5/20/2025 Kick Recap - "How To End A Life"

Thanks to Sabine for writing
Lang woke up today after a dream about playing basketball with Adam Sandler at a random park in LA. Lang meets up with CJ in the Rooster's basement and they discuss which books need to be remade because 'the ink on the pages has faded'. CJ tells Lang about Wayne, the sewer guy, about how he saw an an old man with shoulder grey hair, putting on a raven mask and then vanishing. Wayne thought it was another entity, but then he saw Lang on the street, and thinks it was him. Osvaldo calls Lang and invited him to an Among Us event in Andi Jones' warehouse. Lang tells him he will try and make it.

CJ and Lang drive up to the nudist colony to talk about CJ's progress with her task. Lang reads the second task book out loud. It speaks of Wu, how he went undercover within an organization and managed to completely turn it on itself. CJ's task involves losing her identity and going undercover infiltrating an organization to uncover on internal weakness within their structure. CJ spent the last week infiltrating Nu Epsilon with an alter ego. She has written down her findings and Lang wants to read it. CJ detailed her isolation of Eliza, taking away Diego as her support system. She determined that utilizing Diego's recklessness and short temper will take down Nu Epsilon. CJ thinks Eliza is nearing her breaking point and if Diego is baited into a violent reaction it will push Eliza over the edge. CJ hopes that will then make Eliza turn to her old drug problem, which will go against the core principles she has set for Nu Epsilon, and ultimately crumble the top of the organization.

Lang is happy with her findings but wants CJ to be more specific with her results - CJ has passed the assignment. On Lang's request, CJ explained who her undercover character is and what she did to first get in contact with Nu Epsilon. Now that she is done with the lesson, Lang pronounces that character dead, and he gives CJ her next lesson.

This lesson is all about being the hand, not the voice. The most dangerous lesson so far - how to end a life. CJ reads out: "This lesson is not for glory but because it has been asked of you. Your burden is obedience." There are 3 files with names and faces, one must fall. "Its not about killing, it's about control. The strength to wait and the discipline to move without thrill. The purpose to disappear before the body falls. Its about precision and humility." She read the files: Shang, from ADMC, is the first person. Eric Trygg is the second person. Diego, from Nu Epsilon, is the last person. Before each kill she is to say the phrase "for the cause". CJ has to pick one person, and after some silence, she picks Diego. Lang asks if she's sure and if she's not picking him for any underlying reasons, but she's sure.

Back at Blarney's, Lang speaks with Skipper about how much money Blarney's has lost. Skipper thinks that a million dollars has been taken out and there is about $200k left. Skipper informs Lang that Edgar's people sell SMGs now, and that he ordered a variety. Skipper said that being a disappointment is really affecting his sleep, Lang says to not play victim. The North is preparing to do a money run. Lang asks Jonah how his HIV is doing, but Jonah denies he has it. Skipper thinks he's lying, Jonah claims everyone is going to die soon.

Hydra and the Besties are following the money run convoy. Skipper's money run car is pitted and ran off the road by a Besties car and shots are fired. They get surrounded from all sides and Lang gets shot down after a short fire fight. Future threatens the downed North that if they keep twatting "fuck Besties", more fights will happen. Skipper, CJ, and Lang all laugh about the situation. They all wake up in the hospital, Sofia picks them up.

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Harry calls to ask Lang if its a good idea to kick down someone's door to look for a person who has been hiding in their house, Lang thinks it's okay. Back at the forge, Lang suggests doing a money run, which goes smoothly.

Lang calls Kyle to meet up at his office at Korean Plaza. Kyle shares his research for the leaked confidential information, regarding the murder of Cassie, and Ursula finding out that Lang snitched on her. Kyle said the police messed up because they kept a reference to another case in, and so they accidentally made that information public on the docket. Meanwhile, Dante let everyone on the radio know that someone has hit big on the slot machine and Blarney's has potentially lost a lot of money.
Lang wants there to be consequences because he made a verbal deal with Opal, saying that he will only give information if he can be assured that nothing will get leaked, and so that deal was broken. Kyle suggests legal recourse, and offers Carmine to be his lawyer for this court case.

Lang goes back to the Forge, the North sets up a Paleto heist. Lang calls Opal in a fury and demands she explains how people have access to sealed recordings. Lang ends the phone call informing Opal that he is coming after everything she owns. He hangs up then calls back to specify he is not coming after her in a serial killer way. For the Paleto job, they take Jordan from Hydra as hostage from Snr.Buns. They believe his girlfriend was there and was likely the reason that cops showed up so fast.

Lang pits the cops off and the group drives up to Paleto. Lang spots a couple of sports cars driving around Paleto bank. He confirms it is Hydra and orders Sofia to call Dante to close Blarneys and to hide. Just before the group is ready to leave, Flippy pulls up in a car next to Lang and tries to talk to him. Langs hops out his car with a shotgun and fires a couple of rounds. He immediately gets shot from the back and downed. There is an immediate gun fight starting between the North, from the inside of the bank, and Hydra, circling the outside of the bank. The two cops on scene get involved, and North calls Apple for backup. Apple picked up a downed Lang, while in the car, Lang tells Apple that the North needs to have teeth and bite back once in a while.

Lang calls Clark asking if he has any updates yet, Clark informs Lang that it will still take a few days to receive the code. Arush calls Lang offering to help fight Hydra. He tells Lang that the South has been fighting the Manor and the Besties everyday. Arush mentions that he realized only him, Lang, Clark and Skipper are the best in Cypress in holding it down. They go back and forth agreeing on certain grievances they both share. Arush tells a story on how he builds people up and Lang breaks people down. He uses an example from a movie where the character breaks someone down and makes him hungry, and builds him back up after by giving him money for a burger. Lang seems intrigued.

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The phone call ends and Lang radio's in to the North that he's treating everyone on free food tonight. Lang goes to the construction site across Blarney's to hold down the angles, expecting Hydra to pull up. He mentions on the radio everyone gets an extra 5 grand tonight, they seem thankful. Then, Lang realizes he needs to bring them down again and mentions how it would've been more money if people weren't so useless.

Carmine comes by Blarney's to discuss business with Lang. He summarizes the current cases: the mystery of who robbed Blarney's (of which Carmine is sure who did it and will put their admittance on tape), the case of Richard Fritz (The Chickenman), and the leaked confessional regarding Cassie's murder. Carmine points the fingers at Opal and wants to go after her. Lang doubts he can do it. Carmine is convinced he can, but he needs Lang's permission for certain files. Lang gets in Carmine's car and they drive to MRPD to demand to be spoken to. They are greeted by an handful of cops including Ass. Chief Tyler Peters and the Mayor Nino Chavez.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lang spots Den Sheisty. Some words are exchanged. Out of anger, Lang states he would kill Den right here, in front of everyone. Den claims he can't wait to go to Cypress, but is immediately reprimanded by Nino.

CJ calls Lang saying that Hydra threatened to pull up and so Lang has to get a ride back to Blarneys. In a hurry, Lang verbally gives Carmine access to everything, including his credit card, so that he can handle it without Lang needing to be there. Once at Blarneys, Skipper tells Lang that Hydra called and said to give Jordan his stuff back (16.5k, a dusty deagle, mags and ammo) or they're coming to slide. The North, including Apple, are waiting for Hydra to pull up. Lang calls it and early day because he has an appointment.

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