Eastern Ferrum-Latus (Ironside)

Meg's house

Mitch arrived in four minutes and thirty seconds. He groaned softly, rubbing his eyes as he was greeted by the young woman, Meg. She smiled gracefully and hugged him, pointing into the living room. She was wearing her white nurse dress made of latex, in order to keep the boys happy while still be able to do her work. Even though she worked in the local hospital, she would never ever wear latex there. It was just her thing for the boys. It did seem to make them happy.

She walked into the living room and took the pair of tweezers, pushing into the wound in order to get the bullet out of him. She looked up and bit her tongue as she pulled it out, glancing around. Mitch followed suit and watched from the doorway, unsure on what to focus on more, Meg or the wound.

Johnny hissed, and took a drink of the liquor that Bruce had brought him. Watching Meg from behind, he spoke to Mitch, "Man, my guy. They came out of fucking no where. And Toni..." He drew off the sentence, not wanting to actually say it. Johnny looked Mitch directly in the eye, "Toni sacrificed himself to get us out, Mitch. They came with grenades and all kinds of shit, with the police right on their asses too."

Mitch swallowed nodding slowly, "How did they know we had that place? I want you to go out recuiting Bruce. I don't care who. We need more people. If they want war, we'll give them fucking war. Understand?" He groaned, rubbing his face, going to the kitchen for the drink, "Meg, you have any drugs? I want some."

"Yes Love, top cupboard on the left, at the back behind the bowls. Babe." She smiled, grabbed a bandage and fixed Johnny up before standing up on her heels, clicking through into the kitchen and watched as Mitch took what he needed. "I'm sleepy. I've been at work all day then have to come home to Johnny being shot. What the hell are you doing Mitch? If your going to run this business, you have to run it right. Alexi will kill you if given the chance. I saw more dead bodies because of you two than I ever wanted to see. Please, just sort it out with her?"

"No!" Mitch snapped and threw a bowl at her. "I'm not joining with that whore."

Meg collapsed as the bowl hit her in the stomach. She wheezed, gasping for air. "Don't do that... It hurts me."

Johnny heard the clatter in the kitchen, and looked to Bruce, who in return shook his head. Pushing himself up on his good foot, he tapped Bruce on the shoulder, "Take a seat." He hobbled into the kitchen, and offered Meg a hand up. "Mitch, we're all upset about losing Toni, but lashing out at each other won't help."
Setting the bowl on the counter, he expressed his thanks to Meg for her stitching with small squeeze before taking place between her and Mitch. "There's some wisdom behind what she's saying, Mitch. I agree revenge should be had for Toni, but what if we went about it a different way?" He leaned against the counter and brushed a hand through his hair, "We can't trust our sources. We got what, a three minute heads up? My guess is both sides are being played here by the police. If I can be so bold, I think it'd be a good idea to make an alliance, temporairly. Deal with the police, then deal with Alexi, on a more personal level, if you know what I mean."

"I can't deal with the fucking police, not without more people! I'm not making an alliance with her, ever. Get that straight Johnny, I'm not having it, if anything, We should take them out first then deal with the police."

"That won't work though love." Meg sighed, rubbing her eyes before getting up on her heels again to get a drink of flavoured water. "Look, I just want the entire war to stop. I'm sure everyone does. Nobody likes it, why can't you just make friends with her and forget everything that happened." She groaned, smoothing down her dress and flicked her fringe out the road of her eyes. "Why can't people just get along? Hell, I'll be a fucking whore if it stops this war, everyone wants rid of it. This doesn't work... Please Mitch, stop all of this, stop the war for a year at least."

"I wouldn't say stopping the way is the answer, Meg. But to take on different tactics." He repositioned his leg, as it was starting to throb, "You got any pain killers around here?" He asked her, looking back to Mitch. "If we join up with her for now, we'll have the numbers to deal with the police. She's got plants all around the city Mitch, we can hide behind those, become familiar with them, and then after the Police are off the streets like they are right now, BAM! We take her out from the inside, her and her faggot friends." Johnny wanted to kill Alexi himself, to wrap his hands around her neck and feel the life leave her. Toni had been the closest thing to a brother he had ever had.

"Yeah babe, I'll get it for you." She groaned, going into a cupboard and threw him morphine, "One tablet. No more." She sighed, turning to look at Mitch then to Johnny. "Look why can't you just try love? You need to try, like Johnny said. This isn't all about drugs now, this seems like it's personal. Just try for me? Please?" She tried, sipping her glass of flavoured water.

Mitch shook his head slowly, "No. I'm not helping her, not after what she had done over the past few days. I want her dead, even if I have to do it myself. I really don't care anymore."

Johnny shook his head, "You're the boss ross." Opening the pill bottle he took out two pills, swallowing one now, and stuffing the other in his pocket. "Though, I think I'll need a few days off of my feet. During that time, I can make a few calls, to try and increase our numbers. Can't guarantee how swift and accurate their shot is, though. Do we still got that range membership over on the southside? Just to make sure any and all new guys know what and how." Johnny assumed either himself, or even Mitch would take over the organizing of the men, as it had been Toni's job before.

Meg swallowed, watching them all closely before heading off upstairs to go to bed. She groaned slowly, sitting down on her bed and leaned back, drifting off to sleep.

Mitch shook his head, "Yeah, do that. We still own the range under the company, and I want you, Bruce to organize the men for this. I'm gonna call it a night now, so I'm gonna go to bed."

Johnny nodded his head, "Don't take it too hard, Mitch. Toni wanted to do what he did, for you and Meg, and all of us."

Alexi's place

Graai and the others took off on their hover bikes, speeding down the road towards their hideout. The shot up at the Police bird forcing it to back off and got back to where it was based. They did a one eighty and started firing on the single police car that was chasing them, forcing that to head away. As they slowly moved into the gang house, they were greeted by a woman, Alexi. The woman smiled softly, watching as the bikers headed in but Graai looked at her and smiled softly, "You okay Babe? We forced them out of there."

Alexi was happy to see her men return, though she noted a few missing. "I'm great, now that you've returned!" Anxiously, she circled the hover bike. Though she was a woman, Alexi had a thirst for power like no other. The woman wanted to push the Aces completely back. Today was to be the first inital step towards that goal. Though she had a foothole and safety net with her food and weaponry plants, the other group had come in like a storm and stolen clientele right out from beneath her feet. Whether it was to be by force, or their own submittance, Alexi was determined to gain her control back of the area. "You did, huh? I don't suppose you brought any of their weight back with you, did you?" Alexi not only wanted to take back what was hers, but also everything they considered to be theirs.

"Never got the chance. The police appeared while we were fighting them. I'll go down tomorrow and see what I can find you you." Graai replied, rubbing his eyes, "There was extremely little there, I doubt they were making much there to be honest with you." He groaned, looking about. "We killed a number of them. And that one you wanted dead... Toni? I think he is dead, well. I shot at him along with Justin.

At that moment Justin walked out with an ice cold lager, grinding softly, "Yes. I'm sure we killed him. There's not a chance in hell he'll be starting anything anytime soon or ever. He has to be dead."

Alexi couldn't help but get excited with the thought of Toni dying. "Oh, you guys are the absolute fucking best. I didn't expect the bastard to be on the property, actually. I just wanted to blow the place up and steal their goods. But well, this changes everything!" The gang house appeared to be as any other house: a garage, kitchen, dining room, living room, and three bedrooms. The garage was set up with complete tool sets for the guys to fix and tinker with. In the kitchen they would find simple things such as food, drink, and dishes. The dining area was linked on with the living room, so Alexi had just set it up with different couches, chairs, and end tables. A big entertainment center covered the entire front wall, blocking the bay window. Not a single member of Alexi's group ever used the front door, or even knocked for that matter. Two of the three bedrooms were set up just as such, while the third was Alexi's office.
Making her way through the house, she motioned for Graai and Justin to follow her. Walking in, one would first see the 6 foot albinax python inside her repital aquarium. As everything was digital, she didn't have any filing cabinets or the such, simply a desk and chair, couch, and Silvia, the snake. Behind her desk, however, hung up on the wall was a map of the entire city. Alexi walked to it and pulled out her black marker. "I want it brought to the ground, Garaai. If the police responded to your bust that fast, then we have to bury ourselves in paperwork in order to take the property." She cirecled the block, and made three dashes to the weapon production facility that was close by. "Approximately 300 feet, I'd say."

Graai nodded, "But how are we meant to burn this to the ground if we don't have enough guys to defend the ones who are going it. I8 don't want to lose even more guys to this war. If you want it do you better get recuiting." He snapped before he understood what he had said and blowed his head, gulping. He knew about the whip in her office drawer. He rubbed his forehead before Justin piped up, "I agree with him. We lost at least ten men or more. We can't afford to keep losing them constantly. We've lost over fifty percent in this last year alone. How can you expect this to go on?" He put his hands in his pockets, watching her then the python with a gulp of his own.

Graai watched them before before shutting the door. "We all know what you want done love, but it ain't gonna happen without more people. Hell, the police might know where we are. I honestly don't know. They could be listening to what we are saying, have you though about that?"

"Are you insinuating that I would hire a snitch, Graai!? If you're so concerned about manpower and police, perhaps I should find another to take care of it!" Alexi had indeed considered that she was losing men to this war, but they knew what they were getting into before hand. "Casulities will be had, but maybe my leaders aren't doing their own jobs correctly in training? Have YOU thought about THAT?!" Alexi slammed her marker down on the desk, leaning atop of it with both hands. "Listen, and listen well. Don't under estimate the enemy, but don't let numbers intimidate you either. Simply find more men, how hard can it fucking be?" Reaching inside her shirt, she pulled out a half ounce of Cokay and dropped it on the table. "There's your key to manpower. Find a feen, put a fucking gun in his hand and an ounce of our finest. There's no more details that need to be had than that, you get a group, head them off and if they survive, keep them high and secluded. If they get killed along the way, well that's just more product in our pocket! Why is this so difficult for you to understand? I don't care who or how Graai!" She sat down and held her face with her hand, shaking her head. "Do you want to lose all that we've built? Do you want to just go belly up and hand it all over to them? Our livelihood, our dynasty?" She turned to Justin, "And you? Where the hell would you be if it wasn't for me? Surely I deserve more loyalty and effort from you than this, complaining about casualties when there's a war going on. Come on guys!" Closing her eyes, Alexi took in a long hard breath, trying to calm herself.

"Why the hell don't you find someone else then?! Hm?! I'm trying to run this like a military operation, but you aren't helping me in any way shape or form. I don't want to take a sixteen or seventeen year old and get them on drugs. It hard enough as it is!You don't actually give a flying deep space fuck now, do you?! It's all 'Oh, but the money.' Isn't it?!" He snapped before storming out the room.

Justin glanced at her then to him before sitting down. "Look, it's been a long day for everyone. Why don't you just go fuck him and let me get some sleep, saying you two already do that anyway?" He sighed, standing up and headed out of the office, going to his bedroom to get some rest and some sleep. He needed to think things over and think about what he was doing now. It didn't help when she didn't understand. She wasn't on the frontlines fighting everyone else. Hell, there could even be a raid on one of their places tonight for all they knew. Things were just getting so difficult for everyone now. All the stress, all the fighting with very little sex, drugs and drink. He sat down on his small bed, leaning back as he took his pistol out and took it apart to lean it. He would get one of the cleaners to clean the room tomorrow, it was covered in beer cans, cider bottles and plastic bags. Stuff he didnt want to have the police find.

Meg's House

Meg was fast asleep in the back of the van, trying to recover from the bullet wound. How was she meant to go to work to go to work tomorrow having been shot in the leg. Hell, not many people would want her now, nor would her addiction for the white gold help much. As they stopped, she was lifted inside by Mitch and the bullet tugged out. She had drugged herself up on morphine so she could sleep. Mitch cleaned out the wound carefully, looking up at Johnny and Bruce without a word. Standing up, he walked into the kitchen to get a drink of liquior, looking at all the pairs of heels she had lines up neatly in a row at the breakfast bar. How she had the money for this he would never know, yet she did. She had ran into deep debt a few months back, and had used some of Mitch's money to get her out of it. She wasn't a dumb woman, she knew what she was doing and why she was going it. He groaned, downing a shot glass before calling them both through to start asking his questions that needed answered.

Johnny didn't do or say much upon arriving at Meg's house. While Mitch tended to her wound, both Johnny and Bruce sat in the living room, on the couches. Bruce's wound to his shoulder hadn't been too deep. It didn't take long for him to remove inside the bathroom, Johnny helped with a wrap. It was makeshift compared to what Meg would have been able to do, but as she was out of service at the moment, it would work. Neither one spoke on why or what they were thinking allowing Meg to go inside the building with them. The silence that enveloped their presence would lead one to think that they were scraping for any orH good reason, save 'She wanted to.' Mitch had always been level headed ninety percent of the time, but the other ten? Well, it could get ugly. They hadn't even told Mitch that they were going back to the property, it had been a random act. So Johnny and Bruce sat, listening to their own pulse, angry at Graai for besting them again, and worried for Meg.

Mitch groaned, rubbing his forehead with a groan before he burst completely, "What the fucking fliddly fuck happened?!" He snapped, threwing two knives at each of them. "Why did you go back there?! I told you this morning that they would be there to burn the fucking place down! Oh my fucking Cybran Emperor. Why do you two do this to me. Johnny, get more people. Now! I don't care anymore. Get them from anywhere! Understand me?!" He turned to face Bruce and snapped at him for not killing Justin when he still had the chance, "Why didn't you fucking kill him when you could?! You could have killed both of them, but no. Bruce always knows best, doesn't he?!" He looked at Meg and groaned, picking her up and took her to the bedroom to set her down, she would have to sleep for the next few days and heal.

Mitch looked at them both, pulling his pistol out, "Tell me why I shouldn't just fucking kill you right now. Tell me! I'll do it. I'll blow your brains out. Now get the fuck out this house and don't come back until you have one hundred mem willing to fight for my cause! You hear me ass holes?!" He snapped, pulling the top of the gun back to pull a round into the chamber. "Fucking idiots! Why must I even worry myself with the way you idiots act?! You were meant to be out getting people, not going back to that place! Not with her! She's precious! More than your fucking lives put together. She's done a lot for both of you and this is how you repay her?! Arse pieces!" He snapped, going back upstairs to tend to Meg who was making small noises.

"Heh," Johnny grumbled as he stood making his way towards the front door, "If she's so special to you, and you care so much, why didn't you listen to her in the first place?" Bruce followed in suit, both mumbling low enough to keep from being heard by Mitch, "No shit! We wouldn't even be fightin' with those dumb asses if he would have tried to go into business with them, instead of against. Fucking police gonna be locking everyone in the cage before this shit is done." The men might have slammed the door behind them a bit too hard, neither took well to their lives being threatened, regardless of who it was. True enough, Mitch was their leader, but here lately, he had seemed to be more focused on what he wanted for himself, as opposed to what the group wanted as a whole. That included Meg.

Alexi's House

Graai groaned, stepping into the house with his hand clamped on his head. He was dizzy, and felt like he was going to pass out again. He slumped down on the sofa, shutting his eyes with a grunt, "Fucking pieces of shit. I hate this job, "I'll happily go back to Graisfrask and work in an office again." He slammed his fist into the sofa, the room spinning as Justin walked in after shutting the door. He mumbled something before heading towards the kitchen for a drink. He knew that Graai would be upset as this had been the first time they had got into something like that. He looked towards the door as he poured a glass of Cybran Standard Vodka, sipping at it. He might just as well get drug now, it wouldn't really matter to anyone.

Alexi walked out from the office, looking at the two men through a straight face, "So. I heard the scanners, they were there too, huh?" She crossed her arms and leaned against the hall wall. True, they hadn't accomplished what she asked them to, but they also appeared to have taken fire. "How hurt are you?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

"He was out cold during most of the fight." Justin sighed, walking through with the large glass of vodka, a bit too much for his bionics, "And well, things couldn't be much worse. But I can't remember who, but we shot that Mitch's bitch. Fucking whore." Graai groaned again, not saying a word.

"You got Meg?" Alexi wasn't sure how to react to that. The two women had met before, and though her boyfriend was a douche, Meg, surprisingly enough, seemed to be positioned on neutral ground. "Hmm." She thought allowed, "I've got to re-think all of this. We didn't get the building, and we haven't taken away any of their clientele. Instead, we've pissed him off with a death, and now a strike probably too close to home." She rubbed her face into both her hands, "I'm not even sure why or what I'm doing anymore." This was entirely out of character for Alexi. Something didn't settle well within her about Meg being caught in crossfire, whether it was the influence of the soft, or even perhaps she forming a conscience, either way, Alexi was acting strange.

"I don't know if we killed her. All I remember was her being shot in the leg. I honestly don't know. What's wrong with you? Hm?" Justin sighed, sipping at his vodka again then down at Graai. "You best get up to bed buddy, get some sleep. It'll help you." He tried looking at Alexi then back at Graai, swirling his vodka.

"I'll just got to sleep here. Just for a few days. That's all I need." Graai groaned, shutting his eyes again with a hand supporting his head on the sofa.

"Well besides the obvious and being disappointed in the failure here, nothing's wrong with me!" Alexi snapped, "You don't seem to be bothered enough by recent events, Justin! What's wrong with you!?" Shaking her head, she walked to the dining area and opened the liquor bottle that sat atop a silver tray with two shot glasses. This tray was Alexi's only, everyone knew and understood to leave all of it's contents be, save for Graai. She lifted the lid to the glass container, and poured the brandy. "Get some rest, then. I'm going to deal with this on my own." She said before lifting the glass to her lips.

Justin sighed and headed upstairs, clearly pissed off at Alexi and how she commanded everything. He sat down on his bed upstairs, picking up his phone. His ex was Meg, so he had everything to want her dead, especially after the way she treated him after the break up. He was tempted to call her and say sorry, but it didn't help she was going out with Mitch now. That would never help anything. With a large groan, he sent his family on Casgrax III a short simple text asking if everything was okay and if they would want to see him during the summer. It was normally a no because of what happened in the past, but nothing could stop him from trying to be nice.

Passing through to her office, Alexi noted Graai passed out on the couch. His bionics would heal his wound, and it had already stopped bleeding, so the woman would just let him rest. Even if he hadn't done exactly what she wanted, he had tried. That in itself, was why she put her trust in him.

Sitting down in her office, she decided it was time to look the horse in the eye. She picked up the phone, and dialed Johnny's direct line. Three rings, and he picked up. "Hello?"
"Johnny."
"Who's this?"
"Ah, I believe you know exactly who this is."
"What the hell do you want?"
"I have a business proposition for you."
"You ain't got nothin' that I want."
"Are you sure about that? I've got it on good authority that I'm quite a better cook than you friend Mitch. How'd you like to put some extra money in your pocket?"
A long pause followed her offer, then the dialtone rang out. Alexi knew that meant he was around others where as he couldn't talk at the moment. That was all she needed to know, for now, that he had something to say but couldn't. If she couldn't take Mitch out of the game by force, she'd simply switch to politics.

Justin swallowed, leaning back on his bed, pulling a knife out from under it to sharpen. He looked up at the door as he did so.

Meg's House
Meg swallowed, slowly getting to the bath before she heard thumping on the door. "What now." She snapped, getting out of the bath and went to the door, wrapping a towel around her. She sighed, looking at Mitch whom seemed like he was about to explode. "What? I don't want to be with you after what you did to Johnny and Bruce. Leave me alone... I just want to get on with my fucking job! Is that too much to ask?!"
Mitch grunted and started throwing bags of the white gold at her, "I don't want you to go. Nobody else will help you with your money, or with your need for this stuff. Stay with me baby, please. Don't do this to me. What do you want? A ring? A new computer? A new TV?"
"No! I don't want anything that you've touched any more. Just leave. Get on with your life, get someone else. Someone else you can fucking abuse! I don't want it any more! I don't! Get out my house!"
"Fine, but you're coming with me." Mitch snapped, grabbing her. He dragged her downstairs, throwing her onto the floor in the kitchen and started to throw things onto the floor, smashing plates, bowls, glasses and jugs alike. He reached down and took a large shard of glass, grabbing her hair and pulled her towards him, the towel ripping with the glass, causing further wounds. He slid the shard of glass across her face, creating a wound about three to four centimetres deep, before turned and ran off out the house.

Meg's House, a few days later

Meg groaned softly, listening to her new taste in music. It had come from her old days before Justin, before Mitch, before any of this. She was fully dressed to match, a long black shirt with a pair of black leggings, covered in red eight pointed stars of chaos. She had dyed her hair a deep blue along with painting her nails black and putting in white contacts. She had forced Mitch and the boys out following what had happened and needed the support of someone. She had tried calling Alexi but that had been at 4 AM, not a good time. It was around mid day now so she was going to try again. She stood up in her black platformed boots, at least 5'' with a slightly taller heel, the buckles and straps all done up along with the laces underneath.

As she picked up the phone, she dialed Alexi's number, hoping for someone to pick up.

Alexi wasn't surprised when she looked at the caller ID of her cellular, "Hello, Megan." She said into the receiver.

"Alexia?" She tried, looking at the ground, unsure of what to do.

"Live and in person, so to speak." Alexia shut her office door, locking the handle.

"Can you come and see me? Help me? I know that I've made big mistakes in the past, but I might be able to help you if you help me. I know where Mitch's mega Factory is..." She groaned, thumping into the kitchen and put the phone on loud speaker in order to clean up the mess that Mitch had made. She had very little left, hence why she was dressing the way she used to before a boyfriend, before anything nice had happened to her. Her parents had been the same while they were alive, but that was a long time ago, before the New Order rose up to fight the Old.

"Help you?" Alexi asked, considering carefully an answer. She had trusted Meg a long time ago, and hadn't yet even begun to rebuild what had broken between the two. "What is it that you need help with?" Before she accepted any kind offer, Alexi wanted to know all of the ins and outs involved, gaining such a prize as his weapon supplying plant.

"I need off the drugs... I can't afford it anymore. It's making me ill. I can't take anymore now. Mitch is out. He left me. I don't want to see him ever again... Does Justin still hate me?" She whined, sitting down on the floor, picking up pieces of glass with her bare hands. "I don't want to be on the drugs anymore. Help me get off it."

"I see. Well, I hate to be the one that says I told you so, but, I told you so." Alexi said dryly, "Are you serious about it this time, Meg? I don't want to help you clean up, just to have you turn back around as soon as you've got some money in your pocket to just relapse all over again. I don't have the time or energy for it, Tallern or no Tallern."

"What do you know about Tallern? How do you know about it?" She groaned, glancing around the room.

"I make it my business to know the opposition's stand point, Meg. Surely you haven't thought me so naieve as to simply just send out a gunman here and there."

"But how would you know about Tallern? You're not meant to know. How did you find out? I could have told you that for help." She whined, rubbing her face, the gash covered with plasters and makeup.

"I'm not saying that you can't still help me. Wow, you are out of it aren't you?" Alexi looked down at her watch, "Where are you? How soon can you be ready?"

"I am ready, I'm home. He cut my face open. I can't go to work. I want to go to work Alexi and forget about it all."

"Alright. I'm going to send a car for you, a black hover. Watch for it in about 20 minutes." Alexi didn't offer any thing else, and simply hung up the phone.

Meg swallowed, rubbing the top her face, going towards the front door to sit and wait. She knew that Bruce, Johnny or one of the other men would be watching her every move.
Graai went out top the car and started to drive off towards the house. He picked Meg up and came back to Alexi's place.

Alexi's House
Meg was lead in the house, holding a small sports bag full of her clothes and make up. Alexi would know her as soon as she seen her. Meg was still completely gothic again, glancing around. She looked around, looking at Justin then to Graai; who pushed her up the stairs towards Alexi's office. She was pushed in and Graai stood at the door. She gulped, looking at the floor, now completely scarred out her wits. She put her hand to the plaster, "Alexis?"

Alexi opened the door to her office, and saw Meg standing with Graai, looked terrified. No doubt, Graai had been a bit rough, as was in his nature. "She isn't a hostage, Graai." She looked to Meg, "Sorry about that, but you know, your boyfriend isn't exactly popular around these parts." She stood back, and ushered Meg into the office, "Sit." She ordered. Looking back at Graai she spoke, "Girl talk. Close the door behind you." She sat back down behind her desk, and arched her fingers together analyzing Meg's appearance. "So, you've decided to go back to wearing clothes that actually fit, I see."

Graai went out and shut the door.

"Hey. The latex was for the boys to make them feel good, arsehole's idea. He's not my boyfriend anymore. She swallowed, pulling the plasters away to show the wound that she had tried to stitch up herself. "Look what he done to me... Help me, please Alexi. I don't want it anymore. I just want to do my job and forget about all the drugs, forget about Mitch, Justin. Please." She tried, glancing around.

Alexi nodded her head, "Well by the looks of it, you should definitely forget about Mitch." Alexi pulled a pamphlet from the drawer in her desk, and held it, "How hard are you hooked to the drugs? Honestly." Alexia asked.

"Four bags a day so about fifty lines a day..." She whined, looking at the ground, surprise that Alexi didn't seem bothered about the massive wound that went from her left ear to her chin. It would scar without a doubt, and Meg knew that, she would just have to plaster herself with enough makeup to cover it.

Alexi shook her head. "If you hadn't fell for his line of shit, you wouldn't have ever even gotten this bad. What kind of shit is he serving, anyways? Four bags? Mine would have lasted a lot longer, but you had to let your bullshit with Justin get in the way of our friendship. Why should I help you, Meg? You just turned your back on me for the next dick that came along the way, what makes this situation different?" She leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms. For two years now, she had been wanting this very opportunity. The girl turned her back on a child hood friend just for a man, and Alexi half expected that Mitch persued Meg just because of the two women's relationship. And like a fool, Meg fell for it. Now here she was, broken, and asking for help. "Tell me why, Meg." Her frustration was growing, just by thinking of the situation.

"The bags He gave me are like carrier bags, filled to the rim. My lines are a metre long... Not just simple little shit. He was a ton cheaper, and I mean a lot cheaper... I'm sorry. I needed to save money.... But I spent it all on drugs... I can't afford it anymore. Help me... Please..." She sniffed, starting to break down. "I didn't mean it. I'm stupid when it comes to boyfriends. I know. I'm sorry!!" She whimpered, starting to hit her head with her fists in anger. She didn't want this to happen. She needed her next fix, and due to the amount she normally got, mixed in with salt and sugar to make up for the amount, she thought she needed more than she actually did. "I want off it... I need off it. Please!"

Alexi rose to the mini fridge, and grabbed her bottle of gin. Pouring Meg a shot, she sat the bottle down next to the glass, and left the top off. "Drink some of this, it'll help curb the withdrawls. Though it won't solve the issue. You're going to have to get medical help, Meg. If your body is that dependent on it, your choices are to either seek out medical attention for it, or literally tie yourself down to a bed for about two weeks and struggle through it." She tilted her head, and shrugged her shoulder. "Sometimes, in order to save a dollar, you lose your quality." Turning her back to Meg, and taking a few steps, she continued, "I'm not hooked to it, myself. But I've seen it happen, in every different kind of person. At some point, there comes a time where you have to simply be happy with the feeling that it gives, not pushing for it to get stronger and stronger." She turned back to Meg, "But I agree, you just need to leave it all alone. So, what will it be? Rehab or D.I.Y?"