Hell's Nursery Part 1~A Deal with the Devil

  

 
    Looking over the table you sigh shaking your head. "No deal." You huff picking up the array of electronics you had laid out.

    "Come on ______. You won't get a better price anywhere else for them."  

    "That's where you are wrong. Jasper has already offered me more. Just wanted to cover all my bases." 

    "Fifteen hundred. That's as high as I'll go." You smirk at the man sticking out your hand.  

    "You've got a deal Alton." He looks at you skeptically before shaking your hand. You slide the things over to him while he hands you a wad of cash. You count it quickly, giving him a smile. "Pleasure doing business with you love." 

    "Right. Come back again soon." He says giving you a wave as you leave. The small pawn shop specialized in stolen goods. Not that anyone outside of the thief's realm knew that. There weren't many places in this hell hole of a town that could scrub almost anything clean of it's previous owner. Only two that you trusted not to throw you to the sharks should something come back to the shop with the police.  

    Stepping off the curb and into the waiting cab, you give the man an address close to your apartment before leaning back against the seat and staring out the window in thought. You had been planning another hit for tonight for about a week, staking out a small jewelry store that dealt in black market deals. The owner was known for his fake jewelry, but you had heard from a reliable source that he had a safe in his office where he kept a load of real diamonds. Tonight the shop would close early, the owner having an out of town meeting with his mistress. The cab comes to a stop a little ways from your apartment, jarring you from your thoughts. You pay the cabbie, giving him a small nod as you slip out of the cab and begin your walk home.  

    A few hours later, you stood in the shadows of an alleyway, waiting for the tell tale ding of the jewelry stores door closing for the day. You had waited for about a half hour before a large man flipped the sign over, walking out the door and locking it behind him. You smile wickedly, waiting for him to get in his car before making your way to the back door of the store. Pulling a lockpick from your pocket, you make quick work of the back door, slipping in through a small crack and keeping your back against it as to not set off any alarms. You exchange the lock pick for a small chip, inserting it into the side of the security system. 

    "System disarmed" A voice chimes. Walking across the store room, you check the door to the owners office, finding it unlocked. You raise an eyebrow but shrug moving forward. The safe wasn't hidden very well. It sat underneath the owner's desk, hidden only by a small cutaway in the side of the desk that was covered by a small piece of wood. The different shade of the wood had given it away though. Looking at the safe, you hook a small wire to the keypad, the other end attaching to your phone as you wait for the small screen to crack the pin number. After a few seconds, your phone dings and the door to the safe clicks opening slightly. You smile widely. This had been so much easier than you had expected. Opening the safe quickly, your eyes widen to a loud pop and a searing pain tearing through your chest. You place a hand on your chest before bringing it to your eyes, bright red covering the palm of your glove. So the guy wasn't a complete idiot. A gun rigged to go off should the safe be opened without disarming it. You chuckle to yourself, blood starting to drip down your chest.  

    "Well I guess I've had a good run." You choke out leaning back against the desk, letting your head roll to the side. A soft chuckle interrupts your pain filled thoughts. Shifting your gaze you look to your right, finding a red haired man sitting on the desk, a long tail swaying behind him. "Oh god I am hallucinating." 

    "Not in the slightest actually, you're dying." The man says. You left out a pained breath. 

    "I figured as much. So who are you mister 'non imaginary being'."  

    "My name is Shanks. I have a proposition for you." 

    "Is that right? Let me hear it. Wait too much longer and I won't be able to give you an answer." 

    "Of course." He smiles hopping off the desk and crouching in front of you. "If I save you. Let you live. You come work for me." You look at him, the edges of your vision starting to waver. What is the world could he have for you to do? Actually this probably wasn't even real. A delusion your pain filled mind thought up to keep your thoughts away from the fact that you would die completely alone.  

    "Well Shanks, if you're real, then you have a deal." You breath raising your arm a bit, your fingers shaking. He shakes your hand with a wide grin.  

    "Lovely." He says kissing the back of your hand. Your head rolls to the side, your vision fading again. "See you in the morning" Is the last thing you hear before passing out.