He moved through the streets like the wind, silent and swift, hugging the shadows like his life depended on it, and it did. He disappeared into a dirty alleyway and pressed himself up against a crumbling wall of a building, breathing so softly that he didn't even seem to be breathing at all. He closed his eyes and focused.
He was dressed in long black trench coat with a hood that pulled over to hide his electric blue eyes. Over his nose and mouth was a tight black covering that hugged his face. His hands and arms were wrapped completely in white cloth, completely concealing his skin. His pants were black and ripped in many places, but under every hole was just more black and gray fabric. the only skin that ever showed was on his face. Strapped to his back were two black katanas with blue wrapped hilts. Also on his back was a gray backpack that was filled with only the bare essentials: A meager amount of food, a small first aid kit, a medallion and a ceremonial dagger, and finally a variety of random tools and objects.
Hamato Leonardo took another deep breath and focused his senses, stretching them out so that he could hear the slightest movement, feel every inch of the bricks he was pressed up against, and smell the death in the wind.
When that smell hit his nostrils his eyes snapped open, glowing an almost unnatural blue. He withdrew his katana from their sheathes and crossed them in front of his face. He then took a deep breath and waited.
A few minutes later there was a snuffling sound and heavy footsteps as a large, grotesque canine figure loped past the mouth of the alleyway. Its muscles were bulging oddly on the dog half of its body while the other half was a veiny human arm that pulsed angrily. The veins were filled with a glowing white substance that made the beast look ethereal in the early morning sunrise. The face of the great beast had sloppy jowls covered in the dried blood of its last kill, and blank white eyes that were characteristic of all mutants. It sniffed the air, its fleshy ears flopped around, making a sound that sent shivers down Leonardo's spine.
He waited until the right moment and then breathed out a small sigh. The beast tensed and its entire body began to twitch and growl. It turned slowly and stared directly at Leonardo. Leonardo did not give the beast a moment to think with what little bit of a brain that it had left and leapt from the shadows without ever making a sound. His katanas glinted in the faint light of the sunrise and he jumped almost impossibly high, soaring through the air and landing in front of the beast. As he landed, he brought his katana down like lightning and sliced a few gashes on the beasts back.
It howled in pain and fury and lunged at him. Leonardo jumped backwards impossibly fast, avoiding every swipe of the distorted, bloody hands, now armed with unbreakable steel claws.
He landed a few more deep blows on the beast, its hairy skin now marred by the numerous cuts and gashes, oozing a luminous white substance. Leonardo sighed as he turned back to the beast, which now was panting and glaring at him with fury. Deciding to take pity on the human turned beast, Leonardo beckoned it towards him, crouching in a low stance, his katana at the ready.
The beast let out a furious howl and lunged at him viciously, its jowls dripping with saliva. Leonardo ran at him just as fast, not even making a sound as he ran. The beast collided with him like a freight train, knocking the breath out of him and sending him reeling onto the ground. His head hit the concrete with a resounding crack and his vision was colored with little black spots that seemed to spread like a disease across his line of sight. He gasped for breath fruitlessly as the weight of the gargantuan beast landed atop of him with a thud.
He wheezed and struggled to take in a breath once more, looking up at the gaping maw of the beast. Its teeth were mere centimeters away from his face and its hot breath whispered over his face, making him recoil in disgust. The beast gazed at him with empty white eyes and sniffed the air around him. It let out a confused whimper but Leonardo could no longer stand to look at it. With pity filling his being he twisted the katana that he had buried in its stomach and looked away as its eyes went dead.
White fluid began to flow out of its body, covering him in the burning hot liquid. He winced and gagged, the pressure on his chest becoming almost unbearable. Realizing the peril that he was in, he took a few breaths, breathing as deeply as he could as he relaxed his body and mind, descending into a deep meditative state that essentially rendered him lifeless, his spirit separating almost completely from his body.
As he took his last look around him two thoughts ran through his head.
Firstly, that this thing, this ghastly beast was once a man, a New Yorker. Most likely walking the streets of Manhattan, probably on his way home to his wife and two kids. And now he was a dog-human mutant, mindless and soulless in its pursuit of its next meal: its once fellow human beings.
And secondly, someone had better find him soon. Because as strong as his body was, and as good as his master's teachings are, sooner or later he was going to be crushed. With a sigh he gave in and let the world go dark.