(Hey I was cleaning out my files and look at what I found. Between belated discovery of Age of Empires and Starcraft followed by the life killers Diablo 2 and Icewind Dale my life and free time disappeared however I am back on track and hope to move the story along. With these stories I was trying to make the characters more of an every man I got tried of reading about super powered shadowrunners of death with little or no character development and background stories. Am I going to be successful in the endeavor? Probably not but what the hell I’ll give it a shot anyway. Enjoy.)

New Beginnings

By Lost Phreak

As I broke away from the bus stop I started into a run that lasted a few steps before I was reminded by my leg what a bad idea that was. But time was important so began moving with shuffling trot down the street. With a corner of my mind I hoped the elf girl would be fine and wished I had gotten her name but I couldn’t spare her much more then that.

I had to figure out what I was going to do about the Halloweeners. They where a large gang and they ran the streets in this part of town and the and they had a lot of enemies and if word got out that one guy took down six of there members, one of which was a lieutenant, the other gangs would think they where going soft and try for there turf. So they would have to come down hard on me. I might have been able to solve this problem by going back to the alley and putting a round into each ganger skull, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. To kill someone who was trying to kill you was justifiable but to kill someone when they where defenseless was a line I couldn’t cross. Plus there was always a chance somebody had seen me already and offing the rest of them and that would just piss them off more.

I had almost gotten to the apartment building that my mother and I lived at, and so far the plan was to grab my stuff and get gone. I figured I would head down to Fort Lewis and enlist with the UCAS. It had always been a plan I had been kicking around and it suddenly looked very good to me. But something seemed wrong with the plan but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I was reaching for the front door of building when the thought slammed its way home. If I left who would the gang go after? Answer simple. My mother that’s who. They would cut her into hundreds of bit size pieces and feed her to the ghouls they kept under their hang out.

As that thought was echoing through the vaults of my mind I sat down on the stoup and tried to figure things out. I knew from my experiences on the football team that those gangers would probable be out for a little while longer so that gave me a little bit of time take the initiative

So I got up and started walking towards the Halloweeners HQ. I was quickly coming up with ideas and just as quickly discarding them. Soon I came up with the only possibility, if it came down to me or my mother the answer was simple… me. I would walk right up to the Halloweeners and give myself up. If I was luck they would geek me quick and this would all be over. I guess what they saw was true "No good deed goes unpunished."

Once I made my decision to give myself over to the mercy of the Halloweeners I found myself unexpectedly calm. There was clarity to my thoughts that I had never experienced before. My pain seemed to slip away, I could still fell the burning in my side and leg but they where not the all consuming pain that it was before. With my newfound inner-peace I realized I should call my mother and let her know what was going to happen. So I stopped and feed some coins into the first working telecom I found and called the apartment and left a message on the machine. The message I left was brief and to the point. I explained what happed why it had happed and what I was going to do about it. I told her that I loved her very much and that I hopped she could someday she could forgive me. I then called Mrs. Tellen our next door neighbor and one the few friends my mother had. I told her that my mother was going to need someone tonight and to please not leave her alone. She had a lot a question for me but I told her that I left a message explaining everything and that I had to go I hung up the phone squared my shoulders and started of again.

I was getting close to the gangs hangout now and you could tell. Black and orange Jack O’ Lanterns where sprayed everywhere and litter was pilled high in the gutters. All the stores where either boarded up or brunt out shells Every so often you would see a pusher in gang colors selling ether street meat or BTLs on the corners. The Halloweeners made their hang out in a small abandoned movie theater. The marquee had been changed to read "Trick, Treat, and Die." Very poetic don’t you think.

At this time a day most of the gangers where asleep so there was only one guard out front. Luckily I knew him a dwarf by the name of Half Nut and no we will not go into how he got he’s name, all I will say is that involved one to many Western Sims, a motorcycle, and a third story roof. As I walked up to him he called out. "Well look at dis da skhool boy come to play with da big dogz. Looks like someone kicked your hoop but good"

"Yeah but you should see the other guy." I said with a grin. "I need to talk to the Carver."

"Well maybe da Carvers busy. Why don’t you tell me whats you want and I’ll tink about letin you talk to him."

"I have some info that he will want to hear about."

"Info. You. Hahaha dats a good one skhool boy. What makes you tink dat you would have anything dat da Carver would want to hear about. Get your apple kissing hoop out of here before I make into a ashtray." Said Half Nut reaching for the large bowie knife at his belt.

A few days ago that might have been enough to get me moving but now I was unimpressed. "Fine I’ll leave and in a couple days when the hammer falls on the Halloweeners I’ll let be known that I had tried to warn them before it happened. But a certain dwarf wouldn’t let me talk to the Carver. And then we will see whose hoop ends up as an ashtray. Wont we Half Nut?"

He looked at me for a moment a worried look starting to creep across his face. "Fine you want to talk to da Carver it’s your funeral. So don’t come crying to Half Nut when da Carver takes off your hoop and feeds it to you."

"Fine you can consider me warned. Now can we go?" I said with just a hint of an edge in my voice. While a voice in the back of my head screamed what the frag did I think I was doing? But I pushed it aside and took comfort in the weight from the heavy pistol at the small of my back and looked hard at him.

Half Nut gave me a strange look. But then turned to pound on the door and yelled to be let in. a few seconds later the heavy steal door was swung open and I was led in. The foyer had been turned into a kill zone that anyone trying to force his way in would be turned into leaky meat. There was a balcony that looked into the foyer and I could see that light machineguns had been set up at three points with steal plates wielded on for cover. The same set up had been repeated four times on the ground floor as well.

The place was dark with the few light that where working giving off just enough illumination to make it seem darker. Noise blasted everywhere; I counted four different thrash metal bands blaring each one trying to top the other. And the smell was just more then I could handle I almost lost my lunch when I walked by the restroom the stench that emanated from that place went beyond my ability to describe. Sitting in one corner was a ganger he just sat there staring at his fingers and giggling uncontrollably. We made our way all the way back and came to the last theater. A pair of trolls who stopped us and wanted to know what we wanted guarded the door.

" Da skhool boy here says he has some info for da Carver. I told him dat da boss did wont to be bothered but he wouldn’t take no for and answer." Said Half Nut.

One of the trolls nodded his head and went inside the other didn’t move a muscle and just stared at me. A few moments later the first troll came back, " Da Carver will see you in a moment." He said. After a few seconds the door opened and a pair of half dressed woman came out followed by a female dwarf in dominatrix gear leading a pair of Dobermans on a chain. Don’t ask I didn’t.

As I entered I was overwhelmed by the smell of incense that burned in a dozen different locations, the theater itself was better lit then the rest of hangout. It appeared to be set up as one huge bedroom. The movie screen had been covered with the picture of a looming Jack O’ Lantern. And seated underneath on what seemed to be a throne was The Carver. He was a tall gaunt elf his head shaved except for a mowhawk that was dyed orange and black. His face had the standard pumpkin tattoo he was stripped to the waist wearing only a pair of black leather pants with orange piping. But with all this going on the most noticeable feature was the pair of matted black cyber arms that ended in wicked sharp talons from which he drew his name form.

He watched me walk down the aisle leisurely tracing a line from ear to ear with one finger. It was then I noticed that no bodyguards had followed me in; I was alone with the most dangerous and possibly the most deranged person in the Halloweeners. I felt the first cracks in my calm begin to appear.

"Well well well young Philips it is such a pleasure to finally meet you, I have heard so much about you. It’s so nice to see the young of this area trying to make something of themselves." Said Carver in a slow drawl. "Why I wish this was a social call I believe I was told you have some information for me. And my time is not limitless. So let us get to the point." A small smile appeared on his face. "And I do hope that you weren’t lying Young Philips. It would be most… unpleasant for you.

I took a deep breath and pulled myself together and started off. Deciding it dive straight in and not beat around the bush. "This afternoon six Halloweeners where attacked, four of them were killed including Slab." The Carver eyes narrowed at this news. "The other two where severely beat but should live." He sat up straighter. And I waited for the question that I knew was to follow.

"And do you know who did this Young Philips?" Asked the Carver. And without waiting for a response he pushed on. "Of course you do otherwise you wouldn’t be wasting my time, now would you Young Philips? So tell me who are these motherfraggers who want to mess with the Halloweeners?"

I swallowed hard at this point and said, "It was me. I killed four of your gang and beat the other two senseless." There I said. I had confessed my guilt and all that was left was for me to pay the price for my sin.

The Carver just stared at me with a strange expression on his face. And then it slowly started, first it was a giggle it quickly moved on to a chuckle and then he was at a full bellowing laugh soon he was struggling for his breath. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open as he was clinging to the side of his chair for all he was worth trying not to fall to the floor. He managed to wheeze out, "You. You killed Slab and three other Halloweeners? Oh god that’s funny oh hahaha. He killed Slab." At this point he started to pull himself together and asked, "what did you do add them to death?" And then he was off again.

I tried for several times to get him to listen to me only to be cut short each time with laughter. Finally I had an idea, I reached behind my back and pulled out the Browning Maxpower I had taken from Slab. The pistol had been modified for a troll but I always had large hands so I was able to hold without any trouble. I held up the piece so The Carver could see it.

"This look familiar?" I asked.

At this point he stopped laughing. And looked hard at the gun in my hand. In most gangs firearms were few and of low quality now the Halloweeners where higher on the food chain then most street gang so they had better weapons. But a quality heavy pistol was not something most gangers carried, and so Slabs pistol would most likely be recognized.

"Well well well Young Philips could you be telling me the truth, yes I believe you have. I will be silent and you will tell me what happened. And Young Philips do not try to tell stories to Carver I will find out anyway, and then…" He let the threat trail off into the unknown.

I nodded my understanding and begun my tale from hearing the scream in the alley to landing the killing blow on Slab. As I ended the story I left out the part about what happened to the elf girl, but I was sure that Carver realized this and didn’t push the point. In fact he didn’t say anything at all he just sat there and watched me with half-closed. His expression was completely devoid of any emotion. For a moment I thought he might have fallen asleep but as nerves reached the breaking point he spoke.

"Well young Philips you have put me in a very interesting position. A very interesting position indeed, for you see while its not common knowledge even among the gang let alone the outside world Slab was getting ready to make a push for my particular place of eminence in the gang. Oh he thought he was the clever little troll, thought he could hide it from me. But I found out and was beginning to put things into motion to have the situation handled by outside help, so all I had to do was sit back and watch which way the chickens ran when their head was cut off. But that could be so expensive you understand hiring the hitters and then hiring hitters to take out the hitters. It really starts to add up." He said shaking his head with a theatrical sigh. "So on that hand you have done me a great favor you have removed a threat to myself without having me involve myself that is a very useful thing."

At this point I began feeling the faint flickers of hope. But they where soon extinguished. "However how would it look to others if I let a trusted Lieutenant be killed and not punish his killer." He pause shaking he’s head "Hmm no that will not work at all. So there must be punishment for the crime. I give you three choices to think on. You may join the gang as my own special enforcer, you may die in a very very painful way, or you can leave.

"Leave?" I asked.

Carver gave me a slow smile and said. "Yes you may leave I would suggest Seattle as a whole but I won’t push it that far. Just leave Halloweeners territory. However if you ever come back…" He extended he’s arm towards me and let the light play on the razor edges the sprouted from he’s fingers. "I will skin you alive." He finished on a positively disturbing upbeat tone.

"I can just leave. What about my mother you won’t harm her will you." I asked with some trepidation.

"No your mother is not a factor in this equation. And I will assure you that she will not be caught up in the fallout of these matters. But I would hasten you to consider a position within the gang. It seems you have a most unique ability one that could make you a very important person here. A very powerful person."

I thought about this for a moment letting the pro and cons weigh out in my mind but I found myself instantly rejecting it. Shaking my head no I said. "I’m sorry but no. As well as it appears I can fight I don’t think I could get too the level at which you Halloweeners practices it." Regretting the phrasing as soon as it left my mouth I waited to for Carver to lash into me. Instead he surprised me by breaking into laughter again,

"Yes I do suppose it something of a gift that few have the stomach for." He said while examining his talons. "Ah young Philips it is to bad it could not work out, you do so amuse me." He gave another theatrical sigh and said. "Very well you have…um let say four hours to remove yourself from Halloweener territory at the ended of those four the next time I see your face it will not be attached to your body. Do we have an understanding?"

"Com completely." I stuttered

"Very well you may go now." He said in the way of a dismissal. And waved be towards the doors.

As I made my way towards the door trying not to show my limp and at the same time trying not to break into a run the Carver called to me. "You may keep Slabs gun as a souvenir. I think you are going to need it." He said breaking into howling with laughter once again. I decided to quicken my pace up a bit.

As I made my way out the doors and past the troll bookends guarding it. I felt euphoric rush I was going to live and my mother was going to be safe. I found myself making my way home with no real recollection of leaving the theater. I recall Half Nut calling out to me and answering he’s question but whatever was said I couldn’t remember and from what I remember from he’s puzzled expression it was not much of an answer.

I retuned home a half hour later and managed to avoid explaining how I had gotten beaten up to the neighbors, and made my way upstairs to the apartment. I had to move quickly. I grabbed an army surplus duffle bag and started to take what I would need to survive on my own. It was surprisingly easy it leave behind the junk that I thought I could never do without when you have to put your life in a bag. I then went to the kitchen and slid the refrigerator out and went to the hided compartment there and took out a package. 450 Nuyen in currency our backup money. I felt tinge of guilt as I put the cash in my pocket but I pushed to the side, I was doing what I had to survive and I was sure my mom would understand. I then went to the kitchen cabinet and pulled a sheet of paper and sat down explained everything that had happened I told her that I was heading out. That I didn’t know where I was going but I would let her know as soon as I got there. I told her that I loved her very much and I wasn’t sorry for what had happened it was the right thing to do, and I hopped she could be proud of me for doing it. I then went to the door took one last look around.

And then I walked out.

To be continued

(Hey please send me any and all commits I would really appreciate feedback to let me know where I am lacking and wear I am showing strength. I have never really tried to write anything of any length so it may take me a while between stories but I will try to get them out. Thanks Lost Phreak.)