Vice City

~ lights ~

Walls decorated with golden embroidery assisted the lights coming from the Strip in lightening up the room of Eugene Eric Hidalgo. The young youth looked down upon the comforting height of their penthouse suite, he has already gotten used to the tall height of their suite ever since he started sitting down every day to look down on the Strip, where he had grown up.

A boundary dividing both him and the never-ending summit is sometimes breathtaking if you ever try it. Ever since the accident three months ago, Eric treats this as his own eye exercise for his eyes to still see things from a distance with and without his glasses. Eric aligned his glasses first before sitting down Indian style in front of the floor to ceiling windows.

He relaxed for a while, eyes darting from one place to another, moving from the slight traffic in the middle of the Strip to the fountain show in Bellagio and to the HiHovers that flew over the cityscape and into the skyline.

For a moment, everything about the environment made Eric feel relaxed. He had never felt such a feeling wherein he is never pressured or stressed. He wants this feeling to remain like this forever, but sadly, it will never. Because of the life that he eventually ended up with, he has to accept this life, live this life that he received, and find ways to bring joy to his life.

Being the middle child of the mafia family has been a challenge for a growing adolescent like Eric, but he managed this according to how it had been taught to them and successfully became the person he is today.

But the Eric we see now is not the Eric we used to see in the past, nor the Eric that is in the past. Each Eric is different, because of sudden events and changes to adolescence, Eric changed for the better and sometimes or the worse. Sometimes he grew up and taught himself to stand up immediately when he would fall down suddenly. The different Erics that we have encountered in the past years of their reigning Dynasty is what made this young man fascinating.

Suddenly, Eric heard the main door of their penthouse suite sound open. His ears alerted at the sound of footsteps shuffling against the tiled floor. Then he heard the door of the showroom click open and after a while, it was snapped closed. Another woman.

Eric wondered why his room is beside the showroom, knowing that his brother, Emilio Edward Hidalgo became a well-known womanizer after the accident three months ago. Playing with women to his hearts' content, but still, his desires are not yet granted. Curling his knuckles up, Eric stood to his feet and walked outside of the room and saw the twins coming out of their room at the same time as him and waved.

Smiling lightly, seeing his sister, Errison Bernice Hidalgo smile back at him make his heart feel warm. Yes, another thing to add to the list. With a girl in the family, this is where Eric learned how to respect girls, even if you really despise them. It could ruin your reputation if you would disrespect a woman's privacy he taught himself the basics of being a proper gentleman. Coming from a wealthy and dangerous family, he must and will act like one.

Breaking the silence, Bernice's fraternal twin, Eddison Justin Hidalgo spoke first. "Who is it this time?" Coldness filled his voice, Eric could sense that they heard the main door of the penthouse suite open and the door of the showroom click close. The twins have always had keen ears and they could even hear a conversation at the distance.

Bernice and Justin's arms were linked together, going in the same direction. "I don't know," Eric replied the twins then stopped in front of him. Eric made this the opportunity to observe the twins. They have grown well in the past years, Bernice still has that round face and long black hair, Justin's face has matured and their complexion is still the same.

Suddenly, audible muffled sounds came from the showroom. It continued on for seconds. When Eric cannot take it anymore, he strutted in front of the showroom and knocked twice. The sound of the lamp fell down inside and a voice said to him, "Eric! Keep it down!"

"Okay Edward," Eric sarcastically said. "But can you please shut that woman of yours or I will be the one to do it." Eric reached into his pocket for his pistol and started attaching his personal Suppressor and inserted a single blade. A single strike would make the target unconscious for a few hours, enough to dispose the body far enough from their penthouse and when the target wakes up, it will have no memories before it was hit by the blade.

In his breast pocket, he pulled out his electronic staff. Their own personal self-defense exclusive only for Hidalgo use, he set its tip on the keyhole and pressed the power button. Eric could feel the strong electricity from its full battery surge upwards and towards the metal knob. He heard a snap and the door opened.

When he was slowly, walking towards his brother at a slow pace, he quickly put on his white gloves. Stretching his fingers before moving his pistol to his left hand and pointed it at the couple.

Eric's lens gleamed in the moonlight, information acted before him. "Ms. Moira, I suggest that you leave now in 5 . . . 4 . . ." The woman- Moira, slowly at first stood to her feet. "3, 2," Eric quickened his countdown, his index finger already on the trigger.

"Eric, don't!" Edward tried to stop his younger brother who is on a meltdown already, but it's too late already. Eric pulled the trigger the silver blade flew across the room and hit right on Moira's neck. Moira fell with a thud and didn't move an inch. With a triumphant smile, Eric turned his head towards Edward, who was now sweaty in shock.

This is not the first time that Eric had done this to Edward's mistresses. But how Eric had changed, Edward could feel guilt swell his heart as he realized that he had unknowingly, terribly, destroyed,

The promise of a joyful childhood for his siblings.