Tales of Soweiland

Another busy day in Linam City.

People were going to their jobs, the streets were full of cars, and in the midst of it all one Casey Kane was right at work, looking for a way to find his Elite Devoted

For the last 7 days, he and his assistant Koulis would search every possible location throughout Linam and the rest of the big cities in Soweiland, going from door to door, in every shady alley and every sunny highway.

"All this to no avail!" Koulis complained. "So many hours of my life, wasted!"

"Oh, quit your complaining. It's only the 8th day, after all." Kane said. "And don't even think about quitting. That's not an option."

"It's no use!" Koulis sighed. "We'll never find them!"

"I won't rest until-" Kane tried to say.

"Until you've examined every suspicious looking nook and cranny. We know." Koulis cut him off.

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Kane turned around and asked. "Hang up posters?"

"Not a bad idea..." Koulis considered it.

"Yeah, it's an awful idea! You never think these things through." Kane wagged his finger at his assistant, who rolled his eyes. "Still, it is quite unusual how we haven't met a single one of them this entire time..."

"You say as if you remember all 250 of their faces." Koulis smirked.

"Of course I do! We just haven't looked at the right place..." Kane figured.

"Oh? And where would that be?" Koulis asked.

"How about... Champion Gym?" Kane asked.

"Do you earnestly think all 200 of these clowns have been hiding out in the gym for 7 days straight?" Koulis asked.

"I don't see you giving any better proposals!" Kane said.

"Fine then. Champion Gym it is." Koulis shrugged, and the two made their way to the center of Linam.

_____________________________________

Shorty after that, the two arrived to Champion Gym. They walked through the hallway and reached the reception office, where star street-figher and multi-millionaire Angelo Baitanez was speaking on the phone.

"Yeah it's turns out you're a real hit in Croatia, girl. Broadcasting these fights was a great idea." Angelo spoke on the phone.

"Hey Angelo." Kane said as he walked up to the desk, to no response.

"It was actually pretty easy to get the big wigs to put us on TV, especially with all the money I have." Angelo spoke on the phone again.

"ANGELO!!" Kane yelled and slammed this fist on the desk.

"Sorry babe, there's a nuisance here I'll call you back." Angelo said and ended the call. "Ah, Chase! My favourite client!"

"It's Casey." Kane said. "And we need to ask you some questions."

"Well, make it snappy. I was doing some really important business when you interrupted me." Angelo said.

"Clearly." Kane commented. "Anyway, I've been looking for my old gang, the Elite Devoted. You think I can find any of them in here?"

"Hell if I know." Angelo deadpanned. "Are we done here?"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Kane exclaimed. "It's your gym!"

"Do you think I ask every single dude who comes in here if they've been part of a terrorist organisation before?" Angelo asked.

"For the record, there are also women in the Elite Devoted." Kane said.

"I doubt it." Angelo murmured.

"Excuse me?" Kane glared at him.

"Who said that?" Angelo looked around awkwardly, and an awkward silence ensued.

"So?" Koulis asked.

"Look, how about you go ask the government guys? I heard they worked with this gang of yours during the revolution." Angelo said. "I've got stuff to do, dude."

'The council is exactly what I wanted to avoid' Kane thought.

"Thanks, I guess." He said and turned around to leave.

"Do an actual workout next time!" Angelo yelled from behind the counter as he picked up his phone and went to call someone again.

"A lot of help he was..." Kane grumbled.

"Not to be that guy but I did tell you so." Koulis smirked. Kane mumbled some incoherent nonsense in response.

"We got a lead, at least, but I doubt it'll get us anywhere." Kane said.

"You think the council will help us?" Koulis asked.

"No."

"Are going anyway?" Koulis asked.

"Yup."

"I think I enjoy your company more when you're this laconic." Koulis commented. Kane threw a newspaper he found at him in response.

_____________________________________

In the yard of Sowei City Castle, Leo and Achilleas O'Lop were relaxing on the stairs, discussing various subjects.

Unfortunately for the both of them, the relaxation wouldn't last, as Leo noticed Kane and Koulis walking towards them in the distance, the former wearing a gigantic smile on his face.

Leo slumped, and got O'Lop to stay on guard as he narrowed his eyes at the approaching nuisance.

"Leo, my friend!" Kane giddily announced, flailing his arms around, and reaching Leo for a handshake.

"Casey Kane." Leo addressed him, not moving his own hand an inch, showing no interest in shaking his hand. "State what you want, snappy."

"No need to be so hostile, pal! I'm just here to ask about a little help with locating my friends, the Elite Devoted!" Kane said, walking in a circle around the two men.

Leo's eyes widened as O'Lop tried to hold in a laugh. Leo shot Koulis a look, as if asking him if they were serious. Koulis was too busy staring at the universe to notice him.

"You mustn't be very smart." Leo let out, giving Kane a side-eye. Kane seemed a little offended by the statement. "Why would we ever help you reassemble your terrorist group? Especially after what happened when you first made your return?"

"Hey, I didn't organise those riots! Besides, the actual Elite Devoted would know better than to cause an uproar." Kane said. Leo raised an eyebrow, the turned to look at O'Lop, who just shrugged.

"I remember sending you a warning about this, Mr. Kane." Leo said from under his breath.

"Me and my Elite Devoted all have the right to peaceful protest, Mr. Vrettos!" Kane smirked. "Just think of me as a commoner trying to reassemble his old friend group and asking you for help."

"Aye, this is the first I hear of a 200 member large friend group." O'Lop said.

"After everything I've done for this country, it's the least you councilors can do." Kane said as he turned his back on Leo. Leo couldn't see, but he was smirking.

"Y'know, I never really liked you much, Cassandrian." Leo said. Kane suddenly turned around and stared down Leo from top to bottom.

"You always go on and on about all your sacrifices, but while you were having your vacation in Serbia, me and my men were busy putting our lives on the line for the future of the country." Leo continued, walking around in a loop as he spoke, with his hands crossed behind his back.

"Some of my own people died in this fight, pal. And you have the gall to come up to me, and use your 'sacrifices' as a bargaining tool to get us to help you overturn the government I worked so hard to establish?" Leo asked, and glared daggers at Kane.

The taller man stared down at Leo, waiting for an answer. His confident grin was replaced by a disappointed frown.

"The answer is no, Mr. Kane. Please leave before I call for security to escort you out." Leo said, then turned around and left Kane, O'Lop and Koulis out in the yard alone.

Kane stared at his back as he walked away. He muttered something to Koulis and the pair left from where they came from.

"There goes my day off." O'Lop commented, and scratched the back of his neck.

_____________________________________

"Damn it all!" Kane yelled as he got in his tent and kicked a chair over. Koulis' face scrunched up as he followed inside.

"But we already knew he wouldn't help!" Koulis pointed out, but Kane wasn't particularly interested in logic at the moment.

"How dare he disrespect me like that? As if I didn't spend months of my life running from the Enforcers like a headless chicken!" Kane yelled, and kicked the other chair over, just as Koulis had lifted the previous one off the floor.

"Yeah, sucks to be you." Another voice said, and suddenly, Kane's office chair spun around revealing one Joe Gray sitting on it, still dressed in his Enforcer attire, and grinning like an idiot.

Immediately upon noticing him, Koulis dropped the chair and pulled out a pistol pointing it at him.

"Joe Gray." Kane addressed him. Gray looked really disinterested for guy with a gun pointed at his face. "What the hell do you want?"

"Now now, that's no way to greet a friend!" Gray said confidently, as the two occupants of the tent glanced at each other.

"Get on with it!" Koulis demanded, pointing the gun even more aggressively.

"Relax, guys! I'm only here to help!" Gray said, pushing Koulis' backwards as he ended the sentence, causing the gun to misfire towards the top of the tent. He then pushed Koulis backwards, making the pistol fall on the table.

"Whoops! My hand slipped." A devilish smile formed on his face. "Now let's get down to business. A little birdie told me you've ran into some trouble looking for your guys..."

"And you want to help me?" Kane rolled his eyes."You expect me to believe this? Please."

"I know exactly where your Elite Devoted are." Gray said, as he looked away from Kane. "And I'll disclose that information, in exchange for..."

"No, Joey. We don't have any money. You can go now." Kane mocked him. Gray was a little annoyed by the comment.

"In exchange for membership in the Elite Devoted." Gray bargained. "Remember, I'm the one who saved you from the Enforcers!"

"You saved us because you wanted the cash, you dick!" Koulis exclaimed. "We don't trust you at all!"

"Do you really have much of a choice, though?" Gray extended his arm for a handshake. "The clock is ticking, Mr. Kane."

Gray smirked at Kane, who glared at the former assassin. He slammed his fist on the desk, making Koulis jump, but getting no reaction from Gray, who just gave a toothy grin.

"Fine. But you better not pull anything fishy, got that?" Kane spat, and the shook Gray's hand.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Gray said, relaxing his grin to a more friendly-looking smile.

"So, tell us what you know." Kane demanded. Gray smirked, and leaned back on his chair, putting his hands behind his head and his legs on Kane's desk.

"Well, just think about it; where would a group of criminals go to hide out?" Gray asked. Kane couldn't really think about it since he was preoccupied thinking about the audacity of someone putting their feet on his desk.

"Black Island comes to the top of my head..." Koulis figured.

"Atta boy! Now get up, we're leaving." Gray jumped off the chair. "We're paying a visit to Black Island!"

"But that island is so far away! It'll take us days to get there!" Kane exclaimed. "There is no boat fast enough to get us there in a timely manner."

"Not when you don't know where to look, my friend!" Gray wrapped his arm around Kane, who shuddered and knocked it away.

"Getting slightly too familiar for my tastes there, kid." Kane said, completely disgusted.

"Well there is one boat capable of getting us there even today." Gray ignored him. "And I believe you are familiar with it's owner?"

_____________________________________

"Back so soon?" Angelo said as Kane, Koulis and Gray walked into Champion Gym. "And you even made a new friend! How sweet."

Gray didn't say anything and instead pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Angelo.

"This is a stick up!" He yelled. "Give us the keys to your boat, now!"

Kane and Koulis were stunned in silence as the various people at the gym started running around and panicking. Angelo, on the other hand, looked as nonchalant as ever, even having the gall to raise an eyebrow at the armed assailant.

"Dude, if you wanted to borrow the Heaven you could've just asked." Angelo told Kane, completely disregarding the guy with the gun pointed at his face.

"That was the original plan, yeah." Kane awkwardly said. Angelo gave him the keys.

"What are you doing, aren't you gonna call the cops?" Gray asked Angelo.

"I could beat your ass on my own if I wanted to." Angelo deadpanned. "Please leave, you're scaring the clients away. And try to keep this under wraps, I don't want that skank, Soleman, to mess with my operation again."

"Thanks, man. You're a real one." Kane said, and then the trio left.

____________________________________

With the incredible engine of the powerboat "Heaven", the group reached their destination in a matter of hours.

Very few words were exchanged during the trip, as all three of the passengers were deep in thought regarding their situation.

Black Island, the core of the criminal underworld of Soweiland, was as cold and uninviting as usual, and all of it's suspicious citizens started down the city boys as they walked the streets of the island capitol.

Eventually, the trio reached the spot where all the criminals gather; Little Fish Casino and Lounge.

"If they're gonna be anywhere, it's in here." Gray stated when they got in and sat at a table near the bar.

"So, what now?" Kane asked, and crossed his arms.

"Just sit back, relax, order a drink and wait for them to come to you." Gray lounged on the cushioned chair and signaled to a waitress to come take their order. Despite their companion's relaxed demeanour, Koulis and Kane were rather tense.

After a while, an older man in his 40s approached their table, followed by two other men. He was wearing a red beret, small, circular sunglasses and an army sergeant's uniform, and the other two men were also dressed in military uniforms, albeit less decorated.

"Excuse me, do you happen to have any cigarettes on you?" The sergeant asked, Kane, who nodded positively in response and passed him a smoke.

As the sergeant lit his cigarette Kane took a better look at his and his men's uniforms, before coming to a realisation. He looked over at his assistant and he had also made the same one.

"Sargent McLame?" Kane asked, surprising the man. "Is this you?"

"I am. Who's asking?" McLame said, furrowing his eyebrows at the trio.

"Casey Kane is the name." Kane smirked, before extending his arm for a handshake. Sergeant McLame shook his hand vigorously, and returned the smirk.

"We've been waiting for you, kid." McLame told Kane. "It's a pleasure to see you again!"

"Likewise, sergeant. How's about the two of us get out of here to discuss somewhere more... private?" Kane asked.

"You aren't going anywhere until you pay yer tab, boy!" The bartender yelled at the two, and starting spinning around a kitchen knife.

"Would you look at that, I forgot my wallet at home." Kane scratched his head in embarrassment. The bartender growled at him in response.

"Will there be a problem here?" McLame stepped in before anything could happen.

"There will be if you don't pay for that drink." The bartender stabbed his knife on the counter and reached for a pistol, but before he could do anything, McLame whistled and around 100, identically dressed Elite Devoted got up, and pointed their weapons at the bartender.

"I don't want no trouble. You can go, aight?" The bartender stood down, and so did everyone else.

"What a horrible misunderstanding." Kane stated. "I'll definitely not be coming here again, any time soon."

"Let's get outta here boss." McLame said. "We got a lot of catching up ta do.

Kane and McLame left the bar, all 100 men following closely behind. At the back of the line, Koulis dragged Gray along, who was busy this entire time flirting with the waitress.

"Team Kane is back, baby!" Kane exclaimed, then proceeded to laugh like a maniac for a bit.