You kissed me like a slow song
Then you drank from me, Manhattan on a summer's eve.
Slow and gentle like a breeze.
You made the best for me. I love you like a wordsmith,
write it all down for me.

(Paul's POV)

"Please" I begged.

The Mayor looked me over with slow meticulous green eyes. His unnaturally congested brows flourished like caterpillars as he regarded me unsympathetically.

There was something about his icy glare that I couldn't touch, it was beyond the plane of empathy and existence. It reminded me of hot volcanic lava oozing out onto the green defenseless earth. I watched his face harden as he contemplated my request.

"Do I look like a man who gives mercy?" he snarled. His overshadowing body loomed over me, making me feel small.

My mind raced, an idea coming to mind, "No, but you are a businessman, let's negotiate" I said hoping that would work.

The Mayor smiled, his stained brown teeth glistened in the unnatural lighting, "I was hoping you would say that" he snickered.

His eased into his chair like a snail, opening a pack of cigars. I watched him burn the tip of his bundled pleasure as he enjoyed the way the flames devoured the ash.

The room immediately filled with the acrid aroma of tobacco as he inhaled the dust around us.

I glanced at Figs trembling body, as he fought like a shaking leaf to not fall apart and crumble.

The truth was, I was so frightened. I was on the verge of pissing myself, but I held on to the idea of having people that depended on me. More importantly, I had a reason other than my life to fight for.

"Sit," the Mayor said politely.

My stomach churned as he tried a new tactic.

"Don't you find it curious Paul, why I have you here?" he asked in an adenoidal and brittle tone.

I said nothing, glaring at him with vengeful hate. I knew one wrong move from me, and his patience would be as thin as his troll-like lips.

"I like your spirit son, you have the soul of a killer. I see so much potential" he coughed. The rings of dark smog engulfed his lungs. I hoped he choked.

The Mayor sighed, reclining with leisure as he looked at me in a coy fashion, " I told you when we first met, I am a businessman. I'm the type of person who gets satisfaction from crushing ants and then dragging my shoes against the concrete just so I can spread their organs like butter. I am a tyrant in the business world and people are the ants" he spewed.

It took everything in me not to roll my eyes.

"Why is he telling me this?" I wondered quietly.

He grabbed me with his bulky sausage fingers pulling me close enough to taste the rich tobacco on his breath, "don't ask for mercy ever again" he whispered dangerously, "be on top, so you never need it" he said sharing his life tip.

"What do you want? And how do you know my name?!" I asked demanding answers.

The Mayor shrugged, playing with the hem of his black suit. This was some sort of game, like a hunter he was studying me, searching for a weakness, something that could debilitate me. Something that would leave me limping and helpless enough for him to prowl and destroy.

"You came into my hotel a week ago. Out of kindness, I allowed you to make a living off of my scraps. Then you turn around and stab me in the back by tipping off the police. I lost seventy thousand dollars that day, and not to mention the legal trouble and felony counts those primitive low lives who called themselves the law, are trying to charge me with" he snorted.

I rubbed my throbbing temple, confused I had no idea what he was rambling on about.

He crushed his cigar with his fingers in agitation. The warm flames singed his flesh as he glared at me, "well?" he snarled.

"You don't remember coming to my hotel, trashing the place, using my jacuzzi, stealing key cards from guest and then calling the police" he screamed.

I gasped, remembering that weekend.

He smiled, rubbing his hands together, "good now that your amnesia has worn off maybe you can solve this mystery" he said sarcastically.

"Why do you think a high profile man such as myself would bother to come all the way from the top of my empire to visit a dirty bottom feeder at a gas station?" he snickered.

"If I wanted a prostitute, a whore, or even an escort, couldn't I have just called you and set you up in any of my private locations?" he asked, "No, my plan was to kill you at your job, so you know what loss is in the business.

No one would ever have suspected a man of such pristine and honor to be a murder. It was the perfect revenge plan. I kill you, no one misses you, lessons are learned and life goes on" he said listing off his order.

Mayor DeWine pointed to Figs, "he was just a complication, a plot twist I never saw coming" he spat.

I gulped in the fridges of his dark drained eyes. He was going to kill us both.

He raised a finger before I could speak or shout for help, "but, I am a businessman" he asserted firmly, "and I like deals" he chuckled. His deep voice beat against my eardrums senselessly like a loud exploding noise.

"Then, I did my research, curiosity got the best of me" he admitted.

"I wanted to know how in the hell you knew Xavier. I found two connections, but imagine my surprise when I found out who you really were." He clapped happily like a depraved psychopath.

"I don't know what you're talking about" I lied, my heart strummed with fear, "I'm a nobody" I stammered.

In a swift motion, the Mayor's iron fist, struck the side of my face, with swift intentions. The pain was searing and my vision blurred as my eyes bubbled over with water. I bit my lip to keep from screaming.

"Don't lie to me, you are the son of a powerful man. Who knew? I stumbled upon the one and only lost boy. Your father is a prominent figure in this town. He creates laws, and pardons people..." he hinted.

"Let Ed, and Figs go!" I yelled bravely. My bones started to rattle in their shell, as anger gave me a boost of strength.

The Mayor grabbed his side laughing hysterically, "that old geezer! I never had him but I knew if I made it seem like I did, you would come running. I needed you alone, but you brought this prick in my side" he looked at Figs with agitation, "see, he actually is a problem. I can't let him live" he shrugged.

I rose to my feet slowly, "wait what is it you want?" I asked panicking.

"I need you to convince your father to drop all charges against me, having felonies and warrants is bad for business. Use your influence and make me immune to the law and I'll let your boyfriend go" he mocked.

"I left my father and our relationship in the past so I don't think he'll be in the mood to save my life or negotiate with terrorist" I smiled, looking at his twitching face.

"Perhaps this will encourage you to make up with your father" he snarled.

And in one swift motion, our lives changed forever.

"Nooooooo!" I screamed.

I saw the black outline of death, it was cruel and formed in steel, a weapon so skillfully crafted than human life could evaporate in its presence. Several have kneeled before it, only to bleed out and never to the sun again.

The vapors of the gunpowder lingered long after the shot had been fired. The worse part was what I heard the echoing bang of a pain and the sizzling his of agony. It was too much torment!

Figs let out a blood-curdling scream, grabbing his foot, as every muscle in his body twitched.

"It's not fatal unless he bleeds out" The Mayor sneered kissing the tip of his gun, "so you might want to hurry and fix your daddy issues" he winked, "call me when you've made up your mind," he said cheerfully exiting the room.

"Watch them, make sure no one leaves. When he's ready, allow him to make one call only, and if he tries to be slick shoot him, and his friend in the throat" he instructed.

My body couldn't move fast enough, time slowed down to trickle out painfully, as Figs rocked his burning bones in comfort. The smell of blood and acid burned our nostrils as he tried to collect the pools of blood in his hand.

I ripped off my shirt, moving quickly with unsteady hands. I tied it tightly around his foot until my shirt turned red.

Figs eyes were round and petrified as if the gun had taken much more of himself. He was cold as ice as he sobbed quietly.

I grabbed him shaking him wildly, "don't you dare give up on us! You are fine, you are fine, you are fine!" I repeated over and over again until his dark eyes flickered back to reality.

He grabbed my hand, whispering, "Feather can't be here" he said desperately, "I pray she left and never came back."

I tried to shush him, as the Mayor's bodyguard looked at us suspiciously, "After what we did, I'm positive she's far from this"

Figs looked at the tendrils oozing from the gaping bloody hole in his left foot, as blood spewed like a pressurized fountain, " she loves you, she'll be back. We have to do something..." his words lingered and fell off.

I knew what he meant, time was of the essence.

Figs rested on my head weakly, I could feel his life force flickering like an old light bulb. His toffee eyes weighed sins and forgiveness in the balance. They said so much to me, with elegant balance, as life made him walk down the plank.

I wiped his forehead, attending my best to his wound as he started to sweat feverishly. I pressed him up against my chest, "You can sorry tomorrow when we are alive" I sniffled, as my salty tears poured down.

Figs took a deep breath, "It was me" he groaned, "I was so angry the night you took us to the jacuzzi. I was so upset about our fight that I was one who called the police and tipped them off about the hotel. I wanted you out of our life, I just meant for you to get arrested. I didn't know he was...I didn't mean..." he struggled as remorse gurgled from his swollen lips.

I smiled wiping the tears from his eyes, "it's okay, I promise I'll beat you up later" I chuckled.

I let go of Figs, turning to the bodyguard, "I'm ready to talk to my father" I announced.

He nodded looking down at his pockets reaching for the phone, and something caught my eyes from the corner where the window was.

"I NEED WATER FIRST!" I blurted out frantically.

The bodyguard frowned, but I crossed my arms stubbornly, as I acted out the role of a lifetime.

"Go get me some water, you would hate for me to call your boss back and tell him the delay is because you couldn't grant me a simple request. I'm thirsty and I can't talk properly" I strained my voice, to make me sound hoarse. It was a terrible lie but an effective one.

"Fine, stay put I'll be back in five minutes" he huffed, mumbling to himself.

I ran to the window, a dark yarn pattern of curls pressed against the window, as a tiny figure peeped out from under.

"Feather, listen carefully. I need you to stay calm. Your brothers' life depends on it. I'm going to open the window wide, and help him over, drive him to the hospital as fast as you can! Don't look back." I told her.

Feather nodded, from the other side. Her body was hidden between the leaning trees. I smiled, it was everything to look into her warm coffee eyes and know that she was doing okay. She smiled back faintly. I grabbed her arms, pulling her up so that we were face to face.

"Hi" she gushed, turning red as we accidentally bumped foreheads.

"Hi," I said stupidly.

Our eyes locked for just a second, and all the problems seemed to fade away cast up in the beautiful universe. Suddenly it made sense, that little thing called love, the unexplainable way you could so deeply relate and understand someone.

I admired how she fluttered in my hands and hated how I squirmed in her gaze. I never felt this way before for anyone, and at this moment we were awfully close.

But sadly that was all we had, just a moment.

I could hear footsteps moving through the prison walls. Our connected broke and I let go of Feather telling her to crouch down low, so no one could find her.

I raced over to Figs side, "can you hop on one foot if I help you stand?" I asked pulling him up, not waiting for an answer.

Blood poured like a trail, Figs looked at me worried, "I'm basically leaving a roadmap for him" he said pointing to the floor.

I shook my head, "all you need is a head start, I'll smear the blood in every direction I can. Get out" I said giving him a shove.

He winced but moved rather quickly.

"I have you!" Feather promised.

The floor creaked as footsteps approached.

My heart was beating so fast, it felt like it flew out of my chest.

I dashed, skidding on the tile and smearing the blood everywhere with my hands and feet, making sure it didn't just leave a trail like an arrow.

I heard the unsmooth thud of Figs hitting the ground as Feather helped him on the other side. They were struggling for a minute, I could hear the panic in Feathers voice as she cried out, "come on don't give up now, I need you brother" she pleaded.

The heavy footsteps were seconds away, I could hear the glass of water rattling his hands as he carried it.

The door opened...

Authors Note: SHARE, LIKE, COMMENT <3