Ch: 12 and 13 [Redemption]

With the three robbers now trapped in the water-filled construction site, their screams of pain and desperation echoed in the rainy night. The smoke from the extinguished flames had given the scene an eerie, otherworldly quality.

"You... You lunatic..." one of them managed to choke out between gasps.

I walked closer, the shotguns I had picked up resting on my shoulders, a cold smile playing on my lips. "Well, well, well. Look who's all wet now."

The one who had threatened me with the shotgun looked up at me with eyes wide with fear and pain. "Please, man, we didn't know... We thought it was just a pizza joint. We didn't know you were... one of them."

"One of who?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

He grimaced, clutching his burnt arm. "One of them freaks. You know, the ones who run this city. We're just small-time. We didn't mean to mess with your territory."

I crouched down, examining the burnt skin on his arm. "Freaks, huh? And what if I told you I'm not one of them, but someone who's had enough of people like you ruining the peace of this city?"

The three men exchanged terrified glances as they continued to struggle in the waist-deep water.

It's raining again...

The rain poured down on us, mingling with the smoke, creating an almost surreal atmosphere.

"I don't give a damn about your sob story or your excuses," I said, my tone cold and unforgiving. "You decided to mess with this place, and now you're going to pay the price."

The one with the burnt arm winced as I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, my grip tight and unyielding. The other two tried to crawl away, but their injuries slowed them down significantly.

"You know what's funny?" I continued, my voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. "I used to be a guy who followed the rules, who believed in justice through proper channels. But that all changed the moment I was reborn."

Their eyes widened as if they couldn't quite comprehend what I was saying. I took a step back and drew one of the shotguns from my shoulder, cocking it with a metallic click.

"You see, I've got this new perspective now," I said, my smile widening. "And let me tell you, I'm not here to play hero or villain. I'm here to bring chaos to your lives, to show you that there are consequences for your actions."

I pointed the shotgun at the one with the burnt arm, his face now pale with terror. "You wanted to threaten me with a shotgun? Let's see how you like it."

Before any of them could react, I pulled the trigger, and the deafening blast reverberated through the rainy night. The force of the shot sent the man sprawling backward, blood and water mixing as he screamed in agony.

The other two scrambled even harder, their desperation growing. One of them managed to pull himself up onto a ledge, his face a mask of terror and despair.

I turned the shotgun toward him, my expression cold and unfeeling. "You thought you could come in here and rob a place filled with memories of someone I cared about? You thought you could threaten me and get away with it?"

I fired again, and the second man's body jerked as the shot hit him. He fell back into the water, his movements growing sluggish.

The third man, the one who had been least injured, was crying and begging for mercy. "Please, please don't kill me! I swear, we didn't know!"

I approached him, my footsteps echoing in the rain-soaked air. "You didn't know? Ignorance isn't an excuse. You made your choice, and now you'll face the consequences."

I raised the shotgun, aiming it at him. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.

"I will do anything, man. Just don't kill me. Please, I have money. I can give you whatever you want. Just let me go."

The rain continued to pour, mixing with the tears and rainwater on the man's face. He was trembling, his hands held up in a gesture of surrender, his eyes squeezed shut as if he couldn't bear to see what was about to happen.

"Please, I have a family," he pleaded, his voice shaking. "I have a wife and kids who depend on me. I didn't want any of this. I was just following orders."

I looked down at him, the shotgun still aimed at his quivering form. His words stirred something inside me, a reminder of the family I had left behind in my previous life. But this was a world filled with criminals, with danger lurking in every corner. Could I really afford to show mercy to someone like him?

"Did you think about their family when you barged into this place, threatening innocent people?" I asked, my voice cold and unforgiving.

His sobs grew louder, and he nodded frantically. "No, I didn't. I was stupid. I was desperate. But I'm begging you, please, don't take my life."

"You motherfuckers shot me. Has it been any regular human, their body would have become a pile of meat by now, and you... You want to live? Do you think you deserve to live?" I said, my tone growing angrier by the second.

He opened his eyes, his gaze meeting mine. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve it. But please... Please have mercy."

"Wife and kids you say?" I asked, looking at him through narrow, angry eyes.

"Yes, please. I know I've fucked up. I know I don't deserve it. But they need me. They can't live without me. Please... I'm begging you."

I felt the weight of the gun in my hands, the cold metal and deadly power it contained. I could end this man's life right now. I could take away everything he cared about, just like he had taken away what mattered most to me. But I know when a fucker is lying. I have dealt with enough bastards like him to be able to tell when someone is telling the truth or not.

I looked up at him, my eyes boring into his. "Tell me, what's your wife's and kids' names? What do they look like?"

His eyes widened, a look of hope appearing on his face. "I... I..."

"Answer the question, you fucking idiot!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the night. "You have a wife and kids and yet you don't even know their names? Are you so fucking stupid that you can't remember what your own family looks like?"

He winced, stammering out an answer. "No! I... I know their names. I know what they look like. I just... I just didn't expect you to ask."

"Then tell me," I commanded, my tone leaving no room for argument. "What's their names?"

"My wife's name is Jenny. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes. My daughter's name is Rose. She's three years old. And my son's name is Sam. He's six," the goon replied.

"Really? And do they know what you do for a living?" I asked, my tone growing colder.

"No, I... I couldn't tell them. They would be so ashamed of me if they knew."

I scoffed, shaking my head in disgust. "I bet they would. I bet they would be fucking disgusted by you. You think they'd be proud of you? Think they'd want you back in their lives after what you've done?"

He lowered his head, unable to look me in the eye.

I walked over to the one bleeding on the edge and searched his pocket. He has a small old mobile wrapped in a plastic bag. I took it out and gave it to the goon.

"Call them," I ordered. "I want to hear their voices."

He stared at me in disbelief, but when I raised the shotgun, he quickly nodded and opened the mobile. The call was answered within seconds.

"Hello?" a female voice came from the other side, sounding confused.

"Hey, babe, it's Michael," the goon said, trying to sound cheerful.

"You druggie motherfucker! How dare you call me after trying to sell our kids for your fucking drug money!" the woman screamed.

"What? No! Listen, babe, I've changed. I'm coming back home. I promise I won't do it again," he replied, his voice pleading.

"Get out of my life, you piece of shit! Don't you ever call me again!" the woman yelled. "If it wasn't for Batman, we'd be dead by now."

I snatched the phone away from him.

"Hello, miss, I'm sorry to disturb you. But right now, the life of this sorry-for piece of shit depends on your choice. You see he and his friends tried to rob and shoot. So, I killed both his friends and as for him... Well, you decide. If you let him live today, there is no guarantee he won't try to hurt your family or anyone else's ever again. And if you let him die, well, he will die and never bother you again. What do you say?" I asked.

There was a pause on the other end, and I could hear the woman breathing heavily. I put the phone on loudspeaker so the goon could hear the conversation as well.

"Kill him," the woman said, her voice cold and hard.

"Mommy?" A little girl's voice came through the phone, sounding confused and scared.

"No, no, it's okay, baby. It's okay. Daddy will never be able to hurt us ever again," the woman said, her voice softening. "So go to your room and sleep. It's still too early. Okay, sweetie?"

"Okay, mommy," the little girl said.

I stared down at the goon, my expression unreadable. "It seems like you aren't wanted."

"There hasn't been a moment in my life I regretted marrying him. There hasn't been a single second I didn't wish him dead for what he did to us. Please kill him and make sure he suffers for as long as you can," the woman said, her voice trembling with anger.

I glanced down at the goon, who was staring at me with wide eyes, his face pale and drawn.

"As you wish. Hold on to the call. I will let you hear his agony-filled screams. I will make sure he suffers as much as possible. I will make sure he won't ever go back and hurt your family again," I replied, my tone cold and unfeeling.

I put the phone on the muddy ground.

"I guess it's time for you to pay for your sins, you piece of shit."

I took a step back, "Get out of the water."

The goon hesitated but when I aimed the shotgun at him, he slowly climbed out of the pool.

"Good. Now," I emptied the shotgun and threw it near his feet, "Shove it up your ass."

"W... What?" the goon asked, looking at me in disbelief.

"What? Why the long face? I always keep my promise. Remember what I said back at the pizza joint? That I will shove it up your ass. Well, it's time for you to deliver on that promise. Then I am going to keep my second promise from your  wife and kill you and make sure you suffer as much as I possibly can. Now start shoving before I lose my patience and kill you now," I replied, gesturing towards the shotgun lying on the ground.

He stared at the gun, then at me.

"Fuck you! Just kill me motherfucker!" he shouted, spitting on the ground at my feet.

"Oh, so now you want to die, huh?"

I used my super agility to dash before him and grabbed his burned right arm. I squeezed it as hard as I could.

"AAAHHHHHH!!!! FUCK!!! AHHHHHH!!!" he screamed in agony, trying to pull away.

"If you die here, there will be nothing waiting for you on the other side. You will go to Hell. Do you understand? You will spend eternity suffering and being tortured. So I am giving you a choice to live a little longer, suffer a little longer, before you cross over to the other side," I said, my grip tightening even more. Then I used my nails and ripped out his flesh.

"AAAHHHHHH!!!!!! FUCK!!!!" he cried out in pain, his voice echoing through the rainy night.

"So what will it be? Death a little later or Death a little sooner?" I asked, my expression cold and unfeeling.

"FUCK YOU!!! I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU!!! JUST FUCKING KILL ME, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!" the goon spat at me again.

I sighed and released his arm. Then punched his face on the ground.

"Ahh!" He gasped in pain, spitting out blood and mud. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, looking up at me with teary eyes.

"A man must keep his promise," I said, my voice cold and hard. "And I promised your wife and kids that I would kill you and make sure you suffer as much as possible."

I picked up the gun and kicked his stomach hard, knocking the air out of him.

I took a bullet and loaded it up. Then I put the gun in his hand, "Here you go. Shoot your head off."

"I..."

"I don't want to hear any more fucking excuses. You have two options. Either you shoot your head off, or I will torture you for days on end. I will make sure you suffer in ways you never thought possible. I will make sure you wish you were dead. But you won't die. I won't let you die. Not until I am satisfied."

"I..."

He looked down at the gun in his hand.

"Go on, redeem yourself. Kill yourself for doing all those bad things in this world, for hurting so many people," I whispered. "Show them that you're a man of honor. That you're not some pathetic piece of shit who just runs away and hides like a coward. Show them that you have a heart, that you care about the people you've hurt. Show them that you're a human being."

His hand trembled, the gun shaking in his grip. He looked up at me, his eyes wide with fear, "I'm scared."

I grabbed his shoulders.

"All the lives you have destroyed till now... They too were scared. They didn't want to die. They had families, people who loved them. People who depended on them. But you didn't care about that. You only cared about yourself. So why should you be any different? Why should you get a second chance when they didn't?"

"Please..."

"You're a bad person, Michael. A very bad person."

He looked away, unable to meet my gaze.

"So go ahead and pull the trigger," I said, releasing his shoulders.

He hesitated for a moment, then brought the gun under his chin. His hands were shaking violently now, his face covered in sweat.

"Do it," I commanded, my voice harsh and unforgiving. "You know you want to. You know there is a part of you that wants to end it. That wants to put an end to all this pain and suffering. You know there is no coming back from what you've done. So go ahead and pull the trigger."

His eyes were wide with terror and confusion, his breathing shallow and rapid.

"Jenny, Rose, Sam... I am sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Then he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot reverberated through the night air, drowning out all other sounds.

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