This Life, The Toll it Takes.

Percival shot out of bed in a clod sweat, his eyes throbbing with flourescent silver, as usual. "Damn it!" he yelled, the sound reverberating through the long room he slept it. Percival got out of bed the draft from a nearby window hit his exposed chest, his first sign this wasn't a dream. Percival walked to his closet and pulled out a casual dress shirt slipping it on, along with a pair of faded jeans. Percival slammed his fist into his dresser chipping the wood, and drawing blood from his knuckle. Percival continued to make his way to his front door, slipping on socks and shoes along the way, his eyes still glowing with the radiant cosmic energy.

Percival began to walk down the dark streets of uptown Atlanta, a calmer part of town (I just bullshitted that and idc). Pericval pulled out his cliche pack of cigarettes and popped one in his mouth, quickly lighting it. "This shit is getting old" he said to himself as he rubbed the light from his eyes, he often wondered if this meant his accident was slowly catching up to him, and taking it's toll. Percival puffed on his cigarette as he strolled down the sidewalk, approaching a nearby bar, and swinging the doors open, taking a seat in a booth in the back corner.

Percival ordered a drink, perhaps the numbing effect of alcohol would heal this illness of his. "I am still debating if death is such a bad alternative." he said to himself as he took his first of many sips of scotch. Percival opened and closed his hand, that he had drew blood on earlier, the crimson liquid dripped down his wrist. "According to this I am still alive." he said as he got lost in the blood.

"Death by any means is still death." An emotionless voice could be heard from the bar door. Teiji stood there, his blade in it's scabard, blood trickling out of the tiny hole in it's base. He had come to collect his bounty on his most recent assassination target, the CEO of a big time corporation within the city limits. "It really doesn't matter if it's by alcohol, by disease, or by man. In the end, you're still dead."

Percival looked up once he realized the voice was directed at him, the constant chatter of the seedy bar made that difficult to discern sometimes. "Well let's see which one takes me first" he said as he brought the glass back to his lips.

"My bet is placed on the alcohol though." he said as he placed the glass on the table in front of him, in the same circle of water as before, Percival's voice drifted across the dark bar, almost lost amid the clamor.

"Not with the life you lead, Ferrum..." Teiji saw his contractor and made his way into a VIP room in the back. He had gathered a lot of attention at the bar, a shirtless man with katana and wakizashi at his side, a small trail of blood following him where ever he walked.