Falling Angels

About E4E

Once the daughter of the biggest crime family in his state, now the son of only "God, himself", in his words, Otis Payne is a professional assassin and hit-man, seeking to prove his worth to himself and his peers. His crime group, often called "The Zoo", poking fun at their animal masks, focuses on the "removal" of corruption in their city and even across the state. They work in secret with the cities police commissioner and police force, helping to take care of more radical (and entirely illegal) situations. Specifically cases such as corrupt politicians, killers, sex offenders, and other cases that most may consider irredeemable and criminal, yet the police have no legal control over. As much as Otis hates working for cops, the police commissioner who he takes orders from is quite unorthodox in their way of running things, which Otis can respect and compromise with for the sake of, what he sees as, bringing justice.

Otis lives with his best friend, Rex Yu, who coincidentally was once a victim of the Paynes due to the negligence of his father, Jonas. The Paynes' were responsible for the deaths of Jonas Andrews and his wife, Magnolia Andrews, leaving their son Rex to be, too, attacked by one of the Payne's. The specific man at fault for the destruction of the Andrew's is Damian Payne, Otis's older brother. Damian was given the task of executing Jonas and Magnolia, but his anger stretches beyond that of his parents. He wanted all of the Andrews' gone. Meaning, he would have to eliminate their 16 year old son, Rex, going against his parents orders in a fit of anger and hatred. But in the end, Damian was unsuccessful.

During this time, Otis, at 15 years old, was packing his bags and leaving their home. He recently got into an extremely loud and violent fight with his parents, over many different things, and it resulted in him being emancipated and forced out of their home and family. Once he leaves his home, he goes to Damian's usual place of work to say one final, not-so loving goodbye. This is where Otis and Rex first meet. Otis catches his brother in the act, covered in the other boys blood, his eyeball torn out of it's socket, something Damian does to all of his victims, as a trophy for him to keep, a reminder of the many lives he has taken. Otis knows the boy must still be alive, but he is passed out. Otis knew what their parents ordered Damian to do, and he knows Damian was explicitly told to leave the Andrews' son alive. This is how Otis became the one who saves Rex.

Otis is able to get himself and Rex away from the Paynes, and he brings him to the only relatively trustworthy adult he knows. His (now deceased) best friends older brother, Dr. Yu. with his help, Rex gets the medical attention needed and makes a quick recovery. But, now an orphan, he has nowhere to go. Eventually, he is adopted by Dr. Yu, and they grow quite close over the next couple years. On the other hand, Otis leaves them, keeping in contact, but not relying on them for anything. As the former daughter of a very well known crime family, he's able to get temporary jobs with other criminal orginizations very easily, and this is exactly what he does.

It should be noted, once leaving his old home, he shaves his head and starts going by a new name, his deadname is not listed. Otis has had hormone imbalances since starting puberty, which influenced him to socially transition, mostly for the purpose of discarding his old identity and past life.

At age 18, after over three years of living almost entirely on the streets or in the care of criminal organizations, Otis found himself at rock bottom. He lost his previous job, he still had nowhere to stay, and he was the most depressed he's possibly ever been. He picked up smoking, and he already started excessively drinking, using a fake ID to buy alcohol. With nowhere to go and nobody else trustworthy enough to turn to, he calls the one person he can think of.

About a year ago, when Rex turned 18, he was given ownership of a house once owned by Dr. Yu's parents before their death. It's a small house at the end of a holler pretty far out from the main city, but its a cute house on a good piece of land. Rex excitedly moves into his new home, but soon realizes he doesn't exactly fancy living alone. He decides to call Otis, the one person he knows that may be interested in living with him. Otis declined the offer at the time, but now, a year later, he realizes that maybe it would be nice to have a roof over his head again. Rex happily allows Otis to move in, glad to have company, even if its a bit awkward at first. especially given the fact they previously never got to discuss how they met and their history.

Otis eventually meets a very odd figure, the city police commissioner, and they give Otis a job proposal. This is how The Zoo came to be. The primary members of the group are Christie (also called "Skunkface"), the groups co-manager, Leslie, the primary hitman, and Delaney, who's job is often to distract, trick, and subdue the groups victims. Otis and Christie very quickly get into a relationship, and it lasts for quite a few years, until Christie begins abusing substances and loses control of himself. He one day sees a message on Otis's phone, which causes him to believe Otis is cheating on him with his now very close roommate Rex. In a fit of rage, Chris shows up at their house and attacks Rex, knocking one of Rex's teeth out from how hard his punches were. Otis, horrified by what he sees happening so suddenly, pulls out his gun and shoots Chris three times in the hand, immobilizing him, he then hits him hard in the back of his head with the gun, knocking him out. Eventually, Christopher ends up in the hospital and in rehab for his drug use, and Otis and Rex begin discussing their relationship after this event. They begin exploring the idea of dating after this, realizing that maybe Christophers assumptions about them were right.

As a replacement driver and organizer/manager, Otis hires a young boy, Zackary Keith. He lied about his age to get into the group. Otis does a background check on the boy and realizes this, but he believes the kid has "potential", so he allows him into the group. But, Zackary has to be on close supervision, and he isnt allowed to go on bigger missions, or watch when they execute someone. He doesn't have a good living situation, which Otis ends up helping him with. They become quite close, almost seeing each other as brothers in a way. Otis sees himself in Zackary a lot.

A few months after this, Otis falls very ill. He begins vomiting, feeling very nauseous, and at times being immobilized from pain. For the first few days, maybe a week or so, he believes it's just a stomach bug. But as it continues, he relizes it has to be something else. God no, it can't be, he thinks to himself.

The last person he was with before this was Christopher.

He takes a pregnancy test. And another one. And another.

Positive.

He keeps this a secret from Rex for as long as possible, but after being sick for much longer than he should be, he knows he has to tell him.

Rex isn't mad, not at all. But god is he worried. He never thought he would see him and Otis in a situation like this, but he makes it very clear that it is Otis's decision on what he does regarding the pregnancy.

Otis is unsure of what he should do, or what he wants to do. before this, he thought he was incapable of carrying children due to his hormone imbalances and other medical issues. He knew that if he wanted to carry this pregnancy to term, he would have to take much better care of himself, including quitting his job. At this point in time, he has already began working from home as solely his groups manager, but he knows the safest thing for him and his possible family would be to separate from the group entirely.

But, there's one last thing he promised he would do before retiring from this job.

He has to kill his brother, Damian, ending the family business, since their parents were killed a few years before. Only Otis will remain.

In the end, he is successful. He shot his brother, and in a haze of a sort of twisted vengeance, he takes his brothers eyeball out of the socket and brings it back to Damians office, using his old supplies to preserve it for keepsake.

When he gets back to his car, Otis gets horribly nauseous. He never gets sick on the job. Maybe it's because it was his own brother this time, or maybe its because of the pregnancy, he thinks. He pukes, gets in the car, and begins to head home.

His head spins. It feels like everything is dancing in circles around him.

Eventually, he pulls over, he knows something is wrong. He calls the only doctor he knows, Dr. Yu, Rex's adoptive father. They go to the hospital. Otis eventually passes out.

He miscarries.

This experience is what makes him realize just how bad he wants to be a parent.

A few months after the miscarriage, Zackary, Otis's young employee is kicked out of his home after being beaten by his father. He has nowhere to stay. He calls Otis to let him know he won't be able to work for a while. When Otis learns that Zack was kicked out, he invites Zack to stay with him, not wanting Zack to have to sleep in his car. Zack stays with Otis and Rex for about two months, until his 18th birthday, when he then finds an apartment in the city and is able to move out.

Around this time, Rex makes Otis visit Christie to tell him everything. To tell him about the pregnancy, the miscarriage, him and Rex's relationship, everything. Otis expected Chris to respond with fury, but the only reaction he had was tears and guilt. "I'm sorry I couldn't have been there for you." is all that he could say

After this, Otis helps Chris by covering the cost for him to get cochlear implants and a prosthetic for the fingers he had to have amputated.

About a year after the miscarriage, Otis decides he want to be a parent. For real this time. He takes all precautions, arrives at every doctors appointment, he stops smoking, he takes better care of himself, he wants this to work out. And this time, he wants Rex to co-parent with him.

They had discussed it many times over the past year, but they wanted to make sure they were ready. Sadly, even if they wanted to get married before this, they can't. Interspecies relationships are illegal in the United States at this point in time, so humans and bovir aren't able to marry. Mixed species families and children are also seen as very taboo, but they're ready to deal with the burdens that come with that.

After months of trying, Otis finally is able to get pregnant once again.

The following spring, Rocco Andy Yu is born.

After this, Leslie, one of Otis's employees takes over as The Zoo's new boss, since Otis wants to finally seperate himself from his past jobs and past life for the safety of his new child.

When Rocco is a few months old, Christie gets out of rehab. Over the past year, Otis and Rex would often come visit him, so he's been caught up on everything. Rex offers to help Christie move into his newly rented apartment, and they share a heart to heart while unpacking and setting up.

But, Christie being all alone after almost two years in rehab proves to not be the best for his mind.

He's been on antipsychotics for his schizophrenia for a while now, and that's been a big help for him, but God is it hard for him to be living alone. Thinking about Otis and Rex and their new family makes him feel more and more alone.

As his depression worsened day by day, his self harm came back and got worse. One day, after a complete meltdown, Chris held a gun to his head, seeking to end these horrible feelings. After all, he had nothing to lose. But, the last things that flashed in his head were Rex's words. His warm embrace. He actually cared. Even after everything that happened between these Rex, Otis, and himself, Rex still cared for him, even when Otis still resented him.

Chris called Rex and told him what's been going through his mind. He told him when he was about to do, seeking support from the only person he knows that's shown him compassion recently.

Rex and Otis go to his apartment building and Rex enters his apartment. He stays there for a few hours, comforting Chris and making sure he's safe. Rex decides that it isn't safe or a good idea for Chris to be alone, so they invite him to come stay with them for a while while Rocco stays with his grandfather.

As of right now, thats the most i have figured out for this story!! The only other thing to note is I believe after this, eventually Otis, Rex and Christie all begin informally dating and Chris stays part time at their house and part time at his own apartment. He helps out a lot with Rocco. Zackary, now a college student, also sometimes helps out with Rocco, usually babysitting him. Leslie and Delaney slowly grow apart from everyone, only keeping much contact with Otis. I like to imagine that eventually Leslie and Christie start talking again, but i still have a lot of loose ends to tie.