CHAPTER THREE

Sam was ready to get this mission over with and to get back home. He walked through the hallway of the school avoiding contact with anyone but even without trying he emitted the type of energy that said, ‘I’m a bad boy, keep your distance’. Just as he turned the corner he bumped into someone and fell on his back. Sam looked up hoping to see the unlucky soul that had just signed their death certificate but was surprised when he saw a hand stretched out to him offering help. Reluctantly he relented and stood up pushing the hand away. When he looked at the face of the person who had bumped into him and quickly realised that he fit the description of his target and he also resembled the picture that was included in the folder he was given prior to his mission.

“Hi. You must be new here, I’m Connor.”

When he spoke it was like he had heard the voice before but different. It was so familiar but where did he hear it? Connor still had his hand stretched out hoping that Sam would shake it but when he saw that it wasn’t going to happen he started to retreat his hand into his pocket to make the situation less awkward and as Connor submerged his hand into the comfort of his pocket Sam noticed something that caught his eye, something that he had seen before. It was a neck chain with a crocodile tooth that had the initials ‘CB’ engraved on them. As if looking at the item had triggered a memory that was buried at the very back of his memory catacombs, he had a glimpse of a time before everything changed. Sam went back down memory lane, a place that he dreaded, and a place he tried so hard to bury it could bring a grown man to tears.

“Sam, come here.”

The man who spoke had been standing there for a while holding two identical neck chains with their initials engraved on them.

“Dad, what are those?”

Just then Sam realized that the man who had called them was their father but he couldn’t make out any details besides his voice which sounded like something he would wake up to every Saturday morning but it was different, it sounded shaky with a hint of sadness,

“Friends will not always be there but family always is.”

He was about to turn and look at the boy he had assumed was his brother but before he could get a clear view he was snapped back to reality by the voice of Connor.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Just then had Sam realized that he was crying and noticed the tears that were running down his face,

“Yes, I’m fine.”

He said while pushing Connor out of the way refusing to face the fact that he could feel pain. The pain he felt was different; it wasn’t the pain you felt after mercilessly beating a man to his imminent death. The pain he felt was the pain you feel when you lose that piece of yourself that keeps you sane.

Before he knew it he was outside of the school sobbing. Even he himself was surprised by the fact that he could cry. He never thought that he could after his parent's death because he thought that there were no more tears left for him to cry out. Sam gathered himself up and started to walk back to the place where he left a dazed Connor. He was still standing exactly where Sam had left him and a part of Sam started to tell himself that this Connor character was someone he had to keep an eye on. He paced himself, not wanting to reach Connor who by now thought he was crazy, or at least in Sam’s head that’s what he thought. He knew that pacing himself was just delaying the inevitable so he walked promptly so he could clear up this mess before Connor could spread any rumors that Sam was a softie.

“You saw nothing. Tell anyone that you saw me crying and I will rip out your vocal cords.”

To Sam it didn’t even sound that bad; it was barely even a threat. Connor on the other hand saw the truth behind what Sam had said and sub-consciously held his throat and took huge gulps of saliva.

“Okay let’s do this again. I’m Connor Bolton and you are?”

Wait what……did he just say Bolton, as in Sam’s last name Bolton. Sam thought that he was going crazy because it couldn’t be possible that Connor had the same name as his……right?! Sam ruled out the possibility but that didn’t stop his brain from wandering off to all the possibilities of him being his……brother. Sam wasn’t comfortable and he started to subconsciously tell himself that he had to kill this dude as soon as possible but he still answered the question,

“Mick, Mick Grayson.”