Quite often when one is young they think that everything they are doing is right and what every one else thinks in wrong. They feel that only they know just what to do about anything and that no one else in the world does or could ever have felt just the way they do. They are self righteous and undertake things with a type of passion only found in youth. However, there always comes the time when this self indulgent world they have created comes crashing down around them. Such it was the same as for all youth as it was with Regulus Black.

As a Death Eater, Regulus was ruthless and proud. He knew he was fighting for the right cause and the right lord. Everything they were striving for equaled perfection and that was just what Regulus wanted. He knew his parents were proud of him and he knew he was better than his older brother Sirius.

Regulus tormented muggles, burning their homes and places of work. He helped steal vital pieces of information from the ministry but he had never killed anyone. Most of the time he never thought about it; it just wasn't something an 18 year old Death Eater really worried about. When the time came it would be a piece of cake! After all, he was a Death Eater.

When the time did come it was not just as Regulus had expected.

Regulus was out on a mission with Antoin Dolohov and two others. They were heading to the Prewett's house. It had recently been discovered that these two brothers were part of the organization The Order of the Phoenix which was trying to work against their Lord's plans. Of course they would have to be killed for it and the headquarters of the operation found out. Regulus was very excited. This was the most important mission he had been sent on so far. Previously he had been given minor tasks because he was so young and new. But this was very important and his whole body tingled with anticipation!

"We're here," One of the other Death Eaters murmured from beneath his mask.

They were in front of a small two story brick house on an unremarkable dark street in Kent. Antoin looked over at Regulus then nodded to the other two. They darted away around the back of the house and Antoin looked down at Regulus.

"This is very important Black. These two cannot be allowed to live or escape; so there can be no mistakes or the Dark Lord will be very angry with us."

Regulus nodded, allowing himself a large grin behind his death eater mask.

"I will be counting on you," He said and Regulus felt himself shiver.

The two of them crept toward the door, then after a quick look at each other Antoin shouted a curse and the door floor open off its hinges into the hall of the house. They rushed through the door hearing the back door being similarly dislodged ahead of them. Standing in the hall way before them was Fabian Prewett, his wand leveled at them and his eyes hard.

"Don't move, Death Eaters!" He spat out the last word and Regulus narrowed his eyes.

"There are two of us and only one of you. You can't expect to win," Antoin said with quiet menace.

"Perhaps not," He said. "But at least I can try and take one of you with me!"

Fabian hurled a cruse in Regulus's direction but he ducked and rolled to the side, hitting the wall hard with his shoulder. He heard Antoin shout 'Cruico' above him and heard Fabian fall. Opening his eyes Regulus saw that Fabian had ducked the curse and rammed himself into Antoin's knee's knocking him to the ground. Fabian was looming over Antoin, about to strike with a cruse when Regulus felt his wand arm go up and his lips say 'Crucio' hitting Fabian right in the chest. Fabian screamed in agony and fell back away from Antoin.

Suddenly the world changed and Regulus's eyes grew wide in terror. The sight of Fabian writhing on the floor in a pain was one which he had never seen before. He had heard all about the curse and its effects upon the human body but he had never actually seen it in action, never cast it himself. Fabain's body twisted on the floor, rolling about in unnatural ways as if he was trying to climb his way out of his own skin. He turned and tossed so fast it appeared as though he may break his own bones. His nails clawed at his skin leaving dark red gashes and in some cases drawing blood with it. He tore at his hair, pulling large chunks away often taking skin along. Worst of it all were the screams, the unending screams issuing from the man's throat as if they would tear it apart with the sound.

All the while all Regulus could think was, 'I'm doing this, this is me, this is my fault.' Yet somehow the curse did not stop and his wand arm stayed steadily pointed at Fabian. It was as if his terror only fueled the curse further on. He could not get up from the floor, could not move at all. Only watch in complete horror.

Finally, he felt a hand grab his arm and the screams stopped. Regulus looked up at Antoin and realized that he had been telling Regulus to stop.

"Don't get over eager," He rasped at Regulus.

He couldn't see Regulus's face and did not know that it was in fact horror and terror that had kept Regulus in place and not zeal. Antoin walked over to Fabian, picked up the other's wand, breaking it in half over his leg. Then he kneeled and placed his wand at Fabian's temple.

"So, who is the secret keeper for the Phoenix hide out, eh? Is it you? Who is it?"

Fabian was still gasping, curled up in a tight ball.

"Who!" Antoin yelled, jabbing his wand viciously into Fabian's head causing a trickle of blood.

"Go and die, Death Eater!" He croaked out.

Regulus saw Antoin's posture grow straighter and he stood up, kicking Fabian in the chest inciting a cry from the man as he did so.

"I will only ask you once more. Who is the secret keeper?"

Fabian spat on Antoin's shoes.

"Avada kadavra!" Antoin shouted.

A green flash came out of Antoin's wand and Fabian's body jerked as if it would break his very back. Then he lay still as stone upon the wooden floor. Antoin's Death Eater mask turned in Regulus's direction and suddenly Regulus felt afraid of him, afraid of this man standing above him who could kill.

"Come on," he said. "We must check on the others."

He pulled Regulus up from the ground then turned, stepping over Fabian's body. Regulus looked down at the lifeless form that had once had breath enough to scream. In his mind Regulus could only see the scene playing over and over as he had caused such hideous torture. Looking down the narrow hall where Antoin had gone Regulus could hear screaming and shouts. Gripping his wand tightly and breathing deeply to calm himself, Regulus walked back to the kitchen where the others were with Gideon.

Turning the corner Regulus saw the source of the screams was not in fact Gideon but an older woman and man.

"Stop it! Stop it now you killers! They are not involved! It's me you want! Let them go! Stop it! Stop!"

Gideon was shouting with tears running down his face, struggling in the hold of one of the other Death Eaters arms.

Antoin and the other had their wands pointed at the old couple on the floor, obviously Gideon and Fabian's parents. Their bodies were twisting and writhing about just as Fabian's had been earlier. Regulus felt vomit rising in his throat and he had to stop himself from doubling over.

"Stop!" Gideon shouted again.

"Will you answer our questions then?" Antoin shouted at him.

"I can't!" He screamed.

"Answer me!" Antoin yelled.

"No! Stop it!"

"Answer me, now!"

"NO!"

"Avada kedavra!"

The woman's body went silent and limp in the flash of green.

"NO!" Gideon screamed louder, nearly wrenching himself free so that the other death eater stopped his curse upon the man and went to help secure Gideon.

The man stopped twitching and his screams changed to gasping moans. He lay on his back and clutched at his middle, coughing out some blood and staring wildly up at the ceiling.

"No, no, no…" Gideon was moaning.

"We have already killed your brother." Antoin said.

Gideon's head snapped up.

"Only you can stop this." He pointed his wand at the man on the floor.

"You will be destroyed!" Gideon screamed. "I will never help you, vile, disgusting, twisted killers!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Gideon slumped in the other's arms and they let his body fall to the floor.

Regulus felt as if his heart stopped for a fraction of a second. Killers. He looked at the other three. Antoin had put his wand away and was looking around the room. One of the others was pointing his wand at the older man and the other was pushing Gideon's body away from the doorway. Killers. He was one of them. Regulus was one of these people, these people who would kill an entire family for one scrap of information they did not receive; these people who killed for fun; these people who ignored tears and thought that a curse like the Cruciatus Curse was to be used in such a manner. He hardly noticed the flash of green light as the older man died.

The bile rose up in Regulus's throat now and he could not keep it down. Running past the others out side Regulus lifted his mask and let the contents of his stomach out upon the lawn. He gasped, leaning upon his knees and shaking.

After a few minutes Regulus felt Antoin's presence beside him.

"It's time to go."

Regulus lowered his mask and stood shakily up. He looked at Antoin but could see nothing of the man's face behind his mask. How could he feel justified in what he had done? How could he not be tormented as well? How could he seem so calm?

"Cast the mark and let's go."

Regulus stared at Antoin and looked across the lawn to where the other two stood. One cast a spell at the house and it caught fire.

"Now," Antoin said to Regulus.

He could not refuse but only raise his wand and cast the mark high into the sky above the burning house.

"Let's go." Antoin and the other two walked away toward the front of the burning house.

Regulus stood there for a moment watching the crackling fire which consumed the brick and bodies within. Then he turned and walked after his comrades and decided then that he could be a Death Eater no longer.