Mass Effect: Earthborn

Chapter #06 With Friends like These

Chapter #06

With Friends like These

11.03 p.m., November 23rd, 2169

10th Street Reds’ Hideout, New York City.

“This used to be a funhouse, but now it’s full of evil clowns. It’s time to start the countdown. I’m gonna burn it down, down, down, I’m gonna burn it down.”

The song came to an end and so did my singing. Some of the other Reds were listening, others were just watching the TV and some were playing foosball.

I pushed a button on the guitar, and the intricate mechanics made the guitar fold itself into a more compact size.

I looked around the dirty basement. There were about thirty of us down here, but since it was so big, we were nowhere near cramped down there.

As I found a pack of smokes in my pocket, I looked around the room. These guys were my ‘family’, of sorts. While my friends from school were loyal to me, I doubt that any of them would have my back in a shootout. But then again, my friends from school wouldn’t steal from me, which was something that couldn’t be said about the Reds. They all had their own qualities and their own weaknesses.

As I lit my smoke, I saw Timothy and Tina walk to me. The two twins bore a striking resemblance to each other. The most obvious difference was that Timothy’s blonde hair was cut short while Tina’s almost reached her waist.

“Yo, why are you here Shep?” Tim asked with a little anger laced on top of his voice.

“I am Red, aren’t I?” I asked and lifted up my shirt to show my tattoo. I suddenly regretted having it put there, but that also had certain qualities; people wouldn’t know I was one of the Reds by looking for a tat on my arm.

“Sure you are girl, he’s just being an ass today” Tina said while giving me a hug. Tina and I used to be couriers together for the gang, but as we got older, we got different assignments, mainly because she couldn’t keep up with me after I began freerunning.

“Why is that?” I asked while offering them a smoke.

“His girlfriend dumped his ass” Tina said while smiling and taking a smoke.

I reached into my pocket for my Zippo lighter again. “The tramp you met at Black Hole last month?”

“Two months ago” Tim said, defending his honor.

“She was a skank Timmy” I said.

“Mhmm, listen to her bro.”

“Yea, like I need to take love advice from the Ice Queen herself.” He scoffed at me.

Usually, it takes a lot to piss me off, but it had been a bad month, starting with the email from ‘BW_SharpShot1212’, whoever that son of a bitch was.

I took another drag of the smoke. “Well, you know what Timmy-boy? Go fuck yourself” I said and flicked the remainder of the cigarette at him.

Immediately after, Timmy’s fist connected with my face and I flew back into the boxes I had been sitting on.

Before he could make another attack, I kicked him in the groin.

As he bended over in pain, I spat some blood onto the concrete floor, but when I looked up again, Timmy was on his feet again.

His right fist stormed towards me again, I dodged to my left. I heard the groan of pain as he connected, this time with the wall. I quickly threw in a few punches to his right flank, trying to break a rib.