5 years ago
"It seems my words cannot make you change your decision. Since you made up your mind." The elegant man wore his casual red robe with golden details around the sleeves. Adjusted his elegant glasses as he sat beside the man who was enjoying his whisky with lemon and ice.
The man took off his fedora as his eyes showed signs of tiredness and exhaustion. He placed his own fedora over the table as he gave a sigh.
"I'm afraid not Winston." The man shook his head as he looked at his own glass, smiling sadly at the table. As the man glanced around from the view around them, the breeze was a signal of how the winds are changing the direction for a drastic future.
"You know that they are waiting for you and John at the moment you both arrive at the Central Bank, don't you?" The man said another fact, which the man nodded his head in agreement.
"I know…" The man didn't even deny the problem, however, the plan he created would just end in one result.
"That's why I'm doing most of my preparations behind John's back. He just needs to focus on the leaders of the Octagon. Once I open the perfect distraction I can stop time for you to search their whereabouts and make him finish the job."
"It's a suicide move. Moxxie" Winston took his glass off as he looked deep into the man's eye, who was trying to avoid eye contact. "Why Moxxie? Why are you going that far? I want to know why you are doing this?"
Moxxie, who was avoiding the glaze of his friend, looked at his reflection on the glass. Sighing in sadness.
"Winston… I'm tired." Moxxie gave a weak smile as he proceeded to take off his own gloves. As it showed from the outside of the fabric, Winston's eyes opened wide from the view under the fabric. The deep burns and scars remain on the hands of the man in front of him. "After what happened 5 days in Tibet, I think my hands wouldn't take it anymore. And from all the assassins appearing behind my back since that day. It's been difficult for me to rest. That's the consequence of creating such a big name in the underworld. And with John having met the girl he loves. I think he has something I wished I had a long time ago… A choice to leave."
"Tarasov tried his best to make the mission too difficult for him to accept," Winston said as Moxxie nodded his head to him. "It was an intentional trap for Tarasov, and obviously he wanted you both to not take the bait and make you avoid taking this mission."
"But now John has a chance that nobody has… when he wins… Ivo will have nothing against him." Moxxie not just confirmed that John will do everything to make the mission accomplished, but even gave a true determination on the word when. "Ivo is not foolish to try to hold John when he knows how dangerous John is when he is focused."
"And you want to help John because you will make sure that he will be at his full capacity… even..." Winston placed his glasses in his pocket, as Moxxie finished drinking his whiskey on the glass.
"Even if I had to die to make sure he is perfect for the mission," Moxxie said as he looked around the area. The garden above the hotel was beautiful, as the smell of flowers in the air, made him feel at peace with his own choice. "If you want all my honesty. Being someone who is the monster who everyone is afraid of and the assassins trying to kill you whenever they get with your name tag on it is not fun anymore. I cannot even relax without having all this paranoia circling around. I don't even have a house anymore and I have to spend all my savings on the Continental… I just need a reason to know, why should I come back from the mission?"
Winston knew how serious Moxxie was from the depression thoughts passing through his friend's mind. Remaining polite, he couldn't wait further as he nodded to the decision of his friend. Taking from inside of his robe, he laid over the table a dark grey envelope.
"I think this may help you to have a reason." Winston passed the envelope over the table, as he made sure Moxxie was looking at the envelope with curiosity.
Moxxie decided to take it and open it as he proceeded to see a dark green letter with words in gold. As the eyes of the assassin proceeded to read it calmly, he couldn't help but feel his heartbeats getting faster, as his eyes went wide open in shock.
"Are you for real?" Moxxie couldn't help but feel the excitation in his voice, as Winston couldn't hide his smile any further.
"It's exactly as it's written. The high table gave their approbation for you to start your own Continental Hotel with their support and investment. After all the years of studying is finally paying off Moxxie. I know you and John have great potential to be the new manager of the Continental. Even my brother gave his blessings." As the kind smile appeared through the face of Winston, Moxxie couldn't help but feel his hands shaking.
"I can't believe it. That means that I can finally stop playing the game as just an assassin, and have a chance to be another kind of player. The manager..." Moxxie smiled as he pressed further his hands as he looked at the eyes of his friend. But then, he smiled frozen, as he felt the pain over his hands, the burning was enormous as he gritted his teeth in pain. Moxxie then imagined the couple inside his mind, his brother finally showing signs of happiness and true kindness surrounding someone. And with the same resolution in his eyes. Moxxie decided to place the letter inside of his pocket. "Thank you for the offer Winston, but I cannot promise that I will come back alive from the mission. I need to be a realist. If it wasn't for the mission 5 days ago. I would have promised that I would come back alive without a scratch. But now… I felt the mortality appearing in front of me every time I step outside from the continental."
Winston after hearing the resolution of his friend, showed a sad frown on his face, the disappointment appearing clearly on his face was a signal that he was indeed upset he couldn't make the mind of his friend. Not because he wanted to, but he could hear the truth behind Moxxie's words, even for a few seconds. Winston could see that Moxxie was on his limit. And this was indeed his final mission.
"So what do you want me to do for you Moxxie? Give me your final requests." Winston knew that once the meeting was over, the friendly face and the light inside of the eyes of his friend would be seen by him for the last time.
Moxxie let out a tired laugh.
"Come on Winston. It seems you don't know me. Bring me my favorite meal, my favorite drink, and all the explosives you have. After all... If you want to die, prepare yourself to spend all the life you have." Moxxie smiled at Winston who nodded his head to his friend as he was starting to walk away. "And Winston…"
After hearing Moxxie calling his name, he stopped before looking at his friend who seemed with his eyes closed, even showing tears of his resolution of death.
"Thank you for helping me and being my friend… Please when I go, tell them that I thank them for being my friends, and I'm sorry if I don't make it…"
As the shreds of tears could be fallen from the face of the man, Winston nodded his head as he walked away from the top floor. Leaving the man enjoying his final hours of living.
.
.
.
As you can see Lexy, the fire over the bank is almost spreading over the street. Nobody knows how it happens, but the neighbors over the region said there was an immense explosion that would be a cause of all the fire over the central bank. The fire was so strong that not even the bravest of our firemen is managing to cross the gate… WHAT WAS THAT? HOLLY FUCK. THE BUILDING IS COLLAPSING THROUGH THE FIRE. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE LEXY. Thank God there weren't any victims inside of the bank since is almost 9 p.m and they were closed at 5 p.m. And surprisingly even after the building collapsed, the fire wasn't getting weaker. Does it seem that it would be a new kind of terrorist attack? Who knows. it's up to you Lexy.
The man who was with his back on his chair watched through the television the bank which seemed to be burned until ash. With his eyes closed, he gave another drink of his favorite wine, as he looked at his own reflection.
"Ars est explosio nata post cineres vitae prioris. Sacrificium vitae pro libertate diligentis. (Art is an explosion born after the ashes of a previous life, the sacrifice of one life for the freedom of a loved one.)" Winston quotes in Latin one of his friend quotes when he talked about his art of the kill. As he turned his head to see the man wearing a black suit, without breath, but unscratched but with his eyes red in tears, the silence from the man beside him made Winston take a piece of paper and give it to the man who was looking at him. "He gave his life to you and your lover, your freedom relays on this address… Don't make his death in vain, and make sure to kill every single of these insects."
The man took the paper in silence and without saying a word, his actions spoke louder than any kind of word, since that night what happened at the bank was the start of a bloodbath from what John Wick did on that night.
"Moxxie, if you knew the kind of monster you released after your death. Then it would be a shame that you both wanted to retire. Since the high table would find your services the most beneficial to the world. But… I hope you finally can find your rest. And enjoy your rest, whenever you are."
Actual Day
As the eyes of sadness from the same man who has said his goodbyes to his friend, Winston's eyes sparkle with happiness to once again see and recognize the face of an old friend.
The same tired fake smile from years ago was replaced by a different kind of tiredness smile, it was the smile of someone who he knew was genuinely happy to see him again.
"May I enter?" The owner of the hotel asked, leaving the guest looking at him in disbelief but smiling at the moment.
"I would be stupid if I don't let you in. Please come in." Moxxie moved aside as the elegant man passed through the room, as he looked at the woman who was surprised to see him. "Millie, I want you to meet Winston. The owner of this hotel."
As the girl who seemed tired for her exciting hour but still smiling at the satisfaction of love, the blacktop and her torn black pants and the choker around her neck, made Winston look at both of her and his friend who seemed so passionate with each other.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you Winston, and thank you for your reception. I have to say the service of this hotel is amazing." Millie offered her hand for a handshake as she said that but Winston started chuckling as he looked at Moxxie who seemed so in love that he didn't even mind the way Millie was addressing his friend.
Taking the hand of the disguised demon, he moved to him and gave a kiss as a gesture of gentlemen.
"The pleasure is mine." Winston then bowed slightly at the girl who seemed surprisingly touched as he then looked at her and her husband. "To see I would not just see an old friend, but knowing he has such a lovely woman beside him. I have to say this 5 years must have been quite an adventure for you."
Moxxie, who snapped from his thoughts at the way he heard Winston talking about him, gave a slightly sheepish smile. As the owner looked at the body language of Moxxie, he knew he may have touched something his friend was hiding.
After sitting down beside the table, the trio decided to take a glass of champagne to light the mood for a while.
"I have to say Moxxie, 5 years... Winston monologue as the couple looked at him in silence, listening to what he was going to say. "For someone who made a suicide mission, you managed to erase your existence not just over the city, but in the entire world. Big names of assassins said you were too good to die, so you must have hidden during the explosion, and then you left the country to live a pacific life in some kind of way that not even our best searchers could find you."
Moxxie flinched as he remembered the same assassins who wanted to challenge him when he was on a mission.
"Some of your friends believed too well that you had died from that explosion… even me…" Winston confessed as Moxxie clenched his teeth and Millie touched the left arm of his lover. His attention was divided to her, which she gave him a reassuring smile. "The high table believed at the moment you sacrificed yourself to finish the job for Jonathan… So in the end you received a deceased folder in the archive."
Moxxie sighed as he looked at his wife, who seemed sad but in agreement on the decision, he was going to do next.
"As a friend Moxxie. I would like to ask… what happened to you during these 5 years, and why..."
"Winston, I became a demon…" Winston stopped after hearing the words of his friend who interrupted his questions. "I died in the explosion I created, and the next thing I knew. I became an Imp… one kind of little demon, and I live in hell with my wife."
Winston looked at the wife of his friend, who seemed smiling weakly at him, not showing any sign of fake body language. And with his eyes wide open he opened his mouth slowly. But at the moment he was going to reply, Moxxie slowly took part of his disguise which made his skin become red like a scarlet. And looking sadly at his friend, couldn't help but sigh in sadness.
"The reason that I don't go to the world of the living, it's because I can only go when we have work at the agency. My boss Blitzo gave an assignment about how we work and will have a meeting with you when you want to have it. He will explain in detail how we work. But mostly we just kill civilians who made people go to hell. Revenge because of what the living people did to them mostly." Moxxie placed three cups of champagne, which he offered to Winston who took it kindly and in silence listened carefully to the words of his friend. "But mostly our work doesn't involve rules from the high table, so we usually don't try to kill a professional assassin or someone really important. But mostly… easy kills."
"And you are making sure that you are not breaking the rule number 2 Moxxie?" Winston coldly asked his friend, who raised both hands.
"OH WOA WOA. Come on Winston. Rule number 2 just applies to us when it comes to supreme hirings like professionals. Try to say you are going to apply the rule to your clients who literally live in hell as sinners who want revenge on all the motherfuckers who fucked them? Isn't that kind of the opposite of the rule?" Moxxie asked as Winston tried to find words to refute, but thinking for a few seconds, couldn't deny his words and nodded his head.
"It seems you are right. Sometimes the rules do not apply to people who seek vengeance." The manager agreed, even if wasn't pleased to know it.
"Err… Sorry for being in trouble, but what kind of rules are you talking about sweetie?" Millie who was listening carefully about them explaining finally decided to say something surprising to both of them.
"Oh, sorry Millie, I mean. When it comes about working into the underworld, there were some moral codes created which are undeniable for all the assassins." Moxxie decided to raise one of his fingers as he described to tell the rules. "1. Follow the Goddamn rules, which is about the rules of Continental and the consequences of breaking them would be terrible./ 2. Death is not personal. In the way of assassins, you cannot resent the ones who killed you. Because it would be just a normal day, and you have a nice conversation with someone who could kill you next hour, it's just a normal service day."
"Oh, this is what it means about rule number 2… Which we are kinda not following with a good reason, since most of our clients want all their deaths to be treated as personal." Millie smiled as she giggled from all the killings she did with the rapists who made the girls suffer, from cutting their dicks and making them suffer from their own remedy. But looking at Moxxie and Winston who both nodded their heads to them, she forgot she was interrupting them. "Ops, please go on."
"Number 3: Only the rules are sacred: I talk about my own experience since mostly the people I made contracts usually made one deal just to try to kill me behind my back, which made me sure to never trust too much on my clients. And always be sure to understand the rules of the society we live in. You never trust too much on the high table because they can try to use and manipulate you, so I think the continental is the only place you should have your faith in the rules since they get exams all the time to make sure the Continental follows the rules and isn't compromised." Moxxie said as he received a nod from his friend, who interrupted her lover and decided to continue.
"Number 4: Art is pain and life is suffering. Sometimes you must kill what you love or your love is going to die and you don't have another choice. And before you ask, it wasn't about you or Moxxie, but sometimes assassins had to kill their lovers because of a contract they did. Brutality is omnipresent all over the world, Art is the reflection of artists, the pain, and pain produces many beautiful things. As many assassins try to employ their mastery of art, they suffer much pain while delivering it." Winston explained as Millie gasped shockingly at Moxie who seemed tight in his fist, she gulped as she raised her left arm as a shield to protect her husband from the way the manager saw him. Making both surprised by her action.
While Moxxie chuckled from the way his wife was protecting him, Winston could see how much that woman or demon was willing to protect the man who actually killed hundreds or even thousands and became one of the legends that the mafias feared.
"Number 5: Nothing comes easy." Winston as he said that, both Millie and Moxxie groaned like a couple who knew deep inside their hearts how truthful was that rule which made Winston chuckle from both their reactions. "It seems you both have in mind the meaning of this rule."
"Winston, my friend, if there is one thing in hell that I'm sure about that this rule sucks, really really sucks, and sometimes, it doesn't mean even work, it does involve sex as well. Did you know that my boss has been doing everything to record my sexual activities with Millie?" Moxxie sounded really annoyed by that fact, that even Winston couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"Oh come on Moxxie, he wasn't that bad, I even enjoy the idea of our own video." Millie touched the face of her lover, but Moxxie wasn't going to accept such an idea.
"Millie, the problem isn't about us having our sex in videos, the problem is about him recording, I wouldn't like to be watched by my own boss and be judged by him for all my sexual activities with you." Moxxie was so annoyed with the idea of Blitzo appearing on his fridge to record their sex that even made him shoot on his head a thousand times it wasn't for the fact he was his boss. "Winston, it's been a long time since I enjoyed a good moment of love with my Millie, so you have my thanks."
The owner who watched that exchange of words in amusement couldn't help but chuckle from the way his friend talked. It seems he finally found the boss he always wanted.
"Well I'm glad that the hotel made you two lovely birds have time to rekindle your love, but now let's continue about the rules. Number 6: Action has consequences… Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and it doesn't change no matter who you are. If you do something wrong, if you screw off, or you piss someone off, there will be consequences." Winston calmly told the couple waiting for their reaction.
"Yousef Tarasov took John's car and killed Ellen's dog…" Moxxie simply stated making Winston raise his eyebrow at him. Looking at his partner, Millie nodded angrily at the idea of the bastard who did it to her brother-in-law.
"As I said, action has consequences. The boy indeed created a huge problem for his father. I have pity for all the blood which will be spilled on the days it will come." Winston sighed, noticing how the crazy children doing on these days is making all the hard work from their parents be in vain.
"Winston. I literally came from hell because of this shit. Do you want an even better consequence than that? I am retired." Moxxie snarled at the image of how the bastard had the balls to make his own brother suffer like that, and Winston slightly sighed in disappointment.
"Which will lead us to the 7 rule: The game never stops. No rests, no reprieves, no timeouts from the game. And the action never stops for too long. It never stops." After saying that, Moxxie slammed his fist on the table, making Millie jump from her place.
"BULLSHIT. This is a rule I will never follow again. While I was alive, sure. I'm okay. But I'm dead, and if they want to follow the new rules of the hell I'm in. I'm not going to play the games involving the high table ever again. And there is a side b of the same rule. DON'T BE A BITCH. I'M NOT GOING BACK TO THAT GAME, AND THAT'S FINAL." Moxxie shouted angrily. He, with all his anger, was shaking the table beside then.
"Moxxie, Moxxie, calm down, we are not even on the same rules. We are already not technically following the number 2, we can even ignore this rule. Stop, please…" Millie was a great advisor when she wasn't the one who was freaking out, she gave the full support that made Moxxie stop shaking in anger, and take deep breaths to finally calm down. "Sorry about that sir, but can you tell us the other rules?"
"Sure my lady. Rule number 8: Style. You have to have style on the underworld of the criminals, and it wasn't about the amazing weapons and armory you have, it's the combat style you use, the way you kill the others, and the way you dress for the kill." Winston said as he pointed to Moxxie who was finally calming down. "Whatever you do, even from going to the grocery shop, to even going to kill the others, you must look good for whatever you are doing."
"If you are going to complain about my clothing sir. It doesn't matter who you are, I will…" Millie was going to strangle the elder man who seemed to be joking about her style of clothing, but then her husband held tight her shoulder, making her stop in her place.
"That's why I asked the tailor to come here tomorrow. It's been a long time since that time, and I want to make sure all the agencies look amazing." Moxxie said quickly as he looked at the betrayed look from his wife. "Millie, he is a great friend and he would be offended if I didn't tell you about him, so I want you to meet him."
Millie calmed down, as she grumbled in her place. Making both adults chuckle from her childish style.
"Both let me tell you, Winston, she has a great style of killing, she can swing an axe in a way she could kill 5 guys in one attack, and look like a valkyrie ready to reap souls." From the sugar on his voice, Millie blushed as she turned her head away, making the man chuckle even more.
"I can imagine that. Anyway, let's for number 9: Be honorable. Every criminal has their own set of rules and principles they follow from their own set of ethics and morals, you must accept that every criminal in this world has a job to do and you can't fault them for trying to accomplish their job. Their own set of honor." Winston said which made Millie stop looking away, and meditate on the words said from him. Making her actually not think badly of the way she sees her job, but looking from Winston's perspective, it seems what she was doing was an honorable thing, making her job even more pleasant to do.
"Thank you, sir. This actually made me see my job in an even better mood." Millie said sincerely as she felt the warm hands of Moxxie who nodded his head to her, but then slowly his smile grew wider as he waited for his friend to tell the last rule.
"And the last rule. I'm sure you will like it... Number 10: Gratuitous violence is essential." As Winston said that, Millie opened her eyes confused, as she looked at her husband.
"In other words Millie… violence is never the answer, but the question and the answer is…" Moxxie didn't even finish that Millie raised from her chair excitedly.
"YES, FUCKING YES. PLEASE." Millie finally got a rule that she would enjoy the system. "I finally found a rule that is something related to me."
Moxxie smiled at Winston, who seemed to smirk the way knowing how the girl looked so happy from the last rule.
"Well, I have to admit you found someone interesting, Moxxie. Such a good lady was indeed one in one million." Winston complimented as he saw the man looking at the love of his life as he sheepishly scratched his head.
"I know. I say that to myself every day." Moxxie smiled as Millie was still moving around, but then noticed she was being watched by both of them, and she then giggled nervously.
"Well, Moxxie. Why don't you tell me how you two have met. I still have time for an old friend." Winston as he looked at his watch, knew that even if he was in a meeting at the end of the night. He always has time for a good friend who just came back from the dead.
"Stupid fucking rabbits." The grey-haired punk mumbled as she took the elevator to the final floor. "At least this booze is what I need for my day. Maybe being around the pool and drinking a few bottles and tomorrow I will be ready for the worst hangover of months."
As the door of the elevator opened, Loona couldn't help but have her eyes wide open.
"Oh, holy fuck." Loona whispered as she saw what would be an unbelievable pool, 2 layers of pool crossing each other forming a giant V in the middle. As the hotel looked even bigger from the last floor. She could see the pool in a V shape. She saw what would be some guests who were dressing in their swimsuits, and enjoying their stay in the pool. Some even drank as the afternoon looked relaxing for everyone.
As she saw around the pool, what would be an amazing garden, which would make feels like she was into a private garden of sorts, and from that garden there was what would be an entire Spa House. It was enormous. Since it almost defies the physics laws. It was like she was into a big movie with millions of budget on this only floor.
Loona carrying the basket of boozes, she walked as she saw some guests looking at her, and even smiling at her. It seemed strange, but from all the recepcion it seemed rather nice. But annoying as well.
Entering at the spa house, she could see the resemblance of one receptionist with the same one who was on the floor who gave them the rooms. The woman dressed in a suit, as she looked smiling in a mysterious way.
"Welcome to Elysium. I received the details of the receptionist under us for the new guests who seemed to experience the hotel for the first time. The service made by us will ensure that all the assassins and criminals are at their best on the next day, relaxed and focused to kill whatever they want. For the new visits, I always recommend the package of stix. It always starts with a good mud bath, with volcanic rocks massage, with a good aromance therapy and a massage with a good ending and for the climax a good bath in a tub of black beer." The receptionist with her smile slowly described one of their menus, and each of them made Loona look at her from unusament to curious and then too very curious and in the end with a shock arousing. If her disguise wasn't that comfortable, she could have seen that her tail was swinging excitedly with every item of the menu. "5 coins will do."
The quantity of coins was slammed at the table, as Loona didn't show any other reaction than desire to have a taste of the same treatment.
"Wonderful. Please follow me. We will show you where you will receive the treatment." The receptionist smiled warmly as she got up from her seat, and moved away leading the human disguised to what would be the most pleasant night of her life.
Many got curious on how the management allowed wolves to get inside of the Continental since one wolf didn't stop howling for an hour. Maybe someone was giving a vet treatment over the hotel, nobody actually knew the truth though.
As the hours passed by, many would say the owner doesn't actually sleep since he works every hour at his hotel, but that wasn't the truth.
Winston always had a schedule of when it was a good time to sleep after making all the meetings on the night. As he finally got his time to get on his favorite section of the hotel, the bar underfloor, he wanted to pass his time reading a good book as he planned to make a meeting with the net he have to follow the tracks of a russian boy who made not just one, but two dangerous assassins come across to the continental in a few days.
Winston would be grateful to Ivo made such stupid boy, since he brought to death a friend he didn't see during years, and now learning about the life after death, it was interesting to know that in fact is what people says, assassins after dying go straightly to hell, and since the system itself could be a failure, the death itself could bring the loophole in the rule number 2.
It wouldn't be his problem, but to the high table who would be in check now, since they may try to manipulate some of their assassins, if they messed up, a team of assassins coming from hell would try to wipe them out, and that would lead to chaos in the underworld. But still, it wasn't his problem, since Moxxie would be sure that the agency he works for would follow his rules as neutral ground. He was glad that this problem could lead to others. The problem would be trying to explain that to his brother…
As he tried to read his book, his eyes then took a glimpse of a slender body sitting in the chair next to him. As he examined the man near him, his eyes went wide open and afterwards became a frown.
The man was pale with makeup, but his elegant hair and red robe, which he used the same style as himself, was smiling widely at him.
"Hello Winston." The voice greeted warmly, as the both of them knew the tone of that voice. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Hello Stolas." Winston said annoyed as he could see that the man beside him usually would have called before making such a meeting, but appearing without any information usually makes Winston sour and in a bad mood.
"Ouch, it's that the way you address me? Just because I didn't call you before or gave you any warning? You wound me." Stolas made a dramatic pose, as the man sighed annoyingly. "You don't even say you were happy to see me. It's been so long, and we just talk by telephone. And now I'm here and that's the way you greet me?"
Winston glared at the Stolas who seemed so dramatic, that even himself couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Okay, if that's what makes you feel better…" Winston sighed, finally accepting the bullshit excuses the man was saying, and after coughing, he looked more solemn. "Hello Brother..."