Mark arrived in the alleyway too late- Amy was already limp and lifeless on the ground, the rain falling down all around her. Mark couldn't tell if what he felt on his face were raindrops or tears as he fell to his knees besides his girlfriend's dead body. He picked up her cold hand in his and squeezed, wishing this was all a dream. He wished that he'd wake up soon, back at home. He imagined that when he'd blink, Amy would be laying next to him on their bed, with Chica at their feet and Henri waiting politely by the open bedroom door.

Instead, he looked at the dark clouds above him and screamed. He screamed, and sobbed, until all of the anger and sadness left his body, until all that he felt was numb. He stood to his feet, wiping his face helplessly with his soaked sleeve, until he heard a voice coming from down the alley.

"Ajani, stop standing there and come on!"

Mark's head shot up and he began running. "Who's there?" Mark heard loud footsteps against the gravel road, along with the occasional splash of someone sprinting through a puddle. He eventually reached the end of the alley, just in time to witness a green-haired man jump into the back of a white van, with a man in a poker-face mask in the driver's seat. They sped off, and Mark raced into the middle of the road and watched the two make their getaway through the heavy rainfall.

________

Jack finished rinsing the green hairspray from his brown hair. "I don't think I could do that again."

Ryan stood at his side as he took the poker mask off of his face. "Nonsense, Jack, you did great."

"Dad, I... I killed someone. By myself. With my own gun."

"Yeah, and wasn't it an amazing feeling?"

"No, Dad. It was terrifying. I mean, I'm used to holding a gun up to targets, but to a real human being..." He took a deep breath, attempting to get the thought of that beautiful young woman out of his mind. "I don't think I could do it again. I can't."

Ryan narrowed his eyes at his son. "You were the one who said you wanted to be a part of this family. This is what we do. This is the whole reason why we founded this mafia. If you're going back on your word, then you'll not only have to go through me, but your father, as well." Jack winced. "That's what I thought." Ryan made his way out of his son's bedroom. "I'll see you in the meeting room at six o'clock, and Jess will take you to your classes immediately after. Don't be late." He shut the door behind him.

Jack fell backwards onto the bed, not able to get the tan, blue-haired man that ran after the two out of his mind.