City of IF

[Midnight]

Note: Okay, so this is my first time doing a storygame. I thought I would try it out at least once. So here goes.


Introduction:

This is a simple story about your everyday assassin, Marrax. Marrax is sent several contracts every day. Your task is to help him choose which hit he will do next and how he will execute it. But don’t think that this is a simple pick and kill story. Information will be unveiled and patterns will start to show in these contracts.

Every choice has an effect, let someone live today and you may meet them in the future to come. Kill someone, and someone may want to get revenge. Choices may turn out to be double-edged swords; this is either something you may want to avoid, or something you want to walk into.

Now choose.

[Midnight]

Chapter One: The Contract

Marrax sat in front of his computer, the screen illuminated with a dull coloured blue. No other lights were to be found in his apartment, as he found it easier to concentrate when the light of his computer screen was all that could be seen. He rubbed his eyes, which were strained from the amount of time he’d spent here. Behind him he could hear the chime of the Grandfather clock. Two chimes told him it was 2am.

Marrax stood and stretched his muscles as he looked over at the mirror. His dark hair hung over his face, covering his brown eyes. He glanced at his shoulder, which still ached from the fall that he’d taken during his most recent job. There was a dark purple ring that covered it. It would not heal for a few weeks, and Marrax ignored its throbbing complaints.

The doorbell rang and Marrax locked eyes warily on the door. He couldn’t understand why anyone would be visiting him at two in the morning. He cautiously made his way to the door, and opened it.

“Hey, Marrax. I knew you would be awake. You always seem to be.” It was the landlords’ son, Ethan.

Marrax did not say anything and merely stared at the boy. His face was pale and his thick winter jacket was covered in snow. Who goes walking around outside at this time of night? Marrax thought to himself.

“Um, anyway. Complaints were made that there was some noise coming from your apartment. Is everything okay?” Ethan asked, trying to look past Marrax further into the apartment.

Fact was there had been noise coming from his room about 10 minutes ago: nightmares. This is why Marrax always woke up early. Personally, it was starting to get on his nerves. He wanted to get a decent night’s sleep, but he kept getting woken up by his dreams. Ridiculous, he thought.

“I was having a bad dream. Everything is fine. You can go now,” Marrax replied tersely.

If Ethan had responded, Marrax didn’t hear it because he closed the door as soon as he’d finished speaking. Marrax made his way back into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling thinking about the names on the computer.


Maria ($250) – She was just a banker. Must have really pissed someone off though, or she wouldn’t be on his list. Pathetic really.

Andrew ($900) – He was a fellow assassin. He worked for Big Green, a mafia boss down on the south side of the city. Big Green ordered the hit on Andrew, as he had recently found out that Andrew was secretly working for his predecessor Rowland. Big Green noted that he would have killed Andrew himself, but he didn’t want Rowland to know it was his work. Wanted things clean.

June ($750) – She was a very sneaky girl. Marrax had had previous encounters with her before and he knew that she would show up on his computer screen soon enough. Despite her looks, she was very skilled with weapons. Weapons smuggling that is. She was one of the top distributors, but she allied herself to Riggs, another weapons smuggler. This meant that she only ever made deals when he and she both agreed to it. June, being greedy, wanted a little on the side, and did deals behind his back.


Dear me, things are looking sad today. I either kill a banker for the sheer joy of killing, or I do something a little bit more serious. Fun times. Marrax thought, chuckling softly to himself.

Marrax sat up and looked over to the computer screen again, the names glaring at him.

“Time to choose Marrax. Whose time has come?” Marrax asked himself, a grin spreading across his face.


Okay, so the DP is which contract does Marrax choose? I thought I would make selection just to start stuff off. The poll will last for 2 weeks.

[Muaddib]

Excellent new SG with a very original premise. I also like 'em short and sweet so I hope the chapter length remains similar.

I voted to kill the fellow assassin. Firstly because it pays more and secondly because it seems like more of a challenge.

Also welcome to the City!

[Shillelagh]

On the other hand, killing the assassin will probably put us right in the middle of a nasty web of intrigue. I vote for the weapons dealer, even if it means turning her partner into an enemy.

[Vishal Muralidharan]

I'm going along with Muaddib here. It pays more, and is more challenging, but I want to add a bit to the option, if possible. Get weapons from June, and in the process, find out how many people are in her gang, because these type of people always stick together. We need to find out the right time to attack her after we're done with Andrew.

[Vikas Muralidharan]

Nice idea.. I love it. I've always been partial to playing the villain anyway lol. And you're writing quality is good too.. Nothing much to complain about there :)

I would go with the fellow assasin too as I think it would make the story more interesting and give us much more challenging DPs and it would be damn fun.

Nice beginning.. waiting for more :)

[Lost Omega]

I voted on the weapons smuggler contract. It's a way to get some more guns, or if certain circumstances line up, Marrax could possibly spare her and get a new weapons supplier.

[Andolyn]

broke your tie. =) i have to say i'm very much enjoying this one. i'm excited to see when and how the fantasy kicks in...you could really do something crazy with this one...take a job on someone & find out they have special abilities or something... who knows! but i'm looking forward to it! i picked the assassin because aside from obviously being exciting, killing the arms dealer could be bad for us if we need weapons sometime in the future.

[Midnight]

Okay okay, thanks for the people that voted, I'm glad that you are enjoying it thus far. I will leave the poll open for the rest of this week then close it on the Monday.

XD

[Emperor]

First let me say, good start and fun concept. Here are some thoughts on what you have posted.

Midnight wrote: the screen illuminated with a dull coloured blue. I liked how the detail of the color of the screen also ties into the color formatting of the sg, very clever.

Midnight wrote: There was a dark purple ring that covered it. Good detailing.

Midnight wrote: Fact was there had been noise coming from his room about 10 minutes ago: nightmares. Giving him recurrent nightmares was good idea, allow us readers to see a touch of humanity through an identifiable condition.

[Guest]

Hi Mint very interesting story, I read it this afternoon. I think the main character should go for the middle priced one, not too easy and not to hard... it depends on how tough the character is. So $750 one... mmm... Oh yea remember about a year ago I spoke to you about two rings I lost, I found them. I hid them so good that I couldn't find them. :) I'll be voting if there is a poll on.

[Thunderbird]

An interesting SG premise and I've always liked your writing. Fairly well developed, concise and to the point. I'll be looking forward to more!

Voting for the most profitable.

[Midnight]

Okay, its seems that the higher paying job won. Kill the Assassin it is. I'll try to get the second chapter up by the end of this week.

Thanks All.

[Midnight]

Chapter 2: The Assassin


Marrax got off the bed and stood, staring at the screen. He ran through the contracts names once again before making his decision. It seems Andrew will be my target, it pays the most but I could care less about money. The challenge is what I’m after, Marrax thought to himself as a smile spread across his face.

He looked over at the clock; it was 2:45am. There was no way Marrax was going to get back to sleep, not that he wanted to go to sleep. The nightmares were really starting to get to him. So instead he decided to get a head start on his contract. The sooner he started gathering information on Andrew the sooner he could kill him. But before he could go out and find Andrew, Marrax had to inform Big Green that he had accepted the Contract, and of course, ask him for any additional information that would help him find the little Assassin.

Marrax looked around the room until he found the phone lying on the floor beside his bed. Before he could dial the number for Big Green the phone rang in his hands. He didn’t answer right away but instead just stared at the phone baffled. Who could possibly be calling him? No friends would call him, he didn’t have any. He didn’t have family either so that was also out of the question. Even his contacts weren’t a possibility. The only way to get a hold of him was through e-mail. So who was calling him now?

He looked at the ringing phone, gripped it harder then answered it.

“Hello,” Marrax said his voice coarse.

“Ah, Mr. Assassin. You are probably wondering who this is,” The voice on the line replied, slightly amused and by the sounds of it, male.

“Yes exactly. But now I’m more inclined to ask how you got this number,” Marrax replied.

There was a small pause on the line. Marrax could hear rustling and the phone tapping on hard surfaces. Then the man replied.

“Yes, I’m sure. Look I don’t have much time. I want to meet with you. I have a contract for you. I want to meet with you now,” The man’s voice was rushed now, he was on edge.

Marrax took this chance to take control. Despite everything he was actually curious on what job this guy had. He had gone through all the trouble of finding his number after all.

“I don’t think you’re in a position to tell me to do anything. First I want to know who this is and how you got this number,” Marrax demanded.

“I really don’t have ti-“ Marrax cut him off.

“No. I don’t have time for this.”

The man paused again and Marrax knew that he was going to tell him what he wanted.

“The name is Andrew, I work for Big Green. I’m an Assassin, much like you. I think that answers your question, no?” Andrew sounded defeated, yet he tried to maintain a calm and controlled tone.

Andrew. Well, well. Marrax thought to himself.

“Andrew. It’s nice to meet you.” Marrax replied, trying not to laugh at his luck. Who would have known that his prey would come to him. Things were looking up.

“Well, actually we haven’t met, which is what I would like to do. Like I said, I have a contract,” Andrew replied, less rushed this time but more annoyed.

“Let’s meet at ‘The Black Smoke Cafe.’ You know the place, I take it?” Marrax asked, grinning with excitement.

“Yes I do,” Andrew replied.

“Good, but first, tell me about this Contract,” Marrax ordered. Despite his luck, he did not want to take any chances with Andrew knowing he was the Assassin ordered to kill him. He needed to know more information about Andrews’s situation.

“I want Big Green dead. Simple. I would do it myself, but I am trying not to get involved,” Andrew replied frustrated. Not happy that he was being told what to do and from one of his colleagues at that.

“One can only imagine what you have been up to. We’ll meet in an hour. Don’t be late,” Marrax replied bluntly and hung up the phone.

Marrax stroked his chin; he was thrilled about the current events that had transpired. He would kill Andrew at ‘The Black Smoke Cafe’. The job will be done he will get paid nine hundred dollars and be on his way. Things couldn’t be simpler.

“Simple,” Marrax said to himself, “Too simple.”

Marrax frowned. He did not like this. Where was the challenge? He sighed then picked up the phone and dialled a number.

“Hello?” A slight, high-pitched voice said.

“The contract is taken. Death will ensue,” Marrax said then hung up the phone.
~~~~~~~

He accepted the contract, but what to do. Kill Andrew. Don’t kill Andrew and accept his contract. Get information then kill him. It’s up to you guys, bring forth your ideas. XD

[Muaddib]

Meet Andrew, take his contract and tell him about the contract out on him. Tell him to lie low till Big Green is dead. Go to Big Green telling him that Andrew is dead, and take the contract money. Kill Big Green, then go to Andrew and take his money and then kill him too.


Phew.

[Vikas Muralidharan]

Haha.. very well written.. Its developing now.

And as for the DP, I cant think of anything better than Muaddib's suggestion, but other than that I'd say, demand payment first from Andrew (cite risk, etc.,), get the money, kill him... then go to Big Green.. get the money, kill him :P

[Vishal Muralidharan]

I, personally, don't like this approach to the story. The writing has a flair to it, but I certainly don't like it when the fiction gets too co-incidental. I was expecting to track an assassin down, and cool stuff but all I got was an "Aww, crap!". True, this situation forces to play on both Big-Green and Andrew, but still not exciting as the first DP. It is an interesting way to write, and the writing is solid, but I've read these co-incidents way too often and it doesn't excite me. That's all. ;)

I'm going to say we go to the Black Smoke Cafe and kill Andrew. Go to Big Green and get the money. A flat-out no to Andrew, but I'm not keen on making it harder than it should be. Big Green is a mafia boss. I don't want enemies from the Mafia. We mighe need his help later on anyway.

[Tikanni Corazon]

Hey Midnight!


Finally got around to taking a look at this tale, and it's very interesting, and well written. The subject is intriguing, as one cannot see oneself wanting the lead character to succeed, given his line of business. I guess we'll see how that turns out as the story goes on, though if he turns out to just go around killing willy-nilly (such as killing both Andrew and Big Green, when he doesn't need to), I can't see myself liking him very much. But definitely a different, and interesting premise. Very well done! :)


I've found this little thing in the first chapter...

Quote: “Hey, Marrax. I knew you would be awake. You always seem to be,” it was the landlords’ son, Ethan.

This should be set out as two seperate sentences, when put like this. So fullstop at the end of the dialogue, and a capital letter for 'it'.


Okay, for the dp, I'm thinking it's very suspicious that he's contacted by both Andrew and Big Green around the same time. I'd say, go to the Black Smoke Cafe immediately, and hang around nearby, but out of sight, and wait for Andrew to arrive. That way, he can keep a lookout for anything that seems a little fishy. If it seems like it's all clear, enter the cafe and hear Andrew out, and find out what he's offering for the job, and why he can't just do it himself. If he's having problems with Big Green, it's likely that he'll be suspected anyway, so why not just go for it, and then scarper?

So yeah, question Andrew thoroughly before making any kind of definite decision.


Good job, Midnight! Keep up the good work! ;)

[Midnight]

@Muad, I like your train of thought. Kill ALL the things. HAHA

@Vishal, I'll try not to make it too co-incidental from now on. I didn't really like how I made things turn out either. :P

@Tikanni, I'm glad you were able to read this story and hope you continue to do so. :D

Overall, thanks for the ideas guys. Does anybody else have any other ideas just to get a few more options out there?

[Lost Omega]

I think he should accept both jobs as a way to try and get a leg-up on Big Green and take over. He should attempt to kill Andrew and fail so he can go back for information later.

[Midnight]

Okay guys. Poll is up, I've tried to summarize all your ideas as best I could. Time to see what the verdict is.

[Midnight]

Hmm.

*Looks at votes.*

Interesting, but we require a tie breaker. XD

[Midnight]

Okay.

KILL EVERYONE, it is. I shall try to get the next chapter up in a weeks time. XD

[PopeAlessandrosXVIII]

Well, this is interesting. It's kinda like "Pick Your Own Adventure" but instead of adventure, it's assissination! Loves!

I do agree, the coincidence thing is a bit off, but as long as it doesn't becom a re-occuring thing, I have no problem with it. *Silly Grin* Mar here liiks a lil Emo to me, makes me laugh. "Emo Assassin!" *Giggles* But, anyways. . . .

Good job, can't wait to see more!

[Midnight]

Due to the holidays, I shall not be posting the next chapter until the 2nd of January.

(I say the 2nd just in case I get carried away with the New Years celebrations. XD)

[Midnight]

Okay, here is the next chapter. A bit longer than the rest cause I had to fit in quite a bit. I hope I don't sound rushed near the end. XP


Marrax Chapter 3: Two deaths. One night.


Marrax stood in an alleyway across the street from the cafe. He dressed in a pair of jeans and shirt, with a thick black coat to protect his skin against the cold. He tried to look as mundane as he could so he would not attract unwanted attention.

People seemed less likely to pay attention to you if you looked unimportant, and Marrax liked that. “More business, less hassle,” as Marrax always said.

The cafe looked deserted, exactly as Marrax expected it to be. This meant if something were to happen to Andrew, Marrax could walk out easily and without any complications. Andrew himself was already in the cafe, he had ordered a coffee and the waitress had bought it out to him 5 minutes ago. He looked calm from Marrax’s point of view, looking out the window occasionally.

Waiting for me to arrive, Marrax thought to himself.

Marrax turned his attention away from Andrew; he had not done anything out of the ordinary that would hint at a trap. Marrax focused his attention on other things, planning how he would play through the meeting and considering his options if anything were to go wrong.

He had observed the people in the café. They were nothing special and Marrax could easily take them out if push came to shove. There were no possible witnesses outside the cafe and had not been since Marrax arrived. The snow was falling heavily, which made a nice, obscuring fog in the alleys.

The setting was good; Marrax would kill both Andrew and Big Green tonight. The tricky part was to make sure that everything goes smoothly here so that Marrax receives payment for Big Greens death from Andrew. If things went badly, Marrax would lose one of his bounty payments. There was no room for mistakes.

Marrax rubbed his hands together; it was time to meet with Andrew. He grabbed a pair of gloves from his jacket pocket and put them on, pausing only to look at the mark on his right hand. It lay between his thumb and index finger: a crescent with what looked like a blade across it. He didn’t know when he received it, and that bothered him.

He slipped his glove on and cleared his thoughts. He crossed the street and saw Andrew perk his head up as he opened the cafe door. Andrew watched him intently as Marrax made his way over to the booth.

“Well didn’t you take your sweet time?” Andrew snapped, “I thought you would at least be early, seeing as you chose the meeting place.”

Marrax took his time getting comfortable in the booth, taking his time to scan the interior of the cafe. From his previous scan, he had thought there would be people in the corner booths, but the café was empty apart from himself, Andrew, the Manager and Waitress.

“I already checked, the place is deserted,” Andrew cut in, noting Marrax’s eye movements, “It’s past three in the morning, after all.”

“Well aren’t you observant?” Marrax replied in a neutral tone.

“We have the same day job remember? I notice these things,” Andrew replied, arching an eyebrow, “Like, for example, you standing across the alley in the cold scoping the place.”

“Maybe I’m slipping,” Marrax returned, tone every bit as casual as Andrew’s.

The waitress made her way over to Marrax with a smile and a “Can I take your order?”, but he sent her away with a wave of his hand. Both Marrax and Andrew watched as the waitress walked away.

“Not very social now are you?” Andrew asked.

“I don’t really see a need for courtesies. I prefer a more direct route,” Marrax ran his gloved hand through his hair, “Speaking of which, you said you wanted Big Green dead. Do tell me that story.”

Andrew stared at Marrax coldly. It seemed he was a bit touchy about the Big Green subject.

“Simple. I want him dead and I can’t do it myself,” Andrew paused to take a short sip of his coffee before continuing, “No one can suspect me of anything. The way things stand, I am quite certain that Big Green has not told a soul about the contract he placed on my head.”

“If you’re aware of a contract, aren’t you concerned that you might be killed regardless?” Marrax chuckled, a dangerous smirk forming on his face, “I mean, I could be that assassin.”

“Oh, but you see, I also have reason to believe that the contract hasn’t been taken by an assassin,” Andrew returned conversationally, “If I get Big Green killed before the contract is taken, then the contract is quite clearly off.”

“And knowing all this, I am still wondering how you got my number,” Marrax said, ignoring Andrews reply.

“You don’t know it, but we are brothers. We are one and the same. I know about you, just as you know about me,” Andrew replied smugly, leaning back in the seat, “Do you really need anything more?”

Andrew was clever, it seemed. Marrax had underestimated him, despite knowing that he was an assassin. Andrew was only revealing the information he wanted Marrax to hear. He knew full well that Marrax had caught on to this, but also knew there was nothing Marrax could really do about it.

Marrax looked outside, where the snow had come almost to a complete stop. There was still an obscuring fog, which made it hard to see past the lamp post opposite the café. Marrax could remember a faint memory of his childhood. It was dark and it smelled of blood, he couldn’t grasp anything apart from those two things. Darkness and Blood.

He forced his mind back to the situation at hand.

“How much for Green?” Marrax asked, his voice haggard as if he had just woken from a dream.

“Five-hundred dollars,” Andrew replied.

“Five-hundred?” Marrax asked, stifling an incredulous chuckle. He’s got balls, asking for less than his own bounty, “Please tell me you’re joking. I will not accept anything below nine.”

“Please, tell me you’re joking.”

“Nine-hundred dollars. That is my price, take it or leave it,” Marrax replied smugly, “Of course, I could just kill you and go to Green. I wonder how much that bounty is worth? I’m sure I could convince Green to give me a bonus.”

Andrew shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Marrax took pleasure in his discomfort; it meant he could be bargained with.

“Fine, just get it done tonight,” Andrew growled, staring at Marrax coldly, the corner of his lip twitching, “He is over at ‘Sauce Girls’. He has a private room. I’m sure you can manage a stealthy entrance.”

Marrax smiled menacingly, “I’ll have it done, just have the cash ready.”

************

Marrax had climbed through the window, and stood just out of sight of Green. He had wanted to walk on in, but saw the girl straddling Green and thought better of it.

Fantastic, now I have to stand here listening to the groaning and moaning. Oh the things I do to not be seen, Marrax thought to himself.

Marrax rolled his eyes several times as the series of Oh’s and Yeah’s followed, occasionally the girl would say ‘your such a big boy, a very big boy’. This just made Marrax want to kill Green and his lover then and there, but he needed to claim the money on Andrew first. It was clear however that she was not very into it, unless overweight, balding, green-haired, forty something year old men with scars everywhere was her thing and Marrax had a feeling it wasn’t. Patience is a Virtue, he thought to himself.

After what seemed like hours, the girl finally left with her cash and Marrax made his position known. This will be brief. Marrax thought to himself.

“Who are you?” Green asked as he almost jumped from his chair in surprise. His voice was the high-pitched voice he had spoken to earlier on the phone.

“That doesn’t matter, I am here to claim.” Marrax said bluntly and threw a ring onto the table. It was a simple thing, with a silver band and a single blood-red garnet as ornamentation.

The ring was, of course, Andrews. He had asked the assassin to borrow it before he left the café, convincing him that it was a part of his plan. Some poetic thing, for Green to know it was Andrew who ordered his death. It was simple enough, and Andrew took it in.

Green stared at the ring, at first not sure what Marrax had expected him to do. Then something clicked and he picked up the ring, taking note of Andrews name inscribed onto the inside of the band. Green looked up at Marrax while holding the ring between his thumb and index finger and knew exactly who he was.

He swivelled his chair and opened the vault beside his desk, took out a bag and placed it on the desk.

“I hadn’t expected you to be done tonight,” Green blustered as he waved his hands about, “If I had known I would not have met you in such a place.”

“It matters not,” Marrax replied as he walked over to the desk and picked up the bag.

“Is that all?” Green asked as he turned to leave.

“Not quite,” Marrax said softly.

He rapidly twisted his body, much faster than anyone could hope for without rigorous training. Before Green could react, a knife was lodged in-between his eyes.

“That is all Mr. Green,” Marrax stated as Big Green fell to the floor lifeless.

He allowed himself a brief glance back to admire his handiwork, and then sprung silently out the window.

************

Andrew stood in the centre of the roof. Marrax had called him shortly after leaving Green, and he could tell that Andrew was surprised about how fast he had killed Green. Marrax checked the time on his watch, it was 5am. What a full morning I’ve had, Marrax thought. Fatigue was starting to sneak up to him. His body felt tired, his shoulders heavy, and he could barely think about the situation without the word sleep sneaking in.

Andrew cocked his head to face Marrax as he approached. The first thing that Marrax noticed was was how alert Andrew appeared; he did not seem tired at all. His eyes weren’t drooping and he even seemed to have a spring in his step, despite not moving.

“I must say, I expected you would kill Green today, albeit not as quickly as you just demonstrated,” Andrew said cheerily.

“I’ll be honest Andrew; I do not have time for casual conversations. Just pay me,” Marrax groused.

Andrew shrugged and kicked the bag over to him. Marrax opened it and began counting the money, making sure it was all there. Andrew was not very happy about the price, and it was just common sense to make sure in these circumstances.

“It’s all there, but count away if you must,” Andrew said, before lowering his voice to just shy of a whisper, “You damned leech.”

Marrax closed the bag and stood, satisfied with his payment.

“Well, I suppose this concludes our business. Good working with you,” Andrew called over his shoulder as he turned and waved goodbye. There was one more thing that Marrax must do.

“Just one more thing,” He called back, sliding the knife from his jacket pocket.
Lightning quick, Andrew tackled Marrax, bearing him to the ground. The knife fell from his grasp as he hit the ground. Before he could react, Andrew was above him again, holding his own knife to Marrax’s throat.

“Now, now. You didn’t think that I wasn’t aware of your little double-cross, did you?” Andrew purred in Marrax’s ear, an ominous smile upon his face.

“Wha-“ Marrax was cut off as Andrew drove a fist into his ribs.

“Shh, no need to talk. You need to understand that I have the upper hand,” Andrew said smoothly as he pressed down on the knife, just hard enough to pierce the skin, “You’re so tired, you see, and so unaware of what is to come. I saw that knife coming a thousand miles away.”

Marrax smiled at his last remark. Soon enough he was laughing, Andrew had not noticed and that just made Marrax laugh louder and heavier.

Andrew looked stunned and he pressed the knife harder on his throat, and Marrax could feel something wet running down his neck. But that did not stop his laughter.
“What is so funny?” Andrew replied, bewildered.

Marrax stopped laughing and leaned closer to Andrew ignoring the blade cutting him and responded pleasantly, “Gotcha.”

Andrew was taken aback. He looked down at Marrax’s hand and saw it was holding a knife, planted firmly in his back. Marrax could see the realisation in his eyes as he made his move. Marrax slipped from underneath Andrew, pushing him onto his back, so that their roles were reversed. He was now straddling Andrew and he raised the blade for the finishing blow. No time for words, just action. Marrax thought to himself.

As the knife began its descent, Andrew yelled wide-eyed, “THE MARK! THE MARK!”
The blade faltered mere inches from Andrews heart.

“What are you pla-“ Marrax began, but Andrew cut him off.

“The mark on your hand, I know what it is. You can’t kill me, “Andrew responded hastily, desperate to keep his life.

“You know nothing.” Marrax replied and started to push the knife into Andrews’s chest.

“I know the Crescent. You can’t kill me and if not the crescent, use me for information. PLEASE! I CAN BE OF USE TO YOU!” Andrew’s screams devolved into bloody gurgles as the knife dug deeper and deeper into his chest.

What is going on here? Marrax thought.

While sitting on Andrews’s dead body trying to collect his thoughts, Marrax saw a white piece of paper peeking out from Andrews’s jacket pocket. Marrax pulled it out and read the letter.

Andrew,

I need not tell you who this is. I received your letter and found it quite intriguing indeed. But this simple act will not get you back into our ranks. As you should know, nothing will. We will inspect this boy further and you are no longer allowed to deal with the situation. As it is, you have gone too far with hiring him. This is our business now, so please stay out of our way.

C.

Marrax read the letter over and over again. His mind filled with questions. Maybe killing Andrew was not such a smart choice. Who was this ‘C’ and who were the Crescents. Either way Marrax was baffled and his strength was dissipating quickly.


Okay so with the edit, what should Marrax do now? He is tired as hell and he has found something interesting. Go home, get rest? Try and get in contact? Forget it and see what other contracts he has?.

[Masterweaver]

He kills the guy. And the next morning he gets a little wake up call from the Crescent. Specifically, a snarky nonhuman companion who, oh, can't be killed. And has a job.

[Muaddib]

Hmmm....I like your writing style but once again the DP was rendered meaningless.

[Midnight]

Muaddib wrote: Hmmm....I like your writing style but once again the DP was rendered meaningless.

I agree, which is why I have added a bit extra. Nothing too extreme and it still makes Weavers comment rellevent.

[UndeadCowboy]

I think he should go home a rest either way. Wakes up getting attacked by this Crescent, a rogue agent perhaps? Keep up the good work.

[Vishal Muralidharan]

Muaddib wrote: Hmmm....I like your writing style but once again the DP was rendered meaningless.

Exactly. You really need more interesting and engaging DPs. DPs that can get more suggestions than "Go Rest".

[Vikas Muralidharan]

Brilliant writing but again the DP was dissapointing. Nothing much about it really. Go home and rest...

*sighs*.. Was hoping for a better end to the chapter..

[Midnight]

Okay, I shall not poll this because the DP is extremely slack. I'll post Chapter 4 on Saturday with a better DP.

[Andolyn]

I loved it, M. and geez, you guys are hard on people. lol making DPs is hard sometimes. Ima say lets go rest first...THEN we try to find more info on these Crescent people...obviously theyre powerful to have found out Andrew hired us so quickly...

[Midnight]

Thanks Adolyn, I'll carry your idea onto the next chapter. =D

There shall be a more interesting DP. BWAHAHAHA

[Midnight]

I hope the DP to this chapter is a lot more interesting.


Chapter 4: Full House


Marrax opened his apartment door feeling sore all over. The pain that spread from his ribs across his whole body made walking more difficult, and he welcomed the warm comfort of his apartment. He longed to lay in bed and sleep, but he needed to get cleaned up first. Before making his way to the bathroom, he laid his coat and shirt on the bed and examined the damage.

He did not think that Andrew had punched him too hard, but from the sight of the bruising the punch must have been more powerful than Marrax had realised. The majority of his left hand side was covered with dark purple smudges and he could see pink blotches starting to form over his rib cage.

Jesus, it’s as if Andrew hit me with a crowbar, Marrax thought, How did he manage to do this much damage from a single punch?

Marrax shrugged, thinking of the bruise as addition to his collection and walked carefully into the bathroom. He made his way to the sink and splashed some water on his face, then stopped when he saw blood. Confused, he looked up at the mirror and noticed a gash across his neck.

Damn, I had forgotten all about that, Marrax thought, I’ll have to clean that up.

Frustrated, Marrax took out the first aid kit from the sink cabinet and started to tend to the wound. He barely ever got wounds while out doing his job, so the first aid kit was still full of supplies. Being watchful of injuries was normally a big deal for Marrax, bandages attracted attention, and now that he was going to have a dressing on his neck he had to make sure to cover his neck until it had healed.

Finished in the bathroom, Marrax made his way back into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Normally sleep was hard to come by, but tonight it came swiftly, just as Andrew had when he’d attacked him.


**********


Marrax awoke to the voice of a woman. He slowly made his way up into a sitting position, his body rebelling against the sudden movement and saw a woman sitting at his computer, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes Marx,” The woman said cheerfully, her voice giving away her identity.

“June?” Marrax asked groggily, his vision still burry, “What the hell do you want?”

“Well isn’t that just rude, not that it matters. You are only ever nice to me when you want something, after all,” She replied, standing now with her arms crossed.

Marrax rubbed his eyes until the blurriness disappeared and looked over at June. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, a few strands falling out. Her clothing showed off her slender but firm figure, and Marrax couldn’t help but smile.

Oh June, Marrax thought, stifling laughter.

“Don’t you dare think anything dirty. We aren’t that close,” June said, as if reading Marrax’s mind.

“Do you have new weapons? Is that why you are here?” Marrax asked, getting straight to the point.

“How blunt,” June replied sourly, brightening after a second, “Actually, someone has been asking for you. They have been all over the city, asking for a certain assassin called Marrax.”

Marrax ran a hand threw his hair and with an intimidating voice said, “Who, is looking for me and what did you tell them?”

June smiled that menacing smile Marrax knew all too well.

“I told them you were here, obviously. You know me, can’t pass up a good deal. I got paid quite the pretty sum,” She replied, her smile getting bigger and bigger.

“You are here then, because?” Marrax replied neutrally.

He was not surprised, this was how June operated and it was the reason she was on the list. Her death was inevitable, and she knew that, she just wanted to enjoy every minute of her life, damn the consequences. Marrax admired her for that.

“To give you a heads up. I thought you’d prefer to see a beautiful lady in the morning rather than a cloak and a knife. Besides, I heard someone sent you a little something. A contract. To kill me,” June said her tone also neutral.

“Ah yes. No point in denying it I suppose. I see my computer has already been hacked into.”

“For an assassin, you are quite clumsy. In truth I’m disappointed; the contract does not tell me who sent it. So thus I cannot proceed any further with my search. Unless you help me, of course,” June said, batting her eyelashes innocently.

“You’re joking,” Marrax replied bluntly.

“I’ve got word he knows about Creeesceeent,” She sang in return.

“You have got to be kidding me, you know about them too?” Marrax replied, annoyed about the topic change.

“I know people. I have not known about them long, they have actually just started showing up. So, help me?” June asked, maintaining her innocent act.

Marrax was about to answer her when suddenly a cloaked figure walked into the room. June didn’t really react but looked the stranger over and shrugged.

“How do you people keep getting into my apartment?” Marrax asked, baffled by the seeming ease of locating it.

“Like I said before, you’re clumsy,” June looked at the cloaked figure, “And he is early.”

Marrax got up off the bed and rubbed his sore ribs, he could feel them pounding through his skin and he had a headache to boot. He walked over to his computer and sat down on his chair. He saw June and the dark figure watching him as he looked at the screen.

June had opened the contract list; the mouse hovered just above hers which revealed a short description of what the message contained. Marrax ignored it and continued to look over the rest of his contracts. It appeared as though he had received a few more. Marrax skimmed over them, ignoring the people standing beside him. They could be dealt with later.

Zim ($300) – A drug dealer who double-crossed the wrong group. He was holing up at a nearby house, down at the waterfront.

Rodes ($250 Dead/$500 Alive) – The contract didn’t say much. It just said to deliver the man to a Ms Gray, preferably alive. However, Rodes was known to be slippery so an accident like death was fine as long as his death was described to Ms Gray in explicit detail.

As Marrax looked over the final contract he noticed that it was not a contract at all but a letter he had received last night. Observing the time it was just after he had left to meet with Andrew; it seemed someone was trying to stop him from going. It read.

I hope I have caught you before you leave, but I advise you not to meet with Andrew tonight. You need not concern yourself with his business. You may be wondering who this is, but I cannot not tell you that over a simple letter. I will contact you soon; just know that the crescent moon watches over you.

Marrax groaned, his head drooping to meet the desk. He could not understand what was happening. He looked over at June who was now leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. The figure hadn’t moved at all and was still standing motionless from where he had entered.

“Hey. Tall, dark and creepy, did you send me this letter? “Marrax asked, pointing to the letter he had read on the screen of the computer, “Are you the crescent moon that is watching over me?”

The figure walked behind Marrax. Marrax found it spooky how he did not hear any footsteps as the figure walked, and Marrax felt a chilling breeze across the nape of his neck. Marrax leant forward on his chair trying to brush off his discomfort.

“No,” The figure replied, his voice surprisingly soothing.

“That’s it? Nothing else you want to add?” Marrax asked, standing up to move away from him, the chill starting to disturb him.

The man just stood there looking at him, his face a pit of shadows, his cowl obscuring all. June watched on with an impassive expression.

“Nothing to add June?” Marrax asked June with an arched eyebrow.

“Nope, I’m good. Just waiting for your response,” June replied casually, “I think we both are.” She continued, nodding her head at the mystery man.

Marrax rubbed his brow in frustration. He had no idea what was happening. Everything had turned upside down after he had accepted the contract from Green.

First Andrew and the letter he received from this C, which I presume to be Crescent at this point. June and her job, which she says involves the Crescents. This dark figure who speaks nothing wants me to go with him, or I am presuming as much. My ribs are throbbing, I have a cut across my neck and my headache is now a migraine. Marrax thought to himself, trying to get his thoughts in order. What am I going to do?


Okay, so what will Marrax do? Is this C truly Crescent or someone else? And what of this mysterious stranger? June the weapons smuggler has also come into the mix. What do, what do.

[Masterweaver]

Why is this in the fantasy section...? Not to offend, but this seems more like a street drama and conspiracy. Well written, though.

Hmmm. My first reaction... invite everyone to McDonalds for breakfast.

[Midnight]

Wasn't exactly sure where I should have posted it.

But now I think I should have posted it in the sci-fi and modern setting.

How does one move a story? I have no idea or I would have moved it ages ago. haha

[Midnight]

I'll leave this up another two days and if there aren't suggestions I'll just poll some ideas up XD

[UndeadCowboy]

I think Marrax should try to look into the Crescents a little more. I mean if he has someone on his tail, he's going to want to know more about them, right?

My second suggestion would be to try and get some more information on Sir Creepy.