AN: This is a repost of a story I started a few years ago but ended up deleting from FFN due to some issues with formatting rules and the everchanging ratings. I’ve finally gotten around to editing it for the site again and so here is Grand Theft Auto: Luo Yang; a crossover of GTA and Dynasty Warriors.

There is a character guide available for this story which gives a general overview of the character histories, alliances and other essentials. The link is available on my profile page. I highly suggest reading that before beginning this fic.

Disclaimer: Rockstar games owns Grand Theft Auto; Koei Corp owns Dynasty Warriors. No infringement intended, this is a simple non-profit work of fanfiction.

GTA: Luo Yang

Chapter 1

The Line in the Sand

Lu Bu sat in the parking garage waiting patiently. He flipped through the folder Diao Chan had given him again. Three names, three bodies. Ma Teng, the old man, then the two sons Ma Tie and Ma Xiu. One other profile was in the folder, but his name didn’t have a red ‘X’ next to it. Apparently Cao Cao needed the youngest alive for something. Curiously he read through the stats on the boy. Twenty-one, Luo Yong University architecture student. Probably saw a lot of action; he wasn’t a bad looking guy, the kind that chicks really swoon over. Too bad his life was going to be ruined in a matter of hours, ah well. Life sucks, right? He slapped the folder shut and checked his Desert Eagle again to make sure the magazine was full, yup. Of course it was. He held the gun in his hands and waited for the Ma Family to appear, he did not have to wait long.

Ma Teng fumbled with his keys as he exited the elevator with his two boys. The application for the second mortgage on the farm had taken so long, it was as if they were honestly trying to kill him right there. Tie and Xiu were chatting back and forth about a bank teller they had been staring at. Boys will be boys. He finally found the slim GM key and picked his head up to find the old Blazer amused that someone had parked their fancy sports car next to the rusted out old thing. He swung around the bumper and nodded to the gentlemen that got out of the car. Then he froze.

Lu Bu grinned and put a fifty caliber bullet between the old man’s eyes. Then without moving his arm he put another one through the eldest kid’s heart. Contemplating where he wanted to shoot the last one he walked around to stare at the horrified man’s face before emptying the magazine into his chest. With one hand he ejected the magazine and put in a second with his free hand. First he looked over the old man. Teng, check, then he moved over to the second victim. Tie, check. Finally he looked at the third who was still twitching a bit, so he put another round in his skull. Xiu, check. He cracked his knuckles and put the weapon back in his shoulder holster, it was time for lunch with Chan.

“Yo! Tai, we got one. Whole family executed in the bank parking garage!” Gan Ning shoved a donut into his mouth as he talked and got sugar glazing all over the folder as he handed it off to his partner.

Zhou Tai dusted off the folder irritated. “Dammit Ning, why the hell do you have to be such a stereotype?” He scratched his chin and opened the folder.

“Can’t you read that in the car?” Ning picked up his coffee mug and cell phone in his left arm and shoved another donut in his mouth so he could use his free hand to grab a handful of Hershey’s kisses out of the desk drawer.

“And let you drive?” Tai shook his head, all these years that they had been together and Ning’s habits still disgusted him.

“Uhhhuhh” He nodded as he tried to chew on the donut without biting off a piece and dropping it.

“It’s not the whole family you moron, the youngest is still alive. Details are important Ning. We got this kid’s address? Uh…Ma Chao?” He closed the folder.

“Mmmmm.” Ning spilled some coffee on himself and dropped his cell phone as he pulled a crumpled post-it out of his shirt pocket. He handed it to Tai.

“I’ll get your jacket and phone, dumbass.” He stuck the post-it in the folder and picked the phone up off the ground. It had already been dropped twice today, amazing that it still displayed time. With a huff of annoyance he grabbed Ning’s wrinkled ‘dress’ jacket and headed for the door.

“I think you might want to head downtown, to the parking garage near the bank.” Cao Cao yawned as he checked over the contract again.

“Small crew ok?” Xu Huang asked as he poured himself a drink.

“Just a couple of bodies, nothing big.” Cao scratched out a line and jotted down some notes in the margin.

“You should get some rest sir, you’re looking a bit worn out.” Huang swirled his cognac.

“Well after this acquisition is put through, I’ll rest a bit more comfortably.”

“Then I’ll be off.”

“Yup, they’re dead.” Ning announced as he looked over the bodies and chalk lines on the pavement.

“Good work detective.” Tai mumbled with a heavy dose of sarcasm. He bent down to look at the father, car keys still in his hand. Shot through the head, .50 cal. He sighed and looked at the parking space next to the Blazer, no tracks. Of course not, he was a professional and professionals don’t leave behind incriminating evidence.

“So you gonna tell the kid?” Ning asked, not wanting to leave the gruesome scene.

“Yeah. Last time I left that to you, the city got sued.”

“I can’t believe this day is going so damned slow! Let’s go get a drink, eh?” Sun Ce asked Zhou Yu who looked up from his computer with annoyance.

“I have a job to do, and it’s not entertaining you!” Yu kept typing.

“Come on, Luo Yong will survive without an editorial from the great Zhou Yu! Oh here’s an idea, procrastinate! Put it off till tomorrow, and let’s go get a drink or two.”

“Ce, it’s one thirty in the afternoon. Why don’t you just go play some more Sims on your computer in your own office?”

“You are a work-a-holic. You need a break.”

“You need to do something or else my next editorial is going to be about nepotism and the ruin of the Sun family.”

“Like what? I’m so bored!”

“Why don’t you go play reporter, like you used to in the old days. Just like when we were in school. Here,” Yu handed him a notepad and pen, “Go get me a story.”

“I make more money then you, why would I do something so beneath me.”

“To get out of the building and write off a drive around the city.” Zhou Yu coughed, “Besides I just got your little comment on tape and it will be in your father’s office in ten seconds if you don’t leave me be.”

“Some best friend you are!”

“Right now I’m the guy who runs Sun Times, and you are the worthless son of the boss. At five, we can go back to being friends.”

“Cool! I’ll pick up a movie or something!”

“No, no porn. We can’t have you supporting a Wei business. Get a video game.”

Ma Chao shuffled his sketches together and dropped them on his drafting table. He need to take a shower and get to work soon, there was enough sketching to be done at Shu Construction to satisfy his creative needs. He looked around the garden apartment he shared with his roommate, Zhao Yun and saw the pile of bills that needed to go out. He could easily drop them in the mail on his way out to Cheng Du, now where the hell were his keys? He tossed a pillow off the coffee table. Nothing. Perhaps they were still next to his pile of books and lecture notes….ah yes. Then his attention was directed to the door. A powerful knock, odd for any of the girls that he or Yun took home. He opened the door.

An extremely tall man with sad eyes stood in front of him. Figures, they always show up as I’m ready to leave. “Look man, I don’t want any.”

“Ah, my name’s Detective Zhou Tai. I’m with the Lou Yong Police…..homicide division. I was hoping I could talk with you for a moment.”

“Why?” Chao got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Did he say homicide?”

“There’s been a shooting, and I need you to identify some bodies. Your father and brothers were killed this afternoon, I’m very sorry. ”

Chao just stared at the man in stunned silence.

“I know this is hard but I need you to come downtown with me….so we can nab the bastard that did this.”

“I’ll get dressed. Please come in….help yourself to anything you find.” Chao wandered back into the apartment, leaving the door open for the cop. He heard the door close but kept moving into his bedroom. Something told him he needed to have a shirt and shoes to go to the police station…yes they would appreciate that.

Zhou Tai sat down on the couch and shifted his Colt 1911 .45 under his arm a bit more. He let his eyes wander around the apartment, obviously a bachelor pad. Two guys, probably good friends both professionals. The place was neat and well decorated but functional. He looked over the coffee table, Dwell magazine? Never heard of that one. He flipped open the magazine and came across an ad for a $5300 stainless steel door and promptly let the pages fall back in place. Something a man like him had no business reading, it would only scare him knowing what the rich did with their money. He searched for more information, credit card offers, empty glasses, a PS2 controller…the mail. He pushed the annoying AOL cd out of the way and noticed the kid’s grade report open on the table. Impressive: ‘A’s in everything, 4.0 GPA, 20 hours worth of classes. He was bound to graduate Magna Cum Laude, top of his class…..until now. Only one more semester to go and Tai knew it would ruin four long years of dedicated work. He had seen it all before….even if Ma Chao did make it back to his classes after taking care of his father’s estate, he wouldn’t be able to focus and the grades…..he would be lucky if he could still graduate when planned. His life would be completely sidetracked. Family gone, career damaged and not to mention the anguish from burying the only three people he had in the world. Tai closed his eyes, please let me be wrong. He looked up as the Ma family survivor came out fully dressed and searching for his phone.

Chao quickly hit the speed dial for Yun’s cell. Answer dammit! You’ve reached the voice mailbox of Zhao Yun, please leave a brief message your name and number and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can. “Hey, Zilong…..Uh call me would you?” He hung up…he couldn’t even get the words out. How was he going to deal with seeing his dad and brothers on metal slabs?

“Zilong?” Liu Bei wandered out of his office and looked over at the center office area. He looked over at the clock again, it was now 4:00. It was very unlike Ma Chao to be late and he was worried. Maybe Yun would know where his roommate was, perhaps he just neglected to inform his boss of a prior engagement.

“Hello? Yes?” ZhaoYun shot out the door of the file room on a swivel chair with a laptop resting on his legs. “Sir! Yes Sir!”

“Don’t be a jackass.” Bei tried to frown.

“Sorry, just happy with human contact. I’ve been in the chamber over there all day.” He sighed and looked at the time. “All damned day.”

“Did Chao have an appointment or something? He hasn’t come in yet.” Bei leaned against the desk.

“No, not that I know of, and he would have told you if he did. Let me check my phone.” Yun pushed off the desk and sent the chair flying across the room to his briefcase. “Yup, one missed call……and none other than Ma Chao the splendid. Hmmmm, you better have a good excuse, buddy.” He put his ear to the phone and listened letting his face show his concern once he heard the distressed call.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t say, but something is off.” He hit the call back button and listened to the ring. “Come’on Mengqi, answer.”

“Hel….hello?”

“Hey! Where the hell are you?” He heard the hesitation, his friend rarely ever hesitated. Then there was the overwhelming sorrow that carried across the line.

“Police station.”

“What, why? What’s happened?” Yun stood up and put the laptop down on the console table. “What’s going on Chao?”

“My family’s gone.”

“Gone? What do you mean gone?”

“Shot…all of them…at the bank.”

“What…” Yun couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He looked to Liu Bei who didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on, other than it was bad news.

“They’re dead.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thanks.”

Yun hung up and looked at his phone, still in disbelief. This was something that happened, but not to anyone you knew. “His family’s been killed, shot at the bank.”

“No…..”

“I’m going to see what I can do.”

Xu Huang arrived at the bank parking garage with his crew. As soon as he opened the door, he didn’t even get a chance to put his foot on the curb. He was stopped by an angry Gan Ning. “Need I remind you of the freedom of the press, Detective Gan?” Huang snorted

“I just find it interesting you boys at WWEI always know where to show up.” Ning put his hand on the door of the van.

“Set up on the sidewalk, guys, hopefully we can get a nice shot of the bodies as they leave.”

“They’re already gone. Looks like you’re too late. Better pack up and see what you can dig up outside the precinct.” Ning slammed the door narrowly avoiding crushing Xu Huang’s fingers.

“I can’t help but wonder if you rushed this crime scene inspection, detective. I might have to launch an investigation of my own into the shoddy practices of the cities finest.” Xu Huang growled through the open window.

“You do that and I’ll give you a chance to investigate how efficient the doctors at Luo Yong General Hospital really are.” He smiled. “Bye now.”

“Please do, I’d like nothing more than to have your badge taken away. I might even add that to my resume.”

Ma Chao fumbled with his cell phone at the empty table in the investigation room. Zhou Tai had disappeared momentarily to get them both coffee. He didn’t really know what to do, this was still not clicking in his head. His dad had gone to the bank this morning to apply for another mortgage. They needed a new combine and the new combines cost somewhere around a quarter of a million dollars. They couldn’t lease one because Dad’s credit was shot. Tie and Xiu had gone with him, they were just as invested in the farm as he was. He was the only one who wasn’t there, because he had to be different. He had to want something better.

“Hey, how you doing?” Tai returned with two cups of steaming hot coffee in his hands. He had opened the door using his back and stepped aside to let the door shut behind him.

“I’m really not too sure.”

“Here, it’s awful but it’s potent. Your taste buds will die off in the first swig thanks to the 1.0 ph levels.” He put the cup down.

“Thanks again.”

“I thought you might want to know your friend, Zhao Yun, is outside waiting for you. Kind of abrasive, isn’t he?”

“Just when he is concerned.” Chao smiled. Good ole Zilong.

“Look, the coroner just called up…..they’re here. You ready for this?” Tai asked knowing there would never be a good time to show a man his only kin laying on cold stainless steel gurneys.

“Sure.”

Sun Ce blew through a red light in his Dodge Viper and waved politely as a woman in her monstrous SUV honked at him. Nothing at all was happening. He tried giving his sister a call, but she wasn’t home. He knew for a fact that she didn’t have classes today so that meant she was in some guy’s apartment. Shang was developing a nasty habit of having one night stands. Suddenly the familiar blue van of WWEI TV went flying by in the opposite direction. Years of Zhou Yu beating things into his brain made him curious. Where the hell were they heading so quickly? If Yu knew that there was a story about to break, he would have called him. Some nonsense about earning his pay. So he made a U-turn in the middle of the road and took off after the news van. By god he was going to have a story!

Ma Chao stepped out of the precinct in a daze. Zhao Yun was behind him, thanking Zhou Tai for his help and exchanging contact info. He couldn’t get the image of his dad, with a huge hole in his head staring blankly back at him, out of his head. Then there was a flash of light and he looked up confused.

“Behind me is a familiar scene in Luo Yong, the image of a man’s life destroyed by the out of control crime in this city.” Xu Huang gave the camera his best solemn look as the cameraman filmed him against the background of the police station.

“Sir!” Sun Ce ran up the stairs with his notepad in hand. “Sun Ce, Sun Times. Can I have a moment of your time?”

“Uhhh.” Chao looked around. Where the hell did they come from?

“Tell me how does it feel to have your family executed in cold blood….” Ce felt a hit then heard a snap. Before he knew it he was on the ground with blood flowing freely from his broken nose.

“Tell me how that felt.” Chao growled and was immediately pulled away by Zhao Yun.

“You stupid son of a bitch.” Tai yanked his brother’s idiot friend off the ground and dragged him into the station.

“To add to the horror of the situation, the heartless Sun family makes a mockery of this man’s sorrow. How can we leave a police commissioner in office when he doesn’t stop this senseless killing and his supporters come to belittle the victims on these stairs of injustice?” Huang could almost see the smile creeping across his boss’s face. Yes, Cao Cao would be pleased with this assignment.

Tai stood before the penthouse door and knocked loudly. He dropped Sun Ce off at the hospital to get his nose bent back into shape and gave Yu a tip on where to find his lost pet. Yu was about as thrilled with the phone call as an alcoholic at last call. Tai had strongly advised Ce on the drive over to the emergency room that filing charges would be the dumbest thing he ever did. Ce was fairly abusive back and Tai barely had the restraint to not put his nose back himself. That was the last act of his work day and now he was on to more unpleasant obligations. There was someone that knew about the murder today, and he needed to see if he could get anything out of him. He growled as he heard a chuckle before the door opened.

“Hey Setsuna, long time no see.” Lu Bu smiled as he dried his sandy brown hair off with a towel.

“I told you never to call me that.” Tai brushed past him and into the spacious apartment.

“Awww, but those were the good old days. When we played on the same team, remember?” Lu Bu tossed the towel aside and adjusted the one around his waist. “Something to drink?”

“I only drink with friends.”

“Oh that stings.” Lu Bu laughed. “So how’s Sea Master? Still your faithful partner?”

“Stop trying to bring up the past. We don’t go by those names anymore, Sky Scorcher.”

“That’s obvious.” Bu handed his former friend a tumbler.

“What are you getting yourself into? This Ma family hit, it was your work.”

“Oh?” he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, Sportscenter would be on soon.

“Fine, play dumb if you want, I know your game. You left the youngest alive, why?”

“Oh, darling, is that nasty cop harassing you?” Diao Chan strolled out of the bedroom wearing a tight tee-shirt and very revealing cheer shorts.

“Just an old pal, someone I used to run with back in the day.” He took a sip of his martini. “You haven’t met Diao Chan have you?”

“No, but I am familiar with your work as well.” Tai looked her over. She was absolutely gorgeous, but that was no surprise. Lu Bu liked the best, and that is what he surrounded himself with.

“Chan, this is Zhou Tai, crime fighter extraordinaire.”

“Oh a hero.” Chan leaned over the back of the couch to give her man a kiss, although her obvious motive was to give Tai a glimpse of her perfect body.

“That’s Tai. Oh and I see that brother of yours has finally gotten his Masters degree in sensationalist bullshit, pass on my congratulations. I remember how well we used to get along.” Lu Bu slapped the Sun Times into Tai’s stomach.

“A free world, if he wants to take a crack at your boss, so be it.” Tai sighed as he looked at Yu’s editorial. Dung Zhuo: Tyrant of Luo Yong, yes his brother had a way with words. Yu would be extra happy to hear about a visit to Lu Bu. His old friend had done his share of damage to the younger Zhou in high school.

“Won’t matter this coming election anyhow.” Lu Bu flipped around and stopped on Cartoon Network, Samurai Jack was on. “Never does.”