The Park Place area has turned into a hot bed of tension. Minor gangs looking to prove themselves, and drug dealers from other regions looking to expand their reach; it all encroaches on Mike's turf. It's a gentleman's warning at first, being that the eldest Briggs would rather assert himself over violence. None would heed his polite demand to keep it moving, but this was something Mike figured to be the case. Warnings will turn into threats, and disregarded threats will force him to act. Willing to get his hands a little dirty, Mike and his crew will start the dangerous process of reclaiming their territory. It will be a messy affair that is a back and forth of brutal beatings, random acts of vandalism, and threats of gun violence at first. There is somewhat of a humane approach to Mike's handling of the situation, despite him putting some of his foes in the hospital. He has not drawn a gun throughout the process up to this point, which is out of character to most. He's built a reputation around the area for being a killer, but this has spread more through word of mouth versus eyewitness accounts. Mike has never bragged about any of his dealings, so he wouldn't be the source of the tales surrounding him. He's discreet, calculated, and thoroughly ruthless. He doesn't let his emotions dictate his actions, he weighs his options, and he'll move when it is best to do so. His soft approach was just him assessing the new threats, testing their resolve, and coming to the realization that they're serious. The persistent retaliation against Mike and his crew indicates the need to escalate. The invasive gangs are determined to take over the area, but they're not united. A gang war starts in the neighborhood for a block Mike has claimed for years, and so he feels insulted by the two rival factions fighting over it. He doesn't pick a side, they're both his enemy, and the goal is to make them all pay. Soon the gunshots flow, the stakes are real, and people begin to die. The Park Place area reaches a boiling point, and this is when things are too dangerous for Terrence. Standing on the corner during this period is a risky act, even more so with selling drugs. It's a deadly game if he's approached by the wrong group, and not even Mike's reputation guarantees he won't anymore. Stepping back from the life is the only option he sees, especially with merely being halfway in it. Despite the distance he puts between himself and his prior hustle, the streets will remember the service he provided for a time. This has him on the radar of others, specifically that of Mike's opposition. Even though no threat has presented itself, Terrence simply refuses to take that chance. He keeps a low profile, becomes more of a home body, and plans to move away in time. The current outside factors may have kickstarted this process, but it will be the in-home dynamics that'll hold it in place. The question mark of what to do with Alton is still a thing, one Terrence has given up on. His baby brother is still progressing in the wrong direction, to the level that he's now terrified of Alton's psychotic ways. His pleas to find his brother some help has fallen on deaf ears, and his admittance to being concerned about his safety around the boy has been frequently dismissed. He feels backed in a corner, forced to endure like an injured gazelle being preyed upon. He's alone in his fears with his brother, it makes him wonder if he's perhaps overreacting? Alton will answer this question for him, and it will leave no room for doubt. The day Alton goes missing is the changing point. He will not be seen or heard from for over twenty-four hours. A search party is quickly assembled for him, spearheaded by his overly worried family. The search will go on for two days with no leads on his whereabouts, but that will all change on the third day. An anonymous tip that is specifically given to Mike will provide the first clues. A location will be given within the downtown region of Norfolk, and this is reported to be where a recent spotting of Alton has occurred. Upon receiving this information, Mike will grab his brother Terrence and make their way to the location. This decision will be made in the middle of the night, a timeframe they doubt is helpful with finding their brother. Nevertheless, they will hop into Mike's red 1995 Chevy Camaro Z-28 and peel off towards the downtown region.
"Imma kill da mufucka when we find him," Mike says disingenuously, but more so out of irritation.
"Are we sure this location is where Alton is," Terrence inquires out of curiosity, though his mood is hopeful.
"Da fuck if I know," Mike blurts almost immediately, still frustrated by the situation,
"But we haven't had anything to work with. Let's just check out this place really fast."
Shortly after this brief exchange, the two will arrive at the given location. It is not too far from Norfolk Southern Lambert's Point Docks on eastside, which is not the greatest location to observe late at night. This ominous background gives a little pause to Terrence, his nerves stiffen, the desire to press forward disappears like a ghostly figure. His face conveys what his feelings are enacting, and this will stall the forward momentum. It will take his brother to get him out of his concerns with a yank of his arm sleeve, and this is an unambiguous gesture for him to keep moving. Mike is too focused on finding his brother to be concerned about his surroundings, he is too engaged in weighing out the best search options for the two; he's doing everything but embracing the fear that is also encroaching on his nerves. It will be this strength that Terrence will lean on during this period, for a sense of stability waivers inside of him. They will continue to venture in this specific location to find the missing piece, that is Alton's whereabouts. It's a needle in a haystack situation with the area having quite a few buildings you can tuck yourself away in, especially if you're not looking to be found. It's a game of chance for the time being, and it will be a cluster of abandoned factories Mike and Terrence will decide to snoop through, hoping to find their brother. As they edge closer to their destination, Mike will lift the right side of his shirt to reveal his concealed Glock 9mm pistol. This is immediately followed by a simple nod with a stern expression, and that will be all Terrence needs with understanding that his brother wants him to follow his lead. After this, they start to head inside a few nearby buildings, cautious is their approach, they feel the anxiety with every new building searched, but no trace of Alton will be found in the places checked. They will waste no time doubling back to search through the next closest warehouse, and it will be there where the two will find what they're looking for. The manner in which they find the person of interest leaves them both speechless. It was the last thing expected, at least in Mike's case. He's shocked at what he sees, and the perplexity of the situation leaves him frozen in place. The same reaction can be said for Terrence, while simultaneously not being that surprised by what he's observing. Alton stands before them amidst what is essentially a crime scene. Laying in the middle of the warehouse floor is a blood-soaked body of a young black girl. She looks to be no older than twelve or thirteen years of age, and it appears she put up a fight before her death. Right behind Alton on a nearby table is another body too mangled to identify either a gender or race. The scenario before Terrence is too surreal to fathom, his fears have come to life before his eyes. While he continues to wrap his brain around all of this, Mike will immediately go into problem solving mode after viewing the disturbing scene. He will go over to Alton in a matter of seconds, and it is at this point where he'll notice his brother is covered in human meat chunks of the deceased. The blood covered hands of Alton display a subtle shake indicating the guilt of his actions, but the deranged expression on his face will say otherwise. The internal war raging inside of him has blurred the lines of his mental state, as the psychosis clash against his obvious regret. The deranged demeaner of his brother startles Mike in the moment, dumbfounded by what he witnesses, but he will gather his wits quickly to do what is necessary. When clarity fully sets in, the eldest Briggs will approach his unhinged brother, grabs his face with both hands with a firmness that pierces through the hardest of hearts, and he will command Alton's attention by his angered gaze. It will be an intense stare down momentarily, as Mike goes back and forth between wanting to kill his brother, thinking of ways to protect him, or simply roughing him up and then protecting him. Alton continuous rage filled expression indicates he's far gone from reality, and he will continually be a danger to society. This is not a scenario Mike would hope for his baby brother. Once he realized he couldn't turn Alton into a criminal, he accepted it, and then started supporting his quest down the better path. Never in a million years would he have thought his brother to be a senseless killer; it's more shocking than he's willing to show. The disappointment in knowing Alton has ruined his life takes over, and it will fuel his actions going forth.
"What da fuck have you done, bro," Mike yells out to his brother while still holding firm to his face, steeped in anger.
Almost immediately after Mike barks this out, Alton's expression goes from a raged filled demeanor to that of a confused and scared individual. It's like a moment of clarity hitting him with tremendous force, and it sobers the boy down to the reality of his prior actions. The sheer horror of knowing that he has just murdered people is too overwhelming to process, and it doesn't take long for the tears to flow from the immense shame he's feeling.
"I don't know what happened," Alton states in a panicked manner,
"I got angry at them... they disrespected me..."
Upon hearing his brother's reply, Mike is left speechless from the shock of hearing his brother's answer. This angers the eldest sibling to the point he begins to slap Alton and screams out,
"DA FUCK DID YOU DO!!! WHAT THE FUCK... DID YOU DO!"
No Sooner after Mike stops his assault on his brother, Alton collapses to the ground and goes into a fetal position. He cries hysterically from the pain of his brother's blows, but also from the intense guilt of his actions. Being an observer to all that unfolds, Terrence is best described as shocked beyond function. He will eventually put his hands on his head to make sense of everything, but he will fail greatly in this endeavor. While he struggles to find the rationale in the moment, he will suddenly black out of consciousness; a defense mechanism he's never realized was in him. Even as the scene before him goes black, the sounds around him will simultaneously distort like a vinyl playing backwards. A sudden spike in heartbeat will pulsate aloud in his ears, and this will be when the internal panic sets in. Terrence has been around a lot of crazy moments in his short life, but nothing even close to this magnitude of craziness. There are a lot of things he can say he has never experienced. He can say he has never left the state of Virginia, he can say he has never experienced true love, or ever had a significant amount of money. One of the many unchecked things in life would have also been observing a dead body; this night will change that forever. Laborious breathing begins once this notion registers in his mind, the established panic elevates the moment, and maintaining his balance eventually becomes a chore. The internal chaos unsettles him to the point of screaming from the madness happening before him, but this will never come about. Not from a strong sense of self control taking a hold, but more from external factors taking over, jolting him out of his blacked-out state. This remedy would be that of Mike grabbing a hold of his brother out of worry, but saying forcefully,
"Terrence, Keep it together! Nigga, I need yo help with Alton. Help me get him up, so we can get em outta here."
"He... he killed those people," Terrence states in an extremely confused manner, still panicked by the ordeal.
Having no patience to process Terrence's feelings in the moment, Mike will disregard his last comment. Instead, he'll pull his brother over to Alton so that they can grab him and go. After another sharp rebuke from Mike to gather his wits, Terrence will snap free from his stupor, and from that point on he will be attentive and clear minded. This will get Mike to ease up a bit realizing his brother is functioning again, and then they will go forth with getting Alton home. Mike knows his brother is a murderer, and he knows that his brother has lost his mind. Even still, jail will not be an option for his kid brother, not if he has any say in the matter. The main objective is to hide away their lunatic brother, pretend that none of what they saw ever happened, and that's that. It's the plan Terrence will agree to go along with, because the last thing he would wish is to worry the rest of the family. That's a small reason he has for holding his silence, but the biggest one is Mike. He's always had a healthy level of fear towards his big brother, and for good reasons. Mike is cantankerous in nature, and Terrence has watched him lose his cool for lesser causes. It was always horrible outcomes of vicious beatings, and even though Mike's rage has never been towards family... Terrence is not taking chances. He dares not challenge the wish of his big brother, but truly he would love to report on what he saw. There is enough fear there to keep him compliant, but unseeing everything he has just witnessed will not be an easy feat; he knows this. He's just unlocked the bane of his existence by agreeing to go along with that which causes distraught, and in time he will discover that the guilt of his decision... dies hard.