One-Shots

I'm Sorry

John's feet crunched in the snow, the cold winter air biting at his face as heavy snow fell around him.

Had anyone seen his face it would've looked perfectly neutral, but inside he was facing turmoil that had been churning around for a long time.

He couldn't do it anymore.

The lies, the deceit, the betrayal, all of it under a friendly façade. He was sick of it.

That was why he was going to end it, once and for all.

As he walked along the dark deserted street, he heard a buzz come from his pocket. Taking his phone out, the dim glow from the screen cast shadows on his face as he saw the Caller ID. Again.

Suddenly, the one street lamp that had been lit switched off, leaving John in the dark. He quickly sent the caller to voicemail and switched his phone to silent knowing what was about to come.

Rough hands grabbed him from behind and began to yank him into an alley as his eyes began to adjust to the blackness of the night. A man's voice began to speak as he was thrown onto the hard floor, his bones jarring from the impact.

"What the hell did you do?" the voice snarled at John.

John smirked even though he knew the man couldn't see.

"Come on Maxwell, what do you take me for?"

John felt a boot-covered foot connect with his stomach, making him double over. Then, Maxwell grabbed a fistful of John's hair, and pulled it up, and spoke into his ear.

"I'll tell you what I take you for," he said, menace laced in his words. "A filthy little double-crossing liar!"

John's phone buzzed again, unbeknownst to Maxwell, who had released John from his vice-like grip and, judging from the pacing of feet John was hearing, Maxwell seemed to be in fury.

"It's because I was a filthy double-crossing liar you sent me here," he said, picking up the call on his phone knowing that the people on the other side would be listening.

Slipping his phone into his shirt's front pocket, he slowly advanced on Maxwell, who was still pacing angrily. Pulling out the hidden pistol that John kept with him at all times, and tugged the safety catch off quietly, pointing it at Maxwell.

Before he had a chance to pull the trigger, bright car headlights flooded the alley, and John froze as Maxwell grinned savagely at him.

"You really think I'd try to take you in without knowing about your little tricks?" And all at once, Maxwell went from a brute, to a man with filled with hard, cold intelligence.

John was still frozen in place as his pistol was taken from him, and more men came from the car and forced him onto his knees. Maxwell pointed the pistol at his face.

"You're about to learn what happens to people who shift their loyalties from us, John," Maxwell said. "And as much fun as it would be to just kill you now, you deserve a painful death."

Maxwell pulled the trigger.

John's spasmed, as the bullet lodged itself into his stomach.

Another shot rang out.

John spasmed again as a bullet hit shoulder.

Three more shots were fired, three more jolting spasms emitted from John.

He was numb from the pain as he spat a glop of blood out. His head was spinning as he was finally released. As he began to hyperventilate, his mind barely registered the fact that the men, and Maxwell had left the alley, leaving him in the dark. Alone. Again.

Then, he heard multiple footsteps run into the alley. He felt two pairs of hands lift him up again, and take him out of the alley.

His mind hazy with pain, he thought Maxwell had come back to shoot him again.

"Please...no more..."

"It's alright mate, you're safe now," a familiar voice said.

His breathing was getting even faster now, and he could hear more familiar voices conversing, but they all sounded like they were underwater. He heard the doors of a car slam shut.

"We need to get him back to base, he's going into shock."

"Can we put him into a cryogenics unit? It could keep him stable."

"GRANT! STEP ON IT!"

"He's losing a lot of blood, and the bullets are too deep to remove without him bleeding out."

The voices began to meld together until the darkness began to wash over him, yet still he wasn't claimed by it just yet.

A young man's voice spoke quietly. "...And I promise none of us blame you for what you did, well maybe Grant did a little, but he got over it when he found out why... but the point is, you have to live. If you die, everything will fall apart." He paused.

"The family we've become, it'll fall apart."

Then the voice was gone, and he felt himself being lifted and placed into something. A soft blue light filled his eyes, as his breathing began to get back to normal somewhat. He looked up to see the faces of his friends. The people whom he had been sent to infiltrate within.

He gave reports to his employ – no, his blackmailer, but he saw the kind of people that they were. And it sickened him that he was using them. So, he stopped. To keep them safe, he had left that night when they had found out about his betrayal, knowing they would be safer away from him.

John had known he wouldn't get out alive.

Even now, as his friends raced frantically to save his life, deep down he knew there was nothing they could do.

A scream ripped from his throat as burning pain shot through his body.

No, no, no. He thought. I'm not going to die without telling them...about...

His train of thought was lost as the pain took over completely.

He could see the panicked expressions of his friends as they tried to keep him alive.

A gurgling sound escaped from him as he tried to form words. "M..ry..."

The panic above him stopped abruptly as they all turned to look at him.

"...M...sor..." he tried to get the words out.

He steeled himself for one last try.

"...I'm...sorry..."

And then the darkness finally claimed him.