Scars Ch. 2
#2 of Scars
Lucan was raised in a guild as an assassin at a young age along with his brother, Drake. After breaking one of the guild's laws, Lucan ran away and sought out by the guild's leader, Conway. After being saved from homelessness by a friendly Dingo named Chris. He tries to protect his new-found friends against his former family.
Scars Ch. 2
Patrick stands at the doorway, speechless, as I sit at the couch watching TV. Patrick tries saying something, but quickly closes his mouth. Chris walks out of his bedroom and is quickly grabbed by Patrick and pulled back into the bedroom.
"What the fuck is he still doing here!?" Patrick whispered, furiously.
"I couldn't just kick him out," Chris said. "He'll just starve to death again."
"There's a thing called a fucking homeless shelter!" Patrick said. "You know what this means dude?"
"Oh fuck Patrick," Chris said sarcastically. "Whatever does it mean?"
"He is gonna leech off you now dude," Patrick said. "Now that he lives here, he's gonna milk ya dry."
I'm sitting on the couch watching TV. On the TV is some kind of news report on a shooting in a mall. The more I stay in this city, the more I realize how dangerous it is. However, that's not what I'm focused on right now. I can easily hear the conversation Patrick and Chris are having in the other room.
I hear Patrick arguing to Chris about me living here, I also hear Chris argue back saying he can't just kick me out. Chris set up a bed for me on the couch using one of the pillows from his bed along with a blanket Chris had in his closet.
I then hear Patrick ask Chris if Chris is going to invite any more hobos in to his home followed by Chris calling Patrick an asshole. I didn't think my presence here would make anyone angry; guess that's something I should get used to.
I stand up as the door to Chris's bedroom swings open. Patrick walks out with a defeated look on his face.
"Um...hi Patrick," I said.
"Hi Lucas," Patrick said. "I gotta head to work now, see ya."
"It's Luc...," the door closes before I can finish. Chris walks out as well, a happier, less defeated look on his face.
"Hey Lucan," Chris called over.
"Hi Chris," I said. "Um...Patrick."
"I guess you heard that, he he," Chris laughed, a bit nervous. "He'll come around, buy him some weed and he'll treat you like a brother."
"Weed?" I said confused.
"Yeah," Chris said. "Pot, Cannabis, Marijuana, the special medicine."
I just shrug as Chris gives me a confused look. "I've never heard of it."
"Never?" Chris asked, shocked.
"Never," I said.
"Well then Lucan, stay close to Patrick and you'll learn what weed is fast," Chris said. "Anyway, a few of Patrick's friends are coming over for poker, you wanna join?"
"Poker?" I said. "Sure, I know how to play."
"Good," Chris said walking to the kitchen. "I'm making brunch, you want some?"
"Sure," I said following Chris into the kitchen.
Tonya walks through a corridor, her hands curled into fists. She gets to a door and swiftly slides it open. She walks into a room; in the middle, a raccoon sits cross-legged, his eyes closed. Tonya walks over to him.
"Conway!" Tonya barks. "I demand to know who you sent to get Lucan."
"You demand?" Conway asks, not moving an inch. "Such a horrible way to talk to your leader."
"Now Conway!" Tonya asked again. "Who did you send to kill Lucan?"
"What will you do with the information given to you?" Conway asks. "You can't save him Tonya; Lucan will die for his crimes."
"Crimes," Tonya said with disgust. "What he did was what every person does."
"But it is not what WE do," Conway said. "Now I ask again, what will you do with the information given to you?"
"I just want to know," Tonya said.
"If you just said that then I would have told you sooner," Conway said. "I sent Oliver Rydell."
"You sent Ollie?" Tonya asked surprised.
"Any...problems?" Conway asked.
"No sir," Tonya asked. "I'll be leaving then."
"You are excused," Conway said. Tonya walks out of the room and closes the door. Conway breaths softly, then opens his eyes.
"Two Queens," Patrick grinned as he laid his cards on the table. We were all sitting at Chris's dining table. I was sitting next to Chris and Patrick, with us was two of Patrick's friends, a horse named R.J and a goat named Eddie.
"Well I got jack shit," Eddie smacks his cards on the table.
"Two Kings," R.J said, leaning back in his chair, a cigarette in his mouth. Chris looks at his hand and sighs loudly, and then lays his cards down.
"I lost," Chris sighs. Everyone looks at me now, their eyes focused on the cards in my hand.
"Well dude," Patrick said. "Let's see your hand."
I lay my cards face up; Patrick's eyes go wide as I show my cards.
"Royal Flush," I said. "I think that means I win."
"Holy shit," Eddie said in astonishment.
"Fuck!" R.J said angrily.
"Dumb luck," Patrick said as I took the pile of chips.
After the game was over, we just sat around watching a movie. Patrick, Eddie, and R.J were passing around a joint, talking about a basketball game that was yesterday. Chris and me were the only one actually watching the movie, Zorro.
Chris is talking to me about the first time he saw this movie in theater as a kid, but I am not listening. It's not because I don't care what he's talking about, I'm just so absorbed in the movie. The way Zorro fights off those men, the way he moves his sword, it's almost the same way...
"Lucan," Chris puts his hand on my shoulder. I snap back to reality, I look at Chris and see a worried look on his face. "You okay man?"
"Yeah I'm okay," I said.
"You ain't getting contact high from us are ya?" Eddie asked.
"No," I said.
"Okay then," Patrick said smoking the joint. He takes the joint out of his mouth and lets out a stream of smoke into the air. "You should try this Lucas, it's fucking great."
"Please allow me to have one sober friend," Chris said.
"Fine," Patrick said with a loud sigh. "Hey Chris, you got any drinks dude?"
"If its booze you want I don't have any," Chris said. "You want water instead?"
"Sure," Patrick said. Chris stands up, walks over to the kitchen, and opens the fridge.
"Fuck," Chris said. "We're out of water."
"You fucking serious!?" Patrick called out. Chris slams the fridge shut and walks back to the group.
"I'm not in the mood to walk all the way to the store just to get you stoners some water," Chris said. "You'll have to go get it yourself."
"We're too fucking high to go to the store," Eddie said, his eyes have become completely bloodshot. R.J and Patrick's eyes looked similar.
"I'll go," I said standing up.
"Lucan are you sure?" Chris asked. "You don't even know where the store is."
"Give me the street address and I'll find it," I said.
"It's on Kennedy Blvd," Chris said. "Just a few blocks away. The store is called Food Zoo."
"I'll be back," I said walking to the door.
"Wait," Chris said walking to me. "You almost forgot the money."
"Oh, sorry," I said as Chris handed me the cash. I opened the door and left.
Chris walks back to the living room and sits down. Patrick takes another hit of the joint. "Hey, did Lucas leave already; I also want him to get me a bottle of vodka."
"Fuck off Patrick," Chris said.
I walk out of the front of the apartment, I glance at the alleyway I was just a day or two ago starving to death. I don't know how I can thank Chris enough; I guess getting water from the store is a good start.
I cross the street and continue walking. On top of a roof, a figure watches me, tossing a knife in the air and then catching it.
"There's our lost pup," the man said in an Australian accent. The man jumps off the roof onto the ground. I walk down the block all the way to Kennedy Blvd. Low and behold, I find the store, it's old, decaying sign on the front.
I walk up and smell a foul odor. I look around and brush it off as a common thing in this city. I get to the door and it opens automatically. A sudden gust of foul odor comes over me as the door opens. I cover my muzzle and scan the area.
The aisles are chaotic, the floors are muddy, and the people at the cash register look dead. I walk in, still holding my nose with my paw. I get to where the water bottles are located. I pick up a 12 bottle pack and take it to the register.
The woman uses her boney hands to slide the pack of water bottles across the scanner. "That'll be $6.50," the woman grumbled. I handed the woman the money and took off with the waters. I get out into the parking lot.
"Your along way from home little pup," a familiar voice called out. I drop the waters and turn around frantically in all directions.
"Who's there!?" I asked.
"Someone has been a very bad boy," the voice said again. A knife is suddenly thrown at me; I catch it and flip the handle into my hand.
"The element of surprise was never your strong suit was it Ollie," I said. "Always opening your mouth before the kill."
"Your one to talk ya little runt," Ollie calls out.
"Get your Australian ass out here and face me like a man," I challenged.
"I'm already here mate," Ollie whispers in my ear. I slash the knife behind me; Ollie jumps back with ease, an irritating smirk on his face. "So this is what the great Lucan Gates has become, hmm. I can see why Conway has out for you, seeing how you're such a bloody embarrassment to the guild."
"I'm not part of the guild anymore Ollie," I snapped.
"Oh no mate," Ollie smirked. "Once a mercenary, always a mercenary."
"I'm not a mercenary," I growled.
"Oh but you are a murderer," Ollie said. "I may have lost count on myself, but you. I know how many you've killed."
I throw the knife at his head; Ollie catches the knife inches from his face. "Did I touch a nerve," Ollie smirks.
"Get out of here Ollie," I order, angrily. "We may have been friends back at the guild, but I won't hesitate to kill you right here."
Ollie laughs. "How would ya kill me without a bloody weapon?" Ollie laughs. "Face it; you're not getting out of this alive mate."
"Neither are you," I threaten, I get into a battle-like stance.
"You're really serious about facing me?" Ollie asks. "Alright then mate, it's YOUR funeral."