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Stepping out of the car, Brie slammed the door shut behind her. Fumbling around for a few moments as she lit the cigarette she was holding, Brie felt herself relax when she took the first inhale. She tried not to smoke anymore but she felt agitated, and it had always helped calm her. Smiling at Patricia, Brie leant against the car bonnet as she looked around. They were in a large industrial area that seemed to mainly consist of various warehouses. It would have appeared to be abandoned if not for the loud music that was emitting from one of the buildings, a large metal shutter pulled half-open. [color=00aeef]"So...there's a [i]small[/i] chance that they may try to kill us on sight."[/color] She said as she breathed out a puff of smoke, speaking as nonchalantly as if she were discussing the weather. 

Patricia edged away from Brie as she lit the cigarette, getting out of the way from the fumes. Secondhand smoke was no joke- and bad for her voice. She tried not to look too uncomfortable, though, but it showed on her face. She frowned and almost held her nose but decided against it. That would be rude and probably suspect in Brookside, where smoking was common. Still, though…

At Brie’s comment, her eyes bulged out. [color=MediumOrchid][i]“What?![/i] You said they were your friends!”[/color] Patricia hissed, her anxiety growing tenfold. She glanced up at the building where the music was coming from. Was that where they were going? The music was so... shitty.
  
[color=00aeef]"They are...were. I'm not sure anymore to be honest!"[/color] She said, shrugging her shoulders. [color=00aeef]"We'll see anyway!"[/color] There was a reasonable chance that they'd found out how she'd betrayed them but there was also no-one better to get information from in Brookside, so she figured it was worth the risk. 

[color=00aeef]"Sorry, Brookside brings out my bad habits."[/color] Noticing the look on Patricia's face, Brie dropped the cigarette butt on the floor, stomping it out with the heel of her sneaker. [color=00aeef]"Er, don't tell Will okay!"[/color] She added as she began to walk across the empty lot, bits of gravel kicking up underneath her as she went.

Patricia followed her nervously, sticking her hands in and out of her pockets. [color=MediumOrchid]“I won’t, don’t worry,”[/color] she told her, glancing to and fro. The street looked abandoned, run down. There were windows rotting out, puddles of what looked like oil on the ground, and trash bags strewn about. There was no one to be seen on the street. She shivered. It was creepy, but she could swear someone was watching them.

[color=MediumOrchid]“Do I… you know, look suspicious enough?”[/color] She gestured to her clothes. She had on a purple sweater, jeans, and brown boots, and her wavy brown hair was neatly combed into a messy bun- she didn’t exactly look like she belonged.

[color=00aeef]"You look very [i]New Athens[/i]. Maybe just...take your hair down or something."[/color] Brie laughed as she quickly glanced at her outfit. [color=00aeef]"Shame, we should have gotten you a tattoo or something!"[/color] Her eyes lit up at this idea, resolving silently to try and persuade her to do this at another time.

[color=MediumOrchid]“I’m not nearly rich enough to live in New Athens,”[/color] Patricia grumbled before taking her hair down. She tucked it behind her ears a few times and fiddled with it. She frowned at the tattoo suggestion but didn’t overall reject it- maybe in a year or so, when she was an adult? A musical note tattoo… oh, yeah, that would be pretty. The idea distracted her for a second before she snapped back to reality.

[color=MediumOrchid]“So, what do you want me to do to these guys?”[/color]

Running her fingers through her hair, Brie pondered for a few moments, trying to decide what the was plan was. [color=00aeef]"I'll talk to them first, see what they're willing to tell us upfront. I doubt they'll spill much though, so that's where you come in."[/color] The pair had reached the warehouse, the music that was blasting loudly from inside now identifiable as some form of either rap or hip-hop. [color=00aeef]"I love this song!"[/color] Brie exclaimed distractedly before getting back to their actual discussion, [color=00aeef]"Oh, and you can make them forget you used your powers on them, right?"[/color]

Patricia looked briefly disgusted by the music blasting from the warehouse, cringing. Hip hop definitely wasn’t her favorite genre of music- she didn’t like the crass lyrics or the intrusive bass. Her eyebrow twitched.

Patricia started to look nervous again at Brie’s suggestion, fiddling with her hands. [color=MediumOrchid] “N-not really. I mean, if I had more practice, maybe, but that’s some advanced mind fuckery. I only really do emotions and commands and stuff. It took me a lot of  practice before I could make someone fall asleep without a command.”[/color]

[color=00aeef]"Oh..."[/color] Brie paused, her whole plan having been based around this idea. [color=00aeef]"It's fine! We'll just wing it then!"[/color] 

Before Patricia could protest, Brie had raised a fist to the metal shutter, pounding on it loudly before ducking underneath.  The music immediately shut off and as Brianna straightened up, she found that there was a Glock 19 pointed directly at her temple. Looking the boy up and down, for he was definitely only seventeen tops, she frowned at him in irritation. [color=00aeef]"Er...who are you?"[/color] She remarked, glancing around at the other dozen or so men (there was only one woman that she could see) who were sitting or standing about. The warehouse was surprisingly clean and organised on the inside, a large boxing ring taking up much of the back area, a mismatch of old tables & chairs dotted about, and a couple of doors that likely led to more rooms. 

"W-who are [i]you?[/i]" He retorted, stammering a little as he spoke. The kid clearly wasn't used to handling a gun, or at least not used to aiming it at someone's head. 

Patricia froze, staring at the gun. Did Brie… not know these people? She shot a panicked glance to her friend, grabbing Brie’s elbow and inching her away from the gun. 

[color=MediumOrchid]“You first!”[/color]

The kid opened his mouth, about to say something when a deep voice suddenly cut through the tension in the room. "Fucking hell Gizmo! Stop waving that thing about. I ain't paying for your hospital bills." The man, who was around 6ft 4 in height and riddled with tattoos; nearly every part of his body besides his face were covered in them, strode to the small group as he noticed the commotion. "I swear, they're sending me more and more idiots every year." He grunted, having moved from his place at a small table covered in playing cards and cigarette ends. Gizmo hesitantly lowered the gun, quickly backing into a corner as the man made his way over. 

[color=00aeef]"Lefty!"[/color] Brie's face lit up as she saw him, the towering man suddenly lifting her off the ground to pull her into a crushing hug. [color=00aeef]"You're gonna break my ribs!"[/color] She laughed, squirming as she tried to break free from his grip. He eventually put her back on solid ground, reaching one large hand to ruffle her hair. "Been a long time lil' B. Thought you were dead or summin." He leaned over to look at her more closely, at this point also noticing Patricia, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Who's this?"

Patricia stared, shocked as Brie was lifted up by the huge, tattooed man. ...Lefty? Was that even a name? Just a moment ago a boy had been waving a gun in their faces, and, now, this man was greeting her kindly. She gawked at the scene, not sure what to say or do. She had never really been around these kinds of people, and she didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t get her killed.

She almost buckled under his skeptical stare, eyes widening. [color=MediumOrchid]“O-oh, me? I’m, uh…”[/color] She swallowed. To use a fake name or not to use a fake name? [color=MediumOrchid] “I’m a cowork- no, uh, a [i]friend[/i] of Brie’s. We’re friends.”[/color]

[color=00aeef]"Yep, we're friends! But...she sometimes does a few shifts with me. Y'know, at Juno's bar?"[/color] Brie quickly added, only letting out the breath she was holding when Lefty dropped the fixed stare that he had been giving Patricia.
 
"Where you been?" Lefty questioned as he began to walk over to the back of the warehouse, Brie following behind him. "What're you doing!? Keep your eyes on him!" He suddenly shouted at one of the fighters in the boxing ring, a smaller man having taken a hard blow to the jaw. 

Looking back at Patricia, Brie smiled at her gingerly, hoping that she wasn't too freaked out by all of this. [color=00aeef]"Oh...I've just been laying low. Trying to keep my nose out of trouble y'know..."[/color] She answered quickly as she watched the boxing match, although her real attention was still on the tall man next to her. She was pretty sure that he didn't know she worked for HERO One but then again, you could never really be sure what he was thinking. 

Lefty just nodded in response, his eyes still following the two fighters, jaw twitching when they made a move that he didn't like. Eventually, he spoke again, turning to look at the pair of them. "So, what dya' want? I know you didn't come here just to catch up." 

Patricia gaped at their surroundings, trying her best to keep her eyes inside of her head. It hadn’t really occurred to her that Brie had associated with- no, maybe even [i]been[/i]- like these people before she worked at H.E.R.O. It was definitely a shock to her. Although her own upbringing hadn’t been perfect by any means, it hadn’t been like this. These people looked dangerous. She stared at the boxing match, intrigued for a second, before snapping back to their conversation at Lefty’s question.

Oh, boy. She guessed it was her turn. [color=MediumOrchid]“We need information on the Gugliano crime family,”[/color] Patricia said, voice steely and firm. She stared him in the eyes, fully aware that she was dwarfed by him and pretending not to be bothered by it. [color=MediumOrchid]“Movements, habits… whatever you can think of.”[/color]

At the mention of the Guglianos, Leftys whole body seemed to tense up. A detailed tattoo of a tiger that was inked onto his right forearm looking for a very brief moment like it was shifting in place. "Backroom. Now." He grunted, ignoring the curious looks of those around them. Striding towards one of the doors, he led them down a long hallway and into a room that appeared to be nothing more than a makeshift office. "Now, you're gonna have to explain to me very carefully why the hell you care about the Guglianos." Opening a draw in his desk, he pulled out a cigarette, lighting it before offering one to them both. 

Brie shook her head, thinking carefully about how she phrased her next sentence. [color=00aeef]"I've just heard things."[/color] She said with a shrug of her shoulders, [color=00aeef]"Like the fact that the Guglianos have been operating in Brookside. And that they've been undertaking activities that aren't...normal for them."[/color] 

Patricia nodded along with Brie, shifting on her feet. For some reason, this guy made her nervous. She shook her head at the cigarette offer, too, forcing herself not to back away from the smoke. Still, though… she made a bit of a disgusted face. [color=MediumOrchid]“We have business with them,”[/color] she supplied, hopefully affirming Brie’s statement. [color=MediumOrchid] “We just need to know some things, and we hoped you might have the information we want.”[/color]

"You see, here's my problem..." Lefty was now leaning back in his chair, looking for all the world like he was having a polite conversation about the weather, whilst giving off a distinctly threatening aura. "If your business with them isn't through me, which I know it isn't, then it's with someone else. And I'm not stupid enough to give out information to someone else now, am I?"

[color=00aeef]"I just think it looks bad on you guys..."[/color] Brie ventured warily, [color=00aeef]"If the mafia is stepping into your territory. I know [i]certain[/i] people wouldn’t like it..."[/color]

Leftys entire disposition changed as Brie spoke, the muscles in his jaw tightening in anger. "Now I like you and all lil' B, but if you're gonna threaten me..." He growled at the pair, suddenly rising up from his seat, tattoos flickering wildly. Brie shot a panicked look over at Patricia. This really was not going anything like she had planned. Not that she'd had a plan...but still. 

Patricia stepped in front of the door, blocking him from leaving the room. They needed this information, and, well, if he wasn’t gonna give it to them... He was getting aggressive, and she didn’t know what else to do, so she gestured frantically at Brie to put her ear plugs in and started to sing. [color=MediumOrchid] “La, la la la la [i]laaaa[/i]...~[/color] she sang, projecting her voice.

[color=MediumOrchid]“Sit back down,”[/color] Patricia commanded Lefty. [color=MediumOrchid]“Don’t move. Don’t use your power.”[/color]

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Lefty growled as he slowly sat back down, his body straining in a way that made it look like he was trying hard to resist her commands. "You'd better let me go little girl. It'll be bad for you if you don't."

Patricia’s gaze was steely. She stalked to the desk, leaning over it and planting her hands in his space. She shook her head slowly, frowning in a fake way. [color=MediumOrchid]“I’m afraid not, Lefty. Don’t feel like it. Now, for the first question…”[/color] Patricia pretended to think for a moment, rubbing her chin. [color=MediumOrchid]“Tell us everything you’ve heard about the Guglianos’ movements in the last, say… month or so. And tell the truth, now.”[/color]

"Why the hell would I tell-..." Lefty managed to get out before he could no longer resist. "Nothing that those...that those Goombahs aren't normally up to. Drugs, weapons, the usual shit..." He eventually relented, "They have been treading more in Brookside territory, though we're not really sure why. We've had a few scraps with them recently over it." His eyebrows furrowed at this, it clearly being a sore point for him. 

Brie watched the two, nodding silently to herself as Lefty began to give them the information, it seeming genuine. She always found it difficult to watch someone under the influence of mind control but she supposed it was for the best. 

Patricia made a ‘tsk’ noise. She would be lying if she didn’t enjoy this a little, although she did notice that it bothered Brie a little. But none of this was good information- it was stuff they already knew, nothing they could use. [color=MediumOrchid]“Not good enough. Tell me if there’s anything abnormal going on, any tips you’ve heard about locations or deliveries or jobs that they’re going on. And then tell me what those tips, jobs, and locations are. Tell the truth.[/color]

"Well..." Lefty let out a loud barking laugh, "we heard about those missing heros. God I love when those HERO One pricks get what they deserve. But I don't know nothin' more about that. Vinnie Gugliano probably killed them outright I'm betting." He slammed a fist into the table, trying and failing to stand up. "All...all else I've heard is about a shipment coming in the day after tomorrow. Apparently it's for fish or summin. Thought it were a bit odd myself."

[color=MediumOrchid]“The hero kidnappings!”[/color] Patricia momentarily broke out of interrogator mode to smile with glee, turning to Brie and giving her a thumbs-up. That was what they needed! His comment on ‘getting what they deserved’ made her blood boil for a moment, but she ignored it. The fish thing also sounded interesting, but… nonsensical. But he didn’t know anything about the hero kidnappings, so it was a dead end. [color=MediumOrchid]“Tell me where the Guglianos like to hang out, outside of their compound.”[/color]

"Where they hang out? Well...they have that big fancy house in Watervale." He paused, "And there's a poker night at the 21 club, happens every week. Some of my guys have run into Vinnies underlyings there."

[color=MediumOrchid]“Poker, huh?”[/color] Patricia thought for a moment, and then made a motion to Brie to show she was done. She took her hands from the desk, dusting them off. [color=MediumOrchid]“Thank you, Lefty,”[/color] she said with a smooth smile. [color=MediumOrchid]“You’ve been very helpful. Now, when we leave this building, you will not have your gang attack or prevent us from leaving. You will not prevent us from leaving or attack us yourself. You’ll let us go amicably with a smile on your face? Understand?”[/color] At his nod, she smiled. [color=MediumOrchid] “Good. Then you’re free to get up, move, and use your powers. You’ll show us the way out now.”[/color] She gestured toward the door with an expectant smile on her face. 


Brie stepped aside as Lefty stood up, trying to ignore the furious stare he was giving them. Sure he was a criminal but he had also been her friend once, and that was surely shot to hell now. As Patricia had commanded, Lefty led them back out through the back corridor, past the boxing ring and to the metal shutters where they'd entered. He ignored the shouts and stares that some of the other members gave them, though likely they would pay for that later. "There. Are we done now?" He glanced at Patricia, smiling before leaning his towering frame over Brianna to whisper in her ear, his voice sounding pleasant in spite of his words. "I'm sure we'll see you again. Very soon..."

Brie stepped away from him, already moving to dart under the shutters. [color=00aeef]"Sure. Bye Lefty!"[/color] She said, shooting him her best smile. 

[color=MediumOrchid]“Yes. We’re done now, you can go,”[/color] Patricia told him once they got outside of the building. She waved him off dismissively, instead turning to Brie and walking back to their car. She shivered. That had been… interesting. She glanced at her friend. She couldn’t believe that she had been friends with those types of people, once. It was certainly a shocking revelation for Patricia. 

[color=MediumOrchid]“That went well…[/color] Patricia started, glancing at Brie. [color=MediumOrchid]“What do you think?[/color]

Brie nodded slowly as she opened the door to the car, clearly still a bit distracted. [color=00aeef]"Yeah, I think we got what we wanted..."[/color] She smiled lightly, [color=00aeef]"Let's just get out of here and then contact the others."[/color]


[@canaryrose]