It was late afternoon on Thursday and Midas decided to visit with Jason. He texted him ahead of time, so Jason was awaiting his arrival. When Midas entered Jason's apartment, he sat with him in his living room. "What did you want to see me about?" Jason asked, somewhat nervously.

Midas sighed, leaning back in the armchair. "I haven't talked to you since Mari's party."

"Yeah..." Jason looked away sheepishly.

"Look, I understand why you told Mari... She's like your sister; you're never going to keep a secret from her. It would've been wrong of me to ask you to... Just to confirm though, nobody else knows right?"

"No, of course not- Just Mari. I'm sorry that I told her the way that I did too; I sort of freaked out. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have talked to you first..."

Midas chuckled, "Yeah, I freaked out that night too."

"You left him hanging in the bathroom."

"I did..." Midas looked down.

"Mari told me about what happened after. She told me what you told her. She also told me you seem to care about him..."

"I think I do."

"It's so weird to me that I never once got this vibe from you... I've sussed out guys who didn't even know themselves before."

"Maybe because you never saw me as a potential partner, just an old man?" Midas laughed.

"Well- I did have some suspicions when you saved my life, then offered to take me to your mansion, where you could keep me safe."

"Good Lord; I did not say it like that!" Midas put his hand on his face, "Did I?"

Jason snorted. "No! You made sure I wasn't hurt too bad, then you took me out to eat and showed off wallet pictures of your daughter."

"Ahh, yeah; that's right," Midas smiled fondly. "You were genuinely suspicious of me then but you were right to be."

"Yeah; but it all evaporated after that first night and not once since then have I suspected you to be anything short of a womanizer." Jason laughed, then spoke more sincerely, "You know, if Mari is like a sister to me- You're like a father. You understand you're more of a father to me than my dad ever was, right? I don't think I've ever told you that... I should have. Back when I was still a kid... That time I moved out- I said some things-"

*** 7 Years Ago ***

Jason quietly entered the side door of Midas' mansion from the gardens; it was closer to his room than the front door. As he did so, he was met by Midas who was sitting in a chair in the sunroom. Midas immediately stood, "There you are! Where were you? Do you have any idea what time it is? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"It's about three; my battery died and I was having a good time, so I wasn't paying attention."

"A good time where? With who?"

"That's none of your business," Jason responded angrily.

"Was it Alex again?" Midas asked. "He's twenty-four; you should not be spending time with him!"

"I'm seventeen, I'm not a kid!"

"Exactly- You're seventeen, not an adult." Midas countered.

"And you're not my fucking dad!" Jason yelled at him.

"I know I'm not your dad!" Midas yelled back.

"Then stop trying to fucking act like it! Especially while being such a fucking hypocrite. How old was that girl last weekend?"

"Twenty-two! She's not a girl; she is a woman and certainly not a fucking teenager."

"So let's review, you're a good man while seeing women over a decade younger and he's a creep for seeing a guy six years younger? If Alex being in my life is such a fucking problem, then I will just move out- Simple solution."

Midas opened his mouth, then stopped himself, looking to the floor for a moment and taking a deep breath. As he tried to calm himself, he looked back at Jason. "Jason, I was just trying to keep you safe..."

There were tears in Midas' eyes and Jason froze as he stared at him. He'd never seen Midas cry; he'd actually never seen any grown man cry. Jason looked down, speaking quietly, "I'm going to go to my room... Maybe we should talk tomorrow..." Jason began to walk away.

"Wait," Midas called and Jason looked back at him. "I'm glad you're home safe. You're a good kid and I love having you here. The house rules are based around keeping everyone as safe, healthy, and happy as possible. I'm not looking to control you or change you- You are welcome here, just as you are..." Midas took a deep breath. "As you said, I'm not your father and you are seventeen, nearing eighteen- So, I'll give it a rest. I want you to have this place to return to safely, if you need it. No more curfews or questions. From now on, the only house rules are the ones that apply to the house itself- Clean up after yourself and ask before bringing guests... And I'll put this out there now, Alex is not welcome in my home- But you always are... You can decide for yourself tomorrow, but- I hope you stay... Especially if you're looking at Alex as your alternative."

 

The next day, Midas and Jason sat at the dining table to talk. Jason looked down at the table, taking a deep breath before beginning. "I've decided to move out." Jason declared quickly, immediately continuing, hoping to finish his prepared speech without being interrupted by Midas. "I talked to Alex last night and he said he'd love to have me living with him. I think this is for the best. I really appreciate everything you've done but this isn't really my home and it feels like it's time to move on now. I'm grown, I have a job, and I'm ready and-" Jason teared up. "I love him, so if he isn't welcome here, then I can't stay..." Jason looked up at Midas and saw Midas' eyes sparkled with tears as well.

"If that's what you feel is best... I have no right to stop you. You-" Midas hesitated. "You will visit though, right? If not for me, then for Mari..."

"You'd be okay with me coming to see her?"

"Of course." Midas looked into his eyes. "Always. You are always welcome here, whether you live here or not."

"I promise, I will come visit sometimes. We'll keep having game nights." Jason smiled and Midas smiled back.

"If you ever need anything, I'm still here," He promised.

 

Nearly three months had passed with Jason having visited the Onasises once since moving out. He had been happy and seemed to be doing well. It was the middle of the night and Midas was asleep when his phone rang. He groggily sat up and looked at it to see that the call was coming from the front gate. "Is there a problem?" Midas asked as he answered.

"I thought you would want to know, Jason is here. He's on his way up the drive. He's carrying a bag and doesn't look like he's doing so good."

"Okay; I'll be right there." Midas ended the call and quickly got out of bed. By the time he got to the front door, Jason was there.

"M-Midas... C-can I-"

Before Jason could finish a sentence Midas embraced him. "Always." Jason leaned into Midas, crying. Midas didn't say anything. After a few minutes, he gently led Jason inside and into his old room. Midas sat with him on his bed. "Do you want to talk?" Jason shook his head. "Do you want to sleep?" Jason hesitated. "Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

"Y-yeah."

"I'll stay right here."

*** *** ***

Midas interrupted him. "You were a teenager; your behavior and words were normal..." Midas looked down, tearing up a bit. "I know that you care about me from the way you behave... That said; it's nice to hear in words how you feel. I do think of you as my son, and I couldn't have asked for a better one."

Jason looked away a moment and wiped a tear. "Not to get too sappy or anything- Me and Mari, we just want you to be happy."

"Thank you."

"Don't get me wrong, we will relentlessly tease you," Jason added. "I mean, a public bathroom, really- Have some class, man," Jason laughed a bit. "Seriously though, if you two are happy, we are happy for you. Are you happy with him?"

"Yeah. I mean- We're figuring it out," Midas smiled.

Jason's phone buzzed; he looked at it. "It's Mari. Hey, know what we haven't done in ages?"

"What's that?"

"Family game night- Should I ask her?"

"Sure," Midas' smile widened.

Jason typed out a message that was soon followed by a reply. "She says she'll meet us in the hall."

When the two emerged from the stairs on the top floor, Mari was waiting for them. "Yay! Family game night- I get to kick your sorry butts."

"Oh, that's right; she's a monster," Jason groaned. Midas chuckled as they headed down the hall to his apartment. The three of them played card and board games for hours while eating pizza and junk food. It was one in the morning when Jason and Mari left Midas' apartment to go sleep at Mari's.

 

Midas had walked Mari and Jason out and was still in the hall when Shade came out of his apartment. Midas opened his mouth to greet him but saw he was on the phone. It wasn't the phone Midas had given him, it was a burner. "You're breaking up, I'm gonna get to the roof but where are you right now?" Shade jumped slightly, noticing Midas, but he ignored him and continued to the stairs. Midas' mind raced as he followed Shade to the roof; outside phones aren't permitted on the island. He snuck one in! What is he doing? Shade looked at Midas as he came out to the roof but gave no further acknowledgment, turning away. He continued his conversation and Midas listened intently. "Do you think they know where you are? Did you remove the chip?" Midas struggled with what to do; ordinarily, I would have taken that phone from him by now and demanded answers. Am I too soft with him? Shade had listened to the response from the person he was speaking with. "It'll be in the back of the neck, it's very small; I'm not surprised you missed it. If you can, stick the damn thing to a pigeon's foot or something before you move." Shade listened again. "You can do this, Marco; call me again in two hours." Shade looked at Midas and added, "If I don't answer, give up on using me for help and just do what you can." Shade ended the call.

"What is going on?" Midas' voice was shaking.

Shade took a deep breath. "A buddy of mine, he's in the business of helping women and children escape from gangs. He's maybe bitten off more than he can chew this time- He's taken a Desmond Bride."

"Desmond? As in the mafia family?" Midas was somewhat familiar with the family but he didn't know much about them. "What is a Desmond Bride, exactly?"

"In this case, a nine-year-old girl set to be married to one of James Desmond's cousins on her tenth birthday."

Midas' stomach churned, "A child bride."

"Yes. Men in the Desmond family, and some of their top enforcers, tend to get girls they purchase as wives. Usually, it's the girls' family that sells them."

"Then, we need to get them here."

Shade cocked his head. "You aren't very familiar with the Desmond Mafia are you?"

"No. I haven't had many dealings with them; we don't generally cross paths."

"They are exceedingly dangerous. You have to know that, if you help and they find out, it could be a very big thing- They will come for Styx with everything they have."

"Then, ideally, they will never find out."

Shade thought about it; they don't know of my connection to Marco. Hell, they don't even know that they are chasing Marco; they just know someone took her. They also probably don't know that I chose to work for Midas. They likely assume, at this point, that he killed me first, before I could get to him. They would never figure out that I helped Marco by enlisting Midas. If we act fast enough, they'll be at a complete loss. "You are sure?" Shade asked again.

"Yes; I won't stand by knowing I can help her. I'll arrange for transport immediately; let your friend know."

Shade called Marco back. "Listen carefully, I'll be sending you some coordinates; once you've got the tracker removed, and only then, head there. A car will pick you up; I'll be seeing you soon, Friend." Shade ended the call and returned the phone to his pocket. Shade looked at Midas again, seeing a betrayed look in his eyes. Midas was still wary and hurt that Shade had been hiding a phone from him. Shade pulled the phone back out, taking Midas' wrist, he placed the phone in his hand. "Three people have the number to this phone," Shade explained. "Marco is the man I was just talking to. Zack is the man who helped me make this." He gestured to his vocal converter, "As well as customized my stilts. And Barb, a woman who helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life." Shade looked down, "I couldn't bring myself to leave it behind..."

Midas turned the phone on and looked through it. After a while, he turned it off and handed it back to Shade; apparently satisfied enough with what he did or did not find. "Never let anyone else know that you have it..."

"Of course," Shade pocketed the phone again.

"Now, let's prepare for the girl's arrival."

 

Midas had given Shade a set of coordinates to pass on to Marco as well as two passwords, one for the driver and one for the ferry. The driver and ferry captain were given a physical description of Marco and were told to check the girl very thoroughly for trackers. At three o'clock, Midas was sitting on Shade's bed, watching Shade pace nervously near his door. Midas' phone buzzed, "They've got them; they are on the ferry now."

Shade let out a breath as if he had been holding it for hours. "I need to be there to greet him," Shade opened his door.

"The ride takes about thirty minutes, no need to rush."

"I could use the air."

"Then I'll go with you." When they got to the dock, Shade sat on the railing, as it was tall enough to accommodate the stilts; Midas leaned beside him. "So, how did you meet Marco then?"

"We broke into the same house at the same time. I was there to kill a mid-level crime boss; he was there to help the guy's wife."

*** 6 Years Ago ***

Vee, in her cloak and masks, was sneaking around the outside of a beautiful house, looking for a good window to slip into. Hedges surrounded the house and she was moving carefully behind them, keeping low to avoid detection by the handful of security men. She had forgone wearing the stilts, trading intimidation for stealth. She rounded a corner and found herself face to face with a man who was also crouched behind the hedges; fuck, I'm caught! She quickly pinned the man to the ground, covering his mouth with one hand and holding a knife to his throat with the other. She looked the man over; he was tall with big brown eyes and short, curly chocolate locks. He was staring at her with fear and surprise. She leaned closer to him, whispering, her converter giving her a man's voice. "You aren't one of his, are you? You are breaking in." The man gave the slightest of nods, afraid to move too much due to the blade at his throat. "If I remove my hand and the knife, are you going to keep quiet and calm?" The man nodded again. She released him and the man shifted to his knees.

"I take it you are not one of his guys either then; so why are you here?" The man asked.

"I'm here to kill him," Vee responded plainly.

"Oh..." The man moved, putting a little more distance between them.

She considered him, "You aren't here to hurt anyone. You also don't look much like a thief either."

"I received a request for help. From his wife, she wants to get out."

"Oh, so you help people out?"

"Yeah... Usually women and children."

"In that case, I think I can help you."

"You would do that?" He seemed skeptical.

"Sure; I'm just here for him. I don't like to harm anyone else if I can avoid it, especially women and children."

"Works for me then; he's done his fair share to deserve a visit from someone like you."

"Someone like me..." She repeated softly. "I intended to take him quietly, while he sleeps. I was assuming that the wife was going to be my biggest obstacle but if she's expecting you..." Vee trailed off, thinking.

"I'm supposed to knock on that window there, then she was going to escape out of it." He gestured to a window down the wall from where they were currently crouched.

"If she lets me inside and guides me to his room, I'll be able to make sure they know it was me who offed him. Then, all three of us could sneak away and there is a very good chance they will think I'm responsible for her being missing."

"You think so?"

"Yes; it's not entirely uncommon to take women. If they think I took her, they almost certainly won't even bother to look."

"Let's go for it then," The man agreed. They slunk to the window and he tapped a pattern on it. The wife opened the window and looked out. "Slight plan change, can we slip in?"

She looked nervously around then nodded, opening the window more fully. They crawled through it into a home library. The wife closed the window, quickly drawing the curtains. She spoke in a hushed voice, "What is happening? Who is this?"

"He's here for your husband," The man answered her.

"You mean?"

Vee addressed her, "This could be an opportunity for you to disappear without anyone bothering to look for you at all."

"I'm listening."

"Are you able to guide me to his bed without getting seen?"

"I could..."

"I can do it silently; he won't be discovered until the morning and by then, the three of us can be long gone. They will almost certainly think that I am the reason you are gone."

"Why will they know it's you and not simply think I did it, then ran?"

"I have a unique calling card. I can leave corpses that look like they've been dead for weeks. They wouldn't think you're capable of that; it's far too gruesome for a woman."

"I've heard of you," The man said, realization hitting him.

The wife contemplated for a moment. "Okay; I will take you to him. Marco should wait in the closet there," She pointed to the corner. "We will come back to this room to leave; that yard has the least men." Vee nodded and Marco slipped into the closet.

The wife led Vee through the home to the master bedroom. She stood guard at the door while Vee sneaked inside. Vee removed the glove from her left hand and grabbed a pillow with her right. Swiftly, she put the pillow over the man's face while grabbing his bare arm. The pillow muffled the man's final scream as he decayed in Vee's grasp. Vee returned the glove to her hand and quickly exited the room.

Returning to the library, they retrieved Marco from the closet. The three of them crawled out the window and the wife led the way off the property. "Okay, I have a car waiting not far from here, Marco informed them. "Do you want to come with us, Assassin?"

"Yes- I think I will." Vee was originally going to escape on foot but she hadn't planned to use her curse for this kill. She knew that, once her adrenaline faded, the energy drain of having killed a person was going to hit.

Marco led them to his vehicle, a gray SUV, getting into the driver's seat. The wife took the passenger seat and Vee laid across the backseat, holding her head as the energy drain caught up with her. Marco dropped the wife off at a safe house, then he turned to Vee in the backseat. "You don't look so good; somewhere I can take you?"

"The nearest, cheapest motel." She answered.

"Come stay at my place instead; I won't charge you." Marco's demeanor was very friendly, there was no more hint of fear.

"Did you just invite an assassin to your home?" Vee's voice was full of amusement; she was smiling under the converter.

"Well, you would've killed me by now if you wanted to. I believed you when you said you don't hurt anyone you don't have to."

"Do I have to hurt anyone at all?" She looked at him.

"I admit, I don't know who all you've hit- But I know that guy deserved it and so did some of the other guys I've heard about you taking out. I've never killed anyone myself and I don't intend to if I can continue to avoid it. That doesn't mean I feel bad for him though or that I have anything against you. You seem like an alright guy to me." He shrugged.

"You are an intriguing man- Marco, was it?"

"Yes; is there something I can call you?"

She thought for a moment before answering, "Shade."

*** *** ***