Forgotten Bond

William won.

But now, he was alone, with nobody to help him rescue Daniel.

"Man, how am I gonna take the whole THO all by myself?"

"Max was such a great fucking guy. I wish I had known him before."

Suddenly, William gets a flash back of his childhood, Something he would have hoped he remembered earlier.

Years before the Masked Killas fell over them, William and Max had crossed paths as young boys. Way before William became a bully with Daniel. They both came from hard neighborhoods, where the streets taught lessons in loyalty, fear, and survival. Max was the new kid in town back then—quiet, with a scrawny frame that made him an easy target for the bullies in their school. And while William wasn't big or intimidating himself, he had the one quality Max needed: the courage to stand up when no one else would.

The first time William saw Max being harassed, he knew he couldn't just walk away. It was after school in a cramped alley by the playground, and Max was cornered by a group of older boys who thought it was fun to push him around.

"P-Please stop!" Max requested,

"Shut up newcomer! Don't even try to argue with us!" One of the boys say,

"Hey!" William calls out, "What the hell are y'all doing to this kid?"

"Get the hell out of here William! Mind your own business!" One of the boys reply,

William felt a surge of anger he didn't fully understand. Without a second thought, he charged in, swinging his backpack at the bullies with all the strength his small body could muster. Caught off guard, they scattered, and Max looked up at him in awe, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose.

"You good bro?" William asks,

"Y-Yeah, thank you so much." Max replies,

From that day on, William became Max's quiet protector. They would share sandwiches at lunch, whispering about their dreams of escaping the neighborhood and making something of themselves. William didn't have many friends, and Max was lonely, so they found solace in each other. But fate wasn't kind. Just when their friendship began to solidify, William's family was forced to leave the city. His father's job relocated them without warning, and he and Max lost touch.

When they were moving out of their city, William's father died due to a car crash. It traumatized William.

William's family became poor, and they didn't have the resources to visit or stay connected, no matter how much he missed his friend. Life moved on, and that short chapter in his childhood faded into a bittersweet memory.

Years passed, and William grew up, hardened by the streets. He found himself tangled in rougher crowds, and while he kept himself afloat, he'd lost the bright-eyed innocence of his childhood. Then, he met his same friend while rescuing Daniel: Max.

The reunion, though intense, came at a time when both men were focused on survival. They didn't have time for the questions, the catching up, or even the realization of who they once were to each other. William sensed a strange connection to Max, a feeling of kinship that neither of them acknowledged. They were too busy fighting for their lives, caught in the grip of the mission they'd pledged to see through together.

It wasn't until Max's death, until the searing, numbing loss, that William allowed himself to look back. Alone in the dark, grief twisting his heart, he remembered the small, brave boy who'd stood up for him all those years ago. Max had been there for him then, a quiet, steadfast friend when he'd had no one else. And now he was gone, lost to a cause William still had to carry on alone.

The memory surged through him, sharper and clearer than ever before. He hadn't just lost an ally; he'd lost the one friend who'd once given him courage and kindness when he needed it most. Max's sacrifice became a charge, a spark of purpose. For William, honoring Max's memory meant more than just finishing the mission—it meant protecting others as Max had once protected him, standing as a light in the darkness they both knew too well. And as William prepared to face down THO alone, he carried that memory with him, a fierce reminder of the promise they'd never had the chance to make but that he'd see through to the end.

"Damn," William thinks, "Looks like I really gotta finish this mission. And I'm gonna kill every single fucking person who stands in my way."

Lounge V01: Easy Business

William moved in silence through the cramped alley, with a torn, blood spattered gang suit by the lounge, every sense on high alert. The city was alive with its usual sounds-honking cars, distant music, the occasional shout-but to him, every shadow, every flickering streetlight felt like a threat. He was hunting for THO members tonight, his goal was simple enough: find any lead that would bring him closer to Daniel. After all the chaos that had hit their group, Daniel's capture was one of the last straws. He was the only person William had left,

The problem was that going up against THO, one of the largest, meanest gangs in the city, was like diving into a den of wolves alone. He'd taken down smaller gangs before, but THO was something else. They were organized, ruthless, and big on family loyalty. There was no easy way in, but he was willing to make noise if it meant finding a way forward.

A sound pulled him out of his thoughts-a pair of voices, close. William flattened himself against the wall, peeking around the corner. Two guys in THO jackets leaned against a beat-up sedan, smoking and laughing. They didn't look like the sharpest of the bunch, but they'd know something.

"Yeah, I'm finna take that bitch to a date, homie."

"Ay, that's my brother!"

He took a deep breath, gripping the handle of his knife. Subtlety wasn't an option. These guys weren't the type to just chat; they'd need a little... motivation.

He stepped forward, careful, quiet,

his heart pounding in his chest. One of the guys noticed him too late, eyes widening just as William's fist crashed into his jaw. The guy stumbled, hitting the car door with a loud thud, while his friend cursed, fumbling for a gun. William moved fast, grabbing the weapon and twisting the guy's arm until he yelped in pain.

"Where's Daniel?" William growled, pressing the muzzle of the gun against the thug's head. "I know your boss knows where he is. Talk."

The man, panicked, tried to squirm free. "I don't know any Daniel!"

William tightened his grip. "Wrong answer."

"Okay, okay!" the thug gasped, wincing as William's grip didn't ease. "Look, I don't know names, alright? They don't tell us much. But there's talk. The CLOODS gang have been making moves, bringing in someone new, someone high-value."

"High-value?" William repeated, grinding the muzzle a bit harder. "Where?"

"They're doing an exchange tomorrow night at Dock Nine. But I swear, I don't know anything else!"

William let go, and the guy stumbled back, clutching his arm and glaring at him. "Man, you're dead for this," he spat. "THO's gonna find you, cut you up into little pieces."

William gave him a cold smile. "Get in line."

He walked away, pulse pounding, Dock Nine burned into his memory. He had a target now, something solid. But a bad feeling settled in his gut. THO was putting too much on this, as if they wanted it to be known. It could be a trap-but he didn't have a choice. If there was any chance Daniel was going to be there, he had to go.

The docks were dark and eerily silent as William slipped through the stacks of shipping containers. He'd left his car a mile away, approaching on foot to avoid detection. THO knew this area well; any misstep, and he'd be cornered in seconds. He kept low, trying to blend with the shadows, his hand steady on his knife.

He spotted movement up ahead. A group of men stood near the water, surrounding a single figure. It was hard to tell who it was in the dim light, but he could just make out the familiar outline of THO jackets. His heartbeat picked up. This had to be it. His eyes scanned the scene, searching for Daniel, hoping to see his friend alive.

But as he crept closer, he froze. The man they had tied up was younger than Daniel, thinner too. It wasn't him. His stomach dropped. He had walked right into their trap again.

"Well, well," a voice drawled from behind him. "Thought you'd slip past us, huh, William?"

William whirled around to see a line of THO members blocking his escape, their leader of one group from THO, a guy named Marcus, grinning like a cat who'd caught a mouse. Marcus was older, with a scar running down his cheek, the kind of guy who'd enjoy dragging out a fight. He tilted his head, eyes gleaming with cruel excitement.

"You came here alone? Real fucking brave. Real fucking stupid."

William took a steadying breath, calculating his options. He could take maybe two, three of them down, but not the whole group. And the worst part was, he was out of leads now. They'd led him here, strung him along. Daniel wasn't even a part of this.

"I don't have time for this," William said, though his hand stayed steady on his knife. "Where's Daniel?"

Marcus laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, you really don't get it, do you? Your buddy? He's long gone, probably rotting in some CLOODS cell, if they didn't kill him already. We don't have to tell you a thing."

Another guy stepped forward, grinning. "But you? You've been a real thorn in our side. Boss wants you gone. Tonight."

William clenched his jaw, his mind racing. These guys weren't going to let him walk out of here. They'd planned it too carefully. He was trapped, but he'd been in tight spots before. Taking down even half of them would be a victory. He couldn't back down now.

William clenched his jaw, his mind racing. These guys weren't going to let him walk out of here. They'd planned it too carefully. He was trapped, but he'd been in tight spots before. Taking down even half of them would be a victory. He couldn't back down now.

Without warning, he lunged forward, catching the first thug off guard. His knife slashed through the man's arm, blood spraying as the guy screamed. The others moved in, but William ducked, driving his fist into the ribs of the next thug. He could feel the satisfying crack of bone, the man's scream echoing as he dropped to the ground.

But then a heavy blow struck his back, sending him staggering forward. Pain flared, and he barely managed to dodge another swing aimed for his head. He was outnumbered, cornered. His muscles ached, his vision blurred, but he refused to go down. Not like this.

"You're tougher than you look," Marcus sneered, circling him, the glint of a knife in his hand. "But everyone breaks eventually."

William spat blood, giving Marcus a cold, defiant look. "Keep talking, maybe I'll get bored and let you go."

With a roar, Marcus charged, and the two clashed, fists and knives swinging in a brutal, desperate fight. William's breath came in ragged gasps, his vision swimming from blood and sweat. But he refused to stop. Even as they outnumbered him, every part of him screamed to keep fighting.

Then a sound cut through the chaos -an explosion nearby, followed by the screech of tires. Headlights flooded the dock, and for a moment, everyone froze. A dark car skidded to a stop, and the doors flew open.

Out stepped Daniel, holding a gun, his face hardened with a look William had never seen before.

Marcus gets confused, "Who the-"

Without a word, he fired a shot into the air, causing THO members to scatter in confusion. Marcus cursed, his face twisting in anger as he realized his carefully laid trap was crumbling.

"Get out," Daniel snarled at them, his voice icy. "Or you'll all end up like the CLOODS."

The remaining gang members hesitated, glancing between Daniel and Marcus, uncertain. But Marcus sneered, taking a step forward. "You think we're afraid of you, kid?"

Daniel didn't answer. He just raised the gun and fired again, this time hitting the ground inches from Marcus's feet. That was all it took- the THO members scrambled, some running outright, others glancing back with wary eyes as they vanished into the night.

Once they were gone, Daniel lowered the gun, his face shifting from anger to something almost unreadable. William, still catching his breath, stared at him in shock.

"You... how did you...?" William stammered, struggling to make sense of what had just happened.

Daniel gave him a faint, humorless smile. "I got out."

William shook his head, still stunned. "The CLOODS?... Who are they? Did they capture you? they didn't just let you go right."

"No, they didn't," Daniel replied, his tone dark. "I broke out. They didn't expect me to fight back. They thought I'd fold, like I was just some fucking kid."

There was a hardness in Daniel's eyes, a coldness that sent a chill down William's spine. It was a look he'd only seen in their worst enemies, the kind who took down anyone in their way without blinking.

"So what now?" William asked quietly, watching Daniel with a mix of relief and unease.

Daniel looked out over the docks, his jaw set. "Now? Now we make them pay."