Can he have the best of both worlds… married man and serial killer… Professor and stalker… soon to be Father and Tradition keeper. These are the combinations that AJ has successfully kept as one for years and years. Present day, AJ is 51 years old. He just made his 120th kill while his own son watched with a blank stare. Yes… five years of training his own son, AJ is ready to retire. Like his father and Grandfather once saw in one another, AJ see’s the ability for his son to continue the Tradition. The day he retires will be the biggest thrill in his life. To see his son take the mantle, as his son has seen the evil this world has created.

Just like AJ, his son lost his mother too soon. AJ went into a dark place after the loss of his wife. His son struggled for three years to get AJ out of the rut. During those three years AJ made some questionable choices with the Tradition. One was not following all of the rules he set forth. His son saw him kill prior to knowing the Traditions and making a choice if he should join or not. While it was a devious plan, AJ was sloppy. He found the lawyer that won the court case to seize the continuation of the miracle drug that his Wife was using to battle her tumor. Three months after the case she passed away. AJ was sloppy to befriend the lawyer, whom unknowingly did not know the connection AJ had to said case. for two years J grew closer and closer to the lawyer. The night of his wifes anniversary, three years after she passed, AJ assumed his son was staying at his friends house…

AJ invited his “friend” the lawyer over for some drinks. While sitting in his office, sipping Scotch, smoking cigars, AJ started swirling his glass around. “You seem off tonight bud…” the lawyer uttered as he cleared his throat. AJ stares… the lawyer clears his throat again… trickling sweat beading on his forehead. “what… what is…” the lawyer drops the glass. He begins to cough. At that moment AJ stands up… staring. He hears a creak in the floorboards as the brass handle on his office door spins open. AJ turns, he is eye to eye with his son… AJ tries to figure the words but cannot seem to know where to start. His son looks at him… “Dad, I know who that is… I understand.”

Years go by. AJ revitalized with the notion that his son will be side by side with him until the day he retires and hands the Tradition off to him. The difference between his son and the ones that came before him is that he takes initiative. He sees that his son actually has no hesitation in learning. No qualms in the struggle of morals. If this is right or wrong… if they are good people. AJ’s son has never wavered on this notion… but will his first kill change that?

Kill 120… AJ is done. he is ready to retire… his son smirks as they are sitting in his office. “Son… I am done. All these years, all these kills… My first was the hardest but my last was the easiest.” AJ’s son leans forward in his chair. Knowing all the rules besides one. He is ready to take over. He sips the scotch out of his glass. “Why was your first the hardest Dad? Why do I not see that like you do… I do not feel that it will be hard.” AJ swirls his glass as he leans back in his leather chair… “well Son, the time comes when this becomes just too much. I don’t know if it is the mental anguish I go through with morality or just the fact of what I do in general. However, like your Grandfather said to me, and his Father said to him… you will know now why the first is the hardest.” AJ’s son leans forward more in anticipation.

“The reason it is called tradition is not because we kill those who deserve, or we make the world a better place, or we make others pain phase away by taking someone out… that is what we all thought going through the years of training… tradition…” AJ sips from his glass as his son is hanging on every syllable coming out of his mouth… “You know, when we lost your mother I thought I was going to just give it all up…” AJ’s son interrupts him “Dad focus… you know I want this. Please give me the last rule, please just tell me what I need to know so you can retire and I can feel whole.” AJ stares at his son with a cocked head… wondering why his son worded it that way. “Well, I guess I can just rip the band aid off… we all go through it, it is our tradition… retirement is forever and you begin your journey…”

AJ smirks, leans forward, and puts his hand on his son’s knee… “you are way ahead of where I was at when I knew about my first kill. You know everything there is to follow your first kill, make your mark on when/where/how, overall make sure to not get caught and move on… the real question is if you can really make this tradition continue?” AJ’s son grabs his Dad’s hand “you know I am ready… what’s next?” AJ smiles at his son… “what’s next? You know everything there is to know about our tradition… the last thing you need to know is not that I am going to retire… but you are going to make me retire…” AJ’s son leans back with a blank stare. AJ leans forward… “I have had a good life… I have killed 120 people that after vetting we considered worthy… I now am one of those people… like my Grandfather, my father, and now me to you… I am one of them… retire is just a nice term we use to let our protégé know that their own father will be their first kill.” AJ takes a sip from his glass as he stands up and puts his hand on his son’s shoulder… “time to get to work” he whispers to his son. His son stands up, looks his AJ in the eyes, he raises his glass in honor… AJ smiles and nods at his son…