Chapter Text
I adjust my gloves, as I look down at the bleeding man, the blood staining his purple shirt as he grunts "...you owe me…if it was not for me…"
I adjust my stance with my suppressed pistol across my chest "your right I did…then you betrayed me…all of us…and all of a sudden that didn't mean so much."
He groaned "what the hell happened to you…"
I pointed my pistol "I woke up…"
He grunted "who am I kidding…you were always like this…a quiet sociopath…the Devil of Saints Row."
I answer coldly "I am what you made me." and I pull the trigger, the bullet entering his head with a quiet thump, I lower the pistol, the shell casing hitting the ground.
I tuck the pistol under my suit jacket and walk away, without looking back.
Years ago:
I walk down the street, kicking a can, damn you Being X! When I was reborn in this world I suspected something was up when I woke up in the arms of some Nuns again, in the ironically named Saints Row District of Stilwater, an American city.
I had written this off as Being X making a half hearted attempt to make me Worship, then again magical World War 1 did not make me worship, so I'm not sure why he thought a childhood in a slum district overrun with Gangs would.
But this was America…the American Dream, all I had to do was put in the work and I could get a nice job in corporate America.
Watches! I got watches here! Yo hey Lady these babies would cost you 600 dollars in the store!
And in spite of being the top being the top of my class in high school, all my efforts to get scholarships have failed, I just returned from an in person interview where they in fewer words said that simply that anyone from Saints Row is on a Black list.
Is that your game Being X? To force me to join the Nunnery to make ends meet, I move past a lady of the Night with a shudder, or force…other options out of me, well it's not going to work.
Ah hell no!
Lamar you gonna let those bitches disrespect us?
My options are becoming increasingly fewer, somehow I need to find a way to support myself, and if possible pay my way into college, although that may be a pipe dream at this point.
Before I could reflect more on my options, Men in Yellow and Blue started to fight, around a nearby corner, two of the three gangs that fought over the Row, for as long as I can remember…a minute later as if on cue the third gang rolled up in a red car.
And opened fired, I dive for cover rolled behind some garbage cans, as gun fire fills area, and moments later the red car, crashed…and a man in yellow, shot the last blue guy, and walked toward me "wrong time wrong place Missy."
He said coldly, but that brief bit of drama was what gave me my chance, my hand felt something cold, one of the fallen gangsters guns…I grabbed it, rolling again, managing to dodge the round fired from and fired…5 rounds all center mass.
The Gangster chocked, falling to the ground, I get up, my breathing calm, I thought about letting him live, but it is possible he could lead the cops, or even his gang to me, so I fired again, one more round straight to the head.
I quickly wipe my prints off the weapon, before throwing it in the vague direction of one of the dead gangsters.
It wont be enough to fool any investigator, but I doubt they would bother looking to heavily into it. I move quickly to leave the small parking lot I'm in only to be stopped by two men wearing purple "easy Missy."
One of them says, an older black man said holding up a hand "you alright?"
I look at him like he is an idiot "I've been better." I say hastily looking to brush past him and flee the crime scene as sirens fills the air growing closer.
He puts a hand on my shoulder again saying "The Row ain't safe no more Missy…we got gangs fighting over shit that ain't there's."
Yes, that is what Gang's tend to do? I don't know why this guy in purple is treating this as some kind of Earth shattering revelation.
He seemed undaunted by an unimpressed as he carries on "and with you in the way, they don't care if you're representing or just a girl walking down the street."
The other guy in purple who was smoking said quickly "Julius we need to move."
Something I whole heartily agree with, my case is open and closed self defense, but I really do not want to have to plead such a case, with the apparent basis against people like me from the Row.
Julius stopped me from moving saying "In a minute!" before looking back at me.
"Look the Row has got a problem, come to the old church when you want to be part of the solution."
With that, he lowered his arm, giving me the chance to bolt, I did so, ducking down several allies and jumping a fence, before I slowed down. Recovering my breathing.
I lean on a wall, it seems likely the man in Purple, Julius is the leader of another Gang, likely a local group with the intent of kicking the other gangs out of the neighborhood.
Now I as a matter of course object to crime in general and organized crime specifically. I, like any other law-abiding citizen, want to live life according to society's rules, only bending them as needed, not outright breaking them.
But I am also facing down a both annoying and unique circumstances in terms of my life times, I have already tried legal recourse, I am from an economically depressed district, and notably my attempts to gain legal employment or further my own education have failed.
Ironically due to being from a District full of crime. Therefore I am forced to seriously consider Julius' offer. Crime quite literally does pay.
And best case I can secure myself a position in the inevitable legal operations, the gang runs, or simply save up enough of a nest egg to simply send myself to college or invest enough money to build a life that no longer requires crime.
I am aware enough of myself to know that it is very possible that it will not work that way, but I will do what I can to maintain discretion…gloves for no prints, and no names.
This could easily be only a stop gap measure, but the fact remains that legal employment within Saints Row is a joke, and outside of the district, they tend to throw my resume out.
As much as I do not want to admit it, the Row does indeed have a problem, and I need to be part of the solution.
This reeks of Being X, I mean the gang is literally meeting in a church. Granted an old church. But the point stands.
Well sadly I am forced to play Being X's games until my life of crime secures me enough money, to be able to leave behind this life.
With a sigh, I start making my way west toward the Old church.
The old Church as the same suggests is old and a church, the whole place is run down, and falling apart, while that kind of thing would usually amuse me, as a sign of Being X declining influence, the interior was full of men and women wearing purple unnerved me a little on the stage where the preacher would be was Julius, who was making a speech.
I entered at the tail end of said Speech from what I did catch he plans to strike back with his gang of roughly 50 or so members, to take black the Row from the three…foreign for lack of a better word Gangs.
He made the claim that is all about respect where we, as in the Gang, get enough of said respect they will back off.
Since I plan to join his organization I would bow to his superior knowledge of such things but somehow I doubt simple respect will do it, after all if that was all it required I doubt these 3 well established gangs would be fighting in the first place.
Eventually a man with truly god awful frosted tips, giving me a reminder that the year is 2006, spoke up he asking rather bluntly "who the fuck is she?"
The crowd parted like the purple sea, with the gang members regarding me with everything from casual disregard to an almost concerning hunger.
Julius said "she's someone Troy and I ran into…we'll see if she will ride with us."
Frosted tips scoffed "Julius if she wants to run with the Saints she needs to be canonized!"
OK that made me chuckle, it was reasonably clever, although it is slightly concerning, after all Saints are typically only canonized after dying. I doubt I just walked into a Death Cult, but you never know with Being X on the loose.
I was led outside, and the Saints surrounded me in a circle as Julius asked "ready?"
For what? Whatever this canonization is? "I am" I answer with all the confidence I could muster, and I was answered with whoops as a big guy in a purple shirt rushes toward me.
ah, so I was being jumped in…I guess I should have seen that coming, I duck under my blow and jump onto the big guy's back, kicking him in the balls hard as I ride his back toward the ground, afterwards I roll off his groaning body as two more saints rush toward me.
Two on one!? Come on…I go on the offense, moving into a clumsy kick, it was not very effective in terms of doing damage but was effective enough to knock the two saints off there rhythm, I choose the Saint on my left, hitting him had in throat, winding the poor bastard, kicking him over, I duck the clumsy strike from his friend.
I follow up with another kick to the groin, and elbow to the back of the head, knocking down both of them.
The cheers grow louder as 3 more Saints approach me, I don't know why I am so surprised. They moved more cautiously, aware that the others had underestimated me due to my small stature. Clearly they had no intention of making that mistake as well.
My foot hit something, and a grin fell over my face, my foot hit a branch, I kick up causing a light dust cloud, and the Branch to fly upwards for me to catch, the dust blinds my opponents just enough for me to move fast and hard, hitting one of the Saints in the Shin and then the back of the Head dancing behind them.
They spun around to face me, but in that time I was able to swing my branch hard like a baseball bat, sending one of them flying to the ground hard.
It caused the final saint to hesitate for just a second and that enough, as I strike him across the torso, bring him down as well.
Quiet fills the courtyard for a moment before Julius says "that's enough…you have earned your colors today."
He walks up to give me a decidedly unbusiness-like handshake saying "welcome to the third Street Saints."
I breath out "thank you Julius."
Julius asks "what is your name Sister?"
Well it is nice of them to ask after they tried to beat me up, I snort…I could give them my real name, Tanya, but I am doing my best to leave as little ways to be ID'd for when I leave the Gang, so I opt to smile "Argent, Julius…you can call me Argent."
Julius seemed taken back for a moment "well then Argent…let me say again, Welcome to the Third Street Saints."