“Come on MC let’s get going,” said GM gettin up off the couch.
“Huh? Where are we going? It’s rare to see you so fired up before noon.”
“It’s collection day. We’re going to go collect. You didn’t think your paychecks came out of thin air did you?”
“I guess not,” he mumbled as he realized he’d never really given it much thought.
“We’re going to head downtown. Got a few collections to make,” said GM as they got into the car. He pulled a pistol out of the glove box and stuffed it into his coat pocket. “You never know when something could get out of hand.”
“Uh, right,” MC said, suddenly feeling a little uneasy.
“Collection usually goes pretty smooth,” said GM. “Sometimes you gotta rough ‘em up a bit, but they always pay one way or another if you know what I mean.” They buckled up and sped off down the road.
“Our first stop will be the convenience store on nineteenth avenue. A couple of old folks run that place. They pay us to have an Organization member there twenty-four seven. We offer a cheaper rate than the local security companies and the security guards always get unlimited free icees. It’s a great job actually. A win-win type of situation.”
After a short drive they arrived at the convenience store. GM walked in first and MC followed. Next to the door stood a man that wore dark sunglasses and had his arms crossed. He was tall and had wide shoulders.
“Hey, Reggie. How you doing today?”
“Hey GM. Not too bad,” Reggie said with a smile. “Is it collection day already?” he asked.
“You got that right.”
“Who’s the new guy you got with you?” Reggie asked as he motioned to MC.
“This is MC. He’s the new member of our team. He’s still a little green so I’m taking him along on the collection route today.”
“Good luck, new guy,” said Reggie with a chuckle. He picked up a blue icee from the table next to him and slurped it through a straw.
MC walked up to the counter where an elderly woman sat on a stool. “Hey, Muriel. You got the money ready for this month?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She reached down and opened a drawer. Inside was an orange envelope. She handed it to GM. He opened it and quickly counted the money.
“Looks like it’s all there. Thanks, as always! I hope Reggie has been earning his paychecks.”
“He sure has. Without him, this place would be robbed blind. He always spots people stuffing candy bars up their sleeves. Mostly those damn teenagers. It’s been ages since we had any sort of major incident. Before we had him here, people waltzed in here and threatened us the time. All for some measly change from the register.” Muriel sighed and formed a stern expression. “Now that we have security, anyone who walks in here with the thought to try anything simply turns around and walks out. They don’t want to deal with a trained member of The Organization. If they mess with him they mess with the whole lot of you, right?”
“You got that right!” said GM. “If someone came in and threatened or harmed our security guard here, we’d send a whole squad out looking for those suckers.”
“As it should be,” said Muriel.
“Thanks again for the payment. We’ll see you next month.” He turned and walked out of the store with MC following close behind.
“You see, kid. Lots of folks get the wrong idea when they think about us, but here we are helping a little old lady run her business. The city has gone too rotten to just have a regular store run a regular business and that’s where we come in to help out. Everybody eats.”
MC was beginning to understand some of the workings of The Organization as they went to several different businesses and collected money. They provided services and worked with an extremely diverse population of businesses. There were every day people meshed into the operations of the city that were all held together by The Organization so much so that they were an essential part of the community's economy. They went everywhere from gas stations and restaurants to luxurious office buildings. After each stop they went to the nearest ATM and deposited the money. GM insisted that it was safer that way. He was right too. It wasn’t a good idea to walk around with a pocket full of cash. It just gave people a reason to target you.
As GM drove them around from stop to stop he explained some of the inner workings of the two opposing groups. “One big difference between The Organization and The Black Diamond is that three people are in charge of running The Black Diamond. Jin is one of them. The other two are the Sakamoto brothers. They’re virtually inseparable twins. The sole purpose of the higher-ups is to continue on with the legacy of The Black Diamond. I used to see them around once in a while, but I don’t think they’ve been on a regular mission in public for years. In fact, some people these days don’t even know they exist. Most of the attention gets put on Jin for being active as a member, but even then, he’s been seen less and less as of recent.”
“If the twins are so strong, why don't they go on missions? Surely it would mean a guaranteed completed mission each time.”
“They’re far too caught up in running The Black Diamond to have time for missions. Well, a mix of that and sitting back and enjoying their riches.”
“Do you think you could take one of the higher-ups in a fight?” asked MC.
GM put his hand to his chin and thought for a second. “Hmmm. I’m not so sure. Currently, if it was one-on-one, I’d likely lose that battle. Against both of the twins I’d surely lose and I know Jin’s too strong for me to take on alone.”
“So I know a little about Jin, but what are the Sakamoto twins like?”
“The elder twin is named Shiro and the younger one is named Kuro. They’re both a few years younger than I am. I heard their dad was some kind of big Yakuza boss in Japan and he came to Strongzinburg City to start his own group. This was the beginning of the Black Diamond. Eventually, he died of some sort of medical condition and left his leader position to the twins. That was around eight or nine years ago.”
“Wow, I never thought you’d actually know so much about this.”
“You stick with the game this long and you learn a thing or two. Those higher-ups are bad news too. Sure if you join a group like this you expect a certain lifestyle for yourself, but it shouldn't directly cause civilians any harm. They’re just trying to live ordinary lives. Gil does a really good job of ensuring that civilians aren’t getting mixed up in our business, but The Black Diamond is different. They recruit more people with less morals. They teach them to kill without reason. Those higher-ups don’t give any care to anyone else but themselves. Their greed for money and power is too strong. They might even destroy the entire city underneath themselves just to get what they want. Gil sees The Organization as a business. He knows you can’t run a business without customers and a product to sell or a service to provide.”
“Gil really goes through all that trouble just to help offset some of what the Black Diamond does?”
“Yep. Gil actually cares for the city. He’s like an underground mayor or something like that,” GM said with a chuckle. “The Organization actually developed in response to the creation of the Black Diamond.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked MC, with more than a bit of curiosity in his voice.
“When the elder Sakamoto created the Black Diamond it was total chaos in the city. Their group ran rampant doing whatever they wanted. They were just small enough for the city not to declare them a major threat, but also just large enough for people to look over their shoulder when going out alone after dark. That’s when the original leader of The Organization decided to create an opposing group to offset what they were doing. He hired security like we saw back at the convenience store. He also organized teams to go out at night and fight against the Black Diamond. This didn’t come cheap though. Paying people to go out and street fight was far from free. It was funded by a few local politicians who recognized how much damage the Black Diamond was doing. If they were able to secure high ranking political positions there’d be nothing for them to be part of if the Black Diamond kept up what it was doing. Eventually they all either left the city or secured their wanted positions and forgot about The Organization. That’s when our leader was forced to turn to some of the less ideal ways of paying and maintaining the business. Underground casinos, drug dealing, goods smuggling, stock manipulation, you name it. But even still, we try to do only what we have to. The less negative influence it has on the city the better.”
The rest of their ride was quiet as GM chain smoked cigarettes and sped down the road. “This next one should be the last stop on the list for today. This place is a restaurant that The Organization uses as a trade route for certain items. It’s right on the edge of friendly territory. Just a block down from where the Black Diamond trade routes start. Just so you know, there has been increasing tension in that area lately. Shadows seem to move around in the back alleys if you catch my drift.”
“Do you think it will go as smoothly as the other collections?” asked MC.
“If all goes well, then yes. It’s been a month since I’ve been over here and a lot can change in that amount of time. I’m a little worried about this place to be honest.”
A few minutes later they were parked and exiting the car. GM walked up to a restaurant decorated with bright red Chinese dragon statues and opened the door. Inside people sat all around and ate. Small talk and quiet music created a friendly atmosphere. MC noticed the delightful smells of different foods. GM walked up to the ordering counter and asked to speak with the manager. A waitress went into the back of the restaurant and came back out with the manager trailing behind. He wore business slacks and a polo shirt that hung around the edges of his thin neck. Sweat ran down from his short dark hair. “GM, it is so nice to see you,” said the manager nervously with a thick asian accent.
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“Are you doing ok? You look a bit pale,” said GM. “Uh, yes. I am doing fine. I would like to have a word with you in the back if that’s ok?”
“Sure thing. I hope you don't mind if my associate comes along.”
“Please, all are welcome,” he said with a nod.
The three went into the back of the restaurant and walked through the kitchen where several people cooked amazing smelling foods. The manager opened a door to a small office room. It was messy and cramped. A small desk was coated with a lamp, piles of papers in folders, and a laptop. It was rather dark in the room as well. A much different atmosphere than the rest of the restaurant had provided. The man sat in a chair behind the desk and put his face in his hands.
“I’m guessing you have some bad news for me,” said GM.
“I am sorry, GM. I have been threatened.” The manager spoke with nervousness in his eyes. “The Black Diamond people came in threatening to hurt me and the business if I didn't cooperate. They took all of the money. You have always been good to us. We have run a steady deal for years now, but these people are trying to come in here and take everything away from me. I know we do bad things, keeping and selling suspicious items here, but this is something that we never expected.”
“So that’s what’s going on. See, MC I told you that something like this might happen eventually. What a pain,” said GM with a sigh. MC wasn’t sure what to say so he just remained silent.
“You care if I smoke in here?” GM asked, pulling out a pack of smokes.
“Good idea,” said the manager pulling out his own pack of cigarettes from the desk drawer. Smoke quickly hotboxed the small office.
GM crossed his arms. “So, when are these Black Diamond guys coming back?”
“They come almost every day just after we close and knock on the back door. They said if we don't pay them every day they will break the door down and destroy our kitchen!”
“Perfect, I was getting a bit bored lately. I could go for a good ass kicking today. It’s time to put your training to the test, MC.”
MC felt a pit in his stomach. He’d never been in a real fight before. He’d been working out and training a lot which had whipped him into the best shape of his life, but still there was a difference between being strong and being able to apply that strength to a fight.
The manager escorted GM and MC back to the main part of the restaurant and provided them both with heaping plates of food. They hung out and waited until closing time at the restaurant.
All of the patrons, servers, and cooks had gone home. Only the manager, MC, and GM remained.
Not long after, there was a knock on the back door.
“That’s them!” said the manager, already beginning to panic.
“Don't worry, we’re going to take care of them. You just wait here. Let’s go, MC.”
“Right.”
GM opened the back door. Three rough looking thugs stood before him.
“Who the hell are you?” one of them asked with confusion on his face.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” replied GM. “I’m GM. Who might you be?”
“We’re the motha fuckin Black Diamond, bitch,” he said with a grin. “Where’s the manager? I need to talk to him.”
“I’m sorry, but the manager is too busy to deal with the likes of you. You see, he’d told us that the Black Diamond has been coming here and taking his money. Money that belongs to The Organization. But what I’m now realizing is that you’re not Black Diamond. You don't even have the stupid diamond tattoo that they all have.”
“What of it? You think you know everything, gramps?” His two buddies chuckled behind him.
“You see, my associate and I are members of The Organization and we’re here today to ask you to stop taking our money. If you’re willing to cooperate, by leaving this poor establishment alone, we’ll call it even. Just don't ever come back here again.”
“Hell, nah. I’m not listening to some old…”
GM punched the thug square in the face so fast that MC could barely tell he’d moved. The thug stumbled back and fell on his butt in the middle of the alley. His two buddies backed up a bit. GM and MC stepped out into the alley and shut the door behind them.
“That’s it. You’re a dead man!” Yelled the thug, getting up with an already swelling eye.”
“Have it your way,” said GM, taking his coat off and dropping it onto the ground. “MC you handle the guy on the left. I’ll take mister big mouth and the one on the right.”
They split off into the alley. MC wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. Sounds of beating came from behind him where GM was already unleashing a great pounding on those two. The Black Diamond member didn't seem nervous at all. He had a slight grin like he’d been hoping for a fight like this. MC spread his foot stance and prepared to fight. The thug made the first move. He closed the gap between them with a lunge and punched MC in the stomach. MC hunched over gasping for air just to meet a knee to the face. He backed up holding his stomach. The pain was more severe than he’d imagined. I can’t do this. There’s no way I can beat him.
“Is that really all you’re good for, not even worth calling you a punching bag,” said the thug.
He’s right. I can't actually fight someone. I’ll just hold out until GM finishes with those two and comes to help me.
The thug came in again. MC ducked down and covered his face and stomach the best he could with his fists up. He was at least going to take on a defensive posture if he was going to hold out. He blocked a punch and then another. His feet slid back on the crumbling pavement.
“GM, a little help here!” He yelled, but GM was too enthralled in beating the pulp out of the other two. “This is your chance to shine! Show me all that training you’ve been doing hasn’t been a waste!” he yelled over his shoulder.
I guess I have no choice. I’m going to have to step up. He’s right after all, if I plan on taking out Jin, I’m going to have to face this and get a lot stronger. The thug came for MC again. MC threw a punch. They both collided, hitting each other in the face at the same time. They both staggered back and caught their balance. I did it. I landed a punch! Pain overwhelmed him and his eyes watered.
The Black Diamond thug quickly recovered despite now having a crooked nose that was starting to leak blood. “You’re gonna pay for that,” he growled.
MC took a deep breath and gained his fighting stance back. “Let’s do this.” MC waited until an attack came at him. It was a right hook. He shifted his weight and put his left arm up to parry the attack and then unleashed an uppercut under his enemy’s chin, but he completely missed. His opponent quickly took charge of the fight again with a flurry of punches. MC had no choice but to start backing away while trying his best to block the attacks. He stumbled back and fell over onto the ground. The Black Diamond member jumped onto him and kept the punches coming. MC felt more pain with each blow. He put his arms up to protect himself, but it didn't do much good.
GM had just finished his fight. One of his targets was groaning on the ground and he had the other one in his hands. He held him by the seat of his jeans and the back of his shirt and tossed him down the alley like a bag of potatoes. He skidded and rolled on the hard concrete. GM hurried over to MC and grabbed the enemy off of him. He executed a quick punch to the jaw, knocking him out instantly.
MC laid on the ground trying not to succumb to the pain. It was worse than he imagined it would be.
“Alright you wannabe Black Diamond wimps, get up off the ground and get the hell out of here,” said GM. “If you’re ever caught on our block again you’ll get a beating twice as bad.”
The three thugs slowly got up and started running away down the alley. Once they were out of sight MC finally felt like he could relax a little. His body hurt like it never had before. It was sharp throbbing pain. Not something he was used to. He looked up at GM. There wasn't a scratch on him. Amazing.
“Looks like we did it, kid,” said GM. “The training you’ve been doing really has paid off. When you first moved into the clubhouse you never would have been able to take one of those guys.”
“What are you talking about?” said MC sitting up and wiping the blood off his lip. “That guy totally clobbered me.”
“That’s true, but you landed a solid punch on him. Stronger than the average person that’s for sure. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. He was half finished when I got to him.”
“Let’s go let the manager know those guys won't be bothering him anymore and then we’ll get you home and patched up.”
They went inside and explained to the manager that they had taught those lowly thugs a lesson. The manager was so happy he was almost in tears. He must have been concerned about this for days. “Thank you, GM. You have always been good to us. We might do some bad things, but without The Organization and the ability to do this, our restaurant wouldn't be able to make enough money to feed our families.”
“It’s alright. Rest easy, friend. I’ll see you again next month. If anything happens this month just call me. I’ll come right on down and settle things. Those wannabe Black Diamond punks shouldn’t be back.
“Thank you thank you!” said the manager with his hands pressed together.
MC and GM walked in the door to the clubhouse. MC’s bottom lip had swollen to several times the size it should have been despite keeping a bag of ice on it that the manager had given him on the way out of the restaurant. The skin around both of his eyes was already starting to bruise too.
“Geez, MC what happened to you?” asked Sora.
“MC got in his first fight is what happened! And he almost won too!” announced GM.
MC shrugged and nodded, “Almost winning isn’t much to brag about, but I guess it went better than it could have.”
“You can celebrate later. Let’s get you some more ice. Looks like that bag is mostly melted,” said Sora.
“You guys have fun. I’m going out,” said GM.
“Already?” asked MC.
“Yep, we had a long day. I’m ready for a drink… or three.” GM opened the front door. “Good work out there today,” he said before leaving.
MC went and sat on the couch with his head back. Sora brought him a fresh bag of ice and sat with him.
“So how do you feel?” she asked.
“About what?”
“About today.”
“I feel pain. Today was mostly a failure on my part. I still need to get stronger. More experienced. However, today was one small step closer to being strong enough to get my revenge. I only took on one person while GM took on two by himself. He’s still much stronger than me. I need to be even more powerful than him if I’m going to be able to complete my revenge. Makes me wish I took karate lessons or boxing when I was younger. It’s been so hard starting from scratch, having never been in a real fight or anything like that before.”
“The fact that you made it out alive definitely shows something. It may not have been the victory you were hoping for, but it seems like it’s a step towards the way you want to go.”
Sora went back to her video games that she’d been playing when they’d returned home and MC just laid down on the couch too tired to move much. He drifted off to the noise of a blaring fighting game. In contrast to the day, it was a peaceful, relaxing evening.