Death before Charity

Crowley:

I lazily lounge on the couch, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of my next evil plan, hoping the hero will stay away long enough to have fun. The last projects I've done have been put down quickly by the hero, Crimson, like he's spying on me constantly. He even attacked me when I was going for coffee! The stupid jerk made me spill the damned drink all over me.

I sigh as I roll onto my side, reaching for the remote. My fingers graze against the slick plastic, slowly moving it out of my reach. I groan louder this time when I hear nothing happening around me. I sit up, looking at the tiny chap in the corner reading a book.

"Oliver!"

His head bolts up. Seeing my angry expression, he rushes over, looking me over, trying to figure out what he missed before asking since he knows he seems to piss me off by not doing what I want when I want.

"Crowley, Sir, I'm so sorry.." He hesitates before his voice becomes higher pitched and sweeter. "What do you need?"

I point to the remote. "If you actually cared about being on this team, you'd know that I can't reach the remote. You should just start looking for another job in the market. Maybe a bookshop clerk would suit your... dull lifestyle."

The fear in his eyes brings a smirk to my lip as he shakenly hands me the remote, even switching the TV on for me like the good little lap dog he is.

"I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again."

Oliver's voice is panicked at losing the job, even though we both know it will happen again, and it has happened plenty of other times. If his father weren't the other best villain in the city, I would have fed him to the sharks by now.

"....The next story tonight Crimson just announced his yearly charity event that will be held on Friday for the St. Cloud hospital to cover at five..." The TV blares, bringing a smile to my face for once since the heists went south.

"Run and get your father. Tell him to meet me at the warehouse on Dairy Road at sunset." I grab him by the shirt collar, yanking him towards me. My voice goes low and deathly. "and you better not fuck this up, got it."

He nobs frantically before running out the doors. I am preparing for tonight, but I have a lot to plan before Friday.

~~~~~

Oliver:

I rush through the street as fast as possible, hoping my father will be in his office building. I would hate to make Crowley wait, especially with the mood he has been in.

"Warehouse on Dairy Road sunset warehouse on Dairy Road sunset."

I repeat to myself, wanting to make this right for Crowley. I turn down an alley, then another, before I slam into someone, but before falling on my face, the stranger catches me.

"Sor-"

My voice dies when I look at the man holding me, Crimson. He's glaring down at me, one that could only rival Crowley after he had a few drinks.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Tell me where you're heading, and you can walk away like nothing happened."

My initial shock finally wears off as I try to pull out of his grasp, struggling to leave his grip, holding me with barely any effort on his part. I can't fail Crowley; I just can't.

"Come on, kid, if you aren't going to tell me where you are heading, just tell me the message you were whispering. I didn't catch it all."

"Let me go, you bastard!"

Crimson laughs, a broad smile on his face, and his hand on my shirt balls into a fist.

"Now, now, kid, is that any way to take to the savior of the city?"

I spit in his face, "Go to hell!"

The smile drops as he slams me into a brick wall, knocking my breath out of me. He wipes his face off as he watches me gasp for air. He leans in close, whispering in my ear.

"Tell me what you were repeating, and I'll let you go. If not, you'll be meeting some friends of mine. You know I wouldn't want to get my hands dirty before my big event, right?"

I struggle more, kicking at him, terrified. Crowley had never trained me for this, but if I told him I should have enough time to get back to Crowley and tell him everything, my dad and Crowley could meet somewhere else. He knocks my head into the wall again, and stars form at the edge of my vision.

"Warehouse on Dairy Road sunset"

I barely get it before he drops me to the ground and whistles, and I hear other footsteps coming down the alleyway.

"Good. Now tell the reaper I said hi."

Crimson steps away, walking the way I came before leaving me for dead.

~~~~~

Crimson:

I pace the warehouse. I've been here since I left that creep in the alley, wanting to be here to make my plan of attack. I don't know who the message was for: a lover, a dealer, a friend, or even nothing, just a setup. But it couldn't be a coincidence that right after I released my charity event day, I got an alert from one of my men that the kid left the building.

I do feel a bit bad for leaving him to die, but I didn't lie to him. I let him go, but my men didn't let him. I look out the window again, and the sun starts to go behind the mountains.

Soon.

I hide well before I hear a door opening and Crowley muttering to himself.

"That youngster better have delivered that message, or the sharks will feast. Don't even care if he Black Knight's son."

Well, that makes me feel a little better, killing him off just means one less villain to work against in the future. I wait before revealing myself, listening to the rambles of how the Knight is always late and that he should have asked someone else to help. I hop down from some crates when I confirm no one else is coming.

"Finally, you're here- You've got to be fucking kidding me!! What?! Do you have a damned tracker now? Gods, you are such a pain!"

I stand there smiling, loving how just being here riles him up.

"No, but your buddy had a few things to say before going away on a trip. I wouldn't wait up on him if I were you."

I see a mix of emotions on his face: annoyance, sadness, hate, and pity. I can't tell if he liked the kid or if he's just mad he didn't kill him himself. He pulls a knife out and charges at me.

Huh, I guess he liked the guy.

I meet him head-on with a sword that was from the president, wanting his death to be symbolic so killing him would look better in the eyes of the people in my city when his head is on my wall. Our blades cling together as they hit. Our fighting always takes too long. We are each other's equal. In another life, I hope we would have trained together. We could have been an indestructible team.

I see in his eyes the hatred towards me powered even more by what I did. I wouldn't have thought it would be such a big deal, but-

My thoughts get cut off as I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I didn't see in all my thinking that he pulled out a dagger stabbing me in the chest. The sword falls out of my hands as I drop to my knees, holding the knife in trying to get back up, but the pain is too much. The sword scraps against the concrete floor, and my vision blurs as I see him holding the sword.

"Tell Oliver you are sorry, and I won't let his death be wasted." I heard him as if he were through a tunnel before the darkness took me.