Plasmatropolis

Chapter Fourteen - The Value of a Life

"Alright, listen up!" Zinaida shouted as he stood in the center of all his fellow Voltaris at one of the gang's bases in the Outerlands. Lucidius was by his side, apprehensive - as he should have been considering current circumstances.

The death of Tygren, the former gang boss, had left the Voltaris without a leader. Zinaida, who had been his second-in-command, had been the first to step up and fill in the power vacuum, taking control of the gang. Lucidius had taken Zinaida's previous role, and now served as his right hand.

"Now that I'm in charge here, you'd better be damn well aware I'm making changes." Zinaida declared, as everyone turned their attention to him. "But without a fraction of a doubt, you must be wondering what those changes will be."

He began pacing around as he continued. "First of all, our alliance with Thalleous and his gang needs to come to an end. It has long overstayed its welcome. That bastard has done no good for this clan. I'd even say he's the reason Tygren isn't here talking to you all right now."

Murmurs began amongst the crowd of Voltaris, and immediately, Lucidius turned to Zinaida and shook his head. Zinaida sighed. The two rarely agreed on much, so this was to be expected.

"Let's talk about this in private." Lucidius whispered, and Zinaida reluctantly nodded before turning back to the others.

"We'll both be right back!" He declared. "The lot of you, don't get into any fights while we're gone."

Hopefully they would listen.

Without waiting for any sort of response from the crowd, Lucidius dragged Zinaida away and led him to the nearest hallway, out of everyone else's earshot.

"Luci, get your hands off me, you little shit biscuit!" Zinaida demanded. "You realize I'm your boss now, don't you?"

"You're making a mistake." Lucidius warned. "We can't break the alliance with Thalleous' gang. It's mutually beneficial. I actually think we should help get him to safety."

"What do you expect me to do?" Zinaida asked. "Waste countless lives trying to break him out of a high security BPO establishment?"

"That's what Tygren would have done."

Zinaida rolled his eyes, tired of the other's criticism. "And Tygren was an idiot willing to put that old man ahead of his own damn people. I'm trying to do the exact opposite of what he'd have done, you fucking moron."

"So we're just going to turn our backs on someone again, huh?" Lucidius tilted his head, infuriated. "We have quite a reputation for that. Surely you remember what happened to Yttrikus."

Zinaida flinched at the mention of the Voltaris gang's original boss, and he paused for a long while before finally speaking again. "Alright, here's the deal, Luci. If, somehow, Thalleous can get out of BPO custody on his own, I won't break the alliance. If not, I will. Understood?"

"Works for me." Lucidius shrugged, eager at the possibility of one-upping Zinaida in a bet. "I suppose his gang is useless to us if he's not there to lead them."

"Good, now piss off, unless you want to help me run this gang I've usurped." Zinaida told him. "You and I both know there's plenty of work to be done."