A Touch of Blue - 2. The Familia

Zafiro

I climb up to the roof of the museum.

Even now I can’t help but smile at the defeated look that was on Tin Can’s face.

I really should be more careful in all honesty. He was so close to catching me again. My heart is still beating fast from being that close to being caught.

Honestly, I love this feeling. The thrill is what makes it all so much fun!

With a deep breath, I start sprinting towards the edge of the roof and then jump.

I quickly put my hand into a fist and using my thumb, I press a button that sits on my pointer finger.

The grapple hook shoots out from my wrist and then I am being pulled to another roof across from the museum.

I pull myself on this new building’s roof and then run across to grapple to the next one.

Yup, this is pretty much how it goes every time I go out.

When I first got the suit, there was so much to it that I was not sure I would ever get used to all of it, but it only took about a year of practice!

Sure, it left a bunch of bumps and bruises, but what doesn’t leave marks like that?

Well, maybe a office job where you sit in front of a computer all day. Yuck!

I wonder if Tin Can does computer work all day. Maybe that is why he is constantly after me? Just an excuse to get out of the job.

Poor guy. Now I wouldn’t exactly blame his enthusiasm.

I run past a roof that smells pretty nasty. Someone has kept a cage full of pigeons.

There are some strange people out here. You would think that anyone who lives in this part of the city would keep themselves busy with parties or something.

The city called Sector 4.

It is one of the biggest cities on Earth and it is definitely not well taken care of.
Well, at least on this side of town it is.

Over here are where all the lovely people with money hang together and do whatever they want. Usually they just have little parties to celebrate their money and talk about how nice their new things are.

Ok, it is not exactly like that, but it is basically that to me.

I personally feel like their wealth should be shared. They keep it amongst themselves and never use it to help anyone struggling.

I take it upon myself to personally see that some justice is done. Others may see it as stealing, I see it as sharing.

The people on the “Rich Side” tend to use their money for their own schools, companies, and drugs.

Boy do they love to spend their money on drugs.

The best part is they spend most of it on drugs from the dealers that work for the gangs that live in my side of town.

Do they know that? Probably not. Would I love to see their face when they see how many poor people touch their precious drugs? Absolutely.

There is a big line that divides the city into about two-thirds. You can already guess that the largest part belongs to the rich folks.

A railroad for the trains helps divide the line. They are suspended in the air so that nobody has to wait to cross over. Isn’t that a joke. There is no way that any of these Rich nerds would ever cross over. It is almost like a twisted mirror when you see the differences on each side.

Here, it has pretty sparkling lights with little light shows. Some buildings are made of marble and are cleaned by the sanitation staff. There is also a lot of cars. So many that it looks like little ants when I look down on top of this building.

I hate all of it. I do not like the flashiness of it all. Why does everything rich have to also have fancy houses?

Sure, I love to collect fancy things, but I see no reason for these extravagant homes and buildings that only sell stuff as small as dish soap. It is stupid.

On the Poor Side, The builds are all worn down and there are plenty of abandoned construction sites.

Everyone knows to keep away from those. Most of the gangs have taken them over for the not so friendly encounters.

None of the buildings have any of those bright, colorful lights that dance around and create moving images on the side of them like in the Rich District.

Over there, we have those old fashioned street signs that you plug in to light up the window to let you know that the business was open. Some people even get christmas lights to make it not so dreary looking.

The streets have so many potholes it is a bit ridiculous. That is why nobody really bothers with getting a car. Expect the gangs of course. They have the money, so of course they are gonna want to flaunt it around.

I love everything about it over there.

I love how dirty and sketchy it can be. Sure, it may also be because I have developed a bit of a name for myself. You can’t exactly blame me. It just so seems that I happen to be one of the best to hire.

Honestly though, the true heroes would be the U.U.P.P. officers. This is possibly the dumbest they have ever been.

They are putting all their power and concentration on all these Aliens that have moved in.

The great Alentian, Mekaias, saved them from being wiped out from their own planet.

While the whole thing would be nice and sweet to most people, everyone else in the poor side of town is taking advantage of this situation.

The crime rate in Sector 4 has definitely gone up. However, U.U.P.P. does not notice that because their heads are turned the other way at the moment.

It is all so much fun!

Sure, I miss having more than one officer chase me down, but I do love how this freedom feels.

I do find it funny that there is only one officer who seems to care about something other than the new, orange Aliens.

It is even funnier that of all the things going on, he latches onto me! Not the gangs that are literally breaking into jewelry stores, raiding factories, or even straight up kidnapping random people for huge ransoms.

Sure, I also tend to steal some pretty big things, like this folder for one of the gangs, but still. I am just a lowly thief who happens to have a lot of tech.

In my eyes, I see that I am the more innocent of the two evils. Though, I still do not see myself as evil.

I am simply...Oh my god! I am like Robin Hood!

Yes that sounds pretty nice.

After what feels like forever, I finally reach the train tracks.

There aren’t really any buildings on the Rich Side that are close to the tracks. They tend to see us as dirty lowlives and they aren’t wrong! We know we are, but the Rich people are all snobby and desperate assholes who want as much attention as they can get.

At least we can own up to our faults, I can’t say the same for them.

I quickly crossover, or I guess crossunder, the train tracks and sneak into an abandoned apartment building.

Running up the stairs to a room, I pull the key from the pot plant that sits at the end of the hall.

Opening the door, I immediately begin to unzip everything and toss my suit to the side. When I am down to my underwear, I reach into the closet and pull out another bag.

I put on a dark blue tank top, a black biker jacket (technically it was for ladies but I like the fit and length more), running tights, and some black combat boots.

Does it look good? Nope, not at all. Was I in a rush to get out because my dog was a farting mess? Hell yeah.

I don’t have to drop the folder off tonight thankfully so no use in keeping the suit on. I am just headed straight home.

Tossing my suit into the bag my clothes were in, I grab my other bag full of goodies and then move to leave.

I lock the door to the room and toss the key into the plant pot again.

I leave the building and start walking down the street.

Normally, I would guess that most people would be afraid to walk alone at night out here. Lucky for me, both gangs just love me so much that they told people they would mysterious disappear if they lay a finger on me.

It’s so sweet of them!

Honestly, I can handle myself pretty damn easily. Sure, the little bit of protection is nice, but the nerds like to rub in my face that their protection comes with a price.

They seem to forget that I never asked for it.

Oh well, at least I can pretty much do what I want!

Since I am in the southern part of the Poor Side, I decide to stop by Ama’s shop to check on my bike.

I may have gotten in a bit of an accident with the wrong people. That basically means that I had lost a precious bracelet full of rubies.

I have no idea where it went. It totally isn’t in my room, under my bed, and inside of a safe.

A true shame that they went missing…

Ama’s shop used to be an old abandoned fire station. She flipped it around with the help of her brothers and then they turned it into a nice business for those that wish to get their vehicles worked on.

Unfortunately, business just gets worse as the roads continue to be neglected.

It doesn’t stop me however! I just take my ride out to the Rich Side. The roads are way smoother.

I don’t bother going through the main entrance, I walk straight into the garage.

I see my bike and it honestly looks new? Wait a minute. That is not my bike at all. Well, it is somewhat the same, it just looks nicer. The seat isn’t all scratched up like it was before.

Frowning, I push open a door and walk up some stairs.

Ama can be heard yelling at her boys.

Strange. It is pretty late for them to be awake.

As soon as I walk into the kitchen, Ama calls out to me.

“Ah, Zafiro!” She smiles and walks over to pull me into a tight embrace.

“Are you here for your bike? I am afraid it was beyond repair. I went ahead and got you a new one.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You trying to be my sugarmama, Ama?”

She laughs and swats at my shoulder with a spatula.

“Oh you.” She walks back to her small kitchen. “I just thought that since you donate to us so much, why not offer something back?”

I move over and sit on the stool in front of her.

“Are you saying you used the money I got for you to buy something for me?” I ask, “I told you not to do that.”

“Oh hush!” She tosses a rag at my face. “Wait, give that back, I need to clean.”

I roll my eyes and toss the rag over.

“You should know,” She says while wiping at...cake mix? “Piggie said that he and Vero are watching over the nightclub tonight.”

“He knows I would’ve come over here?” I ask. “I guess I am not being so unpredictable.”

Ama smirks and turns to grab my keys. They were hanging on a hook connected to her fridge.

“Try not to get on anyone’s bad side?” She tosses them to me.

I stand and start to make my way out.

“Don’t worry.” I say, “I’ll get on yours when I ruin my bike again.”

I hear her chuckle behind me as I make my way back down the stairs.

Grinning to myself, I walk over at my new motorcycle.

Lucky for me, I have enough experience riding around here to know how to manage around these messed up streets.

A nice ride towards Piggie’s will be nice.

~~~

It is about one-thirty in the morning and Piggie’s nightclub is definitely crowded.

I sigh.

So. Much. Noise.

I hate it but it is Piggie’s place. Nowhere else to go.

Kicking open the front door, I am greeted to the smell of sweat, alcohol, and some people definitely forgot to put on some deodorant tonight. I don’t even bother hiding the disgust on my face.

What is so hard about making a few swipes?

A few people notice me and nod in my direction.

I ignore them and shoulder my way through the dancing crowd. There are a handful of people that curse after me but I couldn’t care less.

They are in my way and I learned that if you don’t push through, you are never getting to the other side.

I see Piggie at the bar along with Vero, his wife.

Vero sees me immediately and flashes me a smile. Literally flashes me. The lights in the club shine off of her golden teeth.

Half her head is shaved and she keeps the other half braided back.

“Look at you!” She shouts over the music, “Did you get everything you wanted?”

“And more!” I shout back and lift up my bag.

She gives me a double thumbs up before moving to speak to a customer.

Piggie then makes his way in front of me.

His hair is completely shaved off, by Vero I believe, and he has a golden nose ring. His way of ‘matching’ with Vero.

Piggie has a missing eye that is covered with a metal eye patch. I think he looks pretty dumb with it.

“Could you deal with that and then meet me upstairs?” He shouts and points with his chin towards something behind me.

I turn and see two burly men shouting at each other and getting awfully close. One of their faces is so red, I think he might actually burst.

Turning back to Piggie, I nod and hold my bag out to him.

Before turning to confront the men, I shout, “If you touch something, I’ll know and I will cut your balls off to feed to Vero.”

Piggie just laughs and waves me off.

Screams come up behind me and I see that there is a full on fist fight between about four different people.

I run over and kick at two men who had fallen onto the ground.

They both look up at me and with one look, they immediately stand and walk out the club like two puppies running with their tails between their legs.

The other two continue to fight with each other.

A circle of people watch them and they all look at me, waiting for something to happen.

I kick at the backs of the men’s knees and they fall backwards as if they turned into goo.

Rolling my eyes, I pull them both up to sit next to each other, shoulder to shoulder.

I pull my guns out and then wrap an arm around both their shoulders. Immediately, their eyes widen as the guns sit close to their faces.

“Hey there cuties!” I grin, “So, I couldn’t help but notice that you both were scaring my customers.”

They both gulp at the same time and look up at me with fear in their eyes.

“If you don’t calm down and keep going at each other's throats, I will put a bullet in both of your heads.” I keep smiling throughout all of that. “I say we have some fun and keep on dancing. What about you two?”

The two men nod their heads frantically.

“Good!” I stand and grin.

I shove the guns back into the holsters on my hips and move towards the stairs.

The crowd soon begins to continue dancing as soon as I am off the dance floor.

“Thanks, Zafiro!” I hear Vero yell from the bar.

I smile at her and continue my way up the steps.

About two floors over the nightclub will be where Piggie and I like to handle our business.

I hand over whatever I want to sell, and then Piggie sells to whatever nerds want the shit that I don’t like enough to keep.

“You got the folder for Cody, right?” Piggies raises an eyebrow.

I smirk and roll my eyes. “Of course I did! You think I was going to steal a random ass folder?”

“Did you read through it?” He asks.

“Yeah, duh.” I chuckle. “I always go through everyone’s business. You know this already.”

Piggie sighs and shakes his head. “You should really stop doing that. You will get in trouble for doing so.”

I shrug and cross my legs in my chair.

“Yeah well, I won’t tell if you won’t.” I wink.

He rolls his eyes and then pulls out a white envelope.

I immediately sit up in my chair and I can practically feel my eyes sparkling as I oggle the innocent envelope that holds the pretty money.

“You are sick, you know that?” Piggie snickers.

He runs his fingers through it, counting out my earnings.

God I love this part!

“Here you go,” Piggie says and hands over seven hundred dollars.

I grab it and bring it up to my nose. I get a good whiff of it and groan.

Piggie laughs and shakes his head. “You’re disgusting, kid. You know, if you gave me that mask you have in that bag, you would get another five hundred.”

“Ugh, I know!” I lean my head back on my chair and pull out the pretty gold mask with gems. I place it over my face and look through the eyeholes.

“But it’s so pretty!” I breathe out in awe.

Piggie says, “I’ll offer six hundred if you give it to me.”

I drop the mask into my bag and just smirk. “Sorry, nerd. I am afraid that is not for sale. It is my precious so nobody else can have it.”

He laughs and pulls out two glasses to share a bottle of wine.

“Well, at least wear it for your twenty-first birthday.” He says as he pops the cork.

I laugh, “That isn’t for several months! You miss seeing my pretty jewels already?” I wiggle my eyebrows.

He grins as he pours out the drinks. “I’m not saying that I don’t.”

“I’ll offer you a little peek then,” I wink.

“Zafiro, stop flirting with me or I will tell Vero!”

“Oh please! You know she wants this as much as you!”