April 29th, 2004

This day would be an iconic one in Belle's history in every minute she lived it, something that she had known throughout its duration. As the day rose and the night fell, she knew that two things would come to light. Not only would her acts bring to her the notorious reputation kept away from her by the Yakuza with their every successful attempt at bribing Caesia's authorities, but it would also deal a further blow to the Smokestacks Cartel and weaken their influence in the district. And it had all been planned in advance as the kumicho of the Yakuza who she had been working for since they'd learned of the brutal killings of her uncle and cousin in July 1998, a human named Keisuke Ido, had called her forth with the deed.

Belle showed up with a visible enthusiasm when the Cartel was mentioned in the text message, having just the previous day worked with several Yakuza members to destroy one of the Cartel's largest shipments of the cocaine they distributed around the district. Her next job required a less hands-on approach, but it was one that brought a smile to her face. She was to use a vehicle the Yakuza had stolen from the Cartel to intercept a drug deal in an underground car park, where the five human Cartel members who had murdered her uncle, slaughtered her cousin for trying to stop them, and then kidnapped her and her mother in search of answers would be exchanging with five members of The Prime Movers.

As she rolled up, she knew that this was the day she had hoped for over the space of nearly six years. And with her sights set on the Cartel members, she aimed her M40 out of the driver's side window and fired continually at them, giving them no time to get out of the way as her bullets hit. As each Cartel member fell one by one, the members of The Prime Movers started to panic and run away, taking their cars with them. With shaking paws and numbness clouding her mind, she smiled in jubilation at the sight of the five bleeding corpses behind her, with one message clear to her; with not a shred of remorse, she had at last exacted her personal and brutal revenge. Justice had been served at long last.

Just one thing remained for her now as night drew closer; the car she'd used was to be handed over to Ido's sister Minako to be exported with the use of a barge that would soon be leaving, with a healthy reward in store. Belle rapidly made her way to the car park near the docks, but with nobody to be seen apart from her own reflection in the windscreen, she was starting to become tense. Although she was still well armed, the night concealed surprises that were far from pleasant, and the metaphorical bump in the night often proved to be so much more. She climbed out of the car and sat on the bonnet, hoping that with her form visible in the light from the buildings, she'd be easier to spot.

Moments later, another vehicle rolled into the car park, and flashed its headlights at her as it rolled to a stop in one of the adjacent spaces.

"You're late, Minako." said Belle, as they bowed to each other on approach.

"Surely you don't mind waiting after an accomplishment like yours?" smirked Minako, as she and her passenger stepped out of the vehicle. Belle rose to her feet. "We hear that your infiltration went well, but how fitting it is that they have managed to strengthen their influence in the city and their ties with The Prime Movers despite the blow you've dealt them. It would appear that our attempt at destabilizing them has failed."

"We know the Cartel well," responded Belle, "they've tried practically every trick in the book, even when we blew up their drug factory last year."

"Yes, they are a very elusive bunch." replied Minako, as her associate handed her an aluminium suitcase. "We shall get down to business on how we can wash away our shame with the blood of our enemies the next time we meet with you. For now, this is given courtesy of Keisuke." She handed the suitcase over, and Belle gave her the car's keys before they exchanged bows again.

"Of course." replied Belle. "Thank you."

"Take our car - you'll need it. And leave it outside Keisuke's showroom when we next meet you."

Named after one of the songs from Belphegor's 2006 album Pestapokalypse VI, this picture showing Belle at nineteen years of age was produced by the talented Shorty-Antics-27 and she's come out swinging with this picture, I must say. As detailed above, we see my skunk in wait for the criminal organization she worked for after the deaths of her uncle and cousin to take her car from her for export, looking as cool and collected as ever. The criminal underworld knows so many faces, but this one? It's one few would expect on first sight. ^_^

Original image: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8877122/