Chapter 1

Prologue

September 27th 2013 Chicago.7:46

The WKZ-TV theme came on a local coffee shop as the woman broadcasting spoke.

"Today we have received some interesting information about Chicago's local vigilante, The Fox. His real name has been submitted by a woman of the name Yolanda, a therapist who had been seeing the Pearce's son for PTSD after the death of his sister."

The TV shut off as the coffee shop owner approached a man in the corner who was wearing a brown trench coat, a black baseball cap, had muddy boots on and worn out jeans.

"So they know who you are now Aiden?"

Aiden blinked looking up and sighed, "Yeah...had to move the family out of town."

He picked up some cups and began to wash them, "Where too?"

"Out of state, somewhere I don't know."

"You didn't ask them?"

"I didn't want to ask," Aiden pointed at that TV, "They know who I am...and if I go out to them I'll just put them in danger again."

The coffee shop owner shook his head, "No you won't man...I mean I did," he gestured to his shop, "I left a life of fixing behind for this. I'll tell you one thing it's fantastic, I love serving people coffee."

Aiden sighed, "I just like fighting more...how could you get used to this?"

"It's quiet," The coffee manager made his own cup and sipped it, "I love meeting people, the people who come here are the most social people you ever meet."

"But you don't have family."

He sighed as he took another sip, "Not anymore yeah...but it didn't loose them to the thug life Pearce. You want my advice...just get out of Chicago while you can. Stop making enemies, you took out the Viceroys, the biggest gang in the Wards, why do you need to stick around any longer?"

Aiden looked down at his cup, "Lucky Quinn...he killed Lena."

The owner looked shocked, "Seriously? He ordered the hit?"

"Yes he did," Aiden gripped his cup shakily, "And I'm going to murder him."

The owner looked frightened, "You're going to kill him? How?"

Aiden shook his head as he sat down his empty cup, "I don't know...but I'll probably handle it like I've handled every single gang hideout at this point. I'll sneak it, shoot some people, and save a single bullet for Mr. Quinn."

"You sure man?"

He looked worried as he took Pearce's cup up, "Why don't you just...I don't know...send the information to the police? Even if it came from the Vigilante they'd accept it none the less. You didn't even need the info, you can edit people's criminal records with the touch of a phone-touchpad. You can change anyone's destiny."

Aiden Pearce smirked, "I'm just a man not Jesus."

Suddenly the doors opened, four people walked on in and the coffee maker sighed, "I thought i'd be closing in four minutes..."

The people all dressed in black, one of them had a black leather coat on and looked to be the youngest, he looked at Aiden with these green eyes that pierced the soul.

Aiden's eyes were soulless and reflected the emptiness on to the man.

The coffee maker smiled getting behind the counter, "What can I get you?"

The man in the black jacket smiled, "Get me and my friends some Hot Chai Tea please...and the man in the corner as well."

Aiden was alerted but he didn't want them to notice, he pretended to be busy on his phone.

To his surprise the man sat down across from him smiling.

"So...you got a name stranger?"

Aiden shook his head, "Not to give out to you."

As the tea arrived each and every member took a cup. The man then offered Aiden his tea, "You going to accept out kindness stranger?"

Aiden shook his head.

"Cmon on man it's not liked we drugged ya!"

He them removed an M92F black pistol from his pocket, "After all...didn't your mommy give you a password so you know strangers are friends?"

The coffe shop owner jumped as the men pulled out a shotgun and a submachine gun and he raised his hands.

Aiden calmly said, "Who are you?"

The man smiled, "We are the Chicago South Club's personal hit squad. We aren't just some Fixxers we hired off the street. We are the top of the top. We've learned about a leak in out data..."

One of them spoke, "...some personal data."

Another spoke, "So we're here to finish you off once and for all 'Vigilante!'"

Aiden sighed, "So he's down to sending some hitmen to do to me what your own guards couldn't do to me when I hit your hideouts...pathetic."

Aiden took his scarf and moved it over his face, "I assume he knows about me coming for him."

The man snickered and he didn't notice Aiden undoing his tactical baton.

"Yeah...and when this is all over," he cocked his gun, "we'll go for your family that just left town."

Aiden's eyes widened as he swung up on his baton knocking over his table and spilling the hot chai tea on the other three men who in term dropped their tea. The man across from Pearce was about to fire but Pearce knocked the gun out of his hand with the baton and whacked him in the side from behind causing him to kneel. Aiden then pulled out a Smith and Wesson and placed the barrel against the man's head.

The other men gasped training their guns on Aiden and the man snickered, "Good trick...I wasn't expecting Aiden Pearce to just lay down and quit..."

Aiden cocked the gun, "What did you say about my family?"

He grinned, "Aww...so you wanna know huh? Well we know the plane they're getting on tonight. And after this I'm supposed to drive over there and intercept...with bullets."

Aiden kicked the man in front of him on to his knees ad he put both of his hands on the gun, "So The Club knows?"

He snickered, "Only we know...we were tailing you early today and we listened on your phone call...we know about your assassination plan."

Aiden sighed, "I can't let you go then. I have to kill you."

The man smiled as Aiden noticed his hand was in his jacket pocket Aiden jumped backwards out the window to avoid the man shooting through his jacket.

Aiden coughed getting up and dashing to his motorcycle.

The men jumped outside and fired all missing.

"The cars!"

They all got in their custom Chicago South Club Cars and drove off. There were two cars, each with two people in each.

Aiden was driving to the Parker Square subway station getting off his bike as he stopped. He then removed his phone and waited. He then saw the cars coming down the street and grinned pressing the button, the steam pipe in the road exploded flipping the car over, it immediately burst into flames and exploded right into a tree.

The man in the black leather jacket growled, "How...how could he!"

He then jumped out of his car along with his only remainning partner as they dashed after Pearce who got on the train up top.

They ran inside the train pulled out their pistols aimming them at the people, "Get off! This is our train!"

They all screamed and ran in fear as the train emptied itself. But strangely Pearce wasn't found.

"Where'd he go...I didn't see him get off."

Then heard movement on the top of the train and the man in the black leather jacket pointed his gun up and fired. The bullet went through the top of the train and through Aiden's coat. The train began to move after Aiden hacked it and it lurched forward. The man's friend fired with him as Aiden dashed to the car behind him. As they went to follow they Aiden aimed his pistol and shot one of them in the chest making him fall back. Aiden was about to shoot the other one but he found his gun was empty.

He moved back to not get shot as the man made his way to the top of the train. The sun was setting and giving way to night as the train moved into a tunnel.

"You...you killed all my friends."

"You're going to be the last one to go too."

The man grinned as he aimmed his gun at him, "I see you didn't reload in time...how are you going to shoot me with an empty gun?"

Aiden smirked as he slipped his hand in his pocket, the man shot at him missing both times but Aiden pressed the button bracing himself as the train made a hard stop. The man fell over as Aiden finished reloading his gun.

The man was getting up but Aiden hit the button again just as the train exited out into the darkness of night time. It was on a bridge connecting Parker Square with the Loop. The man was getting up his gun was about to swing up and shoot Pearce but Aiden reacted more, he was shaken by the train as well but his aim was far superior shooting the man in his right eye. He yelled out in pain his eyes both closed as he fried off wildly. But Aiden shot again at his foot and he cried out one more time before sliding off the train hitting the concrete bridge and falling face first into the water. Aiden stared blankly at the splash in the water stopping the train to see if he'd surface but he didn't.

With a grunt of approval Aiden jumped down to the main interior of the train where one of the members was bleeding.

"Agggh! You!" he pointed at Aiden, "You killed him!"

Aiden crouched in front of him, "So what? You tried to kill me...the funny thing is i'd forgive you for that...i've forgiven plenty of people for that."

Aiden reloaded his gun, "No...what I can't forgive you for...is threatening my family."

Aiden cocked his gun.

"No w-"

Aiden fired off his bullet into the man's head letting the blood bleed into the train's floor. He looked at this death and suddenly looked at his hands, covered in blood.

Before he knew it the train had jerked to a start again and Aiden hacked the doors open to jump off the tracks on to land. HE looked at his hands again and wondered.

"Am I the hero?"

He then gazed off over to the Merlaut Hotel and shook his head, "Of course I am...what I do is trivial compared to him."

Aiden began to walk in the Hotel's direction.

"I don't have time to hesitate. I just need to kill him."