Tom sat at the dinner table, twirling his fork around a plate of spaghetti. The fight he witnessed with the Flash and Killer Frost made him want to explore other cities. Since he had decided to live his second opportunity at life as a thrill seeker, staying in one city wouldn't give him the satisfactory thrill he seeked.
At first, he yearned for a peaceful life, free of excitement and danger. However, he discovered that he had developed a deep affinity for the thrilling rush of adrenaline. Despite his original intentions, he found himself increasingly drawn to activities that provided him with an intense rush of excitement and adventure.
While still in thought his phone rang, he was surprised to see Leo's name flash across the screen. He hadn't heard from his friend Leo in weeks and he wondered why he didn't call him through his burner phone.
"Hey Leo, long time no talk. How have you been?" Tom answered.
Leo's voice on the other end of the line sounded dull unlike his usual facade. "Hey kid, how are you doing?"
"Been a while dude, was starting to think you've gotten yourself either killed or arrested." He said as he took a drink from the glass of water he had next to his plate.
"Haha, very funny." He jokingly laughed but it was clear he wasn't in the mood for that. "Tom, can we meet up tomorrow?" He added as his tone suddenly became a bit serious.
Tom set down his fork, concern etched on his face. "Of course, anything for you. What's going on?"
"It's complicated. I don't want to talk about it over the phone. Can we meet at the park at noon tomorrow?" Leo asked.
"Sure, I'll be there. Is everything okay?" Tom pressed.
"I'll explain tomorrow. Just...thanks, kid. I really appreciate it," Leo replied before ending the call.
Tom sat back in his chair, his mind racing with wonder. He hadn't seen Leo in weeks, and now he needed his help. What could be going on? He retained his appetite as he went ahead to finish up with his dinner, when most people would be so worried that they'd immediately lose their appetite.
The next evening. Tom sat on a bench at the nearly empty park, the moon casting an eerie glow over the surroundings. He nervously glanced at his watch, checking the time. It was already fifteen minutes past noon, and Leo had yet to show up.
Just as Tom was about to give up and head back home, he saw a figure emerge from a dark path. As the figure approached, Tom could make out the features of Leo who wore his signature blue coat with white accents. He stood up from the bench out of curiosity as to what took him so long.
"Leo, I've been waiting for you. What's going on?" Tom asked.
Leo looked around, checking to make sure no one was nearby before sitting down next to Tom. "I need your help. I've gotten myself into a bit of trouble."
Tom's face grew concerned. "What kind of trouble?"
"Let's just say the past has come to bite me in the ass, and I owe someone a lot of money," Leo explained, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Damn Leo, you don't look so good." Tom remarked as he noticed the beaten up face he had on him, with a pronounced black eye.
"Oh, thanks for noticing." He reached out an arm to his face and touched his swollen black eye. Then he continued. "I think it looks better than it feels." Leo replied to him with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Tom chuckled a bit, as he understood the sarcasm Leo had thrown his way. "Seriously dude, tell me what happened."
"Okay, well do you remember that painting heist we did for Mr. Santiago?" He asked Tom.
"Of course I do, how could I forget a heist as intense as that one so soon? What does that have to do with this?" Tom asked him, wondering how a heist they accomplished without leaving any loose ends came to hunt them. It was a job that couldn't be traced back to either of them, but somehow they got Leo.
"My pal and I were kidnapped and thrown into a van, not without putting up a fight though. They were heavily equipped and we were outnumbered so they had the advantage." He paused then gave a deep sigh as he tried to recollect what happened.
…
[A few days back. Leonard Snart's POV]
The van drove for what felt like hours, finally coming to a stop in a remote, isolated location. The now conscious Mick and Leo were led out of the van and into a dark, damp basement. The kidnappers tied them to metal chairs and strapped our limbs on each side of the chair.
Mick started shouting like the barbarian he was while Leo stuck to his calm nature like it was just another Tuesday in Central City.
"Release me and I will kick all your asses, only cowards pull off the kind of stunt you all just did. Let me out and we can exchange fists like real men. Uhh, what do you say, losers?" Mick kept on annoying the shit outta them but one of them responded with a direct fist to Meeks face.
"Ahh, refreshing." Mick said with a smile on his bloody face.
"Is this one insane or what?" One of the men with an Italian accent asked as he looked at Mick like a person would look at a chained rabid dog with a hint of fear behind their eyes.
"No one knows, I've been wondering that myself."
Leo answered the man with a relaxed tone like he wasn't in any sort of danger.
"Mick calm down and just save your breath for when their boss comes, being that they took us alive means there is someone who wants to have a conversation with us."
"Any idea who?" Mick asked Leo out of curiosity as he cocked an eyebrow.
"From the way they are dressed and their Italian accent I'm guessing it's the Mafia, the Santini Family to be precise." Leo talked while he stared at the one who seemed to be in charge of the goons dead in his eyes.
"What did you do to piss them off?" Mick asked.
"Remember that Lesedi La Rona, A 302-carat rough diamond which was worth $53 million and we stole it from some safe house belonging to a Mafia family?" Leo asked the confused looking Mick.
"Just.. Just forget it okay." Leo said in a defeated tone.
The environment fell into a quiet state as the sound of a slow consecutive clap filled the air. A man in a Prada suit with excessively gelled hair, walked into the room as he approached Leo.
"Leonard Snart, the most stubborn cockroach Central City has ever produced and doesn't know when to hide in the shadows so he could avoid becoming a meal for predators." A strange Italian man walked fully into the light.
"Who is this pipsqueak?" Mick asked Leo.
"Mr. Santini, I can't say it is a pleasure. You are a long way from home, I'm guessing it wasn't to visit tourist attractions over here in Central City" Leo said as he tried to make himself comfortable in the metal chair he was tied to.
"You stole from me Snart, you made a mockery of the Santini family name and now you would have to pay for it, painfully." Mr Santini reached out his hand and was given a remote with a dial on it, the metal chairs they were strapped to were connected to a power source and the dial which controlled the voltage was just given to Mr. Santini.
He reached for the dial and turned it slowly as electricity flowed directly into the metal chairs both Leo and Mick were tied in.
They grunted in pain as the shock lasted for approximately five seconds before he stopped the power flow.
"You bastard, are all the Mafia cowards? If you have a problem with us then we should settle this physically and not torture us as you stand there like our lives are in your hands, especially since your lackeys abducted us after ambushing us and even used a C4 without giving us a fighting chance." Mick blurted out.
"Actually Mr. Rory, your lives are currently in my hands. I could kill you both anytime of my choice but I want you to be tortured till you beg for death yourselves. This would teach you not to mess with the Santini family." He handed the dial over to one of his men to continue with the torture, before walking out the room.
…
As Leo was about to continue the story of what exactly happened to him, he was interrupted by Tom.
"Damn dude, that's gotta hurt like a bitch. Anyway could you skip to the end then tell me what exactly you wanted my help with?" Asked the impatient Tom was in a hurry to know how exactly he fit into the picture.
"Kids these days, always in a rush and don't want to take anything slow." Leo muttered. "After a the long hours of torture, Mr. Santini made me an offer. Either I repay him for the painting, which I definitely can't afford, or I help him with a few jobs that would compensate for the painting." He turned his gaze over to Tom. "And that's where you come in. I need your help with these jobs but the problem is that there'll be no pay for any of them."
"Wait, you are kidding right?"
"Sorry kid, but I'm not. I need to repay him or he'd have my head for it. Please Tom, do me just this one favor." He tried reasoning with Tom who he knew wouldn't do anything like that for free. But he hoped for Tom to have a change of heart and help him out, considering their history.
"Okay, I'll help you." He said as a smirk slowly found its way to Leo's bruised lips, but it was cut short when Tom continued. "But on one condition."
His short lived smirk turned into a 'huh?' expression.
"What do you want, kid."
"I need contacts, I intend to create my own network as 'Ghost'." Tom said as he adjusted to a more relaxing posture on the bench.
Blown by the wind of surprise, he looked at the relaxed Tom who didn't seem like he would negotiate for something else. "Don't you think that's way too much a favor?" While staring at the carefree Tom who sat by his side, he thought carefully about the situation of either losing his life, or losing the money he got from each job done with Tom.
Letting out a deep sigh, Leo reached a very difficult conclusion before he continued his talk with Tom. "Okay kid, you've got yourself a deal." He wasn't happy with the deal he had just made with Tom, but at the same time he was glad Tom agreed to help because it was either that or his life.
In my pursuit of establishing myself as Ghost, I recognized that making a deal with Leo was essential for building a network of contacts in the criminal underworld. This would allow me to access a wide variety of job opportunities and establish connections with key players in the criminal world.
The deal with Leo would prove to be a pivotal moment in my quest to establish a reliable stream of connections, enabling me to expand my influence and solidify my position as I climb up the ladder in the criminal underbelly someday. With Leo's support, I would have the resources and connections necessary to navigate the murky waters of the criminal world and achieve my goals as Ghost. The unpredictable criminal mastermind with a clean and perfect work record.
Having every job come to me through Leo actually placed a limit to the range of job offers I could receive, and the people who could gain access to me. If I hadn't done this, I would be stuck under Leo for a long while and it would seem like I'm working for him or he owned me.
I've been thinking of this for a while now and thank the Good Lord for such a beautiful and easy solution which came my way, with me needing to lift a finger or stress over it. I knew for certain that Leo wouldn't want to let go of the grip he thought he had on me, and might even start up some bullshit talk like I owe him for the opportunity he had given to me.
If I had asked him about it nicely already, and he decided to start that 'I own you' kind of conversation. Then I'm sorry folks, but that'd have been the last anyone would have heard from him.
We had finished with the jobs Leo was given by Mr. Santini as a way of repaying the debt he owed him. They were quite challenging jobs, which would have earned high pay for each. None of the kobs took place around Central City, most were to steal rare paintings and profoundly expensive diamonds from some museums located in Italy. Seriously, what's it with these Mafia bosses and paintings?
The country looked quite different from the one I remembered from my previous life, maybe it was because of the advancement in technology or the difference in realities.
Since I returned to Central City, I've been spending most of my time indoors and rarely leaving my apartment. Lately, I've been feeling very unmotivated, and I'm not sure if it's because this will be my first Christmas in a completely different world without any friends or family to spend it with.
The only family I have here are my grandparents and some distant relatives, but I don't feel comfortable around them yet. Although my grandparents have extended an invitation for me to spend the holidays with them, they would like to spend it with their grandchild who lost both parents and younger brother all at once.
The holiday season can be a difficult time for some people, particularly if they have lost loved ones, as it can bring back memories and emotions. However, I don't experience those feelings as I have no memories of my family due to waking up in this world as myself, without the knowledge of my predecessor's past. While I may not feel the sadness that others may assume I'm feeling, I understand that it's natural to grieve the loss of family members during this time.
Spending Christmas with my grandparents doesn't sound like a bad idea, after all it'd be way better than spending it alone. Which would confirm Olivia's theory of me being a loner, I'll think on it later.
"Okay that's it. Time to hit the gym."
One of the best ways I used to pick myself up each time I was feeling unmotivated, was to get some workouts in.
As I walked into the gym, I was greeted by the familiar smells of sweat and rubber. I felt a pang of guilt as I looked around at all the people working hard, some of them clearly struggling. I felt like a fraud - I didn't need to be there. I was already in good shape, and when I workout I don't stress myself by doing more than the required amount for each. I thought about heading back home, but something inside me was pushing me to keep going, so I headed over to the weights area.
I started with some light warm-ups, feeling my muscles slowly waking up. I could feel the tension in my body starting to ease up as I lifted the weights. The sound of the clanking weights and the grunting of the other gym-goers started to become a comforting background noise.
As I moved on to the more challenging weights, my mind started to wander. I thought about the goals I had in my previous lifetime and how I had lost my passion for them. I thought about how I used to love going on hikes and exploring new places, the thought fueled the idea I had about spending some time outside Central City. Maybe a place like Metropolis, there's no way I'd want to visit that shit hole of a city known as Gotham anytime soon.
Before I knew it, I started to workout just as hard as my old self used to do. Maybe it was because of the memories, that I suddenly started to miss that feeling of working by myself to the bone. I pushed myself harder, focusing on the feeling of my muscles contracting and releasing. I could feel the sweat starting to pour down my face, but I didn't care. For the first time in a long time, he felt like my old self again.
After completing my workout, I felt a sense of accomplishment mixed with a hint of pain. I had done something good for both my body and mind, but it felt like my limbs were numb. This was a feeling I hadn't experienced since I arrived here: the feeling of pushing myself beyond my limits not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
As I walked out of the gym, I felt depleted and sore, but also lighter than when I first arrived. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. This experience reminded me of the power of physical activity and the importance of pushing oneself beyond comfort zones, that was something my trainer used to talk about back when I seeked to attain the peak condition of an athlete. Even though it can be uncomfortable at times, the end result is worth it.
As I made my way home that evening, I couldn't help but take note of the throngs of families bustling about, purchasing all manner of goods in preparation for the Christmas holiday. Despite the festive atmosphere, I found myself wondering: what was it about this time of year that made everyone so jolly? After all, it only takes one villain, fueled by a desire for chaos and a hatred of the holiday, to shatter the merriment with a sudden act of violence.
Perhaps such individuals had suffered a tragedy, such as the loss of a loved one on Christmas Eve, and now sought to inflict their pain upon the jolly masses. Regardless, I recognized that this was a time for sharing and coming together with loved ones, despite the potential for danger lurking in the shadows.
It's remarkable how even a seemingly insignificant childhood experience can shape a person's life and potentially lead them down a path of villainy in our dark world.
Some individuals may harness the pain of their past and choose to walk towards the path of light, seeking to help others and make the world a better place. However, for others, the weight of their pain may become too much to bear, causing them to succumb to the darkness and leading them down a path they may feel powerless to avoid. Ultimately, the distinction between hero and villain can be a delicate one, with the choices we make in response to our experiences shaping our fate and the fate of those around us.
Please kindly visit my to read ahead./Maverick_DaSupreme