With his hands in his pocket and head down, Richard walks down the dark, mostly abandoned street. It was late, most law abiding citizens were at home with their families. 'But not people like me' Richard thought, with a smirk. He wore that smirk for the rest of the walk, during which he kept his head down. He didn't need to be spotted, he had enemies after all. He memorized the way by now, he visited around once a week. The walk was cold and long, but he didn't mind it, it was warm where he was heading, and he was about to make some money. That thought made his heart beat with anxiety and his walk seem shorter. He didn't realize he was, until he heard the faint buzzing and saw the flickering neon shine on the sidewalk, effectively coloring it an obscure off pink color. Richard lifted his head and fondly glanced at the flickering sign, hung haphazardly on the front of the building, placed at the back of an alleyway squeezed between two taller buildings. The sign lit the alleyway around him the same off pink color as the pavement below his feet. The coloring made him question if you could buy discount neon. If you could, no doubt the owners of the establishment would. 'The Spread Eagle' Richard read, with a certain fondness for the lewd name. The logo was a cat laying on its back in the spread eagle position, with an eagle soaring downward, like it would when it was hunting. Richard asked the bartender a few times why they chose that logo, it didn't quite make sense, he said, but the bartender only shrugged and said "Mr. Perry is a bit of an eccentric" Richard scoffed at this and replied 'You mean he's batshit?' That got him a dirty look and a pouty bartender, no doubt they wanted to refuse to serve him, but the desperately needed money and Richard was a heavy tipper. Shaking his head Richard realized he was staring, so he shuffled up to the rotting, cracked wooden door and gave it a shove, the doorknob was just decorative, because of the state of the frame around it you didn't even need to twist it.

        The familiar heat of the bar, and the jukebox playing staticy music that nobody could really place, sitting behind the old pool table and cues. He shoved past a woman talking with her friend with a wink and went to order a drink at the bar. The drinks were warm, the liquor shitty, and stools uncomfortable, just the way he liked it. Richard ordered a shot of Cuervo and Jameson's to loosen him up some, after shot 5 or six he started flirting with the people around him, some got him nervous giggles, some slaps, and some hairy fists in his face, he didn't really mind though, it's part of the fun here. He took another shot and headed over to the pool table where two burly guys with thick beards and tattered jeans were playing pool at a decent level. 'Show time' Richard mumbled under his breath, before drunkenly stumbling into one of them, pretending to be more drunk than actually was. This got his a rough shove and a curse from the darker haired oaf.

"Psh, sorry man, I've had a few too many, you mind if I join in your game?" Richard asked with a fake slur

"Heh heh, why not man, but you gotta pay the buy in and any more bets" Replied the lighter haired man, clearly hoping to make more money than he was from his friend.

"Alright mate, I've got plenty of cash to spare!!" Richard exclaimed before grabbing a cue and handing the man a 100$ bill, 50 more than the buy in. "Let's start playing!"

       Richard threw the first game, pretending to be too drunk to be able to line up a shot, the dark haired man won, which earned a grunt from his friend. 'You always win, it's not fair' he said. To which Richard responded 'I bet I can beat him, double or nothing'. He stumbled again poking the big mans chest 'Unless you're chicken' he added with a smirk. The big man accepted his challenge with a smile, pleased he was gonna make more money tonight. Richard stopped playing drunkenly and easily beat the big man, who was too clumsy with his gorilla arms to line up the more delicate shots. Richard quickly pocketed the last of the money as the oaf sunk the 8 ball.

"You cheated!" The dark haired one said

"It was just beginners luck, I'm sure" Responded Richard, "You wanna try another go?" he asked, hoping to coax more money out of the thugs. 

"I don't play with cheaters, you're gonna give us back our money and some of yours for the trouble you caused" He said, threateningly

Richard glanced around the room, and discovered the gorilla man had a couple other friends, one just as big and hairy a him, plus another one, who sported a wiry frame with pencil thin arms and legs, no doubt quick enough to catch up to him if he ran. 'Come on guys! I won fair in square" Richard said, jerking his arm away from the oaf, the lighter haired one took a clumsy swing at him with his cue, which was easily ducked, and the cue smashed right into the dark haired ones face and sent him back over the table, Richard quickly grabbed the 8 ball and his beer from the table and darted away from the duo by the table, the big one by the door tried to stop his but Richard made sure he got a face full of 8 ball, which was sure to make him lose a few teeth. He shouldered the door open, and shot the bartender a wink before darting out the door, Gorilla, blondie and twiggy alien man were hot on his heels, the fourth incapacitated on the floor. He darted out the door and ran through the alleyway, he ran for a few minutes, until he thought he was safe. He turned the nearest corner and bent over, putting his hands on his knees, laughing hysterically. He downed his beer, and slumped over, before sprawling onto the sidewalk, apparently twiggy caught up and shoved him to the ground and followed up with a kick before he could react, the kick landed right in his diaphragm and winded him, almost making him lose his lunch. He rolled onto his back and threw the beer bottle with the last of his strength striking the alien man right in the forehead. He fell beside him. Richard heard heavy steps, knowing Gorilla much not be far off, he rolled onto his knees and pushed himself up and darted into the nearest alleyway, tripping and sprawling onto the gravel, he crawled behind a stack of cardboard boxes and threw up. Hearing the footsteps not far off he slumped over into a sitting position and chuckled.

"Shouldn't have drank Jameson's"

Richard drops to his knees having the wind knocked out of him for a second time, he really hates this Gorilla, he shouts some taunt that he doesn't really remember at one of them, coaxing another hit, bracing himself Richard waits for the pain, but instead he hears a whistle, looking up he sees Vincent standing there in all his glory, and at that moment, not that he would admit it later he could've kissed him. Richard stands up while the big oaf is distracted, and his friend is walking toward Vincent and throws all his weight into a punch that connects with the Gorillas ear, he stumbles, which gives Richard time to jump at him biting his ear and landing punches where ever else he could fit in. Richard imagines he looks like, what he would expect looks like, a monkey fighting a bear. His blondie friend just stares at Richards savage bites and punches, momentarily forgetting about Vincent who was drawing closer

Richard gets up, blood splattered on shit and a bit on his face, knuckles bloody, clothes muddy.

"Met them at a bar, pretended to be drunk and bet on a game of pool, they were just sore losers" Richard laughs at the memory

"And it would also happen that some of the people in there didn't appreciate my drunken flirting.." Richard rubs a bruise on his cheek smirking at Vincent

Richard chuckles and sighs contently "Alright Vincent, after you"