The current atmosphere of The Greater Fifth Ward of Houston was notably tranquil, with a cool and quiet breeze. A lonesome 2003 Honda Accord gracefully traversed down Collingsworth Street, its quiet presence blending seamlessly with the surroundings. Cruising behind the wheel was a well-dressed obsidian black-haired ashen Hellhound, who wore a maroon dress shirt paired with a black suit and tie.
Sitting across from her was her partner, a tan-skinned brunette Jinko, who wore a navy blue dress shirt paired with a similar black suit and tie, who was currently inspecting her silver 9mm 1911.
Whimpering in the backseat was a beaten and bloodied human, who was more than happy to be cooperative after the beating the two liminals had given him earlier.
“Ok-ay, the… next block, up here. Take a left and the old foundry building… will be right there.” The maimed man groaned as he gave directions. “If you see the Commodity building, you went too far-“
“Yeah, yeah, I know where I’m going,” The Hellhound barked as she brushed off her rear seat passenger.
The Jinko glanced at her hot-headed companion, “Now Zenobia… didn’t we talk about working on these outbursts of yours?”
Zenobia turned towards her feline friend, “Well, my apologies, Tara,” she said with a growl. “But when I got some GREASER! in my damn ear, I tend to get a little irritated.” The hound yelled, referring to the beaten man in her back seat.
Tara rolled her eyes as she went back to tending to her firearm.
As they finally reached their destination, the two liminals stepped out of the car and made their way to the back. Zenobia opened the trunk and took out two thick, heavy-plated vests. She handed one of the vests to Tara and then reached inside to grab a silver mask that resembled a muzzle. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she placed the mask over her face.
“Jesucristo, Maldita Altamuras siempre va por la borda,” The man said as he walked over to the two.
Zenobia chuckled to herself as she tightened the last bit of the straps on her vest.
“Alright then Carl, What can we expect from these Disciple thugs, before we head inside?” Zenobia said as she clicked her tongue,
Carl nodded, “Right, so there are two floors in the first building. When you reach the second floor, the last room on the left is the office where the Disciples keep their cash. The building attached to the side is the warehouse; that’s where they keep any product ready to move. You Altamuras should have no problem dealing with those inside,” Carl explained as he rubbed his face from the beating he had received earlier from the two that stood before him.
“They ya go, Carl, see how easy it is when you just corporate instead of being a whiny little bitch!” She teased while placing her hand on his shoulder, patting it lightly.
“Can I- I- go now? That’s everything I know, I swear,” Carl pleaded as he felt the Hellhound’s grip tighten.
“Oh, Carl, of course you can. Get out of here. Go run along now,” the Hellhound said as she gestured for him to leave.
“Really?” he said in disbelief.
In one motion, the hound swung her paw across his jugular, her sharp talon like claws gracefully slicing through his neck as if they were scissors gliding through paper.
Carl quickly placed his hands over the wound in his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He tried to yell but choked on his own words. He fell back against the car, as he looked up at the two liminals with betrayal in his eyes.
“Should’ve fucken ran off when I told ya too, but you just had to go and question me. Tch asshole,” Zenobia said with an annoyed growl before she looked over to Tara.
“What? You know I do not like people questioning me.”
“I didn’t say anything Zen. Come on, let’s go, we are losing daylight.” Tara responded as she gestured for her partner to follow suit.
The duo began to circle and survey the foundry, taking note of any and all entrances as well as personal.
“So you are really telling me that you prefer Thatsaburger over Quick-n-Out? How?” Tara asked in disbelief,
Zen groaned. “I just like their patty melts, alright.”
“But have you ever ordered the Animal Style burger from their Secret Menu?” Tara rebutted.
“Now you see that’s the shit I’m talking about,” Zen yelled as she held out her arm in front of Tara’s chest.
“I shouldn’t have to order off some damn secret menu for me to enjoy my food at a burger joint,” She explained.
“I like Thatsaburger because it’s simple. And because I can have a Dr. Pepper shake to go with my burger. I can’t get that shit from Quick-n-Out,” Zen argued. Tara just shrugged to herself, while they carried on with their scouting.
The two come back to the front of the building, where they do one final check-up on their equipment.
“Alright, we both clear the first floor, I’ll take the warehouse, and you take the 2nd floor,” Zen said as she banged on the front door.
Tara nodded as she stretched her arms and popped her neck, prepping herself for the job.
The metal door creaked open, and on the other side was a lanky thug, “Joder queries?” the thug said.
“Evening,” Zen responded before she shoved the door back into the man’s face, knocking him backward.
“What the fuck” A concerned Ghoul said as she saw the two Liminals force their way into the foundry.
Tara stepped ahead of Zen and shot the Ghoul dead before moving further into the foundry. Zen put a bullet in the unconscious man’s head as she followed behind Tara.
Pushing further, Tara’s ears flicked to her left “Two men in the hallway,” she announced.
“They’re mine,” Zen said as she swiftly swung the hallway entrance, firing twice, putting a quick end to the two thugs.
Zenobia’s nose twitched as she tried to distinguish the multiple scents present amongst her surroundings. She held up her hand, signaling for Tara to be quiet and not move.
Zenobia stood still and took in a deep breath; She slowly raised her right arm, pointing her gun at the wall. She fired twice before flicking her arm a bit to the left and firing three more times. The sound of two bodies simultaneously hitting the floor with a thud echoed from the room on their right.
“Three more in the room on the left, two humans and a…” she paused to take one more sniff. “Goblin. You got ’em?” Zen asked Tara in an excited tone.
Tara responded with a competitive grin as she walked into the room. All that could be heard was the sound of gunfire as she walked into the room. Two more shots were heard before Tara emerged unscathed.
“Shall we start taking score as clear the rest of this floor?” She joked as she gestured for Zen to go ahead and take lead.
Zenobia responded with a hearty scoff as she playfully shoved Tara.
…
Some time passed and the two liminals began to clear out the studio section of the building. A salamander lept from her cover, but was instantly put down by Tara.
“Hey, what the hell! that one was mine!” Zen yelled as she reloaded her pistol.
Tara smiled proudly, as she playfully shook her head. She reloaded her weapon as she headed up the stairs to clear the second floor, “Don’t take too long clearing out the warehouse. Come find me when you’re done.”
Zen rolled her eyes, “Like I don’t fucking know that.” She then kicked open the double doors leading to the warehouse. She charged right in without a single card in the world.
Tara then heard a barrage of gunshots fill the warehouse as Zenobia entered. However, she wasn’t worried about her partner’s safety though. Rather, she was weirdly comforted, as she heard the faint echo of Zen’s maniacal laughter ring through the cascade of bullets.
Not having to worry about her partner, Tara stealthily pressed onward up the steps. As Tara arrived at the second story, she had to verify what obstacles awaited her. Holding her breath, she honed in on the sounds emanating from the second floor. With precision, she extended her arm and discharged two shots at the door, causing the body of a Kappa armed with an AK to collapse to the ground from the other side.
“Oooh~ Come to Mama~,” she gawked while kneeling down to upgrade her arsenal.
The moment was short-lived as a Danuki suddenly burst into the hallway and fired in Tara’s direction. She quickly retreated for cover, almost making it out unscathed. Unfortunately, one of the bullets hit her; thankfully, she was wearing a vest.
Tara cursed as she pressed her ear against the wall, listening for the Danuki. Tara held her breath and focused; she could hear the slow shuffling of the Danuki’s footsteps, as she made her way towards her. Tars smirked as she quickly peeked the barrel of the rifle out into the hallway and blindly sprayed a few bullets.
After hearing a thud, she took her chance and swung her body into the hallway where she found the deceased Danuki. She decided to stoically hold her ground in case anyone else decided to test their luck.
Not too long after the Danuki, another thug fled his cover, which led to a single bullet piercing his neck.
“Dumbass,” Tara mocked as his body dropped to the floor. She cleared out the rest of the rooms and began making her way to the office.
Tara cautiously approached the office door extending her paw towards the doorknob. Her ears flicked towards the door, as she heard a faint “click” come from the other side. She swiftly leapt away from the door; and pressed herself up against the wall just in time to evade the hail storm of bullets that sprayed the door.
She blindly fired back in retaliation. She then took a moment to try and use her senses to get an idea of where the gunman was. Before she could focus long enough to tell, another array of bullets was shot penetrating through the wall compromising her cover.
Tara felt herself get hit in the back of her vest, which infuriated her. In a swift and furious motion, she lunged through the doorway with her weapon raised and put a quick end to the gunman behind the desk.
“Piece of shit,” She disdainfully remarked as she breathed heavily. Tara had to lean against the doorway for a moment trying to regain her composure. After a short recovery, she walked over to the desk where she gazed down at the thug’s lifeless body.
As she analyzed the rest of the room her eyes landed on a sleek briefcase resting on the desk before her. She also noted that across the room, was a table that caught her attention. Five packed duffle bags, presumably full of cash laid on the table, her tail began to flick in excitement at the display. Returning her focus to the briefcase, she deftly flicked open the locks. Upon examining the contents inside, her eyebrows raised slightly, and a hungry smile filled with desire began to form on her lips.
While she was caught up in a trance, she did not notice the faint echoes of Zenobia calling out to her.
“Hey, Tara!” Zenobia’s voice was sharp and dripping with annoyance.
“Did ya find it? are we happy?!” She yelled, with irritation cracking through her words.
…
“Don’t take too long clearing out the warehouse. Come find me when you’re done,” Tara announced.
Zenobia rolled her eyes and sighed, “Like I don’t fucking know that,” she griped as she forcefully kicked open the doors to the warehouse.
“Oi, What the fu-” The words of the Disciple member was cut short as Zen swiftly silenced him with a well-aimed bullet straight through his eye.
“Shit, it’s the Altamuras!” Another Disciple exclaimed as he hastily grabbed a rifle and unleashed a barrage of gunfire towards the formidable Hell-Beast.
Zenobia crouched behind cover, a sly grin spreading across her face as she felt a certain rush of adrenaline, that always got her going. It was the kind of rush that only surfaced in life-or-death moments, and she thrived on it. This was the exact reason why she had chosen this career.
As the Disciple went to reload, she quickly took the chance and leapt from her cover, firing two shots. The first shot hitting the thug in the chest, with the following shot landing in his neck.
“Is this all you Disciples have to offer!? I was just starting to have fun,” she taunted.
Zenobia seeing that there was no one left pressed onward towards a set of double doors. She went to open it, but it was stuck. she drew her arm up in response and punched through the door, breaking it up open.
She walked into the Packaging Room of the foundry, the air heavy with the smell of Diesel. She paused, taking in a deep breath and raising her ears, trying to absorb as many details as possible. The pungent smell of diesel irritated her nose, so she closed her eyes to focus on the other scents in the room.
Zen started to notice a new smell, one mixed with cigarette smoke and honey, confused, she opened her eyes. Only to find that the source of the smell found her; as a Paw from a Grizzly grabbed ahold of her, and slammed her against a wall, restraining her. Zenobia tried her best to swing her pistol down onto his face but noticed the Grizzly held a grip of steel on her wrist.
“Didn’t expect to find the Altamura’s Mut rutting through our territory today,” The Grizzly gruffed in an annoyed tone.
Zenobia clicked her tongue mockingly “Oh~ well~ you should’ve known better before walking into our territory and stealing from Miss Altamura herself.” She said as she swung her head forward, her mask colliding with his nose in a headbutt.
A crunch could be heard before the Grizzly roared in pain.
Zenobia used this opportunity to plunge her claws into his gut. She twisted and pushed her weight into his, trying everything she can to gain leverage over her Grizzly opponent.
The Grizzly responded with a fierce roar, as he angrily grabbed ahold of her and threw Zenobia into the middle of the room, away from him.
Zenobia picked herself up and dusted herself off, she noticed her right shoulder was bleeding, as the Grizzly’s claws left a nasty gash on her right shoulder.
She sighed as she looked at the wound, “Do you know how expensive it’s gonna be to tailor this suit? It ain’t gonna be cheap!” She griped seeming to be more worried about her suit then herself.
The Grizzly’s nose was swollen as blood leaked out of it like a busted water pipe, he held his side as he breathed heavily.
“Enough… with cunty remarks,” He groaned, “just get it over with.”
Zenobia shrugged as the sound of a gunshot put an end to the Grizzly, as he fell to the ground like a bag of hammers.
Zenobia rolled her eyes and scoffed at the corpse before walking off and investigating the rest of the room now that all the distractions were taken care of.
She sifted through crates and boxes that were in the room. She took into account, that most of the products and weapons there seemed to be what was stolen from the Altamura’s. As she continued to poke through the cargo the familiar scent of diesel once again struck her nose.
Zenobia turned around and as her orange caramel eyes laid upon an olive green jerry-can that reeked of diesel. A mischievous grin slowly grew on her face as she retrieved up the can, and unscrewed the nozzle. She began to pour out the contents all over the room, making sure to cover the crates of weapons and illegal narcotics.
As she moved throughout the foundry she took a moment to admire her work, a smug toothy grin appeared on her face as she splashed diesel on the thug’s corpses.
She made her way back to where she and Tara had split earlier, she wondered to herself if Tara had finished clearing out her part of the foundry yet. While walking up to the second story, the smell of gunpowder filled the air; continuing onwards she eventually came across the multiple bodies littering the hallway. She chuckled to herself as she poured the diesel onto the bodies and the multiple rooms on the floor.
Zenobia was now almost out of diesel and she was becoming frustrated that she hadn’t heard from Tara yet; despite the fact she could hear her rummaging in the room down the hall.
“Hey, Tara! Are we happy or what?” she said with a growl as she poured out the rest of the contents before throwing the Jerry Can on the floor in annoyance.
Tara snapped out of her trance as she heard the commotion Zen was causing. She looked up and was met with Zenobia’s flaming amber eyes, as she stood in the doorway with an agitated glare on her face.
“Tara~ Are. We. happy?” she said lowering her tone now that she had Tara’s attention.
Tara stuttered for a second before answering her partner.
“Uh-uh, yeah we’re happy,” she said as she turned the briefcase to face her.
Zenobia peered into the briefcase, where twelve vials of Pure Essence laid. She licked her lips hungrily as she closed the case and threw it over her shoulder.
“Miss Altamura is going to love this. Check to see if there is anything else of value here, and meet me at the car when you’re done,” Zenobia said as she strutted out of the room.
Tara nodded as she made her way over to inspect the duffle bags, while Zen carried the briefcase out to the car.
Arriving at her car, Zenobia laid the briefcase in the backseat, and she pulled out a cigarette for a quick smoke. She brought the cig up to one of her eye flames to light it, as she leaned against the car. She took a good drag before glancing over at Carl’s body which laid by the car’s rear.
“Sorry Carl, for making it personal, but ya should’ve listened and fucked off when I told ya,” She said as she blew smoke.
After Zenobia took a moment to collect her thoughts, she strolled back towards the foundry.
Right before stepping inside two duffle bags of cash landed right in front of her, narrowingly missing her. She held a perplexed expression as she looked up, where she saw Tara staring down at her from the office window with a shit-eating grin.
“Can ya load those in the car, I got three more up here!” Tara yelled.
Zenobia gritted her teeth as she picked up the duffle bags and loaded them in the car. She stomped back over to the foundry’s entrance, irritatingly waiting for Tara to meet back with her.
When Tara finally emerged from the doors, Zen stepped forward, deliberately positioning herself to obstruct Tara’s path.
She grabbed one of the bags from Tara and swung it over her shoulder, still keeping an annoyed look on her face
“You’re paying for food after the stunt you pulled,” Zen said as she took one more drag from her cigarette before flicking it through the foundry’s door.
Tara just playfully shook her head, “Fine, but we are going to Quick-n-Out” she said with a purr in her voice.
A guttural growl could be heard from Zen as she loaded the bag into the car.
Her eye flames sparking into flares, all while she climbed into the driver’s seat.
Tara loaded the rest of the bags and got situated in the passenger seat, she began to bring up Zen’s current behavior.
“Ya know you are going to have to change that attitude of yours if you ever want to find yourself in a relationship. Carl back there was so nice, y’all could have definitely hit it off,” Tara teased.
“Nah, not my type, I don’t like annoying ticks in my ear.” She declared as she pulled out onto the road, while the foundry went up in a blaze of fire behind them.
…
A while later, across town, the duo could be found treating themselves to a after work meal at Quick-n-Out.
Zenobia took a bite out of her burger as she sat across from Tara, who was currently on the phone.
“Yeah, everything was taken care of, and we even found something that will make up for all the trouble the Disciples caused us,” Tara said as she patted the briefcase that sat beside her.
“Good~ I knew I could count on you, Darling. After you deliver to me what is rightfully mine, You and Zenobia can take the week off. You two earned it~. Also try and see if you can’t find her man on y’all’s day off. She needs a way to release all that pent up energy, without the use of bullets.” A luscious sultry voice responded on the other end.
Tara chuckled softly “Will do Ma’am,” Tara said as she ended the call.
Zen’s ears flicked to Tara as she noticed the call ended, “I gotta admit, this animal-style burger is better, but it still doesn’t beat ThatsaBurger,” she said as she chewed.
“How so?” Tara said with a brow raised as she too indulged in her meal.
“Well for starters it’s still a bit bland, I shouldn’t be able to taste more lettuce than a burger. If I wanted that I would’ve bought a fucken Salad” Zen informed.
“Lower your voice please,” Tara said as she sighed into her paw.
Zen growled as she shifted to a quieter tone, “Secondly the price. For just three dollars more, I could get a burger with three patties, and it’ll have bacon!” she explained as she took another bite.
Tara rolled her eyes as she too ate her food, “Just eat your food Zen,” she said all while her tail flicked in annoyance.
…
A Cheshire news anchor appeared on the screen and spoke about the recent events that occurred in Houston’s Fifth Ward.
“At around 8:45 pm tonight Fifthward’s old foundry building was found up in flames after numerous reports from concerned citizens, detailing gunshots being heard in the area. HPD officials confirmed that there are several casualties, as well as the remnants of several crates of illegal firearms and narcotics. HPD is further investigating the scene, but they did classify this as gang-related…”
The news report continued to play on the TV as the slenderly middle-aged blonde woman spoke up.
“Geez, things just keep getting worse,” she said with a sigh. “You need to be more careful and watch yourself when you’re off at that University Robert, especially with all the recent gang violence,” the concerned woman said.
Laying on a sofa was a decently fit brown-haired young man who rolled his eyes.
“Mom it’s my last year, I haven’t had any trouble so far. I don’t think this year will be any different,” he said as he stood up from the sofa and stretched.
The woman glared at her son due to his lack of concern in his response.
“I’m just saying you should be careful, I know what happens at those college parties Robert. Just don’t be like your father and get yourself into trouble, that’s all I ask,” The woman says with a sigh.
The remark about his father got a notable laugh out of Robert.
“Don’t worry Mom, I promise you, I’ll be fine,” He said as he checked his watch. “Anyway, it’s getting late, I’m off to bed. I need to renew my apartment lease in the morning,” Robert added as he hugged his mom goodnight.
“Alright,” his mother said sternly as she watched her son walk towards the guest room.
As Robert was about to enter his room, his mother called out his name. He lazily turned around
but with a brow raised.
“When are you going to get a girlfriend hmm?” she asked.
“Mom!” Robert groaned in annoyance.
“I’m serious, you were dating that sweet Hakutaku girl, whatever happened with her?”
Robert rubbed his eyes as he thought of an excuse to come up with, “We just didn’t click, she wasn’t really my type I guess,” He pitifully explained.
His mother scoffed, “You need to stop being such a Playboy,” She griped.
“You need to let a woman put a ring on your finger. A woman in your life will keep you line that’s for sure,” His mother said bluntly with her hand on her hip.
Robert just sighed as he nodded his head while retreating to the guest room, but not before once again saying goodnight.
His mother crossed her arms and shook her head, “What am I going to do with that boy?”
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