Tears swelled up in his eyes. He had been dreading this day all week, he hadn't really wanted to come but he'd be damned if he was going to miss it. As the once proud man dropped to one knee there was a loud, yet soft, squelching noise that made his partner next to him jump. As the broken man tried to let go of the one he loved the memories of the past came flooding back to him. It was overwhelming to say the least, however the unmistakable crashing sound of thunder echoing above him shook the flashbacks out of his system and gave a short respite from his ever increasing self pity.

Swallowing hard and loud he tried to rise from the shadow of the grave that lay in front of him. The rain beat down mercilessly against his suit and exposed head, suddenly the feeling of pelting raindrops ended as another flicker of lighting lit up the dark sky that lurked overhead. Looking up at what he thought would be the sky was instead the dark red underbelly of his friends umbrella.

Allowing a momentary smile and a quick 'thank you' nod to his companion, he then shuffled closer to the gravestone that had been haunting his dreams for what felt like forever. Reaching with his left hand to make a physical connection with the lifeless stone he felt a cold chill come over himself as he caught sight of the device strapped to his wrist. He stayed perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity, until his hand started shaking. He couldn't understand it, why was his hand shaking? It was cold but it wasn't that cold. Then he realised as he dropped his head a little, it wasn't his hand that was shaking. His whole body looked like a mild earthquake.

"I can't do it," The words were barely audible and caused tears to streak freely down the insides if his rough and wet cheek. The spoken words had called his hand back to down to his side where it relaxed, or at least a good enough imitation for now. The other hand though slowly slithered it's way up the chest of the man and came to rest where his heart still beat.

"I can't" He reiterated, this time the words were louder but they took longer to come out. Almost more like he wasn't sure what he was going to say. His mouth hung open for a while as the thoughts scattered and hid in the depths of his mind out of reach. He just couldn't fathom the words to get his sentence out. The tears rolled onto the edge of his upper lip and dripped elegantly onto his tongue, as they landed they gave a sensation of burning and a slight hint of salt.

"It's ok," Replied the tall man holding the umbrella.

"I'm not going anywhere and we can take all day if we have too,"

The thought of staying here for an entire day was not a particularly pleasant one, though, on the other hand would he ever be truly ready to leave? That question had plagued his every thought ever since he had known the date for this day.

Startled once again out of the confusion that was his mind once again, but this time not by thunder. It was by the hand that now rest on his left shoulder. Turning his head slightly and glancing over at his old friend he hoped to raise his spirits a little. Sadly though it only served as another reminder for the reason that he was here. It wasn't the guys fault, but sadly he had been there that day too and that had resulted in a little bit of a disconnection between them since then.

Turning back to the gravestone he cast his head and bloodshot eyes over to the name carved upon the rock. It brought back happier times. A time when everything had been simpler. Sunny days, wonderful evenings and unforgettable nights, it was a blossoming love. A love that he had always believed he would never have, his life hadn't been an easy one and women had never really been a factor in that life. That wasn't to say he hadn't had relationships, just ones devoid of deep emotion. The kind that, as it had turned out, was exactly what he needed to truly come alive.

The hand that rested on his chest pushed harder as he closed his eyes. For a moment, he allowed himself to be bathed in the sweetness of the past. Such a wonderful emotion stirred within him as he relived forgotten moments in time.

But then another emotion began to build inside of him. His memories shifted as the echo of thunder roared across the skies. The thudding of a broken heart seemed to be such a fitting union with the chaos that engulfed the muddy graveyard he was entangled in. Opening his eyes he began to look around, not just with his eyes but with his ears. Rain beat down against the towering treetops that engrossed the surrounding areas of the burial site. The wind was howling fiercely through the decaying grave markers and nearby chapel. The thunderstorm that raged above seemed to cackle as it lit up the dank clouds that littered the sky above, the whole surrounding echoed what was building inside of the grieving man.

Tilting his whole body down at the frightful place that held the freshly buried body of his wife. He made a promise to her.

"I'll do it..... for you, I love you, it's not time to say it just yet."

With that he turned around and stood upright and tall for the first time in what could have been a 100 days. At least it felt like that.

The man who had been trying to support him begged him not to go.

"No, that's not a way to handle this. Don't please"

As he turned his head to face his friend, he felt guilty for what he had to do. He also realised that by taking this course of action things might be a bit difficult for his partner from now on.

"Look, let's just talk," A quick right hand palm strike had cut of the sentence, the man's umbrella dropped to the floor and the rain once again began it's endless assault on their bodies.

Bringing his hand back he looked down at his friend, he was fairly confident that this would be the last time that they would meet. Under friendly circumstances at least.

"I'm sorry," With that statement he reached into his inside jacket pocket and took out the emblem of the Silver Guardians.

"I hope that I can be forgiven," Was all he said as he gently placed his emblem into the coat pocket of the leader of the Silver Guardians.

"I've got to do this one without you," As he finished his sentence he placed his hands in his own coat pockets and began walking away back to his jeep.

"Goodbye Wes,"

It was a dark night in some forgotten derelict corner of the world that none, wanted to own. The streets were quiet, not even the chatter of late night drinkers. Except for one badly lit alley. Two men arguing loudly and a third cloaked by shadows, simply staring and listening. The three men couldn't be more different, or there for more different reasons. Yet what brought them here, ironically was the same thing.

"Enough already! That was a long time ago Wes, don't think that bringing up old memories will stop me from doing what I came here to do,"

"For God's sake, what your talking about here is 1st degree murder! You can't just go around killing people ERIC!"

Eric sighed, this was getting him nowhere.

"Look Wes, you..." The glistening shine of the old school 44 magnum revolver was unmissable to those who knew what they were looking for.

Wes has seen a shimmer in the window behind Eric and knew they were not alone, like a bolt of lightning he turned on the spot and faced his attacker.

With precision and amazing reflexes Eric pulled his own weapon from the holster secured around his waist.

The third man squeezed the trigger.

The sound of a single gunshot pierced the tranquility of the night.

That night an unquenchable thirst for vengeance, came to an end.

Payback