The Corroded Mind of Alexandra [GTA V]

"This Is A Land Of Monstrosities. And I Am No Exception." - Karla, Dark Souls 3

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As Franklin and Lamar converse, Alexandra closes her eyes, taking a minute to sort through her thoughts while rubbing Chop's head. The chaos of Los Santos was still blaring all around her, but she paid it no mind. At least, until the conversation reached a certain point:

"You think running repos for those Armenian fraudsters was serious? Man, please."

"Nah. That's why I didn't come at your ass for fucking shit up."

"I fucked it up? Man, you the genius that crashed through the dude's window."

"So that's what I heard the other day. That was you?"

"Yeah. But the man had a gun to my fucking head. And Lamar, you're the one who fucked with them eses, man."

"When you met a man who could tell you what to do?"

"Like I said, man, this dude is serious. Creeped on me like some stealth shit."

"Fool, you slippin'."

"You don't wanna fuck with this man, dog, even you."

Alexandra grows interested at this.

"Did you get his name?"

"You think I could ask questions with a gun to my head?"

"It depends."

"Well, my life was depending on whether I spoke or not."

Alexandra snickers, before going silent, resting her head against the metal van's interior. She thinks over the past week, and how her mentality has so rapidly changed. Her thoughts shift and mold as if lava flowing through the earth, hardening in each crack to seal nature's wounds.

'I used to not laugh so much. Even though it's only been twice this past week, I'm used to the frown that I see in waters reflecting my visage. I thought that since my dealer died a few months ago I'd be fucked, and I was. At least until you arrived... What happened on that night, Nicholas?'

...I can't say, for reasons that you'll hopefully never have to understand.

"I been told he up in this alley" Lamar says, as Franklin pulls up to the alleys entrance. As he goes to park the van, Alexandra speaks:

"Make sure it covers the entire alley entrance. If he escapes, that'll make this a lot harder. Also, face the side door towards the alley. It'll make this a whole lot easier to conceal and kidnap our victim."

Franklin looks at her in contemplating silence, then moves the van, aligning it with the alley's width.

"Damn, you sure you're not a serial killer or something?" Lamar jests, hopping out of the passenger's seat, followed by Franklin exiting the same way. They both start walking towards the back of the alley. Alexandra proceeds to look around the van, then starts petting Chop again.

A minute later, a motorbike comes speeding down the alley, before coming to a crashing halt beside the van, luckily not damaging it. She opens the side door to the van and kicks the man in the chest, before dragging him by his dazed head into the van, wheezing all the way.

Franklin and Lamar stop running to look at each other, continuing in a walk, before entering the van again, and driving off. The man eventually catches his breath.

"What's your problem, bitch?" the victim says, attempting to kick Alexandra away to no avail, as she weaves out of the way, and Chop bites his leg.

"AAAAH, FUCK! That bitch just bit me, man! Keep that fucking dog away from me." the man says, looking at the dog baring its teeth at him.

"Man, shut the fuck up" Lamar says, looking back and glaring at the man; a big mistake.

"Ayy, Lamar Davis, is that you, nigga?" He asks, looking at the passenger seat.

"*****, shut the fuck up and just get in" he replies, putting a hand over his upper face.

"Yeah that's you, *****."

"You fucking idiot" Franklin says, admonishing Lamar.

"We gonna stash this dude at my spot" Lamar says.

"We goin' back to your crib? I been there when you was in diapers" the hostage says.

Shut up, man. You ain't recognize me."

"I know it's you even with that flag on. You always been dumb, Lamar."

"Really? Well, I guess that mean we gonna have to shoot yo' ass when we get our forty stacks."

"You ain't gonna pick up shit. Feds gonna be on you before you can even move, *****."

"Bold words coming from a man who's afraid of a little dog. If the police truly cared about this area, do you think it'd be so crime-infested?" Alexandra says, putting a hand on Chop's head.

"Ay, be quiet. I gotta make a call" Lamar says.

"Yeah, we got your homeboy, and we ain't trippin'. We gonna smoke his ass if you don't come with that bread."

Halfway into the conversation, Alexandra taps on the front cage to get Franklin's attention, motioning for him to pull to the side.

"Hey. Smash that damned phone or we're all fucked."

As Lamar finishes his sentence, Franklin's eyes widen in realization.

"What the fuck you gone done? You just gave the cops our location. Now we gotta let this motherfucker outta here." He looks back past Alexandra at the man.

"Get the fuck outta here" he says, then turns to Lamar.

"And gimme that damn phone." He grabs the phone from Lamar's hand and throws it hard out of the window. As he does this, Alexandra opens the door for the man to get out. He looks at her angrily.

"At the end of the day, it's just business. Don't take it too personal."

"Fuck ya'll. I'll be seein' ya'll soon..." the man says, ducking out of the van with Chop biting at his ass.

"I wouldn't suggest that. You got it easy this time around. Remember that."

"This is some bullshit. Take me down the cut" Lamar says angrily as Franklin starts driving again.

They then start arguing, and Alexandra starts to mostly tune it out. Once they reach their destination, Lamar exits the passenger seat and walks up to the van's back, opening it to release Chop. Alexandra's neutral face slightly frowns.

She sits in silence for a second, hearing Lamar walk off, before exiting the van herself. She looks towards Franklin, also sitting in silence, before speaking:

"Is this what usually happens?"

"Unfortunately. I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve his ass."

"That's life. But at the end of the day, there's rarely anybody willing to put their neck out for a friend. The fact you do that for each other shows a strong bond. Make sure it doesn't snap" Alexandra says, before walking off.