⁕ The truths and the lies (part 4)

*Rome, Italy, 19 years prior to the current story.

The city of Rome was only semi-illuminated at night. With government corruption at its peak, parts of the city were still in ruin from the last World War. Although electricity wasn't a concern for the people, its price was 1000 times what it used to be when Italy was still a stable country. On top of that, the city's crime rate has tenfold, thus forcing people to remain in their homes at night.

It wasn't so different compared to Karson's country of Great Britain where the people were subdued thanks to the introduction of drugs in the water, and a lack of a proper education system due to budget cuts and corruption. Most importantly, due to US occupation after the Third World War, the Italian government was replaced by a puppet government whose loyalty lies with the US. Instead of exporting its own products, Italy was forced to only import products from the US, thus ruining its economy. 

The crime rate increased due to poverty while gang activities saw its golden age. The police, due to poor funding, chose to be loyal to different mafia organizations instead of the government. There is no law or justice. Suffering or crime is your only option. Speak up and you will be drugged or shot. Revolt and you will be labelled as a fascist or anything in between and with a lack of education, brainless people will snuff out your movement before you can even begin to march. 

Sniper, clad in futuristic armour that covered his body from head to toe, overlooked the dimly glowing city from a balcony at the top of a hill. After finishing his glass of champagne, he turned around and walked into a brightly lit party. It wasn't uncommon to see government figures and politicians walking amongst the crowd of high-ranking mafia members and relatives of the Gilberto family.

Sniper noticed the lavishly decorated birthday cake in the middle of the yard surrounded by Primo Gilberto and members of his close family. As he made his way toward Primo, he was abruptly greeted by Gioacchino Gilberto and Charlotte.

[Charlotte] - "How are you doing big bro? Glad you could attend little Mike's birthday. "

[Gioacchino] - "Hey, nice to find you here. "

Said Gioacchino as he reached his palm toward Sniper.

[Sniper] - "Oh, who am I to not visit my only nephew on his birthday? "

Said Sniper as he shook Gioacchino's hand.

[Gioacchino] - "By the way, brother, I saw your gift. A single bottle of Chateau Margaux. How generous of you. "

Said Gioacchino in a mocking tone.

[Sniper] - "That was a bottle costing 1.5 million dollars and a sure hard thing to find these days. "

[Gioacchino] - "Oh, of course, it was. All I'm saying is that Leonard Gilberto offered us 3 bottles of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 costing 3 million each and a Mrs. Winstin necklace with a total of 187.5 carats of white diamonds for my wife. Do you lack money, brother? I can loan you some if you need it, haha. "

Said Gioacchino in a passive-aggressive voice.

Sniper smirked before abruptly pulling his hand away from Gioacchino.

[Sniper] - "I'm sorry I didn't grow up appreciating the finer things in life. Maybe next time, I'll offer you something shinier and sharper to wear around your neck. "

Said Sniper in a cold and emotionless voice.

[Charlotte] - "Alright, you two. Cut it out! Mike, come say hi to Uncle Charles! "

Upon hearing his mother's call, Mike rushed away from his grandfather Primo to hug Sniper's leg.

[Mike] - "Hello Uncle Charles! "

[Sniper] - "Hey now, it's Uncle Sniper. "

[Mike] - "Sorry Uncle Sniper. "

Said Mike as he gently backed off from Sniper.

As the night went on, Sniper, uninterested in all the useless chatter going on between the guests, took an empty place by the balcony to stare at the city below him. As the gentle summer wind brushed his cape against the guard rail, a set of gentle footsteps stopped behind him.

[Mike] - "What are you doing, Uncle Sniper? "

[Sniper] - "Ah, you. What are you doing here? "

Said Sniper as he abruptly turned around.

[Mike] - "I'm bored. I don't like playing with the other kids. "

[Sniper] - "You chose the wrong place to stay if you are bored, boy. I'm more boring than your friends. "

[Mike] - "I heard from Mom you have superpowers. Can you show me? "

Said Mike with sparks of excitement glowing in his eyes.

[Sniper] - "Is that so? Come sit here then. "

Mike hurriedly pulled a metal chair and climbed on top of it.

[Mike] - "Show me your superpowers, uncle! "

[Sniper] - "Alright, see the city of Rome below us? "

[Mike] - "Yes! "

Said Mike as he held his tiny hands against the tall guard rail beside him.

[Sniper] - "I have the power to make the city glow like the party we are having up here. "

[Mike] - "Oooh! But that's kind of a boring power, uncle. I thought you were like Superman or Thor. "

Sniper smirked at the innocence of Mike's comment.

[Sniper] - "Do you know why there is no light down there? "

[Mike] - "Why? "

[Sniper] - "Because people down there couldn't afford to keep the light on. Also, bad people roam the dark streets at night and attack any house seen with lights on. "

[Mike] - "Why? "

Sniper grunted in frustration before calming himself down. 

[Sniper] - "How about I show you? Want to take a stroll with uncle? "

[Mike] - "Yes, please! "

Said Mike with enthusiasm. 

After making sure that no one was watching them, Sniper used his ability to fly himself and Mike down into the outer city of Rome where everything was submerged in complete darkness. 

[Mike] - "You can fly, uncle? Can we fly again? "

[Sniper] - "Another time, boy. Let's get going first. "

Said Sniper with a stoic look on his face. 

The pair moved through the dirty and empty streets, illuminated only by the moonlight. For a four-year-old, Mike remained relatively brave as he travelled through the darkness behind his uncle without an ounce of fear. The silence was abruptly broken by the distant roar of a car followed by the screeching scream of its tires. 

Without hesitation, Sniper began to move toward the source of the sound while Mike reluctantly followed behind. After moving through a few streets, they saw a van parked in front of a house with several heavily armed men packed with cybernetic modifications. A tall bulky punk moved forward and smashed through the door of a random house. Immediately, a group of his men rushed inside the house followed by gunshots and screams. Meanwhile, the leader and another group of men arrived at another house before they smashed through the door as if it were made of butter. 

Upon his entry, a middle-aged Italian man in a pyjama met him with a shotgun. The shell splashed against the punk's metallic chest and left nothing but a few dents. Frozen by terror, the man watched as the punk bent the barrel of his gun with his bare hand before shooting him in the abdomen with a hand-attached rifle. Without saying a word, Sniper moved toward the men and put his hand on the shoulder of the last member of the group. 

[Sniper] - "Didn't know Lucas' gang needed this kind of tactic. "

Before the man could raise his rifle at him, Sniper simply tapped his finger against the man's forehead. In an instant, the man's eyes rolled backward before he collapsed like a lifeless puppet. Once inside the house, the others immediately noticed Sniper's presence. Mike arrived just in time to see them firing at Sniper but unexpectedly, Sniper took no damage. To Mike's amazement, the pair of crystals on Sniper's forearms began to shine with a diamond-white glow. 

All of a sudden, the crooks were swallowed by the wall and floor. As they tried to scream, Sniper simply collapsed their lungs before their horrified stares disappeared into the walls and floor. At this point, the punk leader was alerted by situation and like a bull, he rushed Sniper with his fist in the air. Unimpressed, Sniper swiftly grabbed the man's fist and crushed it without any effort. No matter how hard the man screamed, no sound escaped his mouth as Sniper created a vacuum around it. All the while, Sniper simply stared at the terrified man with a cold expression on his face.

With a slight push, Sniper crashed the man with so much pressure that blood icicles extended from his body while pieces of small diamonds popped out of his crushed armour. With an apathetic look on his face, Sniper threw the crushed remains of the man out of the front door before snapping his finger. Simultaneously, all the other crooks inside the other house collapsed to the ground as a piece of their own rib struck out of their skull. 

[Sniper] - "Come now, it's safe. "

Said Sniper as he waved at Mike. 

 Mike immediately rushed into the house and hid behind Sniper. The wife rushed out to see her husband bleeding from the gunshot wound on the ground. Meanwhile, the few children sobbed quietly in the shadows. 

[Sniper] - "Move, let me handle this. "

Sniper bent over the husband and used his ability to remove the bullet and close up the wound. Upon having his health restored, the man got up and began to kneel with his wife in front of Sniper. Mike saw how thankful they were as they cried with gratitude toward Sniper and the lord. With a look of sympathy on his face, Sniper walked into the kitchen and opened the family's fridge. 

[Wife] - "Please, take anything you want, sir! "

Sniper looked at the empty fridge with nothing but a few pieces of rotting vegetables left. 

[Sniper] - "Wait here. "

Sniper suddenly flew through the ceiling without leaving any damage. After a few minutes, he returned with a bag full of groceries and began to fill the fridge with fresh produce. Mike, meanwhile, was approached by 2 boys and 1 girl around the same age as him. With a warm smile, Mike reassured them while Sniper helped the family cook a proper meal. 

Later that night, Sniper watched as the family enjoyed their first proper meal in months. With every few bites, the family turned around to thank Sniper. 

[Mike] - "Why are these kids so skinny? "

Said Mike while he pulled at Sniper's hand. 

[Sniper] - "Unlike you, they don't have access to a proper meal. You see Mike... "

Sniper paused as he kneeled down to Mike's level. 

[Sniper] - "...You can't spend your life living up there on the mountain with all the rich people while horrible things happen to the people down here. Imagine if you were born in a family like this. I want you to understand that you can make a difference, you can help others instead of being selfish. What happened tonight happens all the time and I can't save everyone alone. One day, I'll need your help. "

With sparkling eyes, Mike nodded his head. 

[Sniper] - "Now, let's go. Your parents must be worried. "

Mike nodded his head and headed toward the door. Meanwhile, Sniper turned toward the parents and whispered to them:

[Sniper] - "One of these days, a revolution will reach this place. By that time, I want you to be brave and participate in the revolution. Know that, in front of your sons, I will lead the charge. "

Sniper performed a salute which consisted of a raised fist in the air while the other hand performed a military salute. This salute will later be standardized into all branches of the empire. In response, the parents also saluted Sniper before he left. 

[Mike] - "You are like a superhero after all. "

Said Mike as he flew with Sniper.

[Sniper] - "You could say that. But remember, you can also be just like me. "

[Mike] - "For real? How? "

Said Mike in an enthusiastic voice. 

[Sniper] - "I'll show you another time. "

Later that night, Sniper returned Mike to his worried parents who were waiting for him at their doors.

[Charlotte] - "Where the hell have you two been? I have been worried sick! "

Said Charlotte as she rushed in to take Mike into her embrace.

[Mike] - "We went to the city and Uncle Sniper showed me his power and punched away some bad people. "

[Gioacchino] - "Why the fuck are you taking our son with you? We never gave you permission! "

[Charlotte] - "Gioacchino, take Mike to bed. I'll talk with him! "

[Gioacchino] - "You are banned from coming here, you hear me? Don't get close to my family again, you psycho! "

Said Gioacchino as he led Mike into the house.

[Charlotte] - "What the hell is wrong with you, Charles? "

[Sniper] - "Stop calling me by that name! I told you so many times. "

[Charlotte] - "That's beside the point! You took him to the city! There could be criminals, homeless people spreading disease and child kidnappers! The city is filthy and dirty! What if you get my son sick? "

[Sniper] - "We helped a family in distress! We helped people unlike you bunch of greedy pricks who only know to prey on vulnerable. The city is filthy? Why? All because of this corruption. "

[Charlotte] - "You allowed him to get near those filthy peasants? If he gets sick, I swear I will never forgive you! "

Said Charlotte with a shocked expression on her face. 

[Sniper] - "I protected him. There is nothing wrong with showing him a world you people would never show him! He needs to know people are suffering! You all kept him in the dark about the misery of the common people while away in your luxurious mansion living a lavish and wasteful lifestyle. "

[Charlotte] - "Take off your helmet! "

[Sniper] - "What do you want? "

[Charlotte] - "Take it off! "

Sniper hesitantly took off his helmet before Charlotte abruptly slapped him in the face.

[Charlotte] - "Always acting like a madman! All you think about is nonsense. Every day, you had to act like a hero. You are not a hero, Charles! Why can't you be like the rest of us, brother, why can't you be normal? "

Sniper slowly stood himself upright before staring coldly into Charlotte's eyes.

[Sniper] - "Normal? People capable of ignoring the misery of the unfortunate souls below them. Normal? More like all a bunch of psychopaths! You forget where you come from, Charlotte. You were once like the homeless people. I had to kill to feed you and send you to school. "

Said Sniper in a hateful voice.

[Charlotte] - "Well time has changed! I'm no longer one of them. I have a dream life, I have everything, so why should I care about the people below me? "

[Sniper] - "Every child deserves good parents but not every parent deserves a child. Mike was born into the wrong family. Raised by a bunch of egotistic cretins without any virtue in their hearts. "

[Charlotte] - "Leave! Don't ever come back to bother my family again! "

Screamed Charlotte with tears in her eyes.

[Sniper] - "There is a reason why Lady Justice is holding a sword. "

Said Sniper in a cold voice with a bone-chilling stare.

With that said, Sniper turned around and started to walk away from the mansion. As he reached the front gate, he turned around to see Mike staring at him through one of the house windows. With a grin on his face, Sniper showed Mike a thumb up before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

To be continued...