Herbert arose from his bed after and extremely long night of sleep. For a moment he felt better, well rested, ready to take on the day. It didn’t take long though before reality set in and he remembered what had happened late in the night the day previous that had made him so tired to begin with. “Fuck,” he said to himself as he rolled out of bed grabbing the revolver that was on the nightstand next to him, shoving it in the waistband of his pajamas as he walked down the hall of his high rise to the bathroom. Though everything had been taken care of with the vigilantes in the streets, thing would never be the same. Lilith was gone. Deuce street was no more. To make matters worse those who had done the deed were former members. Looking at himself in the mirror Herbert knew it was time to do what he did best. Nodding to himself after a deep thought he got in the shower and prepared for what was to come next.

Not to long after that he arrived on the streets to address the masses. He had a lot of thoughts in his head but he didn’t know exactly what it was he was going to say. The best way to move forward, he supposed, was to just go ahead and start speaking. The words will come.

“Well, here we the fuck are ladies and gentleman. A few roguish fools did what they do best and caused a muck around here and those of us left standing have been chosen to pick up the pieces and move froward. I can’t really say I am all to surprised it happened. I’m just more surprised who the perpetrators were to begin with. Maybe that’s my own nativity but never the less I’m here to address you, the masses, for the last time under the name of Deuce street. Maybe because I think I have to, maybe because deep down I need to, or maybe because this is the best damn eulogy I could hope to give for my godmother, but whatever the reason here I am.”

Herbert paused for a moment as he gathered himself, thinking about what he wanted to say.

“Trust is something you earn. It’s something you build over time. When you meet someone, you don’t start out trusting them but as you get to know them, work with them, laugh with them, cry with them trust is formed. It’s a sacred thing if you think about it, a precious commodity not like any other. When you betray someone’s trust you’re cashing in that commodity and you might not be able to get it back. You’re gonna have to earn it again and this time it’s gonna be harder than before. Some people think that money or power or skill with the gun is the most important commodity around here but I think it is trust. Trust is what keeps you alive when others want you dead. Trust is knowing that your soldiers have your back when the going gets tough. Trust is being able to work with your allies when you plot against your enemies. Trust is earning the rank of Made Man from your crew leader, earning the authorization to set up a family, earning the title of right-hand man, or even earning the title of Godfather. You can’t get anywhere in this world without trust, so when you decide to lose it over a power play, you have to think about what you’re giving up.

Lilith trusted SpikeS and Squarepusher for the entirety of time they were in our family. Now I know some of you may be familiar with these bloodlines. Spike, someone who seams to be friends with everyone until the time comes that he can use that friendship to his advantage and JesusTheGangster, someone who is loyal up to the point where he’s reached the peak he can reach with you and then looks for a way to use you as a stepping stone in his never-ending quest to reach the top, but Lilith looked past that and trusted these two men. There were many times when the thought was had that these men should not be left to their own devices but we set out on a mission here in Deuce Street, and indeed across the country, when we came into power that we would all let the past be the past and we would trust and protect our members until the day came that we could not protect them anymore. Lilith stood up and defended these men tooth and nail, time and time again because she trusted them and had a set of morals she was not willing to set aside. An admirable trait these two wish they could claim. In the end, these two used what they were given to do what they do best, take advantage of a friendship to gain something and step on the head of the person who was the reason they were allowed to hone their skills to begin with.  

Now, I can’t say I blame them for what they did, much like the crocodile can’t blame the scorpion. I even understand why it happened, a story about a lovesick heart and an excuse about activity level older than the shores we stand on. Truly, I have to applaud them for how well they executed their plan. I’ll give it to Squarepusher as I’ve told him to his face, he’s one of the best strategists these shores have ever seen. But what I do need to ask these two, and indeed to anyone who has plans like this is, was it worth it?

Considering how Deuce Street and this current regime came to be I would be a hypocrite if I said it was never right to rogue but, in the end, when the chips are down and the dust has settled, is what you gained worth more than what you lost? If trust is indeed is the most precious commodity in this thing of ours you seem to have lost all of the trust you may have once had. And for what? A few dead Dons and Godfathers with more ready to step up and take their place while you lie in the dirt and your bloodlines hide in the shadows. Is this current outcome worth the long-term hit to your character? A hit that will be here long after those of us in power are all dead. Remember, trust is earned over time. The question you need to ask yourself is, can you earn it back with the time you have left?”

Herbert steps down from his soapbox and shakes his head. He was about to leave before pausing for a moment, remembering the honor his bloodline, and more importantly Lilith’s, set out to keep.

 “To the fallen, including our adversaries, I say rest in peace. Your Kin are welcome in this world.”

And with that Herbert was off.

BlackBlack listens in to what Herbert has to say, smoking his cigar and sipping at his imported single malt whisky. He lets Herbert finish before offering him some whisky.

"Well said mate, while we might all be crooked, we have some honor amongst ourselves. All this has shown is that those who step out of line are dealt with swiftly. It's just a shame they did so much damage this time around..."

BlackBlack takes another swig from his hip flask then stumbles off down the road. He mutters to himself:

"rough week indeed. I need a sleep."

To be fair, you guys did just kill half of the world after the fact. So it at least woke up the sleeping bears.