A Broken Friendship

Narrator: "This world is surrounded by crime, greed, and many other sins. When people gave up hope for peace there are a group of assassins that would cleanse the world. If you're truly tormented by anyone and want vengeance, then you must call upon The Sweepers and they will take vengeance for you." 

During the events of A Brother's Reflection in a small town of Sulphur Town, a group of girls were gossiping at their school when one of the girls noticed the way a boy was staring at her. 

Girl Student 1: "Hey why is Simmons staring at you look that?" 

Girl Student 2: "Yeah, he's looking at you like he completely hates you." 

Mary-Ann: "I don't understand I haven't done anything to him." 

Girl Student 3: "Didn't you two used to be friends?" 

Girl Student 2: "What did you do to get on his bad side?" 

Mary-Ann: "Nothing." 

Meanwhile back at Rhinestone City Seven is getting ready to pack up his stuff to head back home. 

Carter: "Don't forget the time and date you're leaving." 

Seven: "Yeah, I won't." 

Carter: "By the way you'll have an advisor when you get back home." 

Seven: "Advisor?" 

Carter: "Most hunters and huntresses will have an advisor when they are still minors. You know when you first start out as a minor, you'll have to have someone watching over and helping you." 

Seven: "Oh do you know who it is?" 

Carter: "Sorry can't tell you. You'll have to find out when you get back." 

Seven went to school and let the school know of his departure in a couple of days. 

Austin: "Hey what's with the girls in our class? They act like someone died or something." 

Seven: "Who knows?" 

Austin: "By the way are you busy this weekend?" 

Seven: "Why?" 

Austin: "Want to go on a double date? Me and Rowena you and her friend she's really cute I think you'll like her." 

Seven: "A double date with a girl I never met. Nah I'll pass." 

Austin: "What? Why?" 

Homeroom Teacher: "Okay class settle down you know what to do mobile phones put up on my desk." 

Students: "Yes ma'am." 

Homeroom Teacher: "Mr. Hudson will stand up and make your announcement please." 

Seven: "Yes ma'am." He stands up next to his desk. "I will be going back home soon I am going to miss being in the city and I hope we'll meet again someday." 

The students were shocked to hear about Seven leaving Seven sitting back down at his desk. 

Austin: "So that's why you can't go on the double date?" 

Seven: "Yeah sorry but even if I wasn't leaving, I probably would've said no anyway." 

Austin: "Let me guess you prefer university girls?" 

Seven: "You can say well older girls are more mature." 

Back at Sulphur Town Mary-Ann is at home remembering why her old friend hates her. She thinks about what happened two weeks ago when she was heading home from her study group when she saw her best friend with another girl. 

Ben: "Hey let's go back to my place my dad is working overseas we can have fun alone." 

Girl: "Sure I've wanted to be alone with you." 

Mary-Ann: "Ben?" 

Ben: "Mary-Ann?! Wait a minute okay that's one of my classmates." 

Girl: "Okay don't keep me waiting." 

He pulls her aside. 

Mary-Ann: "You're dating Mekelburg why would you cheat on her with another girl?!" 

Ben: "That girl? She's just a friend like you." 

Mary-Ann: "Oh really? You tell all your female friends you want to be alone and have fun with them?" 

Ben: "Okay I'll admit it Lita's great and all, but she doesn't want to give me any. She's one of those girls who want to be in a serious committed relationship and well that's not me I'm not that kind of guy." 

Mary-Ann: "Mekelburg doesn't deserve to be treated like that."  

Ben: "Please Mary-Ann don't tell Lita I was with another girl it'll break her." 

The next day Mary-Ann realizes that she can't hold on to her best friend's secret and has to go find Lita and tell her the truth. 

Lita: "What?! He's been cheating on me?!" 

Mary-Ann: "Yeah, I was walking home from my study group, and I saw him with another girl." 

Lita: "I can't believe this I thought he really cared about me!" 

Mary-Ann: "He wanted me to keep it a secret, but I couldn't. You didn't deserve this no girl should." 

Lita went looking for Ben. 

Ben: "Hey Lita I've been looking for you are you busy this weekend?" 

She slaps him in the face as she cries. 

Lita: "You two-timing jerk I never want to see you again!" 

She runs off crying. 

Ben: "Lita wait!" 

He realizes that Mary-Ann had told her. 

Mary-Ann: "I couldn't hide it from her she needed to know the truth!" 

Ben: "You bitch! You ruined everything!" 

Mary-Ann: "I didn't ruin anything! You did this to yourself!" 

Ben: "You're gonna pay for this!" 

Afterward Ben starts to bully her and then spread rumors about her. It's now back in the present Mary-Ann is at home wondering if she made the right choice. Notices that her mom isn't at home. 

Mary-Ann: "I see Dad finally got her at rehab it took him long enough." Her phone rings. "Hello? No what makes you think I'm like that?!" She hung up the phone. "Bastard! He had to do this!" 

It was the next day Mary-Ann went to school and she told her friends what had happened. 

Girl Student 1: "What?! Those guys have been calling your phone again?!" 

Girl Student 3: "That Cain he had to tell those boys you were you know." 

Mary-Ann: "I keep telling those guys that I'm not easy Ben must've written it in the boy's locker room or even the boy's bathroom." 

Girl Student 2: "That creep why would he do that to you?! You two were so close like brother and sister." 

Mary-Ann: "It's because I told Mekelburg that Ben was cheating on her with another girl." 

Girl Student 1: "Because of that he's making your life a living hell?! He's completely mental!" 

Mary-Ann: "He thinks of me getting harassed that'll be his little revenge on me." 

Girl Student 3: "Maybe you should be careful you'll never know if this revenge will escalate too far." 

Mary-Ann: "I'm not too worried I'm already planning to get my mobile number changed after school. Besides we're third years we'll be finished with school before we know it." 

Meanwhile back in Rhinestone City Seven, Austin, and River were having lunch. 

Austin: "Dude I still can't believe that you're moving." 

Seven: "Relax I'm leaving the day after the archery event it's no big deal." 

River: "I think he's just upset that he can't get a date for Rowena's friend." 

Seven: (Thinking) "There's gonna be something else I won't be here for." 

After eating lunch Seven went for a walk before the lunch period was over. He went to Christiana and Meadow's secret spot staring at the ocean in thought. 

Later on, back at Sulphur Town, Mary-Ann is thinking of whether or not she should contact The Sweepers. 

Mary-Ann: "God... Should I? A couple of girls told me about this group but... It's just a bit of bullying and harassing it'll blow over... They think I should contact them before it gets out of hand." 

She walks out of her room and sees her dad come home. 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "Annie, I thought you would be with your friends." 

Mary-Ann: "Oh I just felt like being at home. Hey Dad can I ask you something?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "Sure what is it?" 

Mary-Ann: "One of my friends discovered something she shouldn't have. She saw her classmate's boyfriend with another girl, and he asked her not to tell her. She couldn't hide it from her classmate, so she told her. Now her ex-boyfriend is making her regret it by harassing her do you think she did the right thing?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "I think she did the right thing after all something like that happened to one of my co-workers." 

Mary-Ann: "What do you mean?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "One of my co-workers saw something he shouldn't have. Another worker wanted a raise and he didn't get so he decided to take the money he deserved. My co-worker witnessed the incident, so he threatened him not to say a word or else." 

Mary-Ann: "Or else what?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "He would make his life a living hell, but he knew it was wrong for him to steal from the office. So, when the boss asked about the stolen money, he confessed that the worker stole it. That man got fired but my co-worker soon found out at first he regretted it because they were friends but eventually, he knew he did the right thing. Sadly, doing the right thing cost him dearly." 

Mary-Ann: "Cost him?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "His home and almost his son luckily his son's burns weren't too bad he survived but his arm and half of his face were severely burned. That crossed the line after that incident I haven't seen that worker. My guess is that he ran off when the police discovered that he was the one who almost killed my co-worker's son." 

Mary-Ann: (Thinking) "He must've called them." 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "Do you get what I'm saying, Annie?" 

Mary-Ann: "I do Dad thanks I'll tell her that she did the right thing." 

The next day Mary-Ann sent an email to The Sweepers waiting for a response. As she headed to school, she saw threatening notes on her desk, and she knew who sent them. 

Boy Student 1: "Hey is someone bullying her?" 

Boy Student 2: "That's more like harassment than bullying." 

Meanwhile, at Rhinestone City Christiana sees a new request on her phone. 

Christiana: "Mhm? Two requests in the same week that usually happens once in a while." 

Violet: "It's in Sulphur Town that's like two states away how are some of us going to get there? The rest of us have to stay here." 

Christiana: "Easy we can use this." 

She shows Violet and Macy her transport key. 

Macy: "It looks like a strange key." 

Christiana: "It's a transport key it can take you anywhere you've been to already luckily, I've been to that town already. I have to use the key outside it's the only way it can work." They went outside and she used her transport key. "To Sulphur Town." 

The portal door appears. 

Violet: "Damn!" 

Macy: "Now I've seen everything." 

Christiana: "Me and two more can go so who is it going to be?" 

Violet: "I'll have to stay for now sorry Boss." 

Macy: "I'll go I have nothing better to do." 

Tom: "I'll go too but I do need to come back here later." 

Christiana: "Think you can handle watching over the client by yourself?" 

Macy: "Of course Boss." 

They enter the portal to Sulphur Town. 

Tom: "Whoa. I didn't it's possible that portal doors exist that's pretty cool." 

Christiana: "It's an easier way to travel than air ship or train." 

Macy: "Now I definitely seen everything." 

Later on, Mary-Ann finished gym class and went to the locker room. After she showered and put on her uniform, she heard a clicking sound and the door closed. 

Mary-Ann: "What the hell?!" She tried to open the door but couldn't. "Hey! Is anyone out there?! Help!"  

She screamed for help and kept hitting the door hoping someone could hear her. Christiana, Tom, and Macy appeared to check up on the client. 

Tom: "Looks like this girl is being targeted." 

Macy: "No wonder she sent a request." 

Christiana used her sword to cut the lock of the door and set Mary-Ann free. 

Mary-Ann: "Huh?! Did someone find me? That's strange whoever helped I wanted to thank them." 

She went to class afterward; it was the end of the school day. As she is walking home, she hears footsteps, she changes her pace, and the footsteps behind her follow her pace. Mary-Ann ran as fast as she could to outrun the person following her before she knew it, she found herself in an abandoned lot with the assassin group. 

Christiana: "You requested us?" 

Mary-Ann: "Huh?" 

Tom: "Don't worry kid it's just us here there's no one else here." 

Macy: "What's your request?" 

Mary-Ann: "My best friend well he was my best friend until I discovered his secret. He was cheating on his girlfriend with another girl. He begged me not to say anything to her, but I couldn't do that it wasn't right. I told her and she broke up with him ever since then he started to harass and bully me. Now I'm worried that he'll take things too far. I know how some people who hold grudges will take things too far. Please kill him I'm worried about not just my safety but everyone who's around me people I care about." 

Christiana: "Request granted..." 

Mary-Ann: "Thank you I..." 

Tom: "But revenge is a double-edged sword." 

Macy: "And for that, you'll have to pay the price." 

Mary-Ann: "Price? That's right, I've heard about that. You want my hand, or my arm go ahead take it." 

Tom: "Don't be silly kid we want money." 

Macy: "Even assassins need to make a living." 

Christiana: "Since you're a minor one hundred currencies is what we'll charge you." 

Tom: "If you don't pay by the deadline then the request will be nullified." 

Macy: "After all it's your choice." 

Mary-Ann finds herself alone and she notices writing on her hand that shows how long until the contract is canceled. 

Mary-Ann: "November 4th it's October 26th now so I have almost a week to get a hundred currencies." 

She went home to see if she had enough money meanwhile Christiana and Tom were about to head back home for about. 

Tom: "You sure you can handle this on your own?" 

Macy: "Don't worry about me I'll be fine." 

Tom: "We'll be back in a bit." 

Christiana uses her transport key to go back home. 

Macy: "I'm sure the others had their first solo act too I guess that'll make me one of them." 

A couple of days passed Mary-Ann walked to the mailbox before heading to school she was about to mail in the money but hesitated. She decided not to mail the money thinking it was a mistake to want her old friend dead. 

Mary-Ann: "I shouldn't do... It's not right..." 

She held on to the money and went to school during the school day she was called to the faculty office. 

Teacher: "I'm sorry to say this but your father called to check you out of school there's been an emergency." 

Mary-Ann: "Don't tell me something happened to my dad?!" 

Teacher: "No nothing happened to him, but he said something happened to your mother." 

Mary-Ann left the school and ran to the rehabilitation center. Meanwhile at Rhinestone City Seven is at the archery field for the archery event being held tomorrow. 

Seven: "Okay now." He shoots the arrow and hits a bullseye. "Let's see if I can do three in a row." He tries again three more times hitting the bullseye. "Alright, three in a row hm... My first and last archery event here I wonder if they will miss me?" 

Back at Sulphur Town Mary-Ann made it to the center to see what happened to her mom. 

Mary-Ann: "Dad what happened?!" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "She was doing so well she relapsed." 

Mary-Ann: "She went off the wagon." 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "She got that drug she almost overdosed herself." 

Mary-Ann: "How did she get it?! It's impossible for that kind of drug to get in the center." 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "I asked one of the worker's they have no idea how it happened. Even her doctor said she was getting better, but he believed that someone did this intentionally." 

Mary-Ann: "What do you mean?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "The doctor said that a young man visited her before I came to see her. My guess is that he did this to her on purpose." 

Mary-Ann: "What man?" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "I don't know I asked your mom she said that he barged in with the needle and stuck it in her." 

Mary-Ann: "Oh God..." 

She spent most of the night at the center with her dad hoping that her mom could get better. Macy is nearby in the shadows watching over Mary-Ann. 

Macy: "Maybe if you sent the money sooner your mom wouldn't have been in this mess. You'll soon find out who did this to her." 

The next day Mary-Ann went to school still worried about her mom as she was walking to class Ben tripped her on purpose. 

Ben: "Sorry about that it's a shame what happened to your mom." 

Mary-Ann: "Now you're feeling bad? After all you've done to me?" 

She walks away. 

Ben: "It won't be long I'll do something even worse you f**king bitch." 

Nearby in the shadows, Macy is watching over Mary-Ann as Tom comes back. 

Tom: "Anything I miss?" 

Macy: "Same old same old psychopaths in the area." 

Tom: "That kid that mental?" 

Macy: "Yep who knows what else he is capable of." 

Later on, that night Mary-Ann is at home and hears the door knocking. 

Mary-Ann: "Who is it?" 

Ben: "It's me can we talk?" 

Mary-Ann: "What? You're gonna harass me at my own home?" 

Ben: "I just came to apologize." 

She opens the door. 

Mary-Ann: "I'll give you five minutes." 

Ben: "I'm gonna need more than five minutes to apologize. I'm really sorry for what I've been doing since last month. It was wrong for me to do all that nasty stuff to you all because of Lita. You were right, I'm a terrible person and I'll start to be a better person." 

Mary-Ann: "Do you mean it?" 

Ben: "Of course! Of course! Let's bury the hatchet and be best friends again." 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "Oh Ben it's been some time since I have seen you." 

Mary-Ann: "If you really mean it, I guess we can be friends again." 

She has her hand out to shake his hand, but he takes out the bucket from behind him. 

Ben: "You honestly believe me? You're so pathetic." 

He takes the bucket and throws the acid at Mary-Ann she screams but in a nick of time, her dad blocks the acid from her by shielding her. The acid burned his back and some acid burned Mary-Ann's arm. Ben runs off and Mary-Ann couldn't believe that Ben was capable of doing something like this. 

Mary-Ann: "Dad?!" 

Mary-Ann's Dad: "I'm okay Annie hurry and call the police." 

Mary-Ann calls the police, she is full of anger as she runs to the nearest mailbox. 

Mary-Ann: "Bastard! I'll make him pay for this!" 

She sent the money in the mailbox and went back home to see about her dad as the police and ambulance arrived. Macy and Tom got the email on their mobile phones with the confirmed payment. 

Tom: "Look what we got here." 

Macy: "She finally paid." 

Tom: "Let's get to work." 

Ben is walking home feeling happy because he got his self-proclaimed revenge. 

Ben: "I finally got back at her now she'll know the pain." 

Before he knew it Macy and Tom appeared in their masks. 

Tom: "Making a girl's life miserable how pathetic." 

Macy: "First you bully harass her then you threw acid at her." 

Ben: "Mary-Ann deserves what she got." 

Tom: "All because she caught you cheating on your girlfriend with another girl." 

Macy: "Sounds to me you're compositing over something. Just because you're wealthy it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want." 

Tom: "You see we find you guilty for what you've done." 

Macy: "The punishment is death." 

Ben tries to run off, but Tom uses his daggers to kill him. 

Tom: "To think a kid can do something like that." 

Macy: "Like the boss said the real monsters are human beings." 

It is the next day at Rhinestone City Seven is all packed up and is ready to head home. Before he left the city, he went to the school to get his papers. When he went to the classroom his former classmates were all devastated about the news they heard. 

Seven: "Hey what's going on?" 

Girl Student: "Haven't you heard? Agrestic was killed last night." 

Seven: "What?! Austin was killed?!" 

Boy Student: "Yeah he was at the wrong place at the wrong time." 

Seven: "Oh man does River know?" 

Girl Student: "Who's River?" 

Seven: "Huh?!" 

Boy Student: "We don't know who River is." 

Seven: "Come on! You guys went to middle school with him and Austin. The three of us always hang out." 

Girl Student: "Maybe he's a student from another school?" 

Seven couldn't believe that his former classmates didn't know River. He leaves the school and goes back to his uncle's house to get the rest of his stuff heading to the train station. 

Seven: "Too bad I can't trade this train ticket for an airship ticket. It's gonna be a long time getting back home this way." 

Speaker: "Now departing from Rhinestone City please be in the cart and seated on time before departure." 

He gets on the train just as it is time for the train to depart. After finding a seat he sees River nearby outside the train waving goodbye Seven noticed for a split second that River's eyes changed to black. 

Seven: "No way! So that's why no one remembers River?! He's a demon?!" 

Back in Sulpher Town Mary-Ann and her dad are at the hospital being treated. 

Doctor: "Unfortunately there is no known treatment for this kind of skin damage. There have been tests of skin treatments, but none were successful. You and your father will have to live with damaged skin for the rest of your lives." 

Mary-Ann: "Is my dad, okay?!" 

Doctor: "Your father is okay he is still being treated as we speak, he is in pain from the acid attack. There have been many others who've been a victim of an acid attack." 

The doctor leaves and Mary-Ann notices a young man looking out of the window. 

Mary-Ann: "Are you a patient?" 

Lee: "Just getting a checkup." 

Mary-Ann: "You look like you've given up." 

Lee: "Well I got caught in a house fire I managed to survive but my arm and half of my face are ruined. I couldn't show my face like this; I ended up dropping out of university. I even thought about taking my life, but I couldn't do it. Eventually, I've grown my hair out at least my bangs will be long enough to cover the burn scare on my face." 

Mary-Ann: "Let me see it can't be that bad." 

He shows her his scared face and arm.

Lee: "I've become a shut-in because of that fire all because of some psycho!" 

Mary-Ann: (Thinking: "Sounds like the same thing my dad told me about his co-worker!) "Hey at least you weren't a victim of an acid attack." 

Lee: "What?" 

Mary-Ann: "Why else would my arm be wrapped in bandages?" 

Lee: "Damn that's rough." 

Mary-Ann: "Yeah, the attack was meant for me, but my dad protected me so as a result his back and my arm are ruined." 

Lee: "Hey if you want to be alone, I'll leave." 

Mary-Ann: "It's fine my name is Mary-Ann." 

Lee: "My name is Lee." 

A few days later Mary-Ann is walking to class with her friends. 

Girl Student 1: "Hey I heard that the police haven't found Simmons yet." 

Girl Student 2: "I still can't believe he went this far throwing acid at you. That's just too far right there." 

Mary-Ann: "I know but I'm okay now if I wasn't attacked, then I wouldn't have met Lee." 

Girl Student 3: "Lee? Is he your boyfriend?" 

She blushes out of embarrassment. 

Mary-Ann: "N-No we haven't even been out on a date!" 

Girl Student 2: "You never know he might ask you out one day." 

Mary-Ann: (Thinking) "I kept wondering if I made a mistake... I thought that maybe if I had never seen what I said then things would've been the same; nothing would have changed. But I know for a fact that I didn't make a mistake! I did the right thing even if it meant being attacked like this." 

It is the end of the school day and as Mary-Ann is leaving she sees Lee waiting for her at the school gates. 

Lee: "Hey I thought I could walk you home." 

Mary-Ann: (Thinking) "After all one tragedy can turn into a blessing in disguise." 

The two walk together holding hands. 

To Be Continued...