"You've outdone yourself this time."
Mark smirked at the red-eyed man.
"How so?"
Lauding his gun at the crowd across the alley, he held a calm, nearly amused demeanor on his face. And while he wasn't nearly as tranquil as his expression showed, the amusement was true.
'Well I've done it. Surrounded by the bloodthirsty Spheks... maybe I should have just sacrificed that damned brunette.'
Internally sighing, he watched as the leader stepped forward, acting as if there was no gun pointed at him. Mark would have usually shot at that moment, but something told him that it was a bad idea- whether it be logic, instinct, or something else entirely.
Two bodyguards followed the man, each of them callous as ice, wearing heavy coats that seemed to be utterly packed on the inside.
They stopped halfway through the alley, leaving Mark just outside the range of a melee assault.
"Don't act deaf. The evidence has long been laid out, and our search for you is finally coming to an end."
Mark stifled a laugh, his smile widening instead.
"Are you messing with me? If your gang was searching for me, I wouldn't even be alive right now. No, I refuse to believe the Spheks to be so incompetent that they would struggle to find a lone man."
He shook his head.
"You have the wrong man."
The leader chuckled, gesturing at Mark's gun.
"And you're saying those words while pointing that thing to my face? You must be from a gang, tell me which one."
'Shoot, I thought the gun gave me away for a second. But actually, what kind of image do they have of me? I'm just an unemployed bloke!'
While he had some connection to the Hounds, Mark kept that to himself. Though he hadn't been connected to the hood for a while, he knew that the Spheks had been competing with Aaron's gang. Maybe they would kill him if his connection was found.
"I'm in no gang. This gun is simply meant for people like you. "
Pulling at the strings of the red-eyed man's emotions, Mark made himself sound believable. An unyielding glint shone in his eyes while he daringly matched the leader's gaze.
Yet the red-eyed man acted as if looking at a cornered prey.
"In that case, why did you assault my men?"
Mark shrugged.
"Self-defense. Blaming me for the actions of your homicidal men isn't quite fair."
He waved his gun, gesturing to the crowd.
"A good owner keeps his dogs on the leash."
The crowd stirred, many of the vagrants wanting to lunge at the lone man. Mark ignited their brazenness. but annoyingly enough, none of them charged forward. They stayed behind the three in the middle of the alley.
Most impressively, the two by the leader's side remained indifferent the whole time- as if the taciturn figures were stone statues.
Unamused, the leader spared a slight frown.
"You shouldn't be referring to them as uncontrolled. After all, the one who ended up dead was one of mine, and the person who killed him was you."
Mark's right eye twitched.
"That's because the idiot wouldn't stop following me! And what right do you have to complain about your men getting killed? The blood on your hands runs way further than mine ever will!"
The rose-colored eyes of the leader flickered.
"So you admit to it."
'Wait what?'
Puzzled, Mark kept a stoic face, but the leader seemed to see through his facade.
"Truthfully, we don't have the time to search for a lone vagrant. After having watched for you on our territory for a few days, the hunt came to a halt. Expanding our land was the greatest priority at the moment. But now that our reach has encompassed the central district, there was suddenly some free time at hand."
'Since when did these guys claim the whole central district!? No, that has to be a bluff.'
He internally sighed.
"That's great and all, but there is no need to put so many people on me."
The leader's face turned solemn.
"Of course, I have to. You might not know who you killed, but he was in my inner circle. A crime like that must be dealt with utmost caution."
Mark looked at the red-eyed man emotionlessly. The gun in his hand brought a frigid calm to his blazing heart.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Ok. And now you have me. So what are you going to do? If killing me was the goal then there would be many better ways to go about it."
Pausing, he instigated feelings of dread in the leader and his two direct subordinates.
"What do you want from me?"
Silence fell on the somber alley.
The scoundrels crowded on the far end froze.
The two callous attendants stood coldly.
The marvelous leader stayed in his repose.
And Mark, with his gun held tight, awaited a response.
Eventually, rose eyes glinted in delight.
The sound of clapping hands resounded through the night.
"You caught on faster than I expected! Truly, well done."
He smiled, the expression was frightening when mixed with the man's authoritative presence.
"Your performance tonight had long since exceeded my expectations. After hearing about a man who could so easily oppose my people, I was slightly interested. But after you killed one of my chaperones, I simply had to see such a brazen man. And I wasn't disappointed at all!"
Mark internally shuddered.
'This guy is crazy- no, they all are! First that kidnapping bastard and now this lunatic!'
Recalling the night where he was taken hostage, the image of a callous man shooting through his comrades and chasing him through the night surfaced. It was a terrible experience overall.
The eminent man continued.
"So much skill on the streets yet you aren't in a gang. It truly is a shame."
He paused as understanding began to dawn on Mark.
"So as the leader of the Spheks,"
The leader took a coin from his pocket and flicked it over to the lone man across the alley.
The sound of nail hitting metal echoed.
"I invite you."