Max Payne Fan Fiction

[TheArtist]

Hello! A fan of the female persuasion here, and I had an idea. I'd like for us to create our own Max Payne story, but we have to invent our own characters. None of us can be Max, or Mona, but our characters can interact with them, even help them out.

I've done this before on 2 Marvel-based boards, and I would love to try it here. Let me know what you think, either yea or nay.

[Mariamus]

I'd love to participate in this I think everyone already knows who i'll be ^_^

[Joonas]

Need a host for the final product? Deep Six would be glad to store it.

[Sayantan]

I'd love to participate in this I think everyone already knows who i'll be ^_^

*cough* Sadie or Mona? *cough ........... or just Mariamus?

[Mariamus]

Sadie of course

[TheArtist]

Since I'm new, I have to ask who Sadie is? But since we seem to have a healthy response, I'll introduce my character.

Name: Heather B. Dupre'

Age: early 20's

From: WI, USA

Ethnicity:Caucasian

Height: 5'6"

Hair: Strawberry blonde, reaches her shoulders

Eyes: blue Transformed: Aqua

Shtick: Has the magical ability to transform into a werecat. Doesn't know why. Framed for savagely murdering her abusive father, she searches from town to town trailing the real killer. Meanwhile if there's trouble, she eliminates it.

Heather:

That's Doo-Pree, not doo-pray, morons. Not that I expect you to remember. You think it's easy, being me? Sure, it looks tempting; traveling across the States, roaming from one town to another, "fixing things". If I had to think about it, and I try not to, maybe I'd say, "Yeah, maybe I did make a difference."

But I guess I'm selfish enough not to care. I stop here and there to be an extra pair of hands in whatever crisis there is, but that's never really why I'm there, sorry.

I'm searching. For myself. My self. A clue as to who I am...what I am...and why. Trouble is never far away from me. Like a fatal attraction in reverse. Trouble is my lover and sorrow my companion. They both want to get real cozy with me. I admit it; sometimes it's best to let them win.

[Joonas]

Sadie: www.mariamus.dk

[TheArtist]

WOW.


That was...beautiful. If we can continue to have talent like that, our story will definitely kick a**. Very well done! Sadie would be a perfect edition!


All right! Who else? Name your character and let's get this thing going!

[Mariamus]

Thanks Joonas


Here's a recap of Sadie, but it contains spoilers to my graphic novel.

[SPOILERS - highlight to read]

<font color="#1F1F22">
Sadie is Max's younger sister.
After the death of their parents, Sadie was adopted by a foster-home where she was abused. She's the previous lover of Vladimir, now working as a hired killer for him.
She breaks off her connection with Vladimir when she falls in love with Vinnie Gognitti.
She's less than enthusiastic about Max, since she feels he abandoned her when their parents were killed.
After Vlad is killed, Max and Sadie talk it over. Max then misinterprets the situation when Vinnie shows up with a gun. max fires at Vinnie, but Sadie jumps in between and is hit by the bullet. </font>

[Mariamus]

WOW.


That was...beautiful. If we can continue to have talent like that, our story will definitely kick a**. Very well done! Sadie would be a perfect edition!

Thanks

[TheArtist]

You're very welcome. Heck, you're kinda doing what I'd like to be doing. Sadie is a gorgeous looking character. I'd like to see you bring my illustrations to life.

I'm 27 and getting my degree in Graphic Design, so I only have a cursory bit of training in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark. I don't know anything about Poser or whatever else you use. I can draw pretty well in 2D, though. I'd like to publish my own stories.

Heather's my strongest character-driven story so far. I have her basic plot down, and am developing other characters for her to interact with. I admit it's slow-going, with school, work, bills and life always interfering.

I can't tell you how incredibly blessed you are to have a story, a good story, out there already. Look at me! I'm green! I just hope you keep going and begin telling Part II soon. If I could donate anything to you, I would, but being financially challenged as I am, I can't, and I've never been more sorry. I really hope you go far.

[Ronald McDonald]

I'd love to participate in this I think everyone already knows who i'll be ^_^

Mona Sax right.

Than I wanna be the coloured bum.
Sleep and drink me some moonshine all day.

Yeah, life is good

[Mariamus]

Nope. not Mona.

[TheArtist]

All right, already! Who else wants to join???? Introduce your character so we can start this story okay?

Please?

With sugar and cream and a cherry on top?

[Daveman]

Since I'm new, I have to ask who Sadie is? But since we seem to have a healthy response, I'll introduce my character.

Name: Heather B. Dupre'

Age: early 20's

From: WI, USA

Ethnicity:Caucasian

Height: 5'6"

Hair: Strawberry blonde, reaches her shoulders

Eyes: blue Transformed: Aqua

Pshh...Wisconsin sucks. Methinks you should make her from Minnesota.

[TheArtist]

Ooh, jealous, are we? You're lucky I didn't make her hometown Green Bay! But I s'pose MN is better than IL...since da Bears still suck.

[Daveman]

Odd you should mention football...

Just got back from the Vikes' first preseason game today (beat Arizona 23-6 ). I saw two drunk guys get really damn close to a fistfight because one spilled the other one's popcorn.

Vikes will win NFC North, maybe even NFC this year.

[TheArtist]

Well, Bears, Vikings...used Kleenex, they're all the same, you know. Useless!

Do you have a character to introduce or not?

Otherwise, perhaps Mariamus and I shall begin and others can join along the way.

[Ivan]

Is this some sort of Role Play? Cause it reminds some good things.

[Daveman]

Well, Bears, Vikings...used Kleenex, they're all the same, you know. Useless!

Do you have a character to introduce or not?

Otherwise, perhaps Mariamus and I shall begin and others can join along the way.

Me + Drawing on the computer = t3h l0oseh!

[Mariamus]

Fine, I'll just start something random. And i'm sure Kevin's girl will go along with it

we should probably lay down ground rules first. like this:

Anything with * around is action.
anything with " around is speech.

*The light from the evening sun came through the blinds, coloring the walls a deep yellow. Soon it would be dark, and she would be out on the streets again.
She lit up a cigarette and watched the smoke dance in the dusty air.
It was every so silent in the room, the only sounds evident were the muffled footsteps from the surrounding apartments, and the dripping...

She turned her head as she took another drag of the smoke. The once white pillow on the bed was stained with a dark red substance. The young woman on the bed lay there, her eyes closed, her face frozen. Dead... Her time had stopped in a single flash, when everything else kept moving. Blood was dripping from the bed onto the floor, making a bigger stain by the minute.

She put out her cigarette and kept the remains of it, no evidence should be left behind. Her cell-phone rang and she answered it.*

"Yes?"
*The voice was familiar to her. She had heard it many times.*
"is it done?"
"Of course."
"Good. I will see you later."
*She hung up and put the cell in her pocket. She looked out the window, the darkness crept in over the city like a black veil. She took the gun on the table and closed the door to the bedroom behind her, and left just as unnoticed as she had arrived.*

[Sayantan]

Woooooowww
I think if R* doesn't get up-to-the-mark author for MP3, they should take Mariamus for a 80% substitute of Mr. Lake.
G Job there.

[Mariamus]

why, thank you

[Destroyer]

I think you can really help them out, ,I think all us max payne fans would appericiate a good mp 3

[TheArtist]

Heather's thoughts:

The city looms on the horizon like a prehistoric monster, ready to devour everything in its path. The scene at once calms me and unnerves me at the same time. Why would it make me nervous? It's a city like any other...

No...no, I guess there really isn't anything quite like New York, New Yawk, or as that old, crazy TV show called it, Noir York. I'm not used to being in a city so big. She senses my fear, of course. That's why she's rising close to the surface. The closer I ride to that maddening horizon, the more she grows in power inside me.
My inner beast is fueled by only a few things: fear, blood, and the lunar calendar. It's not an everyday thing to wake up and find out you can become a big, golden, prehistoric cat.

It's also not an everyday thing to find your own father butchered like your own cattle, and have some little sh** frame you for it. A fox who can turn into a man, and vanish before your eyes, taunting you to find him.

Kit...the only name he gave me. I have that and his scent, which is trickery mixed with malice and sulphur. Not much, but I've tracked him across half the continent so far.

Not that the cops had any reason to believe me. I in particular had a clear motive to want him dead. My father, Nathan Dupre', was well, a drunk. And whenever he drank, he'd get mean. Really mean. It was only after the change that I began fighting back.

But I don't...want to think of that right now. Kit is here, in this enormous monster of a city. Well, I'm going to see just how good my nose is. He can't hide forever.

So...bring on that horizon once again.

[Mariamus]

*A cold wind swept through the streets, people tugging at their coats and bowing their heads like sinners asking for forgiveness. She watched them as she swept by, watchful eyes, noticing their faces: Scarred, clean, angelic or demonic, it didn't matter, in a few moments, their faces would be gone from her mind, like footsteps in the snow. Yet she watched them, finding solice in their forgetful features.

She stopped the car and got out, closing her long coat and locking the expensive car. She looked up and down the spray-paint tattooed house, a few curtains shifted, signalling to her that there was life in the building. She walked inside, taking her time going up to the top floor. She knocked on a door and pulled out her desert eagle, it shone in the moonlight. Footsteps came closer to the door.*
"Who's there?"

"Jackson sent me... I'm here to read your meter."

*Silence... Then the door was unlocked and opened just a bit. She kicked at the door, making it hit the occupant behind. She walked in and closed the door. A man on the floor looked up at her, his nose bleeding heavily.*

"No.. no! Don't do this! I wanted to pay him, but I couldn't get the money... I.."
*She looked at him, her features as dark as his lies.*
"You had your time, you misused it. Now you have to pay the price."
*She changed weapons, a knife glinted. He started crying.*
"I swear I'll get the money! Just let me go.. Please, don't do this!"
*She grabbed onto him. Lifting his head and placing the knife on his throat.*
"You're praying to the wrong deity..."
*She pressed at his neck, running the knife across his throat. He wanted to scream, but nothing came. He gasped and she released him. He crawled across the floor, going for the phone. He grabbed it, trying to dial 911. His fingers slipped on the dials and black surrounded him. Sadie watched him drawing a final shallow breath before he died on the floor. She smoked a cigarette, waiting for her phone to ring. It only took a few minutes.*
"Yes?"
"Done?"
"Yes."
"Finish your last task, then come back here."

*She hung up and walked out of the door, She made her way down to the door, and saw someone at her car, trying to break in.*
"HEY!"
*He looked up and bolted down the street. She followed, following the perp to an alley. It was a dead end.*
"Come out here, so I can kick you for touching my car!"
*She drew her gun, stepping in through the alley slowly. it was empty, apart from a few trach-cans in the corner. She could hear a moaning sound coming from the trashcans. She took two steps and pointed her gun at the cans. There was a slight rustle, then an animal jumped out and raced out of the alley. She kicked at the cans. The perp was gone.*
"Dammit!"

[Sayantan]

WoooHooo
@ Mariamus & TheArtist:
You ppl are killers. I feel somebody should mail Sam about this wonderfull thread. I wish I was more like you ppl. My story making & writing suxx.

[ExcessiveForce]

this oughtta be fun. I'll join in soon

[Ivan]

Can I join or I am not welcomed cause I can't write like you guys? Give me a fast and simple answer.

[Mariamus]

Yes, you are welcome if you don't make a joke out of it

[Ivan]

Yes, you are welcome if you don't make a joke out of it

What! No jokes! Nah, I can't live whitout jokes. Sorry, then, I won't be in it. I'll just read it. And it better be good, cause I'll see it after to a magazine!

[TheArtist]

*CRick-cRaCK* Ah, much better. Stiff neck.

Some humor is okay, but I don't want this to become a silly parody of some thing, is all.

Heather:

I rode around the city for awhile, trying to get my bearings, to get a feel for it. At last I realized that I should get set-up at a motel and grab a bite to eat.

Good old Motel6. I've worked for them on occasion. I parked my Harley in the back and paid for a night. Cheap, but it suits my ever-roaming needs. No telling how long I'll be here, and the money's beginning to run low. Tonight I'll find a place to squat until I pick up a job. Hopefully it'll be sooner so I don't have to steal. I hate stealing, even though I've gotten pretty good at it.

Sadly, it's getting harder to be a professional hobo, which is really what I am. I'm a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to working. I've cooked, cleaned, served, and fixed things all across the country. People are either overly kind and generous, or instantly wary. I can't say I blame either kind. Still, I have built up a sort of network in my travels. If I need something answered, there are a choice few I can call.

But I won't. I never could admit to my own friends back home of my father's ways. I couldn't bring myself to hurt them like that. I didn't want to share my family's shame. And that's how I feel now. I can't bear the thought of someone coming to my rescue only to get hurt because of something I couldn't do. And there are plenty of things I can do that most people can't.

The city smells strange to me. It's overwhelming, both the cacaphony of sound and so many mixed scents. I had to pull over for a while to get it all under control. I had a panic attack because of it, which always made me change. Fortunately, I decided to keep my helmet on.

You'll never believe me, I know, but I can...smell other people's emotions. My nose can be a sort of lie detector, too. Unfortunately, my own emotions are tied to my...curse. The stronger I feel about something, the more power I have, and that doesn't just mean anger, either. My reason is always battling my instincts. Let's just say that when I have pms, yeah; it ain't pretty.

I may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but I can still be pretty fast. In my 2nd form, I can leap up high, like a cougar, and sprint like one. I can't do it for very long, as I get burned out, but it's a cool thing to have in a jam.

I'm discovering new things that I can do all the time. but I'm going to wait for a while as my stomach's starting to complain. The panic attack passed and my nose and ears began to filter and catalogue everything carefully. One other thing I can do both as human and beast, is adapt.

I walk to the nearest diner. I love diners. Don't ask me why, but while they're cheap, they're also much homier than say, Denny's. (And if I see another McDonald's, I am going to throw up.)

Diner's coffee tend to be better. You see alot of truckers stop in just for the coffee. It must be their fuel of choice, like premium gasoline.

As I sat on my stool taking in the scene, I felt a heavy presence close to me. When I say heavy, I mean down. Someone nearby had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and oh, was he ever feeling the strain of it.
My heart always goes out to people like this. The thing of it is they always feel like they're alone, and the irony is I run into so many of them. And yes, I know their pain, whether they believe me or not.

I raised my head, turning as though I was cracking my neck, looking around, using my nose to guide me.

There. There he is. Drinking premium gasoline same as me.

My eyes settled on a rather handsome older man, wearing a black trenchcoat over a white shirt and somewhat colorful tie. My nose told me many a story about this guy, and mostly to stay away from him.

Guilt, anger, despair. Hmph, nothing new there, but the sheer magnitude of it made me curious. Gun oil. Ooh, and the plot thickens. Loss. Death. Oy vey. This guy was hell on wheels when properly motivated, I bet.

Kit.

What the hell?

I started, inhaling my coffee rather than swallowing it. Hot coffee in your lungs is...a new experience. In pain.

Kit's scent was on his coat. Faint, barely a trace, but it was there.

After I got myself back in control, the waitress came out and spoke with the man. He was a regular, then. I tried not to stare. Surely he'd notice.

"Another cup, Detective?"

Detective? Whew. And here I thought I was watching a weirdo.

He nodded with a grunt. She filled it.

"Are you sure you don't want something else? We made fresh buttermilk biscuits if you want one."

I watched his face come to life. Oh, he was handsome alright, but his profession had obviously hardened whatever softness there had been. Only his eyes gave him away. And you had to know what to look for.

He looked up at her with a practiced smirk, and shook his head.

"No, Annie. Thanks."

Annie the waitress pursed her lips, frowning as she walked away. He came in here often enough that she knew he wasn't hungry when he felt like this. Man, what did this guy do? What happened to him? Who was he? And most of all, why did he have the scent of Kit on him??

The questions arose and I could barely contain myself. I stood and left the diner before I made a scene.

In the dark night I let my eyes switch to night vision. In the window I watched him slowly turn his head to where I was sitting. Uh-huh. He'd noticed. That meant he was good, very good. I was going to have to be careful if I wanted to follow him.

Suddenly a huge black van pulled up. The passenger window opened, and a man with binoculars peered into the diner.

"Do you see him?" the driver growled.

"Yup, he's in there. Detective Payne-in-the-butt."

"Payne to the max!" a third guy said from the back.

No one noticed me. It was too dark where I was standing. But there was one very familiar scent exuding from that van.

Trouble.

[Mariamus]

*The wind was pulling at her, tearing at her hair and coat. Aiming had become difficult, but she steadied her weapon and peered through the scope. There he was...*
"Hello Mister Heimdall..."
*She tightened the grip on the trigger, waiting till he stood still, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. It would be his last.

She fired her rifle, the expected crash from it, replaced by a silent whistle as the bullet tore out of the barrel, through the silencer. For a second, time stood still, he looked up at her through the scope, and he knew what was coming. Realisation hit him only a split second before the bullet, but even such a short amount of time was enough for him to regret he had tried to cheat her boss. As the bullet tore through his skull, painting the glass door behind him a grueling red and gray, She looked away, got to her feet and started packing her weapon away. People started screaming in the streets as she turned around and walked down from the roof. Again, her phone rang, it was the same ordeal, the same questions and answers.*

"I'll be back later. I need to relax a bit now."
*She hung up, shutting down her phone and walking down the streets to the nearest diner, The lady behind the counter eyed her as she threw the long duffel-bag on the floor next to her.*
"What'll you have sweetie?"
"Coffee... Ebony black, thank you."
*She eyed the people in the bar from behind her gray-tinted glasses. A tired man at the counter, and a young woman not far from her, a bunch of truckers to her left, all staring into their coffee. She lit a smoke and tossed a bill on the counter as her coffee arrived.*
"Keep the change..."

[TheArtist]

Max:

The weather matched my mood. Gray and bleak.

Poor Annie. She means well, but the mere thought of food makes me want to puke. Ever since my family was stolen from me, I can't even taste food anymore. I might as well eat cardboard if it had any nutritional value.

I had noticed the girl long before she noticed me. She was pretty and young. And she was nervous. I was worried I might have to give her the Heimlich when she choked on her coffee.

She didn't look like your typical hooker, but why was she here by herself? She wasn't waiting for someone, or she would have gotten a booth. She watched me speak with Annie, then rushed out of here. She heard my profession, maybe that's why she was so cagey. Her voice had a strong Midwestern accent. A runaway, perhaps, but I'd lose her in the darkness. Oh well.

Shouts and gunfire came from outside the diner. I bolted from my seat. So did another woman who had been sitting nearby. I pulled out my gun, keeping it low to the ground as I yelled for everyone else to get down. The woman glanced at me, then at my badge, her hand in her purse before she slowly complied.

No time to think about what she was doing. I peered out into the oddly silent night. The shouts were in fear.

The first thing I noticed was the parked van. Its side door was open, but no driver. Then, I heard the noise of someone whimpering. A bloody man crawled out from underneath, mumbling nonsense about a hairy gold monster with big teeth. He took one look at me and promptly passed out.

Now there might be some mornings where I'm scary-looking, but I don't think that was the reason tonight. I looked at him while I checked his vitals. I recognized him as a cousin to the Finito Bros. I had heard rumors of how he and two other cousins had wanted revenge for what I had done. Judging by the amount of firepower in the van, it looked like I had missed out on their plan.

His clothes were shredded and deep scratches crisscrossed his back. Superficial wounds, but whoever it was had scared the living sh** out of him. But who...or what, was it? I checked the scene around the van. Whoever else was with him had vanished...or was dead...

Heather:

I continued to watch him from the alley perch. I could smell his confusion from here. He was all business, of course. He promptly called for an ambulance, even when I could tell he knew what the man had intended to do.
When they had placed the other man on the stretcher, he came to and began babbling again. I almost laughed. The way he described me was just ever so slightly exaggerated. Even in my 3rd form I am not 8 ft tall! I don't think the detective believed him, either.

The other two were easy pickings. I never kill unless I absolutely have no other choice. I have managed to convince my inner beast that humans don't taste good. At least I hope I did. Anyway, I chased them for a bit, and then headed back.

Still in beast form, I listened to him speak with a few officers, then to who I assumed was his superior.

"What happened here, Payne?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Jim. Bravura. Sir."

I hazarded a guess these two didn't care for each other. Detective Payne continued.

"I was in the diner when I heard shots fired along with shouting. When I came out here, Leo was like you saw, only he had been hiding underneath the van. Hiding from what is the real question."

"What was he saying?" the big man asked.

"Crazy talk. A giant monster with yellow fur and big teeth. I don't think the zoo has reported anything missing."

Bravura snorted. "All right, but whatever had him spooked was a good thing judging from all this stuff. Too bad the others weren't under the van, too."

"Yeah."

"Okay, so let forensics get going on it. You can do the report tomorrow."

Payne said nothing, staring into the darkness in my direction. Freakin' hell, could he see me? No, he couldn't, but damn, he must have good radar.

"Hey, did you hear me?" Bravura asked.

"...Yeah."

The lieutenant looked concerned. "Look Max, why don't you take the day off tomorrow? Get some rest, maybe come to a meeting-"

"No." Payne began walking away. I could empathize. Guilt makes you run headlong into whatever can take your mind off of it. Payne had to stay busy. He walked to the van, peered inside of it, and yanked out what looked like a slip of paper. He frowned and mouthed a word that made my blood freeze.

"Dominion."

Dominion was a code for something. Kit was the first sign that I was not alone. He had asked me a strange question: was I with the Dominion, or the Brotherhood? Back then I didn't have a clue as to what he meant. What was the Dominion? A place? A group? A religion? Finding out would be a major step in catching him. I knew that now, more than ever, I had to follow this detective.

Detective Max Payne. Max Payne?? Ah, now I understand the joke.

[Mariamus]

*She sipped her coffee slowly, hoping for a break in the killing. She was growing weary with the multiple assignments. Three or more kills in a night was not uncommon. If he kept it up, she would have killed the entire city in a few years.

She chuckled in her coffee, it would never come to that. He knew her well enough to kow there were some people she would never fire a gun at.

Someone shouted outside, and gunshots were fired. She jumped off her seat and knelt down, going for her weapon, all in the instinct of a professional killer.
She froze as the man who had been sitting at the bar yelled at everyone to get down. Her hand froze in her purse, she looked at the man, studying him, eyeing his badge. She released the handle of the deagle and got down on the floor as he suggested, no need to draw any unwanted attention.

As she got down, she recognized the van as belonging to the Italians. Maybe they were after her? She shrugged it off, it was not likely, as she was unknown to the italians. They knew of her, but had never seen her. She was more of a fairy-tale monster to the italians. something you told the little kids about, to scare them into order.

If you don't behave, the russian sparrow will come and take you!

She could hear screams, screams of fear. She knew them well, Something had scared the men in the van beyond reason. She snorted.*

"Italian wimps. Probably saw a spider."

*The cop walked out as one of the italians crawled out from under the van. He was torn up, bleeding. He muttered nonsense, gold monsters and sharp teeth. Sounded like he'd met with the Fenris wolf. Looked like it too. He passed out on the ground.

She got up from the ground and walked out of the diner as the cop was calling the police and getting an ambulance. She didn't want to be around when the police arrived. She stopped to light a smoke, the lighter blowing out the first few times. When it caught fire, she took a long drag and looked out into the darkness. She held her breath for a second, thinking she had seen something in the darkness. She shrugged.*
"You're seeing things now!"

[TheArtist]

I tailed the detective back to his precinct so I knew where to find him. It wasn't hard. I can't leap over tall buildings in a single bound, but I can leap across them easily enough. I had to watch it though, as morning was coming on fast. That meant the beast would want to sleep and I'd be stuck as human for at least 24 hrs.

Besides the mental conflict that sometimes arises, I do have other...limitations. If I change back and forth alot, or am in beast form for too long, I get tired. When that happens, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, I pass out. Complete fatigue. However, I have noticed my stamina has been increasing the more I do it. So perhaps my body is adapting, building up a tolerance to it.

Also, I have an aversion to water. I find this odd since tigers are supposedly very good swimmers and actually like the water. But maybe their prehistoric relatives didn't. I don't know. But when it comes to the rain beating down, or getting on a boat or something, she gets upset. She just doesn't like getting wet, I guess. She's not afraid of anything, not even fire, but water bothers her. Who knows what else does?

Anyway, after stopping at the station, Payne drove back to his place. What a dump, but it was obvious he didn't care. Fortunately, it looked like there were plenty of places for me to stay where I wouldn't have to worry about rent.

It was a perfect set up. After scoping it out for a few days, I found a neat little crawlspace near the roof. It was meant to be an attic, but the builders had forgotten about it in their last rennovation. I was able to make a little door that blended into the rest of the wall. No one bothered to check, as there were constant noises of construction throughout the building.

What struck me as a bit weird were all these cleaner guys in faded blue jumpsuits. So many of them walked in and out on a daily basis, but the place didn't look any better. Well, it's none of my business.

What worried me was how to introduce myself to the enigmatic detective. The burden he carried with him day in and day out...I couldn't imagine living that way. It wasn't living at all, not really. It was just existing, floating in a void called life. It didn't look like he had any friends, no girlfriend to speak of, and no family, either.

He kept to himself and I guess that was the way he liked it. Oh, he was kind enough to his neighbors, but I could tell it was just a mask he put on. Sadly though, few were fooled. They minded their business, but I knew they were worried about him. The poor man didn't know he was among friends, or if he did, he was like me and didn't want to share his problems.

It's always kinda sad to see so many good people in the world firmly believing the rest of the world is bad, and yet there are other people just as good living right next door. At least here a few of those walls had been broken down.

But how to speak to this man and gain the truth without telling him about me? If he knew who I was, he'd lock me up. I'm a wanted woman.

It was strange, but I didn't have to worry. He came to me.

Max:

I saw her again. I recognized her immediately. Some faces you don't forget. Her face was the epitome of innocence, so I found it puzzling but not unpleasant. Her curiosity had gotten my attention. She had followed me, but why? She was trying so hard to be inconspicuous, but the more she tried the more I noticed.

She didn't live here, not officially, that is. The bum that lived downstairs had seen her, and originally thought she was part of the construction crew. He realized later that she was a squatter like himself, but he didn't know where she was staying. He had tried to find out, being the perv we all knew, but it was like she'd vanish into thin air. Like a ghost in the fog.

I didn't get it. Why was she following me?

Otherwise, nothing unusual was going on, except for that card I found in the van. All searches of "Dominion" only uncovered a swanky new restaurant. The people running it were new. Small fry as far as I could tell. Nothing to worry about...yet. If their food was any good, Vlad wasn't going to be very happy.

It turned out I didn't have to wait long for the girl to come to me. I found her doing laundry one day. I decided to take the first step and introduce myself.

[Mariamus]

*He sang as he moved through the dim light, a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, the ice-cubes rattling in the glass with each move. He sang in Russian, an old love-song playing on the record-player, old vinyl scratching with each round.
She was sitting in the sofa, a glass in her hand, which he promptly filled as he came by. He took her hand.*
"Dance with me, Milii!"
*He pulled her up and lead her across the room, leaning her backwards and kissing her neck.*
"I love this song!"
*She smirked. He was like that, when things went his way.*
"Vova... What have you done now?"
*He laughed, pulling her close, leaning over her.*
"It is mine! The restaurant will be built. Vodka... It will be the best restaurant in the state!"
*The song kept playing as she stared at him. It was what they had both wanted.*
"Sadie... Milii. It's ours!"
*She laughed out loud, her laughter reaching into the dark corners of the house.*
"Vova! You are insane, and I like it."
*He kissed her, lifting her into his arms and holding her close.*
"Nothing will stop us now!"

*She stared into the darkness. The only light being the cold blue moon, peering in through the blinds. Something was bothering her, something was off about it all. Strange things had happened a few night ago... the thief at her car, disappearing without a trace, the italian who had been ripped to shreads like he had been attacked by a beast. She could sense the trouble. t would come soon...*

[TheArtist]

Heather:

The first thing I remember thinking when he walked in was, "Oh. He's Tall." He towered over me, had to be over six feet. He had a little bit of lankiness to his gait, but otherwise had a nice, if roughened, appearance. I was able to at last get a real good look at his face. It was care-worn, masklike, almost like he was a young man in an older man's body. It's hard to explain, like he had become old before he was ready. Trauma can do that to you. But I decided it was a good face. I liked it.

No long sleeved shirt and tie today, it looked like he finally ran out of clothes and was doing his laundry out of necessity, wearing an old gray tshirt and jeans. I tended to do that too, but for monetary reasons.

"Hi," he said, giving me The Smirk. I'm beginning to like The Smirk.

"Hello," I said. I think I blushed. I can't help it, I'm naturally shy when it comes to intros. Unless I'm entertaining a crowd as a job, I tend to avoid people. It makes my life easier. Or maybe it was the fact that he was making an effort to reach out, when it wasn't in his nature to do so, that got to me.

"New here?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Where from?"

"Wisconsin." Might as well tell him the truth. I might have to tell him everything later if I'm going to get his help. I just hope he doesn't jail me first.

"Wow. Why here?"

"Why not? It's the city that never sleeps in the land of opportunity."

"Working?"

"Uh...I'm inbetween jobs at the moment."

"Oh."

Wait. Why do I get the impression he knew that already?

"So...what floor?"

I paused. What was he doing?

"Well, aren't you curious?" I teased, but he saw the wariness in my face. He backed off immediately.

Max:

I didn't want to frighten her. I wanted to ease her into a conversation to get her to talk. But she was quicker than I thought. She'd been doing this for quite some time.

I walked in and at first all I saw was her long hair, which reminded me of reddened honey. She stood quickly, startled, her eyes wide and big, the color of a glacier's heart. Her face was round with a pointed chin. She was young, but there was a knowledge in her eyes that shouldn't have been there yet.

She had caught me in my probing, another surprise. She wouldn't tell me anything but superficial details.

"Sorry," I'd said, "Some habits never die."

Heather:

I decided to play his game. Maybe he didn't have anything better to do. And after all, there are far worse things than talking to a cute guy in the laundry room of a run-down apartment complex.

"What do you mean?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"I'm a detective. Max Payne," he said, extending a hand. I took it. His hands were calloused, rough, but he had a gentle touch. I realized he sensed my shyness.

"Heather," I said.

"Heather...what?"

I smiled, shaking my head.

"Not even a hint?" he asked. Well well, so he did know how to charm. Tease.

I snickered. "Maybe next time, Detective Payne."

I grabbed my basket and stepped out.

"Call me Max," he called after me. He didn't follow, which meant he knew I'd be back. He wanted me to come back. As I said before, the plot thickens...

Max:

Heather...if that's her real name, and if she's really from WI. She can't be a runaway, I decided, or else she wouldn't be so well put together. She's definitely not a hooker either, or she would have been much more friendly. Maybe she just likes traveling.

Or...maybe she is a runaway...from the law.

Elsewhere...

*Green eyes gleamed from the darkened shadows, eyeing the enormous gothic restaurant. It was almost near completion. That would never do. In the game of dominance it was always necessary to weed out the competition.

He chuckled to himself. What competiton?

Only a few bums and a doped-up street walker saw what happened next. A small figure scurried to the back of the building, leaping 15 ft into the air to an open window. Soon, firetrucks were rushing about, as half of the upper floors were burning.

As the people milled around the scene, the owner and his people raced to safety, able to do nothing but watch.

Vlad was livid.* "F**K! Millions down the drain!" he snarled, his accent deepened by his anger.

*Sadie coughed, rubbing her smoke-reddened eyes. She was the one who smelled it first. Unfortunately, there were no smoke detectors yet, but at least the sprinkler system was installed, saving most of the building.

As she blinked her tears away, wondering what to say, suddenly she thought she was halucinating. Through the heatwaves she thought she saw a large, green-eyed fox stand on two legs and hop over a wall. Weirder yet, he was wearing a black leather coat and pants. And he was giggling.

She shook her head. It was gone, whatever it was.*

[Mariamus]

*It had only been a few weeks since Vlad had bought the night-club, and now they were inspecting the first changes, the first of many.
Vlad gazed at the decor, most of it out of their boxes, still needing a place to be hung up.
Sadie was reading the transportation note to some paintings, all classic pictures: Picasso, Da Vinci... the list went on. Beautiful full-figured women, landscapes and children. Good taste, expensive taste, even if they were copies.
She put down the note as Vlad put his arms around her waist.*
"Beautiful, and all ours!"
*She nodded with a smile, a smell of dust and wood lingered in the air, she inhaled deeply and rested her head on his shoulder.*
"Very beautiful. It will indeed be the best restaurant in the city."
*He laughed, kissing her neck and looked up at the ceiling.*
"I want the ceiling painted, something extraordinary!"
*Again, she nodded, padding his hand and moving away from him, walking over to a tall vase that stood on the floor next to a box with a crystal chandelier. She inspected it, taking a deep breath, then stopped in her tracks.*
"Vova! Can you smell that?"
*He turned to her.*
"What, Milii?"
*She smelt the air.*
"Smoke..."
*He stopped next to her, smelling the air, and he caught the unmistakable sharp smell of smoke.*
"Jesus!"
*Sadie turned around, yelling.*
"FIRE!"
*Everyone were caught in a panic, making it to the exits, Sadie grabbed a fire extinguisher and made for the opposite door, Vlad in her heels. She kicked down the door and ran into the smoke-filled room, opening the extinguisher at the first place she saw fire. Vlad yelled at her.*
"MILII! Get out of there!"
*She ignored his command and put out a small fire in a corner, A door exploded nearby, blowing the frame out. Sadie screamed and dropped the extinguisher. The smoke was too thick, she couldn't see the floor anymore, her eyes were running from the smoke, and she started coughing. She could hear Vladimir yell.*
"Sadie!"
*She turned around bout couldn't see the door.*
"Vova! I can't find the door!"
*She fumbled through the smoke, tripping over an ornament on the floor.*
"Dammit..."
*She closed her eyes and went into a coughing fit, when a pair of arms were flung around her and Vlad carried her out out of the room and out to the street. They looked at the building.*
"F**K! Millions down the drain!"

*She watched Vlad, standing in the streets in his army pants and sweater. He clenched his fists and snarled at the fire, like it would put it out.
He usually joked about things, covering up his feelings with a mask of smiles and comments. But now he couldn't hide his feelings, the anger boiling to the top, he was furious.
Sadie looked up, then something caught her eye, an animal standing on it's hind legs, wearing clothes, laughing at them.*
"What the hell?"
*She coughed again, and when she looked up, the animal was gone. The paramedics arrived, pulling her away from Vladimir and into the ambulance, giving her oxygen and dripping something in her eyes. It drove away with she and Vlad, who were the only ones who hadn't gotten out before all hell broke loose. Her thoughts were on the fox, it wasn't a coincidence...*

[TheArtist]

Max:

I actually forgot about Heather for a few days. Vladimir Lem's new restaurant Vodka was under investigation for arson. A very blatant arson, but something strange was discovered. The fire began upstairs, but no one saw anything. A smart man would have started it downstairs if he wanted to burn it to the ground, not to mention he would have been less likely to be seen.

I thought about someone in Vlad's group starting it, but it was unlikely. For all his promises to go clean, I knew Vlad would never change. I'm sure he knew how to keep his boys in line.

Several Molotov cocktails were to blame for the blaze. I wanted to talk to Vlad himself, but he wouldn't return my calls. Probably still too angry to think straight. I just hoped he wouldn't do something stupid in revenge.

When I inspected the scene I noticed the window was open. A perp might have gotten through or escaped that way, but unless anybody saw a man running away with a ladder that was impossible.

My thoughts turned to the new restaurant/nightclub, The Dominion. Could they have anything to do with this? They opened earlier this week to rave reviews.

If it was them, it was a very bold move. Stupid, too. If they did it and Vlad found out, he'd erase them from the face of the earth, like smoke in the wind.

Maybe it was good that I couldn't talk to him yet. I had to keep this idea to myself.

Later, I ran into Heather again. She was sitting outside reading a newspaper. I looked her over. For some reason she reminded me of a cartoon character. She wore all black, a long-sleeved shirt that exposed her shoulders and black jeans. Only her sneakers were ice blue, matching her necklace, a tiny cross the color of cobalt held by a strip of black leather.

It's always the same with me. Whenever I look at people, I categorize height, weight, age, features, clothes, everything first. Then and only then do I speculate. Heather looked like this to me:

5'6"-5'7"
130-150...curvy, but oddly muscular.
18-25-too old to be a runaway legally, but...
blonde hair, blue eyes
All black, blue shoes, necklace
wolf earrings...interesting.

Speculation: possible runaway...or fugitive. I didn't want to believe that, but she was just too secretive for me to trust she was just here to be here. I reminded myself to do a search on Wisconsin missing persons.

I was about to say hi when I noticed her expression. Her eyes had frozen over a huge want ad from The Dominion. If she was job hunting, she'd have been happier, but she wasn't. I couldn't read her face. She had a kind of determined...fury, I guess. Her fingers were actually trembling, barely hanging on to the pages.

Did she know something I didn't? I decided to find out.

Heather:

I could scarcely believe it. I wanted to thank God and sing Hallelujah from the rooftops, but at the same time I cringed because God knew what I really wanted. In my search for jobs, an enormous clue popped up right in front of me. A new eating place/dance hall had opened with the name, The Dominion. The logo had a silhouette of a wolf on it.

That couldn't be just a coincidence. It just couldn't be. I had to find this place myself. Not only could it give me answers, but I could get a decent paycheck from them. That was almost a revenge by itself. Almost.

"Job hunting?" a familiar voice asked. I was so deep in thought I didn't notice the detective had snuck up on me. Man, I didn't even hear him. I almost dropped the paper.

*GASP* "OH! Detective! Oh, man...it's too early for a heart attack."

He gave The Smirk again, and then it happened. He laughed. Not much, barely a chuckle, but the sound of it genuinely surprised him, I could tell.

"Sorry," he said, sheepish, "I didn't mean to startle you."

I shook my head, uncrinkling the paper I had unknowingly crumpled, "It's all right, Detective...yeah, I was planning on pounding the pavement."

He frowned in mock disappointment. "Hey, what did I tell you before?"

I shrugged. He was continuing with the game. Fine, I'll bite.

"Call me Max."

Oh. I smiled benignly. I never felt comfortable calling authoritive figures by their first names. It didn't matter if it was a laid-back teacher, a parent of a friend, anyone.

"Very well...Max, " I said, elaborating every syllable, "What are you doing up so early? Aren't all gumshoes up late until 4am, tanked on watered down coffee and stale doughnuts, chasing after your usual killers, robbers and otherwise your all-around garden variety of weirdoes?"

It happened again. He laughed out loud this time. It was strange to watch his face. It was like he couldn't believe I made him laugh. Twice.

"I...how did you guess? I haven't been to bed yet."

What was funny was he was telling the truth, which really wasn't funny at all. But it was.

"Well, don't let widdle ol' me stop you from your much-needed beauty rest," I continued. I stood up and turned to go. As much as I wanted to continue the game, I had to find this place.

He looked at me as if I was a brand-new Rubik's cube. "Are you going to check out that new place?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

He nodded. "Let me know how it goes."

Why? Maybe he was just concerned.

"Okay," I said.

He turned, then stopped.

"It's next time."

Huh?

"Are you going to tell me your last name?"

Oh. "Ummm...no."

He sighed, but didn't reply. He would wait.