Never Judge

As Alexi finished his torture, Miguel once more walked into the room with his hands in his pockets.

He quickly examined Brian checking on his wounds and quickly making sure that the prisoner would not die.

"Is he good to go?" Alexi asked Miguel as he handed the doctor a glass of alcohol.

Miguel refused the glass and shook his head.

"He won't die yet, but I can't be around to see what comes next." Miguel said with a frown. 

"You won't be needed any more Miguel, you can go rest." Ray told Miguel who nodded and walked up to Cedric.

"I hope this gives you closure. I mean we are all different and we all cope differently, but I hope this is worth it." Miguel told Cedric as he left.

Cedric couldn't help but think about Miguel's words. Among his friends Miguel would be the last to take a life. He had given an oath, he had sworn to save every life he could, and he did that everyday. 

Killing someone was completely against Miguel's nature, and Cedric understood that. He too did not like the thought of killing someone. 

As a matter of fact, even when he had killed out of self defense it had sent him spiraling down a hole he struggled to climb out of. 

Unlike Ian, Ray, or Alexi, killing and torture was not a familiar friend to Cedric. He had lived his life abiding by the law as an ordinary citizen so sights like these were still new to him.

"I think Seth has inflicted enough pain and torture for the entire underworld these past months." Ray said as he looked down at the broken man who was curled up on the ground.

Cedric watched as Alexi frowned and shook his head. He clearly did not approve of Ray's choice to forgo torturing Brian.

He expected Alexi to say something, but he remained silent. Cedric knew that Alexi was simply respecting Ray by choosing not to contradict him in front of his people.

Had it been just them and their group of friends, he knew that Alexi would have argued that Ray had spent too much time off the ground to remember what value punishments like these held. 

"It's your turn." Alexi told Cedric in a displeased tone. "You can choose to go your usual route, or you can continue as planned."

Ian handed Cedric a sharp knife, they had initially planned for Cedric to deal the final blow. Stabbing him where the bullet had pierced Priscilla Reyes, killing him.

But after what Miguel had told him, Cedric had second thoughts, could he take a life once more? And would this bring him peace?

Cedric weighed his options as he played with the knife, considering his next moves.

After a few minutes he had decided on what he needed to do.

Cedric turned and nodded at his friends as he walked up to Brian.

He looked the man in the eyes, he could see that Brian recognized him, something rare for the man who had been brought to the brink of death multiple times that day.

"Do you know who I am?" Cedric asked Brian.

Brian nodded.

"Do you know what you took from me?" Cedric asked in a cold and angry tone.

Brian once more nodded.

"Do you know who you killed?" Cedric asked the man.

Brian again, nodded in response to Cedric's question.

Unhappy with Brian's wordless response, Cedric lifted the man's chin with the edge of the knife, scraping the skin as a shallow incision was made.

Blood dripped from Brian's chin as Cedric forced him to look Cedric in the eyes.

Cedric could see his fear, he knew that his life was in Cedric's hands.

Brian would not die a simple death, that Cedric had decided quite concretely as the glared at the man.

"No, I want you to tell me who you took from me!" Cedric shouted as he allowed all of the pent up rage and hurt and anger to simply find its way to the surface.

He had remained calm and composed for far too long. Today he stood face to face with his mom's killer, with the man bloody and on his knees, barely hanging on to his life.

"Your. . . mother. . ." Brian managed to say as he struggled to even speak.

"Her name." Cedric hissed.

"Pri-" Brian said as he stopped due to the pain.

"Tell me her name!" Cedric said in an angry tone as he looked down at the man.

"Pri. . scilla. . Cla. . .rin. . .Re. . .Re. . yes." Brian finally managed to say as his consciousness slowly faded.

"Pour cold water on him." Cerdric commanded as he pulled the knife that was holding the man's chin up.

One of Seth's men came in with a bucket with ice and water inside and poured it over Brian.

The man was jolted awake by the ice cold water. 

"Death is too easy for you." Cedric said as he looked down at the man who was on his knees. "If I take your life, I will give you reprieve." 

"You should kill him, it would end all of this madness once and for all." Ian advised Cedric as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"If you can't do it Ced, many people in this room would willingly drive the knife for you." Alexi said with a chuckle as he stretched his arm out as he gestured towards all of Seth's men in the room.

"No." Cedric said as he shook his head and walked up to Brian.

"Make him stand." Cedric ordered the guards that were keeping watch over Brian.

The two men quickly did as Cedric asked and lifted Brian on his feet. Brian was too weak to stand on his own, so when the bodyguards slowly let  him go, he almost fell to the ground.

"Hold him up." Cedric ordered.

The men lifted him and even pulled his hair back so that Cedric could see the man's face and his expression.

Cedric took a step closer and pressed the knife just below Brian's chest.

"This is where the bullet passed to kill my mother." Cedric told Brian as he pushed it lightly, breaking skin and drawing blood. 

"Death is a kindness you do not deserve." Cedric hissed as he pulled his hand back and turned around.

Cedric shook his head and sighed, this man before him had not only taken his mother but also caused an irreparable amount of pain to his family. He deserved to suffer.

Just as everyone thought it was over, Cedric turned and took two brisk steps before stabbing Brian right below where Priscilla Reyes had been shot.