[CookingwiththeCobra]

The shadows hid his movements as he crept lightly through town. It was late and the worst kind of citizens littered the streets. The only light that was around was one street lamp that flickered in and out on its own will and the occasional glow from cigarettes being puffed.

With silence that would impress the shadows, Maurice slipped past the people refusing to get involved. Most of the time he didn't care, he could take them but tonight was special and he must arrive to his destination on time or there would be consequences.

He arrived in front of what looked to be an abandoned airplane hangar. Walking over to the side door he pressed his thumb to a fingerprint reader. It beeped and flashed green, a loud click released the door and Maurice pushed it open.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

His even steps swiftly took him to a group of men. Some wearing very menacing AK47's others smart suits and scowls. Maurice's posture was perfect, his eyes never wavering from their contact with the man that stood in charge. He took the backpack that he was wearing and set it in front of him. The exchange was silent and precise. No one moved unless needed to. A young man a few years older than Maurice stepped forward and slowly opened the backpack. Inside was money. Money that took a lot of effort to get a hold of.

The older gentleman, that never broke eye contact with Maurice, nodded in satisfaction. He handed Maurice's cut of the money and a piece of paper with his next job written on it to him.

He didn't dare count the money or read the paper, not until he was safe and away from his employer. Maurice nodded back and turned to walk back from where he came.

The moment he entered the cool streets again he headed straight home taking the quickest route. Once he entered the small house that his father and sister lived in with him he went to the safe that they hid under the kitchen sink and deposited the money. Maurice flopped down on the couch and finally was able to relax. He turned on the lamp and opened up the paper that held his next job.

He did many things for the organization from picking up drop offs to sealing deals but what Maurice was about to read he never thought they would ask him to do. They had men who loved doing that for them so why were they ordering him to murder someone?

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Several days later he found himself in the shadows again as he made his way to a home that held a man by the name of Jonathan Brush. Brush decided he didn't want to be part of the organization anymore because he didn't want his 10 year old daughter to get mixed up in it. The slums were bad enough and Maurice understood how much more difficult it becomes when mixed with a large sketchy group like this one.

It had been three days since he got assigned to kill this man and still no matter how he looked at it he wasn't sure if he could go through with it. The only reason he wasn't going to say no was because if he didn't kill the target, they would kill him.

He arrived in front of a poorly kept apartment building with a fire escape on the side. He was pretty tall so jumping up and grabbing the end of the latter wasn't difficult. He made his way up to the fourth floor and peeked inside the window, all the lights were off and there was no signs of any animals that could get in his way. Maurice took out a small knife and wedged it inside the window crevice. Wiggling it a little he pushed the lock over and slid the window up.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Once he was inside he found that there were two bedrooms one for the father and one for his daughter. A quick peek inside the room on the left showed that it belonged to the girl. Maurice slipped across the hall and quietly entered the master bedroom.

Inside he was surprised to see the man awake and faced away from him, hunched over a desk looking over papers with aid of the light from a dim desk lamp.

Maurice’s breath became unsteady as he reached behind him and pulled his sword. He had trained with it and became quite skilled only for the protection of himself and his family but he never thought he would spill innocent blood with it. The sword was old but sharp and the hilt at one time would have looked magnificent but now it was worn and battered. He held it in front of him and silently moved behind the man. With one quick motion he had Jonathan out of the chair and standing. Maurice was still behind him, one hand holding Jonathan’s hands behind his back while his dominant hand held the sword to the man's neck.

Maurice whispered, "shh don't make a sound or I'll kill your child as well."

"Please," the man whispered back, “spare me. The child she will have nowhere else to go but the streets. I know where you're from and why you're here, but please don't do it, don't make this mistake."

A long pause stretched on as Maurice fought with himself, "I have too, I would apologize but that would do nothing-"

"Daddy," a whimper from the doorway stopped Maurice from finishing his sentence.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

"Please sweetie don't look," the father begged.

Maurice was shaking as he looked into the terrified eyes of the child. He made up his mind that it was impossible for him to finish what he started. The sword now weighed down with guilt that wasn’t there a few minutes ago. It clattered to the ground, his arm not strong enough to hold it.

He backed away from the man while mumbling to himself that he couldn't do it. The father ran to his daughter and held her tight in his arms while watching Maurice carefully.

Before anything else could be done Maurice whispered, "leave town" before he swiftly scooped up his sword and left with the same stealth as he had came.

What was he to do, he was supposed to report back to them with evidence that the deed was done. He wasn't going to kill anyone that was completely evident, there was no point in trying again.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Once he reentered the building that he had visited three nights ago he saw the same similar group waiting for him to report back. Maurice walked up to them again and just stood. The older gentleman cleared his throat as he attempted to obtain the evidence without having to talk.

Maurice finally gained the courage to speak, "I have failed you, the target got away. I don't seem to be worthy enough to kill for you."

Anger spread across the man's face like a wild fire, "so the traitor still lives?"

Maurice nodded, "yes."

"Then your time with us has come to a conclusion," he turned from Maurice and started to walk away. "Kill him," he ordered his guards.

Maurice began to panic as he watched them point their guns at him, "wait! I can still help you, please you don't have to, it was just one mistake!"

The older man turned to face him again, "one mistake leads to others and our organization can't have that."

"Wait," a voice came from the shadows, "don't shoot anyone yet." A man stepped out from behind some cargo crates. "I would like a few words with him before he dies," the man almost sounded bored as he spoke.

Maurice didn't think any more surprises could arise that night but he had been wrong. When the new arrival showed his face he became shocked stiff to see who it was, "dad, what are you doing here?"

[CookingwiththeCobra]

"Ah son, why couldn't you have just killed the man? It would have made this meeting a whole lot less awkward."

Maurice wasn’t understanding, "what are talking about? Are you saying you're part of this?"

His father chuckled, "I'm more than part of this. I own it!" He walked out farther and reached over Maurice to draw his sword. He held it in his hands, "remember when you were younger and I taught you how to use this?"

"Yeah, you told me it was for if I ever needed to protect myself."

He nodded, "yes that's right.” He paused and looked Maurice straight in the eyes, “I lied, I taught you how to use this because I thought you had potential. I wanted you to take over what I had built."

Maurice was furious, everything they had gone through, where they lived, the never having enough money, him dropping out of high school so he could help support the family. All of that for nothing, "why did you never tell me? Does Marma know?" His words were shaky and uneven when they came out.

"No your sister doesn't know, she doesn't need to. I never told you because I wanted you feel the hardships of life so you could be grateful when I gifted this to you."

"You put us through unnecessary pain and she deserves to know just as much as I did!" How dare he decide what they should or shouldn't know? "And what about tonight? What was that?"

"Ah yes tonight,” he spoke completely unfazed by his son's anger, “was to see if you truly had it in you." He brought the sword gently up to Maurice’s hairline to brush a few loose strands of black hair out of his face, "however you failed." Without warning Maurice felt a hot searing pain go across his face as his father brought the sword down.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Maurice stumbled backward and fell onto the ground. His hand shot up to his face automatically and he felt blood gush down from his wound.

Through his pain filled brain he frantically tried to think of a way to get out of there, he could faintly hear his father talking to older man calmly as if he hadn’t just sliced open his son’s face. This was his chance he stumbled up and did his best to run out the door. When he shoved through it he could hear his dad yelling to the men of the Organization to go and kill him. While holding his hand to his face he ran through the streets. The whole time sounds of heavy feet followed him. Gun shots would go off but none ever hit him. One thing was on his mind the whole time and that was to not stop for anything.

Things started to become quiet but not because he had lost the men but because all the blood loss was making him go faint. He stumbled into an alley and slumped against the wall. He frantically looked around but his vision was becoming hazing. He wasn't sure where he was but he believed they would find him any second. Maurice waited forcing himself to stay conscious but the men never came. He was for certain they were right behind him the whole time.

What he didn't know though was the man, Jonathan that he had saved earlier was on his way to the Organization with a few guys he was still contact with. They went to go end things with the Organization and coincidentally bumped into the men that were chasing Maurice. The man recognized Maurice even with a blood covered face and understood what had happened. He decided that because Maurice spared his life he would save his.

As Maurice laid there unsure of how he survived he started to fall into a sleep.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

When he woke, he was slumped against a garbage heap and the alley wall. He blinked a few times and slowly registered the events of the night before. He felt his face and could still feel the blood slowly oozing out through the blood that had already crusted over. Its dull pain continually throbbed in sync with his heartbeat. The morning sun hadn't yet fully risen so not many people were out and about yet.

Stumbling out of the alley he wobbled to a gas station he knew to be nearby with outside bathrooms. When he got there he fumbled with the doorknob and wrenched it open. Finally inside he locked the door and walked to the mirror. For the first time he got to see the horrid slash that started over his right eyebrow and finishing in the middle of his left cheek. This wound would be with him for the rest of his life, staring at himself he realized that he now feared the violence that he grew up in. He was capable of fighting but now he wasn't sure if he could pull himself to do it.

Continuing to look at all the blood made him nauseous and he ran to the toilet to puke up his insides. Sitting down he came to the conclusion that if he wanted stay alive he would have to stop the bleeding so he grabbed the remainder of his courage and stood back in front of the mirror.

Once the wound was clean he deducted that it was not as deep as he first predicted and that he could survive awhile until he could safely make it to a doctor. He grabbed more towels and tightly wrapped them around his head to help stop the bleeding.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Two months had passed since his father, who he thought to an honest man and had looked up to cut his face open revealing himself to be the owner of the organization that Maurice was forced to work for in order to help support the family.

He was now in Dead Coast, the city was beautiful and the weather was fabulous. He could stay here and be happy. He had his gash looked at when he first got there from a doctor in the city. She informed him he would live and that it would scar. She got the bleeding to stop and sent him on his way.

He was now walking down a street near the ocean enjoying the smell of the salty sea and the warm sun. He carried a case that had counterfeit watches in them. In order to make some money he would have sell 30 of them and if there was still one thing he prided himself in was his ability con others so this would be a piece of cake. He passed by a shop with a big front glass window. He got a glimpse of his reflection and he stopped to stare.

He sure looked different and not just the big scar that stretched across his face but he had decided dying his hair pink was a good idea. He was ready to start new and being someone he wanted to be was a good start. He grinned at himself and walked off into an alley to meet some men he would swindle some money from.