Dylan: Uh.. sorry?

  Boy: They take everything I find. No-one protects me from them. You kill those guys, and I can get everything else I need.

  Dylan: I’m uh… I’m not really sure I feel comfortable…

  Boy: You look like you’re pretty used to it, actually.

  Dylan: Now, listen, you can’t judge a book by its cover! If I look at you, I’ll admit, most people are gonna think you’ve done something bad. That’s not necessarily true. You could be the greatest humanitarian in the world, but maybe you just weren’t given the chance.

  Boy: So give me one. Kill those guys. They take from kids on the street.

  Dylan looks off to the gang he pointed out.

  Then, everything begins to slow. Dylan looks into the Boy’s heart. The Boy’s memories are visible to Dylan, and us.

  The Boy sees someone die. Walking home after buying groceries, they are ambushed by a gang of two and stabbed through their coat. The Boy watches from behind a bench. Four Gang Members rush off with the bags, toward the bench. The Boy has a knife ready, and steps out from behind the bench, stabbing one the Gang Members.

  In horror, his friends stops in their tracks. One looks, stunned, at the Boy, but instead of helping her friend, she takes the bags he was carrying and they all run off, away from the bench, into the night, leaving the Boy holding a long, dripping blade.

  Dylan: (V.O., thinking) So they like to see death, huh?

  Dylan: Okay.

  Dylan walks uphill, until he’s in the shadow of the underpass along with three what turns out to be teenage Gang Members. Dylan notices this and exhales.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Dylan: (V.O., thinking) Oh, shit. They’re hardly older than he is.

  Dylan: Hey, guys, I’m gonna need you to leave. I’m supposed to kill you, but I- I don’t want to do that, you guys are young, and there’s still a good chance you’ll want to turn your life around.

  Gang Leader: No, I’m pretty happy. Who are you?

  Dylan: I’m Dylan. Nice to meet you.

  The Gang Leader scoffs.

  Gang Leader: You’ve been talking to that kid?

  Dylan: I don’t know the one to whom you refer. Private contractor sent me here. I’ve gotta make good with them.

  Gang Leader: Yeah, right, there is no ‘private contractor’. You’re here because of that kid. He’s done worse shit than us. What makes you think he’s so innocent?

  Dylan: I don’t know who you mean.

  Gang Leader: That kid! That fucking kid. I know him, he talks to everybody. He’s not some sob story like he wants us to think.

  Dylan: I don’t know who you’re talking about. Though, I can say, the guy that sent me, well, we had a little falling out.

  Gang Leader: What do you mean?

  Dylan: I really, really can’t say, but I can say that I’d better find a lot of people to help, and I think I’ve made my first choice.

  Gang Leader: You stay the hell away from us.

  Dylan: Scatter, then.

  Gang Leader: We’re not gonna move, asshole!

  Dylan: Oh, great…

  Dylan makes the three Gang Members disappear., one by one, falling into a hole that springs up out of nowhere, then vanishes again as soon as they’ve gone. Dylan watches the sections of sidewalk through which they’ve disappeared, and adjusts his sleeves.

  The Boy runs up to him, utterly shocked, and amazed. He tugs at Dylan’s coat.

  Boy: That was alright…

  Dylan: Hey, you weren’t supposed to see that!

  Boy: One of their fingers is still poking out.

  Dylan looks behind him, and steps on the offending finger with the heel of his shoe, causing it to magically phase through the ground, concealing it the rest of the way.

  Dylan: Ew…

  He scrapes his shoe off.

  Dylan: Listen, I want you to forget what you’ve seen here, okay? I can’t let that get out. It would be really bad for us both.

  Boy: I don’t care, what else could happen to me?

  Dylan: This is a lot bigger than you see. I can’t let this get out. I’m not gonna hurt you, but I can’t promise the same about my friends. They feel a little, differently than I do about how some people should be interfered with.

  Boy: What does that matter?

  Dylan grabs his shoulder.

  Dylan: I can’t say. Listen, this is very important. I’m gonna leave right away before anyone else wises up. I need you to be quiet about what you jut saw. Understand?

  The Boy waits and nods.

  Dylan: Thanks a million. I’ll come back and check on you, if you need. Just let things cool down a bit. I can’t imagine these guys going missing’ll go unnoticed. I can say, you’ve made a friend, and a pretty powerful one, at that.

  The Boy waves to Dylan, who sprints away.