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originally posted in:The New Dojo
12/13/2016 3:29:35 AM
1
"It ain't so bad once you hang around for a little bit. I don't think I've met too many people that have tried to kill me except Wilson."
[i]He said, walking down the street and heading for a small two-story building between a small deli/store and a bookstore.
A new sign had been put up on the front, a large white square with a red cross in the center of it, clearly denoting it as a doctor's office. It looked just like any other small urban two-storey on the outside, well-maintained and thin, but inviting and homey. Watcher headed up to the door and walked in, a bell chiming as he did so. [/i]
English
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James looked around, seeing an actual house and a doctors office, something he'd never seen before. [u]"So this is what a real house looks like... It's amazing. I wish I could've had one."[/u] James looked around in envy, seeing mysterious things entirely new to him. "Thank you Watcher, thank you..." James looked down again, it was easy to tell he was lost in thought.
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"This place has been the first real home I've had in six years." [i]He said, entering. Two individuals were speaking in the room before them, both pausing in the midst of their conversation to see who had entered. A woman leaned up against the countertop that separated the waiting room and the office. She was short, wearing combat pants, boots, and a regular t-shirt. Her pale blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and she looked almost surprised to see the two boys. The man before her looked extremely imposing in his full suit of armor. The exosuit he wore was painted matte black, with scratches and scrapes all across it, along with a few bullet ricochet marks. On his left leg, a large Bowie knife sat in its sheath. At his waist, a leather gunbelt, and at each of his hips, a .44 magnum, Smith and Wesson Model 629 Stealth Hunters. Magnum shells lined the gunbelt as well. Across his chest, a bandolier, with numerous tactical pouches used to store various items for any situation. His cloak was back, exposing both his shoulders and his helmet. On his left pauldron, a kukri was situated in its sheath, and on his right, five .50BMG rounds sat in a sidesaddle. The tip of his blade's hilt could be seen over his right shoulder, the stock of his Barrett M107A1 over his right. However, what stood out the most was the mask he wore. It fully covered his face and head, and the lenses of the eyes glowed an eerie blue. Like the armor, it was painted entirely black, save for three jagged white slashes across the right side, painted bright white. He turned and looked towards the two, and spoke, voice metallic and calm. [/i] "Hey Miles. Who's your friend?" [i]Watcher stopped in his tracks, and stared back up at the man, and then looked over to the woman, clearly not happy.[/i] "I thought that was between you and I." "Look, it was an accident..." [i]She said, clearly sincere. [/i] [i]He sighed, and walked past them, briskly, and headed upstairs. The armored man looked to Rose. [/i] "I'm guessing that he probably wasn't keen on me knowing that..." "Oui, Monsieur." [i]She replied. The accent and language gave her away as French.[/i]
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[u]"Well then... I'm James, cool people call me Stinger. I met Watcher a while ago, he was holding true to his name. We went out and I bought these two weapons[/u] James patted the knife on his belt and the machete on his back. [u]He led me here and... here we are[/u]
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Edited by Trashcan Jesus: 12/14/2016 12:54:15 AM"Can't say I've seen you around here before." [i]Replied the armored man. Rose was silent. [/i] "I'm guessing since you just bought the knife and the machete, you've probably met Wilson..." [i]Wolfe said, breaking the awkward silence.[/i]
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[u]"You probably haven't seen me around because I just came in like 3 hours ago. And yes, sadly I had to meet Wilson. He's -blam-ing insane. The only person here that I'm actually scared of."[/u] James looked around the building a bit. He was kind of just taking it all in, I mean, it was a house. Something he had never really had. He finally had a chance to see what he was missing.
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"Good news for you. He won't kill kids. It's his only rule, at least the only one we know of. Like the house, huh?" [i]He asked, noticing quickly that James was enthralled by the house around him.[/i]
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[u]Thank God for that. I heard he did something to Watcher, but I was never told exactly what.[/u] James looked around, until he realized that Wolfe had asked a second question. [u]"Oh yeah, it's awesome. This is kinda a touchy subject, but here goes. When I was a baby, my parents were murdered. My mother barely had time to hide me. I spent the next 14 years on the streets. I've never really had a house or even been in one. I came to avenge my parents, I planned on leaving afterwards. I decided to stay."[/u] James looked down now.
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[i]Wolfe was silent. Rose spoke after a moment breaking the tense atmosphere.[/i] "Monsieur Wilson left Watcher seriously bruised and with a mild concussion. Had he not been in his armor, he would have been killed." [i]Her voice was quiet, almost mouselike. [/i] [i]After another moment Wolfe spoke.[/i] "That's an ugly road to follow, kid." [i]There was a clear coldness to his voice now, much different from the calm and at least polite tone he had used earlier.[/i]
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[u]"How do you mean, ugly road?"[/u] James was visibly confused, he was also worried, considering Wolfe dropped the friendly attitude and tone.
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Edited by Trashcan Jesus: 12/14/2016 3:36:26 AM"Trust me. You'll think it's going to stop all the hurt, you'll think it's going to get you what you want, and you'll get it, you'll get that feeling of victory, and then it's gone. Then you realize that no matter what you do, you'll never get your loved ones back. You'll never unsee their deaths. You learn that nothing you do will ever change your past, nothing you do will ever take away the pain." [i]He said. Rose looked up at him, a sadness in her eyes. Walking past James, Wolfe headed out the door, disappearing into the streets.[/i]
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[u]"He's already dead"[/u] James said, barely louder than a whisper. [u]"The killer, that is."[/u] James looked down, knowing what Wolfe said was true. The pain would never ever fade, James just ended another life. Roy said otherwise but Roy was wrong. [u]"Where's Watcher? I want to talk to him."[/u]
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"He is in his room." [i]Rose said.[/i] "Monsieur Wolfe and Monsieur Damien have both had rough pasts, James. Watcher's real name is Miles Damien, he is only two years older than you. He was orphaned at a young age, he does not remember his parents. He grew up a thief, never put his trust in anyone, and never gave out his name. He survived like that for some time, and his bad experiences shaped his behaviors, for better and for worse. He hardly goes out without his helmet, and refuses to give out his name to most people. The only reason I know is because I patched him up after his brush with Wilson. I am afraid that I accidentally mentioned his name in conversation with Monsieur Wolfe, and that Miles' trust will be difficult to earn back. On the other hand, Wolfe's father was killed by a CIA operator on Christmas Day, right before his eyes, seven years ago. He spent much of that time training, and then took his father's armor to hunt down the killer. He murdered every intelligence agent involved, and finally got the killer himself. It is something he hardly talks about, for he knows that his vengeance has not fixed the feelings of despair and loss. This is at least what I know from what I have been told by Monsieur Clarkson and Wilson." [i]She explained.[/i] "Please do not tell either of them I told you this. These are sensitive topics, and I know you did not know." [i]She said, sounding concerned like a big sister or a mother.[/i]
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[u]"I won't tell them that I know. If you don't mind me asking, what have you done? Watcher, Wolfe and I have had rather similar situations, so I can only imagine you have too. It's entirely ok if you don't want to share."[/u] James looked up at her. [i]I should get a helmet, cover my face, hide my name. Go back to how I was on the streets. Keep a low profile and tell few people. Maybe that'd be for the best. Stuff always goes wrong whenever I'm around. I bring everyone pain, never have I helped another person in my life. I've killed someone but never saved anyone. The streets definitely had their highs and lows. No food, no liabilities, no house, no worries. Maybe this place isn't for me. The dark path was the road he was taking, I am too far gone to go back. What's worse, feeling terrible after killing a man or feeling nothing? I should ask Rose.[/i] [u]"Oh, and Rose, quick question. What's worse; feeling super guilty after killing someone, or feeling nothing at all?"[/u]
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"I would rather feel bad than not feel anything at all. Emotion and pain are what make us human." [i]She said quietly.[/i] "I was in medical school when I joined the French Foreign Legion. I served as a field medic until I was contracted by a CIA operator to lure Wilson and Monsieur Wolfe out for him to kill. I will not lie to you. The blood of the innocent is on my hands, and not a moment goes by that I do not think about it. But what has past has past. You cannot live in the past. You cannot change it." [i]She said. Clearly, there was something she didn't want to fully come out and say, but what she had said was enough.[/i] "You have potential, James. All of us do. We may go down the wrong roads every now and then, but there is always time to change. I know what you are thinking, Monsieur. This is just the same old from every adult. It isn't. You aren't better off alone on the streets, you don't need to hide away from yourself." [i]Perhaps this was why Watcher had opened up to her. There was a big-sister-like aspect to her. She seemed to care.[/i]
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[u]"I don't know, if 14 years alone has taught me anything, it's that I can't trust anyone because they're all just in it for themselves. Everyone in this world is truly alone. Watcher sees it, i see it. I haven't trusted anyone and I'm not ready to start again. I've got no one here but you three and Sarah. Hell, you're the most motherly figure I've ever had. I'm glad you didn't kill those two. They're good people. If anyone deserves to die, it's me. I should have listened to the advice the people who told me not to kill gave me. It would've helped this feeling I have. I want this feeling to leave me, just like everyone and everything else has in life. The street beggar never gets what he wants; he wants to eat so he has to steal, he wants a mom so he has to force his way into others lives, he wants vengeance so he kills a man and in return gets an unshakable feeling of guilt and sorrow."[/u] After James finished ranting, he bursted into tears and sat on the ground. He stayed like this for a few minutes, just crying and freaking out on the ground.
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[i]She approached him, saying not a word as she sat down beside him, and placed an arm around his shoulder. Leaning in, she held him in a hug, letting him cry it out. He didn't deserve to die. He was just another outcast like the rest of the group, and that was ok. Sometimes even the tough ones had to cry. It was natural. She leaned her head on his, and waited. While she was primarily a physician, she had studied psychiatry, and as a human being, she knew that a shoulder to cry on was sometimes a necessity.[/i]
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[u]"Thank you, Rose. Thank you."[/u] James said through tears. [i]I have an idea. I can turn back time and undo the killing. I can undo it. I can't get rid of this pain.[/i] [u]"I know how I can get rid of the pain. Before I tell you, I need to ask if you know what my ability is or not."[/u]
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"No." [i]She said.[/i] [i]She had only just met him a few minutes ago, she really only knew his name and what he had told her.[/i]
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[u]"The thing with me, my name had good reason. I'm fast and I can manipulate time itself. I've yet to attempt it, but I believe I can freeze time or go back. I want to try."[/u] James had the same determined look he had when he killed Zachary. He wanted, no he needed, to go back.
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[i]Rose sighed, and then spoke.[/i] "Time is a dangerous thing to manipulate. While your slowing of it is relatively harmless, rewinding it could have drastic unforeseen consequences for not only you, but perhaps everyone else. Time is one of those things better left alone. I know what you're hinting at, and that is dangerous."
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[u]"So is this pain, these self destructive thoughts. I want it to leave me."[/u] James looked at Rose and he had a certain fire in his eyes, but also a pain. He had seen and done things 14 year old kids shouldn't have. [u]"I'm the child that was forced to be a man..."[/u]
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"Even with the past changed, does it bring back your parents?" [i]She asked.[/i] "You made your choices, and you'll face the consequences, but that does not mean you have to allow yourself to be destroyed in the process." [i]She said, quietly, reassuringly.[/i]
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[u]No, they won't come back. I've accepted that already. I just don't want to be the same man as the guy who killed them..."[/u] [i]Is this what having a sister is like? [/i] Stinger decided Rose was right and decided not to do anything stupid.
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"None of us wanted to be where we are today. I never once dreamed I would have ever killed an innocent person. I never once thought I would end up playing big sister to Miles. Monsieur Wolfe never expected to lose his father and hunt down the men who did it. Wilson never expected to be shot in the head for carrying a simple package." [i]She said.[/i] "It is not always about the road that takes you to wherever you are, it is about who you are as a result of the road."
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[u]I never want to kill again. I know I will one of these days. I dread that day very much. That being said, I'm not going to go full serial killer mode. Do you still feel guilt?[/u]
