C
Cloister
Author's Note: This story is a request from Ghost999. It's a little different from the other stories I've done as it's a lot of original work and doesn't involve any characters from media or video games. Any similarities are unintentional and most likely a coincidence. I had a lot of room to work for the purposes of the request. I also don't make a habit writing about modern day or "real life" if you will. That's not something I'm into. However, I am a sucker for women in nice business suits so I decided to give it a shot. I don't plan to make a habit out it though. Enjoy.
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The Tacks Takeover the Mall
Alexandra went inside the mall and paused before a display window. She used the reflection to adjust her glasses, straighten up her black business suit, and fix her brown hair into a ponytail. It had been such a stressful week as the mayor's assistant that she sometimes forgot to mind her appearance. Gang activity had always been a constant problem, but recently it was getting worse by the day. Robberies, violence, and property destruction had become routine. Managing all the calls and maintaining relations with the media and law enforcement was no easy task. Especially since Mayor Travers centered his re-election campaign on fighting gang crime. Even today he caught in the office and didn't have time to go shopping with his daughter.
That's where Alexandra came in. As a favor she agreed to take Abby, the mayor's daughter, shopping at the mall. She hoped it was a way to unwind after all the stress at the office. Not to mention she had worked with Travers for a long time. It wasn't unusual to spend time with his family. Especially when politics got heated at city hall. The thought of getting any time away from her cell phone sounded like a refreshing change of pace. Of course, she was still wearing her business casual... but there was no time to go home and change.
She agreed to meet Abby at the food court to get lunch before taking a stroll through the mall. She didn't really need to buy anything, but it never hurt to offer a bit of advice for Abby's eclectic tastes. There were more than enough seats so she picked the first open table and sat down. The mall wasn't too busy so she didn't expect it would be hard to spot Abby among the crowd. Part of her suspected the gang activity had something to do with the low number of shoppers.
"Hey Alex!"
A voice from the second floor made her look to find Abby waving above. She had a red hoodie and a black knee length skirt. Surprisingly enough her hair was still black considering how many times she changed its color. Only last week it was dyed blonde.
"I thought I told you not to call me that," Alexandra said with a sigh.
"Yeah, but it's always fun to see your reaction." Abby smiled.
"We agreed on the food court, didn't we?"
"Sorry! I got started a little early. You don't mind do you?"
A scream rang out across the mall and cut off Alexandra's answer. A bad feeling welled up inside her stomach as people began to run in panic. Everyone scattered as men wearing long black coats appeared on the second floor. She immediately recognized them as the gang known as The Tacks from police reports forwarded to the mayor's office. They were in full force on a rampage through the mall.
"Abby!" Alexandra called out. "Wait there! I'm coming to you!"
"What's going on?"
"Don't move! I'll be right there!"
She didn't take two steps before gang members grabbed hold of Abby. One of them punched her in the face while the other picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The mayor's daughter was now in the hands of street thugs. Alexandra gave chase without a second thought. She raced up the nearest set of stairs and braved the chaos of the mall. It didn't take the Tacks long to leave a trail of shattered display windows, overturned trash cans and piles of destroyed merchandise. She moved as fast as she could, but two gang members blocked her way.
"Where do you think you're going? Mall's closed, secretary."
The other man laughed. "You want out? Give us everything you got. I mean everything."
They continued to laugh but Alexandra was not intimidated. Martial arts had always been a hobby she enjoyed. And after the increase in crime she had taken more than a few self-defense classes on a regular basis to brush up. It wasn't uncommon to fight off the occasional mugger on the way home. So it wasn't very hard to give one of the thugs a high kick to the face and put him on the floor. The other one looked on in stunned silence until he remembered how to talk again.
"Why you little-"
She didn't waste the opportunity and slammed him between the legs with the tip of her foot. The two men went down quickly as she chased after Abby. It would be too late if she waited for the police. That didn't make her choice to face down a gang any less dangerous, but she couldn't just run away. Her heart pounded as she tried to avoid the clusters of Tacks and all the damage. But she turned the next corner and nearly ran into four of them tossing trash cans into display windows and mannequins.
"Nice glasses, four eyes." One of them laughed.
The Tacks blocked her way and left her no choice. Her fighting stance failed to impress them, but much like the first encounter they didn't figure she could defend herself. They walked right into her punches and kicks. But what they lacked in skill and common sense they made up with sheer numbers. Another gang member joined the fight and threw a trash can into her back as she was busy throwing a thug to the ground.
"Ungh!" She gasped.
They were quick to jump her while she was stunned. A thug grabbed her by the ponytail and threw her head first into a display window. The glass cracked under her impact but did not shatter. She took a breath and adjusted her glass before returning to the fight. It was nowhere near as easy as the two gang members she surprised on the way up. Four on one fights was not something she did on a regular basis. Kicking one of them in the nuts only opened her up to get slammed in the face by another. Somehow her glasses were still in one piece.
"Gotta break away..." She told herself.
She grabbed the nearest gang member and used him to knock the others down like dominoes. They sputtered on the floor and she made a break for it. Luckily she was not seriously hurt yet. Her business suit was torn in a few places and would probably never see the office again. The longer she hung around the more likely the Tacks would do more than ruin her clothes.
"Where are you Abby?"
Her question was soon answered as she caught up with the mayor's daughter at the north end of the mall. Abby was cornered at the large fountain by two members of the Tacks. It looked like something Alexandra could handle if she was fast. The two thugs were too busy talking to notice her move closer.
"Look at this. Know who this is? This is the mayor's daughter."
"Say what, boss? Man. Aren't we lucky."
The man address as the boss grinned. "I just wanted to take a shit on this mall... but this just got really good. Imagine the kind of message I can send that asshole mayor with his daughter?"
Alexandra froze as she quickly recalled the leader of the Tacks. The man with black hair and a small goatee had a number of cuts on his face. The gash on his lip sealed her memory as she realized it was Gallows. Judging from the police reports, he was a destructive man with no regard for any authority. It was too late to turn back now.
"Let her go." She demanded.
Gallows turned around with a glare on his face. He took a moment to scoff.
"What did you say to me? Do you know who I am? You must be pretty stupid if you think you can tell me what to do."
He used his hands to make a loud whistle. Alexandra felt her stomach drop as the Tacks moved in to block her at very direction. Now she was badly outnumbered with no easy way to escape. Regret quickly followed her despair.
"You a good Samaritan?" Gallows laughed. "I hope you're entertaining."
With a snap of his fingers a large man with a barrel chest and a bald head stepped forward. He smiled and tried to grab hold of Alexandra's shoulder. She deflected it with a quick punch and darted back into a fighting stance. The gang let out a gasp of amusement as the bald man frowned and came at her again with a left hook. She ducked it and kicked him in the side. That only made him angry. He attacked again with a much faster punch that hit her right in the stomach. The pain was unlike anything she had felt before. She clutched her gut and coughed. Nothing could stop her from doubling over and falling to her knees.
"Oh god..." She muttered.
"Don't give up, Alex!" Abby called out.
The words of encouragement actually did some good. Alexandra swallowed her pain and climbed back on her feet. Now she knew how fast the bald man could swing and was ready for his next strike. A quick dodge let her kick him in the back of his knees and gave her a clear shot at his head. A few more punches and he was out light a light. Gallows was not impressed. He snapped his fingers and sent the rest of his gang at her. The crowd of Tacks circled in slowly until she had no room to maneuver.
Unlike most of her training, they were more than happy to attack when she had her back turned. A kick sent her stumbling forward and a thug punched her right in the face. The punch made her tumble back and someone slammed her in the arm. She stumbled back and forth from one attack to the next.
"Aah! Aaaaah! Argh!" She cried.
Out of desperation she attacked whenever she could. She knocked one of the Tacks over with a kick to the chest and he took several gang members with him. More stepped in while the others recovered. She couldn't get away. The circle got smaller and smaller until two men grabbed her arms and held them tight. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't shake them. The rest were quick to capitalize on her vulnerability. Punches to her stomach came in fast and relentless. Again and Again. She started to feel light headed. There was no telling when they would stop. Or if they would stop.
"Ungh! Uuuunnh! Unghn!"
For some reason she tried to hold back. She didn't want to scream in front of any of them or Abby. But the Tacks wouldn't stop. Now they were hitting her everywhere. A shot to her chest finally pushed the pain too far.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" She howled.
Alexandra slipped into a moment of weakness. She was prepared to do anything to make it stop. But then her right sleeve ripped and let her arm loose. The relief was a second wind. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her body as she broke free of the men holding her and pushed the encroaching gang back. It proved to be a momentary victory as one of them caught hold of her collar and tossed her face first into the fountain. Humiliating or not, the cold water was actually refreshing. Her clothes were completely ruined... but the chill helped with the burning pain. She actually felt like she could still put up a fight. The gang was busy laughing at her as she climbed out of the fountain.
"You done yet? If you give up, we might leave the clothes on your back," Gallows said.
"No." Alexandra coughed. "Not until you let Abby go..."
"Well... then we have a big problem."
Gallows grabbed Alexandra by the throat and tossed her back into the fray of gang members. She used the momentum to land a powerful kick on the first Tack who got in her way only to receive an uppercut in return. Her jaw ached.
"Aarrgggh!"
Fists rained down on her. One punch caught her in the side of the head and knocked her glasses clean off. Her heart sank as the world turned into a blurry mess. She could no longer tell what direction they were attacking her from. The second wind she received from a bath in the fountain turned into a futile attempt to find her glasses on the floor. She tried to block in the meantime but it was useless. A painful kick made her clutch her side. Another uppercut snapped her head back. Shielding her head was met with low blows to her sore stomach.
"Auuugh... I can't... I can't take this..."
Alexandra wasn't sure when she hit the ground. It was sometime after Abby starting yelling her name. The fight with the gang had been over for awhile. She could only be sure that she was face first on the tile floor while her body throbbed with incredible pain. Her hand brushed against something as she tried to get up that turned out to be her broken glasses. They had been snapped in two. Even the lenses were shattered.
"Uhhhhh..." She moaned in despair.
Gallows rolled her onto her back. She couldn't make out his expression without her glasses but he was more than happy to pick her up and then hold her off the floor. She hung limply in his hands. Her arms and legs felt weightless.
"Now I have to figure out what to do with you." He grinned.
"Stop it! Don't hurt her anymore!" Abby pleaded.
"Shut up!" He turned his head. "I haven't even started with you yet!"
Alexandra only had one plan left. She clutched a fragment of her broken glasses in hand. As soon as Gallows turned his head she used what was left of her strength and stabbed him with it. He screamed in pain and immediately dropped her. His gang was thrown into confusion as he stumbled around in a panic. Abby used the moment to break free of her captors and ran to Alexandra's side.
"Abby... Quick... run away...."
"No way! I can't leave you!"
"Just go..."
Despite her wishes Abby helped her up anyway. They hobbled away as the Tacks slowly recovered from the surprise attack on their boss. Gallows balled his fists and stumped the ground like he was trying to crush a bug.
"What are you idiots doing? Don't let them get away! Get the mayor's daughter! I don't care what you do with the other one!"
Alexandra could hardly limp even with Abby helping her. She didn't know how they would get away. The Tacks had control of the mall. They would never get far enough to find a hiding spot. Her legs started to seize up. Gallows was right behind them.
"I can't go any further..." She gasped.
"No! Just a little more. Trust me!"
Abby pushed her past the escalators to a lobby of elevators. She jammed the button as quickly as she could. To their great relief the doors opened without delay. They rushed inside as the mob of Tacks caught up. Abby jammed the button for the parking garage and the doors closed right in Gallows' face. Too close for either of them. The exhausted and bruised Alexandra slumped up against the wall of the elevator and slid to the floor. The Tacks had really done a number on her. She could barely lift her head from the beating at the fountain.
"Argh..." She muttered.
"Alex! We need to get you to a hospital!" Abby was in a panic.
"I was really in over my head..."
"But you saved my life! Those guys... they might have.... Thank you so much!"
Alexandra forced a smile.
"I hope your father gives me a raise for this..."
Abby gave her a hug that hurt as much as any punch or kick in her beaten state. The elevator doors opened at the parking level to a number of police officers prepared to rush the mall. They didn't waste any time calling over the paramedics and took them to safety. The stretcher felt good as Alexandra's eyes started to feel heavy. Her little stunt would make some story for the mayor's office. She could already imagine all the terrible headlines. It would probably be along the lines of "city hall taking a literal stand against gang violence"...
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The Tacks Takeover the Mall
Alexandra went inside the mall and paused before a display window. She used the reflection to adjust her glasses, straighten up her black business suit, and fix her brown hair into a ponytail. It had been such a stressful week as the mayor's assistant that she sometimes forgot to mind her appearance. Gang activity had always been a constant problem, but recently it was getting worse by the day. Robberies, violence, and property destruction had become routine. Managing all the calls and maintaining relations with the media and law enforcement was no easy task. Especially since Mayor Travers centered his re-election campaign on fighting gang crime. Even today he caught in the office and didn't have time to go shopping with his daughter.
That's where Alexandra came in. As a favor she agreed to take Abby, the mayor's daughter, shopping at the mall. She hoped it was a way to unwind after all the stress at the office. Not to mention she had worked with Travers for a long time. It wasn't unusual to spend time with his family. Especially when politics got heated at city hall. The thought of getting any time away from her cell phone sounded like a refreshing change of pace. Of course, she was still wearing her business casual... but there was no time to go home and change.
She agreed to meet Abby at the food court to get lunch before taking a stroll through the mall. She didn't really need to buy anything, but it never hurt to offer a bit of advice for Abby's eclectic tastes. There were more than enough seats so she picked the first open table and sat down. The mall wasn't too busy so she didn't expect it would be hard to spot Abby among the crowd. Part of her suspected the gang activity had something to do with the low number of shoppers.
"Hey Alex!"
A voice from the second floor made her look to find Abby waving above. She had a red hoodie and a black knee length skirt. Surprisingly enough her hair was still black considering how many times she changed its color. Only last week it was dyed blonde.
"I thought I told you not to call me that," Alexandra said with a sigh.
"Yeah, but it's always fun to see your reaction." Abby smiled.
"We agreed on the food court, didn't we?"
"Sorry! I got started a little early. You don't mind do you?"
A scream rang out across the mall and cut off Alexandra's answer. A bad feeling welled up inside her stomach as people began to run in panic. Everyone scattered as men wearing long black coats appeared on the second floor. She immediately recognized them as the gang known as The Tacks from police reports forwarded to the mayor's office. They were in full force on a rampage through the mall.
"Abby!" Alexandra called out. "Wait there! I'm coming to you!"
"What's going on?"
"Don't move! I'll be right there!"
She didn't take two steps before gang members grabbed hold of Abby. One of them punched her in the face while the other picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The mayor's daughter was now in the hands of street thugs. Alexandra gave chase without a second thought. She raced up the nearest set of stairs and braved the chaos of the mall. It didn't take the Tacks long to leave a trail of shattered display windows, overturned trash cans and piles of destroyed merchandise. She moved as fast as she could, but two gang members blocked her way.
"Where do you think you're going? Mall's closed, secretary."
The other man laughed. "You want out? Give us everything you got. I mean everything."
They continued to laugh but Alexandra was not intimidated. Martial arts had always been a hobby she enjoyed. And after the increase in crime she had taken more than a few self-defense classes on a regular basis to brush up. It wasn't uncommon to fight off the occasional mugger on the way home. So it wasn't very hard to give one of the thugs a high kick to the face and put him on the floor. The other one looked on in stunned silence until he remembered how to talk again.
"Why you little-"
She didn't waste the opportunity and slammed him between the legs with the tip of her foot. The two men went down quickly as she chased after Abby. It would be too late if she waited for the police. That didn't make her choice to face down a gang any less dangerous, but she couldn't just run away. Her heart pounded as she tried to avoid the clusters of Tacks and all the damage. But she turned the next corner and nearly ran into four of them tossing trash cans into display windows and mannequins.
"Nice glasses, four eyes." One of them laughed.
The Tacks blocked her way and left her no choice. Her fighting stance failed to impress them, but much like the first encounter they didn't figure she could defend herself. They walked right into her punches and kicks. But what they lacked in skill and common sense they made up with sheer numbers. Another gang member joined the fight and threw a trash can into her back as she was busy throwing a thug to the ground.
"Ungh!" She gasped.
They were quick to jump her while she was stunned. A thug grabbed her by the ponytail and threw her head first into a display window. The glass cracked under her impact but did not shatter. She took a breath and adjusted her glass before returning to the fight. It was nowhere near as easy as the two gang members she surprised on the way up. Four on one fights was not something she did on a regular basis. Kicking one of them in the nuts only opened her up to get slammed in the face by another. Somehow her glasses were still in one piece.
"Gotta break away..." She told herself.
She grabbed the nearest gang member and used him to knock the others down like dominoes. They sputtered on the floor and she made a break for it. Luckily she was not seriously hurt yet. Her business suit was torn in a few places and would probably never see the office again. The longer she hung around the more likely the Tacks would do more than ruin her clothes.
"Where are you Abby?"
Her question was soon answered as she caught up with the mayor's daughter at the north end of the mall. Abby was cornered at the large fountain by two members of the Tacks. It looked like something Alexandra could handle if she was fast. The two thugs were too busy talking to notice her move closer.
"Look at this. Know who this is? This is the mayor's daughter."
"Say what, boss? Man. Aren't we lucky."
The man address as the boss grinned. "I just wanted to take a shit on this mall... but this just got really good. Imagine the kind of message I can send that asshole mayor with his daughter?"
Alexandra froze as she quickly recalled the leader of the Tacks. The man with black hair and a small goatee had a number of cuts on his face. The gash on his lip sealed her memory as she realized it was Gallows. Judging from the police reports, he was a destructive man with no regard for any authority. It was too late to turn back now.
"Let her go." She demanded.
Gallows turned around with a glare on his face. He took a moment to scoff.
"What did you say to me? Do you know who I am? You must be pretty stupid if you think you can tell me what to do."
He used his hands to make a loud whistle. Alexandra felt her stomach drop as the Tacks moved in to block her at very direction. Now she was badly outnumbered with no easy way to escape. Regret quickly followed her despair.
"You a good Samaritan?" Gallows laughed. "I hope you're entertaining."
With a snap of his fingers a large man with a barrel chest and a bald head stepped forward. He smiled and tried to grab hold of Alexandra's shoulder. She deflected it with a quick punch and darted back into a fighting stance. The gang let out a gasp of amusement as the bald man frowned and came at her again with a left hook. She ducked it and kicked him in the side. That only made him angry. He attacked again with a much faster punch that hit her right in the stomach. The pain was unlike anything she had felt before. She clutched her gut and coughed. Nothing could stop her from doubling over and falling to her knees.
"Oh god..." She muttered.
"Don't give up, Alex!" Abby called out.
The words of encouragement actually did some good. Alexandra swallowed her pain and climbed back on her feet. Now she knew how fast the bald man could swing and was ready for his next strike. A quick dodge let her kick him in the back of his knees and gave her a clear shot at his head. A few more punches and he was out light a light. Gallows was not impressed. He snapped his fingers and sent the rest of his gang at her. The crowd of Tacks circled in slowly until she had no room to maneuver.
Unlike most of her training, they were more than happy to attack when she had her back turned. A kick sent her stumbling forward and a thug punched her right in the face. The punch made her tumble back and someone slammed her in the arm. She stumbled back and forth from one attack to the next.
"Aah! Aaaaah! Argh!" She cried.
Out of desperation she attacked whenever she could. She knocked one of the Tacks over with a kick to the chest and he took several gang members with him. More stepped in while the others recovered. She couldn't get away. The circle got smaller and smaller until two men grabbed her arms and held them tight. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't shake them. The rest were quick to capitalize on her vulnerability. Punches to her stomach came in fast and relentless. Again and Again. She started to feel light headed. There was no telling when they would stop. Or if they would stop.
"Ungh! Uuuunnh! Unghn!"
For some reason she tried to hold back. She didn't want to scream in front of any of them or Abby. But the Tacks wouldn't stop. Now they were hitting her everywhere. A shot to her chest finally pushed the pain too far.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" She howled.
Alexandra slipped into a moment of weakness. She was prepared to do anything to make it stop. But then her right sleeve ripped and let her arm loose. The relief was a second wind. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her body as she broke free of the men holding her and pushed the encroaching gang back. It proved to be a momentary victory as one of them caught hold of her collar and tossed her face first into the fountain. Humiliating or not, the cold water was actually refreshing. Her clothes were completely ruined... but the chill helped with the burning pain. She actually felt like she could still put up a fight. The gang was busy laughing at her as she climbed out of the fountain.
"You done yet? If you give up, we might leave the clothes on your back," Gallows said.
"No." Alexandra coughed. "Not until you let Abby go..."
"Well... then we have a big problem."
Gallows grabbed Alexandra by the throat and tossed her back into the fray of gang members. She used the momentum to land a powerful kick on the first Tack who got in her way only to receive an uppercut in return. Her jaw ached.
"Aarrgggh!"
Fists rained down on her. One punch caught her in the side of the head and knocked her glasses clean off. Her heart sank as the world turned into a blurry mess. She could no longer tell what direction they were attacking her from. The second wind she received from a bath in the fountain turned into a futile attempt to find her glasses on the floor. She tried to block in the meantime but it was useless. A painful kick made her clutch her side. Another uppercut snapped her head back. Shielding her head was met with low blows to her sore stomach.
"Auuugh... I can't... I can't take this..."
Alexandra wasn't sure when she hit the ground. It was sometime after Abby starting yelling her name. The fight with the gang had been over for awhile. She could only be sure that she was face first on the tile floor while her body throbbed with incredible pain. Her hand brushed against something as she tried to get up that turned out to be her broken glasses. They had been snapped in two. Even the lenses were shattered.
"Uhhhhh..." She moaned in despair.
Gallows rolled her onto her back. She couldn't make out his expression without her glasses but he was more than happy to pick her up and then hold her off the floor. She hung limply in his hands. Her arms and legs felt weightless.
"Now I have to figure out what to do with you." He grinned.
"Stop it! Don't hurt her anymore!" Abby pleaded.
"Shut up!" He turned his head. "I haven't even started with you yet!"
Alexandra only had one plan left. She clutched a fragment of her broken glasses in hand. As soon as Gallows turned his head she used what was left of her strength and stabbed him with it. He screamed in pain and immediately dropped her. His gang was thrown into confusion as he stumbled around in a panic. Abby used the moment to break free of her captors and ran to Alexandra's side.
"Abby... Quick... run away...."
"No way! I can't leave you!"
"Just go..."
Despite her wishes Abby helped her up anyway. They hobbled away as the Tacks slowly recovered from the surprise attack on their boss. Gallows balled his fists and stumped the ground like he was trying to crush a bug.
"What are you idiots doing? Don't let them get away! Get the mayor's daughter! I don't care what you do with the other one!"
Alexandra could hardly limp even with Abby helping her. She didn't know how they would get away. The Tacks had control of the mall. They would never get far enough to find a hiding spot. Her legs started to seize up. Gallows was right behind them.
"I can't go any further..." She gasped.
"No! Just a little more. Trust me!"
Abby pushed her past the escalators to a lobby of elevators. She jammed the button as quickly as she could. To their great relief the doors opened without delay. They rushed inside as the mob of Tacks caught up. Abby jammed the button for the parking garage and the doors closed right in Gallows' face. Too close for either of them. The exhausted and bruised Alexandra slumped up against the wall of the elevator and slid to the floor. The Tacks had really done a number on her. She could barely lift her head from the beating at the fountain.
"Argh..." She muttered.
"Alex! We need to get you to a hospital!" Abby was in a panic.
"I was really in over my head..."
"But you saved my life! Those guys... they might have.... Thank you so much!"
Alexandra forced a smile.
"I hope your father gives me a raise for this..."
Abby gave her a hug that hurt as much as any punch or kick in her beaten state. The elevator doors opened at the parking level to a number of police officers prepared to rush the mall. They didn't waste any time calling over the paramedics and took them to safety. The stretcher felt good as Alexandra's eyes started to feel heavy. Her little stunt would make some story for the mayor's office. She could already imagine all the terrible headlines. It would probably be along the lines of "city hall taking a literal stand against gang violence"...
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