Author's Note

From now on, Playa will be going by Boss. Just something I wanted to let you guys know.

Also, there's an OC I agreed to use courtesy of Speedy Silverstreak. You'll know him when you see him.

SR2: First Steps

It wasn't long before Boss, as the the Saints started calling him, got a call in from Carlos. 'I did some digging into the Brotherhood. They're led by a big bruiser named Maero. He found out I was looking into him, but didn't seem mad about it. In fact, he wants to sit down and have a have a chat with you, try to work things out before they get outta control. He's waiting at the underground caverns.' "Meeting on our turf," Boss noted, "And here I thought this might be a trap."

Deep in the caverns, Boss, Carlos, and Starlight found Maero sitting on one of the benches. He seemed to take most of it. His arms were crossed, showing off his muscles and tattoos. "You must be Maero," Boss noted, "Where's your crew?" "I don't need one," Maero said confidently. Boss scoffed, then pointed a gun to his face. "You sure about that? I could kill you right now." Maero stood up, showing just how big he was. "No... You couldn't."

Boss smirked. He had to respect the guy, he really had balls to step up when he was outnumbered and outgunned. Despite his boast, Boss really could've killed Maero then and there. But he decided to hear him out. If things didn't work out for the Saints, he could always kill Maero another time. "Alright, so whaddya want?" Maero started pacing. "Listen, I'm not stupid. I know who you are. There's no reason for us to tear each other apart. Instead, I'm thinking we divide Stil--"

"I hear voices this way!," came the voice of a police officer. "Shit," Carlos said, "Someone must've tipped the cops off about our meeting." "We need to get outta here," Maero noted, "We can continue this at my gang's hideout in Stoughton." "Which way do we take?," Boss asked. "Up or down is the same distance," Starlight noted, "We can grab a boat if we go down, avoid the cops. If we go up, it'll be easier to move to Stoughton."

Ultimately they chose to shoot their way through the cops, finally reaching the surface and driving to Stoughton. Once at the Brotherhood's hideout Boss noticed something. "You guys have your hideout in the open?" "People know to stay away," Mearo assured him. He turned over to a pair of familiar faces. "Hey, how's my truck coming?" Sure enough, Boss recognized Donnie, and he was certain it was Lin working on the monster truck's underside.

"It'll be ready for the competition," Donnie said, giving Boss a subtle look. He didn't outright state his recognition, but it was clear he wanted to meet later. Inside the warehouse, which looked like a tattoo parlor, Maero met with a young woman and a blonde man with several piercings. The woman looked excited to see Maero. "You're back!," she said as she literally jumped into his arms.

Maero smiled warmly at her. "Come on, did you expect any less? Anyway, I brought some company." Boss nodded. "I'm Playa, but my crew likes to call me Boss now. This is Starlight and her boyfriend Carlos." Jessica shook Boss's hand. "I'm Jessica." She looked at Carlos. "Ya know, you remind me of my old house cleaner..." Starlight glared at her. "Are you acting racist to my man?" Jessica backed off a little. "I was just kidding..."

Maero placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Babe, you wanna count the cash?" It was clear he wanted to make a good first impression. Jessica nodded as Maero sat down in the barber chair. "Matt, you ready?" The blonde guy, Matt, grinned. "Always." Carlos looked like he recognized him. "Aren't you the guitarist for the Feed Dogs?" "Don't encourage him," Jessica said, annoyed. "Look lady," Matt said defensively, "You and Maero met at one of my concerts so I don't wanna hear it."

"Looks like you're also the Brotherhood's scrimshaw," Starlight noted. Maero nodded. "Guy's a regular Rembrandt with a needle." "But don't you think you have enough tattoos?," Starlight asked, "You've got more ink than a Maori warrior." "Lady," Maero replied, "I've got a lot of canvas left. Anyway, back to business. The Brotherhood is about to come into something big and I think the Saints will wanna get in on the ground floor. My suggestion, we split the city twenty-eighty."

"With us getting the eighty I trust," Boss suggested. Maero scoffed. "Yeah, sure you do." Boss glared. "You just expect us to take twenty and say thanks?" "On your hands and fucking knees," Maero said threateningly. "You do remember who we are right?," Starlight asked, "Two years ago we wiped out three whole gangs. Do you really think it's a good idea to be offering such a bad deal?"

"Oh please," Mearo said, "Time's passed you by. You're both just a couple of has-beens." "And you're a not-all-there," Carlos countered, "From what I've seen of your gang, you're nothing but Rollerz who do gunrunning. Meanwhile, us Saints are into drug dealing, protection rackets, money laundering... You give us the lower end of a twenty-eighty deal, and the cops'll run over both our gangs."

"Like anyone could stand a chance against my crew," Maero said smugly. Boss shook his head. "You really made a bad mistake. Let's go guys." The three of them walked out, Jessica looking after them. "Honey, you want me to have someone take care of them?" "No," Maero replied, "They'll be dead soon enough." Despite Maero's words, he later learned that the Saints made a first strike by taking Southern Cross from him.

Back at the hideout, Boss, Johnny, and Starlight saw Pierce setting up some kind of model. "What's with the dollhouse?," Johnny asked. Pierce scoffed. "It's a model so I can work on my plan for us to fuck up the Ronin." "What's your thinking?," Boss asked. "The Ronin have a stake in Poseidon's Palace, the big casino in the marina district," Pierce explained, "The way I see it, we start by hitting the Ronin in their pockets, and they'll know we ain't fucking around."

"Not a bad start," Boss admitted, "So how do we break in?" Pierce started moving around the pieces. "You and I enter the casino here... Once inside we need to distract this security guard. I was thinking you could catch me cheating, or some shit like that. Anyway, while the guard's concerned with throwing me out, Gat'll sneak in through this security door... Don't worry, I already got today's passcode from the blackjack dealer Shaundi's fucking. Now, once inside, Gat'll have to sneak past the guards to cut the power.... When that happens we only have about 45 seconds before the backup generator turns on. During the blackout, though--"

"Pierce, Pierce," Starlight cut in, "This plan is great and all, but it has too many steps, which means too many things that can go wrong. We're a street gang, not a group of professional thieves. And while such a complicated plan could work in the real world, we don't have nearly the amount of resources necessary to realistically pull it off." Pierce rubbed his chin. "Shit, you're right. I forgot we were just starting out. Good thing I have plan B."

"Tell me plan B is more fun than this Ocean's Eleven shit," Johnny pleaded. "Oh, it is," Pierce assured him, "First we get some of our crew near the casino with a large truck, where they'll wait outside. Inside, we start by taking out the Ronin that'll be watching over the games and picking up the take. Once that's clear, we just need to apply some C4 to the safe with the money. That was gonna be the last part of plan A, but it can still work here. I had the safe checked out earlier, it's sturdy but twenty ounces should suffice to crack it open." Johnny smiled. "Now that's a plan."

As the four of them drove to the casino, Pierce said, "Listen, when we get there, try to keep the Ronin at a medium range. Those swords they're carrying aren't props, and word is they keep 'em sharpened samurai-style." "I'd expect nothing less from a gang called the Ronin," Johnny admitted. "We got word on their leader?," Boss asked. "His name's Shogo Akuji," Pierce replied, "He's obsessed with his father's approval, or at least that's the rumor, but he's still ruthless and knows how to run his gang."

"Not to mention the Ronin have a deal with Ultor," Starlight noted, "Their project head Dane Vogel approached me several times in prison, hoping to have my powers researched." "We'll have to look into what Ultor's into at some point as well," Boss said, "But for now we hit the casino." Once inside, the quartet started firing on the Ronin, dressed in black and yellow suits. Once they were dealt with, Johnny and Pierce started setting the charges on the vault's hinges while Boss and Starlight defended them from more Ronin swarming in.

"They kinda remind me of bees," Starlight noted. "They probably sting just as bad," Boss replied, "Remind me to train the crew in kenjutsu when we're done here." "I cannot believe you used that term right," Pierce said as he and Johnny finished with the bomb, the four of them getting a good distance away before it blew, exposing the vault's interior. Right on cue, the Saints came rushing in and grabbed as much money as possible. "Where are we gonna hide the money until we can clean it?," Boss asked. "I'll leave it at Eesh's place," Johnny explained, "It's the last place they'd look."

At their hideout in the Tohoku Towers in Filmore, Shogo was going over the recent incident. The Saints had not only chosen to rob the Poseidon's Palace, but they had also taken Centennial Beach in the confusion, marking their tag over one the Ronin had left there. There was also talk about the Saints making contacts in two separate locations in that neighborhood. Shogo spoke with his bodyguard and second-in command, Jyunichi.

"Mr. Akuji won't be happy to find out about the casino incident," Jyunichi said in his native Japanese. "Jyunichi, you need to relax...," Shogo replied. Jyunichi narrowed his eyes. "You can't hide anything from Mr. Akuji." Shogo scoffed. "My father won't find out about the casino..." "You can't just act as if nothing has happened," Jyunichi reminded him. "Don't question me Jyunichi...," Shogo reprimanded, "And we're in America, speak English."

Jyunichi sighed "Forgive me Shogo." A sudden knock at the door had Jyunichi draw his sword in reflex. Shogo chuckled as he got up and walked over. "A little jumpy today?" He opened the sliding door to reveal a butler carrying a drink tray with a champagne bottle and the appropriate glasses. Shogo pointed to nearby table. "Over there." The butler nodded as he moved the tray over. Before leaving, he bowed to Jyunichi. He also placed his hand out for a tip, but Shogo slammed the door in his face. "Sword."

Jyunichi handed Shogo the sword he had drawn, which Shogo used to open the bottle before stabbing it into the ground. He then sat down with his glass. "Listen Jyunichi, I know you're having a hard time... Adjusting, to the way I run things here. But how about you let me deal with my father and you deal with whatever the fuck I tell you to deal with." Jyunichi gave a reserved sigh. "Of course Shogo." Shogo smiled. "Excellent..."

Later Pierce had Boss and Starlight meet him outside the strip club Technically Legal in Misty Lane. "If we're hiding the cash from our robbery here, I'd say it's best we make it Saints' territory to increase security," Pierce explained, "And I've found just the excuse to raise the ruckus necessary for us to move in. Now one of my girls here at the club called me up and said that a Ronin was getting too touchy feely, and the bouncers have all been paid not to do dick."

"So it's up to us then," Boss realized, "And while we're busy distracting the Ronin, our crew can move in and take the territory for the Saints." Pierce nodded. "Exactly." Once inside, taking out the Ronin was a three-step process. First there was a group on the ground, next a group on the second floor. Finally, several reinforcements arrived outside. Once they were all dealt with, the Saints regained Misty Lane. This was marked with two more snuffed tags, while Starlight picked four of her new contacts.

Boss had been sent a message by Donnie, asking him to meet someone at the Stilwater University district, in the Frat Row. As it happened, one of Starlight's contacts was also there. The latter, a man named Carl, met Boss as he was looking at a Demolition Derby flyer. "You must be the one Starlight was talking about," Carl said, "I see you're eyeing that poster. Tell you what. I happen to be registered in that derby. If you can win it for yourself, I'll hand over the items Starlight left me. They're charms that'll convince auto store mechanics to offer you a discount."

"That definitely sounds useful," Boss admitted, "Alright, you're on." Boss had to earn a certain amount of cash with each round, and in between rounds he was allowed to upgrade his car to be faster, more durable, and more destructive. Once he cleared all the rounds, he walked outside and saw a young man with dyed blue hair. "What's up?," the guy said, "I saw your derby." "You the guy Donnie mentioned?," Boss asked.

"Yeah, that's me," the guy said, "Name's Calvin Thompson, but all my friends call me Speedy. I used to hang with the Rollerz, until Sharp was killed." "Smart of you to drop your flags then," Boss noted. Speedy nodded. "No doubt, especially since Price lost it after that happened. I've been friends with Donnie ever since we joined the Rollerz, and I also got to know Lin real well. Still threw me for a loop when I learned she was really with the Saints."

"I saw her and Donnie working on cars for the Brotherhood," Boss said. "They've been trying to make ends meet since the the alderman's yacht blew," Speedy explained, "The Brotherhood offered them a sizeable paycheck for tuning their rides. I was also with the Brotherhood until recently, when I overheard Maero trying to sell you that bad deal. I'll be honest, I'd like to swap sides and hang with the Saints instead."

Boss considered it. "Well, I do need someone to get information regarding Ultor, just in case they try anything against us. We got blindsided by public officials two years ago, I don't want that happening again. If you can do that, I'll make you a lieutenant here and now." "Done," Speedy agreed, and the two of them shook hands. "Head for the mission house in Bavogian Plaza," Boss said, "We make our hideout in the old hotel underneath it. Ask for Gat, and he'll get you canonized then set you up with your new colors." Speedy nodded before getting in his car and driving off.

There was another contact Starlight wanted Boss to meet in Frat Row, a local science major named Lindsey. Boss was a little surprised when he saw the kid. "You look a little nerdy to be a pimp." "Never stopped any girls from signing on," Lindsey noted, "You'd be surprised how many girls in real life can find nerds sexy. It helps that I'm providing them with good employment. I organize all my john's through Meg's List, schedule health checkups at the campus hospital..."

"And get a little pussy on the side?," Boss asked coyly. "They're called loose women for a reason," Lindsey admitted, "Anyway, recently some of my clients have been wanting some rather extreme services to get off. Naturally the only thing I could think of to do so in private was organize a mobile escort service. Unfortunately I don't have my license, but the good news is I do have the capital to hire temp services to drive for me."

"Temps like myself, you mean," Boss said. Lindsey nodded. "Among others. In addition to the payout I'm willing to offer you a spell crafted by Starlight that she left in my care, a special warding charm that will make it easier to shake off the Sons of Samedi, in the inevitable event you wind up facing off against them. Seriously, that woman's like a magical girl from my Japanese anime. She's even got the right hair color for it."

Once Boss finished the favor for Lindsey, he returned to the hideout. Speedy had already been settled in, and was already organizing a scouting unit to hunt for rumors regarding Ultor. As he sat down to relax, Starlight and Shaundi walked over. "Hey Boss, I gotta show you something," Shaundi said. She got the pipe Starlight bought her and lit it up, handing it to Boss. Boss took a wiff, and got a pleasing buzz from the product.

"That's banging," Boss admitted, "Don't think I recognize the drug, though. Is it new?" "It's the Samedi's number one product," Shaundi explained, "They call it loa dust." Boss looked confused. "But you smoke it." Starlight shrugged. "Well, the Samedi aren't big on marketing. The point is college students are buying this stuff up by the pound. It's almost completely replaced koma as the number one drug in Stilwater and even cut into the Colombians' drug profits with how popular it is."

Shuandi nodded. "So I'm thinking if we can corner the market for ourselves and run the Samedi outta business, it'll make it easier to take them out. We just need to figure out how to make it." "And then sell it for cheaper," Boss realized, "I like this plan, Shuandi. How much do you think we'll need?" "I'd say three pounds," Shuandi guessed, "Two for science, one for the weekend." "Sounds good to me," Boss said, "Let's hit the campus and grab that product."

The trio took a car and drove to the university. "We should be careful going against the Samedi," Shaundi said, "They're usually more coked up then I am, but they're also big into voodoo which helps them keep their focus." "So they have Haitian roots," Boss noted. "Yeah," Shuandi said with a nod, "They even named themselves for the vodoun lord of the dead." Boss just laughed. "Shaundi, you're in a gang called the Saints. Names don't really mean much to me."

At the campus, the trio were able to catch the Samedi dealers off-guard, grabbing two pounds of loa dust. "So much for the boogie men," Boss said. "Hey guys," Shaundi chimed in, "I just got a tip that Mark Gabby is also slinging nearby. He's a major dealer for the Samedi, we take him out it'll really cut into their profit margins." Gabby was in his car driving around, but it didn't take long to track him down and kill him, grabbing a third pound of loa dust.

"Since we cleaned out so many Samedi," Boss said, "We should have our crew move into Frat Row in their place." "Sounds good," Shuandi replied, "Also, I'm starting to get the munchies. Can we grab donuts at Apollo's?" Boss shrugged. "Why not?" Before they finished up, Starlight marked the territory snuffing out one of the Samedi's tags, and looking up another of her contacts. The network started feeding information to Speedy, which might lead to info regarding Ultor.

That evening, a Samedi limo was seen driving through Stilwater. Inside were the three main leaders of the Sons of Samedi, the DJ Veteran Child, a voodoo priest called Mr. Sunshine, and a Haitian man known only as The General. General took a drag from his cigar. "Gentlemen, how was business today?" "Here's today's take...," Veteran Child said as he handed a wad of bills to Sunshine, who in turn handed it to the General.

The General hefted the wad in his hand, frowning as he noted something off about the weight. "There are many singles where fifties should be..." Veteran Child adjusted his glasses. "Yeah, about that... I couldn't get a hold of some of my guys..." The General looked angered. "These men steal from The General?" "No, I'm not sayin' they're stealin'...," Veteran Child said defensively. He then saw Sunshine speaking with General in Haitian. "Yo, Papa Shango, I'm talkin' to The General."

Sunshine turned his burning gaze to Veteran Child, making him uncomfortable. "Man, fuck off." Sunshine smirked. "On the streets you may be a popular DJ, Veteran Child... But when you're in this car you'd do well to remember your place." Veteran Child glared at Sunshine as he lowered his glasses. "My place?" "My friends, please, be civil," the General said, hoping to diffuse the situation. It seemed to work as both Veteran Child and Sunshine backed off.

Satisfied, the General said, "Veteran Child... Look into the matter of the missing money... If one of your bag boys is indeed alive, take one of his hands... I doubt he will be late again. If he is not alive, I think we have a greater problem." Veteran Child looked surprised. "You want me to cut off some dude's hand?" "If he stole from me, he needs to learn," the General asserted. Veteran Child gulped. "Yeah, that makes, um... Sense." Actually it sounded barbaric, but he wasn't about to argue the matter. Sunshine grinned at his hesitation. "Is there a problem?" "No!," Veteran Child barked out, "I mean, it's no problem, I got this..."

The next day Boss met Shaundi out near the trailer park in Elysian Fields. "I nearly forgot Starlight passed me a spell capsule before I got outta prison," she explained, "I'd like to hand it over but first I need help getting word out about our upcoming drug business through the north island. The Ronin won't like that we're doing business on their turf, but luckily I got a friend willing to let us use his attack chopper for air support. The capsule holds a charm for convincing weapon stores to offer a discount."

After Boss helped Shaundi complete the deals, the two of them met Starlight at the trailer park. "Welcome to the Elysian Fields," Shaundi said, "It may not seem like it, but this place is run by the Samedi, and they have drug labs in some of the trailers." "They all look the same," Boss noted, "How are we gonna find 'em?" Shaundi pointed to a nearby building. "The laundromat over there should have a map marking all the labs. From there we just blow them up with these."

She opened a nearby crate to reveal some satchel charges. Boss whistled in appreciation. "You really know how to plan out a raid." There were Samedi in the area, making it difficult to get to the map and then destroy the indicated trailers, but not completely hard. Before long, the Elysian Fields were smoking and smelled from the chemicals, while the Saints moved in to claim the place for themselves. A tagging spot was grabbed to mark the place while Speedy met with another contact. The Saints had only just started reclaiming Stilwater, and they were off to a good start.