Stepping outside, keys in hand before locking the front door of his lowly apartment, Cody's faces winces as the blinding sun scratches the nerve endings of his face - putting his hand up to cover his eyes. Turning left through a crowded street with many working class members that might be his neighbours (He's never had a reason to know), he walks the street in a suit. The suit is a unkept grey two piece suit, with a navy grey tie to add to his attire - creases and stains mark his suit yet it's the only one he owns. 

Taking his legs down to the local laundry mat, he has an interview with the manager there - a old white wrinkled lady, covered in blemishes and moles - seemingly her skin has unendingly seen the sun without the newer invention of sunscreen. Walking into the shop - he pulls on his suit to try and get rid of some of the creases, looking way too proffessional for a job as a Till worker,

"Hello ma'm," Cody talks with his whitest accent possible, having previous failures of interviews. He usually accent could closly resemble generic south west, with a slight twang,

"Yea', whatdo'you want?" The old woman, sitting with a french style cigarette holder, but using very cheap tobacco filling the filter wrapping - she obviously wants to make a statement, but doesn't go fully through,

"We've met before, i'm here for the interview?"

The old woman inhales her cigarette - looking seemingly annoyed, "I don't remember talking people like you," as smoke exhales with every syliable, the smell of dry tobacco filters through the alkaline filled air,

Codys' mouth twinges, his cuffs on his suit seemingly get tighter from the nails digging into his palm, "Well, ma'm, I'm here for the job, and I appreciate what you do for the community - the only laundry mat with free soap tablets, and located next to the hardware store, you truly know your way around a business, people don't have to go far to get what they need," Cody puts on a smile, relaying information about the establishment and giving more than enough enthusiasm for this small time job,

The old woman looks suprised for some reason, as if this knowledge comming out of the person opposite her is unthinkable, "Well aren't you a good egg, but i'm sorry?" She raises her eyes, gesturing for a name,

"Cody Ma'm," 

"Cody?"

Cody braces, "Just Cody ma'm," 

"Well, just Cody, like i was about to say we're full on jobs, you'll have to take your suit somewhere else," 

Cody believes in the good of people, and doesn't react with anything other than a solemn nod as he turns away with his nails digging even deeper - with a fake smile glancing on his face, as he leaves the door and turns the corner, he puts his hands on his face - muffling his scream. Rent is due in a week and his already late for three months, he hasn't eaten anything other than bread and dry meats for even longer. 

A few minutes pass as Cody is against a wall. Codys' nails dig into his eyes still with his brain going through every circumstance of going back on the streets - as he sits numb, the engines of cars echo through the alley, as his wet soiled clothes reaches his skin.

A figure approaches him, he looks familiar, yet Cody only glances before sinking against the wall, luciano_lucky, a double backed trench coat, wearing a three piece suit walks up to Cody. Squatting down - it seems like this figure has been watching him for weeks now, the interllectual prowess is something he wants - seeing Cody live five jobs already, and helping out those that appear close to him - Luciano throws down a wallet made of high quality leather - lining the wallet is a couple of hundred dolla bills. 

His eyes slowly move upwards, Cody already looking at the wallet kinda trembles with his hands, as the figure walks away. Cody starts to stand up as a business card falls out with a phone number and a place of business.. what could this mean?

Few weeks later

"Here's your rent, and rent for next month," Cody stands, with a grin, and a brand new watch attached to his wrist. His tattered suit now repaired, not new - his humbled face shines - as he adopts glasses he can afford. Reading all those books have took some toll on those young eyes - giving himself a bit of an edge that he didn't have before,

"Yea'whatever, you'll be late again, you folks always do," The figure in front of his wearing a wife beater with strands of hair of his shoulder blades and a musk that offends even rats that are investing nearby - nearly balding he snatches the money out of Cody's hand, 
"-And you'll be still be bald, so we're even" Cody, takes a step back with a smirk, tinting his glasses down before turning around walking into the stairwell, walking up to the sixth floor. 

Grabbing his keys to put into his lock, the rumbles behind him of footsteps start - he thinks nothing of it. Having a miasma of keys - he flicks through to find which one is correct one, first one: "Nope", Second one?: "Not that one either," Before taking out the third key - he only notices the door getting closer as an elbow of one of the assailants force him against his door. Breaking his nose - his glasses on his left crack. Fighting unconsciousness - he looks up to a one sided blurry figure. Wearing a trench coat, and a fedora - the quickened fist takes him from disjointed to a black void.

"Prop him against the wall," Luciano_lucky tells his bodyguard, "Give him a wake up call." 
One of the 185cm figures attach an electrical wire onto Cody's ear lobes, turning on the generator, the electric shock brings him back to consciousness, "Wa-" Cody brandishes words, or at least tries to, beginning to cough blood, screaming from the shock - blood spalts out in front of him, "Please, i can make it right," 

"You aren't even going to lie?" Luciano smirks, clicking his fingers as the electric current drives though Cody's ear, "Wrong decision - we don't like snitches in this thing of ours.." 
"OKAY, Okay, tell me - tell me what i need to-" Before he can finish his sentence, his wind is evaporated from his body as the bodyguard strikes him in the stomach,

"Jimmy Come on, didn't have to do that - though i have to admit, the face he made was priceless," Luciano puts his hand on Cody - getting face to face as the winded, scared and whimpering body infront of him starts to tremble, "I want my money Cody," Luciano slaps his cheeks lightly, "Your smart Cody, not many people know that," Luciano flicks a cigarette from his chest pocket, "but not that smart.."

Distant screams are heard in the echo'd warehouse, a thousand volts everysecond being passed into Cody's brain - every thought forming and collapsing in an instant, his eyes bulging, his blood vessles flushing purple through, visable through his black skin, "I'm s-s-sorry bb-bb-boss, i-i-i- believe me," as the last volt sparks through his brain, Luciano standing in his three piece suit has his trench coat buckled on a chair to the far left of the wall, clicking his fingers as everything falls silent.

The cold walls of this heavily reinforced building course through Cody's body - leaving a husk of his former self, barely able to breath, the cold biting air trickles through his spine as the only light available is a single cieling light flickering - barely functional. 

"I know your sorry," Luciano flicking his used cigarette into Cody's purple body as he starts to spasm slightly, face drawn out, lips puffy as he barely is able to swallow any saliva - it rains through his mouth onto himself as Luciano takes a hankerchief from his bodyguard and rips the cords leading from his ear to the generator; "This is your last warning, Cody," Luciano, squatting even further, leaning in further - smelling the burnt meat whispering, "Never take from my pocket, never take from my peoples pocket, never take another breath with those thoughts still in that scrambled brain of yours.. You owe me four thousand, three hundred and-" Luciano pauses, looking to his bodyguard,

"Two, boss," 

"Thanks Jimmy," Turn his head with a shiny toothy grin, "-and two dollas," Standing up, Luciano's Bodyguard grabs his trench coat, turning around as it is placed around his shoulders, "Good luck walking back Cody, it's rough out here in these parts.." 

Few hours later

The sun rises on the beautiful city of Los Angeles, people starting their daily life in the jaws of the city - a small part of the city relishes in a small community. Having a neighbour-hood watch in this part of the city is quite uncommon, "H-hey, is that a person?" One of the community reaches out with a far reaching index finger. 

Five people rush up to a figure laying on the street, riddled with blood and unconcious, "Another one?" One of them remark, "-Well don't just stand there, lets get him some help," The rest aren't used to this type of violence or sight, as they hesitate to rush to help - rushing to his aid. 

A few more hours later

"Sir?" 

"Sir, are you awake?"

"Can we get a nurse in here, he might have brain damage,"

"His convulsing, I need blood thinners,"

"His already lost so much, that will only mak-" As the talks go on, the only thing Cody can hear is a murmer before his deep demise into the far unknown, only knowing darkness as his vision blurs into a concave of swirls and blistered memory. 

"How is he doing doc?"

"At the minute his stable, might need a day or two to rest,"

"You know what they say doc, Time is money - and his time is running out," 

The familiar voice being heard was not a dream right? Cody knows that voice, he has to wake up, You have to wake up - Wake up, wake up "Wake up, wake up" A large breath is drawn as Cody starts to choke on tubes fitted in his throat - a nurse see's as she shouts, "We have a 99!"