Richard has a choice to make. Or so he thinks. (Richard POV)

(Now things get messy. And this is only the beginning.)

Richard opened his eyes, feeling a slight pain on the back of his head. He tried to remember. all he could recall was his last conversation with Arthur, regarding Isaac, then he came back to his tent to knit. And… nothing.

Richard looked around him. He was in some kind of room, empty. There was only a table in a corner, and a door right in front of him. He had his ankles and his wrists tied to a chair. But he didn't seem injured, except the wound he could feel on his head. As he moved his head from right to left, he could feel something was off. It took him a few seconds to understand: his hair has been cut. He heard himself swear. But soon, he realized he had bigger problems.

The door opened, and Richard froze. He recognized Isaac, without a hat this time, showing his short black hair. He was coming with a chair, and sat in front of Richard. Richard didn't feel so well, with those familiar green eyes analyzing him.

"Mister Washington", he greeted him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Isaac", Richard answered. "I'm not sure. I feel pain only now. What the fuck is going on?"

"Please do not swear", Isaac said, his tone lower. "There are innocent ears around here."

"Well that's a fucking shame", Richard snorted. "I'll think about it if you explain."

Isaac sighed, scratching his chin with his fingers. Richard wondered if it was because his first facial hair was growing, if he was indeed sixteen. Or if it was just a nervous gesture.

"Colm O'Driscoll hired me to kill you, and some other people", Isaac explained.

Richard widened his eyes. He remembered the list he and Arthur found at Colm's camp, and gave to Dutch. So Isaac was the killer? Could it be possible?

"Why am I still alive then?" Richard asked.

"I have no intention to obey this scoundrel, mister Washington", Isaac answered, his tone harsher. "May I remind you that I… me and miss King want him dead?"

"You too?", Richard noted, raising a brow. "Well good old Colm pissed off a lot of people."

"That he did", Isaac nodded. "But this is not the matter at hand. This is not why you are here."

"Oh yeah? Why's that then?"

"I would have preferred you not to mention me to Arthur Morgan."

Richard frowned, seeing in his head all the emotions Arthur went through when he mentioned Isaac. He did regret a lot for mentioning him. But first, he couldn't know what it was about. And second, after all, Arthur did deserve to know.

"I probably wouldn't have if I knew who you were", Richard admitted. "Still, how could you do that to him? You have no idea how-"

Isaac interrupted him by leaning towards him and giving him a big slap. Richard barely felt that, or at least he didn't feel pain. But he felt all sorts of emotions in this gesture, and in Isaac's expression, as he sat back down.

"You have no idea what I lived during these twelve years, mister Washington", Isaac said, back to his controlled tone. "You have no right to judge me. Neither now, nor ever."

"I'm sorry kid", Richard said, feeling kind of bad.

"Of course you are."

For a while, Isaac didn't say anything, his gaze wandering in the room, carefully avoiding Richard. This almost reminded him how he and Arthur avoided each other at the beginning of their relationship, and how Richard was judging Arthur, before knowing what happened to him. This irony made him have a half smile.

"What is so funny?" Isaac asked, finally looking at Richard.

"Funny how I see your dad in you, while you barely knew each other", Richard answered, with an unwilling tender tone.

"So you do know some things", Isaac said. "Still, you put me in a delicate situation. All my operation was doing better without Arthur Morgan knowing who I was."

"What's that operation about? Maybe I can hep you. You and your boss hired me, after all."

Isaac looked at Richard, with a puzzled look. He seemed to think about it for a while. But he said nothing, as he stood up. He leaned towards Richard again, and put a hand on his cheek. The one he just slapped. Richard looked at him in the eyes, as if he was hypnotized.

"I am sorry for that", Isaac said. "I should not have lost my temper like that."

"Don't worry", Richard answered. "I've seen worse, for a more stupid reason. You were right to be upset."

"That I was. But I had no right to hit you."

"I told you it's okay."

Isaac had a sad smile – once again a very familiar one – and left the room before Richard could ask him what was going on. He didn't want to kill him, sure, but Richard didn't have time to ask him why he was tied up like that.

But maybe he would have an occasion to ask, seeing that a woman came in right after, and sat at Isaac's place. She har dark blonde hair, tied in a beautiful bun – Richard already missed his hair – and she was wearing a pink dress with long sleeves. Both her hair and her dress were ornamented with ribbons and flowers. Her light brown eyes were scanning Rchard in a similar fashion he was it from Isaac earlier.

"Mister Washington", she said in a gentle tone. "So we meet each other. I believe you already know who I am."

"Miss King, I presume?", he tried.

The woman nodded.

"Since you seem to be in charge, maybe I'll finally know why I'm here?" he asked, a little upset.

"You will", she answered. "But first, I have to ask you some questions."

Richard grumbled, but he was in no position of negociating. So he didn't asnwer to that, waiting for the woman's questions.

"What did Isaac tell you, exactly?", she asked first.

"He just told me his name, at first. But somehow he learned that I talked to Arthur, and told me about this plan he's working on for twelve years now. He didn't give me any detail though."

"His plan?" the woman repeated.

"Yeah. That's what he said. And that the fact that Arthur knew about him was a problem."

"That it is", King sighed. "But the problem'll be solved, don't worry."

Richard didn't know how King was about to solve the problem, so he wasn't sure about what he sould feel about that. So he just nodded.

"What did Arthur Morgan tell you about his family?" she then asked.

"He said he had a woman, with who he had a child", Richard remembered. "They both died. And then another woman but she broke up with him. And like I said, if I knew his kid's name, I probably wouldn't have mentined Isaac to him", Richard added.

"How delicate of you", King said, with a little contempt in her voice. "Yet you did, and I don't know what to do with you."

"Fine. It doesn't seem like I have a choice", Richard sighed.

"You don't. I'll bring you some food. You didn't eat since last night."

King leaned towards Richard, and somehow cut his bonds, though he didn't see how she did it. She turned around, towards the exit, and Richard stood up in a single motion, to try and go right past her. But she turned backwards, and held up her hand towards him, as a gun appeared in said hand. Richard froze. Where did it come from?

"Isaac said you won't kill me", Richard noted, putting his hands in the air.

"I won't. You can be of use to me, I admit you're really good at what you're doing. But I can hurt you, if I have to. Or if I want to. Don't forget about that."

"Roger that, ma'am."

The gun disappeared from her hand – did it go in her sleeve ? Richard wasn't sure – and she put her sleeve against Richard mouth. Richard could see a drop of blood on said sleeve. He didn't realize Isaac hit him that hard. And once again, the gesture King just had was as ambiguous as Isaac's was. She had an act of mercy, even of care, towards him, as she just threatened him. But this was not all.

As she was closer to him earlier, he noticed how similar her facial traits were to Isaac's. And the puzzle solved itself on Richard's mind. The reason why she also didn't want Arthur to know about her and Isaac.

This wasn't just his plan after all.

Because just like Richard, Isaac was his mother's spitting image.

Now you understand why there's a "Original Female Character" and a "Original Child Character" in the tags. Even if they're only half original x)