[anchor]index[/anchor][divbox=black][center][size=100][color=#396724]† INDEX - CARDINAL PARK MARAVILLA 424 †[/color][/size][/center][hr][/hr][right][goto=chap1][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 1: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap2][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 2: THE PLOT[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap3][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 3: EXECUTION[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap4][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 4: HARD TIME[/color][/goto][/right][/size][justify][aligntable=left;text-align:right,0,0,0,0,0][img]http://i.imgur.com/kWJ9NLD.png[/img][/aligntable][/justify][right][goto=chap5][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 5: SEGREGATION[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap6][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 6: REBIRTH[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap7][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 7: RISE OF AN EMPIRE[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap8][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 8: QUESTIONABLE LEADERSHIP[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap9][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 9: COUP D'ETAT[/color][/goto][/right][/size][right][goto=chap10][size=90][color=#396724]+ CHAPTER 10: THE DEATH OF MANTECA[/color][/goto][/right][/size][hr][/hr][/divbox]
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[divbox=black][tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap1[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/o76Is3d.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]The moon loomed over the scattered formation of young, thriving Hispanic American's who were strolling down Martinez avenue, cigarette ashes and butts littering the ground at their feet.[aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/KJcumLg.gif[/img][/aligntable] Ezequial "Manteca" Villanueva stood at the far right of the table, his hands swaying back and forth in the brisk night air, speaking with passion as if he was orchestrating an opera: "This shit's simple, dog. Like, we fucking hit these ranfla's up an' shit, fucking take the radio's out, check the glove box and center console then make away with some fucking ferria!" Isaac "Ice" Villanueva stood to Manteca's right, his brother and right hand man in Manteca's new crew "Get Money Gang" which was a small but up and coming set out of the Cardinal Park area in Jefferson, Los Santos.

[tab]20[/tab]Get Money Gang consisted of a small, tight-knit circle of Manteca's close friends and family. Around the table ran the rest of the crew as they gave all of their attention to Ezequial's orders. Damien "Looney" Martinez, Ice and Manteca's cousin kept both of his hands planted on the table and a stare locked onto Manteca while he spoke. To the right of him was Lawrence "Cerdo" Coronel, a humongous man who stood at around 6'4, 325lbs as a blossoming teenager. Directly across from Manteca stood a young, stocky version of Diego "Crow" Coronel, a shorter and slimmer version of his brother but still nothing to mess around with, a solid frame and serious tone painted his expression eloquently. Wrapping the end of the circle and connecting it all together was Nemesio "Sinner" Martinez, a hard-headed, strong willed teenager who was on a reckless path down a life he didn't mind losing at any point in time, seizing every moment as his last.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap2[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/qmCOM6g.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]Manteca stopped himself from speaking and laid out a small over-head map of the path they were going to take, the map previously a page in a phone-book. Un-crumpling it, Manteca pointed to the first circle and spoke: "Sinner and Ice, you two finna' hit this joint up. Jus' ride up in there, it's a '67 Impala, a candy-apple one too, dog! Jus' mash the window out, run through it; you know what to do." [aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/B6wRcjU.gif[/img][/aligntable]Manteca let his right pointer finger trail down to the next red circle. "Looney and Cerdo, you finna' run down on Crenshaw and scoop this ranfla up. It's an '86 Buick Regal sitting on some gold spokes, dog. Real fly shit, try to buck this joint too dog, worth some nice fucking ferria if we can get it." Manteca raised his right hand and coughed into it for a moment, slapping it back down on the paper immediately after; before talking: "Crow, my nigga, you about to hit up this dope fucking whip homie, it's a '83 Coupe DeVille that ride's so clean. And last but not least..." Manteca exclaimed, inhaling slowly as he showed the group the last circle which ended on Sixth Street. "This is me, there's a dude down here who owns a '55 Bel Air Convertible, I'm gonna run that ride down and try and sweep out there."

[tab]20[/tab]Manteca called for a break and the group split up shortly afterwards, splitting off into their own teams except for the two lone wolf's, Manteca and Crow, who dapped one another up and gave blessings before departing into the cool night air on their solo missions. Maneuvering down alley-ways, crossing streets, hopping fences and running away from noises in the night, the teams and solo operators eventually made their way down to the vehicles they were instructed to go to. Manteca reached his first, eyeballing a small conglomerate of African American's talking to one another on a corner in front of the Pig Pen, the vehicle he was searching for was posted up on the house closest to the car wash, which was perfect for him. Manteca flicked his hoodie over his head and stuffed his hands into his pocket, dipping his head down while he walked over to the vehicle, trying not to expose himself to anyone who might be watching. Reaching the vehicle after a brisk pace, he slid his right hand out of his pocket and exposed a small flat-head screw driver, his key to success.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap3[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/f4meHsq.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]The block was silent, the distant echoes of a group of friends having fun on the corner the only thing regurgitating down the street in a hymn. [aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/yUFh0ld.gif[/img][/aligntable]Manteca prodded the lock on the Bel Air and began twisting, listening to the inner-workings of the lock mechanism crank like clock-work. Out of the corner of Manteca's eye he noticed a sharp light coming out of a window from the front of a home. He turned, his entire face taking the brunt of the light before the curtain fell back over the window, covering the light entirely and blinding Manteca back into darkness, his eyes harshly adjusting to light. Manteca shrugged it off and looked down at the lock, twisting and turning the screw-driver while taking patients breaths in between maintaining three-sixty degree security to ensure his safety. He watched the lock go down, felt the door loosen on the vehicle, but heard police sirens blaring while they rushed down the street towards him while he slipped inside of the vehicle, Manteca froze directly after he sat inside.

[tab]20[/tab]Looney and Cerdo slowly crept their way down the side-walk, nothing concealing their faces and adrenaline rushing through their veins, anticipating stealing the '86 Buick Regal. Cerdo wasn't an easy person to hide, standing at a solid 6'4 he bouldered his way down the street, his fists in a white-knuckle clench. Looney and Cerdo both agreed that due to Cerdo's size, force would be the best way into the vehicle and Looney began to second-guess it while handing Cerdo his sweatshirt to wrap around his knuckles, but didn't speak up. Cerdo and Looney approached the vehicle, Slauson dead at this time of night the owner was probably sound asleep inside of his home. Looney's sweatshirt wrapped around his own giant first, Cerdo cocked back once and slammed it down onto the window of the vehicle, shattering it and ricocheting his hand off in the same motion. Looney looked back at the home, watching the light's flip on before he was going to enter the vehicle, trying to secure his loose ends. "Yo! A'ye! They turnt' the lights on dog! We out!" Cerdo spun around and noticed the lights, but Looney already took off. Floating through the air like a piece of paper Looney cut right into an alley-way to try to come around to the Jefferson bridge, Cerdo surprisingly gaining speed and catching up to him. Heavy breathing occupying both of their minds, they watched the lights flicker down at the end of the alley-way where they were running, the cops were coming to cut them off, Cerdo cut left and went to turn back around, when he noticed they were trapped, there wasn't a way out.

[tab]20[/tab]Sinner inhaled, walking next to Ice while he rubbed his hands together. "You ready for this shit, dog?" Sinner said, his exuberant attitude reflecting off on Ice, he smiled. "We gonna get a nice fucking score tonight homie." Ice kept his calm composure, his mind wandering back to Monica "Mosca" Miramontes, the girl's virginity he took two nights before in the alley-way by the courts. Every curve of her body, scent of her hair and gentle touch still lingering in his mind, his head was in an entirely different place. Sinner studied Ice for a moment and grew upset as his lack of enthusiasm, deciding to be quiet himself instead of confronting him. The two approached the '67 Impala Manteca had told them about, the candy apple paint matching his description and painting a picturesque vehicle. Sinner's eyes lit up and he immediately forgot about Ice's disinterest, tugging his pants up while he approached the vehicle. Sinner's eyes darted to Ice as he barked out an order: "Watch around, dog. Let me do this shit, you pussy whipped anyway man you useless." Ice kissed his teeth but gladly obeyed the order, Mosca water-falling through his imagination. Sinner leaned in and looked inside of the vehicle, his hands cupped around the sides of his face and planted onto the driver's side window. The interior matched the exterior in condition, pristine. There was gator-leather and well maintained floor mats, the vehicle looks as if it was just taken out of a museum. Dipping his right hand into his pocket, he took out a stripped down coat-hanger he prepared for the break in and went to work.

[tab]20[/tab]Ice tugged his pants up and shook his head as if to wash himself back into reality, Mosca still littered on his mind. To his left he saw the headlights of a vehicle and walked over towards it quickly, trying to get an angle on it and see what type of vehicle it was. As he inched closed the vehicle turned the corner and showed it's self, it was an LSPD cruiser, heading straight for Sinner and Ice. Ice took off, his shoes kicking up rocks off of the dirt as he went to inform Sinner, who was nearly a quarter mile down the road. His breath whisping by his face in the cool night while he ran his mind rushed to a thousand different scenarios with the same outcome, jail. "Sinner! Sinner!" Ice shouted, the police vehicle throwing it's lights on while it trailed Ice, picking up speed, his running catching them off guard. Sinner looked over as Ice sprinted in front of the vehicle and shot up from his crouch. "Cops! COPS!" Ice said, doing his best to catch his breath. Sinner took a step to his right and Ice turned around to meet a high-beam spot-light on both of their faces, listening to "LSPD! Both of you on the ground, NOW!" echo through out the quiet, ghetto neighborhood.

[tab]20[/tab]Crow wrapped his fingers around his Dickies shorts, sliding them back over his hips while he casually strolled down the street. Unlike Ice, crow had his mind wrapped around the '83 Coupe DeVille he was getting ready to steal, the cotton-candy blue exterior calling out to him in a luring hymn. In the back of his mind sat Reia 'Temper' Alcaraz, his long-time girlfriend and what they considered themselves, "soulmates". Crow had a craving for bad women and Temper slid through every crevice he had and made herself comfortable, her personality clicking with Crow as if she was a missing puzzle piece in his life. Looking around the street Crow began to realize he didn't see the vehicle where Manteca had laid it out on the strip-map, but quick to his wit, Crow had a hunch. "If I had a car that fucking sexy, what would I do with it? I'd put it in a garage.." Crow whispered to himself, scanning the neighborhood for any car-ports, he found none. "But if I was too poor to afford a garage, I'd cover it with tarp or something." He said to himself, as if his conscious was his own evil accomplice.

[tab]20[/tab]Crow peered around the varrio he was in for the moment, his eyes wandering behind his cheap Walmart glasses, trying to find something that resembled the vehicle he was going after. In a moment's notice he locked his eyes on a well camouflaged black tarp which dropped into the luminescence of the night extremely well. Crow b-lined towards it, his heart acting as an adrenaline pump to his brain, his body almost going numb at the tingling sensation, risk outweighing reward in his own mind. Crow had a screw-driver in his right pocket which he peeled out and wielded in his right hand, his plan to smash a small hold over the glass in the vehicle which was adjacent of the lock so he could reach in and unlock the door, that was the hard part, hot-wiring it would be the easiest. Crow wrapped his free hand around the tarp and peeled it off of the door slowly, if he could do this right it'd work to his advantage and he could use it as some sort of cover. He leaned back and looked around for a moment, his heart racing and eyes matching the speed while he surveyed the neighborhood, the coast was clear.

[tab]20[/tab]Jabbing the fork at the door, Crow cracked the glass with the most surreptitious of noise, hitting it twice more before it broke open and blew a small trail of glass onto the driver's side seat. He let his right hand's pink do the work, forcefully peeling the lock upwards and un-locking the '83 Coupe DeVille.[aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/F8kqFaJ.gif[/img][/aligntable] The door creaked open and Crow slowly let it come down to a small drag while he peeled it back, not trying to wake anyone up who may be in the home a base-ball throw away. He slid inside, the interior smelling like vanilla and a yellow scented tree slung around the rear-view mirror. Crow immediately went to gutting the inside of the vehicle, trying to get to the main components to hot-wire it with fidgety fingers, his nerves at an all time high. Crow heard a fast whip as if a towel was being cracked at him, he looked up and noticed the tarp was gone, his heart sank into his stomach. Crow leaned back, looked over to his left and was met with the barrel of a shotgun, a lanky Police Officer standing behind it, his smile wide and his grin vindictive.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap4[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/9qFGfX0.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]One by one every member who went out boosting vehicles that night was processed in the County Jail, all of them eventually re-uniting in one holding cell for the time being. They all shared stories of how they were caught, the group banding together on a corner-bench suite, laughing while they exchanged stories and made fun of one another for the stupid things they did that led up to them being caught. Deep down inside fear resonated through each of their veins, the small-time clique Get Money Gang taking their first charges as an "established crew" They all were group together under one trial due to their unity and spent the following month lingering around county jail as they awaited their trial dates, leaving their loved ones and friends to hold down Cardinal Park on their own, which never lasted.

[tab]20[/tab]Ice had his mind on Mosca, racing through more scenarios of how life would pan out with her at his side, to the down and dirty of Mosca moving on while he was locked up and finding someone else who had everything Ice had and more, but for the most part he tried to keep himself in positive spirits. [aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/LU2EnqX.gif[/img][/aligntable]Crow had his mind on Temper, not worrying about their relationship but mourning her by his side, the embrace she'd give him when he'd come back from doing a mission like stealing bikes, robbing a store, jumping someone; she always thought every time he went out something bad would happen and this time, she was right. Manteca had Bianca "V" Valdez. The two started out as middle-school sweet hearts, Manteca picking her up in their history class in the sixth grade using cute euphemisms to lure her to skip class and come to the park with him, wooing her over with showers of compliments, money, attention and time. V and Manteca had stuck together for three years now and were the seasoned of the couples out in Cardinal Park.

[tab]20[/tab]Manteca wasn't the most faithful out of the bunch though and thought of himself as an alpha-male; which was a pseudo personality. Manteca often got bored with V and was with her in lapses, he found her will to be something more than a victim of the ghetto boring and the fact she never wanted to have sex was another insipid detail about her. Manteca was full of lust and up and coming as the Get Money Gang established themselves, he had women left and right at his side but for some reason, he couldn't get his heart off of V like he could his dick. The first was Sasha, a girl Manteca cheated on V with when he got into the ninth grade, the Get Money Gang establishing a reputation in Jefferson also brought a lot of ego-induced attention onto Manteca. He sat in his cell, his feet dangling from his cot as he looked back on all of the lustful moments he'd had with these women, a dim smile on his face as he knew he'd be back in effect more than ever after his stint.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap5[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/qrgNjIl.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]Their trial date came around, the small entourage ushered into court by security guards to a half-packed audience. Ice keeping note of the smell of polished wood and the woes of families before theirs that lingered around the room. Looney, Crow, Cerdo, Manteca, Ice and Sinner slid themselves onto a bench haphazardly, one single lawyer representing the group of delinquents. The jury slouched over in their seats, their five o'clock shadows and baggy, smoke-color painted eyes looming around the room in a haze, their 8AM court date taking a toll on their poor bodies. The trial moved forward and the defense presented it's case, offered a plea bargain of house arrest for each of the delinquents involved and asked that their age be taken into account, the prosecution later turning around to use that against them to prove they were developing thugs that needed a slap on the wrist. A reality check. The judge called for a recess after an hour of one side proving their opinion was more valid than the others and listening to facts stated, previous records and asking about their future plans.

[tab]20[/tab]The gavel slamming down onto a small wooden circle enticed the court to come to a quiet halt. The judge motioned everyone to rise as verdict was to be given after the jury deliberated, the judge began to speak with a monotone but his words clear cut and sharper than any of the group had ever heard. Get Money Gang arose, their eyes locked on the judge whilst he spoke, knees weak and heart fluttering. "...It is my belief that this type of behavior only stems to more problems in the future, we've got numerous programs around the inner-city to help kids like these and they're clearly not working because this is still a rampant issue, so it's time we try something new." The judge took a pause before speaking again, as if expecting a reaction. "I'm going to use you as my example, you're going to be the reason why kids stop doing this kind of criminal, insensible violence." the Judge paused for a moment, ran his right finger under his bottom lip and began to spoke words that made even the toughest of gangster's crack. The group was sentenced, individually, for a minimum of three years in a correctional facility and a maximum of seven with a chance of parole at two years. Manteca felt his knees go weak, his heart race and his mind spin. It'd be good for their reputation as a set, but awful for the future of their lives.

[tab]20[/tab]They were all sent to the same prison but they were all segregated into different units and rarely saw one another. Crow spent most of his time with a pen in his hand and he drew for days on end, starting off with small projects such as low-riders to bigger projects such as scenery in Los Santos, Temper naked and customizing his own art-work, developing a deep passion for being able to create things with his hand and a pencil. Cerdo, for being his size, was messed with the most out of any of the crew that was locked up, everyone wanted to take down the big guy. Luckily he was able to defend himself nine times out of ten. Manteca kept to himself, plotting and scheming on how life was going to be on the outside, getting daily letters from V while she was holding the streets down at him, at times her support the only thing keeping him from going insane. Ice and Mosca kept in contact through letters as well. Looney kept to himself most of his entire sentence and learned the tricks and trades of being sneaky, how to finesse and scheme other people, partaking in a lot of hustling schemes he'd cook up on his own. Sinner caught it the worst out of anyone, consistently being jumped by members of what he understood at the time to be a sub-set to the Mexican Mafia, trying to tax Sinner for not doing as they ordered him to do.

[tab]20[/tab]One by one word got around through the Mexican Mafia subset that Sinner was a part of Get Money Gang, bringing down heat on Cerdo, Ice, Looney, Manteca and Crow individually. Beatings ensued day after day and the onslaught of fists came down onto them as their time went on, turning all of the individuals into half-beaten, semi-decent fighters. Through the small sub-set came word to each member that all of their homies were taking beatings as well for not paying taxes and that it'd get worse, turn into stabbings and murders if they didn't kick up. Through small connections Manteca made, he informed his members through a series of kike's to not kick up to anyone and to do their best to stick to themselves and not get caught in a spot where they may never come out of, the group spending the rest of their time in the pond avoiding the sharks which plagued their life. Eventually all dwindling down their time as if they were grains of sand in an hour-glass, slowly trickling out of San Andreas Correctional Facility and back onto the Martinez Drive, which was about to adopt a new name.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap6[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/RthULWl.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]Manteca hit the ground running when he came back to Jefferson, his reputation and the others' reputation exploding through the roof as word got out that they held their own and didn't let themselves be swallowed by the Mexican Mafia, but Manteca and the crew knew it wouldn't stop there, they had to grow, expand and become something bigger than what they were if they didn't want the wrath of the Mexican Mafia to swallow them whole. [aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/j13G62H.gif[/img][/aligntable]Manteca cut left and walked outside of the apartment complex where he lived, the brisk air of a Friday morning slicked through his hair while he walked towards the corner which shadowed the basket-ball courts. The previous night Manteca spent talking to V, Mosca, a child-hood friend named Edwaldo "Wally" Vasquez and Lucas "Flacko" Quintanilla to rally them together at this corner at eight in the morning, a rather early time for everyone to be out and about. The streets were already littered with younger kids who frequented the neighborhood, involving themselves in a soccer game on the basketball courts, the occasional fighting and pick pocketing being the new trend. Manteca tugged his pants up and stared at the already formed group on the corner, the gang.

[tab]20[/tab]"A'yo, whuss' good!?" Manteca said, chin-flicking the crowd, they returned one back at him. "Whass' up?" V responded, her hands tucked off in the pockets of her short jean shorts, her thighs and legs exposed. They all formed to a small huddle and embraced Manteca as the last piece of their missing puzzle. Manteca immediately began to spew to the group, his hands moving up and down, back and forth as if he was orchestrating a musical performance to display his passion on the topic. "A'ight, look. I know we gone get some shit f'what we did up state, you feel me? The tax evading shit." Manteca paused as if he was thinking of a solution, a pre-planned response ducked off in his mind. "We gotta get stronger, we gotta grow, because if we don't? We can protect the calles, the fucking varrio, what means something to us. I could care less about going out there and picking beef and trying to make money and shit that way, not yet, we need more numbers." Manteca tugged his pants up and stared at each individual while he spoke, giving them all a small segment of his dark brown eyes. "Look, I love where the fuck we're at, it don't get no better than East Los Santos, we're the only Hispanics in the entire fucking town, too. This shit's my home, it's fucking marvelous." Manteca said, stopping at his last word as if he just found out he struck gold. He kept his composure when spoke once more:

[tab]20[/tab]"From now on, everyone in here a part of the Maravilla gang, dog. We don't bow down to no one, we don't pay no taxes or any of that bullshit those levas do on the souf' side, we're the fucking East Los bangers, dog. Maravilla gang!" Manteca nodded his head as the group looked around, somewhat soul shocked that they were a part of the founding of a gang, wondering if they even wanted the life-style at that point. "Look dog.." Manteca said, sliding out a hand-full of green rags out of his back pocket. Manteca began handing them out one by one as if to solidify their gang placement, their fortitude. "We gotta do this shit, for the varrio. I mean, look around you, shit is going to get bad if these little mother-fuckers don't have someone watching over them, souf' side gonna run through and blaze us all up. We gotta get up in numbers and make sure we can hold the varrio down, the Maravilla varrio." Wally gripped onto his bandana after Manteca spoke, feeling a slight sense of pride in taking a proactive role in protecting his neighborhood.

[tab]20[/tab]"The reason why I picked green is 'cause of the Messican flag, dog. We all know how that shit stand for independence, right? We ain't letting no one rule over us, we do our own thing, not like them faggot mother-fuckers who try to control their own race and make them pay mother-fucking kick up, na' dog. That ain't us homie, we don't get down like that. This green for the independence we show, we do our own mother-fucking thing in the varrio. That green light shit they talking about? A'ight, bet, they know where we at now, they can come test us dog. Fuck their green light, shit ain't sweet out here in East Los." Everyone in the circle began to don their rags in one way or another, V tying hers around her mouth, Manteca pocketing his in his back pocket, Wally tossing his over his shoulder, Flacko carrying it around in his front pocket. "I want y'all to remember this, deep down in ya' heart, no matter -what- we're doing this shit to make sure the Maravilla varrio rises and prospers dog, to make a better life for each-other and to not get over ran by the Crips on Crenshaw, T-R-G over near Glenn Park, or Sintown. I ain't know what's gonna happen or who they cool wif', they might back the South Siders up, but no matter what, dog, we gotta be able to keep this place safe." Manteca said in the huddle of Maravilla's, trying to hype them up. "Let's get this shit to tha' top homies, one day at a mother-fucking time."[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap7[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/IKLnQKM.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]Over the next few months the group dispersed out and used their new affiliation to establish order inside of the Cardinal Park community, using their numbers to muscle out people who opposed them on their way to a better change for the standard of living and using their influence over others in the community to get them involved with the gang doing small-time juugs, like scheming people who'd drive by and tricking them into buying weed, when it was crushed potpourri. The members of the gang themselves were being introduced to small time drugs like weed and cocaine, learning how to push them out through a trial and error stage. The up-bringing phase was a bit of a mess for the Maravilla gang, not really knowing how to adapt into making money through alternate means other than jobs, V still held down a small-time gig at the bodega down the street and used that as her front to sell weed until she was busted by her boss selling a dub in the bathroom. Leading to her being fired from the bodega and unemployed, resorting to hustling to make ends meet.

[tab]20[/tab]Numbers grew over time as the gang lasted month through month, the Jefferson community finally adapting to the new growth of crime in their neighborhood, taking it as a tax for their protection. But while numbers grew, so did egos. Climbing through the ranks quick were the older members of the gang and the attitude followed them as well, the small crew they had turning out into a mini-empire; it effected Manteca the most. Manteca took things on his into his own hands and expanded out to other turf, starting drama with Crenshaw and the Viperz over near the church, single-handedly bringing a bad reputation to the empire he created. His hard headed actions and stubborn ways kicked up a trail of dust between the ever so growing gang, leaving a majority of the members split. Most disagreed with how Manteca was running things, as if he lost sight of the original goal, to keep the neighborhood protected. A small margin agreed with him, thinking that trying to take over other turf was essential to keep the growth of the gang going.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap8[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/yKBPKc1.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]Tensions grew tighter as Manteca tripped out on a spree of rage but the high council around him kept things going in an orderly fashion, since the gang's up-bringing while excluding Manteca, they'd managed to recruit numerous soldiers to aid in their conquest to keep the Maravilla varrio under protection. In total they'd added at least another twenty people into the ranks which littered the bottom, keeping a solid base to progress out and move onto bigger things, like dealing higher quantity scales of drugs to keep the economy in the Maravilla strong and progressive. But with the numbers, came more people who began to watch Manteca slip into a trance and forget what he started. Slowly but surely Manteca began to grew more people who disliked him rather than liked him, violating people for no reason, tossing rags out for no reason to people who didn't earn their keep. Going as far as shooting an O.G. in the back, for no apparent reason other than blind anger.

[tab]20[/tab]"It's just a bad night, you need to stop, there's no sense in bein' so fucking emotional, dog." V said, hunched over a Felix Carmona. Felix had been arguing with his parents as of late and just wasn't himself, a promising up and comer out of Cardinal Heights. V took the time out of her day to try and set him straight due to him back-talking Manteca once. Manteca had pulled V aside and told her he was going to gun for Felix due to his disrespect, so V put herself in the way to stop Felix from getting shot. "Come on homie, get up, you're good." V said, holding her right hand down to Felix. Felix let off a smile and reached out to her hand a second too late, over-coming his depression directly at the climax.

[tab]20[/tab]Speeding around the corner came Ezequial, sporting white and red clown face paint, a white v-neck thermal, white True Religion jeans and white Airforce 1's, a glock 19 clutched in his right hand. [aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/BJObDrx.gif[/img][/aligntable]The wind whipped past V and Felix as they interact, things moving in slow motion for V, she heard the first shot whiz by her right ear and strike Felix in the head, the next shot hitting him directly in the chin. V quickly turned around to make sure she saw what was happening, feeling death creep up behind her. V winced and flinched at every shot Manteca let off, her ears ringing in pain and heart doing back-flips in her chest. Manteca left off one last pop, hitting V directly in her right shoulder, a through and through shot, sending her down onto the ground in a high-pitched shriek, getting shot by her own ex-boyfriend and O.G. Manteca.

[tab]20[/tab]V was rushed to All Saints, where she spent the next week of her life recovering from the gun-shot and attending physical therapy to get motion back in her right shoulder and use it how she used to be able to, the shot missing most of her ligaments and joints which ran down her arm and torso. Mosca and friends came to visit daily, a warming sight for V. Mosca always knew what to say or what to do to V to get her in the right mood, whether it be a joyous hug or a smile that lit up the room V was drawn to Mosca as a sister, almost as someone to look up to. She had life under control and seemed to happy being around Ice, V was a little bit jealous. Manteca attempted to visit once but V denied his company, her head, heart and soul filled with hatred V had enough of Manteca, he was the cancer which plagued her life and which plagued the hood.

[tab]20[/tab]Requesting a private phone-call V reached out to Crow, a long-standing friend she respected and someone who had fermented himself as the head-figure of the varrio along with Ice, someone who everyone respected and someone who could wipe Manteca's ass away, he already wasn't on board with his leadership, V knew it, so V acted. "Crow?" V's voiced cracked out, her raspy-tone off setting. "Yo, what's up?" V hesitated for a minute, trying to figure out what to say to Crow, she hadn't thought over in her head how she wanted to bring up the idea so she said it straight up, blunt. "I think it's time we cashed Manteca out, dog." The line stayed dead for a solid minute, V and Crow wallowing in silence before Crow spoke out, saying in a monotone before hanging up directly after: "I gotta talk to people about it." Was this her key? He didn't say no, he took time to think and he must have agreed, if he's going to talk to someone about it that means he's on board. V was riddled with excitement, thinking about how great life would be without Manteca haunting her day in day out, he'd programmed her to be Lady V so well she forgot who Bianca was.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap9[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/ZiXd7dq.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]V stared at herself in the mirror, draped over her shoulders was an XL t-shirt which sagged down to her knee-caps, on her head she donned a red bowler which were complimented by a pair of Oakley glasses on her eyes. V did what she could to make herself appear as if she was a Norteno-affiliated chola due to a recent beef with them sparking up, of course, over Manteca. She stood there for a moment, her eyes locked onto the person she'd become, a soldier for the greater-good she thought, somewhat like a mercenary. She knew this would land her no respect from Crow or Ice or all of their respect. She'd never be anything more than a pawn in the hood if she knocked off Manteca from his throne for Crow and Ice to share, but she knew that if she wanted to preserve anything of what they'd built, she had to go through with it, she had to murder Manteca. Even if it stopped her from progressing through the ranks and giving more of what she had to keep the Maravilla varrio under control and protection.

[tab]20[/tab]V shook her head and snapped back into reality. She had a job to do and she was going to do it regardless of how she felt, Manteca had to go and she needed to be the one to do it, she had more than enough reason to want him dead and she'd be the last person people would expect to do it all in the same instance, or so she thought. She reached her right hand over the sink and wrapped her fingers around a black bandana, tying it over her face and securing it in place over her mouth, her phone shrieking out in a ring while doing so. V coiled her fingers around it and read the caller ID, her knees immediately got weak, it was Crow. V's hand began to shake, her heart thudding out of her chest she anxiously swiped right and answered his call, his voice speaking to her in a calm, concise manner, as if he'd come to terms with killing Manteca already. "Head into the complex, make sure it's quick." V raised her voice to ask questions, as if delaying time was going to make anything better, but it wouldn't, he hung up directly after. V swiped her right hand over the .380 Smith&Wesson snub-nose and hit the door, the pistol-grip being held in a white-knuckle grip, V more anxious than she'd ever been.

[tab]20[/tab]Busting open the door to Ten Green bottles she cut over to the left, walking past a group of red-ragged African Americans who paid her no attention, clearly not wanting anything to do with her. She looked back while she crossed over onto the right side of the bridge that leads from Ganton to Jefferson that way she wouldn't have to j-walk when it mattered. [aligntable=left,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/rzXcXLt.gif[/img][/aligntable] "Left foot, right foot" she muttered to herself, trying to keep her head in the game, her knees wanting to give out. It was a crisp night outside, the stars shined over V and there was enough luminescence to guide her along the side-walk with no street lights. In the distance she could hear the rattle of crickets, the gusts of wind, her heartbeats bass slapping in her ear. V kept trudging on, her footsteps sounding like a giant's while she passed over crack after crack in the sidewalk. Maybe V didn't need to do this, maybe there was another way out, maybe there was something else she hadn't tried, but her feet never slowed down and her heart only ran faster.

[tab]20[/tab]Slowly V approached the front door to the far complex, the one a quarter-mile down the complex which was perched on the corner. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe in and out slowly to lower her heart rate, when she noticed someone trailing her. [aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/rNZGZMa.gif[/img][/aligntable]Dressed in mechanic attire and a bandana/hat combo the man approached her with haste, his hand wrapped around something in his waistline, was this a set up? He got closer and V turned to him, backing up slowly as if she felt her life was about to be taken away, a foolish attempt, V was flooded with regret, her last moments closing in on her. She stared at the pair of eyes, wondering if it'd be her last while he steadily approached, calling out to her in a hushed tone: "Let's fucking go you idiot, he's inside!" ..Crow? V took a moment before being sprayed once-over with a mist of relief, tailing him inside. He wasn't going to leave her side and all of the sudden, everything felt right, this was actually happening and he wasn't going to leave her alone, he was there for her.[/color]

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[tab]45[/tab][anchor]chap10[/anchor][img]http://i.imgur.com/BCMm6Ac.png[/img][hr][/hr]
[color=#396724] [tab]20[/tab]With a new-found sense of confidence, V colored in the empty spaces in her mind with her partner in crime, Crow; her heart kicking at her chest like a surprised horse. V wrapped her hands around the back of her waist-line, taking the .380 snub-nose out and examining it slowly while she climbed up the staircase, stacking behind Crow on the wall. "Let me go first." V said, trying to impress Crow for some odd reason. Crow looked back and grabbed V's left arm and pulled her in front of him, exposing her in the empty hallway. V stood there for a moment, reflecting on the knowledge that Manteca had the apartment that was tucked off in a little cubby half-way into the complex, he had to be there. Thawing herself out V took slow steps, hearing Diego thud behind her while she aimlessly walked down the corridor, her right hand flicking the .380 off of safety.

[aligntable=right,0,0,0,5,410][img]http://i.imgur.com/d6dursu.gif[/img][/aligntable][tab]20[/tab]V slowly peeled the corner, noticing Manteca sitting there on his phone she froze in place, not knowing how to react. She studied him for a moment, watching him thumb away on his phone, the last moments of his life in front of him and he was so oblivious. The world moved in a euphoric trance, motion-blur began to engulf V's vision and she watched spots tear away in front of her as if she was going to black out, her knees turning into a mush. V raised the .380 snub-nose, staring at Manteca, his eyes flicked up and met hers she felt her heart sink through the floor, feeling as if she just fell from cloud-nine. The first shot rang out in slow motion, Manteca opening his mouth to speak but instead of words coming out, a bullet slid in right above his upper lip and under his nose, piercing his skull, chipping his teeth like a wood-grinder. He fell back with a head jolt, the second shot slithered out of the .380 Smith & Wesson and landed right next to his Adam's apple, b-lining into his jugular, a splatter of blood kicking back onto V and giving her a light coat of war-paint.

[tab]20[/tab]Manteca fell lifeless onto the floor of the apartment complex, the reverberations of the gun shots still ringing through the tightly enclosed lobby. V let her arms drop while she looked down at Manteca, Crow appearing into scene from her left with his Longhorn revolver, letting two rounds spit out of it and pierce Manteca's forehead once and chest once, the bullet hitting center mass. V stood idle for a moment, everything seemed so fake, as if she was in a bad dream, her eyes flickering in the dimly lit lobby, making sure she saw Manteca's dead corpse leak blood in the form of a contorted lake. The smell of gun-powder lingering under her nose, the ringing of the four gun-shots, the shock of the crime she just committed danced in her conscious and thoughts, she felt Crow grab her arm and drag her out of her alternate reality and into a new reality, not the world she was in just five minutes ago, but a new one, a clean slate so to say, a breath of fresh air.[/color]

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