Walking down the quiet back roads of New York City, SmilingAssassin comes across a young woman cradling a man in her arms, he rushes over to her to find out what has happened, only to find out the guy was her father, gunned down in a drive by incident only 5 minutes ago

"Why?? why would someone do this?? my father was a good man! he was innocent, he done nothing to deserve this!" asked the sobbing girl.
I wasn't sure what to do, I don't do well with crying females, but I knew that her questions were quite dictating to who her father actually was, and I felt it my duty to put things straight and tell her how it is even if it makes her worse, hopefully she'll feel some closure.

SmilingAssassin takes the young girl by her arm and escorts her to one of New York's finest coffee shops owned by the Godfather himself, he sits her down on one of the tables outside and lights a cigarette

"Alright little lady, let me tell you a little story"

"There was a young man who grew up on the rough estates of New York, he had no father and his mother never really loved him, he came from a broken down home that was such a wreck, even the rats moved out.
As he grew up on the streets, making new "friends" as he called them, he found himself getting into more trouble than normal with the authorities, getting busted and locked up for fighting, robbing old grannies and worst of all, drug dealing"

The young girl goes to open her mouth to say something, but is quickly stopped in her tracks

"I haven't finished .."


"His life turned around in a matter of months, he finally found people who he could call "family", people he knew he could depend on should he ever need anything, the people who would fight for him, the people he would fight for, the loyalty, love and respect he wanted all his life had finally found him and he was happy.
Building his reputation up within his family life, he quickly stormed through the ranks making it to a recognized and official member of Made Man.
He built his reputation from from robbing old grannies as they withdrew their pensions, to making bigger profits on the drugs market, to going as far as killing anyone who got in his way and that is what made him the man that he was, a Mafioso.
Now, I'm not saying that the Mafia is about killing people, because it's not, murder is bad for business and should always be a last option should all other methods fail, but in this thing of ours, a fatal end is 99% of the time everyone's exit to this way of life ..in this case, that door was the exit for that young man too, he was gunned down by rival mobsters"

SmilingAssassin looks across the table at the young girl and asks her if she felt that the young man in question deserved to die..

"Well, it's unfair to say that he deserved it, I don't think anyone "deserves" to die, but by the sounds of it, he knew what he was getting involved in and chose to live that way of life anyway, so although no, I don't think he deserved it, I do think he provoked his fatal ending" replied the young girl

"You see, the reason I told you this story, is because that story was about your father, he was the young man who came from a broken home, the man who found all he wanted in a crime family, he is the man that suffered the same fate as thousands before him, he is the man that won't be remembered as a devoting father, but a devoted drug lord."

"In this thing of ours, there is no such thing as an innocent person who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, damn, I'm sitting here now doing nothing other than talking to you while drinking my coffee, but I know at any moment, someone could come around that corner and put a bullet between my eyes, does to worry me? a little, but I knew the risks when I first accepted my Button under The Lions Den and now, I'm not just a recognized Mafioso from New York, I am a New York Crime Boss which in itself has an expiry date and that date is when someone steps up and attempts to take my position, it's the way of life, when one man goes down, another will step up and so on..it's nothing personal, it's business."

The young girl smiles at SmilingAssassin and nods are head, feeling a little closure and acceptance to her fathers death for it was the life he was living and coming to terms with the fact that no one in this life is innocent


SmilingAssassin stands up drinking his last bit of coffee, he kisses the girls hand and wishes her well as he packs his things up and leaves


~TSA~

Sitting in a corner booth listening to his Boss telling this women a story. Toby begins thinking to himself about the message that TSA was trying to pass along.

Do all people die for something? My boss brings up a very valid point, being a Mafiso, you must always be careful even walking around in your own city. There is always someone looking to take your spot in an attempt to move up in the world.

Toby stops for a moment to observe the streets outside. People walking in and out of stores.

Hundreds of them just casually walking along. Anyone of these people could be sent here to take my life. Being a mafiso, you must be suspicious of everyone. At any moment your time could come. Your friends will say you didn't deserve it, but none of us are innocent. As soon as we made the decision to be a mafiso, we signed away our life to honoring and serving our family.

As Toby finishes speaking he looks down and takes a sip of his coffee.

The best advice I can offer to someone who chooses to follow in our footsteps: watch your back.

Toby picks up his paper and makes his way to the exit. As he disappears into the masses of people, the words "THIEF" can be heard overtop the crowd of people, and you remember the words Toby said, "None of us are innocent..."

SINGERROURKE sits in the other corner after Toby and Smiling Assasin left. He then begins to ponder about his words. None of us are innocent. He needs to get another drink before he thinks. He needs water for his thoughts.

Bartender a water with lemon please. Thankyou, its like you knew i was going to ask that.

None of us are innocent. Is that true? I think that would first depend on our understanding of what the word means. To be innocent is to be free from sin, harmless, guilt free, and knowing no evil. So that would mean no one is innocent. That seems to lead me to another thought if everyone is guilty of sin, harming others, being guilty and knowing evil then is there a line that would decipher who would be more innocent than another? Is one person more guilty than another in life? Especially the life i lead. Is Tylerdurden more guility than Ragnarok? Is the Dean as evil as SINGERROURKE? no there would have to be levels of how guilty one man is over another. Afterall the sins of one man either lead him to his grave or to the highest position of the city. If i had to have my own opinion, If this sparked my intrest enough to just think about it i would have to say that even though we are guilty it does not make it right for another to kill another. I hear the arguement against me now AN EYE FOR AN EYE. True if one man takes your eye you take his. It shouldnt be run that way. If one man takes your eye you take both of his then go to his families house and take all their eyes as well.

SINGERROURKE sips his water.

Am i innocent? It would only prove me guilty if i said that i was innocent. Is my leader innocent? He is more guilty than ever having had me on his side. Is the woman i met on the street and robbed innocent? To ones own definition she would be. Ok so because my thoughts are so rambled in and twisted it would have to be this. A man does not deserve to be killed unless he offended the life of another. By the very mere existance of so many people i am greatly offended. So if none of us are innocent are we to be trusted? To be loved? To be respected? Hm a man of honor, is he really a man of honor if his life does not reflect that?

SINGERROURKE takes a final sip of his drink. Then looks around and spots Thedean staring at him. SINGERROURKE smiles and nods. He then looks at a paperboy and begins to talk to him.

Listen kid, Innocence is only based on the rules and structure of a society. Within that society there are different levels of offense like the ten commandments and all that. Within each society are a set of major dos and do nots. In this life i lead one thing is very very clear we all have the mark of the beast. Hey i dont mean to frighten you but we are guilty and un-innocent in every way. Except our own. Only to us is killing alright, Only to us is Stealing ok, Only to us is breaking people out of jail fine because thats the way we live. In the mobster life Every man is innocent in the "mafia world" Its only when his crime is noticed that he becomes guilty. How do you like that philosophy little brother? To deep huh, well good thing you didnt hear my thoughts.

SINGERROURKE walks outside and goes in the direction of the nearest train station. When he realizes there is no train station. SINGERROURKE then decides he is going to build a train station. No its to much work, he will just take the plane again.

Id like to poin this out. I am innocent of everything Ive ever been accused of. I'm a man of peace and friendship. An evil idea or action has never occured by my hands!

Toby finds himself back in his corner booth reading the morning paper over a warm cup of coffee. A look of concern can be seen on his face. It appears he is deep in thought.

What does it mean to be innocent. Is anyone really innocent in this world, well it is obvious Ragnarok is a man of great moral fortitude, but what about the rest of us? Can a man fresh off the boat be as guilty as a long time crime Boss? Is it possible to be guilty just for associating yourself with a mafiso?

Toby's last thought seems to disturb him more than usual. He shakes his head and takes a sip of his coffee, and looks outside to see a man exchange drugs with another man.

Are seasoned drug runners as guilty as someone who is buying a dime bag for his friend? Are there different degrees of guilt? Can two people be judged differently for the same crime, or do all mafisos fall into the catagory of a thief or a drug runner?

If all mafisos are see as criminals. Are the crimes we commit wrong? In the life of a mafiso becoming a skilled criminal is required to survive.

Toby's face falls into a small grin. If you feel guilty for the crimes you commit as a mafiso, you will not last in this world. Innocence and guilt are things that were created in order to stop the increase in mafisos.

Toby finishes his cup of coffee, puts on his overcoat and walks out into the street.