A 6 story building stood before me. Dilapidated, with a brick facade, it stood in as a lone apartment building next to the Prospect park. Quite an ugly construct now, with its windows smashed in, the emergency stairs rusted, and covered in countless graffiti. At 2AM, it was also kind of unsettling considering there was no light coming from it.
And what made it much more unsettling was that it's the location of a small gang.
Not having had any luck, or unluck maybe, of running into any crime for a while, i gave up on the 'patrol and hope you get lucky' plan.
As for the gang itself...
They've robbed previously a bunch of smaller stores, involved in human trafficking cases, and finally they've been selling drugs like hot cakes. Now the worst part about it is that the human trafficking was something they got away with due to the evidence being "inconclusive". So some of their members, that shouldve served 20 years at the very least, got out recently due to being jailed for only possessing drugs. Even that was paid off by their compatriots, so they got out within mere months.
Thinking up until here, one thought kept repeating itself in my head, like a venomous poison:
"Scum like this really doesn't deserve to exist, after all. How many fucking lives did they ruin and they got off scot-free?!"
Taking my breath the calm myself, i looked at the building again.
Now then... From where do i gatecrash? Front door is too risky i feel. While window has its own risks as well it's probably safer.
Slowly approaching the building from the dark alley, i kept looking around to spot if there was anyone keeping watch or CCTV. Both could spell trouble, the latter one with the government itself. Not seeing anyone or anything, i stuck to the wall like a shadow, creeping closer and closer to the broken window.
Before running in, i threw on the hastily made skull facemask so i wouldn't be recognised. Gently checking the window frame, and not finding any glass shards stuck in it, i pulled myself up with one swift motion, something old me wouldn't have had the physical strength to do.
While praising my current body, i slowly let my legs come in contact with the floor. No loud squeaking noises greeted me, luckily.
As i was creeping up to the wall i put my ear on it to try guessing their location. They were... Roughly on the second story.
Pulling out my Model 10 and getting ready to unleash hell, the tension that was suffused in my body was slightly eased upon feeling the wooden grip of my trusty gun. The doubts that have been plaguing me have been suppressed to a corner of my mind as well.
As my hand grabbed the doorknob, i turned the doorknob with expectation and nervousness.
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Frowning, i looked outside the window. As i kept standing there for a while, George approached me. Still fondling the hooker, he asked.
"Yo, boss, what's going on, why don't you join in on the fun?", pointing at the others who were having the time of their life with drugs, drinks and hookers, or the girls who owed us money.
"We're celebrating, you can't be frowning like that now!"
"I feel... Something is slightly odd." the old man said.
Suddenly getting serious, he asked while pushing the woman away, "Boss, Your gut feeling is always right, so what is it, do you want me to tell the others that we need to bail?"
"Its different now, its not what it used to be, and I'd rather not cause a commotion if im wrong, which i probably am." skeptical, Old Mason replied. At 53 years he was by far the oldest in the gang, with rich experience having worked for some of the biggest underworld bosses in New York. And the most pride he had for being a member of Kingpins vast crime network.
Standing there in silence, George wanted to say something for a while, but looking at the aged face of the boss, he gave up, and simply said, "Got it."
Suddenly not in the mood to party anymore, he went outside the somewhat refurbished apartment. Seeing that the other four outside were also having a blast due to the old guys returning from the slammer, his melancholic mood did improve a bit.
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From the corner of my eye, as i was getting ready to blow a hole in the heads of the four gangsters ahead, i saw another one leave the apartment. Unexpectedly, there was a party of sorts going on, with barely audible music coming from the apartment he just left from. Barely audible due to the soundproofing, might i add, as it felt like its going to blow my ear drums out with the open door.
For a while, i waited for at least one of them to go back inside there. Yet as luck would have it, another one came outside instead.
Seeing the 6 people in the corridor, some high, some inebriated, made me feel uneasy about jumping out and opening fire.
As i slowly felt my heart beat accelerate due to the palpable tension, one of them went back into the apartment.
Its now or never!
Walking out from the corner boldly, gun aimed i rained down lead on them.
With the first bang, one of the guys at the door dropped, a bloody hole in his head. Perfect!
Seeing that the first grunt died, i mumbled the word Focus in my mind, and the world was slowed to a crawl. As for why not run outside in Focus? I had to use it sparingly.
In a world with slowed down time, i took another shot. Seeing the bullet rapidly approach someones panicked face in slow motion was incredibly satisfying and horrifying at the same time. As it entered the skull, on the other side blood shoot out. Another one down.
While they were reaching for the guns on their bodies, a third and fourth shot rang out. With each shot, one head with a hole in it dropped to the floor.
And as the last mans hand touched the weapon at the hip, i fired one more time. Yet as the distance between us was at 20 meters and not at 10, i didnt hit the head, I hit the shoulder due to him throwing himself to the side.
With his expression changing to one of agony slowly, i adjusted my aim, and fired the last bullet in the cylinder. With a hole in his head, he fell down for good.
Turning off Focus and checking the time spent in it being only 2 seconds, still having 8, i was elated.
Reloading my trusty model 10, i checked the system for the very first level up.
13/300
1 Skill point available.
1 Stat point available.
Throwing the stat point in Dexterity, i threw the skll point into Control I
Do you wish to level up like this?
With a nod, the system used both the points. And i didn't feel any different? How would i check dexterity even? Hmmm...
Looking at my revolver, i started twirling it. Noticing the massive difference in control and finesse i stoppd before i shot myself. It's not out of the question with my luck after all.
Getting up to here, i noticed that none of the people inside came to check out why there were gunshots. Or they maybe didn't hear them?
With my hopes up i crept ever closer to the door where the party was held. Putting my ear on the wall i tried to hear any sounds besifes this damned music.
Occasionally, i would hear voices but they were too faint to make out their topic of discussion.
Suddenly having a stupid idea, i decided to head towards the window. Peeking my head outside, i saw that there... Was no terrace. Damn it.
Going back to the door, i stood in front of it for a solid minute. Focus turning on, i kicked down the door.
8 people, 4 women and 4 men.
Seeing that the women were drugged i kept my guesses to myself, as i kept pulling the trigger.
Control came in handy, the revolver that kicked much harder than the glock suddenly felt like shooting a toy gun. Yet it was no less lethal than before.
3 men died on the spot, while the 4th straggler managed to get behind the table.
Reloading my gun with Focus off again, it was only now when panic set in among those inside the apartment.
As some more people arrived in that room, who directly jumped into cover, they opened return fire. Through the door frame i was standing in a second ago countless bullets whizzed by, and the noise of the SMGs echoed through the entire apartment.
Long had i left the door and hid further down the corridor, more specifically, at the staircase.
I didn't need to wait long, as there was a head that peaked outside the apartment. With one BANG, he dropped on the floor as more panicked screams resounded from inside.
Still aiming my gun at the door, i got a sudden surprise. Three of them suddenly had run out of the door in anger, or due to being high, trying to locate me.
Focus!
Three more shots! Three more dead grunts!
Counting, the original 15 people were down to just 4 now, or maybe slightly more if they got more recruits. As i approached the door slowly, gun aimed at it if there is another surprise like that, i noticed i had only 3 more seconds of focus left. 3 more seconds before it would get really dangerous.
Thinking of this, i didnt know if there were guns aiming at the door already. Or if they had anything that could punch through fhe concrete wall. Thinking this far, i had a brilliant idea, courtesy of a certain game.
I grabbed one of the guns from the floor. Emptying the magazine and the one bullet in the chamber, i threw it inside the door while shouting:
"GRENADEEEE!"
"AAAAAH!" As i heard the scream of women and men, i looked inside gun in hand. Two men on the floor, one bullet each.
Going in and seeing the still going music, i shot the stereo system, silencing it for good. Walking past the living room, i threw a quick glance at the last guy who had gotten injured by a ricochet and was gunless on the floor.
Seeing me approach, he was about to say something.
Bang!
"I'm here for money, be a better person in your next life so you dont encounter another me."
Adrenaline still at an all time high, i did a sweep of the area and did not find anything else in the open rooms. Finally, i approached the last door. The sole door that was completely closed.
A swift kick later, the door was open.
Inside, an old man was holding a woman hostage. Yet before he could even open his mouth...
Focus!
Bang!
"Aaaargh!"
Shooting a hole through his hand, the glock dropped.
"Where's the money?" i asked nonchalantly, trying to seem like someone from a rival gang.
He looked at the suitcase on the bed his bed. "On... The bed.", he said with difficulty.
"Open it." not trusting that it wasn't some sort of trap, i made him go bite the bullet if it was.
He was slowly approached the suitcase, his hand still limp. Openining it slowly, he showed there was genuine cash inside. A very small amount considering the amount of shit these bastards we're involved in.
Turning to look at the old man, i smiled from under the mask.
Seeing my smile, he was relieved and asked with cold sweat still dripling from his face :"You got the money."
As he suddenly screamed, he pulled out a gun from his sleeve. Seeing the barrel rapidly turning towards me, i shouted Focus in my mind with all the willpower i could.
Bang! Bang!
As i looked at the old man who dropped dead, hole in head, i turned to look behind me. On the wall, a hairs breath away from where my head is, there was a hole. The bullet had whizzed past my ear. Still having the odd ringing in my ear, i went past the dead body to inspect the cash.
I thought it was only three grand, but seeing the five grand in there put a smile on my face. Grabbing that, i left that building like the wind.
I didn't relax until i got home, before finally...
Finally, as i got into my own room, i grew relaxed. Throwing the money on the table i collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. Or i wanted to, at least.
Suddenly jumping up, i ran to the bathroom, experiencing convulsions.
Barely making it to the bathroom i started vomiting for what felt like an eternity, the after effects of adrenaline and the tension having left me. The shock of it all, and the near death encounter set in.
Leaving the bathroom after an hour, according to the clock, i went to bed and simply collapsed. My first mission as a vigilante... Was successful.