Casually walking along the streets with Gemini, I notice someone sitting on a bench. There was no else at the park but this gent who appeared to be reading a newspaper. 

I paused and started to move quietly. I didn't want to stare but my eyes kept flicking to this man. So still, so strange. Now that Gemini and I were closer, his clothes were fully visible from the dark. It was theatrical but shabby, a cloak like a magician with a flash of red silk beneath the collar. 

As I approach, I locked my gaze dead ahead. 

But it was only a matter of seconds before he attacked and we ran for our fucking lives. "GEMINI HOLY SHIT RUN YOU-"

Almost falling over myself, I quickly get a grip of the situation and reach in my coat for my gun, only to have it fall out of my hand.

The young Gemini, still new to the life of crime, as well as to the idea of killing someone, left his gun there and quickly dashed down the road with alessandra.

"GO! GO! DOWN THE ALLEY!"

I pointed down a dark alleyway, in too much shock to look back and see if the man was close behind.

When we couldn't see the man anymore in our line of vision, we crouched behind a huge bin down that dark alleyway. My heart started to beat so fast, and the first drop of sweat ran down the side of my head. 

I put my hands to my forehead in frustration. "Shit what are we going to do." 

This was bad timing. Very bad timing. Especially when not one of us was armed with a gun anymore. 

Leaning back on the wall and holding my hands over my face, trying to catch my breath.

"Was... was that guy a magician or something? How'd we piss off a magician??"

Almost laughing at how odd the situation was, I started considering our options.

"Well, regardless of that, looks like we can either keep going down this alley, or we can try and get back to my gun.."

The thoughts of how my brothers in arms would see me after finding out I had dropped my piece somewhere start to fill my mind.

".. And I don't exactly plan to return to my family without it."

I panic and wave my arms around. Well yes, we needed to grab that gun because if someone else just passes by and takes it - they could get themselves including Gemini and alessandra into some serious trouble from their bosses. 

alessandra knew all too well about rookie mistakes, and she still does... a lot of them. 

"I understand. Okay, I need to calm down. Lets just go back out and get your gun." 

The first option didn't seem so bad either, but I knew it would just lead us nowhere. 

"Alright, stay here I'll go check around the corner."

That's what the heroes in the movies would say right?.. What am I thinking, we would be better off running.

I stand up and start walking towards the corner of the building we turned anyway. Before even reaching it I heard footsteps and what sounded like someone making a speech out in the distance, I peeked around the corner as quickly as I could. 

A few seconds go by and alessandra sees me look back at her with confusion and fear drenched across my face. I walk back over to her slowly and tell her something I could barely believe myself.

"So... This is gonna sound weird but, I think he's out there doing magic over a dead guy."

No time for discussion. My body is alarmed, eyes wide awake and I'm shaking of nervousness. I look at Gemini, hoping for some words of comfort. I started walking over to where he was standing before, and saw the man again. 

This time, he was in full action. His face was in deep concentration and his fingertips moved ever so gently in the air. What the hell was he doing? But then... the dead body under him continued to deteriorate as the persons bones started turning into ashes. 

I scream. And Gemini is bolting towards me. 

No. I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't hide behind the shadows anymore. 

If we needed to find something out, we'll do it. With the best of our abilities. 

"Gemini, how do we get away with murder?" I smirk. 

"I don't know but, I guess we'll figure that out sooner than later."

I take another glance at the man's street performance and then look back at alessandra

"Either way we gotta do this quick... you ready?"

In the distance, I see the handgun that Gemini had dropped. Only problem was that it was near the magician.

"Yeah, I'm ready. It's now or never." 

All hell breaks loose and we dart towards our target. Thank goodness for his quick reflexes, as he picks up his gun along the way. I nod my head in approval and he fires once towards the mans direction.

I wait for a reaction. 

Feeling dumb for even having them closed, I open my eyes to see if I hit anything.

The man was in the middle of one of his tricks, and I could see where my bullet with through his shirt. A smile was making it's way across my face before I realized the man was still standing with his arms in the air, now looking directly at me.

"H- What??"

I shot at the man a second time, square in the face. He dropped to the ground but I wasn't ready to sigh in relief just yet. 

"Is he dead?" I asked alessandra, hoping she'd somehow know.

"Uhh... Should be." I say.

What the hell was that? That was weird. He didn't even fall the first time. I jog over towards the almost-dead body and see blood seeping out from the side of his shirt. His eyes were wide open too, it was so damn creepy. 

The man's cloak was laid out on the ground, and it took a moment before alessandra could actually process what the hell was going on. 

"Dude. You hear that?" 

"What?" he replies. 

"The sound of victory right there. Good on you Gemini." I teased.

"Pfffft haha, shush!" I say jokingly, hoping that I just imagined the man not going down the first time.

I look down at the man and sure enough, blood from both wounds, starting to drip down to his cape and the street.

"Where do we put his body? And where's the other dead guy?"

I swear, this whole street was about to turn into a crime investigation scene. I can just imagine the damn paramedics and cops rushing over here. What a sight. 

"About that... I didn't think you saw it because you were running towards me at the time. He uh, got burned to ashes." I said, myself not even believing that I witnessed it. 

We later put dispose of the magician's dead body in a nearby lake. I had seen a sleeping bag earlier inside the huge bin we were hiding behind so we placed him inside. 

"I guess you could say, he's now sleeping with da fishes." I wipe my sweaty forehead with a cloth from my pocket and follow behind Gemini back out into the streets. 

Sighing at alessandra's cheap pun.

"Haha, yeah. I'd like to see him Houdini his way outta this one. We're still gettin drinks right?"

We start walking down the street, unaware of the bubbling on the surface of the lake over where the man's body is.

I slap Gemini across his chest with the back of my hand. "What a comedian you are. Yeah sure, I'm down." 

Once we reached a local pub, I quickly went first to the restroom. I needed to wash my face, and also take a damn breather. But I knew in my mind and soul, that I did not regret one bit of what Gemini and I did. It was kind of a wake up call for both of us. I guess. 

I walk back out and see Gemini sitting on a stool. I sit down next to him, smiling. "One tuxedo please."

It was well past after midnight, and I had a bad feeling about what was to come after this.

As we drink and joke around, thoughts of the man stay just below the surface of my mind, until I eventually feel like I just have to bring it up again.

"So that guy.. I mean, well, what the hell was that? How'd he make that other guy's body turn to ashes?"

The questions kept coming, with no answers to any of them. We tried our best to make sense of it all, not realizing just how late it was getting.

"Hold on, hold on.."

I took out my pocket watch to check the time.

"Heh, you're not gonna believe what time it is.. We should get goin."

We leave a tip for the barkeep, I throw my jacket over my should and we make our way out of the pub, not even realizing the world of toruble we're about to walk into.

There's nothing else I could do but follow Gemini's lead. Nothing I could say would give more clarity to the situation. It was simply too impossible for things like these to happen. 

I try to take slow breaths so I can calm myself down but it doesn't work. 

The sky grows darker, and the sound of crickets filled the streets. The street lights were blinking and not one apartment light was switched on. But I suddenly step on a dried leaf. "Shit."

But I don't think Gemini noticed. He was busy looking somewhere else. 

A familiar body emerged from the forest.

Looking out into the treeline the silhouette of a man wearing a cape was making it's way out of the darkness.

I was frozen in disbelief, but with the way this night was going, I was quick to accept the situation. I put my arm in front of alessandra to get her attention so she'd stop walking and could get ready.

"It's him."

Was there even such a thing as being brought back from the dead? I turned to Gemini, and asked him why the very man we saw that was being burned to ashes was back alive - but he had no answer. 

I was shocked beyond belief, imagining the different scenarios that played in my head if someone told me they were trying to bring back a dead person. A spell maybe.. or a curse.. or could this be something much more. 

"... Should we introduce ourselves?" I say stupidly. My feet stay stuck on the ground and just felt like I couldn't move. I focused on the man as his face changed into anger.