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The Apollo Twins Prologue - The Beginning.
The chilly autumn wind whipped through the streets of Manchester, carrying with it the first crisp hints of the approaching winter. The city's famous red brick buildings loomed in the darkness, their windows glowing like scattered constellations.In the heart of this sprawling metropolis, the Manchester Royal Infirmary stood as a beacon of hope and healing. Its automatic doors swished open as a tall, broad-shouldered man rushed in, his arms cradling a woman who writhed and moaned in pain. Her long, dark hair was plastered to her face with sweat, her eyes wide and unfocused."Please, someone help!" the man shouted, his deep voice, tinged with a distinct Mancunian accent, booming through the bustling hospital lobby. "She's in labor, an' she's in a right state!"The night shift nurses at the reception desk leapt into action, their professionalism overriding any initial surprise. Sarah, a petite blonde with kind blue eyes, grabbed a wheelchair and hurried over. She had been working in the
The Apollo Twins Snowman
The bass thumped through the underground basement, the trap beat pulsing like a frantic heartbeat. In the dim, smoky light, a group of topless girls worked at a feverish pace, their nimble fingers bagging and sealing neat piles of white powder. They moved with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, their faces blank, their eyes focused on the task at hand.Around them, young men lounged on tattered couches and mismatched chairs, some smoking, some counting wads of cash, all of them exuding an air of cocky invincibility. In a back room, separated by a thin curtain, four men sat around a table, the air thick with cigarette smoke and the acrid tang of weed."You sure the buyer's gonna keep his gob shut?" the leader, a wiry young man with bleached-blond hair and a heavily tattooed neck, asked."Yeah, bruv, it's all sorted," one of the others replied, his voice muffled by the joint dangling from his lips. "Transactions untraceable, everything's on lock. Ain't no way this comes back on us.
The Apollo Twins Failed Drop
The dorm room was a haze of smoke and stale beer, the air thick with the tang of sweat and cheap cologne. Mikey lounged on his bed, one arm slung over his face, the other dangling off the edge, a half-smoked joint pinched between his fingers."Oi, Mikey!" A pillow thwacked him in the face, jolting him upright. "Stop bogarting the spliff, you wanker."Mikey squinted through the haze, making out the grinning face of his roommate, Liam. "Sod off," he grumbled, but he passed the joint anyway.Liam took a long drag, holding the smoke in his lungs before exhaling in a steady stream. "You see that fit bird in Econ today? The one with the tattoo on her neck?""Nah, mate, I was too busy trying not to fall asleep." Mikey rubbed his eyes, trying to focus. "Professor Jameson's lectures are like fucking sleeping pills."Liam snorted. "Maybe if you didn't stay up all night playing FIFA, you wouldn't be nodding off in class.""Fuck off, I wasn't playing FIFA." Mikey dug in his pocket for his phone,
The Apollo Twins Loose End
Mikey's head throbbed, a dull, pulsing ache that seemed to radiate from his very core. He blinked, trying to clear the fog from his vision, his surroundings slowly swimming into focus.He was in a room, bare and cold. The walls were a dull, industrial grey, the concrete floor stained and cracked. The only furniture was a rickety metal table and a few folding chairs. The only light came from a single, flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting harsh shadows across the space. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the drip, drip, drip of a leaky pipe.He tried to move, but his body wouldn't cooperate. It was then that he became aware of the pain, a searing, white-hot agony that seemed to consume his entire being.His face felt wrong, swollen and misshapen. His tongue probed tentatively at the gaps in his teeth, the taste of blood thick and coppery in his mouth. But it was his leg that truly horrified him. His jeans were soaked through, the fabric clinging to his skin. He didn't
The Apollo Twins Danny
Danny stepped out of his sister's car, the crisp Manchester morning air filling his lungs. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, trying to ignore the twinge of embarrassment at being dropped off like a kid on the first day of school. His tall, athletic frame, honed by years on the basketball court, felt awkward and gangly as he unfolded himself from the passenger seat."You sure you don't want me to walk you in?" Jenna asked, leaning out the driver's side window. "I don't mind. It'd be nice to see the old place again."Danny shook his head, a stray curl from his cropped waves falling into his eyes. He brushed it away with a grin. "Nah, I'm good. Don't want to cramp your style, what with you being a big shot university dropout and all."Jenna laughed, reaching out to punch his arm. "Oi, watch it. I can still put you in a headlock, you little muppet."Despite his nerves, Danny grinned. This was their way, the easy back-and-forth that had always been the glue of their relationship."I
The Apollo Twins The System
Danny and Tariq approached the nondescript brick building, the bass from the music inside reverberating through the pavement beneath their feet. Graffiti tags and faded posters plastered the walls, the telltale signs of a spot well-known to the underground scene.Danny couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness, his palms slick with sweat. This was all new to him - the secret location, the air of exclusivity, the sense of crossing a threshold into a world hidden from daylight.Tariq, on the other hand, seemed completely in his element. He walked with a confident swagger, nodding at a few familiar faces as they made their way to the entrance.The bouncers at the door were imposing figures, all broad shoulders and stony expressions. Tattoos snaked up their arms, disappearing under the cuffs of their black shirts. Danny watched as the people ahead of them in line approached, each one pulling out their phone and showing the screen to the bouncer."What are they showing them?" Danny as
The Apollo Twins Icarus
Danny and Taji were still at the bar, the party raging around them. They'd been arguing about the UK rap scene for the last ten minutes."Nah, fam, you're bugging," Danny said, shaking his head. "Bone's the realest in the game right now. His flow, his lyrics, it's unmatched."Taji scoffed. "Please. Mans just another industry plant. You want real talent, you gotta dig deep."They went back and forth, throwing out names and tracks, each trying to one-up the other. Danny was grinning, enjoying the debate. Taji had a sharp wit and a deep knowledge of the scene. It was refreshing.Their discussion was interrupted by the return of JB and his crew, Tariq in tow. They surrounded Danny, all smiles and dap."Yo, Danny boy!" JB clapped him on the shoulder. "We been looking for you, fam. It's time to get you set up proper."Danny raised an eyebrow. "Set up with what?""With Icarus, bruv! It's the only way to be in the know 'round here. All the best gigs, the top parties, it all runs through the a
The Apollo Twins Moving Forward
Danny woke with a start, his phone alarm blaring in the quiet of the dorm room. He groaned, fumbling to switch it off, his body heavy with exhaustion. The party had raged into the early hours, and he'd stumbled back to the dorm with Tariq just a few hours ago, the first hints of dawn peeking over the Manchester skyline.He sat up slowly, his head pounding in protest. The room was dim, the only light coming from the crack under the door and the faint glow of streetlamps outside the window. Danny blinked, trying to orient himself in the gloom.Something felt off. He glanced over at Tariq's bed, expecting to see the familiar lump of his friend curled under the covers. But the bed was empty, the sheets undisturbed.Danny frowned, a prickle of unease running down his spine. He reached over and flicked on the light, squinting against the sudden brightness.Tariq's bed was definitely empty. His backpack was gone too, and his trainers were missing too. It was like he'd never been there at all