Shattering Humanity-Chapter 112: "Welcome To The Family."

The room goes quiet and both Tristan and Bethany are surprised the General willfully announced that information to the niece of Decima.

Tristan : "General Nephilim!?"

Nephilim holds his hand up back towards the young man behind him.

Nephilim: "They’ve already admitted to killing Gray, Young Tristan. These guys won’t listen to anybody seriously without what they see as ’credibility’. Besides, I have a sneaking feeling she already knows, somehow."

Tristan is visibly angry, knowing how much Gray meant to both him and Stephanie.

Tristan: "Gray didn’t deserve to die. What could he have possibly done to get the death penalty here!?"

Everyone around Don Laban’s table is smiling and snickering, especially the Don herself. Her IceEye in 2nd Stage aura flashes slightly to yellow before going back to grey.

Don Laban snaps her fingers and her goons remove the plates in front of her. She kicks her feet on to the table and lights a ’green filled cigarillo’, she inhales and then puffs out the smoke and it blends with her 2nd Stage IceEye aura.

Don Laban: "So it WAS you dat killed my perverted uncle. So you got dat shit back in blood, huh? I’ll admit ’Nephi’ you surprised me by tellin’ me straight up. You might actually have a pair of balls in dose pants. Ya see (inhales) I likes when someone doesn’t beat around da bush and gets right to it.(exhales) So I’ll do you a lil favor or two."

Nephilim slightly bows in respect.

Nephilim: "The opportunity to speak with you was a favor enough Mom Don Laban DaeMon."

The Don smiles with the cigarillo. She ashes her ’blunt’, points the cherry at Nephilim and deactivates her 2nd Stage IceEye, going to the base-kit.

Don Laban: "Ahhaa, now you’re gettin’ it, Nephi. So what I’ll do is, I won’t send my goons to the Mountains and take it over, IF you can promise me you’ll overtrrow dose ahdah two shitheads at dah top. So I don’t have tah listen tah what dose idiots have to say anymore."

Nephilim looks back at his group and they are all worried. He turns back to the Don and nods his head.

Nephilim: "It won’t be easy, but I was already planning on it, Madame Laban."

Tristan and Bethany’s eyes get wide in surprise, not knowing the General’s plan.The Don puffs out smoke again.

Don Laban: "Ok good, now dat DAT is settled, dah second ting I’ll do is, I got some business tah take care of dat just popped up. I’ll walk around my city witchu for a bit, show you around da place, show you how I operate, and den I bring you for some entertainment? How does dat sound?"

Nephilim and the Don EyeEngage.

Nephilim: "It would be our pleasure Don Laban."

10 minutes later...

Nephilim and his group are walking the Roronora City streets with Don Laban, Zoram, and two of the Don’s goons.

One, TFreeze, is a large physically built black man with dreads a grey left eye and a right IceEye. The other, BloodBug, a girl about 17 years old with sky blue hair a sky blue left eye and an IceEye. Wherever they go, all the citizens of the city cower and give hateful gazes towards the group.

Nephilim and the Don are walking side by side.

Nephilim: "So Don Laban, like I was telling your wife here, you’ve seemingly built quite the sanctuary, haven’t you?"

The Don is still smoking her cigarillo and inhales.

Don Laban: "Yep, not just seems like it ethah, we HAVE built a sanctuary. Me and my crew call it ’Gangsta’s Paradise’. You see Nephi, I am a product of my ’Italian Mobster’ environment. I lived a ’different’ lifestyle because of it. But I wasn’t allowed to hang out with my city friends or introduce dem to the business because in the mob, it’s ONLY family or NO family."

Both Tristan and Bethany are walking with Silpheed. The two academy students are shooting hateful glares at the Don from behind her. They are whispering to each other out of ear shot of Laban.

Tristan: "I can’t believe Gray is dead. Why is General Nephilim trying to get all buddy-buddy with this scum of a bitch?"

Bethany: "Maybe because he’s also an insensitive douchebag who believes it’s these people’s fault for becoming ’pets’."

TFreeze: "Aye, who you lookin’ at sideways, lil bitch!?"

BloodBug: "Don’t think we don’t see you whispering pussies!"

Tristan and Bethany get scared thinking they’ve been caught but they look to realize it’s not them the thugs are harassing, but two other people on the street.The two civilians get in a fetal position and beg for forgiveness and apologize.

From the head of the pack Don Laban can be heard.

Don Laban: "Aye yo! TFreeze! BloodBug! Let’s goo! I don’t want dis real business tah get fucked up!"

The goons straighten up.

TFreeze and BloodBug: "Yes, Mother Laban!"

Before they leave, BloodBug leans in with a gun in her hand and whispers to the scared civilians.

BloodBug: "You best watch yourself, punk ass bitches."

The two scared IceEye users run away in fear.

From the city streets, the group walks by an old sports arena and from the inside, cheering and shouting of a crowd can be heard.

Nephilim: "What is that building used for Madame Laban?"Don Laban flicks the little bit of her cigarillo to the ground and blows out smoke.Don Laban: "Dat’s our ’Initiation Arena’, dat’s where I’ll take you for da entertainment aftah I handle dis business real quick."

The group from the mountains listens and she elaborates the purpose of the arena.

Don Laban: "Lemme keep it a whole bean stack witchu, General, it may seem cruel dat we only consider dose with IceEyes as citizens, but dat eye is proof of one thing, it proves you’re a fighter."

Both Bethany and Tristan perk up remembering what Nephilim said about ’true fighters respecting other true fighters’.

Don Laban: "For da people dat come to Roronora lookin for safety in dis apocalypse, it’s understandable. But Nephi, I believe dat, weak people exist in dis world, solely because sympathy and empathy from us who are strong, exist."

Nephilim looks side-eyed at the leader of this society.

Don Laban: "My Pops grew me up on one sayin’, ’In dis world, your either the ’Master’ who works, fights, and provides, or you’re a ’pet’ dat depends on a ’Master’ tah fight for you’. It’s dah weak people looking to use an excuse not tah be a fighter but to have others fight and work hard, just for dem to survive. It makes da world more tough for everyone making bread trying to feed their fam. You catching what I’m pitchin?"

Nephilim nods.

Nephilim: "Completely on board, Don Laban. To live is to fight, and to fight is to live. Even without human vs. human conflict, the world around us wants us dead to prove we deserve to still be alive."

Don Laban: "Gahd DAAMN! Dat was a good one, Nephi. See, I knew we were two minds tinkin’ a like. Anyway, so when humans wid no IceEye come intah dis society, tinkin’ shits boutta be sweet, we trrow em on dah court of dat old basketball arena, and watch whether dey fight and become a citizen, or get torn to pieces by one of those aliens."

Nephilim: "So how does one become a ’pet’ then, Madame Laban? If you throw everyone to the wolves, or in this case aliens, then shouldn’t you have only IceEye civilians?"

Don Laban sparks up another ’blunt’ and puffs the cherry, takes a hit and holds it to Nephilim. The General, without hesitation, takes it from the Don respectfully and also takes a hit.

Don Laban: "I give dem an ultimatum. It’s ethha fight for your citizenship, or become a pet tah hopefully someone dat won’t abuse yah or rape yah. It’s dare choice really.But both citizens and pets know, every single living ting within dis city knows dat I run dis shit. Just like my fahdah ran dis shit before dose aliens came from dah heavens."

Don Laban notices someone walking the streets and smiles while popping off her 2nd Stage and it’s grey aura appears.

Don Laban: "Speaking of-. TFreeze! BloodBug! Showtime!"

The two goons walk from behind Tristan, Bethany, and Silpheed to join up with their leader.The Don looks back at Nephilim.

Don Laban: "You sit tight and watch how ’bidness’ gets done here in Roronora.(looks at Zoram)Sit tight babe."

Nephilim and Zoram both nod to their instructions. Nephilim walks back to group up with the other three.

Tristan: "General Nephilim, what are we doing?"

Bethany: "Yea, I don’t feel safe here. This place is run by psychos."

Silpheed folds their arms and rolls their one red eye.

Silpheed: "Dey- an- dah- skurrii."

But before Nephilim can answer Don Laban shouts.

Don Laban: "BENNYYY, MY MANNN!"

They look over to see the Don and his goons have surrounded the man they had seen earlier slap his ’pet’ for stepping on his shoe. He is visibly scared and so is his ’pet’. It is a busy street and some citizens and their ’pets’ have stopped to see the example about to be set.

Benny: "D-Don Laban! W-W-Whats up?!"

All three of the gangsters are smiling at him.

Don Laban: "So, I ’saw’ you was talkin’ shit? You forget I can read lips or somethin’?"

Nephilim, hearing the confrontation hears ’saw’ and then looks at Zoram who looks at him and then back down to the ground.

Nephilim (thinking): *’Saw’? There it is again, is that a hint to her ability?*

The man looks at his ’pet’.

Benny: "N-No! I-I-"

Don Laban: "Aye! I was dah one asking the question, not her!"

Benny: "No I wasn’t saying anything b-bad, Mada-!"

Don Laban: "Oh so yah lying to me now Benny?! Yoor breakin’ mah heart.After all the protection, food, and free drugs I gave you, your gunna fuckin sit there and-"

She punches Benny in the mouth and the man falls to the ground, bleeding.

Don Laban: "FUCKIN LIE TO ME?!?"

She kicks the man in the stomach and sends him flying into a store building. She walks to him and begins stomping him out. Don Laban looks over to her right and sees the man’s ’pet’ bruised up and blooded, fresh marks on her wrist.

Don Laban: "Were you takin’ her to dah ’Initiation Arena’?! Huh?! Answer me!"

The man crying on the ground shakes his head no.

Don Laban: "BloodBug, is he lyin’?"

BloodBug’s IceEye goes into 2nd Stage and a grey aura appears.

BloodBug(smiles): "100% chance he’s lying to you, Boss."

Tristan’s eyes widen.

Tristan: "She’s using Gray’s ability! She’s the one that killed G-!"

Nephilim covers Tristan’s mouth.

Nephilim: "Young Tristan please!"

Don Laban looks down at the blooded man on the ground.

Don Laban: "Benny. Benny. Benny. You don’t-"

She kicks him in the back.

Don Laban: "...fu-ck-n’ learn do yah?"

She stands over the man’s torso and squats over his chest.

Don Laban: "I am always watchin’. I am always listenin’. I am dah ’God’ within Roronora City, and you fucked with God, lil bitch. Run his pockets!"

TFreeze and BloodBug pull out his keys, bag of drugs, and money. The Don grabs the dazed man by his hair and brings him to a curb.

She puts his top teeth in the curb.

Don Laban: "Bite that shit!"

In one stomp, she breaks his top row of teeth on the pavement, in front of all the local spectators and the visitors from the mountains. She then points to BloodBug and then at the young woman, the man’s ’pet’. BloodBug pulls out her gun and walks over to the scared woman with her hands over her head. Bethany moves to go help but Silpheed holds their arm out to stop her.

Bethany: "She doesn’t -"

Nephilim: "Bethany!"

Nephilim EyeEngages with Bethany and with just his stare alone, she knows he’s done with both of her and Tristan’s moral codes jeopardizing the mission.

BloodBug walks up to the scared girl on the ground and flips the gun the other way so they ’pet’ can grab it. The scared girl in tears looks up, confused. From where her ’master’ is laying in a pool of his own blood, Don Laban DaeMon calls to her.

Don Laban: "Now’s yah chance! Become a citizen, or go back to dah ’pet sheltered housin’. Your choice , sweetheaaht."

The woman’s shaking hand grabs the gun and walks towards the half dead man. She stands over him, the gun shaking.

All four of the visitors from the mountains watch transfixed on what is going on. From behind her, in the girl’s ear, Don Laban DaeMon whispers, her accent is gone.

Don Laban: "Come on, do it. He was going to watch you die...Become a citizen. Become. A fighter."

The girl looks down the sights with her right eye. The blood filled mouth of her master let’s out a final plea.

Benny: "P-Preeshh, I- I’m-"

Darkness.

*BANG* CLICK CLACK *BANG*

Don Laban(whispers): "Welcome to the Family."