Boyz in Da Hood

[Leonardo]

A group of five or six young dogs sat in a half circle near the corner of an old shoppe building. Normally, young thugs would be up to no good, plotting, conspiring. However, this bunch was doing nothing of the sort. Laughs rang out from amongst the group, mixed with taunts and boastful shouts. They were eating out of a dumpster and drinking water out of an old tire. This was a perfect day. They were good-timing.

Vincent De Luca was situated in the middle of the group, finishing up his tall tale. He was vivid in his descriptions, acting out the best parts and causing uproars of laughter. Every couple of seconds he playfully responded to a benign insult granted by one of his buddies, and then continued to entertain. It was his day off, and while humans spent theirs at a bar being loud and drunk, capos spent it outside of one--doing the same thing.

"--So I'm stuck between a rock n' a 'ard place, eh? No wheah t' go. Two guys on my right, anotha two on my left. I'm thinkin' I'm screwed, amirite?" The others mumbled in agreement. "I'm sayin' mah prayah's, but I ain't backin' down. I know I ain't gonna see mah family again or friends--"

"You was sad dat you ain't gonna see me anymore, wasn't ya Vinny?", interrupted one beefy terrier.

"--No Murray, I was actually thankin' da Lord I wouldn't see ya's ugly mug agin'", this brought thunderous laughter, especially from Murray, "--So the main thug tells me dat I'm finished, an' dat dis was da last time I'd be stealin from dem, yada yada yada, and then cawls in his 'bawss'. Imagine my surprise when dis insane broad walks in...I'm tawlkin' curves, hips, everythin'." The others chuckled and grinned slyly. "So naturally my eyes...dey wander, amirite? Heheh. She's supposed to be awl tuff, but I suddenly start to get da feelin' she's diggin' me too, see? So I play da "you got me, I'm sorry, don't kill me" card. She starts buyin' it, see? An' she tells me off, biting me, feelin' on my hipsssss" The others laughed uncontrollably, "Finally she tells me she was gonna teach me a lesson, an' ordas her thugs to go outside."

The others implored, "Well, what happened?"

Vinny grinned. "Let's just say, she was in major heat!"

"AAAAAHHHH C'MAAAN" The others cried out in unison and jumped on Vinny, playfully pushing him around and calling him a liar. Vinny laughed with them and limply fought back. Yeah. It was a good day.

[Fen]

A shuffling of feet and a small sneeze could be heard as trashcans tumbled over and made such a clatter as to wake the devil himself. Alonzo Capaldi cringed a bit as he knocked over the large, metal can, curing his large size. It was hard to weave his way in and out of such things considering his stature and the fact that his large paws were more often a bit clumsier than they seemed. His massive tail swooshed back and forth as he walked, his pads making soft thuds on the acidic pavement. He had just left another group of thugs who didn't have the amount of ambition needed to hold his attention. That was the third group this week he had left high and dry. Alonzo didn't care. They had served their purpose, and now he was onto the next. He had heard talk of the Mancini family, but mostly in hushed whispers. It seemed most others were too frightened to speak about them openly. He hadn't been in Brooklyn for long, having left the higher area simply because food was less scarce for a loner here. There were plenty of trashcans to raid, as long as you didn't trespass unknowingly. He had a fresh gash on his left shoulder from his most recent confrontation with a group of thugs looking to make a name for themselves and carving it out of what was left of the pavement unclaimed by the Mancinis. He wasn't going to say he didn't leave a few marks on the ones who attacked him. Actually, he had done a bit more than a few marks. But, his paws were clean and the only evidence was the scar on his shoulder.

It wasn't long before he happened upon raucous laughter and what sounded like the shuffling of paws in play-fight. Alonzo rounded a corner and took in the scents of the dogs that he now approached. He eyed them carefully, then looked longingly at the food they had accumulated around them. He stopped, his left paw pausing mid-step as his eyes met one of them. His body didn't go rigid, he didn't act scared because he wasn't. He knew that they would probably try to pick a fight. They seemed the type. He was almost sure he could talk his way out of any confrontation, but if it came down to it, he would fight them, and win.

"How's it, fellas?" He finally said, breaking the silence and letting his eyes travel over them for a minute. He towered over most of the short ones that had gathered there. He placed his paw on the ground, the sudden movement forcing his wound open again and a small trickle of blood began to run over his fur and down his leg as his silver eyes once again settled on the PitBull in front of him, sizing him up.

[Leonardo]

The laughter completely stopped, as well as the wind, the movement, and fricking time itself. The group stared in awe at the Great Dane, mouths open, frowning, and mumbling in Italian. They'd never seen this dog before. The way he looked, so serious, and the scars...so many scars. Why was he here? Was he here on business? Was there a hit out on one of them?

"Ay!"

Vinny pushed himself out of the dogpile and looked around. "What's goin ahn? You guys actin' like you seen a--" He saw the Great Dane-- "A monstah..." He stood face to face with the newcomer, staring back at him. There was an incredible height difference between the two. They both shared the same type of look in their eyes: a dauntless, haughty look. Like they were untouchable. But the newcomer's eyes were older. Vinny circled him once, taking note of the big scar on his shoulder. Then suddenly, he whipped around to the others. "DIS IS BIG DAWG, UH?!!"

The others roared in laughter and tails returned to their wagging state.

"I mean, Jesus! Haha. Boy, yous' a monstah, pal! Whaddya eat?!! Biggest dawg I've evah seen." He chuckled and introduced himself. "Eh, I'm Vinny. You a friend o' Murray's? He gets a'round..." He turned to Murray, "Murray, dis' ya guy?" When he didn't get an answer from the loud talking, good-timing Murray, he shrugged and turned his attention back to the Dane. "Anyway, uh yea. Food n' stuff. Bettah eat before fatass ovah theah finishes it hahaha. Authentic stuff, man."

"Vinny, yous gonna keep braggin' about ya Mancini hookups, or are you gonna let Murray's friend introduce 'imself?"

"Che cosa? Shaddup Bobbi."

Murray bumped his head while trying to get out of the water. "Who?"

[Fen]

Alonzo couldn't help it, he laughed. The sound was loud and almost unnatural, like he didn't spend a lot of time doing it. It reverberated off of the buildings that surrounded them, and he took in a breath as he caught it and looked to the other dogs around him. The mention of Mancini did not go unnoticed, but he didn't acknowledge that he picked it up. The Dane hoped he hadn't stumbled into something he was going to regret later, but there was no way he was turning down free food when it was offered to him. "Thanks. Don't mind if I take ya up on that." Alonzo said, dipping his head to pick up a discarded slice of pizza. He settled down with it between his paws. "Name's Alonzo. Alonzo Capaldi." He said, a flick of his ears signaling that it was a genuine greeting. He took a rather large bite from the slice of pizza in between his paws and nearly swallowed all of it in one go. It had been nearly a day before he had found something that was worth calling a meal. It was hard on a dog his size living in a city where food was so scarce. "You fellas know where this is? I ain't nevah been in these part before." Alonzo shook his head a bit, dispelling a fly that had landed on the tip of his ear.

These dogs didn't look too dangerous, and if he was trespassing, they were taking it awfully well. Of course, he didn't know the neutral areas from the marked ones at times. The sounds and smells of the city usually numbed his senses; the worst of them was the terrible, acidic scent of the pavement that he was all too used to by now. Even still, it burned his nose and grass felt awkward on his paws, not that he saw much of that anyway. They didn't call New York the Concrete Jungle for nothing. 

[Leonardo]

The group stepped aside to let Alonzo by, quieting down for a while and catching their breath. They each lazily chuckled and adopted long, relaxed panting. It was a surprisingly hot day for a winter afternoon, but then again, they had been moving around all day. They all quieted down as Alonzo introduced himself in his deep voice.

"Alonzo Capaldi...Capaldi..." Murray let the name fall off his tongue, searching his mind for any familiarity. "Name's familiah, I think. Capaldi. Vinny, you know him?"

"Nah. Al'...Big Al'...yea..ain't theah some guys up North scared shitless of you?"

The guys chuckled.

"You's in Bensonhurst, amico." A big dog said in reply to Alonzo's inquiry.

"Da plaza." Another dog chimed in.

"Neutral ground," added Vinny. "Hardly evah any gang activity 'ere. But no surprise, eh? 'ardly any resources t' take advantage of. I don't blame 'em." It was ironic how Vinny referred to the them as if he wasn't a part of it. "Wheah you from, Al'? You got family heah?"

All eyes and ears were on Alonzo once the ring leader addressed him.

[Fen]

Alonzo laughed a bit as they mentioned people being scared of him. He was sure quite a few passerby were nervous around him. His size was intimidating. He listened to them explain exactly where he was and he nodded. So that's why there weren't too many thugs lurking around. He supposed they were right. Looking at it from his perspective, they were right. There wasn't exactly anything appealing about the place. His tongue lolled out of his mouth in a pant as he listened to the others go back and forth, talking then he sobered a bit as Vinny asked about his family. "Nah, nevah was much of ah family man." He said, a shrug of his shoulders indicating that he didn't want the subject pushed any further. He'd rather bury those memories and start new. The bitterness would bury him alive otherwise. "I've been movin' between gangs tryin'ta get used ta this place. Nuthin' like where I'm from. Lack of respect." He crossed his paws in front of him and realized what he said. "But I like you fellas," he corrected, "You guys are alright. Nuthin' like the shits that scarred my hide a few paces back." He snorted and shook his head in distaste as he looked to the blood-caked fur around the wound on his shoulder. He wasn't surprised they had heard his name either. He had never met his old man, but from what he knew of him, the guy was a grade A criminal. Apparently he had made a name for himself in New York City. Alonzo had just never needed to follow in his dad's footsteps. A few dirty dealings here and there kept him comfortable.

[Leonardo]

Vinny nodded. "I don't 'ave any blood relatives around dat I know of."

Murray chimed in. "Yea, but yous still got family. Hell, I considah yous a nephew."

The young mobster grinned. "Thanks Murray."

"I'm serious. Look, I'm da oldest guy 'ere. I've been walkin' dese streets almost 5 yeahs, an' you know what? It's exactly like Capaldi 'ere says. Ain't no respect. Amirite?" The other groaned and nodded in agreement. "Backs when I was small, young ones was kept in line. Hell, ya own damn fawtha stuck around to make shuwah you was properly inducted into a good community with good uh...good connection, amirite? But when you gots direction from an eldah, dat's what makes da difference. Like you, fuh example, Vinny."

"What about me?"

"Before Big Manny adopted you, yous was a problem child, right?" Vinny nodded sheepishly. "Boss Mancini is givin' younger guys like you an opportunity to do somethin' with dey lives. He's implementing da importance of family. Fools act in groups, because they feel alone. Dey nevah feel safe amongst one anotha cuz anybody could turn on anybody. If somebody's gotcha back, den you feel proud of ya self. You wanna steer the youngah ones on track. You become part of a greatah thing. It's beautiful, no? The most unsuccessful man--"

"Is the man dat da dies alone..." Vinny finished. The Boss had said that phrase to him many times before. It was a beautiful saying, but a scary one. "Yeah, bettah days are comin' to Benson'hoist. Family values are returnin'. Hell, Al, in da Bronx, dawgs ah going AWOL. If dey get the slightest hint yous injured...dey'll tear ya up fuh no reason. Cazzos."

"Big Al'd eat 'em!"

"Hahaha! I bet he would, eh? Whaddya say, Al?" Suddenly Vinny became more serious. "Say, dose dawgs dat gave you dat scah...somebody gotta hit out on you, fratello?"

[Fen]

Alonzo laughed along with the rest of the dogs but listened intently as one of the others began to talk about the boss of the Mancini's. It was interesting to hear him tell it as if the big boss dog was a savior of sorts. He took in problem pups, and raised them to learn respect and how to make a buck. Yeah, It was a crime family, and they just about ran everything from here until your eyes could no longer follow the horizon, but a family? Alonzo had never had something like that. Yeah, he had a mom and a dad, but his mom was dead, and he wasn't entirely sure what happened to his father. He assumed that he was also dead. To hear them tell it, they were the people to know in this city. As he eyed Vinny, he could see where he would fall into such a family. He definitely looked the part. Alonzo laughed a bit as Murray said that Alonzo would eat the dogs that attacked him. "Haha, now if it was jus' as easy as gobblin' 'em up like kibble." He joked, clicking his teeth in a mock bite at one of the other gathered dogs.

He sobered a bit as Vinny asked him about the scar on hos shoulder. "Nah, nuthin' like that, amico. Jus' ah few bastardos thought they was gonna take my dinnah." Alonzo chuckled. "You fellas think this is bad, you should'a saw the otha guys." Alonzo flashed his teeth in a bit of a doggish grin before nudging Vinny jokingly. 

[Leonardo]

Vinny chuckled as the big dog pushed him. "Well, if yous got any prollems, you know who to come to, capiche?"

All the other dogs mumbled in agreement.

"So where'd you meet Murray, Al?"

Murray butted in, "I told ya, I don't know the guy. Or...maybe I don't recognize him...uh..?"

Vinny stared at Murray in disbelief. So Alonzo didn't know Murray. "Oooohhh. So yous just 'appen to be traveling through at the right time, eh Al? Heh. Lucky fuh you found guys like us!"

"Dammit." One dog swore.

"What's wrong, Bobbi?"

"I'm supposed to be spending time with my kid. I totally forgot an' now 'is motha's gonna kill me." He urgently began cleaning himself up.

"Aahh Bobbi yous been a soldier 2 whole yeahs an' you can't take a woman?"

Bobbi shook his head. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn, Vince. Besides, huge. Like she's a foot shortah than Al'."

"Jesus...." Vinny said as hushed talking circled around the group. "How did you...?"

Flustered, Bobbi smiled and ran off. "I'm an animal!"

The others laughed and began to stand and stretch, dusting themselves off. They said their goodbyes and each of them patted Al, wishing him luck. Murray especially. "You take care of ya'self, pal. Vinny 'ere is good people, you take care of him, and he'll look out for you. Ain't that right Vinny?"

Vinny sighed. Murray seemed to be insinuating that he furthered his relationship with Alonzo. But before he could give Al some work, he needed to just his character. Before he brought him to the Boss, he needed to know what he was capable of, and now he was obligated to find out. He liked Al. It felt like he had known him all his life. But Capaldi was a big dog, and though Vinny was no small weakling, he'd have a lot of trouble subduing him if the Great Dane turned on him. But it was worth the risk. It was always worth the risk.

"Donnie, Ralph. C'mere." He spoke to them in a hushed tone. "Wheah does Bobbi's old lady stay?"

"Uh...fifth and Robinson."

"Fifth and...dat's questionable territory. Trail him and make sure he gets where he needs to go safely, a'right? An' ay! Don't let Tricia beat him too badly, hahaha."

Donnie looked back and forth between Al and Vinny nervously. "And uh, what do we do if we run into Dino's troupe?"

Vinny averted his eyes and looked to the ground. Donnie understood, and left without another word. As soon as everyone was gone, Vinny looked to Al. It was business time. He grinned at the massive dog. "C'maan Al. Why don't me and you take a little walk?"

[Fen]

Alonzo watched the others go, and he smirked at Murray. "Yeah, Yeah. I gotcha, amico." He nudged the other male dog as he passed and then barked goodbyes to the others before turning his attention to the exchange between Vinny ans the other two males. He sat back on his haunches and scratched at his ear, then turned to swipe a tongue over the blood-caked scar on his shoulder. He reminded himself to get it looked at later. He was sure there was someone around here that could patch him up. It was going to leave a gnarly scar though. He smirked a bit at that. One more to add to the collection.

When Vinny said his name, the Dane lifted his head and focused his silver eyes on the smaller dog before him. "Sure thing." Alonzo said, standing and shaking the dust from his massive body before falling into step beside Vinny. He let the silence settle for a moment, simply taking in the surroundings for a moment. Vinny was "good people" as Murray had said, but it was in the Dane's nature to be wary of new people. He had always only had to rely on himself. Yeah, he had moved in groups, done a few jobs with a few street thugs, but they weren't friends. He had only known Vinny for a moment. If the dog wanted to get him alone, looking to carve a reputation out of his hide, he definitely had an opportunity now. He reminded himself to stay on guard, but not make it obvious.

[Leonardo]

"So, Alonzo Capaldi", Vinny said his name with an extra Italian/Sicilian accent, to be funny, "Big Al Capaldi. You know something, fratello, I'm gonna be honest with you, I like you. There's just somethin' about you dat makes you seem like an' oldah version of me."

Vinny took a right and kept going.

"You've got quite da charisma, eh? Fifteen minutes with da boys and yous already got quite of a reputation. Dat's impressive, eh? C'maan!"

He took another right down an alleyway.

"But dat scah...dat wasn't just some argument you an' da last cell you was with 'ad, was it? Dose punks was tryin' to kill ya. So I need to know--"

They came to a dead end, and Vinny turned to face Al. "You betray the last lot you was wit, Al? Or maybe dey 'ad it in for you?" Vinny decided he would explain. "Look, if there's some guys nearby creatin' an outfit nearby, I need to know about it. I'm offerin' you some work, Al. An' naturally, if things go smoothly, we might 'ave a workin' relationship, an' your problems might become my problems. Our problems." When he said this, he made sure Alonzo understood that he wasn't just talking about the two of them. He was referring to the 'system', the family. Alonzo was being offered a way to being 'made'.

"My ultimate question, Mr. Capaldi...can I trust you?"

[Fen]

Alonzo let Vinny do the talking, chuckling slightly at the other male's pronunciation of his name. He appreciated the praise. Alonzo had always prided himself on being a smooth talker. A bit abrasive at times, and he didn't really have a filter from his brain to his mouth, but he seemed to do okay. Once they reached the dead end, he listened to Vinny speak, his eyes widening in surprise. When he finished, Alonzo looked down for a moment, turning a piece of concrete over with his paw. He then looked back up to Vinny. "Alright. Suppose I give ya a straight answer."

Alonzo sat back on his haunches and rolled his shoulders a bit. "Alright, here's tha thing. Those fellas, they was real quiet-like. Didn't want no trouble. It was like walkin' on eggshells. A fella like me, I can't roll like that. I'm all about tha big picture, makin' noise. A few little scraps over food and territory just ain't enough for me. I got ambitions, shoes to fill." Alonzo paused for a moment, then looked back at Vinny. "There was this one, name was Enzo. Real mean fella, but no respect. He didn't like tha direction he thought I was leadin' 'em in. Those bastards jumped me. Musta been ten of 'em. I managed to ah...take a few of 'em. But Enzo, he was out for blood. Nearly shredded my ear." He paused again, collecting his thoughts. "Finally I got the guy down. I couldn't help it. Teeth met fur and that was it. Boom, badabing, then I got blood on my paws. Ain't no one after me. Those cowards would never try me."

He sighed a bit. "The point it, amico. I ain't the betrayer. I was betrayed. Can ya trust me? To tha moon and back. But don't get offended if I watch my own back, too."

[Leonardo]

Vinny nodded, listening attentively to Alonzo's story. This guy really did consider himself quite the badass, he could tell. But his story was believable enough, so he decided to go through with the proceedings of the day. "Aright, Al. We'll see. Let's go to work."

Vinny trotted past him and headed back through the way they came, and ventured onto the street. As he lead Alonzo to their destination, he began thinking. Should he go through with this? Maybe he should wait on Frankie to send back up? Nah, it was a perfect opportunity to capitalize on, especially with Big Al. If his new friend showed some potential, he would refer him to the Boss, who would pass judgement on him regarding his status within the family. Usually these things went well. They would probably go steal some carpet or something or maybe hustle some meat.

And that's when he found Bobbi, bloodied and curled up on the sidewalk.

"B-Bobbi? BOBBI!" The big pit rushed up to his injured friend, rolling him over. "Bobbi who did dis? Huh? Answer me buddy! Who did dis to you?"

Bobbi groaned and grit his teeth. His paw was broken and his tail was stumped. Large chunks of his fur had been ripped out, and his lips were torn. "Uhh God," he tried to focus. "It was Dino's boys, Vinny." He groaned loudly. "I can't move my paw! They jumped me a block back. I'm a cripple now, Red. I'm a cripple!"

Vinny's heart rate soared at his blood pumped with rage, and his eyes became as bloodshot and red as his fiery pelt. "What about Donnie and Ralph? What 'appened to dem?"

"Dey was in on it, Vince! Dey tried to put my eyes out, but--" He sobbed a little. "Those bitches wasn't about to get away wit dat..."

Vinny sat back, watching his friend writhe in pain as the emotions began swelling in his head. Anger, confusion, and utter sadness swirled in an endless game of tag within his mind. He totally forgot that he needed to work with Alonzo. But he closed his eyes, trying to think of what Leonardo Mancini would do at this very moment.

"Be cool, maschio..."

An abrupt coolness cast over Vinny's persona, and he looked away from the scene of his wounded friend. He knew what he had to do. He was a mobster. He would avenge his friend. He would go see Dino personally. "Don't worry, Bobbi. I'm gonna take care of dis. Today." He stared off towards the direction of Dino's hideout. It wasn't far from here. "An eye fuh an eye..."

[Fen]

Alonzo was excited for a moment, but all of that faded when he saw Bobbi. His heart sank. Though he had just met the other dog not too long ago, Alonzo felt a pang of anger at seeing him like that. He stepped up beside Vinny, listening to the exchange. When Bobbi mentioned the name Dino, Alonzo's eyes widened a bit and he sent a sideways glance to Vinny. He knew Dino, alright. He'd run a couple of jobs with his crew at one time. Nothing permanent. Temporary work to put food in his belly. When Vinny said that he would take care of it, Alonzo stepped in front of him.

"Say, man. I know dis is bad an' all, but don't go makin' no crazy decisions. There ain't no way you can take 'em all on alone." Alonzo said, a definite nod of his head accompanying his words. He stepped a bit closer to Vinny, meeting his gaze for a moment. "Which is why I'm comin' with ya." He said, then crossed back over to Bobbi to help him steady himself on the pavement. He supposed Bobbi might need an escort though. Someone to make sure that he got back safely. "But, with all due respect, don'tcha think we outta get Bobbi somewheres safe first?"

[Leonardo]

Alonzo's voice faded into Vinny's head like a voice of reason. The Pit had gained full focus now, but he was still taken aback by the gravity of a certain sentence Al had uttered:

"Which is why I'm comin' with ya."

"You'd..you'd 'elp?" This was honestly not Al's problem. Vinny would think nothing less of him if he would have took a rain check and postponed the outing for another time. People could get hurt here. Badly hurt. But Al knew that. And he was willing to dedicate some of his time to making things right. "I'm gonna make dis up to you, Al, I promise."

The Dane was right about getting Bobbi to safety first. "C'maan, Roberto, get up. C'maan, easy." With some struggle, he pulled Bobbi up on three feet. "Look Al, Bobbi's family lives just 'round da block. We can take 'im dere."

"Merda! It hurts!" Bobbi winced with every step.

"Stay off it Bobbi! Just rememba yous gonna have to 'elp it heel in da most natural way possible."

"Hows I gonna work, guys? I ain't made yet...I'm done for!"

Vinny didn't answer any more questions. It was awful to see his childhood friend blubbering like this, but he really couldn't speak for him and his future. It was up to the Boss, now. He would need to investigate. But he wouldn't get the chance, because Dino wasn't going to be a problem anymore. Not after today.

He saw Donnie and Ralph watching from a ways off, on the other side of the street.

"YOU SONS OF BITCHES!!!" Vinny called out to them, "I swear to you, when I'm done wit you, you'll be hangin' from a string in da freezer of a Chinese restaurant!"

"It wasn't personal, Vince. Just business." Donnie tiredly called out.

"Just biz--OK. You 'n I--YOU AN' I 'AVE BIZ'NESS NOW! I'll see you real soon." Donnie and Ralph shoved off, but he knew where they were going. "Dino's hideout is at Sally's Burgahs. You been by theah, eh Al? It's nearby."