My Will and Your Hope

If one side of New York city was a place with tall skyscrapers, the bustling crowd walking to their respective work places, and the countless restaurants producing an insatiable aroma, the other side of the city was the known as the 'dark side'.

The slums of New York felt eerie. Most of the houses were cramped next to each other, while some looked so broken, they were missing doors or roofs. Plastic tarps which were supposed to be a temporary adjustment to people's houses, eventually became permanent.

Despite such harsh conditions, many kids were seen cycling, laughing and enjoying to their heart's content. People talking, enjoying their precious times with their families, was something Indra found ironic, back when he was in the heart of the city. Everything here was lacking and yet most of them remained quite satisfied.

While the breeze blew across his face, Indra fixed his thick golden hair, and gazed at the slums in admiration. Freddy however, stuck close to him in fear. Was it because of the slums? Not at all. It was due to another person next to him, who was giving off an even more sinister vibe than the entirety of the slums itself.

"Didn't think that you of all people would be here, knowing how you never left his side." Indra turned towards her as they continued walking towards their destination. The taxi driver dropped them off at the entrance of the slums in fear. It seemed everyone was under the misconception of this place and the people in it. So much that the driver escaped with all his might.

"I didn't either. Not that I wanted to be here with you of all people. If only boss himself hadn't sent me here...." Ema grunted, not hiding her frustration.

"Oh please, stop acting so pompous. Listen, I don't want you to show the same attitude when we go to their house." Indra warned her.

Ema tensed a little, before returning to her usual demeanor and Freddy being in the middle, felt all the more awkward. The three arrived at their destination and walked up to the house. The house seemed quite old, like it was ready to fall apart, and yet maintained it's steadiness.

Reading the name, 'Fellers', Indra knocked the door and moments later, a middle aged blonde man slowly opened the door, creaking his head out warily, until he noticed three people standing in front of his house. Without any hesitation, he pointed his gun at them, startling Freddy in particular, while Indra and Ema remained calm.

"I don't care who you are, but you better leave my property if you don't want to see a hole in your body. Look, I don't want any interview, so just leave." The man threatened.

"Please calm down. We are not here to interview you or harm you. We need some questions regarding the Drug Abuse case, which happened five years ago." Ema spoke up, and yet remained on guard as the man pointed his gun at her this time.

Despite threatening them, the man was visibly shivering as sweat trickled down his head and his eyes were bloodshot, devoid of sleep. A man who seemed empty; full of sadness. Noticing these turbulent emotions, Indra without any hesitation, grabbed the gun with extreme speed, startling the old man.

"I'm sorry sir, but we just want to talk. I promise that we will not take up too much of your time." He held the gun by his side and stared at the figure in front of him, who was shaking even more. The man, unable to comprehend the speed at which Indra took his gun, felt frightened and yet was unable to move.

"Why should I trust you?! What if you were here for another motive, and harm me?" The man mustered his courage and looked straight at Indra.

"Look, I know what happened to your family and trust me, I know what it's like to lose someone so precious to you." He said, while Ema and Freddy perked their ears in curiosity and continued to listen to Indra.

"My parents were not just the light in my life, they were everything to me. No matter how hard things were, my old man and my mother were like a never ending ball of energy, never worried about the future and took care of me, no matter how busy they were. They were able to raise me with extreme love and made me what I am today." Indra spoke regretfully, while the man continued to listen, as he grabbed onto the swinging door.

"But one day like a surprise, everything was taken away from me. Do you know what's worse than losing your loved ones? It's to lose them right in front of you. I watched them perish right before my eyes and was unable to do anything. The reason I'm telling you this is not because I'm trying to convince you, but because I want you to understand that should you provide us with any valuable information, we would be able to protect the others and their families from now on. They shouldn't go through what you and I did. So please, just this once." Indra pleaded, as he returned the gun back to man.

The trembling stopped and the man removed his hand from the door, and slowly took the gun away from Indra. The man then, gave way to the three of them into his house.

"The name's Donovan Fellers."

"I am Indra, it's a pleasure and thank you Donavan." After shaking hands, Donovan led them to the hall, and signaled the trio to take a seat.

Ema remained standing behind the couch, while Freddy looked around the house which were filled with various pictures of the Feller's family, and other antique items situated within the hall. Indra sat on the couch and waited as Donavan went into the kitchen and brought back some food and water and placed it at the center table, and grabbed a wooden chair and sat across Indra.

"Donovan, we would like to know everything from purchasing the drug, to withdrawing your case against DW-Industries." Donovan eyes landed on the wall next to the fireplace. Along with him, two figures were standing next to him, in the wet sand and the waves splashing behind them. Upon noticing the moving imagery, he walked up to it and caressed it, like it was the most precious thing in the world. Indeed it was.

"Six years ago, my daughter tripped while ice skating and fell on the back of her head. At first she brushed it off, since she did not see any blood. However a year after that incident, she suddenly fainted while coming home from college.

That was the start of our damned days. When we went to the doctors, they declared it as brain trauma. There was a big clot in her brain and the doctors deemed it incurable, too late.

There was not a single doctor we've been to, nor the medicines we've tried, but everything failed. However, one day, a man knocked on our door, which changed our lives forever," he explained as he stroked the frame, while Indra and the others continued to listen intently.

"The two in the frame, that's your daughter and wife isn't it?" Freddy couldn't help but ask as he leaned forward and looked at the frame on Donovan's hands, which he gripped on tightly.

Noticing him along with his wife and daughter full of smiles, further saddened Freddy. The same smile Donovan had in the picture, was no longer evident on his face.

"Yeah. These two were my life, but that man destroyed everything I had and loved, that damn bastard!" He yelled as his eyes turned redder and the frame started to crack ever so slightly.

Indra walked over and sent some of his golden energy, calming him down. Donovan turned towards Indra in surprise, as he noticed his emotions become stable.

"I'm sorry for your loss Donovan, I cannot bring back your loved ones, but I will definitely bring you justice. I will destroy them completely. It's my promise."

Donovan eyes became watery and finally let it all out. Ema and Freddy remained quiet and yet there was a hint of relief in their eyes, as they realized how much he had held it in for his daughter and his wife.

Wiping his tears, he thanked Indra and grabbed the water glass in front of him and took a few sips, and looked towards Indra, who was standing next to him with Indra's hand on his shoulder.

Maybe, just maybe he could place his trust on this golden haired man. After all, what could he possibly lose? Although, if he were to get justice against these vile asses, then his wife and daughter could finally rest in peace.

"A man in a black and white suit, showed up and offered us this medicine. When he explained it, we found it extremely suspicious, considering how he knew about our house, let alone our daughter's condition.

That was when he explained that he was from DW-Industries and that he had the cure for our daughter's condition. But.. " He drifted off again as he stared at the ceiling, confusing the others in the hall.

"Then what?" Indra asked.

"Oh, sorry. Where was I? Ah, my twenty year old daughter was especially happy and we agreed, since a multi billion dollar industry, with advanced medicine was like a dream come true for us. With all the savings we had, we managed to pay the agreed amount, and bought the medicine.

Like a miracle, she was healed within a few days! We were all very happy and even celebrated on her recovery. It was then, the medicine began to show it's true effects. My daughter Claire, began to go crazy and had major convulsions. We had no idea why this was happening and decided to contact the person who left his card.

But, there was never a response. Within a few days, she passed away. When my wife and I filed the case against them, my wife... " Donovan stopped and being tearing up again.

Silence permeated the room as everyone else stared at shock and in anger. This was too cruel. If this new potion was to be released, this would be a killing spree; no a massacre and many people would perish! But the real question was, what was the need to do this?

"I'm counting on you Indra, don't spare any of them." Indra smiled and nodded in affirmation.

"By the way what was the man's name?" Freddy asked this time.

"He introduced himself as, if I'm not wrong... Winston."