ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ (mobdog) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-05-01 15:55:00 |
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4/10/19, 11:27PM -- The Dog Park They'd spent most of that night in meetings with the other men, talking through their plan then doubling back to reevaluate it, looking for flaws and weaknesses. Too much was on the line here for them to screw it up. Vic didn't think they could keep living with this constant thorn in their side, digging in harder with each fuck-up. This shit had to be finished once and for all. Finally, they all came to an agreement and the plan was made. Bishop and Max would take point on rigging the park into some kind of intricate bomb ready to blow once Vic and Marina played their parts just right. And if all went like they thought it would, they'd have minimal casualties on their side of things and the god damned prax -- and this fucking cat gang -- would finally be out of their hands. Once they were back at their corner of the Dog Park, there wasn't yet time to relax. They needed to talk to Sasha, first, and run the basics of the plan by him. Vic had always been transparent with his son about what happened outside the walls of the Dog Park, though he didn't ever share more than what he needed to know. The last thing he wanted was to ride off and not come back, with his son none the wise of what had actually happened. And then finally, once they'd all had a chance to talk through it together -- their first real parental act together as a family -- it was time for them to try and get some shuteye. Vic was quiet as they got ready for bed. Usually talkative, he was finding that tonight there were too many damned thoughts running in and out of his mind to even know where to begin. Their plan was a good one, but there was always the chance for something unexpected to happen. This was by no means his first showdown, putting his own life on the line, but even though he knew Marina was no virgin about this shit that didn't exactly mean he wanted to see her willingly put herself into danger with the man she'd once 'belonged' to. "Dunno if I'll be able to get much sleep tonight," he said finally as he got under the blankets, the nighttime light dim in their RV through the windows. Marina’s head found its way over Vic’s chest, listening to the steady thud of his heartbeat. “Not sure I will either. It’s hard to believe this is almost over.” Not that she thought she would ever be in this position. She never expected Emmanuel to turn on her in the first place, even though he was not the same man she’d met at 15. This confrontation was long overdue, though. She’d dealt with enough of his shit over the past decade and now she finally had the chance to put an end to his reign of terror. “You worried at all?” "Yeah. A little." There wasn't a point in pretending otherwise; acting like it was all okay could backfire tomorrow, if his nerves got the best of him. VIc figured it was better to be honest and see if talking with her could help. He moved his arm around her, resting his hand on her shoulders, and turned his head to kiss her forehead, exhaling a deep breath as he pulled away. "What about you?" “A little. But everything will work out the way it’s supposed to,” Marina responded, moving her face to nuzzle into his neck, kissing him below the jaw. She wished she could stay here forever, safe in Vic’s arms, but hopefully after what they were about to do tomorrow she wouldn’t have to worry about being taken away from him anymore. Her lips continued to move along his jaw moving towards his mouth, as she pushed herself up to hover above him. “I trust you. So much, Vic. Tomorrow is going to be okay because I’ll have you.” His hands found her waist as he leaned up to kiss her, pulling away with a sigh as he tried to exhale out all the stress. Marina was right: they trusted each other, and they trusted the others in their crew. Vic couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather put his faith in than Bishop and Max to get them -- and their missing Dogs -- back home in one piece at the end of the day. "I love you," he said, smiling up at her in the dark as he echoed her words: "Tomorrow will be okay." |
5/1/19, 12PM -- Emma Long Metropolitan Park The ride over was quiet and tense. The plans ran over and over in Marina’s head and the possibility of ending this once and for all gave her a nervous energy, her foot bouncing as she imagined all the things Emmanuel would say and all the ways she would make him pay for what he’d done to her and the people she now called family. When all the cards were on the table and the Hellhounds were facing the reality of Los Nahuales, they were about evenly matched. Their numbers used to be larger, but if rumors could be trusted, some of the had been dipping their hand in the prax flavored cookie jar. That shit was deadly and their numbers seemed to have suffered for it. Bound and gagged were their men--Pikachu, Hardy, Snake and O’Malley--looking much worse for wear. The gunshots Bishop heard on the phone had claimed Jim and Brock. They didn’t have old ladies, but that didn’t mean their family (the entirety of the Hellhounds) wouldn’t miss them. Marina’s gaze hardened as she took in the other men’s state, looking bruised and beaten to hell. But at least they were alive. It didn’t take much to produce the tears in Marina’s eyes as Vic stepped forward, leading Marina roughly by the shoulder. They’d planned the whole thing over the last couple days and now it was time for them to put on a show. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. I thought you fucking loved me--” Marina said, pretending to gasp out in pain as she stumbled in her footing. Vic barked out a laugh as he continued to drag her along the path towards the man who stood in line with the tied-up Dogs -- Emmanuel, he guessed, the spectre who'd haunted the entire Dog Park for several months. "Shut the fuck up, cat slut," he told her with a scowl, loud enough for the others to hear, his hand digging into Marina's wrist. They'd discussed this the day before, how important it was to not pull his punches just because of their relationship. This needed to look and feel real. Once they were closer, Vic stopped abruptly and shoved Marina forward, throwing her down onto the ground. Two patches were behind him, carting out the Hellhounds' remaining Prax. "Just like you wanted. Your traitor whore and the Prax for our men." Marina fell to the ground, her hands reaching out to brace herself and scraping up the palms of her hands as they skid along the rocky ground. Looking down at the woman sprawled out near his feet, Emmanuel let out a low chuckle. He kept his eyes trained on her as he called out in Spanish for his men to lead the bound Hellhounds back to where they belonged. As the prax joined Los Nahuales and the patches were reunited with the Hellhounds, Emmanuel stepped closer to Marina. Her eyes looked up to meet his, in a way feeling very much like the 15-year-old he’d found in New York City all those years ago. He must have seen it too because his gaze softened ever so slightly as he motioned for her to get up. So she did. Slowly and with her head hanging low in shame. Conveying that sentiment was vital to pulling at the few mangled heartstrings Emmanuel possessed. He wasn’t a very emotional man (and sometimes Marina wondered if he had feelings at all besides greed) but Marina had learned over the years that whenever she acted like she knew she was wrong, returning to him with her tail between her legs, he received her better. “You’ve been bad, haven’t you?” Emmanuel asked, quietly. Marina nodded and sniffled, just a few steps away from him now. “Did you really think you belonged with them?” He pointed over to Vic and the rest of the Hellhounds. Marina resisted the urge to look back at them, eyes staying focused on Emmanuel. “You’ve always been mine and you always will be. Do you understand?” “Yes, jefe,” she responded, more tears falling. The fucked up thing was, Marina wasn’t sure how much of this was actually an act on her end. She hated him. She hated him for the things he’d made her do. She hated him for the man he became once the zombies came and they started dealing prax. She hated him for the person he’d turned her into. But he was also the first person to actually see her. To her parents she was just another mouth to feed. She was added weight to their daily struggle. To Emmanuel she’d been a delightful surprise to find -- someone young and impressionable who was loyal to a fault. She idolized him and he’d been greedy for it. “I’m sorry,” she continued, crying harder now, and stepping closer to eliminate any space between them as she wrapped her arms around him. He’d given her a second chance at life, and no matter how fucked up it had all turned out, she knew she’d only made it through those years in her life was because of him. But everything was different now. She didn’t need him anymore and his continued presence in her life threatened everyone she loved. Marina hugging Emmanuel was the signal. They had made their exchange of goods, and with the promise of ‘peace’ between the two raider gangs, the Hellhounds were making their retreat. The members of Los Nahuales were mirroring their actions similarly, examining the boxes of prax and transporting them to their trucks for the journey home, leaving Marina and Emmanuel to their reunion. Little did they know that this was about to end with a bang. Emmanuel laughed as he reciprocated the hug, clearly finding her emotional display amusing. In a gesture that looked like Marina trying to hold herself together as she cried, she slowly unsheathed the knife tucked into the waist of her pants. It happened fast. With a laugh still half-formed on his lips, Marina’s blade found purchase in a soft spot between Emmanuel’s ribs. “I really loved you,” she began, twisting the blade of the knife in deeper, “But you will never hurt me or my family again,” Marina growled out in a harsh tone. Marina pulled the blade out, shoving Emmanuel away. His staggering backwards and crumpling to the ground caught the attention of nearby Cartel members, but it was already too late. Marina turned as soon as she was free of his grasp and began running back towards the Hellhounds. She heard gunshots following her, but not moments later did Bishop trigger the explosions and then-- BOOM. |