Finally! New chap! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long. I was just so lazy and so uninspired and didn't come up with a decent villain plotline.

Two Sides Of The Same Coin
Part 2 | New York

Chapter 11 - Covenant

Connor couldn't stop grinning.
They were busy unpacking their stuff but all the older twin could do was checking their room out.
Murphy noticed the grin on his brother's face and frowned.

"What's the matter with you, did ye see father Christmas?"

Connor grinned even more and looked at his brother.

"Just look at this place. We've got windows and real fuckin beds!"

Murphy smirked and shook his head.

"It's just a motel Con."

"Aye, but it's a good one this time."

"Except fer the rats. Seriously, did ye see 'em? They're the size of a fuckin cat!"

Connor laughed.

"Aye, see? We even get ta have some fuckin pets!"

He wouldn't stop grinning at his brother and waited for him to laugh at his joke. Murphy tried to concentrate on his bag and seemed overly interested in it all of a sudden until he finally gave Connor his well deserved smile and chuckled. The older turned around and looked out of the window.

"An I mean it's fuckin New York. It looks like in the movies, and there's loads af shit ta do. And it's so much harder fer the police ta get us here."

"Aye, well apart from the pictures and news coverage."

"Yer just jealous cos I look prettier on tv than you."

Murphy threw one of the pillows at Connor who giggled and caught it. He threw it back at his brother but when he wouldn't take it as a declaration of a pillow fight the older walked back to his bag and started unpacking as well. For a while he just watched his younger half curiously and waited for him to say something about New York, their mission, the hotel, any unimportant trivia, but all he saw was that look again. Murphy had changed after everything that had happened to them. He wasn't the puppy-eyed naive kid anymore who loved to get drunk and appreciated the little things. After they had been attacked Murphy had lost his innocence. Gradually. He'd become a killer who could shoot people in their heads without a second thought. Connor was just like that, but with Murphy it felt wrong sometimes. The older had been like this before after all. At some point Murphy had stopped being nervous and clumsy, at some point he'd stopped giving him that puppy-eyed innocent look. When his younger half looked at him now he looked either worried, determined, cold, tired, or pissed off. Sometimes all at once. Of course they'd scuffle and laugh every once in a while, be childish and do stuff brothers do, but their mission had changed them. Their mission and Rocco's death.

Connor missed Rocco as well. Part of him regretted everything they'd done to him by letting him join them. But then again, it had been Rocco's choice and they were doing God's work. So it hadn't been wrong after all. Rocco had died a hero, so he could live with it, had to live with it somehow. With Murphy it was different. Rocco's death had changed him even more. Now he was even more quiet, looked even more worried and pissed off. It's all my fault Con, he'd said once when their father had been asleep and they had looked at each other one night. Stop talking crazy, those fuckers killed 'im. Not you. Connor remembered that look on his brother's face. He'd looked so haunted, so sad, so bitter. Aye but 't was my fuckin idea ta let 'im in and join us. You said so yerself. 't was my fuckin idea. The older twin hated to think about those times, the days and months after they'd fled Yakavetta's house. Rocco's death, Murphy's broken hand. All the doubts and regrets, the frustration, the separation. More or less. Because they'd been given their father. Because they hadn't been just the twins anymore. They'd been a family. Connor shook his head and nudged his twin.

"Seriously though Murph, stop it with yer grumpy face. See it as a new start. New York that is! New city, new people ta kill and streets ta clean. And most af all: it's just you and me. 's been months."

Murphy smirked and nudged back.

"Who's the one who played Daddy's good boy all the time."

Connor snickered.

"Fuck ye, cos I had ta make up fer yer Daddy's favorite part."

"I ain't his favorite" Murphy growled and Connor ruffled his hair.

"Course you are and ye know it, dickhead. Now fucking stop moping about. Listen ta Connor."

The younger finally started grinning.

"All right then, what's yer stupid plan this time."

They couldn't even wait another night. It wasn't like they could sleep anyway. They were way too excited. For the first couple of days it would be easier to do their job, simply because the cops weren't having much of a lead yet. And there was loads of work to do. It made Connor chuckle. Just a couple of months ago, when they'd been in that elevator, they had been so nervous, even a bit scared. Funny how things could change. Pretty soon they'd become some sort of addicted to their job. It was the adrenaline rush. Most certainly. They could die any second but whenever they killed evil men they felt so alive, so close to god.
No wonder they couldn't stop and were constantly looking for new targets. Just a couple of hours after they'd arrived in New York Connor and Murphy were both sitting on the older brother's bed and started searching some papers they'd bought on their way to their hotel.

"How about that gang here" Murphy suggested and pointed at a picture.

When Connor ignored him and kept staring at his own newspaper the younger hit his shoulder.

"Eh, 'm talking ta ye" he said and Connor waved him off.

"Sh, I'm fuckin reading."

Murphy threw his newspaper away and leaned back.

"I thought were looking fer targets."

Conor rolled his eyes.

"What do you think I'm fuckin doing here?"

He shifted and moved next to his brother.

"Look" he demanded and threw the paper at Murphy.

The younger twin grabbed it and started reading the article Connor was pointing at.
The blonde looked over his shoulder and read the article once more.

"14 fuckin years" Murphy murmured and shook his head.

The article was about some organized group of drug dealers who were responsible for the death of a 14 year old homeless girl who had overdosed on drugs they had sold her.

"I know" Connor said and pinched his brother.

"Read on, gets even more ridiculous."

"Police officers, who'd been working undercover fer months t'get ta know the structure of the group were finally able ta raid the house and confiscated an unknown amount af drugs and weaponry yesterday. 18 suspects were arrested. However, the head af the organization, Zach Millbury, was able ta flee..fuckin bullshit man" Murphy read and threw the newspaper away.

"I think that's our kinda job, don't ye think? The girl deserves justice after all" Connor said and pulled Murphy's finger, the one with the Aequitas tattoo, until his younger half slapped his hand away.

"Ow , that hurt fuckin bastard, what are ye trying ta do, fucking break it? I need that finger."

Murphy hadn't even finished the sentence and regretted it already. Connor started laughing his deep and dirty laugh.

"Fer what, Murphy, huh? Come on, do tell."

"I fuckin need that finger ta pull the trigger of the gun I'm going ta point at yer ass if you get started on this shit again."

Connor chuckled even more.

"You sure ye want ta point the gun at me ass? You said ye need that finger.."

"Connor I'm fuckin warnin ya" Murphy said and pointed at his brother with eyebrows raised.

"Yer the one telling me ye want ta point long things at me ass and.."

"Aye, pointing long things at ye, now yer making sense. Long cos I'm the fuckin older one."

Connor growled and threw a pillow at his brother.

"Fuck ye, midget."

"Fuck ye, dickhead."

They both glared at each other until Connor got up and ruffled Murphy's hair. He opened the window and lit a smoke.
Murphy grabbed the newspaper again and read the article once more. The older just watched his younger half for a moment and smiled.

"So what do ye say, Murph?"

The darkhaired twin looked up and nodded.

"Evil men do nat understand justice..." he said quietly and Connor smirked.

"But those who see te lord understand it fully."

Murphy smiled back.

"Fer I, te lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity."

"In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them"they spoke in perfect unison and just stared at each other for a moment, just like they'd done at the police station in Boston a couple of months back. They felt like they could do this for hours, finish each other's sentences, reciting, reading each other's minds. The moment was destroyed when they heard a loud bang outside. Connor sighed and threw his cigarette out of the window.

"All right, get yer gun and coat" he said and went for his bag to get his stuff. Murphy just watched him for a moment, lost in thoughts.

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight, I will put my spirit on him and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

And Daryl had thought their motel room had been shitty. The old abandoned house they were entering now made their motel look like a Hilton hotel. Not that he knew how a stupid Hilton hotel looked like on the inside. There were two men guarding the entrance and when Merle made another one of his stupid remarks on their nationality they made it very clear that they weren't just standing there because they were bored. They glared at Merle and opened their jackets to flash him their weapons, which made Daryl's older brother snort.

"Look at that, Darylnna, they're tryin t'flash us what they got in their pants. Sweet, I ain't int' that shit, but I can give yah my brother if yah need some spankin time, are their guns big enough for yah, baby brother?" Merle said and nudged his brother hard.

Daryl grunted.

"Screw yah" he murmured and glared at the guards who stared back just as angrily and impatiently.

"What t'hell are yah starin at" the younger growled which made Merle laugh again.

"Looks like brownie likes yah."

Both guards clenched their teeth and then their guns clicked. Somehow they reminded Daryl of Rottweilers. Merle was just about to say something again when they were interrupted by someone. A man who looked like he was just about Merle's age entered the room and grinned at Merle. He had lots of tattoos and was just as bald as Daryl's brother.

"Merle, you made it!" he cheered and grabbed his hand.

They both gave each other a brotherly hug. Daryl just stood a couple of meters away from them and watched them. He felt both awkward and jealous. Most of all because he didn't know who the hell this guy was and how he deserved to be greeted like this. More brotherly than him, Merle's own freaking flesh and blood.

"How yah doin, Zach buddy" Merle greeted him and the other put his hands on his hips and shrugged.

"Oh y'know, reorganizing, expanding, the usual biz."

The older Dixon chuckled.

"Yeah, heard 'bout that."

Merle's friend then turned his head to look at Daryl. The blonde didn't like the way he was grinning at him.
When the man came closer and circled him it made the younger Dixon feel even more awkward and angry.

"That Daryl?" Zach asked and looked at Merle who nodded with a mad grin on his face.

"Yeah, that's her."

"Fuck you, Merle." Daryl growled and eyed Zach furiously until the latter stood right in front of him and wouldn't stop grinning.

"Heard a lot 'bout yah" he muttered which made Daryl snort.

"Like what."

"You got a crossbow, right?"

The younger Dixon frowned and looked at his older brother.

"Yeah, so?"

Zach started walking again.

"Heard that you hardly miss, no matter how far away you're standing?"

Daryl folded his arms and snorted once more.

"Hardly? I never miss, smartass."

Zach chuckled and turned around to look at Merle who was still grinning.

"Well, what d' yah say?" he asked and Zach eyed Daryl again with a smirk on his face.

"How about guns?"

"Same thing. Ain't no difference" the younger Dixon answered and shrugged.

"Fights?"

"Yah askin?"

Zach raised an eyebrow and laughed. It made Daryl even more angry. He glared at his brother.

"What is this shit, seriously, what t' hell. I thought this 's about yah drug shit, why the fuck did yah tell him 'bout me anyway, asshole?"

He shifted so he wasn't standing too close to Zach anymore. Merle's friend frowned.

"He doesn't know?"

"Know 'bout what?" Daryl asked and waited for an explanation from his brother.

"Doesn't matter what he doesn' know. Now, what do yah say?" Merle said and came closer.

Zach wouldn't stop eyeing Daryl head to toe. After a moment of circling him once more he patted Merle's shoulder.

"Nice. Knew I could count on you."

Daryl just stared at them as it slowly dawned on him what this was about.

This wasn't about Merle doing business. Well not doing drug business. This was business, but he was the offer.

His older brother grinned at him.

"Well looks like yah ain't as worthless as yah seem, baby brother."

"What is this fuck about?" Daryl spat and glared at them.

Zach chuckled.

"Oh, baby's got a temper. Nice."

"Fuck you no one asked yah shit!" the blonde spat and shoved him.

He looked at his brother again.

"I ain't fuckin around, what's this 'bout Merle?"

His brother put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed so hard it made Daryl gasp.

"Now yah listen, calm down baby brother, I got this."

"Got what?"

Merle started grinning again and looked at his friend who seemed pissed off because Daryl had actually shoved him.

"Relax buddy, I got him on t'leash."

He turned his head to look at Daryl.

"I finally made yah man, Darlynna. And I made you worth shit. I got you a job, bout time yah earn my money. So don't fuck this up, alright?"

He underlined it with yet another painful squeeze. Daryl winced at first but then snorted. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"So what now, yah sold yer own brother? You're own flesh and blood?"

Merle chuckled and patted Daryl's cheek which made the latter growl.

"Don't talk bullshit. I didn't sell yah. Yah goin t'do your job, yer gonna get our money and yah don't have t'swallow."

"Fuck you" Daryl spat and shoved Merle away.

"Ain't doin nothing of yah shit." he said and turned around to leave.

He stopped in his tracks when he heard a gunshot and saw how a bullet hit the wall a couple of meters away from where he was standing.

"This ain't about what you want, redneck piece of shit" he heard Zach say and turned around in disbelief.

"This contract is sealed, I already put some money on your worthless ass, 'm counting on you, so don't you act like a princess now.
I lost enough men, and I need t'recruit. You look so promising so do yourself a favor and do as you're fuckin told."

Daryl just stared at them for a while, saw the guards entering the room and blocking the exit as well.
Merle was giving him that look again. It was like he could hear him thinking.

Yah embarassed Merle in front of Zach fuckin Millbury. Yah made us look like retards, yah almost got us int' trouble. This is business we're talkin 'bout.
Oh yah gonna pay for this later Darlynna.

Although Zach was putting the gun away now Daryl just knew that he wouldn't hesitate and put a bullet to their heads the second he did something wrong. They were in big trouble now. He'd thought he couldn't hate Merle any more, but right now he did. Because this was all Merle's fault. Getting them into this house, meeting this criminal overlord-rule-it-all, selling his own freaking brother for money and drugs. So they really were deep down in the pit now. This was serious crime, organized crime, life and death and one move to just try to safe his own ass from this and he'd been dead. Merle'd be dead. And this would be on him then.

Daryl gritted his teeth and swallowed hard.

"What do yah want me t'do?"