his friends next to the ring as he came out. Pavel muttered an insult.
Tubio knew them, the loudmouths of the floor. The one in the ring smiled after a second calling out to Tubio.
-Pequeño tubooo!