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“Hey buddy what the [censored] is the big idea?” The man’s quip was cut short as a baton connected with the back of his head
“[censored]…what the hel-“Again was his words cut short, this time by a fist striking him in his left temple, the man’s vision swam and he could barely make out the figure in front of him. The figure was tall, his shoulders were broad and he was dressed nicely. A black pinstriped suit and black fedora, his tie was a dark crimson red and an expensive looking silver watch hugged his left wrist tightly.
“Now listen here you grody four-flusher, I’m pretty damn frosted right now so I recommend you make it snappy and beat it.” The well-dressed man said, his voice filled with barely contained rage. The man sitting at the Black Jack table in front of him squinted and rubbed his temple but didn't make an effort to move
“What the [censored] di-“ For the thrice time the man was cut short, once more by a baton, this time against his kidney. The man coughed as the air from his lungs was beaten out of him. He raised up his hand in a vain gesture to stop the beating but his request was met with him being pulled from his stool and thrown onto the floor. The tall man in the pinstriped suit removed his fedora and adjusted his tie before speaking.
“Alright you polecat you asked for it,” The man said before turning his attention to the trio of other men in suits around the prone man. “Take out the trash boys.”
“You got it boss.” The largest of them said before grabbing the man and dragging him to his feet. “Cheaters don’t last long in Vegas bub.” The large man barked as he threw the beaten man out onto the Vegas Strip. His body cleared the first three steps but he landed with a loud thud on the fourth and rolled down the last two landing face first in the asphalt. The man cursed as he slowly rose and began to dust himself off, the pounding in his head muffled the sound of the approaching securitron. The man finally noticed and he looked up into the gruff image of a police officer that glowed on its monitor.
“Sir due to your actions at the Oasis Casino, you are here by banned from the Strip. I am here to escort you to Freeside.” The securiton’s voice was cold, the man merely glared angrily at the machine.
“I can find my way out, thank you very much.” The man said gritting his teeth, coughing a little at the end of his remark before turning to leave the Strip.
“Welcome sir.” The securiton’s voice rang out oblivious to the meaning behind the man’s words. The man stumbled slightly in an uneasy walk towards the Strip’s north gate, from a distance one could mistake him for being drunk.
“[censored]in robot, [censored]in House, [censored]in Don Pizzo and his goddam casino, cheating my goddam ass!” The man mumbled in a rant to himself, he briefly stopped outside the Lucky 38 and looked up at the Penthouse.
“svck my dike House!” he shouted angrily waving his fist
“Mr. House doesn’t take orders.” A nearby securitron responded with, the man chuckled and continued his uneasy walk to the North gate and then into Freeside. Freeside was as it had always been, loud, dirty, dark and smelling like ripe ass. The man grimaced at the sight of a few street urchins chasing a giant rat, hunger in their eyes.
Poor bastards
The man continued his slackened march past the King’s School of Impersonation and past the criers of the Atmoic Wrangler, Silver rush and finally past the brat yelling on the corner for Mick and Ralph to the Mormon Fort. A smile crept across the man’s face, a bed and maybe some ice for his head. He weakly stepped through the arch and headed to one of the tents, he was greeted by a white haired doctor who seemed to be in his mid-thirties.
“What troubles you?” The doctor asked not looking up from a clipboard he was writing in.
“I’m beat to [censored], what are you blind?” The man responded with, still heated about his encounter with Don and his Casino goons.
“I’m sorry that my question to determine what sort of free medical services I would need to use was not adequate sir.” The doctor replied sarcastically looking up from his clipboard, black rimmed glasses over his blue eyes. One could make out his name tag if one looked closely
Dr. Gannon
“Hey [censored] you man!” The man spat angrily
“Sorry, I like my men tall dark and handsome.” Came the reply from Dr. Gannon, the man infuriated by the doctor’s words took a swing at him. Arcade ducked under the swing and swatted the clip board against the man’s already
bruised kidneys. The man collapsed as the air escaped from his lungs.
“Guards get this guy out for here.” Gannon shouted out the door of the tent, two guards armed with assault rifles dragged the man out of the tent.
“Can’t believe someone would act this way around the Followers, this man is no better than an animal.” Said the guard on the man’s left
“Boy you said it.” Replied the one on the right as they tossed the man out on to the Freeside Street.
“Can’t have you threatening everyone in here, come back when you cool off.”