Consequences

[Joao Rodrigues]

The grandfather clock in the boys' dorm read 2:10 in the morning, as a glint of light reflected across its glass face. Its steady tick-tock droned on through the night without pause or variance. Shadows stirred in the front hall as the wind whistled beneath the old front doors. Rain pounded on the windows as the sudden night storm so common this time of year howled impotently at the sturdy stone structure. 2:13, a shadow detached itself from the wall, crossing over to a plain door, indistinguishable from the others in the hallway. A hand brushed over the number plate, then merged back with the shadow as it skulked further up the hallway. 2:17, the shadow came to rest in front of the door to Quad #2. 2:20, listening to the silence, the silhouette gently twisted the doorknob finding the room locked against the night. 2:22, tumblers click and the door creaked open, slowly in time with the beating rain and wind against the windows.

The silhouette slipped inside the room, closing the door behind it. It waited for eyes to adjust to the light of the walkway outside the room casting ominous shadows against the far wall. Moving in time with the beat of a heart, the shadow crept toward one of the beds, pausing only when one of the blissful occupants shifted in his sleep, unaware of the unknown presence. The shadow stalked closer to a sleeping form, inching forward like a cat, its arms raised like twin vipers ready to strike. Waiting for the shock of lightning to sing its song of thunder, the silhouette stood poised, ready to strike. At the telltale peal, it moved swiftly, pinning the sleeping form of Calvin Kepler to the bed, one hand covering his mouth as Calvin started awake, eyes wide into the abyss of the night.

"Shhh..."

[Joao Rodrigues]

Cal blinked against the darkness, trying to still his racing heart. "Jonny?" His voice cut through the stillness, echoing the thunder outside.

"Shh," Joao whispered, his voice nearly lost in the patter of raindrops against the window. "We've got a problem."

Cal lowered his voice to a whisper, "What is it?"

"Remember those Hmong bangers we went after? They've got action, and it ain't good for us."

"What, the Tsoo? What do you mean?"

"One of them skated... caught my colors. Words out, lookin' for the hook."

Cal scratched his head. "What?"

"They saw my colors, quesol. They think the Cats hit them hard to move in on their turf."

Cal rolled back over, "So what? Another gang war that the police will take care of, if not a hero."

"Those are my people, Rocky. We put them in fire."

"They'll be fine. Aren't they used to fighting over turf?"

Joao sharpened his tone, pressing urgency into his whispers. "They don't know the Hmong bangers are coming. We've got sitters."

Cal turned back to look at Joao, who's face was clouded with concern and fear. "Sitters? I don't understand."

"Kids... a lot of people wear the colors, quesol."

Cal sighed. If there were innocents involved, he had a hard time being willing to let other people take care of things if he could help. "What should we do?"

"Not we, Rocky. You. If I left Paragon, they'd clink me. Even if they didn't, I'm jingless for a ride. Even if I could swing the transit, I wouldn't get there in time to warn them."

"Me? What can I do?"

"You can fly, quesol. You can get there and back before they even notice you're gone."

"Then what?"

"Then the Cats can be ready for a fight."

"And the kids?"

"Most of them will be alright... as long as they can stay out." Joao's tone indicated otherwise. He knew that when a serious turf war or payback strike happened, the innocent on the turf were fair game.

Cal closed his eyes. He was tired, but too awake to think about going back to sleep. He mulled the problem over in his mind. "I can't. I'm pretty well watched here, and won't lie to get away."

Joao was crestfallen. He looked out the window as if he could see all the way back home through the rain. "Those are my people..."

Cal shook his head. "I can't fly out there... but we can stop it. The Tsoo are based here, in Paragon."

"Really?"

"Sure. We'll have to take on the whole gang, but we can do it. I know what I can do, and I've seen you fight."

Joao shook his head, whispering enthusiastically, "Not the whole gang. We gotta get to the guy who's ordering the strike. We pop him, we might be able to stop it."

Cal relaxed, feeling a sense of accomplishment having come up with a plan to help his friend. "Can we start in the morning?"

"You can. I'm going to talk to a couple of people I know. I'll see if I can find out who's ordering the strike."

Joao left the room, blending into the shadows as he locked the room behind him.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Joao stuck his hand in the fire, watching it dance around his arm and feeling the tingling surge as it pulsed through his body. The turned back to the whimpering man on the floor.

"Please," the man's tattoo's shivered as he sobbed in a heap on the floor. "I don't know anything else, I swear!"

Joao walked over to the coward, shaking his head. "Are you sure? Think carefully. This is very important. You want to walk out of here, right? That might be difficult if your legs are broken."

The man whined. "Nothing... nothing... nothing..."

Joao raised his foot over the man's leg, pausing to give the guy a chance to answer. Getting more of the same, he brought his foot down hard, mere inches from the man's leg, leaving an indentation six inches deep in the concrete. "Aw... I missed. Lucky for you. Don't worry. I won't miss next time."

Joao turned to stick his arm back in the fire when the man broke.

"Look... I don't know much, but I'll tell you what you want to know."

Joao turned, asking questions quickly, accepting no hesitation from the Tsoo man cowering on the floor. "What are they after?"

"Colors... your colors... your gang is moving on our territory."

"No, we're not. Why?"

"You guys took out a Rage lab... just two of you..."

"Who's after us?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know-ho-ho-ho-"

Joao knew that he wasn't telling the whole truth. Sure, he was afraid of Joao, but he was afraid of someone or something else more. "Is it everyone?"

The man's mood brightened suddenly, obviously feeling that this line of questioning he could provide answers. "No, no, no, no, no... just some... one faction..."

"Which faction?"

"I don't know."

"Who knows?"

"Not me, not me, not me," the man went back to whimpering.

Joao was sickened by this kind of banger; weak and scared. He closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. He decided to take a different tack.

"Who would know?"

"I don't know."

"Who would tell me?"

"No one, no one, no-ho-ho-ho one."

"Why?"

The man stopped begging suddenly, surprised by Joao's question. "They'll never be more afraid of you, you punk cape."

Joao lost his temper. "Don't you EVER call me a spandexer, you piece of..." He kicked the man in the head, knocking him unconscious. It made him feel a little better, but he knew it wouldn't help in the long run.

Joao looked around at his handiwork. Broken and collapsed bodies of the Tsoo lay all over the place. A fire crackled in the corner, and smoke began to fill the air. Joao knew that the fire wasn't much of a threat, but he didn't know about the smoke. Erring on the side of caution, he slipped out through a window and dropped from the fire escape. Having no where to go, he started walking, wandering through the streets to free his mind up to think.

He had a problem. The Tsoo were getting the kind of information they'd need to track him back to the Cats. They were moving around like they were getting ready for a strike. It made him nervous; his people were in danger, and it was his fault. Now, he knew they were stonewalling him. Someone had put the fear into them, and Joao was pretty sure it was whoever he had pissed off when he and Cal took out that Rage lab in what would look to any banger like a turf grab.

His temper flared again. The kids at this school kept getting him into situations where he looked the hero, and not just a banger blowing off some steam. It drove him nuts, and he kept having to remind these people that we wasn't one of Them. But he was conflicted, because some of these heroes were actually not that bad, and actually were willing to look at what they were doing, even if they brought their own preconceptions.

He looked around, and found that he had wandered all the way back to the old textile mill in King's Row. He didn't know why, but he always found his way back here. He shrugged it off as nothing, then decided that he would have to lay low for a while. The best thing he could do was tell Cal what he found out, and let Cal pick things up from there.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Cal paced in front of the abandoned restaurant. He checked his watch, seeing that there were still about 10 minutes to the time they agreed to meet. He went back to pacing, trying to ignore the old man sitting on the stoop, watching him like a tennis match.

"You waitin' on Jonny?"

Cal started, looking around until his eyes fell on the old man. He scratched his head, "Uh..."

"It's OK if you are... I've seen you with him before, you know. He your friend, too?"

"Uh... yeah."

The old man smiled, showing missing and broken teeth. He stood up and shuffled across the distance between him a Cal. "I'm Hermando."

Cal stifled a cough as he breathed in the man's rancid aroma of stink and stale booze. "Uh... Cal."

"Don't worry, Cal... He'll be here. He always is."

"Uh... thanks."

Hermando smiled, "Your welcome. I should leave you to meet with Jonny. I don't want any part of it... but if you need something, let me know."

"Uh... thanks, I guess."

"Hermando, you're making another friend!"

Joao dropped from the roof of the old restaurant, slowing his fall by catching the sill of a second story window.

"I was just goin' Jonny. I'll say hi to Esteban for you."

Joao smiled until Hermando left, watching Cal shift uneasily. "Thanks for comin', Rocky."

"Hey... no problem." Cal coughed a couple of times, clearing the fetid stench from his lungs. "Wasn't that the guy..."

"Yeah. I helped him carry a sink. Esteban is his son."

Cal remembered Jonny telling him about the man, how he collected cans for a living and brought them to be recycled. "He seemed a little... unsettled."

"Nah, he's green. Just gotta look past some of his facin', that's all."

"OK, Jonny... what did you find out?"

"Depends. You wanna hear the part where I got stonewalled, or where I got played."

"Played? What happened?"

"I got sent on a wild chase, takin' out some of the Hmong players. Pretty sure I got played in a snatch and grab."

"Uh... so, nothing?"

"Just that it ain't all of the Hmong what are lookin', just a group a bangers in the gang."

Cal nodded. "I got the same thing, a little more. I want you to be careful."

"What, I'm always careful, Rocky. Whatcha got?"

"They aren't just going after your friends back home. They want you, too."

Joao shrugged. "I've had my number taken before... I'll be fine."

"This is serious, Jonny... just don't go in alone anymore, OK?"

"Alright, alright. I'll get help when I go ask questions."

Cal relaxed, relieved to get the most important thing out of the way. "I did find something useful, though."

Joao unconsciously leaned in. "What?"

"A name. Xiao Fang."

"I know that name... he's a player."

"He's working for someone else in the Tsoo. Snow Crane. He's pretty serious. Mean anything to you?"

Joao shook his head. "No. But it'll gimme an angle I ain't had before. Thanks, Cal."

Joao turned to leave, seeming rejuvenated at having heard the news. He was stopped when Cal caught up with him, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Jonny... I'm serious. Don't walk in to one of those places alone."

Joao gave his friend a cocky grin. "My word, brah. No worries."

[Joao Rodrigues]

Cal and Joao surveyed the wreckage in the office. Piles of ash, and smoldering carpeting filled the room with a rank stench of burning plastics. Joao walked over to an overturned desk, and pulled it upright.

Cal sighed, then scratched his head. "Huh... this is where Xiao Fang was supposed to be."

"I think he was here, Rocky. Skated, not long ago."

"Looks that way."

They had scoured Independence Port and Talos Island, questioned the Tsoo, and traced down every last lead they had. Xiao Fang was the key, the hinge upon which it all depended.

Joao asked, "We're sure Xiao Fang is the guy?"

"Yes. We both got the name."

"We sure he's doin' this for that Snow Crane guy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I got played in a power play, took out some players in the Hmongs."

"Yeah... me, too."

"What if this Fang guy were the guy?"

"I guess it's possible. We won't know until we find him, though."

"Yeah. He left this hang not too long ago. Fires still burnin'."

"I guess so. So what do we do?"

"We look for a new hang, someone settin' up, movin' in. If they after me and mine, probably the Row."

Cal scratched is head. "Oh. OK."

"Nothin' left to do here. Let's go check out what Hermando's seen."

"Really? That uh... homeless guy?"

"Yeah. He ain't as drunk as he smells. Helps him stay safe. He pays attention more than he lets on."

"Huh. I guess we should talk to him, then."

[Joao Rodrigues]

Joao kicked the unconscious Tsoo out of his way. He had been chasing Snow Crane all night, and he finally tracked him down and cornered him in a cargo ship in Independence Port. The Hmong bangers had taken Jimmy hostage, and he was on this ship. Joao finished catching his breath and continued to stalk deeper into the ship.

He was surprised at how many of the people had come with him. He caught himself trying to puzzle out why, then pushed those thoughts aside. This was his comfort zone. This was one banger on another. That thought surprised Joao. He had started thinking of the kids with him as if they were bangers. "No," he thought. "They better than me."

Those thought were pushed out as another dozen of the Hmong bangers jumped down on them from the top of a shipping container. Instincts took back over, as he met one of them with his fist. That was all it took to give them time to grab on to Joao, setting him up for another Hmong to gut Joao with a sword. Right before the strike, the sword wielding banger was engulfed in flame and collapsed. Joao smiled at Beth, breaking the hold and stepping forward to block an attack coming from her right. Joao wrestled with the banger until the Hmong collapsed, clutching his left leg and the arrow that had sprouted from it. As soon as it started, the fight was over.

Joao signaled them to continue in. They snuck around the containers until they saw Snow Crane. Joao looked over at Cal, who nodded back to him. Joao counted down from three on his fingers, and they charged in together. As they rushed in, more of the Tsoo came out of nowhere. The fight was chaotic, flashing with fire and energy as they fought, as the fight swirled around Joao and Snow Crane. They rained blow after blow on each other, turning the battle into a contest of endurance more than of fighting skill. But Joao had the edge; his powers got stronger the more he absorbed the kinetic energy of Snow Crane's attacks. As Snow Crane tired, Joao got stronger. Finally, Joao rushed forward, picking Snow Crane up and pinning him to a shipping container. Grabbing Snow Crane by the front of his shirt, Joao slammed him over and over against the container, until blood flowed from Snow Crane's nose. Snow Crane just laughed at him, a chilling laugh that cut Joao deeply.

"You are too late, Cat. Your Jimmy is lost to you."

Joao pulled his switchblade out, and with a shout of rage, brought the knife back to stab Snow Crane. But the blow didn't fall. Joao turned as Cal held his wrist, preventing him from finishing Snow Crane.

"Jonny, that's not how we do it."

Murder flashed in Joao's eyes, and he kicked Cal, pushing him away from Joao as he brought the knife up again for the strike. Again he was stopped, this time by a hand on his left shoulder.

"Jon, don't," Beth said understanding. "He's not worth it."

Joao looked around, seeing everyone staring at him, looking at him like he was some kind of a monster. He roared in frustration and brought the knife down with all of his strength.

The knife quivered, embedded up to the hilt in the shipping container, barely an inch from Snow Crane's head. He hung his head, still pinning Snow Crane to the container. "Give me a tag."

It was almost as if everyone let out their breath at once as Case silently handed him a Zig tag.

"Even in defeat, Cat, I have won the greatest of victories."

"Yeah? Well, shove it."

Joao vented his frustration by shoving the tag in Snow Crane's throat, breaking teeth just before he was whisked away by the teleport system.

Beth and Cal both smiled. "Come on," Beth said. "Let's go save Jimmy."

[Joao Rodrigues]

The group continued to sneak into the ship, careful not to make any noise. They were able to get the drop on several other patrols, and those fights were over well before any alarm could be raised. They had melded into a real team, a single fighting unit able to anticipate each other's movements by this time. Finally, Joao heard someone talking.

"You...you'll never get Jonny from me... I'll never... give... him up."

Urgency mixed with relief as Joao turned to the others. "That's Jimmy... I hear Jimmy!"

Cal nodded, "At least we know he's still alive."

Joao turned back, risking a glance around the shipping container. Jimmy was on his knees, surrounded by the Hmong bangers. He didn't look too banged up, just overwhelmed by numbers. Joao looked over to Cal and nodded once. He scanned over the faces of the others who came with him, and, like a sprinter, he took off around the container, shouting a Cats battle cry. He heard the others running behind him, following him into this final confrontation.

Jimmy looked up, then stood, and stopped Joao with more force than any blow. "See? I told you he'd come. He could never stay away if he thought his folk were in trouble."

Joao stood, stunned, confused, struggling to understand what he had just heard. Jimmy whistled, a whistle Joao recognized as the Cats call to arms, and the shipping containers around him burst open, flooding the hold with bangers in the blaze and blue. Joao looked from face to face, trying to find someone he knew from among the throng. The hold became a swirling chaos of combat, the bangers, both Tsoo and Cats, fighting with the people who came with Joao. Lightning and fire flashed through the air, as the shouts and screams of battle sliced through it all. It swirled and eddied around Joao and Jimmy, locked in a confrontation of their own.

"Why, Jimmy?"

"You got the right of the four one one, Mongrel. Ain't outa the heart, green?"

"But... I back, green? I ain't foldin' on the press, brah."

"Can't take the singsong. You lived out, Mongrel. Ain't need you no more. Gotta get over to get over, neh?"

Jimmy pulled his gun, and centered it on Joao's chest. As his finger squeezed the trigger, a red and black flash slammed into Joao's side.

"Jon!" Beth hit Joao at full speed. She had been keeping an eye on him and his "friend" from where he came from, somehow knowing this was coming. Things felt like they had gone into slow motion. She hit Joao, carrying him and herself away from the path of the bullet. The hammer dropped, sending a spark into the chamber. The spark tripped into the powder, igniting it into an ever expanding gas, throwing the slug through the barrel and out at Joao, now clear of the shot. The bullet spiraled through the air, riding the wave of unspent powder jettisoned from the muzzle of the gun. Beth tried to turn to get out of the way, and almost got clear. With rabid hunger, the bullet bit into Beth's shoulder, diverted by a glancing blow off the bone before it traveled through, to be lost among the shipping containers.

Beth spun to the ground on top of Joao, landing in his arms. He looked at her, stunned and bleeding. "Blue? Blue!"

Jimmy started laughing. "What's the matter? Did I blow your hook? Sugar, quesol. Pure sugar."

Something snapped in Joao. With a roar of rage, he threw himself at Jimmy, slamming his shoulder into Jimmy's stomach. He heard the satisfying rush of air as the force of his charge pushed the air out of Jimmy's lungs. Not finished, Joao picked Jimmy up, finishing his rush by slamming Jimmy against a shipping container, hearing Jimmy's head make a solid crack as it whipped back. Joao grabbed Jimmy by his shirt and held him pinned against the container, his feet dangling inches off the ground, as he rained blow after blow, alternating between Jimmy's face and body. Finally, convinced that Jimmy was down for the count, Joao let him go to crumple on the ground. Joao turned to check on Beth, seeing her stir when he was stopped as Jimmy clutched at his pant leg.

"Please... Jonny... Don't let them pinch me..."

"What?"

"Please... I'll die in the pinch... just don't let them... please..."

Joao hauled Jimmy to his feet, and stared him in the eye. Jimmy looked back, fear shining back, coming from the darkest corners of Jimmy's soul. "Fine. Go."

Relief flooded over Jimmy's face. He started to thank Joao, but Joao emphatically repeated his order. "Go!"

Joao headed back to where everyone was gathering around Beth. They all looked in pretty bad shape, but they had managed to take down or send the bangers running. Only Beth looked to have any serious injury. "You OK, Blue?"

She nodded and attempted to give him a crooked smile. "Always."

Cal looked around the hold. "Where's Jimmy?"

"I let him go."

"You what? We gotta catch up with him... he needs to go to jail for what he did here."

Joao moved to bar his way. "No. Let him go."

"But..."

"Let him go. He won't come back... it's over."

Cal looked at Joao skeptically, but finally nodded once.

They left the ship, breaking up on the pier after Joao did his best to express his thanks. Then, Joao helped Beth get to the hospital to have a doctor look at the bullet wound.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Epilogue

Cal finally tracked Joao down to an abandoned restaurant near the old textile mill in King's Row. He was surprised by the gathering of people. There had to be dozens of people, homeless, poor, all at some kind of block party. A band played, although they were amateurish, with great enthusiasm, and couples danced in the street. In the middle of the throng, Cal say Joao sitting on the curb, with a little girl, probably five years old trying to give him a plate of red beans and rice. Joao smiled weakly, and said a few words Cal couldn't make out, before sending the little girl to dance.

Joao was alone among a throng of people. Cal saw many of the adults stealing glances at Joao, all with a look of concern on their face, but no one else approached him. Cal worked his way through the crowd, smiling and laughing when one of the girls grabbed him and spun around a couple of times, dancing, before letting him go again. Finally, Cal got to Joao, and sat down next to him.

"Hey, Jonny."

"Hey, Rocky."

"Why aren't you out there dancing? I would have thought nothing could keep you off the floor when there was dancing."

"Ain't fell like it."

Cal looked at his friend with concern. "What's wrong, Joao?"

Joao sighed. "You kith, right?"

Cal nodded, not sure exactly what he mean by kith.

"I ain't been nothin' but a banger my whole life, neh? I heard about my folk gettin' in trouble, and without thinkin', I went off to back them."

Cal scratched his head. "Huh. So?"

"Well, Jimmy... I mean, I'm still tryin' to figure things out... With what happened on the ship, I'm kinda a banger without a gang. And, everythin' I do seems to get cranked."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at me. I get a threat, and I jump to, start a proper war, and knock down one a the players in them Hmong bangers. Made me a name, set me some turf... I ain't nothin' but a banger, no better'n them Hmong. I ain't really fit here, and the folk at the school real nice. I mean, look how many jumped up and hit the scrum. Why they do it?"

"They like you, Joao, and they wanted to take down a dangerous person. Snow Crane was bad news, and we put him in jail."

"Yeah... well, that ain't why it needed be done. I was out to take him down, and I ain't care if he get pinched. I just wanted to pound him, so he would leave me and mine alone, put the fear in him something harsh."

Cal looked at Joao in silence for a few moments. "You know, Jonny, you're too hard on yourself. I know you don't see it, maybe because you can't right now, but you're not a bad person."

"Yeah I am, Rocky. I a banger, nothin' more. I ain't never gonna be one of the good guys."

"No, that's where you're wrong, Jonny. You are a good person. You are a hero, whether you want to admit it or not. Look around you. These people were alone, afraid, and hopeless before you came along. They had been terrorized by one gang or another. Now, look at them. They are happy, out on the street and celebrating. You know why?"

Joao shook his head, staring at Cal in mute surprise.

"Because of you. You did this, and you are a hero because of it. Maybe not the kind of hero that Paragon City is used to, and definitely not the kind of hero that people think of when they think hero. But maybe that's the point. Maybe you're the kind of hero these people need. You just have to figure that out. Then you'll be able so see what all these other people do."

Cal finished, nodding once, more to himself than to Joao. This had been bothering him for a while now, and he had to get it out there. Joao stared at him for a few moments, then returned his gaze to the pavement in front of him.

"If you say so, Rocky."

Cal started to say something, then stopped himself, realizing there was nothing more he could say. He stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow in school, Jonny."

"Yeah... sure."

Cal scratched his head and sighed, then turned to fight through the crowd and go back to school.

[Thunder Cascade]

Casey strode into Conrads’ office looking a bit piqued, closing the door carefully behind him before sitting down. Conrads studied him over his coffee mug. “Good afternoon, Casey.” Casey paused, then shrugged. “I presume you know what this is about?”

“Uh… actually, no, not really. I mean, Que… Joao’s kinda… uh… a weird subject for a conversation, you know? I mean… can’t you just ask him whatever?” Casey’s expression stayed neutral, but he gave off a certain amount of irritation. Conrads took a sip of coffee.

“I see. Well, first, I’d like to know how you two get along. Friends are an important part of a young man’s development. One of the strongest schools of thought indicates that how a person winds up later in life is greatly affected by their company when they’re young. Joao's situation is obviously difficult.”

“I dunno, doc. I mean… people can change. I think he’ll come around.” Defensive nervousness. Intriguing.

“Come around?” Another sip of coffee.

“From, like… the ganger mentality. He’s got this thing where he thinks gangers are alright, and heroes aren’t. It’s actually like… totally the other way around, but anybody tries to say something, he gets pissed and just flat out refuses to accept that anybody but him is right.” More irritation. This was clearly an argument they’d spent some time on.

Conrads nodded encouragingly. “You believe that Joao can turn things around at this school, Casey? What do you think he needs to do that?”

Casey grumbled something, but Conrads caught the word “kick” and smiled. “I think… he’s just gonna need proof, you know? Like… there was a time where one of his old gang guys came to try to take him out, and he still thinks what he used to be is right. Dudes turned on him, and he still thinks there’s an explanation for it. He’s gotta know for sure that that kinda life isn’t what he thinks it was. I dunno, maybe he’s brainwashed or something. I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m not sayin’ it won’t take like… a lot of work. But I think it’ll happen, you know?” Hope tempered by frustration.

Conrads nodded once. “There was an incident out by the football field, as you have undoubtedly heard. There has been a question as to whether his powers are dangerous.”

Casey chuckled. “Nah. Dude’s strong, and he absorbs some of what’s goin’ on, but like… obviously has limits. And if he’s getting control, and not keeping it all in anymore, it’s all good, right? I mean… he’s eating again, said he already talked to you about like… meditation and stuff, so… no worries. Right?” No concern… still hopeful. Conrads took another sip of coffee.

“So, Casey… were you present for this gang problem?”

There was a tingle of fear. “Uh… maybe?”

“And who else was there?”

More fear. “Uh… just me, Quesol, and Bethany.”

Conrads nodded. This gave him a timeline to work with. But quite a few students had gone out on patrol that evening. A not inconsequential portion of the student body, in fact. “I see. I’d be very curious to know the details.”

Casey shrugged. “Joao thought one of his guys from back home was in trouble, so he did the hero thing and went to go help him out. Beat up some gangers who’ve been messin’ with things for awhile, and found him, only to have him try to kill Joao. Beth took the hit instead. We tagged everybody… which is to say, uh, Joao didn’t, but the rest of us did… me and Beth.” There were skilled liars. There were unskilled liars. And then there was Casey. Who was telling truth, but not all of it. He was protecting whoever else was there. Meaning that he thought there was something fundamentally wrong with what they were doing. Conrads made a mental note to speak with Joao directly about it. If Casey was accurately portraying Joao’s mentality, he might tell the whole truth not realizing the implications.

“I see.” Conrads took another sip of coffee.

“So, uh… anything else you wanted to know?”

Conrads shook his head. “No, Casey. This was all quite informative. I appreciate your perspective, and I hope you’re right about your friend.” He stood. Casey stood as well. “Have a pleasant afternoon, Casey.”

“Uh… you too, doc.” Casey turned and left. Conrads set his mug down on the desk and drummed his fingers idly against it for a moment, then stood and walked out. It was time to set up another appointment.

[Joao Rodrigues]

Conrads looked up from his desk as he heard a tentative knock on his door. He stood up, coming around to the chairs set up in the front of his office. "Come in."

Joao walked into the office, seeming easy going and unflappable, but Conrads could feel the apprehension Joao was hiding.

"You wanted to wag with me, Conrads?"

Conrads had gotten better at decoding Joao's dialect since he arrived. He knew Joao didn't need to use it, but that he used it as a defense mechanism when he felt vulnerable. This was going to be one of those times. "Please, come in, sit down, Jon. It's alright if I call you Jon?"

Conrads used the English version of Joao's name to try to set him at ease.

"Jonny's fine."

"Right, Jonny. Good."

"So what you want wag 'bout?"

"Well, I wanted to talk more about your time before you came to Saint Joseph's. You have exhibited some strong leadership skills. Did you learn them when you were with your gang?"

"Yeah." Suspicion.

"So you were in some kind of leadership possition?"

"I was Jimmy's hand, quesol." Suspicion

"So, you were the second in command of the gang?"

"Yeah." Strong suspicion.

"Tell me about what... Jimmy, was it? Yes. Tell me what Jimmy had you do."

"Well, I was eyein' for the others, makin' sure stuff was around, and keepin' the turf clean." Joao was feeling Conrads out, trying to figure out where he was going.

"Is that all? You never fought with the gang?"

"Oh, that? Sure. Everyone frontin' colors fought. I took my folks and brought 'em through, neh?"

Conrads sensed Joao starting to drop his guard, seemingly convinced that they were going over old ground again. Conrads knew through experience that Joao was expecting the next question to be about how he felt about those responsibilities. "So, like you did in your run in with the Tsoo."

Joao stopped, "Uh... I guess so." There was anger, helplessness, and shame battling each other inside Joao, but they all paled compared to the feeling of guilt.

Conrads nodded, leaning forward to show that he was interested, and to show Joao he was there for Joao. "Tell me about it."

Joao shook his head. "Ain't much to tell. Them Hmong bangers was doggin' for four one one on the blaze and blue. I found out they bigger than just the PC, so I got it that they'd go after the Cats back home. I stepped up to stop 'em. O conto fechou. Nothin' else."

Joao was holding back, but he was good at keeping things from who he saw as an authority. Conrads decided that he was going to have to be more familiar with Joao, or risk loosing him inside a shell. "Did you go alone? That doesn't seem your style."

Joao shrugged. "If you say so." Distant and detached.

Conrads thought back to the police file he had read when Joao first got to the school. "Look, Joao, I already know more or less what went down. I read the police reports, and I've been keeping an eye out for you. Nothing you tell me will leave this room, I promise."

Joao was surprised. "Total? No front?"

Conrads made a guess at what Joao meant. "I'm not going to lie to you. I want us to be able to speak freely and truthfully."

Joao pondered that for a while, then nodded. "Yeah, I had friends with me."

Conrads smiled, feeling he had finally make a breakthrough. He decided to use language familiar to Joao, to keep him at ease. "So, you were waging a gang war with the Tsoo?"

Joao shook his head. "I was... I ain't think the folk with me saw it that way, but I made sure they got it that they might get eyed that way."

"Why did you do that?"

Joao shrugged. "I dunno... they ain't like me, neh? I mean, I a banger what ain't need care about what others twenty twenty be, 'cause I already know, green? Thems different. Thems like got lives, and stuff what matter."

"So you were protecting them?"

"It's kinda what I do."

"So, what happened when you caught up with they guy you were trying to save?"

"Jimmy? Nothin' much." Definitely hiding something. Conrads sensed an unusual combination of guilt, shame, pride and betrayal.

"I understand one of your colleagues got shot."

Conrads sensed a wave of anger and guilt from Joao. "Is that what this 'bout? I got Blue shot, and now you comin' to bust chop on it?"

"I'm not here to judge you, Jonny. But I do want to know what happened, and why?"

Joao nodded. He didn't trust Conrads, but they had agreed to be straight with each other. "Alright. What you wanna know?"

Conrads sensed it was time to bring Joao to the point. He'd been working with Joao long enough to know how to get him to open up, but only when he was ready to. "I want to know why you started a gang war, even going so far as recruiting a makeshift gang from students here at Saint Joseph's."

Joao sighed. "OK. It ain't that twitch, quesol. I a Cat. They was comin' to slitch Cats, so I stepped up. I could tell they ain't get bangin' here the same way they do back home, and they a bunch what front the colors, but ain't really doin' anything, green? Like kids, and geezes, and stuff. And them Hmong ain't level, neh? They kinda nutso, and the Cats watch out for our turf. I thought them Hmong bangers go after the folk what be our turf. You green?"

Conrads nodded. He was pleased with Joao's answer, and it reinforced his desire to be the boy's advocate at the school. "That was pretty heroic, Jonny."

"I ain't no hero."

"Perhaps, but you put your life on the line to protect others. You used your abilities, both your powers, and your ability to bring people together to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. That's heroic."

"If you say so."

"I do. And I want you to try something. I want you to go out on patrol and try to be heroic that way. So help someone, stop someone, save someone, anything. Try it, and we'll talk about how it made you feel."

"I gotta?"

"Consider it an assignment. You can take your friends if you want."

Joao got up to leave confused. Conrads was sure Joao thought he was going to be in trouble for what he did. That still may come up, but Conrads had decided that Joao needed someone in his corner right now. He was close to making a decision on who he was and what he would be. These next few weeks would be critical for him.