“Now boy if i didn't know any better I'd say that you’re enjoying this' The Stranger leaned back in his large leather chair. Its joints creaked as he applied his full weight to its back. “Boy it has been a week and fourteen pages in that book are gone.” he placed his feet on his heavy wooden desk. His metal plated boots clanked as they always did. “I'm honestly impressed. Only problem is you bore me boy”

Kevin was offended at the comment. Whilst its true he and Liv had both taken pleasure in snuffing out fourteen of the worlds most depraved individuals he could not fathom that his actions had bored The Stranger. “What do you mean I bore you? I did what you said with those animals. They weren't worth the air in their lungs.” Kevin slumped in his chair and crossed his arms as liv blew a raspberry towards The Stranger.

“For the record you didn't do what I said. Let's start with old Coach Anderson. You were only supposed to scare the man boy. Nah instead you make a big scene and put his head on the bed like a hotel mint. As delightfully messed up as that was it aint what was asked.” The Stranger leaned forward and opened his waistcoat. He pulled out a pack of Marlboro red cigarettes.

“The problem is boy. You can do more than what you’re doing. So can the girl in your head. How you have been taking these degenerates out is just so boring.” he touched the tip of his finger to the end of the cigarette. It began to glow as he placed it into his mouth. “And knock off the quiet kid with an AR-15 in his backpack attitude. It’s pathetic boy.”

In truth Kevin had begun to become numb to his actions. He had found himself not thinking of his charges as people but as just spoiled meat to be cut away. His attitude towards all aspects of the world had begun to sour. Kevin scoffed at the insult and leaned forwards with his head hung low.

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“So how do we be not boring?” Liv interlocked her fingers above her head and stretched hard. Reflecting on his past actions Kevin realised that every individual he had dealt with had departed the world in much the same fashion. He was becoming too predictable. His art had begun to fall stagnant and stale.

“When you first came into this room boy you scrambled for that door and what did i do to you?” The Stranger smiled as he remembered how Kevin gasped and writhed as he carried him through the air. “Now see, everything is connected to young kevin. You just gotta know what strings to pull. People like you and me got the responsibility to learn.”

“So who taught you?” Kevin spitefully demanded an answer. The Stranger has never let so much as a word slip when he had spoken. Not a single clue nor crumb as to his true identity. He had never explained any aspect of his presence. Many questions remained unasked and unanswered. They bore holes in Kevin’s mind.

The Stranger threw his head back and chuckled. “I get it boy. Whilst you and i are on speaking terms good and proper now you don't know me from jack. I know everything about you though boy. Unfair aint it? Truth is I think you already know.” The Stranger’s intimidating serious tone had returned. His southern accent always seemed to vanish when he spoke in this way.

Kevin swallowed hard, choking down the words he wished to yell at the man. The Stranger took a deep drag from his cigarette and flicked the butt at Liv who was watching a young couple out of the window. “Hey Kevin……” she was interrupted by the cigarette butt passing through her and hitting the window. She turned to face The Stranger. A highly offended expression adorned her face.

“Look. imma teach you some things because I'm bored to high hell. Yall gotta pay attention though. I don't like repeatin myself.” The Stranger placed his thumbs behind his suspenders and stretched them forward as he stood up. They snapped back to his chest violently as he slicked back his hair.

Kevin stood to meet him. Finally after all these years he was face to face with the man that had followed him his entire life. For a brief moment he felt as he had at the batting cages all those years ago. Liv joined at his side and stood determined against The Stranger. “I'm ready.” Kevin clenched his fists as a wide smile came across the face of his new mentor. His gold tooth glistened in the sunlight.

“No you aint.”