"98... 99... 100..."
Smacky was looking with suspicious eyes while rubbing his stubble chin. Smacky was skinny and a bit smaller than me, he didn't have much physical strength but he was well known with arms and ammunations. He could make a deadly weapon out of anything you could see around, maybe that was his super power. Smacky, well.... he's my mate, 'best mate' we both grew up together orphaned and thugged, we both were found on the streets, by the 'DON'.

He is ruler of all thugs and gangstas of the town. 'Don' trusted me and smacky very much. Whenever theres any gun to be ordered, no one can be trusted other than smacky, and if there's any chimp in the town to be beaten up 'don' always trusted me.

No one really knew his name, and thats why people call him 'don'. 'Don' found me under a tree on a rainy day. I was in a basket, partially filled with water. Thats when 'don' adopted me, trained me, made me what I am today. I didn't have any name. Root this name was given to by 'don'. During training when I bare handedly uprooted the tree from its roots. Thats when he named me 'Root' , and that day I knew that superhuman strength was my super power, but slowly through out the training I came up with another of my ability that was control over earth element. I could soften, harden, mold the earth anytime and anyhow.

'Damn still ain't 8 and I barely got a day now.' I said it under my breath.

"Damn boy.. You serious.. Another hundred.. Third time in the day. I ain't even do ten in a month." He said that with a surprise look, carrying a modified AK-47 in his hand which looked more like a machine gun.

"Seems like the master had created another masterpiece of junk." I said with a mocking smile. I could feel my muscle tightening too much. Its been only three hours since the arrival of the letter and I have worked out shit of me. Workout has been my best stress-buster for me. But this time the words in the letter won't go off my head.

"Ayyyy man.. This ain't junk, but yeah man, its surely a masterpiece. It's got 1000 ammo capacity, which is more than enough to take shit out of 2000 people and the recoil has been so minimised that it barely moves centimetres after firing 800 shots and its got silver-chrome alloy plating which makes it shine like a diamond after polishing, and, and... It's got upto 200 metres zoom and the best thing is its name, can you guess it"

"Shit made from tin"
"No maan, its 'Root-47'. I made it for you. For that games. I know you are already strong enough by punch every bastard out their, but still I want you to take this, as a gift from me. I could feel you are tensed after getting the letter, but I believe in you, coz I know nothing can kill you man."

I could see the worry on his face. We thugs aren't allowed to express ourselves or let emotions overtake us but nothing matters when you are about to be separated from the only person you ever considered a close one.

I remember the talk we had when we were 9. I clearly remember we were in the park, I was hanging on the high bars, while he sat on the lower one. We were taking about the 6 floors game. We both knew very much about it.

"What if one day we both get selected for the 6 floors game." Smacky said. He wasn't much brave at that time but he really grew up a mature daredevil.

"Obviously broda.. We would kill everything in the way and win the game."

"But I've heard it isn't a piece of cake"

"Bahh.. Like I care for what others say"

"But what if only one of goes and never return back-"

Before he could complete his sentence my punch had already landed on his face. He fell about three feet away from the high bars. I reached up-to him" Never ever say that."

He was my only mate, whom I could bet my life on and I could never think of being separated from him.

Now all could do is stare at him, stopping myself from crying. I took the Root-47 from him. I could clearly see his art. He was clearly thinking of me from the heart while making the gun. It was heavily covered and buffed up, just like me.

I hugged him up tight, like it was my last time to meet him. I realised that he was trying to catch his breath in my muscles. I left him up to catch some air.

"Maaan you nearly choked me. You are much tougher now. But today I knew that you've got a soft corner, always keep it open for everyone, and I bet you will me much happier. Oh damn I forgot I got some urgent work. Got to go. See ya man.... Soon"

I could see him go out and it really seemed the last time and maybe it was.