Khalif and his group separated from the rest in the warehouse. The delivery team still waited at the table for Rob and Khalif to address them, but the members of the bodyguards pulled their boss aside to speak to Khalif about a private matter private.
“Boss, we are getting a lot of messages from members of the Scapegraces,” Ronald offered to break the silence that had enveloped them all once they’d gotten Khalif alone. He wasn’t the type to pressure his own people, and their current body language gave Khalif the notion that a sensitive matter was about to be broached.
This was the last thing I expected?
“And?”
“They keep saying they're done with Remy, and that they need to find another way like we are trying to, I don’t know it just seems crazy how quickly things are changing around us, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I do have a few friends I wish came with us,” said Miranda to the rest of the group. A round of nods went out and Khalif sighed, knowing his worst fears were coming to life.
He didn’t want to take a step backward, nor did he believe that Arson would want to take a step in a direction that would involve potential liabilities in their day to day operations.
“So, what… we do all this hard work and we let them in after the foundation is laid, how does that make sense. No, the amount of trust that they would need to develop would take more than just a few apologies to have me accept any one of them,” said Khalif. Sincere nodded in agreement, but still offered up a suggestion that Khalif respected for its reasonability.
“Why not test them? Maybe not here in the dump, but in a way that benefits both parties. It's not like the orders coming in for Rob slowed down, we could probably make deliveries all sparking night if we really wanted to, we just don’t have the bodies for it,” stated Sincere, and another round of nods fluttered through the group.
“So what, we have them train in the depths of the city, no prior experience? I mean I’m not saying we are professionals yet either, but we have been working toward this night and day practically since we left. And what, we are also supposed to trust them with loads of high quality food too? Does anyone else think this is going to backfire in the ugliest of ways or just me?”
The others looked at one another, and then back to Khalif. No noteworthy responses given, as none felt entirely justified in defending those who hadn’t come with them originally, regardless of how much they missed their friends.
“Don’t go quiet on me now. If you all want this, the burden will be carried by all of us,” Khalif said looking around once more. He at this point hoped that none would truly come up with anything valuable to benefit their friends-turned-opposition, even as his own mind formulated an idea that may both accommodate those he couldn’t help but feel were traitors, even though it was he who left the gang behind.
Hmmm…
“Cole, how many clones of yourself do you think you can truly manage without hurting yourself,” Khalif said closing his eyes, instantly regretting speaking up even as he continued to interact with those around him.
“What, I don’t know, just over a dozen maybe. Why?”
“Because I’ll need you to serve as refill stations. If this ridiculous plan is going to work, I’ll need you to position your clones at centralized locations. Not going to trust traitors with valuable anything, may that be spacial containers made by Xani, or the food inside made by Rob,” explained Khalif.
“So what, I stand at a street corner like a drug dealer and pass out the food that needs to be delivered?” Khalif shrugged at the young man and nodded.
“This could be worse, I suppose. What do you need the rest of us to do?” asked Miranda, flipping her long red hair over her shoulders as she gestured toward Sincere, Ronald, herself and the others gathered near.
“Miranda, you’ll be on scout duty. I need you to let all teams know if they have anything coming their way, Graveyard, enemy gangs, even small teams of Movers,” started Khalif, grudgingly beginning to like the beginnings of what he was scheming with every moment that he thought more about the task at hand.
“What about me?” asked Ronald.
“No one is going to move faster than you, so if Miranda sees trouble from above during her sweeps, I need you to intercept any and all issues that arise, and be ready to be back up for any group that may need assistance,” Khalif added before he looked at Sincere.
“You're with me. We’re going to play offense, I already know some of the Scapegraces are lying, so with that in mind, when they flip, we’ll be ready,” finished Khalif, turning around as his friends became all-smiles. A minor victory as far as the group was concerned had just been accomplished, even while Khalif prepared himself for sabotage and deceptions.
Khalif left the area and went to discuss what he had planned with the other members of Arson’s team, and had to force down his annoyance at how receptive of him the others were being.
Troy was willing to take a night off from training to help them make deliveries. Rob immediately began cooking to increase inventory levels. Jasmine excitedly gathered a series of bags that her and Xani had made to test. While Xani also offered to take a night off from her research and help Miranda scout from above.
Wow… and I thought undependable people were a problem in my life. At least, when I was surrounded by people without drive, I wasn’t expected to follow through and actually finish anything I started...
Khalif chuckled as the groups finished getting ready and left the dump. Khalif shook his head as he watched the groups all disperse to meet up with the few dozen Scapegraces scattered throughout the southern portions of the Bronze sectors edge, hoping with everything within himself that nothing would go wrong.
“Wish you were here to see this Arson, I just hope it turns out well…”
…
The sandstone CityNation of marvels and power was alive that night. Businesses housed and serviced drunk citizens. Public transit was packed with pedestrians wanting to escape the long trek from one side of the city to another; the lighted underbellies of the city’s hover trams created weaving patterns above the skyline as they drifted smoothly passed each other. Everything seemed optimal for the newest delivery service in town to make money, as the night was alive with activity, leaving nothing but opportunity for them to capitalize on. As no mortal lived, without hunger.
Hunger drove any and all in its clutches to do both extraordinary and horrific things. Hunger was primal and so were those who hungered for more. More comfort, more wealth, more company, all urges though seemingly different on the surface, were all rooted in the same driving force. Which is why the gang members of the scapegrace all made a decision to actually attempt a life outside of crime. Khalif was shocked by the authenticity of the individuals working with the core members of his guard, of Arson’s guard.
Jasmine prompted Khalif to feed all the Scapegrace before forcing them to work, and the young man wondered if the small gesture, a simple offering of a plate of food was the only thing that separated them all from chaos that night.
The ultimate betrayal he’d expected never came. They all managed to serve thousands of patrons that night. Rob cooked to his heart's content, and a smattering of advertising was done for Jasmine and Fresh Cartel. Troy managed to find many interested parties to visit the street fair that Mr. Frost would be hosting with their help in a few days. While even the agitated Khalif himself was able to scout a few more bodyguards.
It wasn’t until the suns began to peek into the sky of the morning that an alarm went through all involved with the work being done that night. Khalif received messages from many people in a matter of a breath, and he and Sincere rushed off to go meet up with the rest of his group for an emergency.
He and Sincere arrived to a crowd of people standing at the edge of a side street. The smell of burnt hair and ash wafted through the air all around the group they walked toward and Khalif didn’t like the looks he was receiving as he approached. A grim nature embodied by every gaze he met. None speaking as he took in the scene.
While he closed the distance more details became distinct. The side street was noticeably blackened, signs of intense flames so obvious that no need for a forensic background was required to determine what occurred.
Khalif stepped through the crowd and even before they broke through the large group, Sincere gasped, already knowing what was to come. The young man stopped Khalif, putting a hand on his shoulder and gripping him tightly.
“I don’t think you should go in there, boss,” said Sincere, shaking his head slowly as Khalif glanced back at him. However, the young man’s hesitation only made Khalif more eager to know what could have occurred to make Sincere pale, as Khalif was aware of the horrors Sincere had witnessed through his abilities already since his childhood.
Khalif broke free of the grip on his shoulder and pressed on. His eyes widening at the sight he stepped into the side street to take in.
Xani, Troy, and the rest of his core guard stood around a burned corpse. Nothing but bone left as proof. Troy stepped away and shook her hands in a nervous gesture as she approached Khalif.
“Your people say his name was Remy, some guy you used to be close to,” started Troy and Khalif closed his eyes. He could guess what happened but waited patiently to hear what Troy had to say.
“From what I learned by talking to everyone it seems like he was mixed up with the Augustines pretty bad, and once the rest of your old gang left to work with us, the Augustines caught him unawares,” explained Troy. The rest of her explanation fell on deaf ears. Khalif’s oldest companion in the Scapegraces was Remy, but Khalif did his best to mentally divide the anger and rage he felt in that moment, from the anger and rage he felt toward his friend.
What did you do, Rem…?
He wanted to lash out at the world. He wanted to scream at Remy for being overconfident and power hungry. He wanted to cut down anyone who dared believe that they could kill someone he cared for and get away with it.
This is your fault. You cannot blame anyone but yourself… You should have tried harder to bring him into the fold, you should have done more!
Khalif turned to see Miranda standing further down the side street. Tears ran down her face, and Khalif couldn’t help but feel even worse. Miranda was completely infatuated by the young man, which was why he was worried over who she’d wanted to involve the previous night. Yet now all he could feel was regret and the growing urge to commit himself to revenge as he approached her. Troy and Xani wordlessly followed Khalif, neither one liking the look in his eyes as he moved away from the corpse of his friend.
“Where are they, Miranda? Did you see who did this?” Khalif could barely think straight. The young woman in front of himself trembling as tears rolled powerfully down her face.
“They have a small compound nearby. Remy told me he was going there to try and join them, that the life of a bodyguard was for idiots and peons, and now look at him…”
Khalif clenched his fist. The compound Miranda spoke of popping into his mind, as he and Rob had barely escaped its depths earlier that day. He knew how to get there, and even had an idea of how many Augustines had been within the compound by how many moving shadows had inhabited the area during he and Rob’s delivery there.
So what’s the move,” Xani asked, and Khalif turned around to face her.
“What do you mean?”
“Ha, you're funny, Khalif, but don’t act like you're not about to retaliate. We just need to know how we can help, as we don’t need another dead body on our hands. Uncle Winter is already on the way, so we need to get everyone out of here before the Graves arrive, but that doesn’t mean we are going to leave you to do something stupid.”
Khalif looked around and saw the gazes of many there staring him down. Expectations written all over their faces. His new team, wanting him to remain calm, and continue to work toward a brighter future, as his old gang’s brewing frustrations at the loss of Remy, all roamed through his mind in a chaotic jumble of choices battling for supremacy in his mind.
“There is nothing you can do to help this time. I just need to handle this on my own…”
Khalif didn’t even give Troy a chance to respond. Vanishing into the shadows of the three young woman around him. One transition later, and Khalif was buildings away, already heading toward the compound.
He had no intentions of letting any of the Augustines involved with Remi’s death make it to another sunrise. He may have left Remy bloodied and in an alley, but he had left him alive. Not only for the love he once had for the young man, but for his own clean conscience. A conscience that was now muddied with a fury that Khalif would not be able to diffuse without a level of carnage he told himself he would never again allow himself to experience.
One life for many… by my honor, I vow.
Khalif stood on a rooftop well outside the compound he now targeted. The perimeter wall, nothing but a simple transition away from being breached. The massive home surrounded by smaller independent domiciles a mere blink away from being penetrated by Khalif’s power.
A baseball bat clutched in Khalif’s hand, while he stood eyes closed, focusing on every moving shadow in the distance. His sensory ability's range was more than quadrupled when his eyes were closed, and as he plotted the movements of the Augustines, counting the more than one hundred members amongst a party, only murderous images filled Khalif’s mind.
“As I wash my hands in the blood of my enemies, I beg your forgiveness, Maiden, as only you know my heart, and see my soul…”
Khalif stepped toward the shadow of the door that led onto the roof, finishing his prayer as he entered the void between shadows.
“As your children have mistaken my kindness for weakness, and I now choose to guide the ignorant toward death, and the grace that is your paradise, even if they don’t deserve it…”