Meaning of life.

The two associates of the Allenwall Mafia entered the underboss's office, where he was sitting comfortably on his chair behind his desk, smoking a cigarette and talking to his assistant. His appearance was quite menacing, he had no hair and no facial hair, his eyes were yellow and piercing. For attire he wore a black suit, a white striped shirt beneath and a red tie around his neck.

His office had a vintage look, the furniture was made entirely of wood, the air was filled with smoke from his cigarette and it had no windows, since it was located underground.

As for the associates, they were both around the same age and wearing matching outfits; a long, black, untied blazer that reached just beneath their ankles, their sleeves were rolled up to their elbows, a grey vest above their white shirts and a black necktie.

The associate standing on the right was wearing an eye patch on his right eye, he had short, dark blond hair, shaped like a messy quiff. He was lean, but quite muscular and tall for his age.

The other associate was a bit taller than the other, he had short, chocolate brown, straight hair, his bangs framed his face and kept a strand in the middle. He had a slander physique and not much muscle to show.

Underboss: "I see my little strays have returned…" The Underboss spoke in a calm voice. "How did it go, uh what were your names again?"

"It's Bear. Bear and Scorch…" - The Associate on the left said calmly.

Underboss: "Right, so how did the job go?"

Scorch: "It was a trap! After the client checked the stock, he put a gun against my head, luckily I was able to disarm him before he pulled the trigger, then a bunch of guys showed up, they were a bit of a pain in the ass, but in the end we taught them a lesson. They shouldn't be a problem anymore."

The underboss took the package with the money, pulled 100R out of his pocket and gave it to them.

Underboss: "Split them equally!"

Bear: "I thought we agreed for 500R each…"

Underboss: "Those suits you are wearing, they are not free, also I agreed to take you under my wing, so when I protect you, you are going to live under my rules! Did I make myself perfectly clear?"

Bear: "Yes, sir!"

Underboss: "Good because I have another job for you…"

Scorch: "What is it?"

The underboss shifted his gaze towards his assistant.

Underboss: "Jaid, let's not keep our guests thirsty."

Jaid: "Of course, sir!"

The assistant reached out for a bottle of whiskey.

Underboss: "Do you think I would serve minors alcohol?"

Jaid: "Of course not, sir! I apologize for my ignorance!"

She served the two associates some water and they both took a sip from it.

Underboss: "...About two months ago we made a deal with a local banker for 30kg of pure Crimson Shards. He was supposed to pay us about 50 000R for them, this would've been one of the biggest deals the world has ever seen, however the bastard refuses to pay us, I asked him nicely a couple of times, but he gets violent, his guards even beated me up once. I need someone to teach him not to mess with the most notorious mafia in the world…"

Scorch: "Why don't you just send a bunch of your bigger men to handle the job?"

Underboss: "Because It will be an overkill, the banker is fat and lazy, it will be an easy job for you. Listen, I'm giving you a chance to rise up through our ranks and if you do a good job you can keep one percent of the money."

Bear: "Wow you are so generous!" - Bear spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Underboss: "Mind your manners if you want to survive in this business!"

Bear: "I apologize for that, sir! But where can we find the stock?"

Underboss: "It's kept in his office beneath his bank on Street 56, it's going to be full with guards so keep your guns loaded."

Scorch: "Anything else you can tell us?"

Underboss: "Where's the fun in knowing everything? I believe you can figure something out once you get there, after that meet us at the abandoned boathouse just outside the city. Now get out of my sight!"

They slowly got up from their seats, turned around and left the room. As the door was closing behind Scorch, he looked at the underboss with a playful grin on his face.

The associates took a carriage to the bank on Street 56 and made their way through the empty night streets of Allenwall.

Bear: "Do you know for how long we've been doing jobs for the mafia?"

Scorch: "About two months. But honestly I can't wait for the next job."

Bear: "(sigh) We first must complete this one, but we've gone a long way, haven't we?"

Scorch: "What do you mean?"

Bear: "...We've gone a long way since we met, remember? Years ago when a bunch of bandits were trying to pick a fight with you, so I came in and saved you?"

Scorch: "How could I forget, that was the day we became friends. Oh or the time you tried to flirt with this really cute noble girl, even though she was completely out of your league hahahaha!"

Bear: "I wasn't flirting with her, you idiot!" - Bear turned around to hide the blush on his face.

"Oh ,my dear, you are so beautiful even the stars melt in your presence! I'm so lucky to meet an angel like you!" - Scorch childishly imitated what Bear said that day.

Bear: "I didn't say that! I was just trying to be nice to her, that's not flirting!" - his whole face turned red from the blush.

Scorch: "Then explain why she slapped you in the face after you got on your knees and proposed to her hehe…"

Bear: "YOU IDIOT!" - Bear punched Scorch in the face and knocked him out of the carriage.

Scorch: "I don't regret anything!"

Soon they arrived at the bank, parked the carriage in a nearby alleyway and moved to the back entrance of the building, unfortunately there were two guards guarding the door, one scouting the area and the other one standing next to the door.

Scorch: "Don't kill anybody, remember?"

Bear: "Don't worry about it, we got each other's backs, right?"

Bear jumped over the fence, they were hiding behind, charged at the guard who was scouting the area, as bear closed the distance he kicked the guard in the knee, the guard leaned down from the pain and Bear used that opportunity to knock him out by punching him in the face with an uppercut. The other guard noticed him and was about to shoot him with a gun, however Scorch knocked his weapon down with a non-lethal bullet, which was enough to confuse the guard for a split second, then Bear finished him off with a kick to the face.

Scorch: "Jumping into a fight without a plan? That's a bit out of character for you…"

Bear: "I had a plan, I knew the guard would try to shoot me once he saw me and I also knew that you would save me just in time, so thank you, partner!"

Scorch: "I did it because it would've been a pain to explain this to the boss!"

Bear: "Haha yeah, sure…"

They quickly tied up the guards so that they couldn't move and entered the building, while making their way through the hallways they noticed something strange, there was nobody defending the place besides the guards from earlier. Soon they walked into the main hall, a giant room made entirely from gold and quartz. The banker stood right in the middle of the room, surrounded by five of his men and their pistols pointed at the boys.

Banker: "Well well, what do we have here? I was expecting the most notorious mafia in the world to send an entire army for me, and look what I got, just two poor boys doing their dirty work!"

Scorch: "We don't have to do this, just pay up and no one will get hurt!"

Banker: "NO, NO, NO, I WON'T!"

The banker's nose began to bleed, as he shot directly at Scorch's head, but the bullet barely missed, it only got close enough to leave a scratch on his face.

Banker: "I don't want to pay, THESE ARE MY MONEY, MINE, MINE, MINE, MINE!"

The men began to fire shots at them, but they took cover behind the desk, which was made out of stone.

Bear: "What's wrong with this guy, he is a banker, he should be able to pay!"

Scorch: "He is not thinking clearly, noticed right before he shot at me? His nose began to bleed and it was black blood, he is under the influence of that drug."

Bear: "Got any ideas, smartass?"

Scorch: "Just watch and learn, idiot!"

While they were talking to each other, the banker ran to his office and locked himself there, so that they couldn't reach him. His men kept firing shots at them, but they all missed, soon they ran out of bullets in their magazines. In that split second where everyone was reloading, Scorch jumped out from their cover and shot one guard in the forehead with a non-lethal bullet. Bear rushed the two guys next to him, one of the men tried to punch him in the head, but Bear dodged it by leaning down and shot the man in the stomach multiple times, then striking the man next to him in the neck, which instantly put him to sleep.

With a chair in his hands the guard aimed directly for Scorch's head, he avoided his attack, grabbed the chair from his hand and broke it in his face. Meanwhile the guy next to them was reloading and just as he was about to shoot, Scorch knocked his pistol out of his hand, leaving him defenseless.

Guard: "How is this possible?! Are you really from the mafia?!"

Scorch: "Not exactly…"

Scorch punched the man so hard in the head, he fell down on the ground unconscious.

Scorch: "Hey, loser!"

Bear: "What is it?"

Scorch: "Hehe you are responding to "loser" now?"

Bear: "What do you want?!"

Scorch: "Stop being useless and tell the guys we are done here, I will go talk to our friend in his office."

Bear: "Aye aye, captain!"

Bear left the building from the front door and fired a flare up in the sky, meanwhile Scorch went down the stairs, then followed the long hallway, which led him to a locked wooden door. He could hear the sobbing of a deep male voice inside, so he knocked a couple of times.

Banker: "GO AWAY!"

Scorch: "Open up! Please, I'm not going to hurt you!"

Banker: "And how am I supposed to believe you?!"

Scorch: "Open the door or I'M going to open it! 5… 4…"

Banker: "I'M NOT GIVING YOU ANYTHING!"

Scorch: "...3…2…1… I'm coming in!"

Scorch kicked the door twice, which was enough to break the lock. As he got inside he saw the banker lying down on the floor, his eyes were as red as roses, he was crying and the rest of the room was filled with Crimson Shards. Scorch just took one step towards him and the banker pointed his gun forward. The banker's hands were shaking so much he could barely hold the pistol.

Scorch: "Go ahead, shoot me…"

Banker: "OH I WILL, DON'T GET ANY CLOSER!"

Scorch: "You mean like this?" - Scorch took a large step forward.

Banker: "I'M WARNING YOU!"

Scorch took two steps forward, kneeled down to look him in the eyes and helped him place the gun directly at his forehead.

Scorch: "Pull the trigger… do it!"

Banker: "(grunt) HAAAAAAAAAA!"

(CLICK)

Scorch: "I took the magazine y'know…" - Scorch raised his hand and showed him the magazine.

Banker: "Huh?! How did you do that?!"

Scorch: "Growing up on the street you learn a thing or two. Even though you were under the effects of the drug I knew you were a coward and it was very unlikely for you to shoot from this range, so I used that opportunity to get closer and take the mag off while you weren't looking. I also have a little surprise for you!" - he said as he pulled out of his pocket a syringe, which was designed to remove the effects of the drug and used it on him.

In a matter of seconds his eyes returned back to normal and he stopped crying.

Scorch: "That's better, now I need to ask you a question. Why didn't you just pay the mafia, as a banker you sure are not poor?"

Banker: "You are wrong, I am poor. I lost so much money from gambling and making deals with the mafia, so I kept spending and spending, thinking I have all of the money in the world, but I was wrong. Eventually I wasn't able to pay the mafia, so I kept ignoring their calls. Even then, I knew eventually they would come after me and I wanted to be ready!"

Scorch: "The least you could've done is bring more guys to defend you, you couldn't afford more?"

Banker: "That's right, I knew they couldn't defeat the whole mafia, but it was better than nothing. I have one question for you, though… Your boss surely didn't know what you two were capable of, so why didn't he bring more men to do the job?"

Scorch: "You will soon find out about my real boss…"

Scorch tied the hands and legs of the banker so that he couldn't move.

Scorch: "Don't worry, pal! My colleagues will soon come to take care of you! I hope you enjoyed your time as a free man!" - Scorch did a peace sign with his hand and left the room.

Banker: "What does that mean?! WAIT, COME BACK!"

***

Scorch and Bear arrived at the abandoned boathouse where they were supposed to meet with the underboss, it was an old, rusty place, barely holding up. They entered the building and there he was, the underboss standing right at the center and his men positioned next to him with guns in their hands.

Underboss: "My little strays have returned! Now where is my money?"

Bear tossed him a bag full of cash, he quickly checked what Inside and handed them over to one of his men.

Underboss: "Where are the rest?"

Bear: "They are in the carriage, since we couldn't carry them all…" - Bear lied about the money.

Underboss: "I see, you two have done a great job! Congratulations, now it's time for your reward!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his men pointed their guns at them.

Scorch: "Really, ''boss"? Is that how you treat your employees?"

Underboss: "You two were nothing more than a resource for me, of which I have no use anymore. You see I can't let you live because you know too much and I have to silence you once and for all!"

Scorch: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I CAN'T! ONLY IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN YOUR FACE HAHAHAHA!"

Underboss: "What's so funny?!"

Scorch: " I advise you not to shoot, because you clearly don't know who works for you… let us show you!"

They both simultaneously took their shirts off and revealed the tattoos which looked like a lion with a sword piercing the animal's head… that was the symbol that every member of the Edessian army possesed, the symbol of peace in their kingdom.

Underboss: "You are… from the army!"

(CLAP) (CLAP) (CLAP)

"It sure took you long enough, Baldy!" - a mysterious man, with red spiky hair, scruffy beard and purple eyes entered the room. He was known as a captain in the Edessian army, Captain Varis Redheart.

Varis: "All of you are under arrest on the behalf of our great nation!"

The underboss crumbled on the ground in defeat and watched as Scorch and Bear's monstrous grins grew wider and wider on their faces.

Underboss: "So all this time you two have been nothing but imposters, you pretended to be our allies just to stab us in the back?!"

Bear: "You say that as if you weren't going to betray us in the end, that's just how the world works, friend, you either play or be played!"

More soldiers entered the building, they surrounded the gangsters and handcuffed them.

Scorch: "It's all over for you and your little organization, it sure was fun doing your dirty work, but nothing lasts forever!"

Underboss: "Tell me… were you the one who came up with this plan?!"

Scorch: "I am."

Underboss: "YOU BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I SACRIFICED?! I'VE STEPPED ON SO MANY PEOPLE TO GET WHERE I AM NOW, AND ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO END BECAUSE OF A LITTLE BRAT?!"

Scorch: "Interesting… I could've asked you exactly the same question. Do you have any idea how many monsters, like you, I've captured, monsters who thought they could get away with anything in this city and the law wouldn't do anything about it?"

Underboss: "I DON'T CARE!!! I swear one day, when I escape, I will find you and make sure you suffer just as much as I did, I will kill everyone that ever meant anything to you!"

Scorch: "I'm afraid that's impossible, friend…"

Underboss: "Huh?"

Scorch got closer to his face.

Scorch: "Look me in the eyes… Do you see anything?"

Underboss: "Cut the crap!!"

Scorch: "You don't see anything, right? That's because I've seen things that you couldn't even begin to imagine. I've lost almost every reason to live, my eyes keep getting emptier and emptier with each day I breathe, but I have a promise that I need to keep and I'm not going to rest until I'm done! Enough said, you can take him away!"

Bear and Scorch left the building and as they walked away from the scene Scorch took off his eye patch.

Scorch: "Do you think I should keep wearing this as part of my style?"

Bear: "No, you looked so stupid with it…"

Scorch: "So meeeean! Fine, whatever!"