| Bridgeport Assassins | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Bridgeport Assassins |
| Series: | SunsetValley Assassins |
| Written by: | Glynn Tarrant |
| Release date: | September 1st, 2013 |
|
| |
| Chronology | |
| Previous chapter: | None |
| Next chapter: | Into the Valley |
|
| |
Prologue[]
It was a calm evening. Crickets could be heard, and the moon shone partially though the thick clouds overhead. The sounds of cars could be heard in the city across the river. This is Bridgeport. Across the bridge, on the shore of the river, there was a small wood cabin. Inside lived a family. Robert Vice, Carol Vice, and their young daughter, Christine Vice.
Robert had just gotten home from work. He placed his brief case by the door and walked into the back room. He walked past Carol, who was sitting on the couch watching television. She rose to greet him, carrying a sleeping Christine in her arms. Robert sat on the coffee table and began to put on a pair of leather boots. He then proceeded to grab a few knives and a hidden blade. Carol looked at him with worry on her face.
- Carol- "Robert, where are you going this late?"
- Robert- "I've got business to attend to dear."
- Carol- "But you just got home."
- Robert- "I know. I wont be long. It's just one target this time."
- Carol- "Be careful. I worry about you when you're out there."
- Robert- "I will."
He kisses her, then kisses Christine on the forehead. He then walks out the door.
An hour later, Robert arrives at a large house. It looks very expensive. He uses the darkness of the night and the hedges to cover his approach. As he nears the front door, he notices that there are guards stationed. He looks around and notices a way up to the second floor, an open window
Robert stays behind the hedges and climbs the wall, entering the window. Once inside, he continues down a few hallways until he reaches his target's room. His target is Paul Gomez, a corrupt politician who plans to cast out foreign Sims. Paul turns to see Robert standing in his doorway.
- Paul- "What the!? Who are you!?"
- Robert- "You don't need to know. I'm here to end your life Gomez."
- Paul- "What? Ugh! They warned me of this. They warned me you'd come for me!"
- Robert- "Whoever warned you was right. You should have paid heed to their words."
- Paul- "I have security stationed all around this place!"
- Robert- "You left the window open. Not a wise move."
Paul backs up to the wall, attempting to find an escape route. Robert walks into the room, hidden blades drawn. Paul grabs a knife from his bookcase and begins to stab at him. Robert easily dodges the first jab and disarms Paul by stabbing him in the forearm. Paul drops the knife, holding his bleeding forearm. Robert gets closer and fatally stabs Paul with his other hidden blade. Paul drops to the floor dead. Robert leaves the room and exits the through the window from which he entered.
Robert returns home a few minutes later. He takes off his gear and eats a quick meal. Carol was asleep, Christine was sleeping soundly in her crib. He too goes to sleep.
Christine's Childhood[]
First Day of School[]
Christine, age 10.
Years pass since that night. Christine, now 10 years old, is attending elementary school. It is her first day. She sits alone on the bus, not familiar with the other kids just yet. She arrives at school shortly after and heads for her classroom. As she enters, the kids in the class give her a weird stare. Some chuckle, others look confused. She sits down in the middle row of desks. Around her are an even number of boys and girls, still giving her a weird look.
- Boy- "Hey what's wrong with your ears? Are you an elf or something?
- Girl- [giggles] "And what's up with your eyes? That color is terrible!"
The kids around her laugh hysterically. Christine then covers her ears and closes her eyes, trying to avoid any more insults. Despite her efforts, the kids continue to call her names. The kids chanted "Elf Girl" over and over. Christine had never been insulted by her appearance. She did in fact have Pointed ears and red irises. It was a mutation that runs in her family on her father's side. The teacher walked in, and the kids suddenly got quiet. Christine got slightly more comfortable, but she still was hurt by their insults.
At lunch, she sat alone. The kids across the lunchroom were still making remarks. Other kids started not to care and felt bad for her.
Christine walked home. It took her about an hour, but it was worth it to avoid any more insults. She walked inside, dragging her book bag with a sad expression on her face. He father was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper. He looked at her briefly and then back to the newspaper.
- Robert- "How was your first day?"
- Christine- "Awful. My classmates made fun of my eyes. And my ears."
- Robert- "And you didn't say anything to the teacher?"
- Christine- "No... I thought they'd hate me if I told on them."
- Robert- "Don't be ridiculous. Even if they did, that's not your problem."
- Christine- "Were you made fun of when you went to school?"
- Robert- "Only for a short while. But I made sure they knew that I wasn't the one to be pushed around!"
- Christine- "You beat them up?"
- Robert- "I sure did. But I don't want you picking fights."
- Christine- "You don't want me getting hurt?"
- Robert- "No. I Don't want you hurting them!"
- Christine- [laughs] "What are you talking about? I'm not a fighter!"
- Robert- "You're a Vice, Christine. This mutation of ours gives us great vision, hearing, stamina, and strength. Even if you don't know how to fight, you're still stronger than the average Sim"
- Christine- "Oh... I get it."
- Robert- "Now start your homework. You may have to make yourself dinner tonight. I'm not sure what time your mother's shift ends tonight and I have to work late."
- Christine- "Aww...again? We hardly get to eat as a family!"
Robert stands and puts on his suit jacket. He grabs his brief case and heads to the door.
- Robert- "Sorry Sweetie... maybe next time."
He leaves the house. Christine sits alone once more. She pulls her homework out of her bag and starts. It takes her 30 minutes to complete. By that time, it was already dark outside. She makes herself some soup and goes to bed. She hated being alone.
Christine hardly really had a relationship with her parents, only seeing them briefly during the weekdays. Her mother was always tired from her work as a surgeon and slept most of the day. Robert usually left for work early in the morning and would come home late when Christine was asleep. Sometimes he would even go out after work to do some type of job that involved "targets". This is as much as She knew about her parents. On weekends, they were home sometimes. Since her mother had a hectic schedule, she often had to leave randomly for emergencies at the hospital.
Teenage Years[]
Christine still had a hard time fitting in. Her parent's schedule was still the same. She wasn't made fun of as much as she was when she was a child. Many kids ad matured since then. Some even became her friends. Christine joined the track team and many other sports teams. She was far better than the other kids thanks to her mutation and became the captain of each team.
This gained the respect of many other teens at her school and even those she competed against at competitions.
Christine still wondered what her father did after work. One night she stayed up to see.
Robert walked in, still wearing his assassin robes. His knives were still dripping blood and there was mud on his boots. He walked into the back room. Christine walked in behind him, catching him by surprise.
- Robert- "Christine! What are you doing up?"
- Christine- "Is that...blood?"
- Robert- "Don't worry about it. Get some rest."
- Christine- "I want to know what you've been doing all these years dad!"
- Robert- "You're not old enough to know just yet."
- Christine- "Does mom know about what you do?"
- Robert- "She does. But we both agreed to keep this a secret from you. At least until you were old enough to know."
- Christine- "Did...did you kill someone?"
- Robert- "I said don't worry about it Christine. Now go to bed."
Christine frowns and goes to bed. Robert sits in the back room for a minute and sighs.
Christine eats dinner with her parents.
The years of cooking for herself made Christine an excellent cook. She even dreams of becoming a five star chef now. One night after track practice, Christine returned home to find that her parents were both home. Dinner was already on the table, which was unusual. She walked closer to the table and sat down.
- Christine- "What's this?"
- Carol- "Dinner. I had some free time...so I cooked for us."
- Christine- "I must be dreaming."
- Robert- "No, you're well awake. I thought It'd be nice to eat dinner as a family for a change."
Christine smiled as Carol gave her a plate. For once, Christine got to eat dinner with her family. Her birthday is coming up soon. Her 18th birthday to be exact. In the Vice family, that is when your life changes forever.
The Bridgeport Assassin Order[]
It was a Sunday morning, Christine's 18th birthday. A few friends came over to celebrate with her. It was a small party, but it was enough to make a person happy about becoming older. The party lasted for about two hours. By the time it was over, it was night. Walter and Christine sat on the couch. It was time she knew about the Vice family's true line of work.
- Robert- "I think it's time for you to know."
- Christine- "About what?"
- Robert- "About what our family really does. Why we have this...mutation."
- Christine- "I'm listening..."
- Robert- "A long time ago, some scientists were doing work...work that involved genetically enhancing Simkind. This was thought to be an impossible task. But they didn't give up. The ones who were persistent... they experimented on Sims with already good genes. One of those Sims was Jerrod Vice, my grandfather. This experiment caused many Sims to die, but for some reason, Jarrod survived."
- Christine- "That's where these traits came from? Some experiment?"
- Robert- "Yes. Exactly. Since Jarrod was the only one who survived, scientists were trying to get their hands on him. They wanted to know why he didn't die. For protection, Jarrod ended up running into the Bridgeport Assassin Order."
- Christine- "Assassin Order? I learned in school that it was disbanded centuries ago."
- Robert- "That's what we need the public to think. The Assassins protected Jarrod from the scientists by killing them. One, by one. To show his gratitude, Jarrod joined the order. Ever since then, the Vice family has been an Assassin family. My dad was an Assassin, I am an Assassin."
- Christine- "So I was right then...you do kill people.."
- Robert- "Only those with bad intent and are corrupt. No innocent people. At least that's how I work."
- Christine- "So why wait to tell me now?"
- Robert- "It's your 18th birthday. It's family tradition for one to join the order at 18."
- Christine- "I don't know...I mean I don't want to kill anyone."
- Robert- "Christine, our family owes our lives to this order. It would be right to join."
- Christine- "But I don't want to be an assassin. I want to be a cook."
- Robert- "How could being a cook be more important than protecting the innocent?"
- Christine- "It's my dream! And every Sim has the right to fulfill their lifetime wishes!"
- Robert- "This Order is bigger than that."
- Christine- "I'm not going to join. End of discussion"
Christine gets up and leaves the house. Robert wipes his forehead and sighs. Carol walks over to him.
- Carol- "Let her be Robert."
- Robert- "I'm trying to protect her. Those people are still out there."
- Carol- "Its fine right? We haven't seen any real trouble for years."
- Robert- "I know. I just have a bad feeling...that's all."
Meanwhile, Christine had driven across town to the sports bar. She sat at the counter with a small party drink. There was a big game on the TV and the bar was crowded with hardcore Lamas fans. A man sat next her and ordered a drink. He looked at the screen briefly, then to Christine.
- Alan- "Excuse me young lady, are you by chance Christine Vice?"
- Christine- "Yes...but how do you know my name?"
- Alan- "I'm Alan Sharp, I'm acquainted with your father"
- Christine- "Oh."
- Alan- "Others in the Order have high respect for that man you know. He could actually be the next Assassin Mentor."
- Christine- "So you're and Assassin too huh?"
- Alan- "I was. I'm retired now. But there has been word going around...the scientists know where you live."
- Christine- "You know about that too? And what do you mean 'they know where I live'?"
- Alan- "Yes, as I've said before I know your father and his background. I know of the experiment. Those people were looking for your family for years. I've got information telling me that they know where you live."
- Christine- "What does this have to do with me?"
- Alan- "You carry the DNA of your father. You are in a lot of danger being out here alone young lady."
Christine stands up slowly, looking towards the door.
- Christine- "You sure know a lot about my father to only be his "acquaintance"..."
- Alan- "I do my research."
Christine heads out the door and gets in her car. "What a creepy old man she thought". She then started her car and exited the parking lot.
Fall of Vice[]
Robert and Carol sat in the living room watching TV. Carol got up to get a snack from the refrigerator. As she approached the fridge, a fire bomb was thrown into their window. She screamed as Robert stood in shock. The bomb exploded, setting fire to all things in the kitchen. The phone was the first to burn, calling the fire department was no longer an option. Robert attempted to kick the front door down to get outside, but the door appeared to be barricaded. Carol eventually passed out from the lack of oxygen in the house. Robert picked her up and searched for a way out. Christine pulled up to see the house engulfed in flames.
She looked at the front door to see concrete tablets in front of the door. She attempted to lift them, but they were too heavy for even her enhanced strength. She went around back to the screen door. The lock had melted into the door's inner workings and sealed it shut. She smashed the window open, flames spewed through the window. Robert called out to her through the fire.
- Robert- "Christine! Get out of here!"
- Christine- "Dad! Are you ok!?"
- Robert- "No, I'm not going to make it out! Listen to me carefully!"
- Christine- [tears in her eyes] "Ok!"
- Robert- "I need you to get to safety! There's a town called Sunset Valley! It's far away from here! You'll be safe there!"
- Christine- "I can't leave you here!"
- Robert- "Christine, please. I'm trapped under one of the beams, your mother can get out, but I'm not going to make it!"
- Carol- [coughs] "If anything happened to you we could never forgive ourselves!"
- Christine- "O-ok...I'll go."
Robert and Carol smile to each other one last time. They then look towards the window to see Christine, helpless. The house suddenly explodes, Christine is blown off of her feet and hits the ground hard. The impact knocks her out instantly.
To the Valley[]
Christine awoke days later in a hospital. There was a doctor in the room as well as a few nurses.
- Doctor- "I see you're awake. We were quite worried there for a moment. Nurses, you may leave."
The nurses nod and leave the room, closing the door behind them.
- Christine- "Where am I, where are my parents?"
- Doctor- "You're in the hospital ma'am. As for your parents...I'm afraid they died in the fire.
- Christine- [places her hand over her eyes] "God...why?"
- Doctor- "Once you're feeling better, there is a car arranged for you."
- Christine- "Car?"
- Doctor- "Yes. Your parents wanted you to leave Bridgeport right? There is a car prepared for you to take you to Sunset Valley."
- Christine- "How did you..."
The doctor pulls out a necklace with the Assassin logo on it. It was the same necklace that her father wore. Christine began to say something, but the doctor put his finger to her lips.
- Doctor- "Shh. The secret is safe with me. Your father was a very close friend of mine."
- Christine- "Thank you."
- Doctor- "I'd recommend leaving as soon as possible. I fear that those fiends will be after you if they find out you survived."
- Christine- "Who?"
- Doctor- "There are some Assassins of our order who have betrayed us. They gave the scientists information on your family. I've only managed to catch a few of these traitors. But I guess it wasn't enough."
- Christine- "Thank you for trying. But I don't see why they'd betray us."
- Doctor- "They think of your family as a threat. New, stronger Sims. Better than the others. Your father was one of the best if not the best at what he did because of your mutations. The scientists..I'm not even sure what organization they are from...are paying and threatening some of our members for information."
- Christine- "That's awful. I've got to get out of this town."
- Doctor- "Like I said earlier, whenever you are ready, there is a car prepared for you."
The next day, Christine was fully healed, despite having a house explode in her face. She packed what little belongings she had that were salvaged from the fire. Paintings of her family that she had painted, and some clothes were among the few things that were saved. She got into the car. The driver was a part of the Bridgeport Assassin Order as well. They then drove out of the city. Christine was now headed to Sunset Valley.
Next Chapter: Christine's Story (writing)