He felt liberated, an all-powering feeling about having a gun nestled securely in his grip. To hold such power. The power to defend or take life, and all with the pull of a trigger. Our protagonist looked down the sight of the object that gave man the right to choose, one eye closed as he steadied himself, his calloused finger gently resting on the trigger before curling his finger. A loud bang echoed throughout the surrounding area.

The bullet came speeding out of the barrel faster than the eye could see, sailing through the air and hitting his target. There was no scream or loud thud that followed so his target wasn't alive. His eye squinted as he tried to calculate the success from here, even with the distance between them, his experience guessed him it was a kill shot. He sighed and turned to the side and rested the pistol down on a stand-up table with a various assortment of other weapons from melee to ranged. Just as he was about to walk over to the dummy, his ears picked up a soft crunch behind him, his name following shortly after.

"Samuel!"

Our newly revealed protagonist turned his head, smiling as he saw one of his closest confidants standing a few feet away from him. Said confidant was sporting a cheeky grin, his eyes trailed to the target and gave a low whistle of appreciation.

"Nice shot my boy!" The older man congratulated him.

Samuel's smile didn't fade, he felt a burst of pride course through him. Sergio, (no last name) was the closest thing he had to a father figure, the man had treated him like a son and had done since the moment he found him. The smile wavered slightly as he thought about his darkest day. When he lost his mother and brother. That day took something inside him and he doubted he would ever find it again, when that car collided with them, a piece of his soul was lost in that wreckage and he felt the dull ache of it every day.

He had wondered why he, the youngest of them had been allowed to live. He would have traded his life for them in a heartbeat, to see them smile one more time. Yet another cruel joke played exclusively for him. With nowhere else to go, nothing on hand. He did the one thing he could think of, he ran and with so many children on the street, what was one more?

Sergio had found him scouring through some trash, looking for food. Even the offer of fresh food wasn't enough to earn his trust, a lesson from his mother played in his mind about not accepting anything from a stranger. In the end, they went to a plenty crowded diner, this earned a small piece of his trust and after getting his fill, he confessed everything that had happened, only stopping to cry or mumble. Sergio listened patiently and calmly as a child retold his life story, by the end of it his mind was made up, and he offered Samuel the chance to be adopted by him.

An offer that would later baffle him when he found out his profession.

Sergio worked as a mercenary and still did to this very day, bouncing around with Samuel until they settled here in Madrid. He had been taught to defend himself and to disarm someone who intended him harm, an outlet to fill the void left in his soul. He found himself liking to fight and it did help him somewhat for a time. Then one day like any other, he saw his adopted father coming home looking visibly nervous, something felt wrong. The next day he was brought before his boss, an elderly man sat alone sipping on some tea. The minute they had entered, the man gently rested his tea down and stared at Samuel for a minute he thought he was going to die. What he saw in those orbs still sent shivers down his spine, so much pain and tragedy as if to even being alive was costing too much. After what felt like hours despite only being a minute or two and the man's mouth twitched up into something resembling a smile before turning to Sergio with a brief nod.

Samuel's life had been changed depending on the perspective if, for the better or worse, he was trained in both hand-to-hand combat and how to use a firearm effectively. He remembered the first time he fired a gun, nearly dropping the gun from the force of the recoil, Sergio laughed heartily and still brought it up now and then, especially considering Samuel had become one of the finest shooters here. The training had been brutal and more often than not, he got his ass handed to him soundly, only when he grew and matured did he start to hold his own and then started to surpass them. While he was coming into his prime they were leaving their own.

Once he hit the age of sixteen was he deemed worthy to know the touch of a woman, many of the female mercenaries offered to be the one to take his virginity. Many of them had gossiped about him, often giggling when he caught them, resulting in him blushing despite himself, this only endeared him to them.

Samuel felt moisture building at the corner of his eyes as he remembered his first time, a memory he would cherish until he stopped breathing. A woman with a mane of golden hair flowing down her back, sparkling green eyes that crinkled in affection, with a porcelain complexion. To him, she had been the most beautiful thing on this earth and the ache in his soul was forgotten for a time until she was confirmed killed in action.

The rage that was rooted in his heart took effect and he changed, becoming more aggressive and improving in every aspect at an ungodly rate. His improved prowess ruffled some of the newbies' damaged pride, one of them taunted him about the 'time' they would show her if she was still breathing and not worm food. All reason had fled his body as the desire to kill took over, he was too quick and savagely beat them all beyond repair except for one. The lucky one or not depending on who you asked was forced into a coma, but his will wasn't strong enough and he passed away shortly after.

When the rage ran its course, he looked at the carnage before being forcefully restrained. He had disappointed his father, he may not have said it but he felt it deep in his bones, yet Sergio embraced him that night and told him it was okay to cry and cry Samuel did until he couldn't fight the sleep any more.

The day after had proven something else as he was brought to the elderly man, exhausted beyond anything he ever felt. He expected to be exiled from the place he had called home for so long or even killed. The man did nothing of the sort and instead explained about the time he lost his wife and children. He bestowed some wisdom, he told Samuel that the fire inside him would consume him and everything unless he found the ice to temper it with. Then finally he confessed his real name...

"Was there something you needed?" Samuel inquired, wiping his eyes quickly.

The distress was clear as day to the surrogate father, sighing softly as he had an idea about what or who was going through his mind. He took a moment to have a look at the man that scared child had become. Gone was the malnourished child with rags clinging to his skin. Now a man stood before him with strong facial features, clean-shaven and a face that drew in many of the female variety, all craving his attention. Samuel had gained some muscle from the years spent training, not overly bulky but chiselled and perfected for fighting. His hair was a darker shade of brown, but some people said it might as well have been black. The eyes are the windows to the soul and his sons displayed so much pain in those chocolate-covered orbs that it could take someone's breath away. It broke his old heart to see that pain day in and out, Samu would push forward and keep it all at bay and one day he knew it would destroy him if he didn't find an anchor.

If he wanted he could have easily found a lady friend to be his anchor but after his first love, no one compared and he closed his heart. Another crack at the old life beater when he knew the man his son could become if he found the right person to guide him.

"The old man wanted to see you." He elaborated when he saw Samuel staring at him.

A knot began to form in his stomach, and a sense of unease washed over him. The younger man already had concluded what it could be, and for the first time, he felt the desire to disobey and refuse to acknowledge what the old man wanted. Every person on this base knew he had been practically raised here since he was a young pup as some called him, and with that, the chance for a normal childhood had been stripped away. The problem was just that, a normal childhood and what came with that?

School.

He would be sent to school.

That was a hot topic between him and the old man ever since he brought it up, Samuel refused to acknowledge that he needed an education when he could read, write, cook and survive and kill. There was only one school, the old man brought up… Las Encinas, the school for the future rulers of tomorrow.

'What a crock of shit!' He mentally raged.

Let them deal with their petty illusion of true power, to dance their special dances and practise their fancy speech. Would that protect them from getting shot?… Maybe for the closer class, but he never cared about money and had yet somehow amassed enough of it to be on equal footing with those snobs. The one thing they had was very ineffective against him as he had money as well. He didn't care about any of them and their petty struggles, his mother was dead, his brother was dead… the woman he had come to love in such a short amount of time was dead. Sergio was the last thing that kept him sane and he would shatter heaven and hell to keep that geezer safe, the old man as well.

"Sure I'll head to him now…" Samuel passed by his father, stopping a step or two by him. "He at the normal place?" Turning to get his answer, seeing a firm nod. Samu sighed and started walking again, resisting the urge to pinch a cig from the packet in his pocket. Trying his best to ignore the smell of fear as he passed them, knowing it was well deserved.

This place was his home, no matter if they feared him now. Their little paradise, having a gun range in the corner perfect for everything except an RPG, you could even use a Gatling gun, that was a good birthday! There was a building with a few bunks for anyone who was too tired to head to their own residence or didn't have one. There was a place to freshen up and relieve themselves if needed.

Finally, he reached his destination, a comfortable-styled Japanese home.

As Samu neared the front porch, each step further filled him with a sense of dread. He undid the laces and shook off his combat boots, sliding the door across and closing it as he entered the residence. Despite the dread resting in his being, he felt a sense of home here. Like being wrapped in a blanket after facing a day worth of cold. Walking down the homely hallway, his eyes took note of the various pieces of Japanese artwork, ranging from battles to a rather beautiful one of a cherry blossom. There were also swords in a couple of display cases and armour, Samuel felt that he should have paid more attention and maybe he would know who they once belonged to.

It wasn't long until he forced himself back to reality, seeing the door that usually blocked him from the old man was in fact wide open as if he knew to expect him. The elder sat in the generous-sized room, yet containing very little. A bookshelf or two behind him filled to the brim, a small table in front of him and he was resting on his personal zabuton, a cup of steaming hot tea in front of him. The man looked ageless despite being the same since Samuel was a boy, even to be wearing the same robes and he once joked about if he ever washed his outfit. The old man made Samu iron every outfit the man had and to his horror and they were each the same. A lavish royal blue robe with gold trimmings around the collar and sleeves.

When Samu crossed the threshold into the room, even before his foot could reach the ground, the old man displayed hawklike awareness as his gaze instantly trained on Samuel. "Greeting Samu," his voice held a strength Samuel doubted he would possess at that age, his former accent had almost completely vanished except for the shred that remained.

Despite the dread filling his soul, he bowed his head in respect as he took the seat opposite the man who had done so much for him… Yamamoto.

Yamamoto reached out with a frail hand and grasped the handle of the teapot, slowly but surely raising it. "Would you care for some tea or are you craving something stronger?" He asked the last part with a slight bit of amusement.

"The second please." Knowing he would need something stronger if he would have to tackle the coming conversation.

"Sake then!" He exclaimed, putting the teapot down and fishing under the table for a moment before pulling out a saucer and two small cups. Filling them both to the brim, handing one to Samuel as they both softly clinked their cups together and took a small sip and allowed the beverage to be enjoyed and gave off a sigh of satisfaction.

Yamamoto examined Samuel with a critical eye, remembering the small child Sergio had brought before him. Gone were the ragged attire, and now stood a man who looked ready to fight the world, a pitch-black combat jacket, combat trousers and his boots which were left by the door. He knew better and if Samuel wasn't here with him then he would have a combat knife and a piece on him, the boy sometimes took paranoia to a whole new level.

'So this is what it is like to have a grandchild?' He asked himself.

A comfortable silence settled between them as they listened to the commotion outside and enjoyed the solace provided by the other. It was a shame it had to end.

"You are aware of why I asked Sergio to send you my way?" Yamamoto downed the rest of his sake before slamming the cup on the table.

"Yes, you wish for me to attend a school for those pompous and arrogant entitled bastards. The great future rulers of our esteemed world." The last part was spoken with a mocking grin.

"That is correct, we both know a change of scenery would benefit you. Even going to a place such as that. You allowing your pride and stubbornness to keep you shackled here." Yamamoto was blunt in his assessment of Samuel's unwillingness to change.

For the first time since entering this room, the previous dread had faded as anger started to stir in his heart. He locked eyes with Yamamoto and held their stare unflinchingly. "I won't deny a change might be more of a benefit, but why there of all places? What is so special about sending me there?" He took a breath and managed to stop the rage from festering. "Future leaders of tomorrow? What a load of shite! How entitled must you be to feel like you deserve a title like that."

"Samu," Yamamoto's voice was softer than he could remember ever hearing it. "I want you to study there, matter of fact I am asking you to do this as a personal favour to me." Samuel felt any negative emotion in his being shatter when he heard the sincerity and affection in the old man's voice. "I have no children alive, no legacy and the chance to produce any more and live to see them reach adulthood has passed for me. That is why Sergio brought you before me so long ago, I have trusted your father then as I do now." He reached over and tapped Samuel on the back of his palm. "You are my legacy and you have been since that day, I want to leave all of this to you." He smiled a touch and leaned back before pouring them another cup of sake.

"…" He couldn't offer any sort of response to that and it felt as if his brain was in the process of rebooting.

"You know that day went you massacred those people? When they spoke ill about your love. I knew right then, that a man who would defend those he loves even those not among the living would be a fine man. A man worthy to be my legacy and take over when the time came." He stopped and took a sip, his throat was starting to ache but he needed to get this out, if not for himself then for Samuel.

"Samuel you have been put through the wringer, knocked down and got back up and even asked for more and that determination has rewarded you. You almost stand at the peak of this company, only surpassed by myself and Sergio. And we both know he would never fight you seriously with the intent to harm you. The bond forged between you both is too strong for that especially when we know he could never have a child of his own after his accident, so his finding of you was an act of destiny."

"…" Still nothing could be said, pressing his lips into a thin line. The pain was clear as day and no matter what wall Sergio put up, there was no keeping it from him. Samuel knew despite their relationship he would never be Sergio's child and that tore at him, no matter what he did, it might never be enough because they didn't share a blood connection.

"You are a fine young man Samu, one I have been more than proud of watching grow up." His eyes stared hauntingly at him then he felt a shiver go down his spine. "But there is a darkness in you. A rage was born on the day that report came in and we lost her. There is a fire inside you and you need to temper it with ice, or one day you will go down a road that you won't return from."

Samuel's heart and head were in complete conflict, and so many different emotions were passing through him. "May I please be excused, I need time to think?" His tone was soft and gentle. He felt so meek, like being that little boy again before he was found and finally experienced having a father.

Yamamoto bowed his head as Samuel wasted no time in practically bolting from the room, not even finishing his sake. So Yama picked it up and downed it in one go. Truly this brought him no pleasure but it had to be done. "You need to understand, the world is crueller than you know and I want you prepared. Holding this seat hasn't been easy and it will only get harder in the future when you hold it. Rest my boy, I know you'll make the right choice."

It was a crisp night in Madrid, Samuel stood out on his balcony, leaning over the railing, a soft breeze blew past him as his hair responded in kind for a moment before returning to its normal position. He dipped his hand into his pocket and scooped out a pack of cigarettes that he purchased on his way home. Taking off the protective covering and popping one into his mouth, the second he lit it he felt a guilty rush pass through him. This wasn't a healthy choice, but he needed something to take the edge off.

He lost the argument earlier clear as day, Yamamoto had won and Samuel would have never guessed the reasoning behind it. When he finally sent a text confirming that he would be going, almost immediately he was told to be there for tomorrow. It was like the crafty fucker was waiting by his phone for him. There was no doubt that he could have handled his departure better, instead of ignoring everyone and getting unto his custom uro vamtac and speeding away swiftly enough to kick up a plume of dust behind him. He went straight to his condo only making one stop and it was to get these sticks he was puffing away on now.

With him spending most of his time in Madrid, he needed an anchor and maybe he could have gone with something smaller, but this place called to him and he knew it was just right. The condo was spacious, too spacious for just him and Sergio had often joked about it needing a woman's touch, something he agreed with but wouldn't ever tell him that. He knew any woman he brought here would fall in love with the place, the problem was that he had yet to find one as none had ever measured up to his previous love… Elena.

The simplest way Elena could be identified would be a cold bitch, extremely blunt but it was the truth. She had to be when she was surrounded by males who would have taken any opportunity to get into her panties, with or without consent. That cold persona had drawn him in like everyone else and he believed she found it amusing, as she started to eventually seek him out when she had the time. Funnily enough, he never asked her out or anything, she had taken the initiative and asked him and then proceeded to rock his world that night.

In their profession, you could die at any moment either from bad intel or betrayal. That had apparently inspired her to take her chance with him sooner, they dated shortly after and he would admit that he fell for her hard as she was his first and most likely only love, and then she was killed. He took a longer drag this time and exhaled sharply as he watched the smoke disappear into the evening sky. After her demise, he did what anyone would do after something like that. He drank and fucked his way through most of Madrid and earned himself a bit of a reputation, it wasn't intentional it was just that none of them gave him the same feeling as Elena did. So sooner than not he would break their hearts as that was easier and better for them in the long run. No matter who it was they didn't make him feel anything and he doubted he would find another who would.

He toyed with the idea of if he lost more in that crash than he thought, and maybe his relationship with Elena helped reveal it easier. How much more would he have to give until he could achieve his happy ending if he would ever get one? Ungracefully falling into one of his deck chairs, he shifted his gaze to the evening sky and allowed his mind to empty and just stared at them before fishing for another cigarette and lighting it, repeating the process so on and so on.

This habit of lighting fresh cigarettes continued on well into the night until it reached one in the morning, just as the tiredness finally set in and he was going to retire and get some shut-eye, he heard a knock on the door. His eyes snapped to the piece of wood and his relaxed manner instantly evaporated. Making his way over and retrieving his custom astra model 900, resting it against the door as he slowly opened it to see… Sergio!

"Do you not keep track of the time?" Samuel asked, wondering where this was going.

"Nah not really, just figured I would come and check on you, my boy. Now you going to let me in and lower that damn gun or are we going to continue talking like this?" Sergio asked gruffly, rolling his eyes, the boy was too damn paranoid sometimes.

Instead of speaking, he gingerly lowered the pistol and backed away from the door. Not a second later did Sergio push open the door to see his son grab a bottle of whiskey with two glasses, and proceeded to walk back to his balcony and plopped himself down.

Okay, he knew that going to school was going to be difficult, a regular trial by fire, but this was ridiculous. Closing the door quietly, he made his way to the balcony, as he sat down alongside he could smell smoke both in the air and radiating from Samuel, raising an eyebrow.

"Smoking, really? I don't disapprove as that would make me a hypocrite, but seriously?" He asked in a light tone, seeing Samuel pour them both a glass and in the process of lighting another cancer stick.

"Hey now, I am the one who has to go to that damn school tomorrow, so let me live a little dad!" Taking a drag and attempting to do a ring, it failed as a breeze made itself known causing him to pout.

Chuckling, he had out a hand. "Fair enough, pass one here." Giving him one, followed by a glass. The two got comfortable as they listened to the hustle and bustle of the nightlife of Madrid.

"Did you know?" Samuel asked ominously after the silence grew too much.

"Yeah, yeah I did," Sergio replied, already knowing where this was going. Taking a sip of his drink as his taste buds rushed to adapt, before he finally swallowed. "I stand by his decision and in fact I share it, you need to experience a normal childhood. Not conducting shady business in foreign countries, or training here. I want you to have a childhood and this was the closest to one that we could give you." Sergio then proceeded to take a larger amount of his drink before resting it on the table. "So I won't apologise for trying to give you this, god knows you deserve it. I think Elena would want the same for you."

"I don't want it, when has my life ever been normal? Lost my mum and dad when I was barely a child, scavenging around for any scrap of food before you found me. Went into our business and has already taken a life. How can you expect me to walk into a place like that where people will think they are above me when I could very easily snap their necks and be done with it?" Don't get him wrong he appreciated how far they would go for him. "They will look believe themselves superior to me just because they have a famous last name and ride on their parents' coattails."

Sergio remained as still and silent as a statue, better to allow him to vent now in the safety of his own home than risk a blowout at school, especially on his first day.

"What would any of them know about actually fighting for something, to bleed, to sweat and dedicate themselves? What do any of them know about actually earning anything without asking mummy or daddy for it? Nothing! Future rules of the world, what a crock of shit!" His rant finished, slumping back into his chair and practically downing his drink, ignoring the fierce burn in the back of his throat.

"You done now?" Sergio asked, Samuel glared at him but didn't refute his question. "Good, now you are going to listen to me. You have to do this so when it is your time to lead there will be no one who can doubt your ability." He finished with a proud smile.

"You know…" Sam trailed off for a moment. "The reason I tried to excel at everything was because I wanted you to be proud of me, despite there being no blood connection." Okay maybe that drink hit him harder than he believed. "I just wanted that one thing from both you and Yamamoto." He snapped his eyes shut to prevent moisture from building, the day had been a roller coaster and he just wanted to get off and go to bed.

Too lost in his mind, he didn't hear Sergio rise to his feet and hug him tightly. "Stupid boy, blood or no blood, it changes nothing. You are my son always and forever, you don't need to make me proud for you already have. For the man you are now and will eventually become, I will love you as my own flesh and blood."

For the first time since he was a child, Samuel cried and hugged him back as they shared a moment as father and son. It then hit him when he finally let go, how exhausted he really was, even rising to his feet proved to be a bit of a challenge. "I am going to go to bed, you can have the rest of the whiskey. Feel free to stay on the couch if you want." Samuel waved lazily over his shoulder before making it to his bedroom and crashing out almost instantly, not even bothering to change out his clothes.

Sergio watched his son depart the balcony before turning back around and looked to the colourful city of Madrid. "Silly boy, I have been proud since I adopted him, hopefully you can find your calming ice my boy." He sat down and felt himself relax and gave a mental prayer for a good first day at Las Encinas for his son.

"Maybe that whiskey was a bad idea…"

That one sentence summed up his entire mood right now, Samuel stared ahead at the building that he would be attending for the foreseeable future, and honestly, it didn't look as grotesque as he imagined. A shame his head was banging like he just went twelve rounds with King fucking Kong before being snapped in half by the mighty ape. His father slept on the couch last night and felt the need to make sure he was prepared for his first day, even going as far as to dump cold water on him for good measure.

Pulling out a pair of shades, he took this moment to look at the school properly. It held a good amount of green in the front yard before entering the school to avoid giving off the impression of being too militaristic. The front was comprised of far too much white and way too much glass.

There was no point denying that this school held a few beauties, he felt the desire to become 'friendly' with one of them until Elena's face flashed in front of him and his desire crumpled like a house of cards. Who was he fooling, there wasn't anything here besides a passing fancy, still knowing he would need to move on one day and have a family could wait until he had graduated and assumed leadership of the company. The odds of him finding that special someone here was a billion to one.

From the corner of his eye, a limo drove past him and he rolled his eyes behind his shades. Typical rich, he thought sourly. He had parked his car a small walk away to avoid drawing attention and this person seemed to desire to be in the spotlight, a bad first impression. An elderly man stepped out from the driver seat, made his way around and opened the door to reveal… a young woman.

He squinted in an attempt to get a better look at her. The woman's figure was slim, another typical rich trope. His brow raised when he saw her long golden blonde hair, giving off a faint glimmer in the morning sun. Her porcelain skin, caused his breath to hitch, her emerald green eyes so similar to… his mind then went numb.

His eyes widened behind his shades, his mouth going dryer than the Sahara desert and his heart began to rapidly beat to the point of bursting from his chest. Only one thought had come to mind.

'I am so fucked!'

For everyone who read my apology email, this is the first story I wanted to do so here it is. A pairing of Samuel/Carla from ELITE (TV show on Netflix). I apologise for any grammar errors, I have put this through Grammarly and I have been told to find a new one as it doesn't do well with creative speech and sticks more to formal. I want to try and write every day because if I don't then the time between uploads increase drastically. So I will try to keep this one updated regularly and my other story when it is ready. I'll be uploading this on archive as well to see the difference, so if you liked this story then please review and give me your thoughts, until next time Saint Out!