He had me down in an instant. His hand covered my mouth as I felt as if I would go unconscious. I felt my body drop to the floor. I looked up hazily at the man. His stubble visible as his amber eyes stared me down. I felt myself pass out. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke to Wilson shaking me and yelling at me to wake up. I stirred and rubbed the back of my head. Hawke was leaning against the wall, his head resting against the crease of his arm which rested there on the cream colored wall. He looked over at me with a look of fury. 

"The hell do you think you were doing, kid?!" He growled at me and I stiffened up. 

"Hawke, cut it out." Wilson looked at Hawke with a look of worry on his freckled face. "He's already gone unconscious, just lay low for a bit."

"Lay low?!" Hawke glared down at the both of us. "He could have kidnapped him if he had the chance. Or worse! He would have killed all of us if I didn't wake up to that thud!"

"T-the gun..." I finally managed to speak out. They both turned to me. "The gun...where is it?"

Hawke scoffed and looked down at me with a look of disappointment. "You really think you would have used it?" 

I sighed. "I never had the chance. The gun was empty."

He bent down to my level, almost squatting, his eyes staring into the depths of my soul as he spoke the words that would shape my life. "That's the sad part, Mason. You did once."