Marauders #4: El Diablo D'entro

The Marauder - Outside Ecuador

< She was both offended and impressed that Archer Fairchild made no mention of her being in her unmentionables. She had heard he and his queen were both legendary whores, but overall it let her know that he was worthy for the moment of her trust. In her fake life with her fake memories, there had been many men who couldn't even be bothered to learn her name before they attempted to claim her body. Archer at least seemed to have some sense of decorum. Well, as much as anyone else she had met in Hellfire. >

Archer: "I digress. The Tokyo Black Court was recently taken over by Aito Sekemoto. Yes, that Aito Sekemoto."

< Something about seeing Aito caused her to get lost in thought. Anytime she saw an asian person really. She knew that wasn't politically correct, but she would find herself wondering if she might be related to them. Try as she may to make new memories and create a new life for herself, at the end of the day, she was a clone. A clone of Amanda Soto. Recently deceased Black Knight of Hellfire America. At first, she had wanted to know nothing about the woman, as she didn't want to live in the past or in the shadow of a woman she'd never met. But a few months ago, she finally decided to crack open the dossier that Daniel had given her in their last trip to London. >

< Somehow, despite the fact that they looked identical - Amanda was far more beautiful to her. Glamorous and deadly. She'd come from Los Angeles, where she lost her mother at a young age thanks to Cameron King, who'd murdered her to be jumped into some kind of gang. She made a lot of bad choices, wound up in prison. Death row. And then Talisman "saved" her. Recreated her like she had created Jun in her Body Shoppe and gave her new life, as well as a chance for revenge on what her son had done to Amanda's mother. >

< She'd even gotten some personal effects of Amanda that Simon was able to recover after a few favors. Amanda was an avid writer and reader, which didn't help Jun because there was just about a million things she wanted to do more than read, and to be honest, she wasn't very good at it. Again, in her fake memories, she had grown up in a brothel. It didn't give much opportunity to learn more than her ABC's. Jun was a student of television, it was where she learned English. Where she learned how to act like different people she looked up to. >

< While there was still a part of her that wished she'd never opened that dossier, there was a feeling of connection. Knowing her might make things easier. After all, she was a victim of Kelly Shaw's as much as Jun was - she'd just willingly accepted the offer. Jun made a promise to herself that if she ever found herself in the position to deliver to Cameron King what Amanda couldn't, she would. But for now that was a fairy tale. Right now, she had more important things to do. >

Simon: "Our mission right now is a missing persons case. Primary objective is to find Aito Sekemoto. Secondarily, we need to investigate. See if the disappearances in the area are related, and if they are...do what we do best..."

< She'd only heard half of it, but she wasn't sure she liked what she did hear. >

"No offense, but it's not really our job to find missing Hellfire kings. Do we actually have any reason to believe that these other disappearances are connected? That they are mutants? Or is this just a very light tie to get us to do your work for you? We tend to help the helpless, not the uber fuckin' rich."
 
The Marauder - Outside Ecuador

:: It had been a hell of a long time since she'd seen Aito Sekemoto's face. She remembered the story. He had loved a beautiful woman named Cho who had worked at a yakuza owned tea house. One night, some American soldiers got too handsy and ended up brutalizing her. Aito and Cho's father wanted blood. They rounded up the soldiers, and they wanted Aito to kill them to defend Cho's honor. Aito was softer then. Moody and deep. He couldn't do it. So his father took him and the soldier's out in one fell swoop. Maxine always remembered that story, because Aito, despite his "softness" had been braver than she was. He had said no to his father, and she could not. Even after everything he did to her. ::

Archer: "Flashforward a few years, Aito sought revenge on his father, and claimed the Kingship of The Black Court in Tokyo. All was well in the kingdom. Aito liked to lead by example. Never comfortable just sitting on a throne. He liked to get his hands dirty. That's all well and good, but a king in the field is always a dangerous thing, and as luck wouldn't have it, it appears he has yet to return from a recent mission to Colima..."

:: She arched her brow with a bit of confusion. Maxine didn't know his power, but he had the yakuza behind him. Surely, somebody knew who he was. A King couldn't just vanish out of thin air. ::

"That just doesn't seem possible. He has to be dead....again..."

Archer: "It's been months. Aito is an important figure in the current Inner Circle. If they admit outright he is missing, their black court loses respect. And it will not take long there for somebody to try and claim his seat. And they are too new of an inner circle to truly trust each other. That's why his Queen reached out to me."

:: Much of how the inner circle in Tokyo worked was a mystery to much of Hellfire, as they were not a chapter who sought many relationships outside of Japan. They kept to themselves. But there were always rumblings of it's ferocious nature. If you weren't part of the yakuza, The Hellfire Club was a path to some serious power, which made assassination attempts and infighting frequent and legendary. It made sense that if Aito was truly missing, they would seek outside help. She just didn't know how smart it was to seek the help of Archer Fairchild. ::

Archer: "He had gone to Colima upon invitation from an organization that nobody, not even his queen knew about. But we have every reason to believe that whoever invited Aito there is responsible for either his capture...or his death..."

:: She thought for a moment. ::

"It had to be personal business. There's no way a man in his position would go on a mission and not let anybody know about it. He had to be looking into something he didn't want anybody to know..."

:: Simon took point, and Maxine gave a mischievous grin. He had come so far in the last six months, and while he had become a bit somber as of late, he had also gotten a lot stronger. He was precise in the field, and smart. He was a natural at this kind of thing, and there was nobody else out there she trusted more to have her back both in the field and in her personal life. He had become her best friend, and while she'd always be a bit uneasy to have him in Hellfire's grasp, he was good at it, and she was a bit proud. ::

Simon: "He was last seen in or around the city of Manzanillo in Colima, which presents it's own host of issues."

"Now that's for damn sure."

Simon: "It's a main port city in Colima, and most of it is firmly in the pocket of the cartels. It handles much of the pacific cargo for Mexico City, and as such, it makes finding a missing person like a needle in a haystack..."

:: He was right. Maxine had spent a lot of time in Manzanillo. Drugs went in and out of that city faster than tequila. So many people worked for the cartel as informants, couriers, sea captains. And it was all disguised as a beautiful tourist destination. Stay for the tequila. Leave in a body bag. Or with cement blocks around your feet.

"Colima is no joke."

Simon: "Our mission right now is a missing persons case. Primary objective is to find Aito Sekemoto, Secondarily, we need to investigate. See if the disappearances in the area are related, and if they are...do what we do best.."

:: Jun interjected. ::

Jun: "No offense, but it's not really our job to find missing Hellfire kings. Do we actually have any reason to believe that these other disappearances are connected? That they are mutants? Or is this just a very light tie to get us to do your work for you? We tend to help the helpless, not the uber fuckin' rich."

:: Maxine laughed as she took a drink of her scotch. ::

"She makes a good point, Archy. We are not Hellfire's police force...and we do not know the kind of business dealings Aito and his inner circle are involved in. We could end up helping the kind of people we want nice and dead..."

[pausing]

"However....call it me waxing poetic about the past, but I was always a bit in awe of Aito's story. He rose from the ashes and reclaimed what was his. I respect that.."

:: She rose to her feet. ::

"I will take the lead on this, as a personal favor. We will go to Mexico as soon as possible and I will personally work the investigation on my own..."

:: Maxine faced the team as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. ::

"You are right Juney, this isn't our normal job. So until I find out otherwise...I say...we go to Mexico, I get my hands dirty, and I give you two a few days off...If we happen to find something that calls us to into action, so be it."

:: Smirking. ::

"Best case scenario, I find Aito quickly and we spent the next few days tanning our cheeks and drinking pina coladas. What do you say, Marauders?"
 
La Sirena Resort

Elena vented her annoyance at Cameron out of her system. She was giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was going to fix it so what had happened to the telepaths and sensitives around the world wouldn't happen again. She must need her head examined.

Hassan: "You've never seemed like the kind of woman to wait for a problem. I'd say go back there and kick his ass, but I'd miss you too much."

He wasn't wrong. Leaving New York with just Cameron's assurances had been stupid. But Elena just couldn't.

She quickly turned the subject onto Hassan. It was clear today was not his best day. And like the man said, she wasn't going to wait for it to become a problem.

Hassan: "Same shit, different day. Tourist season is slowing down...less time and things to distract myself with. Taught a kid's surfing class today..one of the kids, this little girl...damn she looked so much like Sal. Sounded like her too..."

"But it wasn't her, H."

Elena's mouth twitched as he ordered a "double" water.

Hassan: "Anyway...hearing that little girl's voice today...reminded me, I almost forgot what my daughter sounds like. That everyday she's gone I lose another part of her...real sad shit..."

It was Elena's turn to put her hand over his.

"You will always be her father. You can never lose that."

Hassan: "So yeah...after my shift I found myself looking a little too long at the bar. But I'm sober. And that's something."

Elena nodded.

"It is."

Then she pointed a perfectly manicured nail at him and gave him a hard look.

"Because there is no room for sliding into the self pity you find at the bottom of a bottle. No one is going to pat your back and say, 'It's okay, it was just a little slip up.' Fuck that. This place? It's not the answer. And it won't bring her back. You can't do a damn thing for your daughter drunk off your ass. Recuerda eso."

And then her stern look melted into a compassionate smile.

"But I am proud of you, amigazo."

Hassan: "You heard this story enough. You staying at the hotel for a few days? I can't imagine Senor Estrada was happy about your little last minute trip..."

She took a drink of her sparkling water and shook her head.

"Well I sure as hell didn't tell him what I was going there for, that's for certain. But I need to be in a bad mood without him needling me about what's wrong. So, a few days at La Sirena and all will be well."

She sighed out and stretched her arms over her head, which somehow still managed to look graceful.

"I think both of us need to get out of this bar. I'm going to have a bath, and sleep incredibly late."

She picked up her clutch from the top of the bar and stood up.

"Call me if you need to, okay?"

Elena headed up to her suite at the top of the hotel. As soon as she stepped off the elevator, she knew something was wrong.

Someone is in here.

She silently set her clutch down on the table just inside the door, and quietly moved into the suite and towards the bedroom. She could hear them. Her. She was searching. As Elena entered the bed chamber she pushed out with her mind, slamming the woman back against the wall and lifting her off her feet. Elena's eyes narrowed as she applied pressure to the woman's throat, making it very difficult for her to breathe but keeping her from passing out.

"What are you doing here?!"

Elena looked at the woman dangling above her, gasping for breath. She had reddish blonde hair, and quite striking eyes. She was dressed all in black. Elena's head tilted as she studied her. This wasn't some maid stealing the cash from her wallet, she saw in the woman's mind what she had been looking for.
 
Teterboro Airport

Amelia assured Owen that this wasn’t that big a deal, certainly not compared to him going to jail for her that one time. She wasn’t all that surprised when he told her he didn’t have a passport. The man practically lived at work, he didn’t travel much. It wasn’t an issue. The first stop after she landed on the pad at Teterboro was to the small back room office set up in the corporate hangar. She had Owen stand up against a wall that was painted plain white, and pulled out her phone to take a suitable photo of him.

”No hat. Don’t smile. Okay, three, two, one.”

She snapped the picture on ’two’, and got an acceptable photo. A few minutes of inputting the data, and a special printer in the cabinet spit out a page that was indistinguishable from a government issued document. Amelia stapled it into the rest of the book carefully and handed it to Owen. She told him it was as good as a real one, and by the time they got to Mexico that would be true. She took him out of the hangar and on a short walk to the ramp, where a Legacy 600 sat, the auxiliary power unit already running. Owen hadn’t ever seen the company jet, and his face was priceless. Amelia grinned at him as she gestured with her hands for him to take the stairs.

She watched Owen put his fedora on and stroke the rim a bit before he practically pranced up the stairs. He was too busy being impressed and excited to remember his bag, but it wasn’t that heavy and Amelia was about to bring it up the stairs with no issue. She stopped at the top to press and hold to button to bring the boarding door up hydraulically. Owen was marveling at the luxe interior, with its plush, Diamond-stitched leather seats and wood grain furniture. He seemed to be trying to decide which recliner to sit in. Amelia chuckled at the thought of what he’d do when he saw the couch in the back that could extend into a bed. Amelia turned to see her co-pilot climbing over the center console of the flight deck to come out and greet her.

“Hey Zara, this is Owen, Owen, Zara. Or ‘Splint’ if you prefer callsigns, she was a combat medic in the Corps.”

She said, turning more towards her co-pilot.

“He’s ‘Lynceus’.”

She deemed, hiking her thumb over her shoulder at him, and Owen suddenly piped up, confused at the callsign she’d just given him.

”Yes. It’s cool, it fits you and I’ll tell you what it means later.”

Owen: “Wha— I don’t get to pick my own callsign?”

“No. Splint, have you made all the arrangements?”

She asked, getting down to business quickly. Zara explained that yes, she’d done all she could. Apparently the resort in Colima was pretty popular and well-booked. She hadn’t been able to get all three of them rooms, but there was a double bed room, and a king room. That was fine. The girls could share the double room and Owen could have the single. The car would be a rental from the airport vendor, and the flight plan had been filed and the clearance from ATC issued.

”Well, kick the tires and light the fires, let’s get the hell out of here!”
 
The Marauder - Outside Ecuador

It was interesting to watch these 'marauders' in action as they worked out a plan of action. He'd known Maxine for a long time. Her time with this team had changed her. For a long time, she'd been wound tighter than an eight day clock. Always pissed off at the world. Always brooding. Never really a part of a team. To sit there and watch her work out a plan of action collaboratively with a team was a bit unsettling. He wanted to poke at her a bit, wonder aloud if she might be losing her edge. But he knew better. Archer needed their help, and he certainly wasn't prepared to stick his own neck out.

And Maxine, despite her indignation, loved Hellfire. It was where she was born and raised. It was in her own home that Hellfire London operated. No matter how long she spent away, she would always be a part of it's business, and The Black King knew that. And despite her hard exterior, Domino had a soft spot for those who had gone through similar journeys to her. Aito was a carrot dangling in front of her, and he knew she would bite it.

Maxine: "You are right Juney, this isn't our normal job. So until I find out otherwise...I say...we go to Mexico, I get my hands dirty, and I give you two a few days off...If we happen to find something that calls us into action, so be it."

Archer couldn't help but laugh a bit as he downed the rest of his martini and quickly chomped on one of the large green olives from the toothpick in his glass, chewing as he spoke.

"Right then, sounds like you lot got it all figured it out then? I'd love to stay and shoot the breeze, but alas..."

He placed the back of his hand over his head and smirked.

"I get seasick..."

Archer began to make his way through the room.

"The Hellfire Club would appreciate your discretion in this matter, and if you can get him in forty eight hours or less, I'll owe ya a pig's ear..."

He stopped for a moment before turning back and glancing at Maxine for a moment.

"Proper fit you got here, Maxy. Keep me posted."

And with that, Archer Fairchild walked up the stairs to the helo pad and boarded his helicopter again, ready to get as far away from the slums of Ecuador as he good and back to the comforts of Dupont Manor.
 
La Sirena Resort - Colima, Mexico

The sun began to creep down below the mountains of Manzanillo as the residents and tourists began to head home from the day and get ready for their evenings. At La Sirena Resort, this was an exciting time. The hotel boasted a number of night life venues and points of interest, but none were more exclusive and titilating than The Lujuria Lounge, a small and invite only performance space, headlined by a beautiful and talented singer who's voice was known far and wide for it's enthralling and sensual vibe. If you were lucky enough to get an invite to her performance, you would be foolish to say no, and right now? That very woman was getting ready for tonight's performance.

From inside of her penthouse suite at La Sirena, our headliner sheds her clothes, and heads into her private bathing suite, one built and customized to her exact specifications, as is customary for someone who brings in as much money to the hotel as she does. The room was lit only by candles as the smell of jasmine and cinnamon fill the area as a familiar and haunting song begins to fill the space, as she walks towards the crystaline marble bathtub.

She slid into the bath, her nubile and curvaceous body graciously moving into the water in the way that only a siren like herself could. Danielle Baptiste, an alias she had gone by for a number of years, was a well travelled woman, but the water would always bring her home. The way it danced across her skin, embraced her with it's warmth. It charged and energized her, much in the way that sun did for humans. Grabbing a loofa from the tray table in the center, she began to dip it in the water and rub it against her skin, the water barely covering her breasts. Mexico had been a surprisingly successful endeavour. She didn't like to stay in one place for too long, but Colima was a hot bed of crime. So much so that a few missing mortals was no cause for concern. It made business very easy - and one thing Danielle loved more than water, was money.

In her life as a human, she had been a poor young girl in Haiti just before the revolution. She had been a slave, endured the kind of atrocity only barely spoke of in history books. Until Lasiren called to her. A beautiful song filled her mind and an image of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen was in her mind. Slowly, she walked into the ocean, until she was fully submerged, until the water filled her lungs, stopped her breath, and she was reborn. Once she helped to gain her people their independence, Lasiren freed her - to pursue the life she wanted. To find other daughters, and to claim the souls of those foolish enough to hear her song. And it had sent her many places over the years. She had a particular fondness for the roaring twenties, as well as the global decadence that was the eighties. For decades, she had lived a life worth writing about, going where the power, beauty, and decadence took her. But she found her boredom often led to trouble. Delicious trouble, but trouble none the less.

Danielle loved to meddle in the lives of others. To go in and create a beautiful disaster. And then she found out about mutants. Beautiful creatures of great power, who's souls were both bittersweet and tart. They could do incredible things, and yet most of them seemed tormented by their natural born gifts. And Danielle relished in getting elbow deep in that bloody torment. One of those mutants who's proverbial blood she had spilled across the walls of Hellfire London. Maxine Dupont.

The amount of lovers Danielle had taken - male, female and otherwise had been incalculable, but Maxine had left a mark on her heart. She had gone to Hellfire with a singular goal - to retrieve an object of great value to her, one that Evelyn Pierce, the former Black Queen of Hellfire London, had managed to get her hands on. At first, Maxine was just another, in a long line of those who had fallen victim to her song, but in the end, it was one of the few times that Danielle had felt genuinely bad about her actions. She smirked to herself as she rubbed the loofah up and down her neck delicately, her deep cinnamon skin highlighted by the many candles surrounding her. She would like to say it had been years since she had thought of Maxine, but the prickly Black Knight had left an imprint on her heart, something that was unusual for a woman of her origin. But stray thoughts of one of her many years of existence would have to wait. Tonight, she had work to do.

"I'm ready.."

She rose from the body, her naked body dripping wet as immediately she was wrapped in a towel by one of her attendants. Running her fingers through her hair, she stepped into the main powder room of her suite at the aptly and serendiptously named La Sirena Resort, as a man in a black suit was sitting on one of the plush emerald green sofas that decorated her space. Danielle paid him no mind as she sat in front of her vanity.

"How many do we have tonight?"

Danielle clicked the vanity lights on as she looked at her beautiful, poreless face. As a Siren, she did not age, but she had found the practice and dedication to a beauty routine to pay out in dividends. And she had access to things mere mortals did not. She went about her routine, rubbing a moisturizer on her face.

Man: "We had twelve RVSP's for the night. All primed and excited for tonight's performance."

Rubbing her face meticulously, Danielle grabbed a facial mist from the table and spritzed herself generously. A smile crept up on her lips, as she grabbed another vial, dropping a few droplets of an herbal infusion on her face, rubbing it into her face with religious precision.

"As they should be. Any promising prospects?"

Man: "It's an amateur crowd for sure. Tonight is a numbers game. Just filling a quota."

Danielle groaned. She was not one for employment, or really working for others, but the money was undeniable. And money was god to the mortals. It greased the wheels and let her live the life to which she had become accustomed to. But she did not like her talents to be wasted.

"I will never understand how the brokers will settle for tilapia when I can give them caviar, but as long as the check clears, I'm not sure I care. But do tell me we have some big game in the pipeline. I'm starting to get bored..."

Man: "That's not really my gig, lady. I'm more of a day to day kind of guy..."

She looked at the man from the reflection of her vanity mirror, a place she held a great amount of power in - all reflective surfaces. When she caught a glance of another's eyes there, she could not be denied. She spoke with a hypnotic tone, as their gaze never broke.

"Then think bigger. Fate rewards the bold. Stop thinking day to day, stop filling quotas, and start thinking BIG..."

Smiling, she rose from her vanity chair and dropped her towel, sauntering over to the man slowly before sitting down next to him, enjoying the beads of sweat that began to run down his head as he beheld her gaze.

"Because I can take you places....what is your name again?"

Man: "Miguel, ma'am..."

Danielle laughed.

"Ma'am? Oh that simply won't do...Miguel..."

She took his hand and guided it just in front of her womanhood as she whispered into his ear.

"I am a woman, Miguel..and you are a man. Men are supposed to protect women, yes? Look out for them...help them. You want to help me right?"

Miguel: [sweating, and breathing heavily] "Uh...yes...yes I do.."

She pressed his fingers against her lips and let out a sigh of pleasure as her tongue began to trace his earlobe. He was hers.

"Good. And I want to help you...but first? I need to know how much you love me, Miguel. How much you need me..."

The siren could see the swelling in Miguel's pants as she placed a free hand over his bulge and began to massage generously, her song filling the space around them with haunting and sensual reverence.

Miguel: "I need you...I need you so bad...I..."

She kissed him passionately, biting his lip before pushing him back against the sofa, slinking over him and straddling him.

"Are you mine?"

Miguel: "I'm YOURS. I promise I'm YOURS!"

She kissed him again.

"Good boy. Now let me show you what good boys get..."

And she did.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
La Sirena Resort - Elena Estrada's Suite

She had to find it.
Asuna knew she didn't have much time, but she also had to be careful. And successful. She couldn't leave here without the blade. There weren't that many places it could be - Estrada had only just arrived from New York, and hadn't even been to her room yet. The butler had unpacked her suitcase for her. The rest of her things had been delivered from local shops.

She was opening the drawers in the bureau when suddenly she was flying backwards. Her body collided with the wall in a sickening thud. And then her feet left the floor and she was suspended in air. Suddenly it was hard to breathe, but she wasn't able to raise her arms to grasp her throat.

Elena: "What are you doing here?!"

Asuna gasped, trying to get enough air. She could see Elena Estrada now, angrily staring at her.

"Give...it...back..."

She croaked out her words before gesturing with her hands. Small red stars of energy flew at Elena. She cried out as they hit her and dropped her hold of Asuna, who hit the floor with a thud.

"It must be returned. Yatagan is a powerful mystickal object. It is an incredibly dangerous weapon."

Elena: "Why do you think I stole it?"

Objects from the room suddenly rose into the air and hovered there. It took a brief second for Asuna to understand what was happening, but when she did she began to run for the balcony. The objects as one flung towards her. Reaching the balcony, she LEAPT off, her red power signature illuminating her body as she flew down to the ground.

Asuna sighed as she brushed herself off, pulling her ponytail tight. This was going to take some planning.
 
<< The Marauders had once been three lost souls looking for something bigger. Looking for purpose. In finding each other, they had found a path forward. They had found purpose. To help the helpless, like they had helped each other. And as Archer Fairchild left their ship, their home - The Marauder, they set a new course for Colima, specifically Manzanillo, with Maxine promising Simon and Jun a vacation while she did the legwork, looking for the wayward Black King of Hellfire Tokyo - Aito Sekemoto. >>

<< Maxine took the job for more than one reason. She knew the benefit of having proper time off. The Marauders had been razor focused on their mission to free the indentured. But that kind of work was taxing on the body as well as the soul. They needed a break. Specifically, she was worried about Simon. He'd taken to this new path like a fish to water, but he was losing the qualities that made her fall in love with him. She needed him to see that while the world was truly a place full of horrors, there was nothing wrong with being happy, of finding happiness for yourself. She also knew that how much Jun was craving new experiences. Despite how well adjusted she seemed to be about the revelation of her origin, the fearless leader of The Marauders knew that Jun needed something besides the team to center Jun, to give her more of her own identity. One that wouldn't be found in the superficial. >>

<< What Maxine didn't know, was that The Marauders were on a course towards an adventure that would not only present opportunities for her team to grow and develop, but would also place her face to face with her own pain, a wound she had neglected for quite some time. >>

<< But The Marauders were not the only ones looking for something. The current patrons of La Sirena Resort were looking for something too, and while the personal trials and tribulations they were facing may not have been directly related to the disappearance of Aito Sekemoto, they too would find themselves enveloped in a mystery case that would bring each of them to their limits. Combine that with the arrival of Hellfire America agents, and it was about to be the perfect storm. >>

Several Hours Later

<< The sun was high in the sky as early afternoon was reaching La Sirena Resort. It was the off season, so traffic around the hotel was less congested. Visitors were more aware of each other, as they began to go about their days. Some were checking in, some were enjoying the amenities, but all were about to weave in and out of each other as they began to see that things about La Sirena were not exactly what they seemed. >>

<< As the sun sizzles high in the sky. We watch! >>
 
Colima, AA Meeting

Man: (Translated from Spanish) "I looked at myself..and I knew I had hit my bottom. I'd isolated everyone around me. Sacrificed everything so I could drink in peace. So I could be alone. And I was...alone. In every sense of the word..."

Hassan had a love/hate relationship with AA meetings. Sometimes, he would hear a story that put his pain to shame and gave him perspective. But most of the time, he found himself surrounded by weak people who tried to drink themselves to death because they couldn't handle the monotony of everyday life. He felt forced to feel a bond with people he felt didn't know the meaning of real pain. And he could never tell his true story. When forced to share, all he could focus on was death and loss, and not the specifics that led him to drown himself in the bottle. More than that, he was a proud man. Son of one of the most powerful men in Egypt, a descendant of Thutmose III. He had been a mercenary, a general, a man of character, strength and power. To admit that there was something that could cripple him the way that alcohol had, was not easy for him.

He sat in the metal folding chair of a church community space in Manzanillo, half a mile from the hotel as he listened to a newcomer share their story. He always welcomed newcomers. Because new people meant that he could get out of the meeting without sharing. But he knew today wouldn't be the case. Because his sponsor, Gloria Valdez, happened to be running today's meeting. And as soon as she finished taking a sip of her coffee and rising to her feet, Hassan knew he was doomed.

Gloria: "Thank you for sharing, Jaime. There's something that you said that resonated with me. That desire to be alone. That need to isolate, to kind of...cut ties. So often we drink to dull the voices. Not just inside of us, but the actual voices of those around us. The ones telling us we need help. The ones saying they're worried about us. Drinking makes it easy to push people away. To not care. And most of us drink to dull pain. But often times, being alone is more painful than getting hurt."

She spun on her heels and looked Hassan in the eye. He didn't dare break her gaze.

Gloria: "Hassan, you've shared with us before...about how you yourself realized that connecting with another person again is something that helped saved you. Would you feel comfortable sharing?"

"No."

"Uh..yeah. Sure."

Hassan sighed deeply as he rose from his seat.

"Hi, I'm Hassan...and I'm an alcoholic."

The circle greeted him.

"It's been twenty four months since my last drink."

They clapped. Time served in AA was honored with praise and the best donuts. Hassan was quiet for a moment. He didn't feel like talking today. But he remembered what it was like to show up here for the first time. To know there was this monkey on your back that you couldn't shake. How scary it was. How vulnerable. So he spoke, because despite his pride, he never wanted anyone to go through what he had went through.

"I lost my wife and my daughter in a really short period of time. My wife, I buried. My daughter...abducted. In six months time..I lost everything. I know it's not...politically correct to say these days...but being a man was always important to me. Leading. Guiding my family. It made me who I was. And to have it taken from me so quickly...I lost myself..."

Dahlia being killed was painful. But they had lived a dangerous life. And they had no misconceptions about what that might mean for them in the future. In Egypt they had been legends, but it had not been without leaving a large pool of people around who might want to hurt them. Losing Sal was another thing altogether. This wasn't a trafficking situation. This wasn't just some painful twist of fate. He knew it in his bones. The people who took his daughter knew who she was and had every intention of using her gifts for their own benefit. He had been so supportive of her gifts, and it had been a mistake. It had made her a beacon. Had led those who wanted to hurt him and his family right to them. It was his greatest mistake.

"What kind of father could lose his daughter and not find her? I was consumed by failure. Every thought was of her. Of how she was gone because of my...ineptitude. That I had dropped the ball. Gotten too comfortable. The only time I could sleep. The only time I could think of anything besides her...was when I was so wasted that I just started losing chunks of time."

At first it had been fun. He'd drink a few handles of tequila and make a ruckus downtown. It was sad, but it was harmless. But then he found himself unable to do simple tasks without a shot. Without a little sip. Because those sips were the only time he felt sane. They were the only times he didn't think he was a failure of both a husband and a father. Before long, he didn't even know if he was sleeping or awake. All he wanted to be was numb. Unaware. Ignorant.

"I had a job at the Estrada Distillery. It was hard work...but it was honest. It was why I came to Colima. To live a simple life. To have simple pleasures. But my drinking got in the way. One day, I showed up just....fucking blitzed. I don't even remember the day. But I drove a plow over a co-worker. He lost his arm...I crashed into the tasting room...and I lost my job. And that just made me want to drink more..."

It had been quite the scandal. Manuel "Manny" Estrada was a benevolent man. Completely self made. He was a hard ass, but he took care of his own. He valued loyalty. He had been immediately enamored with Dahlia as well as his daughter. If nothing had happened, Hassan knew he would have been working for Manny until he died. But Hassan had pushed him to his limits. Made him choose between family and business. And unfortunately, as much as Manny cared about him, he had to take care of his business.

"There was this girl...daughter of the guy who ran the place. We exchanged hellos here and there, but I didn't know her. She didn't know me. But she stayed with me. In the hospital. For every single day I was there...and when I was released? She had found me a job."

Elena had always been the light of the Estrada Distillery. She would talk to all the workers. Give them lemonade. Make sure they were taken care of. While her father was a bit of a stern man, Elena was warm. She knew everyone's name. Knew what they contributed to her family's business. And it meant something to all of them. She could have been a princess. A pissy little girl who wanted to waste her time planning parties and living the high life, but Elena was more than that. She'd gone through her wild days too, and it was only when he was on the other side of crazy that he realized how truly good of a woman she was.

"That was extraordinary in itself..but honestly...it wasn't her kindness that helped me. It was her presence. I'm not from here. Nobody really knew me. Nobody had any kind of reason to be sitting in a hospital chair next to me. But she did. She checked on me every single day for the first six months of my new job. She'd show up with meals. Playing cards. She held space for me. Just by being there, she made me realize that I might not ever see my daughter again...but on the off chance that I do? She deserves to come home to more than a drunk who couldn't handle the intricacies of life...and then she took me to my first meeting."

He didn't romanticize those moments. She had pulled him from absolute squalor. She'd listened to him use all kinds of profanity in his drunken stupors. She had watched him destroy everything around himself, and she hadn't left. And when everything around him was broken, she offered order. She offered him a chance at something different.

"I'm the first to rebel against this whole process. I hate it. I hate sharing. I hate constantly analyzing my weakness and then being expected to wear it as a badge of honor. I hate being a cautionary tale. But I hate everything I did while drunk a whole lot more. Gloria is right. Every joy I ever had in life was when I made the choice to connect. To bond with someone...sobriety isn't a straight line. It's an absolute roller coaster. But it doesn't get better until you admit you need help, and you let people help..."

[sighing heavily]

"That's all I got today, Glo."

Gloria: "And baby, that's all I can ask for. This feels like a good time to close things out for the day. Until next time. Let us join in prayer."

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The words gave him comfort. but they often felt hollow. Hassan did not believe in this God. He grew up with the gods of old. So whenever this happened, he said a silent prayer to Anubis.

"In Anubis, whose work is the care of the dead, I offer my praise. God of the graveyard, great god of the tomb, preserver of Osiris, protector of Horus the child, bearer of the scale, counter of hearts, balancer against the feather of Ma'at, you lead us into the Duat, the life after life in which we may dwell in peace and plenty. In which we may be reborn among those we have loved, our dearest ones in whose steps we hope to follow, to whose arms we hope to return."

He had never gotten the chance to really teach his daughter Sal where he came from, but secretly he hoped, that if she was no longer in this realm, that Anubis had found her, that he had weighed her delicate heart and sent her back to him, in some other form. But he shook all of that from his mind and continued to carry it in the tension of his shoulders as the meeting ended and people began to disperse. Hassan scanned for the exits, trying to make a great escape before Gloria enveloped him in her warm and painful glance.

Gloria: "That was decidedly poetic today, Hassito. Are you okay? I know the off season is particularly rough on you."

"I'm good, Glo. I promise. That guy needed some hope. I gave him some."

Gloria: "Such grace you give others..yet never yourself. Something to think about."

"I've got enough to think about these days. Not to be rude, but...I gotta get out on the water."

Gloria: "I've been ruder in my life than you could ever hope to be, mijo. Go. commune. I'm always here for you.."

He closed his eyes as he braced her shoulders with his hands and pressed their foreheads together. She would never fully understand his journey, but Gloria was the closest thing to family he had here, outside of Elena. Her safety net was always around him. But now, he needed to grab his board, get out on the water, and just...exist for awhile. He had the day off, and he liked to spend his days off on the water.
 
La Sirena Resort

< Jun was ready for vacation. The pirate life was fun, but it was also daunting. And serious. As much as she wanted to make up for the mistakes of her past, the idea of a few days at an all inclusive luxury resort in Mexico sounded damn good. And she looked too good in a bikini to deprive the world of seeing her in one. They'd docked in Colima in the early hours of the morning, and while Simon went do some scouting and Maxine poured over her intel, Jun did what she did best - she slept. And she'd done so with perfect timing. By the time she had woken up, she'd been alerted that their rooms at La Sirena were ready to enter. >

< The hotel was beautiful. Jun loved hotels. The robes, the sample size lotions and shampoos. The free continental breakfast. Hotels housed people from all over the world. People who were in town for business, for pleasure. For any number of things. And more than hotels, Jun loved people. She was thankful that Maxine had sprung to get them each their own suites. And after a few hours in her room, and a full bottle and a half of expensive champagne later, Jun was ready to go out and make herself known, as the hottest current resident of the place. >

< Stepping out of her room, in her black thong bikini and matching aviator shades, she made her way to the private guest pool cabana, away from the tourists, in her own private open ended cabana, as she plugged her air pods into her ear, before ordering a margarita. It may have been five o'clock somewhere, but Jun was no noble. 12pm was as good a time as any to order a strong drink. She found a beach chair and stretched out, tucking her hands behind her head as she laid out, letting the sun beat down on her light olive skin. This was perfection. >
 
La Sirena

Simon didn't like any of this. On the sea he felt at ease. He had a purpose. He had a series of tasks to complete, and it let him ignore a lot of things he wanted to forget. They were doing good work as The Marauders. He couldn't understand why Max was so insistent on a break. They had momentum and Simon didn't want to lose it. So even though Domino had insisted that this job was hers to complete, he hit the ground running. They'd docked in Manzanillo at dawn. Simon helped himself to the city, surveying the landscape and desperately trying to find intel that might help them get closer to their goal. Because it was easier than facing himself.

For months, he'd felt lost. And nothing he did made it feel any better. He'd gone from a spoiled little rich boy to a pirate who helped free people from slavery. But there was still something inside of him that he couldn't figure out. A hole that he couldn't fill. And he hated it. He'd come so far. He had taken his life by the balls, and finally figured out how to deal with all the suffering he felt around himself. But it wasn't enough. There was still this part of himself in the shadows that taunted him. That told him that it wasn't external praise he was looking for. Still, the prospect of time off made him nervous, though he promised himself and Maxine that he would give it a proper go. That he would try to enjoy himself. So that's why he found himself at a rather impressive all you can eat brunch lounge in the hotel. Simon didn't like to deal in absolutes, but he was certain about a few things, one of those being that there was nothing a proper eggs benedict couldn't solve. So he was nursing a mimosa and eating breakfast.

After that, he promised himself that he wouldn't check his phone, that he wouldn't try to figure this out before Maxine. That he would go to the shore, buy overpriced trinkets, maybe one of those margaritas that were so big you had to wear them around your neck. But right now, he was focused on the eggs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top