Non Timebo Mala

Blood.

The smell of blood assaulted me as a stood around the corpses of those that I had just taken from this world. Their bodies still warm, the look of terror on their faces. Some had begged for mercy, I had shown none. These men had shown none to those they had wronged, so I would show them no mercy. They had butchered men, women, and children because they simply could or because they didn't give them what they wanted.

I noticed that one was still alive and was trying to crawl away without getting noticed. I turned towards him and started walking towards him. He cried out in terror, "Oh God, please no! I don't want to die." he tried to crawl faster but was unable to as he had to drag his body with only his arms. His legs were a mangled mess, useless to him now. I continued my methodical march towards him. once I reached him I flipped his body around and grabbed him by the collar of what was left of his shirt. I lifted him up to my eye level and glared at him under my mask. He began to weep in hope that I would pity him and let him live. I would not.

"You should've thought about that before you came into my streets." I slammed him up against the wall of the alleyway we were in. "You should've thought about that before you pulled the trigger." I pulled my pistol from its holster and placed it up against his shoulder and pulled the trigger. Not a killing blow, but a blow that would cause great pain. "You thought you would look tough for your bosses and you'd get a promotion." I shot his other shoulder, the man crying out in pain once again. "You killed my friends for what? A better paycheck?" I returned my pistol to its holster and held up my fist. Over my black suit I had a pair of brass knuckles with spikes on them. I pounded my fist into the man's gut repeatedly. Once again, not enough to kill, but to cause great pain. I let the man go and he slid down the side of the wall and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. I turned around and walked away into the shadows.

"Y-you're not going t-to kill me?" He asked almost hopeful.

I stopped and looked over my shoulder at him. "No," I looked down the alleyway and saw a group of homeless people coming down the alley with many improvised weapons. "But they will." I continued walking into the darkness as I heard the screams of the man as the mob beating him to death.

I stopped at a puddle on the road and looked down at the puddle to see my reflection. My head to toe suit was all black with some red and white trim around it. Around my shoulder I had red shoulder pads with spiked on them and I had larger combat boots with spikes on the toe and heels. Around me seeming to billow in the wind was a blood red cloak that came up to my shoulders and them went straight around my head like a collar. The reason for my suit moving was that it was actually alive. The symbiote known as Leetha of the 7th House of K, also known as K7-Leetha. The suit is alive and gains its power from necroplasm, which body is primarily made of now. Due to this I am cursed with being unable to die unless I am killed, which is very, very difficult to do.

Continuing to look down at the pond below me, the mask retracts from my face and shows my scarred face. I used to have a handsome face, but ever since I became a Hellspawn my face was horribly scarred. My once long, straight red hair was gone, having long since been burned away. My eyes were still green, but were no longer the vibrant green they once were. They now were dull and devoid of emotion. My face, as well as most of my body was horribly scarred. Parts of it were burned, while other had so many scars on it that I could hardly stand to look at myself for too long. I stepped in the puddle and walked away, disgusted by what I saw. I had given up my humanity a long time ago, to a deal that delivered but not in the way I had hoped. I had killed those that had wronged me, those that had come for me, and those that had betrayed me. All those that I had come to call friends, family, and lovers died or turned away from me in fear or disgust. I had no purpose left. I simply walked among the dark alleyways of the city I had come to call home. I had long since forgotten what city I was in and came to not care.

I continued to walk in sullen silence to what was my home. It was very ironic where I lived, and old abandoned church. The church was dark and slowly falling apart. The room was slowly falling through the building and rain poured in and pelted of my suit. It didn't affect me anymore, the suit kept me dry and warm at all times. Even if I did take off my mask it wouldn't make a difference, ever since I had become the monster I am now I had lost the ability to feel such simple sensations. I could no longer taste food and drink or feel as a result of my damnation. My smell, sight, and hearing were all amplified to superhuman degrees, even though I was far from human. My emotions were slowly stripped from me over time, having only been replaced with sadness, anger, and bitterness. A lifetime of murder and loss does that to you. I walked over to the only possessions I could truly call mine. There was a large desk of items that had been placed in the driest corner of the church I could find. Most of the items on the desk were weapons of all kinds. Guns, blades, ammunitions, and any other weapon you could think of. I cherished these weapons for they had each gotten me out of many situations that might have killed me. I then moved to the other odd items on the end of the table, the items that connected me to a past I had lost long ago. There was a military officer's sword with the name 'Sgt. Wesley James York' on it, my name. I had been a part of the Marines before I had been killed and made a deal with the devil to live again, as his general. Next to it was a picture of me and a young woman. I was in my military blues and she in an elegant dress. This was our wedding picture. We had dated through high school and while she was in college. I finally popped the question before I had shipped of for my third tour. The ceremony took place days before I shipped out. That was the last I saw her before I died. I had been brought back 5 years after I had died. She had moved on and married another man. I had little of my memory at the time but I still knew who she was. The devil had taken most of my memories except those of her, to spite me. I had chosen to go back to see her again, only to be unable to have her. A few tears fell down my face as I moved on to my next possession, my wedding band. Engraved with the words 'Non Timebo Mala', 'I will fear no evil'. Ironic as that is what I had become. I lifted the ring to my finger to put it on, but was once again unable to. When I was resurrected my body changed, becoming larger and heavier. I was unable to put the ring on any longer. I set the ring on the table on again and allowed tear to flow freely. Ten years since I had been brought back. Ten long, lonely years. I longed for death, longed to be free from this curse. I long to find someone strong enough to kill me. I would not lay down and die though, what was left of my pride would not allow it.

I slammed my fists on the table, just hard enough not to break it and turned away to go the roof of the church. I always was able to find solace on the roof, staring into the heavens. The stars always seemed to calm me. Even as I stared at the place I knew I could never go to, I longer to go there. Heaven would never allow a Hellspawn into their holy gates. Once I was finally killed I would be sent back down to hell to whatever damnation awaited my there. whatever it was couldn't be nearly as bad as what I was cursed with now. I continued to look at the stars for the next few hours before I felt a presence walk towards me on the roof. I tensed up and prepared for a fight. I growled out as the person continued to get closer. With the growl, they had stopped in their tracks.

"Many have come to kill me, and all have died in their attempts. Will you join their ranks?" I asked the presence behind me.

Surprisingly the being merely chuckled. "I am not here to kill you, nor give you a reason to kill anyone else. You have done far too much of that in your life."

I once again growled. "Then leave me, let me have this peace until it does get disturbed again."

The being took a few more steps forward and stopped right next to me. "That is why I am here to offer you a deal, a way out of your suffering."

My eyes shot towards the being for a moment. The person was a tall, middle aged man wearing a pure white suit that seemed to shine even in the night. He had an angelic face and long blonde hair that flowed down past his shoulders. Many would assume this figure was an angel or God, but I knew better I had killed many angels before and had fought with God. This man was not him.

"Who are you, and what's in it for you? The last time I made a deal with someone I was cursed with existence and I won't fall for that trick again."

The man sat down next to me and crossed his legs. Even when he sat down on the dirty roof and in the rain, the man's suit remained dry and pristine white.

"You are right in assuming I am not an angel or God. There is more in this universe than even you understand." He handed me a scroll of paper. "I have had many names in the past, but you may call me the Balance."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "The Balance? There are worse names out there I suppose. What is it that you do?"

The Balance chuckled at that. "After all of these years you still have some semblance of humor left. As to your question; as my name implies, I keep the balance in the universe. when someone has too much good or bad fortune I step in and correct that. And you my friend have had some very bad fortune. I have neglected your situations for a long time now and I am here now to correct that mistake."

"Could've used you a long time ago. So what exactly is the offer and what do you get out of it?" I asked him, cautious.

"What I offer is a way out of your imprisonment here. I can send you to a new world where you will have your old body back but will keep your power and all the good parts that come with it. There is only one thing I ask of you there."

"And what is that?"

"To protect it. A great threat approaches and the defenders there will be unable to defeat it. They will need you and your great powers. I also ask that you try to find happiness there. You have been in sorrow for so long now that you deserve some sort of happiness. While there I must ask you to do something that may be very difficult for you."

"Once again, what is that."

"There are heroes there that each protect a city from threats that oppose it. Each of these heroes make up a team that protects their world. They have incredibly powerful individuals there, but they have one rule. They don't kill their criminals. You need to be on their good side so you can't kill those that do wrong."

"That may prove… difficult for me."

"I have faith that you will accomplish this goal. As I said you will regain your old body and keep your powers, but you must not kill anyone you come across. So, do we have an accord?" The man held out his hand for me to shake.

I pondered it for a moment. This man could be lying to me and drop in some godforsaken hell hole and leave me there. Then again it can't get much worse than where I am right now.

I took his hand and shook it. "We have a deal." I gripped his hand hard and pulled him closer. My face morphed into a hard scowl. "But if you cross me, you'll end up like the last person that screwed me over in a deal. And I'm sure you know what happened to him."

The man nodded. "I would not betray your trust, you have lost so much already. I would not destroy your faith even more than it already has been." He motioned for me to stand up as I stood up with him. He took my other hand and his eyes began to glow. "Now, a forewarning. This will hurt, a lot."

I grinned. "I'm sure I've felt worse."

The man shook his head. "That's what they all say." His eyes shot out the brightest light I had ever seen and blinded me. The pain started slow before it flared into the worst pain I had ever felt. It felt as though a thousand suns were burning inside of me. I howled in pain before the pain suddenly stopped and I found myself once again in a dark alleyway. I looked down at my body to find that I still had my suit on. I walked to a puddle I had found and hoped beyond hope that I was changed. I retracted my mask and was shocked at what I saw. My face, and hair had returned. My skin was back, and my scars had all gone. My eyes remained dull and lifeless, though not a dull as they had been. I nearly cried out of pure joy.

Joy. A feeling I had not felt in a long time. I nearly yelled out in happiness before I regained my composure. I returned my mask to face and wore a smile under in wider than I had in a long time. I walked out of the alleyways and found a glowing sign with the words of the city I must be in. It was a city that I had never heard of before.

'Gotham'