Connections Old and New

Cain and Lip occupied a computer at the local library. They had been there for less than thirty minutes but Cain trusts Lip enough to jump right into the reason he brought Lip to the library.

"You see that?" Cain asked.

"Yeah, but what the fuck do we need this for?" Lip asked as his gaze dashed from point to point across the monitor. Confused but intrigued.

"Looks like some terrorist shit to me," Giovana spoke.

"I thought you were leaving with Letty," Cain spoke, surprised to see the hazel-eyed beauty.

"Letty likes Lip." Giovana sang and Cain nudged Lip. "So we decided to stick around."

Cain knew Lip wasn't much of a people person. If Lip had his way, he and Cain wouldn't be as close. It was Cain who made a continuous effort. But Lip never complained.

"Well, It's not terrorist shit. Lip is actually the smartest guy in South Side. This thing right here will wipe out all power in a mile radius. Little science project of mine. Say, give us a minute and the four of us can go do something."

"Hmm, I'll tell Letty," Giovana replied then turned away. "Oh and don't rush. You've got our attention, we aren't going anywhere unless you fuck up."

Cain smirked as he watched Giovana leave. The way her round, juicy, peach bottom swung as she strutted out of the library. Giovana knew Cain was looking and Cain hoped she could feel gaze.

"Man, I don't know about this. You know those Latina girls. You never know who's bad news, she can be someone's Morra" Said Lip, refocusing Cain's attention.

"Look, fuck all of that right now. The only thing that matters is committing this to memory. Take notes, study up. This..." Cain paused to tap the computer screen, "This is how we make them our girls. etendeis?"

"Yea," Lip replied and the two dived into the work.

Together they spent an hour combing over videos, comments, and online stores. Cain even managed to get himself a library card to check out books on various subjects he felt that he needed to be successful.

As the duo left the library, Cain was telling Lip about a trip he wanted to take to an art show on Wednesday. He didn't give Lip all of the details of what he was planning, just enough to keep him interested. The Gallaghers were need-based criminals. What I was planning would take Lip to a new level and I wanted to walk him through it step by step. I could risk the guy I trusted in South Side being scared off the job.

"Wait, isn't your birthday on Wednesday?" Lip asked.

"So what? Forget about it. We'll be doing other things that day."Cain replied. Not caring much for his birthday. The guy had already died and been reborn. What was a birthday to him at this point?

"You think the girls left?" Lip suddenly thought about how long they made them wait.

Cain laughed as he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Money over bitches."

"I thought you wanted to make them our girls?" Lip was a bit confused.

"Are they our girls, yet?"

Lip shook his head.

"Then like I said, money over bitches." Cain reiterated as he laughed. "Look, I know you think Letty is cute. Just be honest and stop acting all disinterested. Our life is about to get complicated, so keep your head and your heart straight, pretending only makes the waters murky."

"I got it," said Lip as they walked down the library steps to find Giovanna and Letty relaxing on the hood of a 1968 Shelby.

"Rule number one. Don't doubt yourself. Letty is a part of something. At least her father is. That 1968 Shelby, no one drives that and wakes up to it in the morning, not around here. You're right to be cautious, but don't let that turn into fear." Cain instructed before the duo got too close to the girls

"Hey, Lip!" Letty called out once she noticed the boys approaching.

"Hey..." Lip replied.

"So what are we getting into?" Cain asked as he sat next to Giovanna on the hood of the green Shelby.

Letty pursed her lips as she thought. The ladies then locked eyes as they excitedly spoke at the same time. "Little Village."

"That bastard, Guero, is throwing that party for his mom." Said Letty.

"Guero Jimenez?" Lip asked anxiously.

"Oh, you know him?" Letty asked.

"Yeah," Cain replied before Lip could, "We go way back. Especially him and Lip."

"Then it should be fun." Giovanna chimed in as she pulled on Cain's arm, guiding him to the car door.

Cain looked back at Lip, "Get in the car, Lip. I got you."

After loading up, the drive to little village wasn't a long one. But It was long for the increasingly curious girls to get talking. They were curious about how I and Lip ended up attached at the hip. But I had to correct them.

"Lip and I aren't always together. But if I had to choose someone to ride around with, it'll be Lip. He's a level-headed guy for the most part. Do you want to know how we met?"

"No! They don't," said Lip from the front passenger seat.

"Oh, we have to know!" Letty added.

"It was hot as fuck and my mother had just bailed on me. I had to find myself and decided I could make more money as a wanderer without bills. I planned to sell this Window AC unit, but first I had to get it out of someone's window. That's when I met Lip. That fucking Bastard was already stealing the AC unit I wanted by the time I got there."

"So what happened?" GiGi asked.

"Lip happened. This guy looks at me and says, Help me take it and you can stay at my place for a while. But I can't give you the money, I need it for cake and beer." Cain continued, "I learned two things that day. Lip loves his family and he's a damn good partner in crime, not a greedy bone in his body."

"He's not greedy because he shared the score?" Letty asked.

"No, because after we got the window out, I want to steal the stack of cash and the gun on the coffee table inside the house. It was Lip who stopped me from getting myself into deep shit."

"How much was it?" GiGi was curious.

"Fresh bills. 10 bricks. Standard strap." Lip rattled off as he thought back on the day.

Letty smashed on the breaks and the car was silent.

"Standard strap?" Letty asked, "What color?"

"Black," said Cain.

The ladies fell back and gasped.

"10 bricks. Back strapped. Cain, you saw a million dollars." said GiGi in shock.

"I know. We found out later when we told the story at Fi's birthday party."

Letty exhaled then began to drive again.

"So, that's still your game?" Giovanna asked quietly. Only she and Cain could hear.

"Taking shit?" he asked.

Giovanna noded.

"If it was?"

Giovanna shrugged. "Everyone needs a thing down here. Some stick to rubbing the milk truck to have breakfast for the day. People like you...You guys think of tomorrow and sacrifice a meal today. I admire that." she said.

"So what's your game?" Cain asked.

"Believe it or not, I don't have one. Girls like me and Letty, we get paired up and our man does all the heavy lifting. Letty doesn't mind it. She's been living off her dad's connections all her life. But for me… Once Letty is gone, I'll have nothing."

Giovanna was now hugging Cain's arm as she rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel her body relax. The way it did when most people admit a hard truth.

"So that's why you're with here? Her connections?"

"No. You and Lip collided, like fate. Letty found me. My mom was trying to score some blow and was already in for 1500. To pay up and get her next fix, she tried to give me to her dealer. I ran and never looked back. Letty found me in the gutter a few days later."

Cain sighed. His fingers naturally locked with her's and she snuggled closer as he laid his head atop of her's. He didn't say a word. Giovanna's story was common enough and no words could comfort or change what was.

Sometime later, the newly minted group pulled up at a small gated house with music blaring, dancing, barbeque, and a whole lot of beer.

"Alright, white boy," said Letty, "Loosen up and don't take things too hard. GiGi and I are a bit special so they're going to give you shit. They're just sizing you up to see what you're about."

"What about Cain?" Lip asked.

"Cain?" Letty laughed, "He looks like us. Trust me, he's going to have it way harder than you."

Letty and Lip left first. Giovanna and Cain sat in the car for a while longer in silence.

-Syndicate(Live Event)-

"Fuck!" Cain muttered. Giovanna looked up at him, wondering what had happened.

After a fleeting thought, the system had generated a Live Event. The real-world equivalent of the Main Quest.

"You okay?" Giovanna asked.

"Yeah." Cain cleared his throat, "I'm good. Say, you free on Wednesday?"

"Besides school nothing. Me and Letty…"

"Not Letty, just you. I only need three," he said while the prompt before his eyes listed the requirements to make his syndicate official.

Giovanna frowned, then she nodded. "I'm free."

"Good, I'll pick you up Wednesday morning. We'll be gone for the day."

"We?"

"You, me, and Lip. Hey, just head inside, I'm right behind you."

"You sure everything is fine?" Giovanna looked worried.

"Yeah. Do you have a phone?"

Giovana pulled out one of the new iPhones. After leaving the car, Giovanna went up to the house but she stayed at the porch watching Cain. The porch couldn't be seen beyond the hedges but Giovanna could still Cain.

By the car, Cain dialed a number, and Lip's phone rang. When he answered, Cain, asked which phone Fiona had.

Calling Fiona, Cain stared at the prompt. Beneath the mission title was a four-man requirement with a time that was now down to sixty seconds. Cain had to invite four people to Wednesday's art show. But he had to choose wisely as they would be stamped into the mission and used on the job. More people could be added, but he needs at least four.

"Fi? Fi? Fiona, stop what you're doing."

"Cain? What do you want? I'm cooking." Fiona replied.

"Then just listen. You know I've been crushing hard on you since the moment I saw standing on top of the porch when Lip and I showed up with a birthday cake and three cases of beer. I had never given away money but when I saw you, I knew it was worth it."

Fiona's mind flashed to the day she watched her brother bring home a wild boy with his whole life on his back. She remembered the moment she noticed his star-struck expression as he looked at her like she was the only person in the world. Many people had looked at Fiona, but it was the first time Fiona felt seen.

"Cain…"

"Listen! You're beautiful, smart, and have so much potential that I hate to abuse your wildness, but I have to. I need your help, Fi. Yes or no. Can you come with me and Lip to an art show on Wednesday?"

Fiona felt her head spinning. Cain sounded desperately in need. The difference between his happiness and adding more to the hardships that he hid felt like it all rested on her shoulders. It made it hard for Fiona to keep calm. Then she remembered their conversation the other night and how she felt when he showed up at her door after she thought the worse.

At the same time, the door opened at the Gallagher house and Fiona's neighbor and bestfriend, Veronica, walked in talking loud, looking for Fiona. Fiona quickly put her on hold by throwing up her finger, then focused on Cain.

"Knowing you," Fiona started, " I really shouldn't. I should probably lock Lip in his room while I'm at it. But I know you would rather buy me gifts, and leave them at the door with no return address than to drag me into your shit. I'm in."

The clock stopped at one second. The prompt in front of Cain blinked and the next objective popped up.

But Cain's heart was pounding. "Y-you got those?" he asked about the gifts.

Fiona licked her lips then exhaled. She had gotten a bit cluttered in the head after hearing the urgency in Cain's voice coupled with memories that she worked hard to bury over the years.

"I have to go, you're wasting my minutes. Get home soon."

"Fi--"

The call ended. Cain leaned against the car but a smirk appeared on his face and grew into a smile.

"She got the gifts." he laughed, "But where the hell are they?"

Cain was confused because he never saw Fiona wearing any of his gifts.

At the Gallagher house, Veronica was looking at Fiona shaking her head. She had just walked in but once she heard Fiona mention a secret that she had told her two years ago, Veronica knew who Fiona was talking to.

"I don't want to hear it, V," said Fiona.

"I thought you weren't going to tell him," said Veronica, referring to the gifts from Cain.

"It just came out, okay. He disappears for almost two fucking weeks and then he shows up nonchalant but I know he's going through something, I can feel it, V. You should have heard him on the phone. My mouth started moving and my mind was shutting down."

"Is he staying here?" Veronica asked.

Fiona exhaled heavily. She finally turned around to face Veronica. She nods.

"Tell him, he can stay at my place. Fiona, that can't happen, ever. " Veronica spoke firmly.

"I know. You know that I know. So why did you come over?"

"Oh, Wednesday I need--"

"Can't do it. Playing guardian that day. Lip needs to go to some thing for school." Fiona lied.

"Damn. I guess I have to ask my mom." Veronica walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. That meant she was waiting around for Cain to come back. Fiona's smart, but so is Veronica. It's part of the reason they bonded so well.

Fiona turned back around to finish her cooking.

In Little Village. Cain finished read the next objective, 2a, and 2b. Both optional. It was nothing he could do about them at the moment so he focused on the party and walked up to the house. When he got there, Giovanna was waiting for him on the porch.

"All good?" she asked.

"Never better," Cain replied as he held out her phone.

"Come on, let's get inside before all the beer is gone." Giovanna took his arm and led him inside.