08-24-2015, 03:15 PM
A quick look in both directions and- hand's jammed into his pockets and hoodie up- he started off across the street at an angle. The sun was bright for this time of year but it felt good. This place didn't exactly smell of roses but it wasn't bad, especially after all the rain they'd been getting. Maybe spring was coming early.
Bottom line was that with the sun out and shining- albeit weakly- he felt good and refreshed. Tatyana had helped. He snorted. Funny how just a bit of kindness went a long way. Made a man feel all kinds of special inside, even. It was about time too. He still had a lot of trouble to avoid. But it would blow over. It had to. He'd prolly even get stuff sorted out with Roman. One way or another anyway. That sun was doing wonders on him, it seemed.
Once across the street, he headed up the way to where scaffolding from some maintenance work over-hung the street. He didn't really feel like moving back in the shadows where it was noticeably colder but he didn't need to be stupid either. He still needed to be careful.
Turning up an alley in between the scaffolding, he walked among the construction junk and papers and general shit that seemed to be in all alleys. Definitely colder here. He extended his senses listening as he walked. Nice spot to get jumped. A few places he'd have hidden in were up ahead. After a moment, he prayed and the power flooded him. Despite the cold he felt warm inside. It wasn't just the power. The Virgin hadn't abandoned him yet. She was still with him. Nobody could surprise him now.
He heard ragged breathing and stopped, listening carefully. For some reason he could tell it was a woman. It was coming from behind one of the dumpsters up ahead. He wove fire and carefully walked closer, every fiber of him ready to react.
He peeked around the metal and saw a woman in a white shirt- well it had been white- crouched and trying to hide her tears. She looked scared and angry. But most of all, she looked jacked up. He'd seen girls get jacked before. It was part of life in their neighborhood.. You talked to much or spoke out of turn or whatever and you'd maybe get back-handed or something. Anybody could expect that. But some women seemed to get it worse than most.
You had to mind your own business, of course. You couldn't become the police. But he made sure none of the guys her mom was with did that to her. It had only happened once, when he was 13. And when Bas had seen her busted lip and black-eye and limp, that was all it took. The guy never knew what hit him when he jumped him that night. Two by four to the knees put him down hard with legs that now bent in entirely the wrong direction. And then Bas stopped being all gentle-like and went to town on him, making sure the guy stayed awake and could see his face and knew what this was for. The guy never walked again and had to drink out of a straw for a year. By then Bas was a full member of his crew and any runs at him meant severe retaliation. But after that, no man touched his mom like that again.
This woman had gotten banged up hard, and recently. He could smell the blood on her, the grease in her hair and on her clothes. None of his business.
But he didn't move. She was older than him and didn't look weak. But there was fear in her eyes- fear and terror. Whoever did this to her had to be massive. He liked women with fire and spirit. It just wasn't right to beat that out of one.
Damn it Bas, what are you doing? You've got your own problems! No argument there. But he felt that power flowing through him, felt the warmth of the Holy Mother's smile on him. She had given his respite, mercy. He could do something at least.
"Hey. You ok?"
Stupid question but it was pretty standard for this situation. See what she needed. And what he was willing to give.
Bottom line was that with the sun out and shining- albeit weakly- he felt good and refreshed. Tatyana had helped. He snorted. Funny how just a bit of kindness went a long way. Made a man feel all kinds of special inside, even. It was about time too. He still had a lot of trouble to avoid. But it would blow over. It had to. He'd prolly even get stuff sorted out with Roman. One way or another anyway. That sun was doing wonders on him, it seemed.
Once across the street, he headed up the way to where scaffolding from some maintenance work over-hung the street. He didn't really feel like moving back in the shadows where it was noticeably colder but he didn't need to be stupid either. He still needed to be careful.
Turning up an alley in between the scaffolding, he walked among the construction junk and papers and general shit that seemed to be in all alleys. Definitely colder here. He extended his senses listening as he walked. Nice spot to get jumped. A few places he'd have hidden in were up ahead. After a moment, he prayed and the power flooded him. Despite the cold he felt warm inside. It wasn't just the power. The Virgin hadn't abandoned him yet. She was still with him. Nobody could surprise him now.
He heard ragged breathing and stopped, listening carefully. For some reason he could tell it was a woman. It was coming from behind one of the dumpsters up ahead. He wove fire and carefully walked closer, every fiber of him ready to react.
He peeked around the metal and saw a woman in a white shirt- well it had been white- crouched and trying to hide her tears. She looked scared and angry. But most of all, she looked jacked up. He'd seen girls get jacked before. It was part of life in their neighborhood.. You talked to much or spoke out of turn or whatever and you'd maybe get back-handed or something. Anybody could expect that. But some women seemed to get it worse than most.
You had to mind your own business, of course. You couldn't become the police. But he made sure none of the guys her mom was with did that to her. It had only happened once, when he was 13. And when Bas had seen her busted lip and black-eye and limp, that was all it took. The guy never knew what hit him when he jumped him that night. Two by four to the knees put him down hard with legs that now bent in entirely the wrong direction. And then Bas stopped being all gentle-like and went to town on him, making sure the guy stayed awake and could see his face and knew what this was for. The guy never walked again and had to drink out of a straw for a year. By then Bas was a full member of his crew and any runs at him meant severe retaliation. But after that, no man touched his mom like that again.
This woman had gotten banged up hard, and recently. He could smell the blood on her, the grease in her hair and on her clothes. None of his business.
But he didn't move. She was older than him and didn't look weak. But there was fear in her eyes- fear and terror. Whoever did this to her had to be massive. He liked women with fire and spirit. It just wasn't right to beat that out of one.
Damn it Bas, what are you doing? You've got your own problems! No argument there. But he felt that power flowing through him, felt the warmth of the Holy Mother's smile on him. She had given his respite, mercy. He could do something at least.
"Hey. You ok?"
Stupid question but it was pretty standard for this situation. See what she needed. And what he was willing to give.