Staring down the barrel of a pistol was not Sal's idea of a great welcome to New York. His first few days had been rough, barely making enough to eat, let alone live comfortably. Stealing pocket change from rich asshats didn't get you far, but big jobs required a crew, and Sal had not had much luck in that area. He had joined "Chain of Command", a newly formed crew not long after stepping foot in Detroit, but sadly, he had to watch his new associates get gunned down not moments after joining. 

He kept on the move for a while, making his way slowly to New York, getting the lay of the land as he went, thinking that someday, it may come in handy. He was safe for the moment, no one chasing him as far as he could tell. It seemed the attackers were only interested in taking down Detroit's Upper Structure, and they were allowing the rest to find new homes elsewhere. 

No sooner had he entered New York, he was accosted by a couple goons from what sounded like "Durden's" crew, which he'd not heard of yet. His back to the wall of an alley, he didn't see many avenues for escape, cursing himself for allowing a situation like this to catch him off guard. He was still a bit wet behind the ears.

One thing he did have was courage, or maybe in this case it was foolish pride, but he did not like getting cornered. Seeing no other option, he waited for his moment and flung his shoulder into the midsection of the nearest thug with every ounce of strength he could muster. He was scared for his life, plus full of anger and adrenaline, and that seemed to fuel the attack, to the surprise of the "Durden", taking him completely off his feet and making the gun clatter off into the darkness of the alley.

He didn't bother looking toward the second man, knowing if he shot, he may hit his accomplice, and Sal counted on that giving him a few precious seconds. His clenched fist hammered down into the still surprised thug beneath him, rendering him unconscious and removing one of the threats, but before Sal could turn his attention towards the other Durden, a shot rang out in the darkness, lighting the alley for a brief second.

Sal saw the second man crumple to his knees and fall forward, eyes glazed over, lifeless. The man's gun slid close enough to reach, and Sal wasted no time  grabbing it and bringing it up to bear on the dark alley behind the fresh corpse. There was only silence for a moment, then Sal finally heard movement and a voice.

"Welcome to New York, Dear." Solum 's voice may have been the sweetest thing he had heard in a long time. His life was about to change forever.

Solum, the head of Soul Haven. She had caught wind of who Sal was, her friend, one of her family she had sent off to Detroit but had lost him not long after. Her black hair framed the pale features of her face as she looked at the man on the ground. Her gaze averting the the one she had shot before holstering the gun back inside her leather jacket and smiling softly. Stepping forward the tapping of  her boots on the concrete was a soft beat. The icy blue eyes seemed to pierce through Sal seeing how she was with newer folk who show up on the shore without any intentions on where to go, she reached her hand out with a smile. Taking his hand quickly she helped him up before checking the "durdens" for any funds that would be of use. Taking a bit of cash she slipped half in her pocket, and handed him the rest. 

"I heard from our dear command that he had some associates who had joined him, right before it all happened. I am Solum, nice to meet you dear." She stood straight and looked at him her height at 175.26 cm. She stared at the man before her and spoke again. "Sorry for the abrupt welcome but you seemed lost."

She folded her arms over her chest and kept a eye on him for a bit. "Lets have a chat, and get out of here before the pigs find us." She turned dropping her arms and walking casually out of the ally before they could be found near the bodies.

Solum knew the area much better than Sal, so he followed her out of the alley, stuffing the bills she handed him into his jacket while keeping a close eye out for more "durdens". He wondered to himself how much trouble they were in this area, but he decided to ask her about it later. For now, he was content to follow her to a more private area to chat.

They had not run into anymore trouble as they neared a safehouse a few blocks away. Sal followed Solum inside, noticing the much dimmer setting calmed his nerves some. He had been on edge since the incident, and was very relieved that he could relax, even if for a few moments while they talked.

They took a relatively private seat, backs to the wall, and Solum ordered a coffee from a nearby girl cleaning tables, whispering something in a low tone as she slipped a few bills into her apron. Solum turned to Sal and asked if he'd like one, to which he nodded a response, smiling and slowly scanning the area as they waited for the drinks.

Once the coffee's came, Sal took a sip of his before turning towards his rescuer.

"The name's Salvatore Maranzano, and I guess thanks are in order for what you did back there. The big question is, how can I repay the kindness?"

Sal took another sip of coffee as he waited her response.