Medusa's Eye

1:30 P.M.- September 13th, 2002- Huntington Beach, California

“This is Syn speakin’... got Kosher down. Down two just one left to go, Shadows. I’m gonna start looking for the mistress floor,” Synyster Gates reported through the walkie-talkie.

“K,” Matthew Charles Sanders -M. Shadows- replied as he and Zacky Vengeance walked briskly toward Maximus Sanders’s office. Today would be the day. After planning everything for nearly two years, M. Shadows was ready to take action. He would take revenge on his father, the man who he had trusted all his life. Matthew clenched his fist tightly as he thought of his father. Did the man know how horrified Matt had been when he found the bloody corpse of his mother? He had just been thirteen at the time, oblivious to the dark world he lived in.

“Are you sure you want to do this,” Vengeance asked as he followed his friend to the dark cherry wood door. Just the opulent design on the door made Vengeance unsure if he and his friends were making the right choice. After all, he and his friends -M.Shadows, Synyster Gates, The Rev, and Johnny Christ- were about to oppose a well-known mafia leader. It bothered Vengeance slightly that Maximus’s security crew had not made a move yet. Was Maximus expecting them? Did the treacherous man have something ready up his sleeves? Vengeance stood beside his friend as he waited for Shadows to reply.

“I’m sure. I’ll see you in five minutes,” Shadows stated as he stared at Vengeance through his hazel eyes. Vengeance nodded nervously as he watched Shadows knock on the dark cherry wood door. Today would be the day: the day when the Avenged Sevenfold would make a grand debut to mafia world.

“Knock, knock.”

“Come in,” Maximus stated in monotone. He had guessed that it would be one of his men, who would ask about the women wearing a black fur coat. “Medusa must never be known to the world.” A man named Zeus had warned Maximus. Maximus intended to keep Medusa a secret, after all, it wasn’t often for a man like him to converse with an intelligent goddess. Maximus smirked to himself as he watched the door slowly open.

“Ah... Matthew, how good to see you,” Maximus grinned as he saw his son. Shadows, on the other hand, winced at his father’s cacophonous voice as he walked into the room. He sniffed the air, a scent of sweet perfume lingered in the air. Shadows stiffened, his insides bubbling with anger. Just a few minutes ago, one of his father’s mistresses must have been in the room.

“It’s good to see you too, father,” Shadows replied icily. The obnoxious smirk on his father’s face bothered him. Had Maximus read through him?

“What’s with that smirk,” Shadow questioned with suspicion. Maximus grinned as he placed his thumb to his mouth. “Matthew... you’ll grow old if you furrow your eyebrows too much,” Maximus chuckled. Whatever his son was about to do didn’t bother the mafia leader. He had guessed that Medusa was still loitering in the building, waiting for a perfect opportunity to fulfill her mission. “My poor son, to die so young,” Maximus thought to himself as he stared at his twenty-year old son.

“What are you thinking about,” Shadows asked quizzically as he stuck his hand into his pocket, ready to take out his gun any minute. The man in front of Shadows, although biologically related to him, was devious, depraved, and cryptic; you could never know what went inside Maximus Sanders’s head.

“Ah... well son, why don’t we sit over there and talk,” Maximus chuckled as he stood up from his seat at his desk and walked toward the one-to-one couch in the room. Shadows followed, sitting on the other couch as Maximus plopped down in his seat. If Vengeance wasn’t waiting outside, Shadows wouldn’t have sat on the couch.

“Ah... what a stupid fool, Medusa will be able to kill him with one bullet,” Maximus snickered to himself as he pulled out a pack of Dunhill cigarettes. Placing one on his lips, Maximus flicked the lighter, grazing the fire to the tip of his tobacco. “You want,” Maximus asked to his son as he held out the pack. Shadows shook his head, waiting patiently for his father to speak. Knowing Maximus, Shadows knew that he probably had something up his sleeve. Shadows would need to know some things before killing his father. After all, after Maximus’s death, Shadows would automatically be designated as the new mafia leader for the Sanders clan.

“So,” Maximus started as he exhaled a puff of smoke. “Where to start... where to start,” Maximus thought to himself. Maximus licked his dry lips as he stared at Matthew’s hazel eyes. He hated those eyes. It reminded Maximus of his dead ex-wife, Andrea Phyllis-Sanders.

“Hmm... you know, now that I look at you... you look like that woman,” Maximus chuckled. Shadows stiffened at the mention of his mother. “Why did you kill her,” Shadows asked icily.

Maximus inhaled his cigarette, deep in thought. But Maximus pressed his lips together. The way his son questioned his actions reminded him so much of Andrea. “I-it was to reach the top of the mafia society,” Maximus stuttered as he thought on his past actions thoroughly.

“People tend to have flash backs when they are close to death. If I were to die, my flash backs would be the fun times together with you,” Andrea’s voice echoed in Maximus’s head. Startled, Maximus dropped his cigarette. It had been nearly six years since Andrea’s death and Maximus was thinking of her.

“I’ll vow here right now too along with making you happy that I’ll never take this ring off my finger. I love you, Andrea.” Maximus’s hands trembled as he remembered his vow. Greed for power had maneuvered him deeper into the dark side of the mafia. His green eyes flickered to the black pistol in his son’s hand.

Shadows watched his father mutter incoherent words to himself. Furrowing his eyebrows, he whipped out the black pistol in his pocket. If it were some kind of foreign language implying for his security crew, Shadows would have to shoot the man, his father.

“You... you wouldn’t shoot me with that would you,” Maximus coughed. For some reason, his throat had started burning, making it harder to breath. Shadows watched as his father started coughing. “Medusa,” Maximus hollered hoarsely.

“I don’t work for dead men, Maximus. Take care.” Maximus gasped as he realized his pernicious mistake. Medusa had no intentions of assassinating his son. She had visited to kill him, Maximus Sanders. That woman had deceived him. The reason she had asked for the security cameras to be turned off made more sense now. He had been a foolish man.

“The pandora box! Medusa, that woman,” Maximus choked. But he realized he was in grave danger as he stared at the black pistol pointed toward him. “Now Matthew, don’t be like that. You’re my son. You’ll inherit the company when I die. And twenty is a young age for a mafia boss. Wait until your old man turns sixty. I’ll hand you the company,” Maximus tried to compromise as Shadows’s index finger rested on the trigger.

“That’s what mother probably did too. She must have begged and pleaded on her knees before she died,” Shadows hissed as his hazel eyes stared coldly at the mafia boss.

“Maximus, Maximus... please. You can’t do this to us! Don’t do this? What about Matthew? I-i’m his mother! Please Maximus, you can-” Andrea’s cries of pleads were stopped at the sound of a gun shot. Maximus Sanders stood behind one of his men, staring down at the bloody corpse of his wife in his kitchen. He felt no remorse nor pity. He would attain power... that was the only thing that went through his mind.

“Bang...” Shadows pulled the trigger, the bullet going through his father’s stomach as Maximus clutched the edge of his sofa.

“Wh-wait,” Maximus heaved as he slowly slid down to the red carpeted floor. Shadows stood still, waiting silently for Maximus to continue.

“Medusa... I hired her... I hired her... to... kill... you... I’m sorry... Matthew,” Maximus gasped as his body lay on the red carpet. Shadows gripped his pistol tightly as he stepped toward his lifeless father. “What do you mean Medusa? Who is that? Father? Father?!” Shadows growled with anger. Maximus Sanders had always been a devious, depraved, and cryptic man. The last trick had been set out. Shadows would have to find that Medusa. Whoever she was... Shadows would need to know if she would be his friend or a foe?

On this day... the Pandora box had been opened.