Guess Who's Back?

Mark walked through the desolate streets of the southern district. Yet, nothing seemed familiar anymore. 

People were sprawled on the streets like before, but that didn't do the scene justice. There was a copious amount of vagrants dirtying the roads, lifeless and miserable they sat or lay on the dusty ground. The air no longer smelled of toxic pollution, but what took its place was the irredeemably repulsive odor of disease. 

House windows were broken, with signs of savage vandalism apparent in almost every place. The few untouched buildings were probably the homes of gang members. 

This place no longer deserved to be called the hoods- not with such a graceless showing. Now, even the smallest traces of dignity were wiped away from the neighborhood. It nearly saddened Mark to see that the place he grew up in was on its way to becoming a slum. 

Though, he felt more sick than sorrowful. The idea of having to live here was not very appealing. 

A man crept in his path- a decrepit, frail husk of a man that could somehow still move. 

The sight attracted the gazes of many other sprawling vagrants. Seeing this, Mark stretched his mind out to the surroundings and instilled terror. 

Onlookers put their faces gazes to the side in fear, but kept one eye on the scene. 

Yet, the frail husk refused to move, Mark's ability didn't seem to have even worked. The man just started mumbling incomprehensibly.

'Is this guy brainless? What kind of drug would be able to do this kind of damage?' 

Mark approached the bumbling husk with genuine curiosity. Right when he was within a meter of the wretch, it abruptly tried to grab him with its feeble hands. It was a desperate attempt, but the husk didn't seem as mentally damaged anymore. A light of clarity shone in his eyes. 

Realizing it was a ploy, Mark instinctively reacted and viciously threw a punch at the husk's head. 

A crack resounded amidst the street. 

'...'

The onlookers silently gasped or looked away. 

Then a thud followed.

Mark looked at the fallen vagrant. Then tentatively, stepped around it, and continued on his way. 

Maybe the guy was insane after all.

He could feel the petrified gazes of the onlookers fixed on his back. 

It felt like a chilling bucket had splashed on his head. Yes, he has killed people, but never on accident! What kind of sick person would enjoy that? 

Well, there were a few he knew- but that isn't the point! He wasn't some sort of psychopathic killer, he was just... 

'Ok, calm down. Should I really be feeling remorse from some guy who tried to attack me? Think! What's ahead of me will call for much worse, and being stuck up on one person who already had a foot in the grave isn't going to help. It's between morality and life, and the answer had always been apparent.' 

Sighing, he continued to walk along the desolate streets, his pace slightly sped up so as to not get impeded by any other troublesome figures. 

If it was necessary to accept how terrible things are to live, then Mark simply hated being alive, but he did so nevertheless. 

...

The sun fell from the clouds and painted the western skies orange. Feeling the air cool to a tranquil heat, Mark was unable to find the man he was looking for. 

After following the route for so long, it seemed like his search was becoming pointless, and that the world wanted to watch him slowly die after he had just tasted bliss. 

Mark turned around and saw a bald man not even a meter away from him. He jumped back and reached into his pocket, grabbing his gun. 

"Mark?" 

"Huh?" 

He froze with his gun half-drawn, recognizing the gritty voice. 

"Aaron... what happened to your hair?" 

The bald ruffian rubbed his shining scalp. He sheepishly smiled.

"I lost a bet." 

Mark blinked a few times, then burst into laughter. 

"Ah, well at least it looks somewhat fitting. You seem more gangster-like than before."

Aaron smiled.

"Thanks, but first you owe me an explanation. Where have you been? I thought you were well in the grave, probably dropped off in some sewer ditch. It was almost as if a ghost came to haunt me when I saw you." 

'Says you!' 

Lukewarm wind gleefully blew between the two. Mark wistfully looked at the light of the descending sun, the gangster's body eclipsing the ball of fire. 

"Huh, I guess it has been months... Well, I was on vacation." 

Aaron frowned.

"Vacation?" 

Nodding, Mark continued.

"That's right, I had good food, housing, scenery, and even places to walk to. What's best is that there were some people serving me too. Can you imagine? A life where all you have to do is sit down and relax." 

The gangster's eye twitched, and he shook his head.

"No, no. That's impossible. You- the poor little bastard you are, was able to afford that for so long?"

Mark smiled with a radiance brighter than the resplendent orange light illuminating his face. 

"Of course! I even made off with a bit of extra money." 

Aaron looked at the young man incredulously. 

"What kind of job do you even have?" 

The question made Mark pause. His demeanor masterfully turned sullen. 

'Here goes.' 

Mark's head dipped, becoming covered by Aaron's shadow. 

"About that... I'm kind of jobless now. Mind letting me join?" 

The gangster froze.

He then laughed and covered his face with a hand. 

"So now you finally come! What do you think we are, some kind of charity?" 

Seeing his friend struggle to suppress his laughter, Aaron continued. 

"Sure, but are you up to the job? Your time on 'vacation' didn't make you go soft, right?" 

Mark shook his head.

"Of course not... maybe. Well- I killed a man today, is that enough? 

Aaron sighed. 

"You're insane. Alright, let's go then." 

Mark smiled. 

"Thanks." 

"No problem." 

The two walked and talked their way to wherever Mark needed to go to join the gang. Wherever that was, he wouldn't have known! There wasn't much reason to learn about the Hounds before, when he had a stable job. 

But now things were different. The higher roads of life had crashed and burned into the ground. All that's left was the lowest of the low. 

Soon enough, a giant warehouse appeared before Mark's eyes. He was taken aback for a second, stopping to admire the sheer size of it all. 

Aaron pushed him forward. 

"You'll get all the time in the world to see this later, so hurry up." 

With a breath of dread, Mark entered.