I’m at the bar today because Gwen had been beating on our boy and he’d finally had enough. I give credit for having the resolve not to do anything back to the girl for so long as he describes but you can’t blame me, a man, from the streets to be called in by those streets to enact a bit of vigilante justice. It’s better this way. No cops, no judges, no records outside of the minds of the community. She shapes up she leaves, she can start anew away from her or she’s learned her lesson and straightens up or she’s been warned and now she gets the find out in full force. 

I’m not really all that into the concept but I’m a product of my environment and in order to maintain within this society I have to adhere to my expected duties or else face the consequences of my actions. Like her. Like anyone else. You must infiltrate and disarm the enemy from within if you are to change it for the better and I am the better made to do the worst at this moment. 

Obviously, the whole thing is wracking at my conscience. You see I want to become a doctor. I want to save people and protect them from injury, both afflictions from self and external. Such as people like me. I’m also a gifted boxer. I don’t want to sound too self indulgent but gifted being modest. I know when I get into that ring I will win. Every time. Without fail because I put in the work and I understand the minutia so completely that it seems almost unfair. That and I can take a beating because of the life I’ve lived growing up in the streets.

Once again the streets. A debt I owe and a debt I intend to pay to uphold this system. Because if I can’t change it then I need the mechanisms in place for someone else to have a chance to. Just because I proved to be insufficient doesn’t mean my better won’t prove to be just that down the line. So I’ve to hold the line and keep faith. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway when I’m conscripted into this sort of nonsense. This sort of political intrigue. It’s not me. I’m simply following the order of the land. God forgive me.

That said here we are in the basement of the local saloon. me and a crew assembled from the block. The block being our dominion we’ve cut out for ourselves in this inner city jungle. It’s not the safest city and probably because of this type of shit but this type of shit is happening and so I need to be armed or victim. I am not ready to climb onto my cross I’ve plans to change the word for the better before that moment. I’ve still things that must be done. I don’t have the accommodation of being gods only son and resurrection into heaven. I may very well go to hell at this moment for my sins might far outweigh my good in the long run I cannot know. So I have to hold the line. Push forward. Endure till I get my opportunity.

“Forbes, I said this bitch better understand she isn’t gonna get away with putting hands on my cousin.” Felicia states outloud nudging Forbes back into the moment.

“No she isn’t.” Forbes replies deadpan. Looking through Gwen as much as at her. Gwen is an old friend. Went to the same private school as Forbes. A catholic school nestled in the middle of the ghetto. We’ve principles and standards and she knows them. They’ve been burned into her mind through hours of education. Do not steal, do not commit adultery, respect your others, do not beat you’re significant other… fortify yourself man. The girls will handle this, you're just here to make sure it doesn’t get too far out of hand. Scare her not scar her. 

But if she gets one in too good on one of your cousins then all bets are off and you gotta let her know. She did this to herself. She should have never laid hands on Donavan. He’s no saint but he doesn’t beat his women and he doesn’t deserve to have his women beat him. Not when we’re around. We can’t look weak. Not in this town. It’s the same everywhere. The meek are taken advantage of and thus the community has to keep them in line. Police and government aren’t the community. They’re outside hands keeping us down. Manipulating things for their own benefit. The less they’re involved in the less of the pie we have to give up. A lesser of two evils. A lesser of two evils. 

For we are an oppressed people and we cannot afford weakness within the ranks. Just scare her straight and in time she’ll give us the opportunity to forgive her and come back into the fold. 

“I never hit him. I never lifted a finger to that man. I don’t know what he’s been telling you it’s all lies. You know me. I’ve been here and I’ve been at home and I’ve been at school. Corin’s been gone we’ve been alone. I didn’t do it.” Gwen confesses to us. 

She’s trying to muddle the argument. Trying to make us question the truth to hide her lies. Yeah, Corin is gone but what does Corin have to do with it? Corin is an asshole. Like his friends Tye, Locke and Brent. We ran together for a minute but they’re the white birds in a sea of crows and flew off once able to join their flock leaving all of us behind to deal with reality. If Corin were here she’d have run to him and them and it’d of become something even worse no doubt. It’s a blessing they weren’t here. I fear no man but I’m not stupid. 

They couldn’t beat me in a fight and their plans I feel as if I can outmaneuver them easily enough. It’s just that plans can go to shit and then we get into throwing dice to see how things fall out. Chance as it were. And I know out of everyone I’ve ever known. Corin is a lucky bastard.

A friend, once, almost a best of friends. But that was years ago and he’s not here. She is his step sister. Thus she is familied into this bar. But nobody is above the law from me to President of the United fucking states and justice has to be served. So here we are… Donovan would never hit his girl. Would never lie about her being abusive. He’d do a great many things but he isn’t gonna do that. Would he? Would he?

“This bitch thinks we’re gonna believe her lies you can confess and get what’s coming to you Gwenith’ or you can lie and make it worse for yourself.” Felicia states putting emphasis on Gwen’s name.

“I’m telling the truth.”

“You’re truth.” Lauren inserts. Lauren is Felicia’s best friend and neighbor growing up. She’s here to make sure Felicia doesn’t get in over her head too. We’ve got each other's backs. Reluctantly or not. 

“Lies!” Felicia yells back. The basement is cramp. There is a stairwell that leads down to a 90% turn that opens up into the underside of the pub. The fixings and tubes come out form the floor above into bags of juices and syrups which are on shelves that line the walls. There is a cooler door entrance. In the middle of it and a chair and table before it. On either side are stacks of different types of liquor and product for the pub. 

The floor is cement and lazily poured shifting to a center before the cooler door entrance were there sits a drain. Water can be heard dripping into it at all hours of the day and the sound of bottles coming down the bottle shoot adjacent to the cooler is unused at the moment. Otherwise it’d be in full throng. It’s early morning after all just before opening. We’ve slipped in to say hello to our friend after all. 

“If Corin was here you wouldn’t be pulling this shit right now.” Gwen pleiades.

To which I reply “Corin isn’t here.”

“Is he?” a voice from above sounds out. From the stair well behind us. Now we’re trapped. As four figures come lumbering down the beaten wooden stairs of the corner pub. Stalking in lead by one Tye Lancaster, Locke Clovis, Brent Obryan and Corin Orion.

“Is he?” Tye repeats as he walks in eyeing everyone in the room. It’s now me(Forbes), Felicia, Lauren, and my boys Tony and Orlando. Two big guys on there own, intimidating figures but somehow made small befor the giant that is Brent. We came without charge today. There was no intention of blood being spilled so everyone was told to leave their weapons and devices at home. It was going to just be an intimidation and if need be a slight physical altercation between the girls. Now tho…

“What’s going on here?” Corin cuts through the crowd and positions himself before Gwen and all of us. Tye, Locke and Brent stand by the exit. Waiting.

“We came here to remind your sister she’s got something. Coming putting hands on my family.” Felicia states. Good save let’s go. 

“Gwen doesn’t hit people.” Corin replies before being hit in the back of the head by Gwen. A loud oof is heard.

“Where have you been you idiot?!” Gwen exclaims. 

She seems all the more guilty to me right now. Just saying. 

“Ow, what the fuck Gwen?! I just got into town we’re planning on throwing a kegger. I’m here to pick up booze I already paid for it. There here to help me haul it out.” Corin rambles out pointing to his crew at the base of the stairs. “Look, see I got the truck” Corin finishes arms up with truck keys dangling in hand. The truck being a Ford Ranger, the smallest truck I’ve ever seen but it gets the job done. I’ve actually drove the damn thing with him when we were in highschool for a party. 

I can’t help but smirk. Gotta wash that off my face though fast cuase this is a serious situation. 

“Forbes?” I hear Tye call out. “What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you had like some kinda fight to be getting ready for? Why are you harassing women?”

I shrink a little at the accusation. The affiliation. I don’t hit women I don’t harass them. I’m here to make sure my hey don’t get too out of pocket. Donovan is making me be here.

“I’m here cuz your girl fucked up putting hands on our guy Donovan.” I reply. 

“Donovan? You mean the Donovan we used to beat up for money at Endris park? That Donovan?” Tye replies.

“Yeah, well, times change and you’ve been gone.” I reply back. This idiot “mother fucker don’t you act dumb you know Gwen’s been dating Donovan for like that last two years now.”

“What? You’ve been dating Donavan?! Gwen?! Why!? Donavan?! Really?! But why?!” Tye screams going into a tirade over in thre corner. The corner for our escape from this debacle. I guess he didn’t know. They’ve been gone for a long time. I guess the stories were true. They really did cut ties with everyone. They have no idea what’s been happening back home. No idea what’s gone down…

“We have a crew out here now.” Felicia inserts and throws up he affiliations before them. “Since you’ve been gone Donovan set something up on the block and things are going smoothly. Gwen thought she could do whatever she liked cause Don had his eyes on her. She thought wrong.” 

Felicia gets into Tye’s face at this “she thought she could put hands on Donny and get away with it. He doesn’t have the heart to hit a girl back he let her go but she hurt him and I’m not gonna let it slide.”

“Wo wo wo, look lady. I don’t give a shit about what Donovan has been up to I just back from my trip and I’m not even living in this shit anymore. I came for booze but I didn’t come here to watch Gwen get assaulted by a bunch of goons of some kid I picked on in middle school with your boy over there.” Tye says back.

Everyone is now looking at me. Shit. It’s not a lie. How did this all happen? I didn’t want power I was just there. I left it out in the open and someone else took it. That someone else being Donovan. For good reason we were idiots back then. Kids. Raised in a concrete jungle. You’ve got to give us time to civilize right?

“He doesn’t know we’re here. We’re here to remind Gwen that she can’t put hands on people and expect to get away from it here. She can expect to get slapped back.” I state. 

“Oh shit. Logic. Gotcha. Hmmmmmm” Tye replies as he scratches his chin. I’m reminded of his father. Money Lancaster in this moment and I hate it. 

“So you’re saying your a lap dog of some gang banger now hustling my best friends sister cuz she doesn’t like him anymore?” Tye replies. 

“I’m saying we’re here to remind her that she can’t be putting hands on people without expecting a reaction.”

“Got it.” Tye replies as Locke and Brent shift in place and my Guys do the same. 

“How about this? How about you come down to our new place tonight and have drinks with us and we settle everything like civilized people. We’re throwing a party. Were back from our adventure.” Tye finishes.

“Did you find anything?” Forbes shoots.

“Yeah, we did.” Tye responds.

“Did you bring it back?” Forbes continues.

“No. We didn’t.” Tye finishes.

“So you came back empty handed then?” Forbes declares.

“We left it there because it had to stay. We're here now.” Tye replies.

I really have never liked Tye. It’s the eyes. They’ve got something in them. I don’t trust him. He consumes. He’s untrustworthy. He isn’t someone to give leadership to and yet here he is leading the crew again and here is Corin passively letting it happen. Nothing has changed.

“What we get we share you know?” I state out loud. 

“I remember.” Tye replies. “So tonight come by the new place on campus. Sense gonna throw a party to celebrate. I’ll tell you what’s happened.”

Felicia is getting pissed at all of this. She begins to speak but I stop her. Put my hand to her mouth to shush her and nudge my guys to leave. They all leave the area and it’s just me and Lancaster standing in this basement alone. 

“You’re not gonna believe what we found.” Tye whispers into my ear. 

“Yeah well, you’re gonna have to show me then.” 

“Deal.” Tye states and we shake hands and move off. Tonight there will be a party cuz one of our crew has come home and they’ve found something. I’m not gonna tell Donovan yet. I want to see what it is first. Then make a decision.  Just us, me(Forbes), Felicia, Lauren, Jon and Jax. That’s enough to judge what’s going on. 

The mission has changed. I can’t say I’m not happy. I don’t want to see violence. Violence is a last option sort of thing and everyone here is family. It’s not good to have that sort of thing in the house. That sort of thing is for the streets.

Intermission.1.1.1 Money