Ghosts

[Joao Rodrigues]

Estiban di Silva thanked the kind lady as she dropped a five dollar bill into his battered Pawtucket Red Sox cap. It had been a great day; the sun was shining, and there was a cool breeze coming off the ocean. It was the kind of day that made people optimistic just to be outside. In short, it was a good day for Estiban, a nine year old boy that spent his days panhandling near the Founder's Falls train station, where there was a high traffic of well of people making their way to and from work. He knew that they pitied him, and sometimes it was hard, but he and his father needed the money to buy food, and to afford his father's medicine.

His father, Hermando, was a Rikti war veteran, and not one of the heroes that had joined to win the war. No, he was just a National Guard reservist, serving his one weekend a month when they struck. Of course, Estiban was barely an infant at the time, so he didn't remember. He only heard the stories his father would tell when he had a lucid moment. Hermando has seen some terrible things, and because of that, he almost never slept without his medicine. He heard from others who knew him that his mind didn't completely break until he learned his wife had died in a raid late in the war. It was only months before Hermando lost everything, his job, his car, even his house. They had been living on the streets for as long as Estiban had remembered. At least until Joao found them.

Joao was a good kid, a gang member from another city that helped his father take a steel sink to the recycling center so Estiban could have birthday present. He still had them, a set of three Dr. Suess books and a copy of a third grade math textbook. Estiban liked Joao, and not just because he helped clean out an old El Super Mexicano that had been shut down for him and his father to live in. He was like a big brother to Estiban.

Lost in his musing, Estiban didn't see the man approach until his shadow fell over him. He looked up, smiling, "Can you spare some chan..."

Estiban trailed off as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. This man was out of place in Founder's Falls. He wore canvas cargo pants, and a T-shirt that did little to hide the definition of his muscles. The thing that made Estiban stop talking, however, was the man's arms. They were tattooed from shoulder to wrist. Some of the tattoos he recognized, like the tragedy mask with seven tears.

"Hey, your the kid what hangs with Jonny, right?"

Estiban tried to answer, but nothing more than a soft squeak came from his throat.

"It's green, quesol, I ain't here to hurt you. I got somethin' for him."

Estiban's eyes went wide as he swallowed hard. He didn't know why, but he was very afraid of this man. "I... I don't know who you are talking about, mister..."

The man nodded. "Here. Take this. When you see him next, give it to him. He'll want it. And here's a jack to make sure it get there, neh?"

The man gave Estiban an envelope containing a single photograph. Then he took a wad of bills from his pocket, peeled off a twenty dollar bill, and dropped it in Estiban's battered Pawtucket Red Sox cap.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Hermando grabbed Joao by his shirt in excitement, almost knocking the fresh propane tank out of his hands. "The rats are gone. The rats are gone!"

Startled, Joao took Hermando's hands, gently prying them from his grasp. Hermando was having a bad day again. Things weren't getting better. Joao wished there was something more he could do, but without money, without a doctor, all he could do was watch Hermando's slow slide. "Choice, Hermando. Too many rats in this city anyway."

Joao pushed the rest of his way into the abandoned El Super Mexicano restaurant. Hermando and Estiban had been doing a good job of keeping the place clean and orderly. Estiban had been reading more and more as he acquired books, mostly thrown away, or checked out from the library. Joao was proud of the progress that Estiban had been making, and was hoping that the kid would be able to take some night classes or something. He was smart, and deserved much better than to live on the street his whole life. Joao looked around, and found Estiban reading and playing with a knife. The knife was of good quality, a strong six inch blade with a hunting handle.

"Hey, kid. Where'd you get the git?"

"Oh, hi Joao. That guy who gave me the picture to give to you came by. He said I should learn to use this."

Joao reeled inside, fighting down bile from rising in his throat. "How'd he find this place?"

"I don't know, but I don't think he's a scary as I thought when I first met him."

"He ain't safe, brah."

"No, no... there were some Skulls that tried to claim this place as their own. He came and chased them off."

"What?"

"Really. He was nice to us. He brought some food and saw the Skulls here. So he chased them off, and gave me this knife so I could help him next time they came by."

"Front? Huh."

This troubled Joao, but he didn't know how else to react. Jimmy had been by. He protected Joao's kith here, and gave Estiban his first knife. On the other hand, the last time Joao had seen Jimmy, Jimmy tried to kill him. Worse yet, Jimmy knew about the restaurant, knew where it was. Did Jimmy have people watching him? He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm himself.

"Low, brah. I teach you at some point how to use it proper. Mean time, I gotta skit. Just wanted to drop off more 'pane in case you were runnin' out."

"Thanks, Joao. I was about to head out to the Falls anyway."

"No worries. I'll ride with you."

Estiban gathered his things and they headed toward the train station.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Joao leaned against the rail of the pier on Talos Island, watching the sunset. His heart beat quickly, thought whether it was nerves or anticipation, he couldn't tell. He knew Jimmy would be there soon, so he checked in one last time. There was no one around, so he signed off.

"I'll be careful, adorazha. I'm turnin' off the comm. Thanks."

He shut off the comm, and put it in his right front pocket, taking a deep breath. It was just in time, as he felt at first, then heard steady footfalls on the pier come to a stop behind him. He looked out at the water, and let his breath out slowly, trying to calm his nerves. Jimmy came up to the rail and turned toward Joao.

"I am Panther, leader of the Cats of Chi-town. I here to wag, and nothin' more."

Jimmy pulled a carbon black hunting knife from his boot and embedded it into the rail. Joao nodded at the formality. So, he wanted to play it that way. It wasn't unheard of, when there was a conflict within a gang, often this formal truce was used to settle things before it caused a rift. To Joao's knowledge, though, it had never happened within the Cats.

"I Cerberus, second of the Cats of Chi-town. I here to wag, and nothin' more."

Joao took his butterfly knife out of his back pocked, opened it and thrust it into the rail, mirroring Jimmy's gesture. He was sure that Jimmy still had his guns, and Joao still had his .357 magnum revolver. But that wasn't important. They had agreed to leave the fighting aside and talk.

"Why so formal, Panther?"

"Not Jimmy no more?" Jimmy sighed, then nodded. "I guess I deserve that. I wanted to clear the air, neh?"

"Ain't my air to clear, Jimmy. You came after me. You slagged my hook."

"Ain't like that. I had good reasons... your reasons, Jonny."

"If you say so."

"Hey, you like a son to me. Always have been. You think that ain't tear me up, havin' to try?"

"Why?"

"You knew. You was outa Chi-town, and you mighta wagged."

"I ain't gonna wag. You know that. You kin, I got kith still out. The Cats my folk."

"I know now. That Hmong banger had me thinkin' otherwise."

"If you say so. Why you here?"

"I... I wanted to let you know that... and that I ain't have forgot you. I found that pic, and I showed it to some folk I know. Wag is those your 'rents. That why I here. You always wanted to know, so I thought I would."

"I supposed to believe that?"

"No. You ain't believe nothin' I gonna wag at you, and I knowed that. But, far as I see, ain't nothin' different 'tween us since the day I found you. I brought a good will gift."

Jimmy took out five bullets, unspent, glowing eerily in their brass jackets. They had a distinct mark on them, a harpy screaming.

"What're these?"

"These the slags I bought when I thought I had to slitch you. I know 'bout your powers. I know how they work."

"Then you know bullets ain't mean much."

"These do. I know your weakness. These slags psionically charged. They'd go right through you. They yours now, so you know 'bout them and you can keep an eye out."

Joao looked at the bullets in his hand, a chill running down his spine. "How you know 'bout my powers?"

"I always knowed 'bout your powers. How many other kids I let get into a proper fight? I knew you'd handle it."

Joao looked at Jimmy in disbelief.

"I also know you ain't quite here alone, Jonny."

"What?"

Jimmy pointed to the head of the pier. "Your hook down at the end, and you got some guy with wings around. I came anyway, 'cause I trust you. Always have, filho. Jonny, if you want to know 'bout that pic, you gotta let me run your turf a bit."

"My turf?"

"As far as I concerned, the PC is yours."

Joao nodded. "Do what you gotta, but ain't do nothin' you ain't would do on Cats turf."

"Right. No crimes, no scams, no sales. Ain't what I here for. There a quesol I gonna meet. Get the rest a what the pic came with. I'll find you when I get what I need. Tell your hook I sorry. She must be total choice if she willin' to take slag for you. I wish I was that lucky."

Jimmy turned and left his knife in the rail, telling Joao that he was only passing through, and that he would leave Joao's folk in Paragon alone. It was a sign of surrender in the circle, a sign of submission. He listened to Jimmy leave the pier and stared out at the water. It was real. All he had to do now was trust Jimmy.

[Dark Sky Singer]

*disregard post*

[Joao Rodrigues]

Joao walked through the crisp night air of the Row, his senses sharp having just cleared out a Skull haunt. He had one stop left before he returned to school for the night. As he opened the door to the abandoned El Super Mexicano when Hermando and Estiban lived, his greeting caught on his lips. Hermando sat, curled into the fetal position just inside the door, rocking back and forth, and crying.

"Hermando! What's wrong?"

"The masks... terrible masks..."

Joao rushed to him, grabbing his shoulders, "What's wrong?"

"The masks they came... terrible, terrible..."

Joao rushed in, calling for Estiban. He got inside just as Jimmy was coming in the back door.

"Hey, kid, I got a new boo... Mongrel."

"What're you doin' here, Jimmy?"

"I got a new book for Estiban." Jimmy looked at Joao, "What wrong, filho?"

"Hermando havin' a bad day again... where Estiban?"

Jimmy pointed to Estiban, burried in his sleeping bag.

"Terrible, the masks," Hermando crawled into the room, still weeping uncontrollably.

Joao turned to comfort Hermando as Jimmy, a look of horror on his face, ran over to the sleeping bag. He pulled it open, to reveal a four foot tall teddy bear where Estiban should be.

"Estiban ain't here, filho."

"What? Hermando, what happened?"

"Masks... no face... they made him that... my son... no more..."

Joao stood up, meeting Jimmy's gaze. Jimmy was the first to speak. "We gotta go after him, filho. C'mon, it'll be like old times."

"No. You stay outa this. Me'n mine'll take this one."

"Oh, yeah? Where you gonna go?"

"Clowns. They wear the masks, do crazy stuff like this. They after me, I sure."

"If they after you, then you need me."

"No! This ain't your fight, Jimmy. You stay outa this."

"Ain't give me that, Mongrel. These folk your kith. I ain't gonna let no kin a mine hang when they kith in trouble."

Joao thought about that, knowing that he couldn't keep Jimmy from doing something. "What you thinkin'?"

"You wanna hit them clowns, you do that. I gonna check some stuff, see if I ain't can find more out. I get that you ain't want me near your kin and kith, filho, especially your hook. But I ain't gonna sit this one out."

Joao had gone into full guard dog mode, focused entirely on finding Estiban. "Fine. I go after the clowns, you do what you gotta."

"I let you know when I get somethin', filho. But, you gotta know, when we find Estiban, I ain't gonna sit out, neh?"

Joao nodded, taking a deep breath. "Low. But you gotta do it my way. My lead, my method. You ain't can bring you guns. No one get slitched. We tag everyone we take down. Crystal?"

"Mongrel..."

Joao cut Jimmy off, standing up to him for the first time he could remember. "Crystal?"

Jimmy, taken aback, paused. He smiled then nodded. "Crystal. Your way. My boy growed up."

"If you say so, brah. You ain't go after Estiban alone. Them clowns total bad news."

"No worries, filho. This your thing, and I just back you."

They turned to leave, Joao from the front, and Jimmy through the back. Jimmy turned just before they parted. "Hey, Mongrel?"

"What, Jimmy?"

"No matter what happen, I gotta wag it. I proud a you. This place, this school, this life you got... this you. I just want say I proud."

Joao stood, watching Jimmy leave through the back door. He pushed his conflicted feelings aside, and turned to the street, flipping his comms on as he left.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Joao and his friends came in and cleaned up the group that Jimmy was fighting with. They had already bailed him out once, when Malta had captured him. Jimmy could tell Joao's friends didn't like him. They glared at him, watched him, tried to intimidate him. He couldn't blame them. They hadn't met in the best of circumstances, and they all had reasons to resent him, especially Joao's hook. He watched them fight, running to keep up with them. If he had a crew like this back home, the Cats never would have gotten caught. They would have ruled the city. But that was another time.

Joao had come up well. Jimmy remembered when he was just a kid, fending off people twice his age and larger. Jimmy could tell that Joao wasn't normal, that he had some kind of power that helped him survive on the street. So Jimmy had adopted him, raised him, fit him into his plans for the Cats. Now he was grown, he kept his word, and he still engendered the kind of loyalty that had made it easy for him to run things with the Cats. Jimmy couldn't help but feel pride at how far Joao had come.

He also knew that this was the last time he would likely be fighting with Joao instead of against him. Joao had gone the way of Zhaim, and turned against the way of the street. Although it would be different with Joao. He wouldn't forget, or begrudge most of the people who lived like Jimmy. He would only step in if they became a danger to others, especially if they were unable to defend themselves. At least Jimmy knew that Joao would never go back on anything he promised. That surprised him, even though he didn't think it should.

Jimmy watched the others fight, finding ways to fit into their style. The important thing was saving Estiban. Joao always seemed to adopt strays, and Hermando and Estiban were no different. That, too, made Jimmy proud. He knew it was impractical when you had a gang the size of the Cats, but he still admired it. Joao still fought with a mixture of Zhaim and his own style, but his footwork was subtly different. It looked a little like his hook's, what was her name... Blue. Blue was fast, and fierce. He could see why Joao liked her so much. Although something bothered him about the way she fought. It was like she learned from someone who preferred fighting with a weapon, like a bat, or a sword... yes a sword. It left her right side open. "Better keep an eye on that," Jimmy thought.

Sure enough, just after they got into it with a large group, a second group came in from the right. Jimmy dove in front of them just as a gunslinger started unloading his guns into Blue's blind spot. Slugs tore into Jimmy, spattering blood as he hit the ground. The group kept fighting, and Jimmy knew that he was done. Joao came over to him to see if he was alright, keeping an eye on the fight.

"Jimmy, you green."

Jimmy coughed, "Ain't this time, Mongrel. It been a good ride."

"You ain't hurt that bad."

"Mongrel... Jonny... I ain't gonna live through this one..."

"I'll get you to the hospital, you'll be fine."

"I ain't can make the trip, filho... here, take this..."

Jimmy pulled a nine by twelve envelope from his pocket, pressing it with bloody hands into Joao's grasp. Moving his hand let Joao see how bad the wound Jimmy had was, and he paled.

"Jonny, This what I came for..."

"Don't talk... I can help you."

"No... ain't this time... here... take it..." Jimmy was struggling to remain conscious. "Jimmy, I gotta... gotta wag... he... he ain't slitched---"

Jimmy passed out as the fight went on around him. Joao checked his pulse, finding a faint, but strong pulse. Jimmy had lost a lot of blood, and would die if he didn't get help right away. Seeing no other option, Joao removed his medbadge, and pressed it to Jimmy's shoulder, activating the manual teleport on it to take him to the hospital. He knew that from there he would likely be arrested, but at least he would be alive. Joao wiped tears from his eyes, and rejoined the fight.

The fight was hard, but they managed to free Estiban and send the person behind the abduction to the Zig. The guy, Operative Shade, had something personal against Joao, but he didn't care. His mind was scattered, ashamed that he had to let Jimmy help him, grieving for Jimmy, and hoping he survived, and guilty about what he put his friends through, especially Beth, just being around Jimmy. And now, he had his past, sealed in an envelope.