Half the sun's tremendous body was swallowed by the endless horizon of the West Blue's waters as the West Wing Company gathered on their vessel. Kid Lang and Doro had just finished a check of the ship's sails, pulls, ropes, and things that concerned their job. Heat sat with his back against the main mast, eyes closed listening to the silence. Gulls squawked, waves prodded and made Qurem creak lightly, and then there were the heavy thumps of Caisa's heavy steps and Majima's lighter steps alongside them. "I understand the need for resources, but the risk for this seems greater than the reward. We don't have the manpower to go head to head with a gang like the Steel Bones." Heat opened one of his eyes to get a peek at Majima who was speaking and Caisa's large towering self walking in his direction. Beefing with the Steel Bones doesn't sound too bad. He thought this to himself, but kept it in his head. What the company did, who they shipped for, even who they picked fights with, Heat didn't care to get involved in that type of stuff. Just tell him who to knock down, that's all he needed to be bothered with. He closed his eye and drowned them out as the pair proceeded past him.
"When you pick a fight on Executive Island it puts a mark on your head. Look at what happened to Blue." Caisa was hearing Majima, but he wasn't interested in what he was saying. He knew Majima's nature and knew his doubts were coming from a lack of confidence in his team, so he wouldn't entertain it. "How's she looking Kid." Kid Lang turned to face Caisa. Doro, who was next to Kid was scrapping at the railing with a flat chisel tool. Majima sighed and shook his head. "Sup Boss. Everything looks fine, just some bird shit to clean up." Doro grumbled to himself, kind of sounded like he was cursing, but no one could ever really tell. The scraping wasn't doing damage to the ship, but it definitely was chipping the paint. "Sounds, good, make sure to hit it with a fresh coat of paint after your done.... Where's Peache?" Doro turned to Caisa and and started barking at him and waving the chisel at him. Caisa raised a brow in confusion and looked at Kid for a translation. Kid scratched his head. "Don't look at me, if it's not about sailing, I can hardly understand him." Majima sighed in irritation. "He's saying you don't pay him enough to scrape up bird shit." Caisa looked back at Doro who was back to scraping poop already and shaking his head, grumbling even louder to himself. It made Caisa a bit irritated, but he suppressed it and settled with shaking his head as well.
"So where's Peache." Kid shrugged. "Don't know, but probably off running his mouth somewhere." Caisa hummed a quick note in thought. Working with these kids was turning out to be a pain. "Here he comes . . . Blue too." Heat spoke up from behind them and pointed out beyond the deck to the port where Peache and Blue were approaching from. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Kid mumbled before he got back to scraping. "Heard that!" Peache shouted from afar as the duo drew closer.
With the whole company present, Caisa gathered them on the deck to pitch their next job. Up until now all they had done was shipping gigs. Pick up the goods, load them, and deliver them to their destination. This would be their first job involving them consciously seeking out confrontation. Caisa had only shared the plan with Majima thus far and the teen didn't take kind to the idea. He wasn't exactly sure how the others would feel, but he wasn't exactly worried about their reception. He valued each of them and he wouldn't send them into anything he didn't think they couldn't handle, so he hoped they'd be onboard, because if not he'd have to go back to the drawing board with a new way to amass the resources and funds they'd need to make their next move to propel the West Wing Company to its next stage. "I know it's not normal to bring everyone together like this, so I'm going to get straight to the point." Caisa wasn't much of a public speaker or a speaker at all, so doing something like this was a bit foreign, but still he wasn't nervous or anything of the sort. From Heat's smug expression, Caisa assumed the teen already had an idea of what was to come and he seemed to be trying to contain his excitement for what was to come. "We're going to be acting out of our expertise and getting our own hands dirty." He grabbed his jaw and gave it a bit of a rub, it was beginning to ache already and he'd barely gotten into the meat of the conversation. "They have a warehouse on the 79th block of Anise and we're going to help ourselves to what they're hoarding." "The Steel Bones?" There was wave of mixed reactions. Eyebrows raised, some dropped into a more serious expression, Kid did his signature tilted head scratch as if he was confused and Doro began his unintelligible babble.
"Don't get the idea that we're waging war. We're not ready for that. This operation needs to be untraceable." He could read their faces and see the company was split down the middle with their feelings. Caisa began to second guess his judgement as to if they truly were ready or not, but then he killed his doubts. As their leader he couldn't be swallowed by their negative emotions, he knew his boys could handle this. "We'll end the meeting here. Blue, Heat, and Peache, come with me. The rest of you are free to go." He didn't know what else to say to them, so he decided to end things there. He wasn't the type to try to boost morale and things of that sort. If they had the drive, then they had the drive. If they didn't then they didn't and he'd leave it at that.
Before anyone could really get anywhere Kid Lang raised his hand and Caisa, who's jaw was now actively aching hummed at him in acknowledgment. "Hm?" Kid dropped his hand. He was notorious for asking shameless questions, so he had everyone's attention. "I don't have any complaints about the job, but I do want to know if this will become a regular thing for us. Getting mixed in with other gangs." The crew already knew they were providing illegal services with their shipping, but this was a step into new territory. "Yeah. As we grow, expect more jobs like this." He didn't want to shake them more than they already were, but he wasn't going to stand here and lie to them either. Majima sucked his teeth and was the first to walk off. Caisa could feel his own temper heating up, but he wouldn't let Majima's tantrum throw him off his game. "I figured . . . it was only a matter of time anyways." He threw his arms up behind his head and gave Doro a head motion for him to come with him, but his eyes were stuck on Majima and he decided to follow him instead. Kid just shook his head and went about his own business. Caisa and the rest of the Arms, Peache, Heat, and Blue, would leave the ship and go into the city.
With Peache, Heat, and Heat in his company, Caisa and the boys walked into the city with the sky lit up a blazing orange. "So what'd ya take us out here for." The group had been walking around for some time now in silence. They were going deeper and deeper into the burrows towards the 79th District where the warehouse was. "You guys grew up on these streets so chances are you know them better than me." The streets were busy like they always were. People going about their working business. Kids running about doing what kids did. Messengers and delivery boys on bicycles. "What's your point." Peache inquired as the group took a turn and treaded into a residential district which was less busy and much quieter than the main road. None of them bothered to look at each other as they walked, just keeping their focus forward as they followed Caisa who took a seat on some roadside wooden boxes next to the mouth of an alley. "My point is that, you know the dangers of poking your head in the wrong places. What are your personal stances on the job?" The question didn't linger for long before Heat snatched it out the air. "Fuck those Steel bitches. Fuck Majima too." Heat dropped into a low squat with his arms extended, but resting on his legs. Blue scoffed at Heat's haughtiness. Caisa gave Heat a side eye, not to check him, but just because it was a bold statement, but the boy said it with his whole chest and Caisa respected it, though he preferred no in-fighting. "Something funny?" Heat didn't miss a beat and gave Blue a jarring glare, but Blue didn't meet Heat's attempt at confrontation with opposition. The blue haired teen got comfortable on a box of his own and then spoke. "No . . . I actually agree with you." This caught Heat off guard, he even seemed a bit reluctant to accept that he and Blue were on the same tip. Instead he just rolled his eyes and scoffed back.
Peache had got comfortable against a wall with his arms folded across his chest. The group gazed on the road and light foot traffic that inhabited it. "I kind of understand where Majima's coming from." This vulnerable openness was what Caisa was looking for. "It can be an early ending for us if we start messing around with these street gangs. Especially ones with backing from the bigger mobs." Caisa knew firsthand how cutthroat the mobs and mafia families could be. "But I didn't join this crew to play it safe." There was depth in Peache's tone with his expression. Of the three Arms Peache was the one with the least reputation and Caisa knew it weighed heavy on Peache's mind. "That's what I was hoping to hear." Caisa's eyes went from Peache, back to the roads.
Some of his boys were weary to step into the big league, but they didn't let that feeling fully envelope them and kill their hunger and that's exactly what Caisa needed. "The first time is always the scary, but I won't throw you guys into something I didn't think y'all couldn't handle. We'll play it smart." Caisa stood up, relieving the box from his immense weight. His dogs looked up at him as he rose to his full height, his steel visage, seemed a bit softer in this moment or perhaps it was the light from the setting sun. "Blue I'm going to entrust casing the warehouse to you." He looked to the teen who gave him an affirmative nod. Next he looked at Peache. "You're going to be watching his back." He gripped his aching jaw and shifted it left and right which earned a satisfying crack that relieved some of the pressure. "What about me." Heat stood up looking to his superior. "We'll resume your training in preparation for the raid." He deviously flashed his fangs. "Fuck yeah!" He bashed his knuckles together in front of him in anticipation for some sparring with Caisa.
"Once you get a lay of the property, their numbers, shifts, etcetera, return to Qurem and we'll begin drafting the game plan. Understood?" Blue and Peache looked from each other back to Caisa and nodded. They were getting paired with each other very often these days, but they didn't have a problem with it. Unlike Heat who was a loose cannon who Caisa liked to keep an eye on, they got along with others and worked well together. "We won't let you down." Peache seemed pretty stirred up, he was a chatter box, but not usually so vulnerable seeming. "Save that for when the jobs done." Caisa's words stung a bit and he knew their effect, but he wasn't going to validate Peache and tell him sweet words. If he wanted a pat on the back, then he'd better earn it.
From here the duos would go their separate ways. Caisa and Heat would head back to the main road to return to Qurem. "Lets get a move on." Blue could also feel that Peache was a bit distraught, but he wasn't the type to deal with the feelings of others. Peache picked his eyes up off the ground and then jogged a few paces to catch up to Blue who'd already began walking towards the foot traffic towards the 79th District where the warehouse was. "Right."
Back onboard the Qurem it was just Heat and Caisa. Kid had probably went back home to Kanamori Island and Doro with Majima in his apartment. "So what should we start with." Heat was eager to get right into it, but Caisa didn't answer. Instead he paused for a moment in the center of the deck and gave an inspecting sweep with his eyes of the ship's condition. He was checking Kid and Doro's work. Without a word he went below the deck into the ship's hold. Heat was a bit taken aback, but Caisa was often like this. He'd hear your question, but not answer and just go about his own thing. Despite his familiarity with his boss' nature, he was still confused and growing impatient, because he thought training was on the immediate agenda. He'd follow the giant below the deck and see he was rummaging through one of the company's supply crates. "What are you looking for? Aren't we going to train?" Again no answer. Heat was beginning to get irritated, so he walked a bit closer to see what it was Caisa was doing and looking for. Before he could get close enough to see, Caisa had turned to him and thrust a bucket of paint that matched Qurem's shade and a brush towards the teen and he grabbed them. "We're going to paint first." The corner of Heat's lip raised along with his eyebrow. "Paint?" Caisa nodded and proceeded back past the teen and up the stairs to the deck. Heat's grip on the tools tightened in frustration. He filled his chest with a deep breath, then exhaled his growing temper the best he could, before meeting Caisa on the deck. The Skypiean had removed his jacket to reveal a black sleeveless tee. "Doro and Kid learned to sail, but do a piss poor job at maintenance." Caisa approached the railing of the ship and leaned in where the two were complaining about bird droppings earlier to get a look at their work. "So? Let them fix their mistakes. I-" Before he could continue Caisa turned his attention to him with an idle yet daring expression. "Choose your next words wisely." Is what the look said. Heat was caught with his mouth wide open and Caisa's intensity made him do a hard empty swallow. "If you say so." Caisa rose back to his full height from leaning into the details of the paint job and walked to Heat who set down the can of paint and opened it up.
Caisa sent Heat to one side of the ship to work and he'd work on the other side. Heat painted with an attitude the entire time, but Caisa seemed at peace, more peaceful than Heat had ever seen him in fact. "He really loves ships. Geez." Before they could finish the sun had set, thus taking away their source of light. They had lanterns lit on the ship, but it wasn't enough light to do quality work, so Caisa called Heat over to wrap it up and put the paint and brushes away. Returning to the deck from hold, Heat saw Caisa was putting his jacket back on and was waiting near the plank of the ship. "We're leaving?" Caisa nodded. "You're not hungry?" Heat clenched his jaw, but again shoved down his irritation. It's a test Heat, it's all a test. He closed his eyes for a moment as he took a few paces towards Caisa then reopened his eyes with a better attitude. "Yeah I guess I am." He actually was hungry, so this wasn't too bad, but still, why was Caisa tugging his chain and playing with him . . . or was he? "Good. Lets go." Heat had his doubts as to what Caisa was doing, but he kept quiet and followed the one winged behemoth to the commercial district in the 15th Block.
The pair walked into the depths of the 15th Block into the commercial district with business lights illuminating the night. As always foot traffic was flowing, nothing overwhelming but it was worth noting that at this hour less workers were out and more criminals walked the streets. Caisa and Heat kept their cool, but as always they had their eyes open and their head up. Heat followed a few steps behind Caisa, enough to know they were traveling together and in a way that gave the impression he was Caisa's guard. His head stayed on a swivel and he gave hard eyes to the riff-raff they walked by, while Caisa's hard gaze remained mostly forward.
They'd arrive at restaurant that specialized in seafood, Caisa's favorite type of cuisine. The giant Skypiean would duck into the establishment and Heat would waltz. "Welcomeeee!~" The team of waitresses and hostesses chimed as the pair walked in. Caisa's demeanor remained the same, but Heat seemed a bit flustered and he slightly turned his head away. Caisa would flash his two fingers signaling his party size as he walked to the podium where the smiling hostesses resided. He frequented this place, but he'd only ever came with Majima once. All other times he was by himself. "Nice to see you again~ Your usual table?" Caisa gave an affirmative nod, his expression a bit softer, but still not giving insight into his mind. The woman and Caisa weren't acquainted beyond this repeated interaction, but she seemed utterly delighted to serve the small party as she lead them to their table. Heat seemed a bit off put and Caisa keyed on, but he paid no mind to it. Being lead to a booth to compensate for Caisa's tremendous size, Heat sat across from him and they were handed menus. "Your waiter will be with you shortly. Enjoy~" So bright and merry, it made no sense that the girl probably lived in a slum somewhere in this dump of a city.
"Ever ate at a restaurant before?" Caisa looked up from his menu to see Heat spinning his from being upside down. He assumed he couldn't read, but this was confirmation, not like it mattered. Heat shook his head. "I've ate some leftovers... never fresh though. Smells good." Caisa grinned behind his menu, he already knew what he was going to order, but he enjoyed looking anyways. What had him grinning was the change in Heat's disposition. He was really on his best behavior in this environment. Majima hadn't changed much, but that's because he was naturally more civilized than Heat. Caisa wanted to make a point of bringing each of the boys out to eat at least once within the first year. He couldn't imagine how things would go with Doro, but he'd cross that bridge when he got there. "I'll save you the trouble and order for us both. That ok?" Caisa put his menu down and leaned back into his seat a bit getting comfortable as he scanned the place. Heat looked up from his menu and saw a new side of Caisa that made him feel like a child being treated by a parent. He felt protected and secure. "Y-yeah . . . that's fine." He folded his menu and placed it down on the table. He was unaccustomed to setting, so he felt pretty uncomfortable even though it wasn't a fancy place or anything. Even settling in like Caisa had didn't feel like something he could really do without conscious effort. It was hard for the beast to put his claws away.
On the other end of town in the 79th District, things were silent. Occasional noise would break the ominous calm and said noises would break the quiet with exclamation. A slamming door, breaking bottle, two cats locked in combat, or even the shout or cry of a human. Together Peache and Blue crept through this ghoulish zone on high alert, careful to not draw attention to themselves more so out of their own interest though it did help the job's sake as well.
Blue was more lax, noticeably in a familiar element, while Peache had to mentally will himself to take every step and swallow down his nerves that only got worse and worse. He was in charge of making sure their tail was watched, but in the process he kept walked straight into Blue's outstretched palm that was signaling him to halt, though he was too busy looking back to notice. His gasp sucked in a mouthful of cold air as he whipped his attention forward and snapped his hand to his gun that was on his hip. Blue had had his neck craned around a corner checking on their advance, but with Peache's frantic twitch, he pulled his head back into the darkness of the alleyway and turned to Peache with a bit of a bite. "Calm down, you're going to give us away. We're almost at the warehouse." Peache knew Blue was growing tired of him being so scared and to be honest he was too. He was trying to push it down, but even hearing they were coming upon the warehouse made his stomach churn even more. Fuck, why am I such a pussy. He knew he was being a burden to Blue and coupled with his cowardice it was making him upset with himself on top of his fears. He closed his eyes for a moment and eased up on the grip of his pistol. He made an attempt to lasso and reign in his nerves.
From the center of his chest to his shoulder, Blue's hand moved and it made Peache open his eyes to see Blue's sharp azure stones gazing into his soul. The way the moonlight hit them would probably make a girl swoon, but Peache wasn't into guys, nor was he in the mood for romantics, in fact he was kind of creeped out because this was very unlike Blue and his gaze lacked any real emotion. It was like looking at a robot. "It's natural to be afraid . . ." Peache waited for more, but what followed was just an awkward silence. " . . ." Blue Jam made a bit of a face before he took his hand off of Peache and turned back around. Was that his idea of quelling my nerves? Peache's face twisted in confusion from the initial stunned and expecting expression. It left him feeling a bit puzzled, but it did get his mind off of his fear. What the hell was that? Blue Jam thought to himself with a dismissive single head shake. He put his focus back on the mission and tried to put that odd moment behind him. That was an out of the norm thing for him to do indeed and the embarrassment he felt was something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He expelled a breath to push the discomfort out his chest and gave a wave with his hand as he scurried quickly across the street into the adjacent alleyway, slightly advancing forward towards the whereabouts of the warehouse. Peache followed with more solidity in his step than he had been displaying. A for effort?
Back inside the restaurant the waiter came to Caisa and Heat's table. "Hi, I'll be your server, are you guys ready to order?" "Two large seafood soups, extra lobster. Also three red-rock chef specials to-go." The waiter jotted this all down on his notepad, then looked back up at the pair. "And anything to drink?" "Just water." The waiter nodded then took both the menus and went to put the order in. "You come here a lot?" Heat seemed to be getting a bit more settled and Caisa twisted his wrist once then again to make a "so-so" gesture. "Not too often, but often enough to be recognized." "Probably only takes a second visit for you to be recognized." Caisa's natural frown smeared into a soft grin to Heat's amusement. It wasn't often one could get a visible reaction of that sort out of Caisa, so he felt sort of proud of himself for earning it. "That's true." Heat was trying to break the ice and make some conversation, but as usual Caisa was his regular remote and short-winded self. Despite how the two bumped heads, Heat felt he'd have an easier have an easier time trying to interact with Blue over dinner than Caisa, or so he thought.
"Do you know why I made West Wing?" Majority of Caisa's attention had been on other patrons, but with this question he shifted his focus directly to Heat. The teen took a moment to fathom the answer, but ultimately responded negatively. "Nah, but I doubt it was just to run errands for drug lords and arms dealers." Heat didn't know what to expect. This insight is what he wanted, because to him and probably the others, Caisa's past was shrouded in mystery. He just showed up on Executive Island out of the blue, but something about him drew in this crowd of misfits who were looking for a path in life.
"Revenge." Just saying the word made the scars on his back echo a pang of pain. Despite how plain the statement was, it carried weight because it filled in blanks towards Caisa's unknown origin. The Skypiean would turn his head back to the patrons while Heat soaked in the answer. The teen was expecting something a bit more profound, so it felt like a body-blow to hear the man he had on a pedestal was just like them. "Surprised?" Caisa knew Heat had a certain image of him built up in his head and he wanted to break that down. "Yes and no..." Heat swallowed the pill and brought his eyes back to Caisa's who were looking at his from across the table. He looked different now, more human. "Don't ever put anyone on a pedestal Heat, you'll only be let down in the long run." Facing his own foolishness stung, but he knew he was being taught a vital lesson and in actuality, he liked this new vision he had of Caisa even better, because he too smoldered with a yearning for vengeance.
By some miracle Blue Jam and Peache had got within the proximity of the warehouse. In contrast to the lack of life of the span of the 79th Block the two had crept through, the warehouse was buzzing with guards. Peache whispered under his breath. "Holy shit." The two had climbed the fire-escape of an abandoned building and gotten to the roof for a great view of the lick. They were about 50m from the lot that harbored the warehouse. It was fenced in on all sides save for one, this side resided near the water, where a functioning port was. The warehouse itself was a 45ft rectangle that sat in this lot which had 30ft of space on the warehouse's sides until the barbed fencing. The port side, only had about 20ft of padding before the docks.
Blue knew the Steel Bones were a fast growing gang that had organization potential with how they were progressing, but he wasn't expecting an operation on this scale. This plot was a testament to the gang's growth. "Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,... seventeen." Blue counted in a hushed tone, only loud enough for Peache to barely hear. "No wonder this was Caisa's pick. They're definitely holding something valuable in there." Peache's body felt electric. He was afraid, but in awe. Looking to his right where Blue was, he saw the youth was hanging from the ledge of the building they were on and dropping back down the fire-escape. "Huh!? Wh-" Peache sucked his lips back into his mouth to catch the loudness of his voice. While in his sprawl he crawled over to Blue Jam while keeping on his belly. "Hey man, where are you going?" Blue was fast as hell, he'd already grappled and jungled the fire-escape to end up on the ground while Peache was still 3 stories up. From the ground he looked up at Peache, pointed one finger at him, then pointed two fingers at his own blue eyes, and then finally pointed at his own back with his thumb and closed fist. "Watch your back?" Peache mouthed the words and Blue nodded in response before throwing his black hood over his head and jogging off in the direction of the warehouse.
Peache wriggled back to his original position and felt relieved to that Blue was taking matters into his hands. This feeling began to fade however and turn into shame as he watched Blue weave through alleys and continue bravely towards the warehouse. He felt like a coward. "Shit." He cursed at himself in anger. Was he honestly going to be able to report to Caisa with pride that the mission was a success after coat-tailing off Blue's talent? He couldn't sit here and just let Blue throw himself into harm's way like that. Getting up off his stomach he swallowed his fear the best he could and descended the fire-escape. With his brows furrowed and teeth gritted, he followed the route Blue had taken to close-in the final stretch of distance to the warehouse. Momma ain't raise no hoe.
Blue Jam felt good, he felt alive. Moving through the shadows, through the night air. He had no ill feelings towards Peache, but without the lad in his company, he was free to move at his own pace, unchained. He only felt more immersed in his character with his hood slipped on. This way he truly felt like he embodied the element of darkness. Not in the evil sense, but in the sense of stealth.
In the final alleyway, he drew in his last breath of shadow before he darted towards the barbed fence that protected the territory he was to survey. The guards of the sector he'd infiltrate had just made their pass and though his entry would potentially be audible, he'd move quick enough from the vicinity to avoid being traced. His pace was comfortable to him, but could be considered speedy to the average man. He'd jump once he was a few strides away from the fencing and make contact with both the soles of his boots, pushing off the chain fence, it'd give a bit but he pushed with adequate force to propel himself in the opposite direction back the way he came towards the wall of the adjacent building. Again his boots would make contact, then his hands for a brief moment before he pushed off yet again. Both times he advanced both horizontally and vertically. With this wall jump he'd pass over the spiked fence and land safely within the turf. Infiltration complete, but the rattle of the fence would lead him to not soak the high he got in place, but instead use it as fuel for his escape from the area. There were stacks of wooden crates, barrels, and shipping containers littered about the yard, so he had a few options for cover and he'd make good use of them while staying weary of the guards.
"What was that?" A guard questioned aloud and the foot steps of about three men moved towards the fence to investigate. Melded into the shadows, one passed Blue without detecting him in the slightest, his focus was on the previous stimulus. With three occupied, Blue crept a bit along the length of the shipping container that was casting shade for him and he peeked his head out and looked in the direction of the storehouse. There was one more shipping container and a short span of space between him and the score as far as static obstacles went. Three guards stood against the container chatting and smoking cigs. He'd have to take another approach. "Hey! What the fuck do you shitheads think you're doing standing around?" Someone was really cutting into their asses. Bliss said we co-" "Fuck Bliss, when you're in this yard, you're working." The one barking orders had drawn closer, Blue remained still to not chance tipping whoever this hothead was off. "You understand?!" He was borderline shouting, but Blue had a hunch that was close to his natural tone. He reminded the teen of Heat. "Y-yes sir." "Good. And put that cigarette out, you want this place to go up in flames jackass?" This particular line caught Blue's attention. Hm
Blue Jam could distinguish the steps of the hound from the others and heard him stride off in the opposite direction. The air lost its tension, but Blue couldn't fall lax and he quickly moved away from that scene to the other end of the shipping container in the direction he originally came from. Though the place was hot with security, Blue was determined to rise above. Staying low to the ground he made a hushed advance a container's length away from the trio. "Sheesh, we can't even get a break when Slan's on duty." The trio bantered as they took the final drags of their smokes, snuffed them then dispersed. Blue had made it passed them and the container they were posted against, his final obstacle and made it to the long-side of the warehouse. He put his hand against the cool metal body and looked left, then right, then up. The coast was clear for now and there was a row of glass windows that spanned portions of the storage unit, but was about 10ft high from the ground. Could really use some height right now. He thought to himself.
He had a lay of the land and their numbers, but Blue wasn't satisfied with just that. They would need more to make an adequate plan for an untraceable job. He wanted to get inside the warehouse to see how they'd be able to get in, take the goods, and then get out swiftly. This was vital. He looked further up at the roof, then back at the shipping container he just passed. Maybe he'd be able to jump to the roof from there, it was a stretch, but it would be impossible to pull off without getting caught. *skt skt skt* Footsteps were approaching from his right. Quickly he scrambled and ran to his left where the trio had been, but as he rounded the corner of the shipping container he saw the backs of the slackers. They still haven't got to work? Stressed thoughts. He was pinched now and had nowhere else to run, literally only feet away from the three slackers and with no option to go back the other way. Suddenly there was an uproar. Reeooowrrruooowwouurrrr!!!" The noise had no tellable origin, but it drew Blue's attention and the trio's attention and it quickly got louder as the sound got mysteriously closer. "Oh shit, look out!" One of the goons pointed at the sky as two cats came hurdling at them in the veil of the night. "What the hell!?" They reflexively put their hands up as a defense, but the cats landed on two of them then went absolutely mad with a fury of scratches.
Taking advantage of the chaos Blue dashed by them. First the one not being attacked was trying to beat on the cats to make them flee, but once he saw Blue he was stunned. "Hey! Wa- Who are you!?" The boy's hood kept his identity concealed and his speed kept the encounter short as he made way to the fence. Jumping on a wooden crate, then a container, he made a grand leap over the barbed fence in a seamless sequence. "Fuck." He cussed as he landed and continued his mad ash away from the territory. Not only had he been spotted, but he also didn't get the information they needed.
Heat dove into his food like a feral beast. There was no longer need for any conversation, the two simply minded their meals. Both of them slurped their soups loudly as they savored the flavors. The rich plump lobster meat making for a nice mouth feel as the meat naturally shredded into ribbons and bits as one bit into it. It was delicate, yet still had the appropriate firmness of meat. "God damn this is good." The teen didn't take his eyes off his bowl as he took a huge gulp of water from his glass. His next bite already plotted, his glass slammed down on the table and he jumped right back into the dish. The only way Caisa was able to keep up with the boy's pace was because he was twice his size, but even then the speed Heat was scarfing down the soup was a spectacle. Many patrons found it hard not to give their table at least one glance. "Some people eat like this every night." Caisa took a sip of water and exhaled a breath of air to let his stomach adjust to the fill it was getting. "No wonder all those rich bastards are fat. I'd never stop eating if the food was always this good." Heat spoke with his mouthful, as expected from someone from his background, but it didn't bother Caisa in the least bit. "Amen to that." Caisa remembered the meals he'd eat at the Black-Coat banquets back when he was in the mafia. That was the closest he got to cultured living and the reason he knew seafood soup with lobster was his favorite dish. Whenever he ate this meal it made him reminisce on those days and even wonder if the Don had recovered from his illness or succumbed to it. He hated to admit it, but he hoped the Don held him in good regards if he were alive, but he knew the chances were that his name was drug through the mud in his absence and he was marked for death by the whole family. He sighed... his heart felt a bit heavy.
"You ok?" Caisa came back from the recesses of his mind and back into reality. "Mm? Yeah." Heat was a bit hesitant with his next bites, his eyes were on Caisa and seemed cautious. "Who are you thinking about?" The question caught Caisa off guard. Sometimes he forgot he wasn't the only one able to penetrate people with personal questions. "..." He remained silent, part of him wanted to share, but another part of him wanted to maintain his emotional distance and keep to himself. "I get that look on my face when I think about my mom." Heat pushed his empty bowl forward and let out an obnoxious belch. More heads turned, this time noticeably repulsed, but Heat paid them no mind. He just leaned back in his seat and threw his linked his fingers to the back of his head. "My old boss." Caisa swirled the soup in his bowl with his spoon, he'd ate majority of the dish, but his appetite was gone. "Something bad happened to him?" As the liquid settled, he saw his own reflection and saw his frown was much more pronounced, it was evident he was feeling sorrow. His fist tightened. Heat's question got him thinking about his old enemies and the fuckery they did to the family once the Don was unable to lead and became bed-ridden. "Lets go."*
Caisa got out his seat and threw some money that'd cover the bill and a slight tip on the table. Heat was a bit taken aback, by the sudden shift, but could tell Caisa was back into his natural stance. One tough nut He slid out the booth and followed Caisa out the door. "Hey what about that to-go stuff?" Caisa was already moving down the street and with an especially prominent force in his step. The foot traffic voluntarily parted as his hulking frame came upon them as if he were a beast that they wanted no part of. Heat did a quick jog to catch up to Caisa and reached to put his hand on his shoulder, but could only manage to reach his upper back. "Hey, I said wh-" "Don't fucking touch me!"** Caisa half turned and slapped the hand off him with alarming aggression. The surrounding pedestrians looked on in shock and fear for what was to come, it wasn't uncommon for fights to break out in the city, especially at this hour. Heat pressed his fangs against themselves and balled his fist hard enough for his arms to noticeably be flexed as he furrowed his brow at Caisa. "Oh shit, that's H.T.K., that guy's dead." One of the bystanders called out Heat and it only pushed the tension to an even higher level, because now his reputation was being challenged. "Ya know there's a such thing as pushing your luck?" The block was hot with fire that was emanating from the two. Heat stood his ground and glared up at Caisa and Caisa who towered over Heat turned his hulking body to face Heat and he glared back down at him. His skin seemed to be tinted a light pink as if he'd been drinking and just like Heat his fist were tightened till the knuckles were white.
Blue Jam sped through the outskirts of the turf. He heard no one giving chase, but he still sprinted. Not only to be safe, but because he didn't want to stop and let his mind face the fact that he failed the mission. When he finally did stop it was back at the building he'd left Peache on. "Dammit!" He slammed his fist against the brick in frustration. He huffed a bit as he was out of breath then he spat on the concrete. "*pt*... Peache!" He didn't bother keeping his voice down, he was pissed and just ready to go, but there was no answer. "Pea-" A hand slid from behind and covered his mouth. Reflexively he pushed his forearm out to shove their wrist, which release their hand's placement, but he'd also grasp this displaced wrist. Simultaneously his other hand flashed to his dagger that was holstered on his hip and he spun in the direction of his grappling hand to push his knife up to the neck of the stranger all in one motion. "Woah relax." Peache was wide-eyed with fresh scratches on his face. He had his other hand up submissively and Blue would release his hold.
"Why are you sneaking up on me?" Blue Jam holstered his dagger, irritation evident in his tone as he turned his back to Peache. Peache released his pent up breath then rubbed his neck to check for blood. "Sheesh, I just wanted to see if I could do it . . . besides you were being loud. Why're you shouting?" Blue had already began walking in the direction of home-base and Peache did a quick catch up run while shaking his head. Blue said nothing to Peache. "Could I at least get a thanks?" With his hood on, Blue seemed like a completely different person. He had a attitude similar to Heat's, but a slightly different flavor. More non-direct. "Thanks for what." He didn't even look to face Peache, nor did he seem to even remotely understand why he should be thanking him. He just stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept on marching, failure was stinging. "Uhhh, hellooo? What do you think happened to my face. Where do you think those cats came from?" The gears shifted in Blue's head, but he wasn't in the mood to accept Peache saved his ass, a part of him wanted to blame the failure on him. He remained silent. Peache had the mind to push harder, but figured he'd just let Blue have his moment. Yeah the mission was a fail, but he was just happy to have contributed in a positive way, he also had shaken his fear of the area and walked the way back comfortably.
In all their scuffles up to this point Caisa had a flawless record against Heat, but it had been awhile since the two went at each other seriously and not on sparring terms. This looked like it was lining up to be one of those bouts where neither would hold back. Just the way Heat was glaring up at Caisa was pissing the Skypiean off. He really didn't know when to piss off, maybe beating him down in front of a crowd would help him learn. "What, you scared of a fight?" Normally Heat would have pounced on anyone who disrespected him as Caisa did in a heart beat, but it seemed Heat was trying to give Caisa a chance to smooth things over? As if that would happen. "You got a real big fucking mouth!" Jumping into action in front of the gathered crowd, from a bent knee'd stance Heat sprung up to Caisa's level and launched a brisk flurry of two jabs and punctuated with a spinning backhand. Caisa's metal expression gained life as it transitioned into an amused grimace. It'd been a while since he got a chance to let lose and right now he had some fresh steam to let off.
He weaved to his sides to avoid the two jabs and ducked under the spinning backhand. Figuring Heat's combination was over, he moved his large hands to clap and squish Heat as if he were a fly before he could descend. To his surprise the teen whipped a quick roundhouse out with the momentum he generated to catch Caisa's cheek before he could squash the boy.*** It earned a flinch and enough time to find solid footing on the ground as Caisa turned his focus back on the half-breed. As he was fixing his eyes on the mink, he already had loaded and began sending a left straight downwards towards him. Heat jumped back to dodge with an amused expression that mirrored Caisa's. Like beast they both enjoyed the heat of battle, but only one would be able to wear that smile at the end when the other was beaten into submission. "Raaaah!" The punch was only a means to prep, for it brought his frame down and let him joust a thundering knee into Heat's face just as he landed from his jump back. "Ouuuuu!" The crowd went crazy when they saw this, some of them even yelled out in anguish as the teen was sent barreling right into some bystanders. "Don't one and done on me now." Caisa loved how it felt when he landed solid blows and absolutely thrashed his foes. "Uuugh . . . get out the fucking way!" Heat growled at the pedestrians with a bloody mouth and nose as he untangled himself from them and got up. He sucked up the liquid in his nose like one would suck in phlegm to their throat, then he spat out a bloody wad onto the pavement. "If that would put me to sleep they wouldn't call me Hard to Kill shithead."The two would continue their brawl for a few minutes with Heat landing a few solid hits on Caisa, but ultimately blacking out after taking two more big hits like he suffered before. Lucky for him with how chaotic their skirmish was the crowd had dispersed and their fight guided them away from the origin point anyways. With Heat thrown over his shoulder like fresh game from a hunt and a bruised face and swollen eye, Caisa went back to Qurem to retire for the night. Though Caisa didn't intend for their spar to start this way, he could safely say Heat's training was coming along fine. Not just his fighting, but his character and self-mastery when it came to his own anger.
