Rule Number One: Know who is in charge.

"Shoot him now." Sebastian heard Jim's voice deep in his ear. It vibrated through his whole body, like he was the violin and Jim was the musician. And he knew it was true, too. He was the sniper, the man who got his hands dirty, and Jim was the master mind behind it all.

But Sebastian didn't shoot him.

He crouched down behind the gun, angling it just out the window, but he didn't pull the trigger. The street was full of pedestrians. Children were playing on the sidewalk just under the window. There was still a thread of moral thought that started in Sebastian's gut and made its way to his head.

While Jim Moriarty screamed in his ear to kill a man with everyone as witness, everything in Sebastian screamed no.

And then it was too late. Sebastian had succumbed to what every sniper dreaded, the innate human morality that he had been born with, but lost somewhere along the way.

"Dammit Sebastian." He heard Moriarty through the earpiece. He was almost happy they weren't in the same room. "You couldn't fucking do it. You couldn't kill one simple little man. One insignificant little man." Jim's voice berated him with an absolute disgust.

Sebastian stood and closed the window, drawing the curtain, while Jim went on and on in his ear. You couldn't do it. You're not better than any sniper I've had before. Two weeks on the job, and you've already failed me. Special? Please. Your history makes up for nothing this time, Tiger. I'm going to poach you.

Sebastian took the gun off the tripod and put it back in the case when he heard the door behind him open. He didn't bother turning around before he closed the case. When he finally stood up he could feel Jim's breath on his neck.

"Turn around, Sebastian." He whispered gravely against Sebastian's neck after laying a kiss there with his dry lips. Sebastian didn't know why Jim kissed him, but it gave him shivers of anticipation and a deep dread.

The moment Sebastian was facing Jim, he had the tip of a knife pressed into his stomach. He didn't withdraw, but instead he stood up a little taller and looked directly in to Jim's rage filled eyes.

"Why did you do it?" Jim asked, raising his eyebrows. His face was all cynical smiles and sharp teeth.

"The pedestrians, sir." Sebastian said quietly. "I didn't want anyone to see."

"Is worrying about the pedestrians your job, Sebastian?" Jim said, leaning closer with every word he spoke.

"No, sir."

"Then why did you do it?" Jim asked, his voice changing tones from dangerous to mocking in less than a syllable.

"I don't know, sir."

"Well, let me tell you what you're going to do," he spat out the last word and as a breath of hot air his Sebastian in the face, the tip of the knife pressed down a little harder. "You are going to go into the building. You are going to find that man. And you are going to kill him. Do you know how you're going to kill him, Sebastian?"

"No, sir."

"You are not going to shoot him. You are not going to stab him. You are going to kill him with your bare hands. And then," Jim smiled as if this next thought was really the showstopper. The thing that brought him most pleaser. "You are going to kill the man with your bare hands. Is that clear, soldier?"

"Yes, sir." Sebastian answered. "Absolutely."

"Go." Moriarty said, placing his lips on Sebastian's cheek. "Go get 'em, Tiger."

Sebastian was angry at himself on so many different levels. He was first angry that he didn't listen to orders. He'd only been under employment of Jim Moriarty for three weeks, and here he had already screwed up. He was surprise he wasn't dead, or worse.

He was also angry that he had let Jim work him like that. Get to him on so many different levels. Sebastian was supposed to be as strong as leather, and here he was letting a man's mocking kiss give him shivers.

It was clear this was a lesson on exactly who was in charge. And Jim Moriarty had practically screamed at him, "HINT, HINT. IT'S ALWAYS JIM."

Sebastian did not pause for a second when he walked in the building. He had scoped it out on the walk over, and there were so many windows it was like he could see directly through the walls.

The man he was looking for was on the second floor in an apartment, probably his own, by himself. It took Sebastian about ten seconds to pick the lock. He moved in the apartment silently.

The man was in his kitchen, opening cupboards and slamming drawers. Quite honestly, Sebastian didn't even know what was so important about him. Jim hadn't given him many details. All he knew was that there was something involving drugs.

Sebastian closed all the curtains on the windows in the front. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

There was no talking involved. Sebastian wanted to get in and get out. He was wearing a pair of leather gloves when he grabbed the man from behind.

The flesh felt soft under his fingers, and he felt the man struggle. He made fists out of this hands and waited until the man had turned blue, sunk to the floor, and stopped breathing.

He pressed two fingers to his neck and sighed in satisfaction. No pulse.

He let go and let the man slide gently to the floor. His eyes were open in the death stare of pure terror.

"Sorry, mate." Sebastian said, feeling no remorse and not even the thought to close the man's eyes and break his vacant stare.

Outside of the building there was a black car with very tinted windows. Sebastian stopped beside of it and watched a window roll down.

"He was easy." Jim said, looking at Sebastian through squinted eyes. "I don't want another fucking mistake like this, Sebastian Moran. I say kill, you kill. I saw drive. You drive. If I say jump, you better fucking jump as high as you can and bring me back a star."

"Yes, sir." Sebastian answered, pursing his lips and jutting out his jaw at the same time. It was not an attractive facial expression, but it was one of internal struggle. "I apologize, sir." He finally blurted. "I will never happen again."

"Jesus, that was a struggle for you." Jim breathed. "It sure as hell better not happen again. My apartment, tomorrow morning. 6 AM. Be there, Moran. And don't wear anything you wouldn't want getting dirty."

Jim rolled up the window and Sebastian stood there until the car was out of sight.