The air was clean and the sun was shining bright. I could hear the city in the background. Everyone was alive. It would be the perfect setting for an intimate conversation, a date, or a proposal. It was a day for something truly special.

My focus, however, was on the mausoleum before me. A stark contrast to the city, with its own energy due to natural lighting and gray stone walls keeping all unnecessary light at bay. Two stone slabs in the back of the structure with the entombed each dying a month apart. Cabatta's parents. My gaze was glued to what I was beholding. Each time he mentioned visiting his parents. My boss had been coming here.

I had always wondered when I was going to meet them. Here they were. I could not say a word. Erebus, not making light of the situation, staying low to the ground like an actual shadow. He was just as confused as I was.

Cabatta broke the silence. "My Father was a wealthy man. Made his first million at half my age."

I slowly looked at him. I could see the sorrow on his face.

"He was just that much better than me. In every way." He struggled to stay composed as he told his story.

"What happened to them?" I said as I turned away, unsure how to navigate my boss breaking down beside me.

"Check the date.", I obeyed him, his father had died in 2008. The face of the stone expensive still displaying it with an unmatched clarity.

"I was born around then. What does that mean?" I said quietly as if too much noise might wake the dead, unprepared for the information about to flow forth.

"Everyone got too greedy, every single banker, billionaire. Consumer, underwriter, landlord. Tax man. ALL OF THEM." Cabatta in a fit of explosive emotion unlike anything I had ever seen from him as he struck the stone wall with his fist. Blood staining the stone.

I tried to offer my cowl, as a means of staunching the blood but Cabatta pulled away refusing to face me. "He killed himself, Mother withered away in grief. They weren't young but, what at least twenty years left in the tank if it wasn't for the recession."

Erebus rose from his spot, unsure of what to do as well he wanted to see this interaction clearly. "What does this have to do with what you make me do?" I said my eyes staring directly at the back of his head.

Cabatta slowly turned his head to face me ever so slightly still unable to look at me directly. "The demon in my ear. predicts things, whether a company is about to collapse, or explode in the market." From this angle, I could even see it pulsing under his hair with its own heartbeat. "You simply confirm it, then I execute the order, as Predictions can be wrong."

Emotion, aside, I felt something. Not a primal fear, but an instinct, a knee-jerk reaction from the pit of my soul that I was standing in front of a monster, and it wasn't the overgrown bug. I was cracking, but I needed to know. "Why are you doing this? So you can be the richest in the world?" I knew that wasn't the truth of the situation. I felt it was so much worse.

"I already am." He said as he started walking towards me as he wiped his tears. Erebus shrinking once more into the ground.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Do you know how many no-name millionaires there are? They're all me, holding stocks, private and public. All fake identities same as any other fleeing immigrant might use to just live here." He said this as he wiped the dust off his mother's stone on the wall. "I'm waiting until I can do what they did on a scale so much bigger and better. A real apocalypse."

My hand quivered. Like clutching my pistol was the only responsible thing to do. I was peaking in a much different manner, Erebus and I were paralyzed with fear. " I understand sir."

I begged inside my head, for Erebus to drag me away. That I could not do it and I needed him to aid my retreat.

"Your skills have really helped me. I will make sure you and your family will be better off than the rest of them. Its the least I can do for you Oska."

He locked eyes with me, I felt a tear about to spill from my eye so I looked down quickly to hide it and Erebus pulled me into him. Spitting me out somewhere far away where I screamed the second I felt safe to do so.

"HE USED ME LIKE NYX DID." I wailed and sobbed as I struck the tree near me. I did this again and again until the trunk fell. I was gasping for air, able to run from state to state but I was drained already.

As I slumped on the fresh stump. Erebus latched onto me, an attempt at hugging me. To do anything to help.

I could barely speak above a whisper, as I cried into the shadows wrapping around me. "I'm just a puppet for these sick fucks. To be used and tossed away. I'm so sorry MA, DA, TONY!" I completely lost it, screaming once more drawing attention from street walking pedestrians. Never being alone in this city.

Erebus dragged me into the shadow realm where I could throw my tantrum in peace. I lost consciousness and woke up in the abyss. My own eyes stared back at me with concern. The soft rost tint illuminated the void.

"He has to know, I'm going to shoot him." Erebus had no body here, but I could see an attempt at a nod as the eyes floated up and down.

"We don't have long to prepare but we have time. Even if it kills us we must pay for what we did." Erebus had a sorrowful look but I knew he agreed even if he feared death.

In the void, I contemplated how many steps ahead of me he was. Like he had to know I was done already, that explaining his plot was a coin toss. He had to already be prepared if I was backing out or just planning to retaliate. My parents were in danger. Everything I loved, he could no doubt harm if he felt like it.

Stealing ammunition was easier than stealing information, so many shadows in gun shops. Gym weights were easier. the hardest part was finding ones that fit in the plate carriers. These things were bulletproof for the most part, just heavy.

I needed Erebus to reflect incoming bullets but I knew he could only do so much. This was the next best thing, a few areas he didn't need to worry about. I had six plates attached to my body. I was ready, something for all this cursed strength to actually do. My punches had real force behind them as well.

I figured this was it, there might be no celebration, nor victory. I might perish. I called my Da.

"Oska, are you okay?" he spoke hastily. I had just awoken him. I could tell.

"I'm sorry Da, He really is a bad guy. I'm gonna fix it though." I said, I felt a peak coming along. I did my best to stifle it though.

"No Oska, Thats enough. Tell me where you are, and I'll get you." he spoke, firmly. The fear of losing me forever kindled his anger.

I had to tell him what I did. "Da, I'm not the same anymore. I..."

"OSKA! Everyone's different nowadays. You need to live. Jus-" I knew he would never listen.

"Tell Ma I love her Da." I wish I could hold them both.

"Os-"

I hung up on him for the final time. He didn't understand, I wasn't just different. I had killed a man, and I needed to kill another Man today.