Hit and Run (A Zodiac Story)

Chapter Five- Contemplations

One hour earlier

High above the city, a man sits at his office window, staring out at the gray sky. It's rather cold out, the first signs of the quickly approaching winter are beginning to show. 

He flicks open his lighter, striking it once, twice, thrice, and the flame blazes to life, warm light spilling across his face. The lighter meets his cigar and the acrid smell of tobacco fills the room. He takes a long drag from the pipe, then slowly exhales, a soft plume of smoke billowing out. 

Serpent Enterprises. Oh, how it had grown over the years. The company had flourished under his guidance, slowly dominating more and more businesses as the competition grew more heated. 

Ophiuchus had crept up the business ladder slowly but surely, overtaking those who lagged behind, but still remaining largely unnoticed. Until now, that is. Now Serpent Enterprises is a multi-billion dollar company, at the very top of all businesses. Serpent owns many name brands, offering a wide variety of goods to the market from technology to food to entertainment. But of course, the company would no way be as close to as rich it was now without some... circumventing the law business. 

In the black market, Ophiuchus is known as the Bearer, bringing drugs, weapons, and a variety of potions and poisons up for sale. 

No one knows of these two separate lives, and Ophiuchus means to keep it that way. After all, he would have to falter sometime, being at the top for so long, and then the people would know. Everyone would know of how Ophiuchus Serpent had dealt in the scum of the earth, that he was the one slowly poisoning the market fangs first, but by then they would be too late. 

Ophiuchus would have already conquered the world by then. 

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"Now, that's no way to treat your future comrades, right?" 

Everyone is silent for a moment. But then begins the barrage of questions. 

"What do you mean, comrades!?" 

"I'm not working with gangsters!" 

"Hey, fuck you too, Sunshine-"

"Who the hell even are you?" 

Pisces sets Libra down in the grass as gently as possible, then moves closer to listen to the man in front of them. She sees everyone doing in the same as well. They gather into a loose circle around him. However, she notices, the group is already splitting- Stars Above stands on one side, while the A-Squad are on the other. 

"Well, I gathered the most dangerous gang and the top squad of the best police department in the country for a reason. You all have skills. Good skills. And I am going to put those skills of yours to use." The man announces, spreading his arms wide. 

"What the hell are you spewing now?" 

"Is this all a trick to get us into a jail cell quietly?" 

"How about you tell us your name first?" 

The man holds up his hand, a flicker of anger crossing his face. "Now, I don't expect you to trust me. But I will give you my name- you may call me Orion Hunter. I have a plan, and you are all key roles of it. I will need your cooperation and help to make it succeed, though." 

"What's in it for us?"

The man grins. 

"Ah, Gemini, isn't it? You have quite the eye for business, I can see. As expected of the most successful drug dealer in the city."

Gemini's eyes narrow. No one outside of the gang itself knows that he is the head of the drug ring- that role is played off onto other people as to make an easy scapegoat. Across from him, Taurus' eyes widen, and she nudges Virgo's shoulder as if making sure she's not hearing things.