Chapter 33

Later That Night
Dante
1st POV

I flew through the night sky towards the south side of town. My eyes were set on an office building that Alduck uses for his dealings with people under his protection. I was told to meet up with some people who hadn’t paid up recently while he had another meeting with the Commission. I touched down in front of the two-story building where a few guys were waiting out front. I walked up to them, and they immediately recognized me.

“Gentleman,” I said, and they respectfully nodded their heads at me with respect.

“Good to see you, sir,” the largest of the three greeted while acting as the doorman.

“So, what’s on the menu tonight?” I asked as they followed me.

“Three guys who’re late for this month’s quota,” the big guy said. “Boss wants you to handle it and send them a message to make sure they pay.”

“Sounds doable,” I said. Although I prefer to smash some heads, I thought.

We went up the stairs and into a room where three other men were sitting at a table waiting for us. They looked like a carpenter, a grocery clerk, and a baker. The baker I surprisingly recognized as Donut Joe.

“Good evening, gents,” I said as I sat at the head of the table. “I’m a busy man, so let’s just cut to the chase. Am I to understand you three haven’t been paying what you owe to the boss?”

Joe and the grocery clerk gulped while the carpenter gave a huff.

“Why should I keep paying?” The Carpenter argued while giving me a dirty look. “Alduck was supposed to give me a whole crew to get my contracting business done, but I keep paying for the crew and they never show up!”

I arched a brow and eyed one of the men who came with me.

“Slick, was it?” I said, making him flinch. “Is what he said true? Our guys are giving him the alligator arm?”

Slick chuckled nervously. “Well, we were kinda told to hold off construction to milk more money out of the union.”

I remained silent until I pointed my finger at Slick and morphed together a mini concrete shard and shot it at him. The shard whizzed past his cheek and hit the wall behind him, and a sizable cut opened up and started bleeding profusely.

“We don’t milk anyone for anything if they’re not doing anything wrong,” I growled. “The Don takes care of his own. You’d do well to remember that.”

“Nnnngh! Lesson learned, boss,” Slick grunted while holding his bloody cheek.

“Good. Now then.” I turned my attention back to the carpenter. “My apologies for our employees’ incompetence, sir, I’ll personally see to it that you get the help you requested.”

“Appreciated,” the carpenter said.

“So, Joe,” I said to Donut Joe. “I know about you and your shop in Canterlot. Pretty sweet place. What brings you to the big city? Let alone shacking up with Don Alduck?”

“Eh, I figured I’d try what most do in the food industry and try to branch out. Make a chain of shops to sell my baked goods. Believe it or not, my business ain’t doing so well here in Manehattan compared to my place in Canterlot,” Joe explained while rubbing the back of his head. “I wanted to get better ingredients and a better fryer. I needed a loan, but the bank wouldn’t give me one. So, I sought out Alduck.” Joe brings out a document. “We made a contract that I could work with, but a couple of his employees have been asking for more for themselves.”

“Hmm…” I hummed in thought and understood his predicament. “Personally speaking, Joe, it’s a crime that nobody is giving you the recognition you deserve. From what I hear, your donuts are arguably the best in the capital.”

“I even brought one for you, if you want?” Joe said and brought out a wrapped chocolate donut. I smirked as I took the donut and unwrapped it. The chocolate covering looked rich and sweet, and the pastry itself felt like I was holding a ring of fluffy cotton. As soon as I bit down on the donut, my tastebuds felt like they were dancing. The richness, the texture, the very taste made me smile and take another bite.

“Yep, that’s a fucking donut,” I said with a satisfying grin. “Thank you, Joe, and since you’re a friend of an acquaintance of mine, I’ll waive the debt for this month. Plus, I’ll ask Alduck to put the word out on your shop. I’ll be damned if the people of this city don’t get some of this goodness.”

“Thank you. I won’t forget this,” Joe smiled at me.

“You two can leave, our business is done,” I said to Joe and the carpenter. “But not you.” I looked directly at the grocery clerk. “You’re the one I’ve been really meaning to have a chat with.”

“Me? Hehe, why do you wanna see me?” He asked with a nervous smile and fidgeted his fingers.

“Oh, it’s quite simple,” I said as Joe and the carpenter quickly left. “You own a pretty decent grocery store in Little Neighpan. I hear you had a bit of trouble with shoplifters, robberies, and even blackmail. That is, until you sought out Alduck for protection. Since then, business is booming, and you’ve made a profit every week.” I leaned in close to glare at him. “Which is why I’m wondering how you seem to always have a lame-ass excuse for being short on your payments.”

“You don’t understand, every time it’s time to pay you guys, I mail it to ya. You must have changed your address or something,” he kept going, making himself look more pathetic.

“Changed our address?” I said, sounding like I had to contemplate his stupidity. “Dude, Don Alduck doesn’t change his address. In fact, nobody here has ever changed their addresses.”

“I seen him at the gambling club up at the southwest side of town, boss,” one of the men spoke up.

“Is that right?” I spoke.

“I see how this looks but let me explain. I thought I could make you your money and get some more for upgrades to the store. Uuuh…to make more money for you guys.” Even more pathetic.

“Uh huh, sure,” I said and snapped my fingers. Two of my guys stood on both sides of the clerk and grabbed his hands to force them on the table.

“Wait, wait! What are you doing!?” The clerk begged as the third goon brought out a buzz saw and turned it on. “No! Noooo!”

With a snap of my fingers, the whirring stopped as well as the screaming. “Tell me. What hand do you write your checks with?”

“Wh-what?” The clerk stuttered.

“What hand? Is that so confusing?” I asked.

“L-Left?” The clerk said and the guy on his left pulled out a hammer and started bashing his left hand repeatedly.

The guy started screaming as his hand was smashed like a potato. “Now you’ll have to learn to write with your right hand.” He kept crying as he held his broken and bleeding hand. “Throw him out in the alley. Say he got run over by a carriage.”

The men nodded and dragged him out of the room.

“Boss?” Slick said to me as he held a telephone in his hand. “Phone call for you, it’s Fuze.”

I nodded and grabbed the phone from him.

“Hey Fuze, just finishing up,” I said.

“Kid! Get over to the Don’s place now! Shit’s going down hard over here!” Fuze shouted.

“Woah, woah, take it easy, Fuze, what happened?” I spoke.

“The boss needs to see you. Now!” That's all I heard before he hung up.

I was unsure what had happened, and why Alduck wanted to see me, but whatever the case I had to get there as soon as possible.

“I’ll be heading out, boys,” I said and glanced at Slick. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

I made it to Alduck’s place, and the men let me in without hesitation. I made my way up the stairs and entered Alduck’s office where Fuze and Stone were waiting for me. Alduck sat silently in his chair with a very sinister glare. On his desk was a piece of bloody cloth and a note next to it.

“What’s going on, boss?” I asked. “Fuze sounded like you wanted to murder someone.”

“Take a seat.” Once I took my seat, Stone handed me a glass of whiskey. “It seems Nacho is pissed at us.” He then gestures to the bloody cloth, which I took. “He has someone very close to me.”

I unwrapped the cloth to reveal a severed pinky toe. The sight made me furrow my brows as I put it back on the desk.

“No disrespect, Don Alduck,” I said to the old man. “But you should’ve let me put that fat shit stain down when I had the chance.”

Alduck let out a low grumble before turning to the note. “He wants you in exchange for my best girl. To tell you the truth, I’m considering it.”

“And why’s that?” I asked, feeling eyes on me from everyone, excluding Fuse and Stone.

“Ever since my wife passed, Sandy has been my anchor for many years.” Alduck lets out a heavy sigh before downing the last of his drink. “However. You’ve been nothing but loyal to me and have done for the family to secure its place in power, in the short time since we met. So, I won’t hand you over.”

“I appreciate that, and you have my condolences,” I said. “Back to the issue at hand, what’s the play here?”

“I refuse to let that fat little prick play me for a fool,” Alduck growled. “Serrano Pepper should’ve dealt with him as his own family when he was supposed to but now, he’s gone and crossed a line with me. With that being said, you have my permission to snuff his nephew out for good.”

“Glad we’re finally playing ball here, boss,” I said with a sinister grin.

“But where would Nacho be holding Miss Sandy?” Fuze wondered.

“I’m sure Dante can ask before he buries that little shit in the ashes of his crumbling empire,” Alduck said before eyeing me. “You will, won’t you?”

“Just point me in the direction of his place, boss, I’ll handle the rest,” I said.

“Good. Now, the thing is, I’m not entirely sure where Nacho’s place is exactly,” Alduck said. “However, I do know there’s a patrolman on his payroll who reports to him personally. Name’s Valor Drifter. He hangs out in the residential area out by the main city square. Try the bar as a start.”

“Then that’s where I’ll be going then.” I told him before getting up and throwing back the drink for me.

“And Dante,” Alduck said to me. “There’s no doubt he’ll try to use Sandy’s life to get you to back off so try to get her out before you go crazy.”

“Oh, don’t worry, boss, they won’t even know what hit them,” I said before leaving the office.

The city lights illuminated the city below me as I stood on the edge of one of the buildings that towered over the area where this Drifter guy made his rounds. I could see some authorities walking in pairs here and there but none of which were the one I was looking for.

“Hmm…Alduck mentioned he regulars a bar off duty,” I said to myself. “Perhaps I should start there.”

After a quick fly over, and getting directions, I found the bar where I’d find the son of a bitch: The Prancing Pony.

“Freaking puns. And an unoriginal one at that,” I muttered before walking into a room with the scent of peanuts, stale beer, and liquor.

There weren’t many people in the bar. Maybe about five sitting around, and the bartender was washing glasses. I walked up to the bar and sat down on one of the stools and he walked up to me.

“What can I get ya, kid?” He said but then happened to glance down at my hand to notice my ring.

“Scotch. Double. Splash of water. And any info you can give me on Drifter.” The bartender nodded and went to get my drink.

“He’s a regular here,” the bartender said as he poured my drink. “He’s usually either complaining about his job or collecting for Mr. Nacho.”

“Any chance he’ll come around tonight?” I asked.

“He should be, in about five minutes or so,” the bartender nodded. “Hey, uh, there’s not gonna be any mess I gotta clean up, is there?”

“Don’t worry. I’m just gonna have a little chat with him,” I said and sipped my drink.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” The guy goes off to the other side while muttering.

I continued sipping my drink until the door opened again, and I saw a slightly pudgy man walk in wearing an officer’s uniform. He had a scruffy unkempt beard, balding head, and had bags under his eyes.

“Lou!” He barked before slumping on the stool. “My regular! I’ve had a shit day!”

“And there's the mark. Hey, this mafia lingo’s finally paying off,” I told myself before walking up to the guy. “What’s the matter, pal? Life givin’ you trouble?”

“You don’t know the half of it!” Drifter grumbled as the bartender poured his drink. “My boss has been hounding me at work, my bitch wife won’t get off my ass, and my fucking Captain of my precinct always threatens to take my badge for poor work ethic! The fuck does work ethic have to do with being an officer?!”

“Wow, sounds rough. Here, let me get ya a double. Lou?” And so, it begins.

“Gee, thanks kid,” Drifter smirked. “Speaking of which, what’s a kid like you, doing in a dive like this?”

“I’m here on business,” I said as I sipped my drink again. “I’m looking for someone.”

“Oh yeah? Who? Some broad?” Drifter asked.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” I answered. “She’s lost, and my employer asked me to find her.”

“What’s her name?” Drifter asked as he drank.

“Sandy Shores,” I said, making Drifter freeze.

Drifter sputtered his drink, nearly choking on it before looking at me. “How do you know that name?”

“Same way you know,” I said, eyeing him. “Same way my boss knows. Perhaps you know of him too?” I paused before shooting him a death glare. “Don Alduck.”

“Not here. You wanna start a riot?” He asked nervously while looking around the room.

“That depends on how you answer my next question,” I said. “Where is Nacho?”

“Are you insane?! I can’t tell you! If he or his people found out I told you where she was, they’d kill me!” Drifter begged.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” I reassured him.

“And why’s that?” He asked.

“Because if you don’t tell me. I’ll kill you!” I shoved him against the bar and asked again. “Where is he!?”

"Gah! The…the…the Mareiot!" He screamed.

“Is the girl there?!” I barked but he was quiet. As if desperately trying to keep his yap shut. I extended my hand and my red digital claws formed before I held them close to his face. “IS SHE THERE?!”

“I don’t know! Maybe! I know she’s with him, but she could be anywhere!” Drifter begged.

I could just let him go and find out for myself but on the other hand he could still be holding information.

…

I smirked deviously and began tearing into the flesh of his cheek.

“You’re lying…!” I hissed. “You know where she is!”

His screams had the other patrons leave in a hurry and Lou to duck behind the bar. “Okay! Okay! She's with him in the penthouse suite!"

“Now, was that so hard?” I mocked and let him go. I turned to take my leave but stopped. “Oh, silly me, I’m forgetting.” I turned back to Drifter and summoned my red digital wings, giving me a more demonic appearance. “It goes without saying that if you dare try and do something as stupid as report me or even try to approach me, you’ll experience Hell like never before. Am I understood?”

Shakingly, he nodded with sweat dripping down his face, and piss running down his leg. “C-C-Crystal clear.”

I flew high in the clouds above the city below me. My destination was almost within range, and I could feel a tingling sensation in the back of my head. It was a mix of excitement and annoyance that I was finally gonna gut this guy without Alduck keeping me in check but instead gave me the green light. However, as much of a pain in the ass it was to admit, I had to consider the girl he had with him. Having to worry about a hostage was a drag but I couldn’t really do anything about it.

Soon, the fancy-ass hotel came into view. The thing was at least twenty stories high and had a huge sign that read The Mareiot. I still rolled my eyes at the sight of the name but didn’t dwell on it much. I flew down near the entrance of the hotel until I landed in an alleyway. I then peered from behind the corner to see a bunch of men in tuxedos all standing around. There were pegasus-men, earth-pony-men, and even unicorn-men with their hands glowing a little due to their magic. More so, every single one of them were armed to the teeth with bladed weapons or magic firearms.

“Hmm…I may be durable, but I’m not invincible,” I said to myself. “I suppose this is as good a time as any to try out that trick Axel’s been practicing.”

I hid behind the corner again and focused my Video power. My hands sparked with digital pixels as I pointed my hands at myself and enveloped my body in red digital light. I watched as my body slowly started to become invisible starting from my shoes, all the way up to my head. Slowly but surely, I made myself completely invisible, apart from the occasional digital sparks subtly crackling here and there.

“Woah…trippy,” I said as I looked at my invisible hand. It was strange but I could also feel my power slowly draining as I kept using this skill. “No time for admiration. Gotta get in there.”

I shimmied close to the wall and started to hear what they were saying. Mostly bullshit and unimportant crap, but a few things did catch my interest.

“Is this necessary?” One goon standing by the hotel entrance said. “All these guys for one kid?”

“He ain’t no kid, man,” one of the other goons said. “Señor Nacho described him as a demon at PVP. He’s the one that gave him his scar.”

“You think he’ll really set him up and catch him by surprise?” The first goon wondered.

A setup? I thought. Sounds like Nacho’s trying to trap me. Heh, good fucking luck, I say.

I easily slipped past the guards and made my way into the lobby.

It was still odd to me when I went past all these people and they didn’t see me. I honestly had half a mind to head to the women’s bathroom and live out every teenage boy’s dream. But when I saw a few of Nacho’s men head for the elevator, I knew I had to put that fantasy on hold and follow them.

Just before the elevator doors slid shut, I managed to slip into the elevator with a bunch of other goons. I tucked myself into the corner so as to not bump into any of them as one pushed a button that had the little VIP letters engraved on top.

“So, you really think he’s gonna go through with it?” I heard them converse with each other.

“Wouldn’t put it past him. Señor Serrano has had it out for old man Alduck for years.”

Fuck me. Now they plan on killing my boss. Any other surprises I should know about? I thought to myself as we kept ascending.

“But what about those guys in Mexicolt?”

“What about ‘em?”

“You didn’t hear? Señor Nacho said his uncle plans to bring some people from the top of the Pepper Cartel to Manehattan. I’m guessin’ after they whack the old man, Serrano will be wanting to seize all his territory.”

And now we got a land grab? I gotta stop asking what else could go wrong, I thought as the elevator dinged.

As soon as the doors opened, I was met with a very fancy-looking interior with lavish furniture and windows overlooking the city.

Why do bad guys always get the best digs? I followed the men up to a second level of the VIP suite. The fact that this floor had a second level was beyond ridiculous. As if to really grind my gears, when we made it to the second floor, I saw another set of stairs that led to a third level. I hate how this guy spends his money… I sighed quietly and crept away from the group of goons and stood off in the corner. Alright you pricks. Show me the money.

A set of double doors opened up from the third level and out walked this very stunning woman wearing a lavish red dress. The men all stood up straight as she walked down the stairs like she owned the joint.

“Ma’am,” one of the goons greeted.

“Is Nacho here yet?” She asked while pouring herself a drink. “I’m getting tired of being cooped up in here.”

“Not to worry, Ms. Shores.” Nacho appeared from the other room. “Once Alduck is dead, I’ll take you out to a nice steak dinner.” I was surprised further when the two of them started making out.

Well, well, well. Guess a leopard really can’t hide its spots, I thought.

So, it was just bullshit? I heard Axel say.

Almost forgot you were still up there.

Well, now what?

What else? I’m gonna do some snooping.

Really? Why not just reveal yourself and get it over with?

Because obviously there’s gotta be something of value in this ritzy trash can of a penthouse, and I want to find it. I wanna really stick it to both this fat lard and his senile uncle.

I moved away from them to scope out the area. I had to be quick because I could feel a slight strain on my body which meant my invisibility was beginning to take its toll on my reserves. I quietly walked up the stairs to the third level and started carefully peering into the rooms. Each room either had more goons, were empty, or were used as storage rooms for these large boxes. I could only assume they were filled with drugs or contraband since each room had guards standing by. It wasn’t until I turned the corner to try another room did I see a set of double doors with a hefty lock.

“Well, what do we have here?” I wondered out loud.

Seeing no guards or other personnel around, I switched from Video to Smoke while also deactivating my invisibility. Spotting a small crack at the bottom of the door, I easily went under. It felt like I was becoming flat as paper but also weightless as I slipped through the cracks. As soon as all of my smokey form slipped through, I was met with a small group of armed guards standing guard around something in the middle of the room. I wafted my smoke in the shadows to remain unseen but couldn’t believe what I saw. A giant-ass diamond the size of a softball sat on a pedestal with a spotlight shining down on it.

Holy shit on a golden stick! Look at the size of that rock! I bet that would fetch me a few million! I thought as a tiny bit of drool went down my lip.

I made my smokey body waft over the guards without them noticing. My smoke expanded over the whole ceiling as I then charged up my power. I carefully pinpointed each guard and fired Cinder Shots right at their heads. The shots pierced their skulls and killed them instantly, their heads engulfed in red cinders as they all collapsed to the floor. I wafted my smokey body down and rematerialized right in front of the pedestal.

“Oh, baby. The things I’m gonna buy with you!” I muttered while reaching for the giant rock.

Suddenly, a loud alarm went off and a hidden cage sprung out from the walls, floor, and ceiling. The cage trapped me in as the bars glowed a bright blue hue.

I grabbed the bars, only to let go as a burning sensation came off the bars. “Crap. Caught like a rat in a trap.”

“What a fitting analogy.” I looked to the door opening up and saw Nacho come in with Sandy by his side. They ignored the bodies laid out on the floor, as if their deaths didn’t mean anything to them.

“Nacho…” I said bitterly.

YOU STUPID FUCK! THIS IS THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE FUCKING BOOK! I heard Axel scream in my head.

Hey, I didn’t hear you say anything to stop me, I thought.

I DIDN’T THINK I HAD TO SINCE IT WAS SO FUCKING OBVIOUS, DUMBASS! Axel barked irritably.

“Bravo, señor Red Hawk, bravo,” Nacho said with a smug tone as he clapped slowly. “Your magic is certainly not to be trifled with if you can slip past all of my men and even subdue them. But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by a hijo de un demonio like yourself.”

“Say it in english, jerk!” I countered.

“I’m saying that you are a demon spawn,” Nacho spat. “It occurred to me after you laid waste to my operation in the restaurant district. Never before had I, or any of mi familia, had witnessed such destruction and chaos.” He paced around the cage as Sandy smirked smugly at me. “The officers couldn’t make heads or tails how you did it, and we couldn’t say anything because we’re currently still trying to clean up your mess and keep the authorities off my back because my operation was exposed.”

“Yeah, bet that was a real pain in the ass. Speaking of pain, where should I start with you when I get out of here?” I asked him while cracking my knuckles.

“Oh, you won’t be leaving any time soon,” Nacho boasted. “This cage was specifically made for any estúpido dumb enough to try and take what is mine. The bars are charmed with quite the powerful anti magic field. No spell you conjure up will work so long as you’re in that cage.”

I stared at Nacho for a minute before I started chuckling. My chuckling then turned into a full on laugh, which both irritated and confused everyone in the room.

“You people are fucking riot,” I said, wiping my eye. “Everyone in this world are so fucking naïve, it’s so pathetic, that can’t help but laugh my ass off.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Nacho demanded.

“Let me put it in a way you’ll soon come to understand,” I said as I raised my hands in front of me. I switched to Electricity as red electrical bolts started to dance between my fingers and hands, which shocked Nacho as I grinned devilishly. “What I can do…can’t be farther from what you people call magic.” The bolts crackled and danced more violently between my hands and traveled up my arms. “What I can do is nothing you’ve ever seen or could have even dreamed before…”

“¡Muévanse pendejos!” Nacho commanded as I powered up.

Before his men could do anything, I swung my arms out creating a huge electrical wave that blew the cage off its hinges. Everyone was knocked back, including Nacho and his side piece. I heard more footsteps come running towards us, which meant reinforcements were on the way. Nacho scrambled up to his feet and made a break for it.

“I’ll make anyone who kills this puto a rich man for the rest of his days!” Nacho announced.

“You’ll be singing for the devil once I get my hands on you!” I said as I quickly reached for my earbuds, put them on, and scrolled through my phone to play a song.

As the lyrics kicked in, a whole squad of Nacho’s men came pouring in from the second level. All of them were armed to the teeth. Seeing them all together, aiming their weapons at me, it sent a tingle of pleasure up my spine. I pulled out my Amp and jumped into the fray of the oncoming goons who tried to shoot at me. I charged up my Amp with electricity and started bashing my way through the group. When a couple of goons almost got the drop on me, I quickly switched to Concrete to cover myself in a layer of rock before the magic bullets hit me. I then raised my free hand and fired shrapnels right at their heads.

“Like fish in a barrel!” I cheered before throwing a concrete bomb in the middle of the room.

Shrapnel went flying and hit multiple goons as I spotted Nacho run as fast as his fat ass could down the steps to the second level. I sheathed my Amp on my pack and activated Video to summon my digital claws and throw on some mid-level combat armor.

“I’ll paint the walls with your blood, motherfuckers!” I yelled, and started slashing my way through the horde.

After dispatching three guys at once by slashing their stomachs open, I went after Nacho.

“HE’S A DEMON!”

“WE’RE BEING TORN APART!”

“PROTECT SEÑOR NACHO AT ALL COSTS!”

I unwrapped my chain and made it into a dark red scythe. Three more goons took aim but I cleaved them all in two with a wide swing of my digital scythe before I twirled it behind me and stuck the tip right through another goon’s head through his temple. I felt a presence behind me and instinctively swung my scythe backwards. I looked behind me to see I had cleaved a guy’s head in two from the middle, which made me smirk. I made it past the first wave of goons and out of the room to the top of the stairs. More goons aimed their weapons at me and either climbed up the steps or flapped their wings into the air to meet me head on. I caught sight of Nacho running down a hall yelling something in Spanish.

“You’re only prolonging the inevitable, fatass!” I mocked.

“Eat me!” Nacho yelled before turning the corner with Sandy in tow.

I jumped off the balcony of the second floor and flapped my wings for an aerial assault. The winged goons shot at me with their magical firearms and tried swinging their knives and swords at me while I dodged and deflected them as best I could. Due to their numbers, I ended up taking a few hits but I managed to slice some of their wings off with a slash of my digital scythe. My fast-healing factor kicked in to heal my wounds but it didn’t help that I was out in the open and kept taking magical bullets.

I landed on the floor and fired pixel projectiles at the goons. Some hit their mark while others missed them. I ended up running all around the room while engaging any who tried charging at me. One goon raised a crowbar over his head to bash my skull in. When he swung down, I blocked it with my digital scythe. I reared my head back and headbutted him right in his nose. As he stumbled back, I swung my scythe low and cut off his legs. I then jumped over him to jump on another guy’s shoulders and raised my hand at his face. My digital shots pelted his face and made his head explode. I grunted when I felt more magical bullets hit me in my back, even with my digital armor.

“Fuck…this hurts…” I cursed while using a winged goon as a human shield. “I should wrap this up soon. I’m a tad outnumbered here.”

YOU THINK?! I heard Axel scream in my head, or his head, this is still confusing.

I quickly kicked a big dining table over so I could take cover. The goons all started firing at me. My fast-healing was doing its best to heal my wounds as blood seeped through my clothes, and I struggled to catch my breath. Weak digital lights flickered off my body, which meant even my fast-healing was having a hard time keeping up with the damage dealt to me.

“Fuck…I hate to admit it but it seems like I bit off more than I could chew,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let that shit stain win and get away.”

I managed to switch to Electricity and held my hands in front of me. The dining table was being chipped away with every shot so I had to work fast. I charged my power to create as much lighting as I could. Red bolts began to dance and crackled between my hands and fingers, and spread up to my shoulders. I kept charging and charging until the bolts formed a sphere-like mass of red lighting between my hands. The table I was taking cover behind was almost chipped completely away as I had barely just finished charging up. I then clapped my hands around the ball of lightning and jumped over the table.

“EAT THIS!” I shouted and thrusted my hands forward to deliver a deadly Arc Lightning attack.

A huge red bolt of lightning fired from my hands. As soon as it hit the first goon I aimed at, the bolt hit the next goon, and the next, and the next, creating a chain of lighting that spread throughout the whole group. All of their screams as they were being brutally electrocuted echoed throughout the entire penthouse. The chain of lighting zigzagged across most of the entire second level and even struck any mid-air pegasus-men. I eventually had to stop my Arc Lighting so I canceled my attack by waving my hands down. I watched as all the charred men stood in front of me, some occasionally twitching. Some of their eyes were rolled back in their heads while others had bloody foam leaking out of their mouths. Then, one by one, they all collapsed to the ground in a heap of burnt corpses.

After the last goon was down for the count, and the song playing in my earbuds came to an end, the whole room smelled of burnt hair and fingernails. “Shocking… That felt forced.”

I noticed that some of the goons were still alive, which was kinda surprising to me since I put a lot of juice in that attack. Speaking of which, I felt pretty drained and needed a pick-me-up but didn’t see anything I could use to recharge. I then got an idea as a sort of alternative method to help recharge. I slowly walked over to one of the goons as he tried picking himself up as his body twitched every so often. I kicked him onto his back and stood over him with a menacing grin.

“You’ll do nicely,” I said and reached down to grab his head. I focused my power as red lighting bolts danced around my hand.

The goon hoarsely yelled in pain as I began to absorb what was left of his life energy. I could feel my Bio Leech feeding off his life force and fueling my power until he went completely limp. I released my grip from his head, leaving seared fingerprint marks. I breathed in deep as I felt his life essence fill my power, and turned to see more goons still barely alive.

“Still hungry.” With that, I went for the others.

I tossed aside the last of the goons who were clinging onto life and looked around the carnage to revel in my replenished power reserves. Red bolts crackled every so often from my shoulders, and my injuries had all closed up. Although, my tattered and bloody clothes made me look like a victim of circumstance.

“Better break out the purple stuff and knitting needles before I head back,” I joked.

I made my way towards the hall where Nacho and Sandy had escaped to. At the end of the hall was a large reinforced door with a huge-ass lock on the front. I could barely hear Nacho screaming something in Spanish on the other side, which told me this door was made of pretty thick material.

“Pfft, as if this stupid door is enough to stop me,” I scoffed and prepared to power up to kick it down.

Just as my foot was about to kick that door's ass, I felt a tug in my head. Hold up. Before you go all Kung Fu and break our foot, check out the panel on the right, I heard Axel say.

I arched a brow and glanced to the side to see what looked like a keypad. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together, and I ended up lowering my foot.

“You just wanna suck the joy out of everything, you know that?” I grumbled as I used my electricity to fry the keypad. “So much for a dramatic entrance.”

There will be other chances, knowing your luck, I heard Axel say, just as the door swung open.

I walked in to see Nacho and Sandy gasp in shock.

“How the fuck did get past the vault door?!” Nacho yelled.

“When will you get it through your thick skull that underestimating me is a death sentence?” I asked rhetorically as I cracked my knuckles. “Speaking of which.”

Click!

I paused as I heard the familiar click of a gun hammer being pulled back. Hell, it’s how I was born. I turned my head a little to see a guy with shades holding a gun close to my head. “Сделай еще шаг, и я вышибу тебе мозги.”

I didn’t know what the fuck he said but I knew I’ve seen him somewhere before. His big burly physique and scrunched up nose made the gears in my head turn until it hit me.

“Well, well, well,” I said with a slightly surprised yet mocking tone. “If it isn’t one of Blueblood’s former big bruisers from all those months ago. How’s it hanging…Shatter Star?”

The guy I recognized as Shatter Star removed his shades, revealing darkened eyes. Guess he never really healed from his beating. “Привет, ублюдок.’

“Look, if you’re gonna threaten me, you could at least say it in english,” I told him without a care.

“Fuck you, you arrogant little shit!” He pressed the barrel against the back of my head. “Thanks to you, my girlfriend left me, my wife left me, and I had to find work with this beaner after being dishonorably discharged!” He pointed over to Nacho.

“Oof, they even use those slurs around here?” I said to myself. “Not my fault you were an arrogant ass. I just put you in your place.”

I then felt something sharp press against my neck. I glanced over my shoulder to see a pegasus-girl with green wings staring at me with a stern expression. Half of her bright green hair was shaved off, and she had both ears pierced with a hoop. She wore what looked like leather merc gear with a shoulder piece and vest, and underneath was a v-shirt that showed off a bit of cleavage. She wore torn black pants and heavy duty combat boots. Strapped to her vest and waist were a bunch of daggers and knives, similar to the one she held at my neck.

“Oh joy…another one,” I sighed.

“Piss of, ya little shitta’,” The chick said with a Cockney accent.

“Hehe…hahaha!” Nacho started laughing. “Not so tough now, you little shit?! These are my top employees! They’ll tear you apart just as I envisioned!”

“Ooooh, I can’t wait to shove that comment up your fat ass,” I told him.

“Enough! Shatter! Shiv! Send him to Tartarus!” Nacho ordered.

Before Shatter Star could blow my brains out and the new girl, named Shiv, could slice my neck open, I raised my hands and clapped as hard as I could sending an electric shockwave that blew them both back. I then charged at Shatter Star and tackled him out of the room and proceeded to beat him into submission.

“Axel should’ve beaten you to a pulp when he had the chance.” I raised my fist before covering it with concrete. “Allow me to rectify that mistake!”

Shatter struggled to keep me off him, but I was having none of it as I kept beating his face in. Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my back, making me grunt in pain. The girl had thrown a few daggers at my back, forcing me to bring my strikes to halt. Shatter took this opportunity to slug me in the gut, making me go flying back down the hall and into the main lobby of the suite. I shook my head to see Shatter and Shiv walk out while Shatter pulled out a few items that looked like syringes and jammed them into his arm.

“Oh please, don’t let our fight stop you from getting your fix. Fucking Junkie,” I insulted Shatter while forcing the daggers out of my back with a small EMP blast.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when Shatter’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks. A manic grin stretched across his lips as his muscles on his arms and legs bulged. Out of nowhere, Shatter stomped on the hardwood floor, splintering the boards, before charging at me in a full sprint. I had little time to react as his fist connected to my chest. My ribs felt like they were about to shatter from the impact as I was sent through a wall, and I coughed up blood.

“Gah…! The…fuck was that?!” I wheezed.

I got my answer in the form of a right hook across my face.

Now it was Shatter on the offensive as he started laying into me with his juiced up fists. I activated Concrete to shield my face with my arms but his punches were chewing away at my defense little by little.

“Fuck…! I gotta get outta this!” I grunted.

As Shatter raised both his fists to hammer down on me, I held my hands in front of me and fired a few Concrete Barrage disks. The disks hit him in the chest, making him grunt loudly, and it gave me the opportunity to use Concrete Thrusters to push myself out from under him. I jumped back up and staggered a bit as blood dripped from the side of my head. Shatter brushed off the Concrete dust and shards of rock from his chest, and reached into his pocket pulled out a couple more syringes and jammed them in his leg.

“Fucking hell…” groaned and a few knives whizzed past my cheek. One of them cut my cheekbone as I spotted Shiv getting ready to throw more knives behind Shatter.

“Like it? I think I’ll keep him for my new shield,” I heard Shiv say before throwing another knife. The blade made a few ricochets before nearly piercing my calve. “Don’t worry. I got a few tricks up me leggings as well.”

Shatter seemed too juiced up to even say words as he picked up a chair and hurled it at me. I managed to jump out of the way but a knife pierced my foot. I cursed in pain and yanked the knife out, and barely had enough time to dodge another charge from Shatter. I switched to Video and summoned mid-level Combat Armor. The armor looked just like the mid-level combat armor from Fallout 4. I then materialized two Power Fist weapons on both my fists and slammed them together as Shatter got his teeth at me.

“Now we can do fisticuffs properly!” I said.

The only answer I got from Shatter was for him to grab the couch in one hand and swing it like a fly swatter. I managed to duck out of the way from his swing and reeled my fist back. I swung it as hard as I could and connected it with the couch, splintering it into pieces. With his crude weapon unusable, Shatter threw away what remained of the couch and met me in a brawl. Despite using power fists, my punches felt like I was hitting a wall of solid rock while his felt like I was being clobbered by a couple of baseball bats.

“That’s it! Tear that bastard apart!” I heard Nacho cheer as he and Sandy came to watch from around the corner.

I clenched my teeth in annoyance and spotted Shiv creeping up in the corner of my eye getting ready to throw more knives. Much as I didn’t want to admit it, I had to end this before things get more complicated than they already are. I quickly materialized a combat helmet over my head and leaned back. I then swung my head forward and bashed my helmet right into Shatter’s face. The big bruiser grunted and stumbled backwards in a slight daze, dropping his guard, which gave me the opportunity I was looking for. I tackled Shatter and pushed him through the rubble and damaged furniture right into a wall. Before he could retaliate, I began my onslaught of nonstop consecutive power punches. Strike after strike, I was beating Shatter into submission into the wall and he was helpless to try and put up his guard. I felt multiple sharp objects hit my armor as Shiv tried to stab me through my back but my armor held up.

“I’LL KEEP BEATING YOU UNTIL YOU CAN’T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT!” I yelled as I kept wailing on the helpless Shatter Star. I could feel his bones breaking with every strike and blood sprayed from his nostrils and eyes. I expected to hear Axel at some point, asking me to stop for whatever reason, but he never said a word.

Shatter was absolutely helpless as I continued beating him relentlessly into the wall. His entire face was swollen and bloody, and all of his teeth were knocked out. I grinned as I reeled back as far as I could and slammed my power fist right into his face. The impact was so great that I ended up crushing his skull in the process. I then pulled my fist back and let his beaten corpse fall limply on the floor. His head was completely crushed, and blood pooled out onto the floor. I could even see a little bit of brain sticking out the back of his head as he lay there twitching. I breathed heavily as I then unsheathed my Amp and raised it over his disfigured head.

“Nighty night,” I mocked before bringing my Amp down on his skull, splattering it all over the coils and the floor.

Before I even had time to wipe the gray goo from my tool, Shiv let out a battle cry before latching onto my back. "You dirty bastard! I'll turn your miserable corpse into a pin cushion!" She roared while trying to stab my neck.

Thankfully, my armor managed to stop her blade from piercing my flesh as I reached behind me and grabbed her arm. I tossed her off of me but she unfurled her wings and had several knives in both her hands.

“Crap…” I said and ran for cover.

I ducked behind a couch just as the knives went flying. I heard the knives thump against the cushions. As I tried to come up with a plan, one knife whizzed through the furniture and nearly grazed my cheek.

“Shit! Just how many knives does this bitch have?!” I said when she suddenly flew over my cover and threw a few knives aimed right at my face. I was forced to raise my arm and let the blades pierce my armor and cut my flesh.

“Gonna stick ya like a pig, I will!” Shiv yelled before bringing out a large dagger to stab me with.

I managed to duck out of the way but felt a searing pain in my calf. I yelled in pain to see she had thrown a second large dagger at my leg when I wasn’t looking. My fast-healing was once again having a hard time keeping up with all this damage I was taking as little faded digital lights flickered off my body.

Shiv noticed this and stomped her boot, revealing a pop-out knife. She then kicked my ribs, damaging my armor further, and even got a few lucky shots in.

“What’s wrong, ya git?!’ Shiv mocked as I struggled to keep my armor active. “Out of juice?!’

For the first time, I found myself driven into a corner. This fight with Nacho’s goons, Shatter Star, and this crazy knife girl were taking more of a toll on me than I anticipated. It’s never been this bad before with me being the one on my hands and knees. I had to find a way out of this fast, before I actually end up getting killed.

“This oughta do ya in,” Shiv said as she twirled a big knife in her hand. “Say your prayers, and give my regards to the big bruiser in Tartarus!”

I grit my teeth and raised my hand to block her from plunging her knife into my neck, only to have her stab right through my hand and my blood sprayed everywhere. I grunted loudly as my anger and frustration boiled over. There was no fucking way in hell I was gonna let this bitch do me in, and let that fat son of a bitch get the last laugh. In my anger, I switched to Smoke, which deactivated my armor. Thick smokey vapors with red cinders flickered off my body as I pushed Shiv away while she tried pushing back. I grit my teeth even harder, and my vision became red while the smoke vapors and red cinders billowed more ferociously off of me. Suddenly, red flames burst from my hands, which forced Shiv to let go of her knife and fly back. I slowly picked myself up from the ground and stood on my good leg. The red flames flickering off my hands traveled up my arms to my shoulders as I pulled out the knife from my hand. I glared at Shiv through my red vision while my new red flames and smoke vapors engulfed both my arms.

“You’ve pissed me off to the nth degree, bitch,” I snarled. “There’s no way in Hell I’m dying tonight. Not by you, or anyone.”

Without waiting for a retort, I started attacking her from all directions at speeds that surprised even me. My Smoke Thrusters gave my jump a boost as I fired Cinder Shots right at Shiv. To her credit, Shiv was more nimble than she looked as she dodged all of my shots while picking up and throwing her knives at me. After dodging a large dagger, I grabbed it from where it stuck itself in the wall and let the flames consume it, making the blade look like it was purely made of flames. With a quick flick of the wrist, I sent it sailing and it found its mark in Shiv’s right shoulder.

Shiv screamed in pain as the inflamed blade seared her flesh and probably even tore through the tendons and muscles of her limb. I took the opportunity to fire a few more Cinder Shots right at her. She was able to dodge a few shots, despite her injury, but I was able to get another shot in on her wound, making her scream again.

Before I could fire another shot, I suddenly fell on one of my knees. The blood loss was finally kicking in, and I was down to my last reserves of power. I started to cough up blood as a shadow suddenly loomed over me.

“Adiós, amigo.” I heard Nacho say before I heard the click of a gun hammer being pulled back.

“I ain’t done yet, shit head!” I yelled and ducked out of the way before he fired. I reeled back and smashed my fist as hard as I could into his face, sending him flying and he hit the large window, making it crack. Shiv had recovered from my shot and went to throw more knives at me. I grit my teeth as hard as I could and used all my strength to charge at Shiv before she could throw another knife. I tackled her onto the marble kitchen counter and proceeded to punch her face over and over.

“I’ve! Had! Enough! Of! Your! BULLSHIT!” I screamed with each punch.

Once her face was smashed to my liking, I grabbed the two nearest knives and sunk one in each of her wings. Shiv screamed at the top of her lungs as blood gushed from the wounds from the knives. I then got a very sadistic idea as she looked up at me with angry tears in her eyes.

“You pegasi-people take great pride in your wings,” I said, as I glared down at her with a vicious smirk. “I know an annoying, rainbow-haired bitch who sometimes won’t shut up about her wings. You people sometimes believe you’re a cut above earth pony-people just because you can fly.” I forced Shiv to turn over on her stomach against the counter and switched to Video to summon my digital claws. “Let’s see how you like being grounded permanently.” Shiv looked over her shoulder at me with horror as I extended my claws and jammed the tips right at the base of one of her wings, tearing the tendons and nerves to shreds.

Shiv screamed in horrible unimaginable pain as I tore through her muscles and crushed the bones like dried twigs. In a way, the screams gave me a sickening pleasure. The wing twitched violently until I snapped a few more tendons until it went completely limp. I was about to move on to the next wing when I felt her body go limp. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and there was a little foam coming from her mouth. The pain must’ve been too much for her that she blacked out. I scoffed at her and shoved her aside, making her fall on the ground.

The pain from my injuries were beginning to ache as I turned to where Nacho was leaning against the big glass window. Nacho was clutching his swollen face, whimpering like the little pompous bitch he is. I slowly made my way over to him while deactivating Video. I spotted my chain on the floor and picked it up before wrapping it around my wrist. My Amp was lodged in the stump of Shatter’s head, so I grabbed the handle and yanked it out, making a sickening sound of tearing flesh. I sheathed my Amp back on my pack as Nacho tried to crawl away from me. I said nothing as I leaned down, grabbed him by his neck and held him up in front of me. As he gagged for air, I reeled back and slammed him into the glass. The impact made the window shatter to pieces as the cold strong winds from outside blew into the penthouse. I could almost see the whole city from way up top as I held Nacho in front of me again, hanging him over the edge.

“You probably have been in the opposite position that you are in now plenty of times,” I said as my grip tightened. “You, standing over a sniveling individual who probably owes you money or is being forced to do something they didn’t want. You most likely felt that rush of power and authority, like a puppeteer controlling the strings of his puppet. But now…” My grip tightened more as I subtly switched to Electricity. “Now all of that authority means jack shit. Your men are dead and butchered, your top mercenaries have failed you in the worst way, and you barely have a single bit to your name since I took away everything you had to your name.”

“When…my uncle-gak!” Nacho tried to say but I choked him out.

“Your uncle…is next,” I proclaimed. “He overstepped. And that never ends well in this line of work. You should’ve realized that, because now you’re no longer the great Señor Nacho Pepper, nephew to the great Don Serrano Pepper, you are now just a fat, pathetic, little rat.”

Nacho tried his best to claw his way out of my grasp, but I wasn’t done with him yet. After all the pain and suffering he’s caused me, it’s only fair that he heals me. Grabbing him with both hands, I used Bio Leech to suck out his life force. Nacho gasped in pain as I activated the power and his life started to seep into me. One thing the games didn’t mention, or they just couldn’t mention, was that the features of Nacho’s face started to shrink and get wrinkly, like a grape turning into a raisin.

His screams of anguish quieted down as his eyes rolled back. I could feel the amount of energy flowing into me like a well-deserved energy boost. Honestly, I was a little surprised how much energy I was absorbing as the pain from my wounds had mostly subsided. By the time I expunged the last portion of energy from Nacho, he was nothing more than a dried husk that resembled a decomposing mummy’s corpse. I looked down at the bustling streets of Manehattan as I slowly released my grip. Nacho’s shriveled body fell from my grasp and plummeted to the ground below. I watched it fall until it impacted the ground with a distant thud. I couldn’t hear from the top story of the building, but I could just barely see some pedestrians as they were startled from the sudden noise of Nacho’s body hitting the pavement. As I gazed down at the entrance of the hotel, I caught sight of some flashing lights parked outside the building. It then hit me that those flashing lights belonged to carriages driven by authorities.

“Someone must’ve called the cops while I was busy,” I said to myself. As if to prove my assumption, I heard loud banging on the door followed by yelling. “And it would seem they’re already here…”

You can’t let them see your face! That’s my face! Axel shouted in my head.

Just as I was about to make my leave, I caught sight of some surviving thugs trying to make a break for it. Looks like they couldn’t handle going face to face with me and tried to hide away in a broom closet. I could just let them run, let them tell their boss what happened tonight.

…

I pulled my hood over my head and held my hand in front of my face while activating Video. I used my power to materialize a mask to hide my face. The survivors all whimpered as I materialized my scythe in my hand.

“No survivors…” I said venomously.

Marshall Avalon
1st POV

BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!

I kept my stern gaze at the door as a couple of the local authorities were beating it down with a battering ram. I was surprised that her majesty would allow me to leave her side just to join an urgent call but the fact that all units were to join in made the situation much more serious. I honestly did not know what to expect.

“Sir!” An officer ran up to me looking quite pale. “We just got word from the ground level that a body was just found splattered all over the pavement! Witnesses say it fell from the top floor of this penthouse!”

“Did they identify the victim?” I asked as I kept my gaze on the door.

“No sir, some of the men are still in shock and we're keeping as many witnesses as we can clear of the crime scene,” the officer reported.

“How long ago was this?” I asked.

“About a few minutes ago, sir!” The officer said.

CRASH!!

“We got it open!” The officer with the battering ram said. “Manehattan police! Everyone hands above their-!”

“SWEET CELESTIA!” One of the officers cried at the gruesome sight before us.

Piles of bodies lay across the hall, most mutilated beyond measure. Some of the officers had to step out to vomit as the scent of fresh blood filled my nostrils. In all my years of service, I had never seen such a level of murder and mayhem.

“Augh…sir, I’m gonna be sick!” One of the officers said as I gave him the all clear to run outside to lose his lunch.

“These bodies are fresh…” I cautiously drew my weapon when we heard what sounded like fighting upstairs. “On me, watch your corners! MOVE!”

We ran up the stairs to the second level, trying to ignore the gruesome sight of the bodies that littered the hallway and blood that splattered the walls.

“Wait a moment…” an officer said as he ran up the stairs beside me. “I recognize some of these men! They’re part of the Pepper Cartel!”

“The Cartel?” Another said. “Does that mean this was a gang fight?”

“More like a slaughter,” another officer gulped.

“These wounds…they were done by a blade.” I noticed that many of the bodies had been made with clean cuts, each lethal with a single strike by a blade sharp enough to cleave bone before I noticed something else. “No, not blades…claws?”

“What the hell did we get ourselves into sir?” An officer gulped fearfully.

“I don’t know but be ready,” I advised.

We made our way up the stairs to the second level of the penthouse. I honestly didn’t know what to expect as we heard a few shots of magic gunfire. Sweat dripped off the side of my brow, and I could tell these officers were very anxious the closer we got to the top. As soon as we did, my fears were made true as I and the officers froze in place. The cold wind from outside blew in from the large broken window. More bodies lay littered everywhere on the floor and on the steps to the third level. Standing in the middle was a creature that could only be described as a demon straight from the pits of Tartarus. It had blood red webbed wings that resembled a bat’s wings. In one of its hands was a large red scythe, its blade was dripping with fresh blood from its slain victims. In its other hand was another unfortunate bastard whose head had been skewered by the demon’s long serrated claws. The demon wore what looked like regular clothing and a hood over its head. However, underneath the hood was what looked like a demonic mask.

“You should’ve stayed in hiding…” the creature said in a distorted voice at his slain prey.

“Wh-What…the Tartarus…is that thing…?!” One officer said, shaking in his boots.

“OPEN FIRE!!” Without thinking, we fired upon the creature yet each of our shots seemed to sweep past him as if they were standing still and when our guns ran empty, we saw he had deflected each and every shot without moving an inch from where he stood. I swallowed a lump in my throat and took a step forward.

“Listen, buddy, I don’t know who you are, but you need to come with us.,” I said calmly as I approached the masked vigilante carefully while trying to ignore the corpses now decorating the room.

“…Marshall…Avalon,” the creature said before slowly turning his head time. His red eyes sent a chill down my spine. “Celestia’s personal guard dog.”

“Put your hands behind your head-NOW!” I barked, my hands barely shaking as I trained my sights on him.

“Hmph, this isn’t a fight you should be worrying about, Avalon,” the creature scoffed and unfurled his red wings. “Best return to your mistress’s side where you belong.”

Before I could order him to surrender again, he flapped his wings as hard as he could and shot out of the window at blinding speeds. I ran to the edge of the window as he flew across the sky like a red shooting star and disappeared into the blackness of the night sky. I finally managed to exhale from the unknown pressure I felt in his presence.

“Who…the Tartarus was that?!” One of the officers asked when I saw the carnage he had left in his wake. Whoever this man was, he showed no mercy to the cartel.

“I don’t know but somehow I doubt we’ve seen the last of him,” I sighed.

“We got a live one!” I whipped my head around to see another gruesome sight.

One of the officers was kneeling down over an unconscious young pegasus-woman. My fist clenched when I noticed that both of her wings had blades stuck in them and the base of her left wing was completely torn apart. This creature deliberately destroyed her ability to fly, making her permanently grounded.

“She must be one of the mercenaries,” the officer said.

“This is officer Marshall; I need a med team here stat!” I said over the communication crystal while a few of my men gently took her off the wall. Even though she was a gun for hire, I could only feel pity for what that…thing had put her through as we surveyed the aftermath of the massacre.

“One man did all this?” An officer said with a nervous shudder.

“This was no man…it was a demon,” I said while looking at the clawed face of another cartel member.

“Sir! There’s another one over here!” Another officer called out.

I made my way down a hall and turned into one of the rooms. This room was almost completely destroyed with burn marks on the walls and ceiling. There was debris everywhere along with more slain cartels. Huddled in the corner was a woman who looked like she had just faced death.

“Red…Hawk…” the woman whimpered. “Red Hawk…beware…th-the Red Hawk…!”

“Sir, she’s in complete shock, I suggest we get her to the hospital ASAP,” the officer said.

“Do it. And search every inch of this place. I wanna know what went down here,” I ordered.

The woman ran up to me and grabbed my arms.

“HE’LL KILL ME! I AM HIS NEXT VICTIM! THE RED HAWK WILL HUNT ME DOWN AND TEAR OUT MY HEART!” She screamed in my face.

“Hey HEY! Ma’am, calm down!” I shook her a bit to snap her out of her trauma as the men pried her off me. Never in my whole career as a royal guard did I see someone so frightened. “Red Hawk? She talking about the suspect?” I wondered.

“All I know is that guy cost us months of investigation. We’ve been monitoring these cartels for months! All that work flushed down the toilet! I want this guy found and in cuffs,” one of the lead officers said before storming off.

“Sir, may I speak to you for a moment?” One of the unicorn-officers said. I nodded and I stepped out of the room to speak with her. “You know the Manehattan Authorities always carry a magic suppressing ring on our person so we can put it on unicorn-perps in order to negate their magic, right?”

“Yeah, why?” I nodded.

“Well…the rings also act as a sort of magic detection device. It can even detect magic residue from spells cast,” the officer said as she pulled out her ring. “I have been using this ring to detect magic since we arrived on the scene. However…there isn’t a trace of magic anywhere around here.”

“What are you saying, officer?” I asked.

“It shouldn’t be possible but whatever that…demon did to these cartels.” The officer looked around and gulped. “It wasn’t magic.”

“That’s bull!” I spat after hearing such an outrageous claim. “Look at these scorch marks! even the most basic fire spell leaves some kind of magical trace! Are you telling me this guy used some kind of tool?! I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

“If that were true, then there would be traces of non-magic resources, wouldn’t there?” The officer said. “Sir Marshall, these burn marks aren’t any I’ve ever seen in my years on the force. Even you can tell that all of…this is unnatural.”

“Unless this guy was a dragon, I’m not ruling out anything. Get your boys at the lab to analyze this, I gotta make a report to headquarters.” I then headed downstairs and back to the elevator as the men began to corner off the crime scene. Once I reached the bottom floor, and the elevator doors opened, I could see the flashing lights of paparazzi as I walked into the lobby while the other officers did their best to keep them back. Just as I was about to be bombarded by flashing lights and repetitive questions, my thoughts were swirling with questions about what I saw up in that penthouse.

“What kind of creature leaves such destruction?” I said to myself as I opened the doors.

“Sir Avalon! Sir Avalon!” One of the paparazzi called out to me.

“What is the situation in the penthouse?!”

“Is it true that there was a mass murder?!”

“Is it gang related?!”

“How many bodies did you count?!”

“Should we assume the worst?!”

“The investigation is ongoing; we will keep you informed as much as possible. Thank you.” I then quickly made my way back to the wagon as more of the press tried to get me to answer more questions, but I was as much in the dark as they were.

“Where to sir?” the driver asked after I had stepped in.

“Headquarters, now,” I ordered.

Author's Note

Everywhere the Red Hawk goes, blood flows like an endless stream.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…