4 Days Later
Naruto had stood before Natalia's grave for hours after the funeral service that he organized but didn't attend he didn't want to be around people looking at him with pity, but he needed to see Natalia's family
A wake was being held as Naruto walked through while the family and friends of his deceased fiancee parted watching him as he walked through the party to Natalia's parents, and got on his knees
"Lo siento(I'm sorry)." Naruto said bowing his head as everyone watched him, "Te prometí que harías de Natalia la mujer más feliz de la Tierra para protegerla, pero le fallé a ti y a ti(I promised you to make Natalia the happiest woman on Earth to protect her but I failed her, and you)"
"No le fallaste a su hijo, ella fue la más feliz que la he visto(You didn't fail her son, she was the happiest I've ever seen her)" Natalia's father said as Naruto shook while her mother knelt beside him and hugged him tightly
After regaining some composer, Naruto looked at the parents, "Whoever did this, I'll put them in a bag right beside her." He said before standing and leaving
40 East End Avenue
Naruto went home, and began to work since he owned the building and didn't rent it out, he began to knock down walls and hook up high-tech equipment, a weapons room, a gym, and a gun range, he ignored Billy and his other friends who continuously called and showed up to his building but they all found the locks and passcodes changed, he was focused on avenging Natalia and his unborn child nothing else mattered,
Month Later, Burren Club, New York City, New York
A car drove to the club parked behind the building, as a man watched before turning forward to continue standing guard when a bullet to the forehead killed him,
Unaware of what just happened the driver got out the car and let his passenger out before they walked to the club but paused when a blue nose pit barked at them being held back by a man, "Apologies, Mr. Nesbitt. Blood's still up."
"Best you mind him, Thomas." Nesbitt said before continuing on, while Thomas walked the dog away
"You miserable mutt! Where was all that fight 10 minutes ago?" Thomas hissed at the dog before he chained it up and made to backhand it as it began to whine but scoffed and left
The dog whined and looked to the right where it sensed Naruto who walked out of the shadows up to the dog and knelt before it and began to pet it before he unclasped its chain and motioned for it to go, the dog licked the facemask and ran off
A gathering of the Kitchen Iris was taking place as Nesbitt walked up, "Place smells like dog shit!" He said loudly as everyone looked to their leader when a man laughed
"There's a pot calling the kettle." The man hugged Nesbitt, 'Someone get this poor man a drink."
The driver walked to the bar and began to pour a drink, "Grotto, you mangy shite. How's the view up Nesbitt's ass?" A man asked but was ignored as Grotto handed Nesbitt his drink
"Gentlemen, if you'll permit me a word before we begin." Nesbitt said holding his glass, "This is a night for celebration. A night to discuss the future of our family the gratitude we feel for the support of his father." Nesbitt said pointing to a young man who smiled, "But perhaps as important it is also a moment for sober reflection."
"Sober, my ass." A man scoffed causing Nesbitt to glare at him and the man shifted uncomfortably
"Two hundred years ago, our people were little more than dirt farmers, struggling just to survive. They had nothing but their hopes and their fists, and they brought both of them along when they came to America, many to this very city."
The man reached for the bottle but it was snatched, "Think you've had enough, George."
"Now some of you are young so there's no reason you'd remember, but there was a time when the Irish owned Hell's Kitchen. Wasn't a mother's son could make a move without giving us our due, and any sorry shite dull enough to cross us paid a heavy price.
We had the cops, judges, councilmen.
We had the whole bloody city at our beck and call. But we got complacent. Lost our edge. Just enough for pieces of garbage like The Dogs and Mexican Cartel to steal what was rightfully ours. That's right. Some, in fact, ran.
A few maybe even deigned to work for them. Siding against their own kind. But now they've overstepped they killed some of our own at Central Park, and that, gentlemen, has provided us with a singular opportunity. The Russians are dead. The Chinese, they turned tail and ran, leaving the drug trade ripe for the taking. The yakuza have gone silent."
"Piss on 'em!"
"Piss on 'em all!" Nesbitt growled
"Piss on 'em all." Everyone said
"Cause this is our time! Anyone crosses us, we'll paint the streets red with their blood.
And when they're gone, we'll make your father proud, and purge ourselves of the filthy traitors who betrayed their own kind and make Hell's Kitchen ours again!" Nesbitt said before he was shot in the head
The men got up to return fire but weren't able to as a bullet to the head dropped them, all except for Grotto who hid behind the bar
Naruto walked with 3 duffels to 2004 Aston Martin DB9 V12, and paused to see the dog sitting in front of it, he smiled slightly before he walked to the passenger side and opened the door, "You shit in my car, I'll toss you off the Brooklyn Bridge."
The dog got into the car before Naruto closed the door and put the duffel's into his trunk inside and drove off
Meanwhile
Detectives Mike Royce and Kate Beckett were on a lunch break, "Shouldn't we be you know at the precinct trying to stop these guys whose been blowing everyone to hell?" Kate asked
"Running ourselves ragged won't help anyone, so we take a break and go back at the case with fresh eyes." Royce said
"Officer!' Grotto yelled running up to the car getting their attention, " Arrest me."
"What?" Kate asked with a raised eyebrow
"Come on, I know something about the Irish Mob." Grotto said
"No need to arrest you, come on." Mike said opening the door and letting Grotto inside
Later, NYPD Precinct
Grotto was sitting in an interrogation room with Kate, and Mike, "Fifteen men, tough Irish.
Armed. All of them blown away. It was a massacre. We weren't hit by any rival family there. I'm telling you, we were hit by an army."
Kate and Mike shared a glance, "It's the truth.
If you don't believe me, you can go see for yourself. Burren Club, 47th and 10th. Can't miss it. It's the part of New York that looks like a goddamn war zone."
"What's your involvement in their organization?" Kate asked
"Brannigan. I've run with them for a long time.
I don't deny it. Pick-ups, drop-offs, sometimes doing things I shouldn't be. No question, I'm no choir boy. I'm tellin' ya, I just skirt the surface. Unlike the men I work for, and the guys that did this. I'm telling ya, I had nothing to do with that massacre." Grotto said
"Assuming you're correct and the Irish were hit by a powerful crime syndicate tonight if you're the only one who survived, your good fortune's gonna rub some dangerous people the wrong way." Kate said
"No shit! I got a pack of killers gunning for my men. My people think I'm a traitor or a rat."
"So, what can we do for you, Mister-" Mike trailed off
"I'm Grotto." Grotto said
"Grotto what?" Kate asked
"Just Grotto. Witness protection. You guys need to get me the hell out of here before I end up in the only place hotter than this permanently. I'll give the cops anything to get me out of New York. I know I'm a criminal but I just want to change my career? A second chance, that's all I want. I know I'm only coming here with my word. I got nobody to vouch for me, Please."
"We'll look into it." Mike nodded before Grotto sighed in relief but suddenly collapsed
The detectives checked on him to see a deep cut in his side
Hour Later
Grotto was admitted into the hospital, while Kate and Mike went to the scene with CSU, and saw the massacre, "Jesus." Kate whispered horrified
"Every time I think we've seen it all Hell's Kitchen manages to sneak up and kick me right in the balls. It's gonna take weeks to process this shit." A detective cursed before he noticed a missing hand, "And where's this asshole's hand?"
Mike knelt down beside a man who was standing guard, as a detective waved him over, "Look at this, will you? Now, what kind of bullet can punch through polyethylene fiber vest thicker than my dick then punch straight through the same shit on his back?"
'All right, we get it.' Kate said looking around, "What the hell are we dealing with?"
"Head to the hospital, take another run at Grotto." Mike said getting a nod from Kate
Metro General Hospital
Grotto woke up just as Kate entered his room and began to thrash, "You've got multiple lacerations. The doctor said the cut is deep, all right? Into the muscle, but there's no vessel damage. Nothing that a few weeks of physical therapy can't cure. You need to stay here."
"That ain't happening." Grotto said trying to get up
"No, I'm here to help you." Late said stopping him from removing the equipment strapped to him
"By hog-tying me to a hospital with a target on my ass? You wanna wait for a bullet through the window or pull the trigger myself?"
"We got uniforms watching this place, no one is getting near this hospital." Kate assured
Naruto in a facemask snuck past the police checkpoint and entered the hospital
Meanwhile
A man was selling guns, to some customers, "You got your break-action singles, your side-by-side, your over-unders, and the classic pump-action./All guaranteed to supersede every other on the market."
"None of these is semis." A man noted
"Aw, what do you need semis for, couple bad-asses like you?" The dealer asked
"Whatever this army is, they're planting men by the dozen, Turk. No semis, no deal."
"Man, I have seen you shoot. No semi's gonna magically make you have good aim. Saw these off, spread your blast, and thank me later, 'cause you ain't no deadeye." Turk said
"What'd you just say?" The buyer asked with a glare before a whistle sounded off and they looked to see Mike walking up
"Oh, shit." The men ran off as Turk sighed in annoyance,
"Really Mike?" Turk asked
"The Irish had a whole squad massacred tonight." Mike said
"That's a damn shame, 'cause I'm fresh out of sympathy cards." Turk replied closing his trunk
"There's talk about an army in town. Military-grade firepower, high volume. Who's the supplier, Turk?"
"You think I know? Shit like that's so high above my pay grade."
"Okay well tell what you do know, and I'll let you skate with this.' Mike said
"Okay, listen. I did hear somethin' from a guy in Rikers. Every gang worth its shit's trying to take control of New York, to get in with the Blacksmith. I even heard the cartel's getting into it. They're bringing up some heavy munitions from Juarez. Military-grade."
"Where?"
"Warehouse. Meatpacking District, 13th Street, and something, that's all I know.'
Mike nodded, "Clean yourself up, man. Open a goddamn gun store it'll be legit and keep the cops off your ass." He said leaving as Turk sighed
Later, Meatpacking District
Mike with his gun and a flashlight entered the warehouse, finding it empty and quiet except for the Spanish movie playing on the television
Mike walked toward the back by the best hooks and froze as he found members of the cartel strung up on meat hooks, quickly he ran to each body and found their guts cut open or the meat hooks running them through a vital artery before he heard wheezing, "No, please, no, no, no, no, no."
Running to the surviving man, with a meathook going through his shoulder and bullet wounds, he said, "It's okay. I'm gonna get you down."
Mike wrapped his arms around the man's legs and lifted him off the meat hook, before he called for an ambulance, "Stay with me buddy, okay. Who did this?" Mike asked
"No one escapes this. No one can get away." The man said
"Tell me. Tell me who they are." Mike said
"No "they." Him. It's one man." The man said as Mike looked shocked
Meanwhile
Naruto walked through the hospital, with his hood and facemask still on as a cop saw him walking forward, and grabbed his gun, "Hold it right there, remove the hood and show me your face.' The cop demanded but Naruto never slowed in his walk causing the cop to draw his weapon but Naruto snatched it and slammed the but of the gun into the cops head
"Oh, my God!" Nurses yelled as Naruto dismantled the gun and tossed it away
"What was that?" Grotto asked Kate who walked to the door and peeked out to see people running, 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no.'
"Shit." Kate cursed
"Someone's come to finish the job." Grotto said standing up before Kate saw Naruto walk into the hall and look toward the door and quickly she grabbed Grotto and ran with him out the room
"He's got a gun!" A nurse yelled as Naruto was about to draw but got a good look at Kate and stopped walking before he left the hospital as Kate got Grotto into her squad car and drove away
Naruto grunted watching Kate drive away, "Dammit Katie."
Naruto jumped off the roof onto a wall, of the nearby building and kicked off it to the other all the wall down to the street by his car
Next Day, InterrogationRoom
Kate sat across from Grotto, 'That window bulletproof?" Grotto asked
"Twenty cops outside that door. You're safe." Kate said before Mike stormed in
"You told us the Irish were attacked by a whole gang of guys. I'm pretty sure the word you used was "army." You want to tell me why I'm now hearing this is all being done by one man?" Mike asked
"Look, I didn't know you guys were -"
"Who does he work for?" Mike asked
"I got no idea!"
"Well, what do you know?" Mike asked
"I know he's a sociopath, that's what. I mean, yeah, fine I heard the rumors, okay, but I didn't think I thought it was ridiculous, okay? Last week, word started going around that 10, 20 guys could be mowed down at a time.
And with precision? You know, tactically.
Every hit was like some kind of SEAL Team 6.
Then people started saying it was one guy doing all that."
"One man?" Kate asked looking through her files,
"I thought it was a ghost story. Some campfire shit you tell freshies to make 'em crap their pants. But now you saw this guy is the Grim Reaper."
Captain Roy Montgomery entered and motioned for the two to join him, "Captain?" Mike asked
"We pulled the security footage from the hospital. I got ten men going over it right now."
"Any leads?" Royce asked
"I was hoping you had something." Roy sighed, "The DA's office is sending someone over to talk you through Witness Protection options. They say the shooter's independent. Vigilante type, targeting different crime families. It's only a matter of time before the wrong person gets caught in the crossfire." Roy said before he motioned to the DA that entered
"Shit, it's not an assistant, it's the actual DA." Mike sighed
'That's Reyes?" Kate asked
"In all her defense-attorney-destroying glory." Mike said as Reyes walked up
"Officers, I want you to prepare Mr.
Grote for transport."
"Excuse me, but, transport where, exactly?" Kate asked
Reyes ignored Kate and talked to her assistant, "Once he's in our custody, I want you to personally handle all the arrangements."
'Just to put it out there," Kate said causing Reyes to pause and look at her, "You're an attorney, not a cop, you have no custody to take Grotto anyway or arrange for a transfer, you are here to walk us through WITSEC."
"Excuse me?' Reyes asked
"Would you like to see if Grotto has any information you can use for any of your cases, District Attorney Reyes?' Roy asked causing Reyes to frown
Later
Grotto looked at Reyes, "I'll keep it simple. Give me a deal, put up a camera, I'll tell you everything about those Irish pricks. Names, dates, their favorite titty-bars."
"That's not good enough." Reyes said
"That's what I got." Grotto said
"Most of you mob friends are either dead or fleeing the country. If you want this office's endorsement, you'll have to give us someone who's still breathing.
"Who?" Grotto asked
"We would like you to wear a wire to meet one of your old associates. Our files show your organization has had dealings with one Edgar Brass."
"Brass. You're out of your goddamn mind!" Grotto said standing up and walking away from. the table, "You send me after him, I'm as good as dead."
"We will protect you, we know you have worked with Brass before. You got an in. If you could get Brass to talk, you would be instrumental in taking down a major drug ring."
'If I don't?" Grotto asked
"Then you're free to walk away. But don't expect to get very far." Reyes said before her assistant placed folders on the table causing Grotto to look through them,
"Oh, God. What the hell is this?"
'You could call it "work product." Morgue reports generated by the man who attacked your clubhouse and missed you in the hospital."
"And all of these people were killed by the same man?" Kate askes taking the photos
"He's tracking gangs to their home turf and taking them out with military precision. But it doesn't stop there." Assistant DA said
' What do you mean, "doesn't stop"?" Grotto asked
"His targets aren't random, Mr. Grote. He knows exactly who he wants to hit. And if any of his intended marks are lucky enough to escape say they're off buying a sandwich, or in bed with the flu recuperating under an assumed name at Metro-General. Sooner or later, he gets to them, too." The Assistant DA said
"My office is offering you a chance to save yourself. Whether you take it, is up to you." Reyes said
Grotto sighed in annoyance
Meanwhile
Naruto walked into a pawn shop, "Check out the phone, man. That's a brand new Motorola." A junkie said
"Idiot." The merchant said taking the purse the junkie brought him and looking through it, "Oh, I suppose this is yours too?" What asked holding up birth control pills
"What do you care? A hundred in trade, come on, man."
The merchant sighed in annoyance and gave the junkie a dime bag of crack, 'Go on, get the hell out of here /Go ahead."
Naruto walked passed the leaving junkie up to the counter
"Do I know you?" The merchant asked hand on his sawed-off shotgun
"I need an NYPD mobile communications rig.
One that gets encrypted tactical frequencies." Naruto asid
"What do I look like, RadioShack? Anyway, dealing in this shit is illegal."
"So is selling crack to junkies stealing purses. You can give it to me or I can take it. Your pick." Naruto said
"Sure you're not a cop? 'Cause that's trouble I don't need." The merchant asked only for Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I gotta ask, right? Just hold on."
Naruto watched as the man left to get the machine since the one he already had was being monitored by the government, sipping his water, he watched as the man came back and put a duffel on the counter and opened it, "Yep. Straight outta Officer McDipshit's dashboard. Gets your tactical bands, surveillance feeds. Hell, it'll probably pick up the mayor banging his boyfriend."
"How much?" Naruto asked
"It's grand. We're talking about a one-of-a-kind item." The merchant said before Naruto pulled out a stack of money and you ted a grand
"1500 for the machine and the video tape." Naruto said
"Sure. What the hell." The merchant smiled taking the tape out and putting it in the duffel before he zipped it up and Naruto took the bag before heading for the exit,
"Hey, man, hold on. Sure I can't get you anything else? You know, I got it all, man.
Yeah, bondage back-door, grannies, or maybe you're in the market for something younger? She's barely 12." The merchant said to Naruto who was ignoring him but that last comment caused him to freeze, "Guaranteed."
Naruto dropped the duffel as the merchant smirked, "You like that, huh? For 100 bucks, she's all yours." Naruto turned the open sign to closed, "That's my man."
Turning around Naruto walked forward drawing his kunai, "What the hell are you doin'? Hey, man, just take it easy. I'm just trying to make a buck!"
Naruto didn't stop so the man tried to shoot him with the double-barrel but he ejected the bullets, "Shit!" The man said as the shells fell to the ground and he looked up to have his face cut in two at the mouth
Later
Naruto sat on the couch, loading up his gun, while his new pet ate a large piece of steak, when an alert went off, standing up Naruto walked to the monitor and saw the camera by the door to see Kate standing there looking at it, "Naruto let me in!"
Naruto sighed and buzzed her into the building, before he walked put his gun up, leaned on the threshold of the doorway as she got off door elevators 'You look like shit." He noted
"Well being up all day would do that to you." Kate said
"Coffee?" Naruto asked
"Please." Kate said taking off her jacket and hanging it up before following him into the kitchen to the pit that began to bark at her causing her to jump
"Sit!" Naruto commanded causing the dog to do so obediently
"You got a dog?"
"He was a stray." Naruto shrugged pouring some coffee before he handed it to her
"Thanks."
"So why the unannounced visit?" Naruto asked
"You've been MIA since the funeral. Everyone is worried about you." Kate said
"As you can see I'm fine." Naruto smiled
"You're not fine, you're pissed, and you have a right to be but dont let your anger burn through you and lead you to do something you can't come back from."
"Like what?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow before Kate put her folder on the counter, "What's this?" Naruto asked opening the folder
"Morgue reports, over the last month one man has been waging a war with the Kitchen Irish, Dogs of Hell and last night wiped out the Mexican Cartel." Kate said as Naruto looked up at her, "I'm going to put him behind bars."
"Did you come to accuse me of something?" Naruto asked
"No, you're a decorated Marine, the youngest in history. You've seen a lot so I want to know do you have any idea who this man could be?"
"No, all I can tell you is that you need to stay out of his way before you get hurt." Naruto said walking around the island to a frowning Kate before he kissed her temple, "Nice seeing you, Kate."
"Naruto." Kate called causing Naruto to pause and look at her, 'You're not holding up your end of the bargain with Natalia."
Kate left as Naruto frowned
Hour Later
Naruto was on his balcony watching the precinct, from the scope of his rifle, his eyes red with slit pupils as he watched the building 15 miles away, and watched as Reyes, Mike, and other cops escorted Grotto out of the building
Uncaring, Naruto squeezed the trigger and watched as Grotto was complaining about something as he refused to get into the car when his forehead was punctured by the bullet causing everyone to go on alert, while Naruto stood up and walked back into his home.