Author's Note:

I'm always trying to improve my ability to pull a person into a character's headspace or feel their emotions, and your feedback will help me know if what I'm trying for is working or not. Even an emoticon or button smashing tells me something useful and can influence what I write more or less of.

I respond to all comments and it's always fun to hear your thoughts ^^

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A calm breath left my lips. My body completely stilled.

The target. A couple miles away. Settled in my crosshairs.

He had no idea. Not a clue as to what his future held. How short it actually was.

All the target knew was the scotch. The drink he was pouring for himself.

With familiarity, my finger squeezed the trigger. My shoulder absorbed the kicked back. My arms with ease moved onto the next target in the room. Then the next one. And the next one.

Until the boardroom was littered with the dead.

A little girl suddenly appeared in my scope.

I dropped the rifle. Feeling the burn of its metal on my palm. Backing away from my sniper's nest.

I could see it. In the distance. I could see my work. Clear as day. Even in the night. Even with the bursts of fireworks.

A pair of twin boys painted red. The image seared into my eyes. Their bodies never to run or jump again.

I could almost hear the wails of their parents from where I hid.

The back of my knees collided with something hard. It had no give. I landed on something so familiar. My heart sank into my stomach.

Before I could get up, metal coiled around me. Held me in place. My heart pounded harder and harder. Scared of what was to come.

I fought harder. Trying to escape. To sink into the seat. Anything to get away from that monster of a machine.

I didn't want to lose myself. It was going to take everything from me. Everybody was going to disappear... again.

"STEVE!!!! PLEASE!!!! STEVE!!!!!!"

He'd save me. Like before. We're brothers. He's with me. 'Til the end of the line.

"STEEEVVEEE!!!!!"

My eyes shot open. My chest heaved for air.

'I killed... I killed children? I killed children.... Why did I kill them? How could I kill them...?'

My heart raced harder and harder. My head spun. I couldn't get enough air.

'How much of it was real...?'

My right hand came up. To wipe the sweat off my face. A scream tore from my throat.

Blood.

My hand was covered in blood.

Scrambling up, I found myself soaked in blood. Splattered up the arms. My clothes. The body at my feet....

I could feel another shriek welling up inside my chest. I had to bite it back.

My legs ran. Pounded against the pavement with everything I had.

Another body to the count. Whatever that number might be.

'What have I done...?'

Nothing around looked familiar me. I had no idea where I was. Dawn was approaching. Judging by the colors of the dark skies.

Pain shot up from the left shoulder. A gasp filled my lungs. Then the memories knocked me to my knees.

I killed that man. That now faceless man. Beat him to death with that weapon. The one that replaced my left arm. Caved his head in. Turned his face into pulp.

Why did I do that? Did he do something? Was he just the closest thing for me to unleash whatever hell was within me?

I could almost choke on my own horrors. I did.

'What the hell am I...?'

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"I swear I'm going to be a bloody ball with how many donuts I've eaten waiting for you. 36. 36 fucking donuts in the span of a week." The young woman's toothy grin helped ease my nerves. "Now sit your ass down, Buddy, and eat."

Before I knew what I was doing, I was seated on the bench. Chewing on the sweetest thing I'd ever stuck in my mouth.

"Okay, okay. Stop already. I was joking. Spit that out. No point forcing yourself to eat that. Here." She held out a napkin to me. "I know how sweet that one is."

I took the offered napkin. Spitting out what was left in my mouth as ordered. Staring at her in confusion. Whatever it was, it still coated my mouth.

"It's my favorite?" she offered with a shrug.

Then she pointed at another treat in the box between us. This one had a dark coating on the top.

"Boston Cream. There's a filling to this one. But it's less sweet? Favorite of a more sensible friend of mine. Or you could give the Strawberry Jelly a shot. Sweeter but not like the Honey Dip. It's a mess to eat. Probably cover that beard of yours in powdered sugar. But it's so good. Oh, there's the old fashion. So I guess that'd be the regular flavor? I don't know. Plain's too boring for me. Got real tired of eating that one.... Take your pick."

I shrugged.

There were too many choices.

Four left, being that one of the six was scrunched up in the napkin in my hand and another was the exact same thing.

The last she left unexplained. The one with corners. Many corners.

She sighed heavily. But smiled anyways. "Let's go old fashion?"

I took the ring from her. Munching on it. It was still sweet. Though not so strong.

It was almost familiar to me. But again, it was easier to grasp smoke. Nothing to hang onto. It merely slipped out between my fingers before I could do a thing.

"What were you up to? You look absolutely exhausted, Buddy," she asked after a while. Her voice soft. Her words spoken carefully. "You even found a change of clothes. Still wearing a suffocating looking jacket."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to talk about it."

A dull pain stabbed at my head. Guilt twisted in my gut.

"'Kay...." She dropped the conversation. In favor of the sickly sweet treat. Munching on it. "...I don't think I want to see another donut for the next couple of years...." And yet she continued to eat the thing.

"Sorry..." I whispered.

"Eh, don't worry about it." A dismissive wave of her hand. "I can be stubborn. Hoped you'd show up again."

I stared at her. Unable to comprehend. I understood the words. But it made no sense.

'Why wait for me?'

"First friend I've managed to make in D.C." A shrug. She sat back on the bench. Sending me a soft smile.

She considered me as a... friend?

The concept was so foreign to me. I couldn't comprehend any of it. Any of her reasoning. What were friends? I had been the best friend of St.... That's what the exhibit said.

'What does that mean?'

Friend.

"Now that I think about it, it's always been work whenever I dropped into this city...." A thoughtful pout. A carefree shrug. A glance my way. A light laugh. A shake of her head. "I don't live here." Answering my unvoiced question.

A small sinking feeling of fear built up inside me.

She could disappear one day. Like my memories.

I'd remember this time. But she wouldn't be there.

I should have never let her in.

"How...? How long...?" I found myself asking.

Then again, I wouldn't be in the city much longer than another month or two if things go well.

"Before I leave? Deadline's in about a week...? But got nothing lined up afterwards. Free to do whatever I may until the next thing that pops up." Another glance my way. Another shrug. Her hand motioned towards the food truck. "I've got no clue how I'm going to leave this behind. I'm addicted to their sandwiches. So, Buddy, beef or pork?"

As usual, I shrugged. Our routine fell back into place. She was up walking to the food truck. Flipping a coin.

It gave me time to ponder. Trying to forget how I had broken into someone's home. To use their bathroom. To clean the blood off me. To steal their clothing.

The little blond boy wasn't here today. I doubt he was coming. It was already four. According to the clock by the playground. There were a couple days in a week where he never showed up. Today must have been one of those days.

The young woman plopped down on her end of the bench. A sandwich held out to me.

Pork today. I could easily smell the sauce.

As the routine dictated, I nodded my head when I took the food from her. Then came the struggle of unwrapping the darn paper.

The mechanical arm was half useless. How I managed to kill a man with it. It was beyond me....

"You'd tell me before you leave, right?" she asked out of the blue. "When you've finished waiting."

Again, I didn't know how to reply.

She frowned and sighed heavily. "If I leave first, I'll tell you. If you leave first, you'll tell me. Deal?"

I had to think about it. This wasn't something I could just shrug to. Or shrug off.

She considered me a friend.

If I took the deal, I wouldn't be sitting here one day waiting for her. Not knowing that she was gone.

As she had done for me.

I nodded in agreement.

I could do this. When I found what I was looking for, I could come back. For a day. To end things properly.

I had the choice.

She grinned happily. Dug into her sandwich with vigor. After some bites, she glanced my way again. "By the way, you're helping with the last three donuts. I don't think my sanity can handle forty donuts."

I nodded. Eyeing the spiky one.

"Uhh... not that one. That's a Honey Cruller.... You won't like it. There are days where even I find that too sweet.... I'll be eating that one... again...."

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"Beef or pork!?!" yelled the usually calming voice I was growing used to. Coming from the west.

The young woman quickly raced past the bench. She didn't even pause when she glanced my way. Flashing a toothy grin.

The once gentle curves of her dark locks were unrecognizable. Half of it was twisted up to sit on her head somehow. The rest bounced with each purposeful step. The ends curled into coiled springs. It looked out of place compared to usual.

There wasn't even a flip of a coin. She ordered. Then spiraled into mad pacing. Her thumbs tapping away on the black device.

Today was her deadline. Part of me was surprised that she turned up at the park. Especially so late in the day.

"Here!"

Glad that I had reflexes and full control of my flesh arm, I caught the flying sandwich she sent at my face.

A smile broke on her face. A happy chuckle. "As if I would miss this for the world."

"How much time do you have?" I enquired.

"Eleven minutes left," she mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich.

"You're not going to finish in time."

"If I finish this, I wouldn't fit in my stupid dress."

I couldn't imagine it. All I saw were large T-shirts and very short shorts. What she always wore. What she was wearing now.

"Got a fucking ball to attend tonight."

The usual silence between us was disturbed. A constant patter. Caused by her leg insistently bouncing up a storm. And as always, I was finished before she was.

I had to wonder if she was really only here for the sandwich. It wasn't too hard to believe.

"Miss Ayers!" Six bodies were making their way through the park. "There you are!"

"Oh, hell no!" the young woman next to me cried. Quickly swallowing her food. "You said I had half an hour!" She got on her feet. Her left eye blinked at me. A cheeky grin on her lips. "Wish me luck tonight."

"Good luck," the words automatically pulled from my own lips.

She turned away from the incoming group. Ran while trying shove half the sandwich down her throat.

"Miss Ayers!!! Get back here!!!" They easily descended upon the young woman. Surrounding her.

There was an indignant cry from her. "I wasn't finished eating that!" She tried to snatch back the food. Only to watch it end up in the garbage. Her face was twisted in half a scowl.

Another person gripped her jaw to face them, wiping a white clothing across her face before going the same with a brush across her face. As a group with her at the center of the mess fussed over her, they were leaving the park. Albeit slow.

"You need to sign these papers," another told her. Handing a pen and clipboard to her. The man glared at me as they passed by.

My body tensed uncomfortably. It reminded me of something. Something at the edges of my memories.

The feeling of being dragged away. The feeling of being forcibly moved. The feeling of being surrounded.

Managing to twist away from the brush, the young woman faced me. "I'll see you in a couple of da –!" Her jaw was recaptured. This time a smaller brush attacked her lips. Her arms steadied themselves on a pair of shoulders. The pen in her hand scribbled across a page. "Ack!"

"Hold still!" ordered the woman who held a sparkling necklace around the young woman's neck. Trying to clip it in place. Strangling the young woman instead.

"Not happening with all – Ack! This pushing!" There were a couple of them. Herding her to the destination. A limousine at the edge of the park.

"Stop moving your lips!" barked the one with the brushes.

"Can't we do this in the car?"

"You've wasted too much time, Miss Ayers. You know how important tonight is." With that said, she was stuffed into the black vehicle.

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Author's Note:

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