the man you hate the most

Joaquin, Dog-Boy, Cat-Girl, Cake Eater, and Sec-End Cigar are walking.

they had being fighting against some small time side henchmen. Joaquin stops. he wants to take a break.

Cake Eater looks at his watch. it has only being five hours since the game started. there are already many members of the rivals dead. they had taken few hits, nothing too bad.

Joaquin looks at his comrades. he is about to do something that goes against himself. he is about to ask for forgiveness. he haven't done much as a leader. all he does is to follow a not-existent lead. a pointless chase after the Executioner.

"I am sorry. I am not the ideal leader."

yields Joaquin expecting to be forgiven.

they all look at him. they all are confuse. that is totally nothing like him. he has never said sorry since day one. they are surprise and confuse at the same time. it seems like Joaquin is willingly to change. he wants to improve as a human.

they all laugh. Cake Eater hugs Joaquin. he tells him to smile some more. they all keep laughing while Joaquin is feeling rage. he seems to regret his words. maybe he is becoming too soft for this game. too soft to be an ideal leader.

"don't be angry captain. you are our captain. you better keep your position as the captain of this boat."

said Dog-Boy with a huge smile.

Joaquin starts laughing too. he can't avoid this crazy people. they are too good at being a pain on the ass, but they also are good at being of help on hard times.

Joaquin closes his eyes. he thinks about his wife and child. the two most important people on his life. those he lose many years ago. maybe he can finally look up at the future without the need to look back. maybe there is time for a redemption.

Joaquin keeps walking. every step he takes is firm. at every step he feels more sure of being doing the right thing. maybe helping this people was his destiny. maybe becoming part of this group is his opportunity, to redeem his soul.

Cake Eater puts a lollipop on his mouth. it is green with orange flavor. Cake Eater has being listening to some footsteps. he is sure now that they are being follow. whoever is the idiot following them. he will reveal himself soon.

Joaquin stops walking. he tells everyone to not move. he looks at Sec-End Cigar. he asks him if he is listening to that sound. Sec-End Cigar nods. Joaquin screams as he tells everyone to have their weapons ready. a battle is about to happen.

Joaquin turns around. he looks at Dog-Boy. he whispers something. he wants Dog-Boy's confirmation about Executioner's plan. Dog-Boy refuses to speak.

"I know you talked to him. what did he told you?"

"I don't know."

"tell me. what is the Executioner's plan?"

"to kill us all."

BANG.

Joaquin turns around with a wound on his neck. with a hand he tries to cover the wound. he keeps bleeding. he walks back. Cake Eater and Sec-End Cigar are trying to protect Joaquin. they take him inside of a room.

Dog-B and Cat-G are walking slowly backwards. Dog-B is absolutely terrified. he is sweating like crazy. he enters inside the room follow by Cat-G.

the five of them are inside of the room. they all are scare. Cake Eater is taking care of Joaquin's wound. it doesn't seem too serious. jet he keeps bleeding a lot. Joaquin puts a cigar on his mouth. the cigar is covered by blood. he doesn't seem to care much.

"damn. we need to be more careful. we all left our guard down. we all could had died. damn. I feel so bad. I feel like an idiot. I feel impotence."

said Sec-End Cigar frustrated by the incident.

"the Executioner is one of us. Joaquin already knows that. the Executioner wants to keep Beau alone to kill him. while we are distracted he will kill Beau. I am sorry. I failed to be a good person. I failed to be worthy of you guys."

said Dog-B with teary eyes.

"don't cry love. you aren't to blame. you are just a victim like everyone else. you aren't to blame. some are born to fight. others can't do much. I love you even if you are weak."

said Cat-G worry for her boyfriend.

Cake Eater is only looking at them. he wants to punch them both on the face. he looks at Joaquin for a moment. he was able to close the wound. but even so he lose too much blood. Joaquin needs to rest for now.

"I think I saw him. if I am not wrong I saw our enemy holding a gun. maybe he was the one who shot Joaquin. I am sure he is gone by now."

said Sec-End Cigar avoiding to make eye contact with Cake Eater.

"I know. but I can't be blinded by vengeance. if I am too selfish I would regret it. I prefer to know that everyone is now fine, than to see everyone else dead for my fault."

said Cake Eater with a melancholic smile.

Joaquin is on the bed. he looks at the ceiling. he keeps smoking. he looks at his hands. he wishes to be a better leader. right now he isn't helping at all. he then looks at a silhouette on a corner. he is reminded of his dead wife. he smiles with pain.

Sec-End Cigar thinks about his actions. he knows he is using Joaquin as a pretext. he is using him to stop his friend from acting on vengeance. he is afraid of his friend. not for what he can do, but for what that can do to himself.

Cake Eater is probable one of the most sane men on the world. but sanity can break, it can break really easily. now Cake Eater thinks with his anger. he is moved by his emotions and without thinking much. Cake Eater is being eaten by rage.

Dog-B is afraid of dying. he saw it now. he saw how close was Joaquin from dying. Joaquin is one of the strongest members of the guild. if someone like Joaquin can die, then Dog's life can end any time. he thinks about Cat-G. is time to accept his past.

somewhere else.

Rotto, Bird-E, and Oblivious Soul-Rage are on a room. the room is dark and creepy. there are other Fallen Heroes. they hide on darkness.

"I will distract and attack Beau's group. that will give enough time to the Executioner to do his job. I want you all to go after the other group. Joaquin is too dangerous. he also needs to die today. he is too smart for his own good."

said Bird-E on an emotionless tone.

"no worries boss. we will cause enough noise. the Executioner is a professional. I don't think we need to worry about him."

said Rotto on an energetic tone.

Oblivious Soul-Rage looks at others doing the talking. he is furious. he feels more like a pawn than an important member. he use to be much more. since he lose his tongue he lose his importance on this side.

Oblivious Soul-Rage feels like he lose his fuel. now he is a second-hand villain. he thinks about doing his worst now that he has the opportunity. he will torment every Hero that gets on his way. they need to feel his rage.

"Oblivious I hope you can be of use now. last time I took your tongue for trying to dream bigger of what you are meant to be. I hope you had become a domesticated dog by now. or else you will become another casualty on this war for survival."

said Bird-E with a threatening tone of voice.

Oblivious Soul-Rage nods. he hates to be treated like a pawn, like an employee. he wants more respect. he decides to ignore that comment.

Rotto is drinking water. he enjoys of the argument. he is thinking about playing around. he doesn't want to get wounded or worse, dead. he is told to follow Oblivious Soul-Rage.

"the fuck? me following that muscles brains? I was tortured for his fault last time."

"and that is precisely why you need to be the one holding the leash of the dog."

"I am smarter, not wisdom personified. there is a huge difference in there. if he dies, then it isn't my problem. I don't want to be responsible for the lives of others. after all this is a jungle of gunpowder and iron."

"yeah whatever. just go with him. do your part and then give me a report of the outcome. don't worry. I actually have high expectations for you."

"damn. okay. be your way. I will do it. you tongueless lets go."

"don't forget to give me a full report of the events. I want to know how much I can trust on a rat like yourself. you can be important later if you do good now."

inside of room 471.

Joaquin stands up. he stretches his body.

"we can't stay in here forever. we need to keep moving."

Joaquin gets out of the room. the others follow him. one small bullet isn't enough to stop him. he has iron balls. Joaquin throws the cigar on the floor. he steps on it.

Cake Eater asks him if he is okay. he is worry. Joaquin rested for some minutes. he also lose a lot of blood. right now Joaquin is vulnerable if they are attacked once more.

Dog-Boy touches Cat-Girl's shoulder. she looks at him. she asks if something is wrong. Dog-B tells her that he wants to talk about something in private. she has an idea. she can almost predict what he is about to say. she is scare of losing him.

Cat-G nods. she looks at the floor. she refuses to look at Dog-B directly on the face. she can't face him right now. she can't look at him.

"there is something I had wanted to reveal about me since some time ago."

"really? is it that important. I mean we have enough time."

"no I need to come clean now. it is now or never."

"okay. I love you. you are my everything. whatever you have to say, it won't be enough to end nor to stop our romance. we are meant to be each other's other half. we are whole when we are together and I hope we will stay together forever."

"I know. what I am about to say is important. if I don't say it now, then I would be putting on a superficial throne our romance. that is why I need to say it now."

"whatever it is. I will be listening to you. and I will love you for all eternity my love."

"I know Katherine. it is me Doug, your ex. and I know that you are my angel Katherine."

"what? you don't need to say more. I kind of already knew. please stop before it is late."

"no, I need to say it now. I forgive you. I left it all behind. let's start over. but to have another beginning we need to leave it all out on the open field."

Katherine is speechless. she doesn't know what to say anymore. she cries. then she hugs him with all her strength. she refuses to let him go now.

Doug whispers on her ear. he feels her tears falling on his shoulder. he smiles. he loves her more than he ever loved her on the past. they both committed mistakes. now everything is on the past as they are ready to start again from beginning.

Joaquin gets his gun out. he shoots. a person screaming falls on the floor. Joaquin gets closer to the wounded man. then he puts a bullet on his brains.

the five of them keep moving. there are more enemies to come. there are more bullets to give and receive. even so that doesn't mean they will give up, nor they are ready to call it the end. they will fight with all their might.

Cake Eater drinks coffee. he tells Sec-End Cigar that he wants to give up on revenge. he has already lose too much. he wants something more.