Angel's Authority

Part Three, Chapter Forty-Seven: Just one can't keep a secret

Based on the Volition Inc.™ game: Saints Row: The Third™

THE BOSS

"So, where are we going?"

We had to wait for Samu to get my car and Davey and Scotty to pick up Oleg before Kinzie and I could get going for my appointment. And I deliberately chose to evade her constant question of where we were going because I knew that else, she never would have joined me.

"Wait a sec... Why are we stopping at Rusty Needle- Hold on a minute?!"

She turned in her seat and her eyes told me more than a thousand words. The menacing "what-the-fuck-do-you-think-you're-doing?" hidden within them almost made me laugh. Well, until the sense of curiosity turned into one of sincerity.

"You're not seriously gonna do a tattoo now. Now?"

Her voice dropped octaves and if I would not see her mouth move, I would have thought that this was an entirely different person. Deciding to keep ignoring her, I pulled the key out of the ignition, got off and waited for her to do the same before I remotely locked the car with a short beep.

I entered the shop and greeted the artist, keeping an eye on the now sulking Kinzie with my peripheral view. I knew her struggle and I knew that we had only little time but if Monica was sincere, STAG would be more than a big help against Killbane who now stands alone. I wanted to have a moment for myself where I could ignore everything that was going on. This appointment was my last promise to Johnny...

"If it comes to it, I have an ace up my sleeve, don't worry. Take it as an... opportunity for the two of us to get to know each other a little bit."

She scoffed but loosened her arms, folded in front of her chest, pushing them into the big pocket of her purple hoodie instead.

"You know..."

She began rocking back and forth on her feet while I filled out my information.

"...I've always thought about tattooing the date where my first pet gerbil died. Her name was Frank and I loved her sincerely. But of course, I forgot when she died and now the plan's wasted..."

I stopped writing for a while, feeling the impact of the idea hit me like a truck. I finished scribbling down my email address, signed and dated the paper before handing it to the artist and turning back around to face Kinzie.

"You're a genius. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yeah, a lotta people but why?"

She abandoned her habits of insecurity, banned to hear what smart thing she had said.

"The dates. I have the opportunity to honor a lot of people that were dear to me."

I directed my attention back at the artist.

"Excuse me, do you have another piece of paper? I have changed my initial idea and we might even finish a little earlier than planned."

He nodded and gave me a blank paper and I took the pen back into my hand and started to scribble down dates. Six in total, two of which were separate from the others.

"These four in a closed circle around my ankle please. And these two, right here."

I tapped my left chest, about an inch below my collarbone.

"Who are they?"

Kinzie asked, having regained that calm she had when confronting me about the tattoo appointment in addition to a certain empathy, I was not used from a lot of people here.

Thinking about it, the Sins and their meddling in everything had entirely escaped my mind. Perhaps I had prevailed and successfully resisted them at last? Banishing them from their maintaining dominance? I actually doubted it but there were more and more good people here that I could trust. Trust with something I had not trusted anyone else before.

I tapped the four dates that were aligned next to each other in the middle of the paper.

"May 15th 1977 is Playa. June 9th 1994 is Carlos. October 11th 1979 is Aisha and April 12th 1976 is Johnny..."

I have never really thought about anyone's birthdays recently. The thrill and fun of a birthday party had been lost to me on that tragic December night in 1850. And I had deliberately gone for the birthdays not to remember their deaths but to remember what all of them lived for.

"And those two?"

Kinzie asked, pointing at the two in the top corner of the paper. She must have gotten the clue about the birthdays; she was a very intelligent girl. What I am about to tell her, I have never told anyone here. Not even Johnny and Shaundi. I waited for the artist to leave and prepare the chair before I started talking.

"My son..."

I pointed at the 5th December 1846.

"And my father..."

I pointed at the 21st February 1398. Kinzie only stared at me with raised eyebrows, clearly not believing a single thing after her second question.

"This is a joke, right?"

"I know you won't believe me what I am about to tell you but I finally have to say it. I cannot live with this... burden, anymore."

"Girl, I've seen everything inside the Pentagon and don't believe half of it myself but to believe that you are what? Ancient? That's a little much..."

"I am 390 to be exact. November 3rd 1631."

I saw the gears shift behind her eyes. The way her brain was processing the information. Little did she know that this was not even a pinch of what I had to offer.

"We're ready to go, ladies!"

The artist interrupted us and our conversation.

"I'll tell you later. In private."

I whispered and she agreed with a short and barely visible nod.

"And promise me, not to tell a soul..."

I continued and she reassured me with a wide smile.

"Lips sealed tightly!"

She wrapped an arm around me and squeezed me against her before letting go again after a second. Given her shy and anxious nature that I had gotten to know from her, I say this was a grand achievement for both of us. That way I knew that she trusted me.

"Thanks."

I replied before pulling down the left sleeve of my haute couture dress and revealing my naked left chest. The needle began whirring and I pointed at the place where he was supposed to put the two dates: just where my boob was beginning to bulge and right above my heart.

"Right there, thank you."

I closed my eyes and felt the cold pre-stamp touch my skin before the needle stung below it and the artist began to work the tattoo...