A man in his prime years, wearing mostly brown and nondescript clothes alongside a grim yet tired expression.

A former soldier, with nearly two centuries of battle experience under his belt. Because of an unfortunate mutation in his genes that made his body stop aging past his prime, he looks younger than he should be. He constantly wanders the waste, sticking to himself most of the time but often aids beleaguered survivors under attack by the 'things' stalking the wasteland.

(BAD END)

"K-Kurina..." Erebus stammered out.

"Yes?"

"I...I've made my decision."

Kurina flicked open his watch and sighed as the trembling hands of Erebus steadied themselves.

"Very well, Erebus." He spoke with a hint of sorrow in his voice.

"I-"

Bang!

Thud!

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I let you down." Kurina spoke apologetically as he watched blood trickle out from Erebus' forehead. His job done, Kurina quickly put away his silenced gun and left the scene.

"I hope you find peace, wherever you may be...grandson."

(Good end will come tmr, I gotta sleep)

A rugged-looking man with a scar over his right cheek was sitting with a group of men and women, laughing with them as they ate. They were the man's closest friends...and sitting right beside him, with his arm over her slender shoulder, was his blonde-haired wife. Soon, a child with a party cap sauntered over to their table and approached the man's wife.

"Mom, when can we eat the cake? I want to eat cake now..." The child asked.

"Maybe later, honey. Mom's still talking with her grown-up friends." The blonde-haired woman replied as gently as a loving mother could.

"But I want to eat cake now..." The child whined lightly. "I already finished my dinner."

At this juncture, the rugged man got up from his seat and approached the child.

"I guess my little birthday boy should get the first slice, then."

At the man's words, the boy beamed.

"Yay! Thanks, dad!"

"No problem, bud. Come along now, Dennis."

The rugged man then led his son towards the massive chocolate cake situated on a long table as the other guests continued enjoying their night, completely unaware that someone else was watching them all...and was not pleased at all, with what they are seeing.

I felt my veins bulge as I looked at this sickening sight before me. My anger....my only true companion...began to bubble up as I looked through the scope of my rifle...as I looked at the man who killed my father enjoy a life that he should never have gotten. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves...relax my body. I have to make sure I plant one right between his eyes...return to him the wound he gave my father that fateful night 16 years ago...

exhale

I've never forgotten that day since...and I never planned to until I finally see him dead and bleeding at my feet. Now...after over a decade of training and preparation, it's finally time. "Say goodnight, you filthy animal." I sque-

"Hold it."

I freeze. My crosshairs were knocked a few millimeters off-target, and I quickly lost my opening.

"Fuck." I swore as I turned to face the man who threw me off. "Why the hell are you here?"

A large man wearing a brown trench coat and a brown fedora was standing just beside the sniper. He had a muscular build, and half of his face was obscured by an unnaturally dark shadow cast by his nondescript fedora. The vengeful sharpshooter looked startled as he realized how close the man was, but his shock was quickly replaced by annoyance.

"I thought you wouldn't interfere with my decision, Kurina." The sniper harshly spoke.

"I didn't." The large man named Kurina then folded his massive arms over his chest as he looked at the same thing the sniper was looking at. "I simply gave you time to truly make a decision, Erebus."

"Well I was about to, damn it! You nearly made me miss!" Erebus angrily replied.

"But you didn't." Kurina smiled. "As if one of ol' Gungnir's students were nothing less than excellent snipers."

Erebus snarled as he re-adjusted his weapon, aiming it at the rugged man's head yet again as he spent time with his boy. Kurina unfolded his hands and pulled out an ornate pocket watch made of gold and flicked it open to look at the time.

"Why are you really here, old man?" Erebus spoke rudely. "You finally decided to go back on your word to help me?"

"No. I promised to help you get rid of this problem of yours and that's that."

"Tch. Then fuck off and let me-"

"I'm not finished yet, Erebus."

Whether out of fear for the sudden change in tone or out of habit, Erebus flinched and did as he was told. Kurina shut his pocket watch and squatted down so he'd be closer to the sniper.

"The problem with you, Erebus, is not the man in your scopes right now." Kurina then turned his head towards the sniper laying prone on the ground. "It's your decade-old hatred."

Upon hearing this, Erebus sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Oh great, I'm being lectured by the world's greatest assassin like I'm some fucking child. Please, let us hear the wise words of Kurina the saint, a man who is totally not guilty of the blood of thousands and definitely does not have a seven digit body count." Erebus mockingly said as he stabilized his weapon.

"You are a child. Even after 16 years have passed, you're still the same child as I found you all those years ago...when you cried for your father as he lay dead and bleeding in the living room of your home-"

SMACK!

Kurina effortlessly blocked a backhanded punch from Erebus. His gloved hand didn't even flinch. The massive man moved nimbly, taking a few steps away as the furious sniper left his nest and stood up to face him.

"You better shut the hell up and leave me alone, old man. I'm going to kill this fucker for what he did and you can't stop me!" Tears were now streaming down the cheeks of Erebus. "Don't make me fucking kill you too."

"You can't kill me even if you tried and you know it." Kurina spoke so calmly and confidently, as if he was speaking facts. You're just saying things you don't mean out of anger at this point. Simmer down and think this through, Erebus."

In response, Erebus quickly pulled out a gun and aimed it at Kurina. The man simply stood still, unbothered and lightly fiddling his pocket watch with his thumb.

"You think I won't do it, old man?! Do not deny me my revenge!"

Kurina sighed. "Look at you. You are so pitiful. So consumed with anger..."

Erebus quickly cocked the hammer of his gun.

"That you can't even think straight anymore." The man's voice was filled with nothing but pity for Erebus.

"This is your fault, Kurina! Stop pissing me off and just get the fuck out of here before you regret it!" Despite his attempts to sound threatening, Erebus' quiet sobs and shaky hands betray him. He was on the verge of breaking, and Kurina knows it.

"I'm not leaving because I don't want YOU to do something you'll regret, Jacob." Kurina addressed Erebus by his real name.

Erebus flinched, and Kurina continued speaking.

"Frederick is no longer the same man who killed your father, Jason. He's changed. He's no longer someone who deserves to die. He regretted killing your father. It was why he let himself be arrested. It was why he became a family man, beloved by many. If a horrible person like that could change for the better, why can't you?" Kurina spoke gently as his left arm entered his coat's pocket, fiddling with something beneath.

"What the fuck are you trying to make me do, then? Forgive and forget? Forget the shit that fucker did to me?!"

"...It's the only way this will end well for you. For everyone involved." sighs "You're still young, Jacob. You still have a life ahead of you. That is why you should no longer be shackled to the past. Just let go...and move on."

Erebus continued crying in silence while Kurina remained motionless.

"I...I can't...I can't, Kurina, I-"

"Just make the choice, Erebus. Whatever it may be, know this: I will be here to help you get what you need to finally bring yourself peace of mind..."

Erebus sobbed as he thought long and hard on what to do, his gun still shakily aimed towards Kurina. Eventually, he finally reached a conclusion.