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| What would you do | Started by: -Keats- on Mar 02, '08 23:25 |
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Strolling through the streets at night, you notice a young man sitting on a park bench, staring up at the moon. Not saying anything, you walk past him. Sad, isn't it? The lack of conversation out here? Still, it's understandable. Common sense, really. To get people to respond, you need to appeal to as many of them as possible. I've seen a lot of attempts to begin discussions out here that deal with very specific issues... things that most wouldn't have an interest in. I'd like to throw out a hypothetical situation- one that I think each and every individual here is able to respond to uniquely. Though you may make the same choice, no two men choose the same path for the same reason. I digress. Allow me to propose a hypothetical situation, and forgive me for my artistic license... So you're walking home after a long day's work, shaking the dust of countless 7-11's from your coat. You can barely lift your feet, dragging your tired bones down the last sidewalk towards your apartment. But ah, now your feet begin to move more swiftly, as thoughts of your apartment and the one you love within it spread out from your heart and permeate your body and mind. Right about now, they're finishing up dinner, anxiously hoping for your return. They never did like your new line of work- convinced that something terrible would happen to you. Something even more terrible than what made you run away together. You remember that. Remember your old city. Your old boss. Your old boss's dead son, on a job you'd planned. Not that it was your fault, of course. Could have happened to anyone. But still, you knew enough of murder and revenge to get the hell out of Dodge the first time you looked into the eyes of your boss. Grief only impedes violence for so long. You remember driving. Running. Exploding into your apartment, and begging your love to grab anything they could in 5 minutes. Driving to the airport. Rising above the clouds- and worry, on your way to a new city. Working for a new boss- one you've come to trust and admire. Shaking your head, your exhale the past and run up the stairs in your apartment building two at a time. Still about a half hour before dinner... wonder if they're in the mood... Walking into your apartment, you see the table set. Silverware spread out, salad in the center. Narrowing your eyes, you see the pasta start to boil over, and notice a bottle of wine on the floor. Smashed. Quickly, you draw your gun and make your way to the living room. The sight in front of you turns your heart into a block of ice, pumping freezing water through the rest of your body. Your love stands before you. Gagged. With a man standing before them, holding a gun to your beloved's head. Trembling, you say a prayer and start to aim at the man holding the gun. Until you hear a voice. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Drop your gun and kick it over." Turning, you see your old boss. Wearing a black suit and a bright red shirt that barely matches the fury in his eyes. Half a dozen men emerge behind him, carrying another figure, bound and gagged. As you look at the bound man, you're stunned to make contact with the eyes of your new Don. As you put down your gun and kick it to the side, your old boss begins to speak. Slowly and deliberately, his caustic words burn through your composure. "Ah. You knew this day would come. You took something very dear to me, and I do NOT want to hear any of your protestations of truth. Excuses. Bah. The past is done. This is about the future. Specifically, your future. And unlike what happened to me, I'm going to give you a choice. What my associate is handing you right now is your gun. With one bullet. This is not, however, like any bullet you've ever shot before in your whole life. In essence, this bullet is your life. Life is choice, and it's time to make yours. You have your gun and you have your bullet. My men have many guns and many bullets, but they're not going to do anything. Anything, until you shoot. Your choice... is where the bullet goes. But your choice is limited. You shoot the one you love..." As you hear the words fall from his lips, your eyes turn helplessly to your beloved. You see the lines the tears have chiseled down their cheeks and your heart stretches, groaning with pain. They were never meant to be a part of this... "... or you shoot this man. Your new boss..." Turning, you see your Don. A great man. One you've been proud to work for, and who you'd hoped could help you gain power in this world. His face is calm, and as you look at him, you realize why he is held in such high esteem by both his own family and the rest of the world... "...Or you shoot yourself, and let the others go free. The coward's way out, some would say... " Startled, you slowly start to raise the gun and begin to speak. "O, I know. You're about to tell me I've forgotten an option. I assure you, I haven't. You can shoot me, my men will let you. But before I hit the floor, my men will kill everyone else in this room. Saving you for last." Frantic, your eyes search for another solution. Some sort of crazy way to avoid this. But there isn't one. You have your single bullet. Who do you shoot? |
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Dracona considers the options, weighing each in her mind. Some will think me soft for saying this, or a fool, but the choice that I would make, possibly the hardest choice of all, and an option not given, would be to not take a shot at all. If your old boss wishes you dead, which undeniably he does, let him take his shot. It is the honorable thing to do, to let him have his revenge. Your new Don and your beloved should never be brought in to a business matter like this, and suicide is truly the most cowardly way out, so I would not shoot at all. Dracona closes her eyes and imagines the scene... Cold sweat trickles down the back of her neck, weighing down her dark hair. Her eyes shift from her boss's, who looks at her with condescending detachment and understanding, to the eyes of her love, who look at her with pure terror in them, and then down to the gun in her hand, made slick with sweat. She raises her eyes to look at her old boss, who waits for her decision like a vulture waits for a meal. No, she says calmly, letting her hand drop to her side. Shoot me, sir, if you wish. It is your right to take revenge for your son. But I will not shoot one not involved in this just to save my own life. Her old boss looks at her with appraising eyes, then begins to laugh. Very well, he says, raising his own gun. As you wish. At the very least, it would be the honorable thing to do. |
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| Reply by: Dracona at Mar 02, '08 23:57 | |
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The Producer stands next to his fathers old buddy Keats and sits there and ponders the question for a short time. This may make me seem like a coward...but I have learned not to care what other people think of me... I would shoot myself. I take pride in putting my boss and my love before myself. My new boss and my love get to keep their lives, and my old boss has his revenge for me taking his sons life, even though it isn't completely my fault. Everyone wins, except for me, but that is life... Call me a coward if you wish. As long as the ones around me, that I care for more than myself, get to keep their life and move on with what means most to them. |
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| Reply by: ThaProducer at Mar 03, '08 00:11 | |
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Shooting myself wouldn't work. Once I'm dead, how do I know my new boss and love of my life will be ok like my old boss promised? I disrespected him enough to leave him, then why would I trust his word? Shooting my love just isn't an option. I'd give up anything for the love of my life, if I had to kill her, my life wouldn't be worth living. Loves come and go, but for me to shoot her myself is just not an option. This is the option that would guarantee my survival, because my old boss would want to see me suffer, but still do I trust him enough to let my new Don live? Shooting my new Don is another one I couldn't do. I respect this man greatly. He gave me a shot to prove myself in a new city, and for me to kill the head of this new city for my own personal gain, would be completely irresponsible. Plus, once again, do I really trust my old boss to let me and my love, live? Even if he does, we'd have a whole city trying to kill us, and I doubt my old boss would protect us. Even if he would...do I really want to answer to him again? There's only one real option. It might seem like the most self-serving answer, but as I've mentioned, I don't exactly trust my old boss' word. If I really disrespect him enough to leave him and flee, then he doesn't deserve to live. I consider myself to be pretty quick on my feet. I'll have five, maybe ten seconds while they kill my new Don and love of my life. I figure I'll take my chances, and try to break for the door. My girl and Don will die, but at least it won't be at my hands. Plus the man I disrespect so greatly will be dead, and dead at my hands. Sure I'll still have his boys on my tail, but they'll be in such a state of dismay, maybe I can make it out of the country, and far away from them. As I've said, loves come and go, and I found a new boss once, maybe I can do it again...hell maybe its time for my retirement. Either way, I can sleep easy at night, knowing that whatever happens, I was responsible for bringing that man down, and everything he stood for. |
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| Reply by: Inspektah at Mar 03, '08 00:49 | |
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Here's how it would go. I'm standing there, one bullet in the gun, looking dismayed. I put the gun to my own temple, then, at the last second, I shoot the guy with the gun against the girl's head. Pow! Right between the eyes, his brains splatter out the back of his head. She starts screaming against the gag in her mouth, the new don starts struggling on the floor, and the old don starts yelling, "kill 'em all!" The other guy with a gun moves to shoot me first, but, using my lightning ninja speed, I grab his arm and turn his aim to his boss, whom he shoots in the back of the head, as he's trying to get my apartment door unlocked. Then, I break his arm at the elbow, again with my ninja skills, forcing him to bring the gun up underneath his jaw, where he blows his own brain out the top of his head. I grab a knife off the counter and quickly the boss and the girl loose. The boss begins to make phone calls, making sure the rest of my old "family" is wiped out. The girl can't even look at me, but it's for the best. I tell her to stay in the apartment as I begin to pack things that I need into my suitcase. I tell her to stay, talk to the cops, talk to the FBI, whatever it takes to get into some sort of witness protection. The don puts his hand on my shoulder and tells me it's time to go. Such is the life of a super-duper assassin such as me, Mr_47!! |
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| Reply by: Mr_47 at Mar 03, '08 10:46 | |
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| Damn it, there were half a dozen men there. Ok, so the first guy, I shoot. Then I grab the one guy, who, (this time) has an UZI, which I use to mow down the other five guys. THEN I shoot the old boss as he's going out the door. Then I say good-bye, super secret ninja assassin, blah, blah, blah. Synopsis: I'm awesome and kill them all with my mad skills. The End. | |
| Reply by: Mr_47 at Mar 03, '08 10:49 | |
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| What if 47 ran out of painkillers and adrenaline and all he had was his binoculars? :( | |
| Reply by: Omar at Mar 03, '08 10:54 | |
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| Ok, ok. Binoculars. So, I come in, I have binoculars. Again, I have mad skills, so after the old boss starts his monologue, I throw the binoculars at his head, stunning everyone in the room. Little do they know that it shattered his skull. They go to check on him and I grab the binoculars and use the strap to quietly strangle one of them while the others attend to their boss. THEN I grab the uzi, etc. Synopsis: Rockstar super ninja 47 kills everyone. | |
| Reply by: Mr_47 at Mar 03, '08 11:56 | |
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| I'd do what he said. | |
| Reply by: TFeckinO at Mar 03, '08 12:48 | |
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| This makes me want a 47 Enterprises product that automatically brings in 47 whenever these type of situations arise. | |
| Reply by: TheMoney at Mar 03, '08 12:50 | |
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| There's actually a watch that only I can hear... wait, I think that's Superman. Ok, there's not a product like that yet, but you can actually rent 47 impersonators. There's Senor 46, Dr. 48, and Monsuier 49. | |
| Reply by: Mr_47 at Mar 03, '08 12:54 | |
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In this line of buisness I would probably have some guards or something watching my place at all times. That way while i'm away I know my love is safe, or atleast more safe. You can't put a price on love but you can on protection. There isn't any price I wouldn't pay to keep those close to me safe. If I didn't have that option however, I would make damn sure to hire Mr_47 no matter the cost to walk me home. Jussive grins |
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| Reply by: Jussive at Mar 03, '08 13:06 | |
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Ralph sits beside Keats and listens to his conundrum, he gets the feeling this may be Keats looking for some sort of confirmation that what he did was right, that Keats was in this very situation and survived. Well Keats, I will tell you what I would do, given the situation you describe and the options you had. I wouldn't do anything at first, I would wait silently looking at the Boss I had disrespected. I would mentally fix every part of him into my brain, if this was to be my last act on Gods Earth, I would do it with my head held high, and looking my enemy in the eye. How long would the stalemate last, well, it would be up to my old Boss to decide. I am sure eventually he would get annoyed, and threaten me some more, but in the mean time, the others in the room, those who are threatening the people who I owe the most too, will be getting agitated. You know the feeling, when you want to kill somebody but you aren't allowed, or can't get close enough. You get frustrated, and frustration leads to mistakes, mistakes by the enemy can mean the difference between your living, and dying. So I would stare at my ex Boss and eventually, he will make the first move. He will threaten to kill us all if I don't do something, but I know my ex Boss, he is a man who is more talk than action, he will be playing it over in his mind and wondering why I am not speaking. Again he will threaten me, only louder, the frustration evident in his voice, in his eyes and in his actions. He will raise his gun and point it at me, tell me that I must choose, or we will all die anyway. Only then will I make any movement. I will turn a full three hundred and sixty degrees, taking in my surroundings and where each person loyal to my old Boss is standing, where they are concentrating, and whether they are yet at the point of making a mistake. As I turn, I will make eye contact with each person. They will be shocked that I have dared to turn my back on my old Boss, that I have the gall to disrespect him further. I will see the anger in their eyes, and in some, I may even see respect. As I turn I will look into the eyes of my love, the one who my heart yearns for even now. I will try to reassure her with my eyes, to let her see that I love her, and that I will not hurt her. I will look into my new Bosses eyes and he will know instinctively what I am going to do next, what I need to do. I will then look back at my old Boss, and I will smile. Well Sir, I see you have me in quite a pickle here, and I have made my decision. I just want to confirm, I have your word that if I use this gun on myself, my Boss, or my love, you will not kill any of us? My old Boss will nod, as I said, he is more talk than action, and I will feel that the choice I have made is the right one. I will turn to my new Boss, and I will apologise out loud for what I am about to do, thanking him for taking me in, and wishing that things could have turned out differently. My old Boss will struggle a little, he will act annoyed, to position himself so the man who is holding him is directly behind him. I will say a silent prayer to myself, and then look directly at my new Boss. I will raise my weapon and shoot him in the right arm, the bullet passing through him and hitting the man holding him square in the chest. My new Boss will fall to the floor and in the process he will grab the weapon dropped by his now dead captor. Now I cannot predict what would happen next. Simply because from that point, anything could happen, and depending on the luck of those in the room, there would be a number of outcomes. But to this point, I would have made my decision, the rest would be left to fate. Now Sir, I can see that you have something to get off your chest, please, tell me your story. Tell me how this actually played out. Ralph waits and listens patiently whilst Keats tells his story |
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| Reply by: Ralph_Pryke at Mar 03, '08 13:32 | |
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I would start dancing around and waving my arms while chanting You are all dreaming ... this is a dream You are dreaming...dreammmmming then as soon as I convinced them all that they are actually dreaming I would dance up to them, one by one... take there guns, and end all of their lives |
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| Reply by: Riley__ at Mar 03, '08 13:35 | |
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Smiling, -Keats- turns to Dracona and listens to her reply. When she's finished, he begins to speak. I think that's a very tempting option, Dracona. To escape from having to make a choice at all. Unfortunately, life usually isn't that easy, and in my experience, apathy gets you in the most trouble more often than not. Who's to say that, his request disobeyed, your old boss wont kill everyone? Or just fill the one you love and your Don with non-fatal gunshots until their agony forces you to choose. -Keats- shakes his head. No, my friend. I don't believe it's that simple. If you pick yourself, why not pull the trigger yourself and avoid any additional potential casualties? |
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| Reply by: -Keats- at Mar 03, '08 16:15 | |
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After listening to ThaProducer provide his answer to the question, -Keats- steps forward and responds. I would not call such an action cowardly, my friend. Your devotion to your love and to boss is admirable. Still, having "He made a good choice" on your proverbial tombstone may be a good thing... but you're still dead. Thank you for your answer, though. |
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| Reply by: -Keats- at Mar 03, '08 16:20 | |
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After listening to Inspektah's well thought out answer, -Keats-, sitting on his park bench, replies. Your old boss may be filled with revenge, but has he lost his honor? Surely a man in his position wouldn't lie. After all, if he'd wanted your love and your Don dead, he could have killed them long before. No, I think you can trust him, as twisted as he is, believing he just wants to see you have to choose. You seem to say that you care about your love and your Don too much to kill them. Yet you sign both of their death warrants? Regardless of whether or not you entirely trust your old boss, would it not be better to die with hope, rather than living without any hope of happiness? Even if you are as quick as you hope, would the life you escape to be one that is worth living? |
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| Reply by: -Keats- at Mar 03, '08 16:26 | |
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Sitting contentedly, -Keats- stares up at the moon. As Mr_47 steps out of the crowd and responds, -Keats- stares at the man in disbelief. Sir... Remind me never to get on your bad side. Goes off to purchase some binoculars. |
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| Reply by: -Keats- at Mar 03, '08 16:31 | |
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Listening to Jussive's response, -Keats- leans forward and smirks sardonically. Sir, I believe that is the defintion of "shutting the barn door once the horse is gone". Still, you make an excellent point. With foresight and hard work, many of the situations we would be troubled to face can be avoided. Still, some can not, and sometimes choices like these must be made. |
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| Reply by: -Keats- at Mar 03, '08 16:36 | |
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As Riley__ and Ralph_Pryke step out and give their responses in quick succession, -Keats- listens intently. When they are finished, he steps forward, chuckling, yet the seriousness of the situation is reflected in his eyes. Riley__... good luck with that strategy, my friend. You'd need it. Especially since you, your love, and your Don would probably wind up dead. Ralph, your response has led me to think a great deal. You would shoot your Don, but not to kill. You have not dodged the question entirely, as your bullet ends a life. Almost certainly, you would be condemning yourself, your Don, and your love to death, as there are a half dozen men there ready to raise their guns and kill you, as well as one with the barrel of his gun at the back of your love's head. And if your love, your Don, yourself, or your old boss, must be the recipient of the death your bullet bears? What then? As for whether this situated has been a creation, or the rantings of a broken man... Well. I will give more men and women the chance to respond before that story sees the light of day. |
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| Reply by: -Keats- at Mar 03, '08 16:48 | |
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