Chapter 3 THE DEAD PRODIGY.

Dino stood as he watched Sin leave a mark on the ground wall.

"Scared now kid?" Sin asked.

Dino let out a deep breath and responded; "No! You just talk too much old man" Dino said as his shadow crawled over his body the same way it did for his uncle before morphing into a 30cm long dagger.

Sin's expression cracked as a smile spilt his lips, "You really are a once in a century prodigy, your value just shot up kid, this time I'm going to make sure that you head back home.

The Carmichael family can't lose someone with such potential." Sin said as he went into an attacking stance.

"Like I said, you talk too much old man." Dino replied as he took an identical stance as Sin.

At this moment a black trash bag tumbled between them, like a choreographed dance both Dino and Sin moved at the same time, at this moment they held nothing back as both turned into a blur as they clashed.

The sound of weapons clashing against each other filled the alley as both Sin and Dino exchanged blows with each other, they moved so fast that to the naked eye it would look like the alley was empty except for the occasional sparks when their weapons clashed.

After their weapons clashed for the final time both Dino and Sin separated, they now occupied the others previous position before the start of the clash.

Dino had a bleeding gash that ran across his arm while Sun had a slash on his chest that ripped his clothes but failed to injure him.

"You are a century too young if you think you can injure me kid." Sin said as he traced the slash.

"Oh, for God's sake just shut up will you!" Dino shot at Sin as he gritted his teeth while trying to ignore the pain from his injury. Dino steeled his mind as he set his gaze at Sin.

"Want to give up?" Sin asked.

"Never!" Dino roared as he dashed at Sin, half way there his shadow spread out and two copies of himself appeared each with a dagger in hand as they launched themselves at Sin at a speed inperceptive to the eyes.

Sin chuckled as his katana moved to match Dino's speed as he blocked all the attack Dino launched with ease, when suddenly he felt the familiar cold sting of a weapon on his neck.

Sin froze as he watched Dino grin in victory as his two copies faded leaving only one copy of Dino who held a blade to Sin's neck.

"How?" Sin asked.

"Easy," Dino replied.

"Let me guess this plan started while you got that injury, you actually cut off your shadow and let it blend in with mine.

You used yourself as bait, good." Sin explained.

Dino just shrugged with a smirk as he let his copy dissipate.

"Nice trick, making a copy solidify enough to inflict damage. You know, even if you drop the Carmichael name you will always be one of us. You might fight it, but eventually you will come to understand that being a Carmichael is more than just the name and its influence." Sin said as he grinned.

Dino frowned at those words then responded, "Don't hold your breath old man."

Sin laughed out loud, "If you say so Dino, from now on you do not carry the Carmichael name and the responsibilities that come with it.

You are free, well as free as you can be." Sin declared with a chuckle.

Dino nodded in acknowledgement as his shoulders slumped, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He turned to leave but paused as he cast a glance back at Sin. "What of the favor I owe you?"

Sin laughed in glee, "I thought you forgot and wanted to surprise you, but seeing as you brought it up I'll get to the point.

"When I call in on the favor you will know," Sin said with a snicker.

Dino had an expression of disgust as he made his way out of the alley and into the night.

Sin watched Dino walk away as the smile faded from his face. "Did you really have to do this?" Sin asked out loud.

"Yes," came the reply as a streak of white fell from the sky only to land as soft as a feather, revealing a middle-aged man with features strikingly similar to Dino.

Dressed in a two-piece suit, Zed Carmichael stood and looked in the direction that Dino left from. "You went easy on him," Zed commented.

"Well, I wouldn't want to harm my favorite grandnephew now, would I?" Sin scoffed, then added, "So you are really letting him go?" Zed asked.

"Yes, with the situation between the five families, his existence is a flaw to the Carmichael family," Zed said with no emotions.

"The five families!" Sin spat out in disgust.

"That's just an excuse, it's all because you haven't chosen a successor yet," Sin said as he eyed Zed.

Zed just kept quiet; his silence spoke more than his words.

"You want to keep the status quo with the five families and, with Bate gathering influence, you choose the easiest way out." Sin added, "Uncle, you know that empires are not destroyed by outside influence, but from within".

Dino's existence will split the family, and when a conflict starts brewing with the family, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the sharks that are circling."

Zed said with a sigh as he continued, "I know that, Bates knows that and even Dino knows that. At least this way we can walk away with as little bloodshed as possible."

Sin sighed as he seemed to age a few years, "What are your plans for him then?" Sin asked.

Zed turned to look at Sin before shaking his head, "I have none, the family will be in chaos for a while. After all, Carmichael has a dead prodigy to bury."