Battle in the Backstreets (all welcome)

[jaylucas]

Jay shrugged as she repeated the fact that he had said he was in the mafia. He knew a lot of people didn't like the fact that he had been in with them, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to help it. Hell, he had been the opposite of nearly everyone he had worked with. Why do you think they didn't want him any more?

He grinned, and nodded as she asked if he could drive a bike. "Yeah, I have two. Those are the first thing I learned how to drive, like, seven years ago." He told her. "But where am I supposed to be driving too?" He asked. On a bike, he could outrun any kind of vehicle you could throw at him, while trying to keep passengers from getting shot. He thought they'd be okay with him driving.

[ariamorgan]

"But where am I supposed to be driving too?" He asked.

“See this road?” Aria nodded to the roadway, which snaked around the outlets and warehouses. “I need you to follow it until we catch up with those rotten bastards. Their heading for the other side of those buildings. So if we hurry, we can catch them off before their clear.”

Aria got onto the back of her bike in a way that whilst Jay’s driving they would be back to back. Rifle ready in hand, she’d have a clear, speeding shot of her targets.

“I hate to put you in this position.” Aria took a moment. She didn’t normally get strangers involved, even if they were ex-mafia and could probably handle themselves. “But you’re all I got right now….I…uh…appreciate it. Now burn rubber!”

[jaylucas]

Jay nodded as she asked if he saw hte road, and then listened intently as she explained the plan. "Alright, sounds good." He said, hopping on the front of the bike, and starting it, quickly revving the engine. As soon as she was on, he took off as fast as the bike would allow.

He listened to what she was saying about hating to put him in a position like this, and saying she was grateful. "Eh. Don't worry about it. I'm used to this kinda shit." He said, keeping his eyes on hte road, looking around, looking for any ways to get to their destination quicker.

[ariamorgan]

The motorcycle curved around the clutter of buildings. It was easy to spot targets, just look for the men clambering over the chain link fences, armed to their teeth and dressed all in black. No originality.

Sitting at the back of the bike, Aria fired a burst upwards, punching two rounds through the aluminium sliding and the goon behind it. The shadowed figure convulsed and toppled clumsily. Squeezing the trigger once more, she took down his pal attempting to jump for cover a little to slow.

Aria yelped as the enemy returned fire as she and Jay sped past a narrow lane. The bike turned sharply enough for Aria to just miss a round to the head. There was a bark of semi-automatic fire and two figures rolled out behind a dumpster to gain a better vantage point. Aria scoped them, but racing over a pothole threw her aim wide.

“Shit!” She cursed.

[jaylucas]

Jay was able to keep calm, and concentrate, even as the pair was being shot at. It wasn't the first time he had been shot at, and if he got hit, it wouldn't the first time he had gotten shot. But, that didn't mean that Jay liked the idea of getting bullet shot at him by some people he had done nothing to.

"Hold on." Jay said loudly, noticing as the two people had rolled out behind them to get a shot at Aria. As soon as it was wide enough to turn around, Jay whipped hte bike around, and headed straight for them. He reach behind him, pulling out his pistol once again, keeping hte bike straight with one hand. As they headed for the two men, Jay took aim, and shot one of them in the head, and had a little less time for the other, so he shot him in the shoulder, figuring Aria could take care of the rest.

[ariamorgan]

“HeeeHaw, cowboy!” Aria shrieked. Her rifle raised high, gunning down the man with a bullet already lodged in his shoulder.

Suddenly there was a loud, subsonic bang of pressure as someone threw a grenade their way. The bike hurtled to its side from the shockwave. The sound of screeching metal erupted as the bike skidded across the tarmac.

My paintwork! Aria’s first thought was, before her body flew off the bike, into the air and landed in an awkward crumple by the sidewalk.

Aria groaned as her already painful leg was jostled back into agony. Her left arm now scratched to pieces like a bad fight with a pissy cat, and a cut to the eyebrow was beginning to bleed like a bitch.

“Urgh.” She grunted, trying to bring herself up onto her forearms but keeping low from the targets. “Jay you okay?”

[jaylucas]

Jay was really not expecting it when some douche bag threw a grenade at them. Suddenly, the bike was sliding down the pavement, and Jay had flown off, jamming his shoulder into a lightpole. "Son of a bitch!" Jay yelled, as he landed down on the sidewalk. He looked over to check and see if Aria was okay, and heard her ask if he was alright.

"Yeah, I'm all good." He said, loud enough for her to hear him. He grabbed his pistol from the ground beside him, and then reach behind him, pulling out his second one. This one was a bit more powerful, and would be more useful in this situation. His shoulder hurt like hell, but he could hopefully manage a gunfight before it got too bad.

Jay stood up, and hid behind the rather large pole. After a second, he peeked out from the side, and saw a man coming toward the pole. By the time the man got there, Jay sent his hand flying out from behind the pole, pistol whipping the guy in the forehead, then picking up his foot and kicking out one of the guy's knees.

That man fell to the ground, and Jay quickly turned, taking two shots at another man running toward him, and then taking cover behind his pole when shots started flying at him. When he looked back around the pole, the man he had shot at was on the ground, but there were a few otehr people with guns now.

[ariamorgan]

Aria swivelled her scope, hunting for a target, having seen Jay take down more men. But the road dust disturbed from the blast had spouted up into the air and clouded her view. Still, her eye never left the scope-sight. The paintworks warehouse to the right looked quiet and dark, but she was aware of the goon crouched behind the rubble further down the alley to its side.

A few seconds more and impatience got the better of the goon. Aria watched him move, just a brief flash of moonlight on the steel of his gun.

Aria retained her aim. Breathed and fired a well trained kill shot to his forehead.

Aria caught movement again, this time to the left by the collection of dumpsters. She breathed, squared and fired. The stinging white blast whipped down the alley and another black-clad figure was thrown backwards.

Immediately she rolled behind a bench and garbage can to take a new position. She was certain that the enemies knew her position, but there was no sense in advertising. She made this her new vantage and aimed again, the extended barrel of the sniper rifle peering out from behind the stinking rubbish.

Target ten metres away, somehow had got ontop of the roof of a neighbouring factory. Aria’s gun made a loud crack and the man rolled from the panel rooftops and down to the floor, no longer moving.

[jaylucas]

Jay had kept shooting, but also watching Aria take her shots at the dudes. She was good. Jay, and a few of his friends had been the only people he had known very good that could shoot like that. Jay, with his two little pistols, felt a bit overpowered. But, he figured it was best that Aria, having the injured leg, had something with a scope.

Pretty soon, either they would end up finally finishing off these guys, or they would have to get out of there. No question about it. They seemed to keep coming. Jesus christ, what had Aria done to piss someone off this much? Jay was used to people coming after him ,but damn.

[ariamorgan]

Aria spotted shadows coming from the paintworks warehouse, this time from the inside. She primed her rifle just in the nick of time to land the scope’s crossbar on a target peering out one of the second floor window and aiming the barrel of his gun in Jay’s direction. Within a millisecond his head exploded in a spray of blood and Aria replaced the ammo clip of her rifle.

If this was going to end, she was going to have to get in there and clear them out!

Aria made a limping sprint toward the building and clambered up a drain-spout, swinging into the second level window, her rifle dangling around her shoulders on its strap. Furious exchanges of fire continued outside, but from what Aria had seen so far she figured Jay could handle it. She’d owe him a drink or two by the time the night was over.

She went through a gauze-draped opening into the main office. The room was over-warm and dark, dressed in tacky bureau furniture and wall posters. Aria padded forward to investigate.

Suddenly a girl crawled out from the side room and shrieked when she saw her. The muzzle of Aria’s rifle tracked her.
“Who’s there?” Aria barked.
The girl whimpered and shook her head.
“Who are you?” Aria hissed, this time with more force in her voice.
The girl began to sob and shook her head again.
“Stay down and get under that desk if you can.” Aria finally said. In the adjoining room, she heard footsteps. A voice called out a name.
“Keep quiet.” Aria told the weeping girl.

Aria moved slowly round to the side room door. Light shone out. The footsteps had stopped. The goon was wary. He didn’t bluster out, gun blasting. Aria tipped open the door with the snout of her rifle and five high velocity rounds shredded holes in the wood panel.

“Cach!” Aria cursed in her native tongue as she fell to her belly on the floor and fired three shots through the door gap.
“Throw down your weapon or I’ll blow your brains out!” Aria shouted out. Two more shots punched through the door. Then a large tattooed man blundered out dressed in black drab and a hi-power pistol in one hand.

The pistol was just pulling up to find her when Aria blew off his face with her rifle and sent his body splintering back through the half open door.

The girl was still crouched under the desk, shivering. Aria was surprised she hadn’t bolted when the first sounds of gunfire broke out. Aria spun to face her.
“What’s your name?”
“Sarah….Sarah Oakley.”
“You’re here why?”
“This is where I sleep. I brake in at night. I’m homeless otherwise.” Her voice trailed away.
“Stay here until it’s all quiet. Wait even then another half hour. Then find yourself a new place to sleep.” Aria dug through her pockets and handed her a wad of notes. It was more than she could afford to give, but for disturbing her peace she reckoned she owed her.

[jaylucas]

Jay watched as Aria made her way into teh building that people had kept coming out of. He figured she could take care of herself. Though, she was injured. Jay just kept taking aim, and firing his two pistols as men came out of that building, and others.

Jay had went to take aim, and fire again, but the pistol that was aiming clicked. "Shit!" Jay exclaimed. One of his pistols was already out? He put that pistol back in its place, and started just using his second pistol. Hopefully this had a bit more ammo.

It didn't take long after that for that gun to run out too. Jay ahdn't exactly planned on getting into one of the biggest gun fights he had been in in a long time today, so he hadn't brought any extra ammo, or guns. He replaced that one as well, and pulled out his switchblade. Now he would have to make his way toward Aria.

Jay took off toward the door to the building, seeing that everyone had pretty much been cleared out. He stopped when he saw this really big guy facing a room. He began to sneak toward him, but then went wide-eyed as the man's face was blown off, and his body sent flying back. "Hey, it's Jay!" He said, before coming into the room. He then raised an eyebrow as he looked at the girl. "Who's this?" He asked, giving a small sweet smile to her.

[ariamorgan]

Aria heard the creak of floorboards. She readied her rifle, finger on the trigger.

"Hey, it's Jay!" Came a voice and Aria backed down as Jay entered the room. "Who's this?" He asked, giving a small sweet smile to Sarah.

Aria ignored the question and walked past Jay to double check that the hallway was clear. Peering through the side rooms and down into the main storage floor, scanning for any signs of life. But there was none. The night was quiet again, but for the ever present sound of sirens which never quite seemed to make it.

Aria stormed back into the office. The adrenaline had covered the pain in her thigh, but it was starting to ache again. She looked down at her pants and they were now completely black, coated in her own blood. She tore off another sheath of cloth from her top, making her look like a scandalously under clad floozy from an adult nightclub. She removed the old dressing from her thigh which was now soaked through and replaced it with the fresh cloth.

“This is Sarah.” Aria finally answered, indicating to the girl shivering under the desk. Sarah was looking blankly at the wad of cash she had been given. Aria supposed that no amount of cash would make up for one night of bloody trauma, even if you scraped the streets at night.

“I’m sorry.” Aria found it difficult to say the words, despite meaning them sincerely. “I mean that to the both of you.” She indicated to Jay and Sarah. “I wouldn’t of got bystanders involved if I could help it, and I didn’t mean for you to witness that.” She nodded to the corpse with the blown out face. “Its not a pretty sight, I know. But if it makes you feel any better, you’re very welcome to hate me for this.” She paused to look Jay in the eye, "Thank you for your help."

Aria walked out the room, dragging her shredded leg. The coast was clear now, there was nothing more she could say, it was time to leave the poor girl in peace. Guilt, knotted in her stomach and that sick feeling she got after a kill turned her stomach.

[jaylucas]

Jay rubbed his shoulder, which was now starting to hurt like a bitch. He watched as Aria walked out, and looked around, seeing if everyone was gone, or not. When she came back in, he figured they were, or there would have been more gun shots.

He nodded when Aria finally answered him, telling him that the girl's name was Sarah. Jay's attention went back to Aria as she began to tell Sarah that she was sorry. "Babe, you may not believe me, but I'm far from a bystander. I used to do stuff like this on a daily basis. Nothin' new for me." He said, hsi slight French accent breaking through a bit.

As Aria thanked him, and began to walk out, Jay kinda looked between Aria, and the girl who was shivering under the desk. "Wait a second, I never even got your name." He spoke to Aria, as she was walking out. He then looked at Sarah, and walked over to her. "C'mon. I'll get you a hotel for the night, and then we can go look for you somewhere to start staying tomorrow. I have a few friends in town." He said, helping her up, and then following Aria.

[ariamorgan]

Jay had caught up with her as she was exiting the paintworks. The streets were now clear and dubiously quiet.

“My name’s Aria.” She said answering his question, and flipping out a business card to give to him. It said nothing special, just name and contact details with the words ‘Bounty Hunter for Hire’ written in bold. She didn’t reckon she get any business out of this ex-mafia rebel, but he might want to sue her for damages. Giving the card would save her getting stalked.

Aria hobbled over to the overturned motorcycle, lying on its side with slash marks of paint scratches. Otherwise it appeared undamaged. She heaved the machine to its standing position, admiring the effect the scratches gave to the chrome and noticing a black oily liquid leaking onto the tarmac.

“Damn it.” She whispered to herself as she checked the gasket. Aria bent low, looking for the barrel screw, then tightened it as much as possible with her bare hands. That ought to help lock the combustion chamber better, but she will have to send her baby to the shop for full repairs. And that would cost money, money she’d rather pay on her rent.

Aria dug into the storage box of her bike, and brought out her mini first aid kit. Noticing the way Jay’s shoulder hung low, she took out the Ibugel.

“Take your top off.” She said.

[jaylucas]

"Wel, it's nice to, uh, meet you? And go on a big inner-city gun fight with you." Jay said laughing. As they got to her bike, Jay stopped as she did. He noticed how beat up it was. Now he felt bad. He had been the one driving it. "Here." He said, takingo ut his wallet, and handing Aria a few hundred dollars. "That should cover the repairs."

Jay raised his eyebrow when she asked, well, told him to take off his shirt. He nodded, sliding it over his head, revealing his rather well-toned torso. "You ain't gotta do that. I'll be okay." He said, glancing at the kit.