Kings and Queens of Promise

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"We have six." Jun said. "There used to be a lot more, but..." Jun stopped talking, and he remained silent until they arrived.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria led them through the sewers and stopped at the door, and knocked plainly--three loud knocks. There was a whisper at the door: "Who is it?"
"Aria," Aria said.
"What is your sister's name?"
"Mariana," Aria said, her throat filled with bile and hatred at the name. God, how I hate that girl. John's here...and so is Jun from Tartarus," Aria added. An eight-year-old whose name she faintly recalled was Meaghan opened the door, white-faced with fear. She sighed with relief as she saw Aria.
"Oh, it is you," she said, obviously relieved. "Come on in."
Aria smiled, and gestured to Jun. "Welcome to our glorious domain," she said sarcastically.  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"Yeah yeah, skip the formalities. Let's get right down to business." Jun said. "You need Tartarus, Tartarus doesn't need you. So what's in it for us if we actually join you guys?" he asked, lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria grinned and pulled out her own cigarette. She struck a match against the ugly gray wall and lit her smoke. "We could reward you. Maybe you need money, maybe you need us to get off your backs for a while, maybe you need a new place for your gang--the place you are, after all, is pretty damn easy to find--I don't know, but I will give you a reward in order for not messing up our plans for just one week. I'll give you anything--nearly anything," she revised. "I have a limit; I have a price; but you will get something in return." She waited expectantly. Money? A new home? What could he want?  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"As far as the public knows, Tartarus is just a run-down old night club." Jun said. "We aren't really tight on money. And I have to admit you guys can be pretty annoying, but at least you give us something to joke about." he smirked, "There isn't really anything you can do for us that we can't take care of on our own."  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria felt herself blushing. "Well, you're practically the unannounced leader of Tartarus. Are there any personal favors I could do for you? I'll blow up somebody. I'll erase their bank account. I can hack into anything on the computer. I'll help you if you help me. Please," she blurted out. She hadn't said the word please in years--there were no manners in the KQP--but she figured it wouldn't hurt to start now.  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"I'll say it again. There is nothing you can do for us that we can't do ourselves." Jun said. His phone began vibrating, a call from his gang. Jun answered, but no one spoke. He could here gunfire in the background, and then he was disconnected. "I have to go." Jun said, he seemed worried. Jun ran back to his club and just stood outside. The orange glow of a growing blaze lit up his face.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria ran into the sewers after Jun, but he was gone. He must've been really good at memorization if he could find his way out of this maze. "D**n it," she swore. "He's gone."
John had followed me out, and they stared at the circular tube covered with gray, dirty water. Aria smashed her foot down, causing waves. "I let him go," she hissed, angry at herself. She looked at John. "I'm going to make sure everything's all right. You stay here."
She ran after him.  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

Jun was collapsed on the ground in front of tartarus, grieving, crying, cursing up at the heavens as his home crumbled to dust in an enourmous inferno.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria watched the building's smoke rise into the heavens. She turned to Jun. "I don't see any survivors," she said harshly. In this world, you had to be harsh. "You think they all ran off?"  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

Jun grabbed Aria and used her to stand up. Not wanting to answer her, Jun took a deep breath and said, "I'll do it."  

[Kleopatra Selene]

"Do what? Help us?" I asked, wondering if that was truly his intention. "It's never too late to be a prince of promise. One day, we could be kings and queens. If you would just compromise. Do you want to compromise?"  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"I said I'll join." Jun said, "I know they're the cause of this. Besides, I have nothing left at tartarus. As far as I know, tartarus no longer exists." Jun headed back towards the entrance to the KQP hideout, not looking back at his home which was now crumbling to the ground.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria turned and began following Jun quickly. She spoke into her earpiece, pressing a small button on it: "Send a group of three with weapons to salvage whatever they can out of the Tartarus hideout. And set an extra place for dinner. We have a new team member...I think." She ran up to Jun.
"I'm sorry," she said awkwardly, unsure exactly of what to say. "I know what it's like to lose team members, but..." she didn't want to bring up Daniel, and she didn't plan on it. "I'm sorry," she repeated.  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

Something about what Aria had said made Jun stop. He quickly turned around and brought Aria to eye level by the collar of her shirt. "No," Jun said, "You don't understand what it's like. They weren't my team members, they were my family. We were even closer than blood relatives, damnit! And now they're all dead." Jun snarled. "Don't think just because I'm joining you means you can start acting like we're friends. I'm doing this for room, board, and revenge. Nothing else. Got it?" Jun let Aria go and started walking again.