As she took cover behind the church's second-floor window, firing her pistol without stopping, Deborah couldn't help but frown at the number of corpses piling outside the place of worship.
The cynical part of her she grew after years of service as a cop in Gotham city wanted to tell a joke about how convenient the fact they were fighting near a cemetery, but she resisted the urge.
They were only here for ten minutes, five of which they spent hurriedly barricading the church before the Mawzir's goons showed up, and the rest spent fighting them.
Despite the relatively short time, there were already roughly twenty dead bodies. And the numbers only kept growing by the second as she, Monaghan, and Natt kept gunning down the incoming goons who had no cover to fall back on.
Despite their clear disadvantage, the goons kept coming, relentlessly charging the church's gates as if their lives depended on it, which wasn't far from the truth.
Some goons even managed to storm their way inside the barricaded church, but they would either be quickly cut down by Jason Blood (who was wielding a sword of all things) or knocked out by Catwoman without putting much of a fight.
The situation seemed to be in their favor, but Deborah couldn't help but worry as the thugs kept coming with no regard for their lives, and no sign of the demon yet.
Part of her was glad she'd lost her job already since she'd be losing it all the same after this mess concluded. If she even survived the encounter, that is.
"Snap out of it, Deborah!" Monaghan exclaimed from his spot at the church's tower bell after noticing she stopped shooting, snapping Deborah out of her daze and prompting her to resume shooting.
Deborah sighed, shaking her head as she took aim and opened fire.
The stalemate continued for the next ten minutes, and Deborah, Monaghan, and Natt were running out of ammo already, with no end to the thugs' assault in sight. Their numbers only seemed to increase instead.
"Catwoman, where the hell is your friend?" Monaghan asked with a scowl, having already depleted his assault rifle ammo, forcing him down to the first floor where he'd be able to use his pistols more effectively.
"I'd bet my ass we won't be seeing him again now that he's got the money and all that," Natt commented from the side with a scoff, having already depleted his heavy armor much like Monaghan, forced to rely on his pistols.
"Maybe we see him; maybe we don't. Either way, we got an army of thugs to worry about first, so quit yapping," Catwoman replied without bothering to refute the two gunslingers.
Selina was only in it for fun and out of curiosity, and she wouldn't care if Gray came through or not as she had her own measures to escape and save herself should the situation demand it.
Honestly, who could blame Gray if he didn't decide to show up? Definitely not Selina. She might even do it and double-cross Monaghan if she was in his place.
Still, she somehow believed Gray would show up eventually but didn't feel like sharing her thoughts as the two killers for hire expression provided her no small amount of amusement.
"How about a bit less talking and more shooting, please?" Blood, whose clothes were already dyed red with 'blood,' exclaimed from the side as he drove his bastard sword into a thug's chest.
"There can't be much of them left. Just hang on," Jason Blood added as he took out his sword from the thug's chest and swung, cutting down another thug who'd just managed to enter the church.
Hearing his words, everyone else gritted their teeth except for Selina, who only smiled, and they all returned to their stations, fighting with increasing intensity.
And sure enough, the seemingly never-ending stream of thugs finally came to a halt a couple of minutes later, leaving the group utterly exhausted with varying degrees of light injuries.
Catwoman was the exception as she maintained most of her stamina and even managed to avoid any injuries for the duration of the fight, prompting the others to give her displeased looks.
"That should be the last of them..." Blood remarked, heaving a tired sigh as he planted his foot into the stomach of the thug lying at his feet to retrieve his sword, stuck in the latter's abdomen as it was.
"Seems like it..." Monaghan said with an equally tired sigh as he collapsed on the ground, leaning on the wall behind him while wiping the blood off his face.
Deborah and Natt shared a look before surveying the area and promptly copying Monaghan's actions as the adrenaline rush disappeared, replaced by tiredness and lethargy.
However, despite everyone's haggard expression, they could see the relief on each other's faces that they managed to pull through and survive the thugs' onslaught.
"We fucking did it," Natt said as he shakily got to his legs, genuinely smiling as he approached Monaghan, who didn't share his enthusiasm and had a frown on his face instead.
Overjoyed and relieved, Natt had forgotten a minor detail, but Monaghan didn't as the mastermind; the Mawzir itself didn't deign to show its face yet.
"Don't let your guard down. We ain't out of the woods yet," Monaghan remarked, bitterly shaking his head at his old war buddy, causing the latter to freeze, suddenly reminded of the many-armed demon.
And sure enough, the remainder of the church's door, tattered and riddled with bullet holes, suddenly flew off with a bang, revealing a figure wearing a black trench coat and a brown cowboy hat behind it.
"Monaghan..." the figure growled, its tone cold and menacing as it glared at the hitman while ignoring everyone else as it reached a thin bony hand to the hem of its coat and dramatically threw it away, revealing the horrid figure beneath.
It looked barely humanoid, with an elongated torso and ten thin, bony arms, each holding a gun.
It had an angular face with blue eyes that ominously glowed as it opened its mouth full of sharp, jagged teeth and growled the hitman's name with extreme resentment.
"You have evaded the Arkannone lords of the gun long enough. No more, Monaghan," The Mawzir said, and it sounded as if several people were talking instead of one.
It sounded like listening to the combined screams of countless crying, tortured souls, menacing and grating to everyone's ears, causing them to cringe visibly.
"Accept your fate, and your companions shall be spared," The Mawzir said, and the only answer it received was a bullet from Natt's pistol that harmlessly bounced off its skin.
"I've killed you once before, demon. I can do it again," Monaghan said, raising his gun and firing another bullet that did no damage, and that was all the demon needed to hear as it screeched and made its move.
The Mawzir's ten arms immediately moved, taking aim at everyone present as it began firing the ten ancient-looking revolvers, causing Monaghan and the others to throw themselves at the closest cover.
Bullets flying over their head, the two gunslingers and detective kept peeking out of cover and returning fire whenever they had the chance, and it made no difference.
Everything they threw at the demon was ineffective as every bullet would bounce off its metal-like skin, save for one fired by Monaghan that hit the creature in the eye.
It still had little effect as the Mawzir was unphased by it and kept advancing despite getting injured as its eye only took a fraction of a second to heal.
However, it had to stop as Catwoman's whip came flying and snatched one of its guns before the creature could react, prompting it to growl and turn its focus toward the leather-clad brunette.
Selina smirked as she dangled the gun she'd snatched in front of the demon, further enraging it as she ducked behind cover when it started firing the remaining nine guns.
The Mawzir stopped again as a green spherical object came flying towards it, and Monaghan burst from behind his cover and shot it in the air when it was an inch away from the Mawzir's face.
It exploded with enough force to mangle the demon's face and force it several steps back, but it quickly recovered again and resumed advancing as if nothing had happened.
Natt and Monaghan looked at each other before nodding as they each took out two uzi machine guns from their clothes and began firing, emptying the magazines in mere seconds.
Again, the Mawzir was uninjured. However, Jason Blood took advantage of its distraction and charged the demon, sword in hand. He swung and only managed to swat away another gun from the creature's ten hands before it caught him by the throat.
"You reek of hell... who are you...?" The Mawzir growled as it stared into the demonologist's eyes with a bewildered tone, causing the latter to grin, which deepened the demon's confusion.
"Behind you," Jason said, his grin widening as the demon scoffed, clearly unwilling to turn around.
"What manner of fool do you take me for, human—" That was all the demon could say before Wraith appeared behind it and a devastating kick landed on its back, causing it to stagger and let go of Blood, along with two other guns.
...
"The kind that doesn't adhere to good advice," I remarked as I smiled and deactivated my invisibility behind the Mawzir, kicking at its back.
My surprise attack landed. The power of the impact forced the creature to let go of Jason Blood and several of its guns as it growled and turned to face me with a scowl that made its hideous face even more menacing somehow.
"When did you get here?" Selina asked with the same leisure smile she always had tugging on her lips as she watched me kick and stun the Mawzir after showing myself just in the nick of time.
"I've been here for a couple of minutes now. I needed to know what I'll be dealing with," I replied with a shrug as I kept my eyes on the demon that quickly gathered its bearings and recovered.
"More lambs for the slaughter... the masters will be pleased when I sacrifice you in their name..." The Mawzir remarked as it locked eyes with me, its ugly scowl disappearing, replaced by an equally hideous smirk.
"Let's get to slaughtering then, bitch," I replied as I raised my hands and prepared to fight after gesturing for Jason Blood to get out of the way, and he was more than happy to oblige.
'Gotta take this slow, test myself and see how I fare first...' I mused, fully intent on squeezing as much experience from the fight as possible and learning as much as I could about the demon's physiology.
The Mawzir didn't seem to be in the mood to mince more words with me, and it quickly raised its six remaining guns, rapidly firing, and although my first instinct was to sprint to dodge the projectiles, I held my ground.
With my current Body and Mind attributes, I should be able to dodge bullets. I knew I could since I did the math, but I needed to get over my instinct first.
I opened my eyes wide as the demon started firing, my mind rapidly working to calculate the trajectory of the bullets and the least amount of movement needed to dodge them.
'Head... heart... lung... left shoulder,'
The calculations naturally wafted in my head, and I tilted my head to the right, easily dodging the first bullet. From there, it all intrinsically came to me as I swayed my torso to avoid the projectiles while standing in place.
However, one bullet meant for my heart managed to graze the edge of my coat as it was heading for the center of my torso, making it difficult for me to move in time.
'Neat...' I mused, smiling in satisfaction under my helmet as I moved forward, trying to replicate the same results while walking in a straight line and dodging simultaneously.
The Mawzir remained unfazed, despite my performance, or at least I think it did since I had no idea what a 'fazed' demon would look like in the first place.
In any case, the Mawzir continued firing. And it seemed quite capable of adapting to the situation as the creature began adjusting its aim at the last possible second to mess up my calculations.
Adjusting to the last-fraction-of-second changes, calculating my every step, and adapting to six guns simultaneously shooting at me with extreme accuracy proved to be a bit challenging, but I got the hang of it.
Out of all the 43 bullets and demon fired at me, only two hit and cleanly bounced off my coat as I closed the distance, and yes, I know because I did the math again.
'God, I'm turning into a math nerd...' I mused as the creature swung at me with all four empty hands, prompting me to duck under the first two and step back to avoid the rest.
I could try to divert its attacks or block, but that would be pointless since the Mawzir had ten arms. I would only expose myself to attacks if I remained still.
Still, the creature's missed swings left it wide open for a counter-attack. And I capitalized with a regular good old punch to its midsection, trying to measure its durability and capacity for taking hits.
My punch put a dent in its bony metal-like body, causing it to step back and stagger, but the pain had little effect on the creature. Then again, the demon might be incapable of feeling pain or numbed to it.
Either way, it quickly gathered its bearing and lunged at me, prompting me to step aside, gripping one of its thin limbs as it passed by me. I spun the demon and threw it at the church's wall.
It crashed through the wall and flew into the cemetery accompanied by shards of wood and debris, causing me to quickly follow as I retrieved Ebony and Ivory from my inventory to test their effectiveness.
I jumped through the hole in the wall and immediately began firing as I spotted the Mawzir getting to its feet while dusting the rubble of a tombstone it crashed into just then.
'Whops... whoever you are, please don't haunt me...' I mused with a bitter smile as I opened fire, starting with low energy output, and the energy projectiles merely dissipated as they hit the demon's body.
I gradually increased the energy output as I slowly adjusted to dodging bullets and firing them simultaneously. Even though my energy projectiles didn't cause any lasting damage, they did cause the demon some measure of pain based on its agonized screams.
'It's at least vulnerable to energy projectiles, but not enough to kill it...' I analyzed as I stopped firing Ivory and began channeling all the energy I could muster into it.
'Its skin is at least as hard as KGbeast, possibly more so, and its healing factor doesn't pale when I compare it to Abbot...' I frowned in concentration as Ivory reached its maximum capacity energy-wise, prompting me to raise the pistol and aim at the demon.
'Let's see if you're really unkillable...' I mused as I pulled the trigger, releasing a massive golden energy projectile that generated enough recoil to make me step back.
The energy projectile hit the demon in the chest. It exploded with a shock wave that sent rubble and dirt flying, only to suck everything back a fraction of a second later as it decimated the Mawzir's torso, head, and most of its arms.
The demon, now nothing but two legs, half a torso, and three arms, promptly fell to the ground with a low thud.
However, its body parts, bits, and pieces of flesh sent flying all around the cemetery by the energy explosion, turned to liquid and began creeping towards what remained of Mawzir's carcass.
'So it really is unkillable...' I mused, my frown deepening as I watched the wriggling white masses of liquid converging towards the creature.
'Still, buying time until Etrigan gets the Ace of Winchesters shouldn't be a problem...' I hummed as I inspected the area to see if there was anything to contain the demon or cripple it, but there was no such luck.
I might have superhuman stamina, but my energy reserve was limited, and I didn't feel like repeatedly bashing the demon until Etrigan came through and retrieved the antique rifle. Not to mention it would get incredibly boring.
'Might as well...' I grinned under my helmet as I spotted Jason Blood, standing a respectful distance away to spectate the fight, and made my way towards him, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"Lend me that for a minute, will you?" I said as I gestured towards the demonologist's bastard sword, and he smiled before presenting it to me with a careless shrug.
"It won't be of much use, but knock yourself out. Not literally, though. Our lives are at stake here," Jason Blood replied with a smile as I took the sword from his hand.
"Thanks," I remarked, nodding as I turned to the slowly healing demon, twirling the bastard sword in my hand to get a feel for it.
It goes without saying that I've never swung a sword in my life. However, I've watched some videos of real sword sparring online and observed Jason while he was fighting earlier.
That, with my Eidetic Kinesthesia, should make me at least capable of wielding a sword without cutting myself, and I needed to test a few things regarding my energy, so why not?
I waited for the demon to heal back, and it growled at me as soon as it repaired its head, seemingly intent on threatening me with a grand speech. I didn't feel like listening to it at the moment.
I raised the sword to my side and swung at the demon's neck, frowning at the metallic clang and a small piece of metal breaking from the blade.
"Foolish mortal, 'tis of no use. You can not slay me. Surrender and the Mawzir might make your death quick," The Mawzir remarked, unphased by the attack.
"Tempting, but I'll have to refuse," I replied with a shrug as I took a step back and began channeling my energy toward the bastard sword in my hand to test a theory I've had for a while now.
...
The sword shined in a brilliant golden light in my hand as I swung it at the Mawzir's neck, and instead of a dull metallic thud, it was the sound of steel rending flesh resounding upon impact.
I watched the Mawzir's head fly off its neck and began swinging again to use up the energy in the sword before it dissipated, and by the time it hit the ground, the creature's body was already in 8 pieces.
And before the creature's body could turn to liquid and begin mending itself back together, I kicked its head with all my might and sent it flying all the way outside the cemetery to delay the process.
I tried doing the same with the rest of the creature's body pieces, but it was too late as they had already liquified and were merging, slowly but surely taking shape.
"This thing is relentless," Selina blankly said as she approached the demon's reforming body from the side. "Separating its pieces seems to slow it down, at least. I'll help," she added as she prepared to do just that, and I nodded at her.
"That will give us more time," I replied, nodding with a shrug as I kept my eye on the demon.
It took roughly a minute for it to reform back in shape, and I didn't mince any words as I repeated the process with Selina helping me separate the demon's body pieces in order to slow the creature down.
Monaghan, Jason, and the others also joined the fray and cooperated with Selina and me, and the creature needed at least two minutes to heal, thanks to the combined effort.
Still, it only took five times before swinging the sword got dull and tiresome, causing me to sigh as I made my way to Jason.
"Here. It got a bit chipped in the fight, though," I apologetically remarked, sighing as I offered the bastard sword back to its owner with a shrug of my shoulders.
"That's quite alright. Feel free to keep it, though. I've no use for it right now," Jason Blood replied with a smile, dismissively waving to the side, and I shrugged as I put the weapon in my inventory.
"That's a neat trick," Jason remarked, his smile widening as he saw me use my inventory to store the weapon. Almost everyone that counted knew about it, so there's no use trying to hide it anymore.
"Not as neat as what you can do with magic, I bet," I replied with a shrug of my own, and the only response I received was the light chuckle I heard as I turned to face the now fully healed demon.
'Now let's see how you fare against electricity...' I mused, watching the demon regain its form and set the voltage in my suit to the highest settings possible.
"Feel the power of the dark side, bitch," or so I wanted to shout as I electrocuted the demon with arcs of electricity shooting out of my gloves, but my skin wasn't that thick, unfortunately.
In any case, though the electric attack paralyzed the demon, it wasn't doing much damage other than keeping it pinned and rooted where it stood.
'I wonder if...' I mused while keeping my hands aimed at the Mawzir as I suddenly had a crazy idea. It wasn't my brightest, and I definitely didn't think it was a good one, but I honestly couldn't resist the urge.
'Fuck it,' I concluded, eagerly grinning as I began channeling my energy toward the electric circuits in my trench coat. And it was surprisingly easy to combine with the static electricity.
My eyes widened as the electricity gained a golden hue, each electric arc slithering out of my palm, doubling in size as it smote the Mawzir.
The sheer power proved too much for the Mawzir and the electric circuits in my suit to handle as the latter former evaporated and the latter shorted, immediately cutting the current.
'Gonna have to fix that later...' I mused as I touched my trench coat, but I couldn't care much as I gazed at my handiwork, the demon that had all but disappeared, leaving nothing but a single drop of silver wiggling liquid.
"Is that thing finally dead?" Selina asked, her tone astonished as she slowly approached me from the side, her eyes glued to the spot where the Mawzir was standing a second ago.
"Looks pretty dead from where I'm standing..." Monaghan remarked with a frown and received two nods of agreement from Natt and Deborah as they gazed at the demon's remains with a mixture of disgust and astonishment.
"Afraid not. Look closer; it's healing still..." I replied with a sigh, shaking my head as I looked at the small drop slowly growing bigger even as we spoke.
"Good thing you didn't kill it. Etrigan would be pissed otherwise," Jason Blood commented with a shrug as he looked at the growing silver liquid, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Our high and mighty demon prince has finally answered my calls," Jason added as he lightly spread his arms apart to show his exasperation and helplessness.
"He is currently, and I quote, with ancient might, on the pitiful gun-demons, unleashing deadly blight, end quote," he humorously explained, his tone amused as he gestured air quotes with his hands, to which everyone sent him weird looks.
"Rhyming demon, you get used to it after a century or two," the demonologist concluded, and no one was in the mood to question it, so we took it at face value.
"How long before Etrigan brings back the gun?" I asked, getting straight to the point. "I can't hold this thing here forever, you know?" I added, shaking my head as I gave the demonologist a side glance.
"I haven't got a clue, I'm afraid. Etrigan likes to play with his food, a bad habit that most if not all demons share," Jason Blood replied with a helpless sigh as he awkwardly looked away from my intent gaze.
"Damn. Either way, it should take the demon some time to recover. We need to make good use of the time and get some rest before it does," I remarked with a sigh as I followed my advice and unceremoniously sat on the ground.
No one followed suit, preferring to remain standing. I didn't care, ignoring everyone as I tried to recover some of the energy I'd been using. I still had plenty of it left, but I'd like to have it and not need it rather than the opposite.
Sure enough, the demon recovered after five minutes, and I was ready for it as I had recovered most of the energy I'd used, opting to use the sword as it was more efficient than crushing it with my fist.
The process of destroying the demon, separating its body parts, and waiting for it to put itself back together, only to do it again, began anew, slowly but surely consuming my energy and everyone's stamina.
...
'I might have underestimated the damned thing...' I mused as I watched the demon slowly reform itself for the umpteenth time. It's been an hour since I evaporated the damned thing, and I only had about 40% of my energy left while everyone else was out of breath.
Selina even had a shifty expression on her face that suggested she might leave at second, and I honestly couldn't blame her since I was thinking about doing the same.
The demon couldn't harm me even if I depleted my energy since I had it outmatched in the physical strength and speed department. I could fight all day long if I wanted to because of my superhuman physique and enhanced durability.
And as cool as ripping off Captain America's iconic line, it wasn't worth the hassle at this point. I'd already received my pay and more than earned my keep by constantly beating the living crap out of a literal demon from hell for more than an hour.
I didn't really care if the Mawzir dragged Monaghan to the depths of hell, either. In fact, I might even get some popcorn and enjoy the show, so I had little reason to keep fighting at this point.
The only thing keeping me here was the promise of a demon-slaying repeater rifle, but even that was progressively sounding less and less tempting when I compared it to the trouble.
"This is getting tiresome..." I remarked, grunting as I beheaded the demon and kicked the head away, watching Selina and the others get to work separating the demon's body parts before they liquefied.
"It's more trouble than it's worth. Five more minutes, and I'm out of here," I added with a bored sigh as I idly cracked my neck and waited for the demon to reform.
"What do you mean five minutes and you're out of here? I already paid you," Monaghan exclaimed as he stomped toward me after throwing away one of the demon's limbs.
"I've more than earned my pay..." I replied with a dismissive shrug, waving the two-bit killer for hire and his objections away. "You said you needed me to buy time, and I bought you more than an hour," I blankly concluded.
...
"This is pointless," Wraith remarked after cutting down the demon and tearing it to pieces. It's already been five minutes since he declared his intention to leave, and it seems he did not reconsider.
Monaghan, Natt, and Deborah had tried to convince him to stay, but he turned a deaf ear to the trio and ignored everything they had to say after making his peace.
They didn't appreciate his sentiment and felt cheated, especially Monaghan, whose pocket suffered a dent to pay the vigilante. But ultimately, there was nothing they could do to convince him to stay.
They knew the vigilante was acting as a mercenary. It was profit that moved him, and not kindness.
"Good luck..." Wraith remarked as the sword in his hand disappeared, and he turned around, walking away. However, he only took a few steps before Monaghan got in his way, followed by his friend Natt.
"Out of my way," Wraith calmly said as he stopped, staring into the hitman's eyes, and the latter felt chills running down his spine, but he couldn't back down.
They'd already come this far, and backing away now not only meant everything would be for not, but it also meant eternal damnation for the hitman, prompting him to stand his ground.
"You can't leave yet. You haven't bought us enough time," Monaghan angrily exclaimed through gritted teeth, spreading his arms apart as he instinctively tried to look bigger as if that would help him somehow.
"I can't?" Wraith mockingly remarked with an audible scoff. "And who's gonna stop me?" the vigilante asked as he tried to walk past Monaghan, only for the hitman to get in his face again.
Monaghan wanted to speak out in protest. However, no words came out of his mouth when he opened it, only wheezes as Wraith planted his fist into the hitman's abdomen, making him collapse to his knees on the cemetery's soil.
Natt looked at this scene in horror, as he barely noticed Wraith move and only realized what happened when his friend was heaving on the ground while holding his stomach.
However, Natt was a war veteran. His reaction to sudden danger and threats, cultivated through years of war, was instinctive, almost immediate, as he reached for his gun.
Still, Natt wasn't nearly fast enough to contend with Wraith, as the latter had already drawn his own weapon and aimed it at the veteran's face before he could even touch his pistol.
Natt raised his hands in surrender, wisely choosing to let the vigilante be on his way, and the latter said nothing as he lowered his gun and walked away, leaving it in his hand.
Natt and the still wheezing Monaghan could do nothing but helplessly watch him leave. Their minds were going into overdrive as they tried to figure out a way to survive the ordeal now that the Wraith was leaving.
The Mawzir was slowly healing back. Without the vigilante to strike it down, nothing would stop it from killing everyone present and dragging Monaghan to the darkest depths of hell.
They could try to run, but it would be pointless as the Mawzir would track them down eventually and pick them off one by one. Jason Blood and Wraith could take care of themselves as the former was an immortal, capable of calling a demon prince of hell to aid him in battle, while the latter could directly tear the Mawzir to shreds.
Catwoman might have the means to survive as well. But Monaghan, Natt, and Deborah were ordinary people, despite the hitman having a few gimmicky super powers like glimpsing into people's minds and X-Vision.
Monaghan was nothing more than a killer for hire, with a strict code of honor that had too many brushes with the supernatural side of the world for his taste. Nothing less. Nothing more.
Their only hope right now was if Etrigan came through and brought back the antique rifle before the Mawzir fully recovered. However, even if that happened by some miracle, their chances of survival would still be minuscule.
Monaghan, Natt, and Deborah, the gun experts, were dead tired, and Jason Blood couldn't hit a shot with a gun to save his own life because of his origin and distaste for firearms.
While Catwoman could be the one to pull the trigger, she wasn't really a sharpshooter as well, not to mention she seemed ready to leave now that the Wraith was walking away.
The hitman bitterly smiled as he turned to Natt and Deborah, taking note of their expressions. The war veteran seemed intent on seeing the ordeal through to the end, putting on a resolute, earnest face as he nodded at Monaghan.
Deborah, on the other hand, looked conflicted, seemingly unable to make a decision. However, she quickly abandoned her hesitance and firmly nodded as she looked at the hitman, indicating her will to stay and fight till the bitter end.
Jason Blood sighed, his gaze alternating between the trio, amidst their touching scene and the vigilante who was already walking away. He momentarily hesitated but ultimately shook his head and turned to leave as there wasn't much he could.
"I've done all I could as well. Sorry, Monaghan," Jason Blood remarked with a shake of his head as he walked away from the trio, much to their dismay, but they didn't stop him as they knew he couldn't do much even if he stayed.
Monaghan wanted to curse. Their chances of survival were rapidly slimming, and they were already infinitely close to none. He sighed in defeat as he turned to Catwoman, who already had her back facing them as she walked away.
The cat burglar didn't seem interested in justifying herself as she decided to leave quietly, but seemingly sensing the hitman's gaze on her back, she turned around and flashed him a smile.
"This, as far as curiosity can get you, I'm afraid. Too much curiosity kills the cat, after all," Catwoman remarked with a shrug as she momentarily stopped to look back at the trio. "And I plan to live a long life," she concluded with a shake of her head as she resumed walking.
The trio silently watched them leave, unable to feel anything but sheer helplessness.
Realizing there was no chance of victory and unable to bear the thought of his friends dying for nothing, Monaghan sighed, firming his resolve as he prepared to ask Deborah and Natt to give up and leave him to his gruesome fate.
He took a deep breath as he looked at the Mawzir's body, almost fully healed, and turned back to his two friends as he opened his mouth to speak.
However, he had to swallow his words as Jason Blood loudly grunted, clutching his head in pain and falling to his knees, making everyone stop moving, including Wraith.
"Etrigan finished dealing with the Arkannone, and he has the rifle..!" the demonologist exclaimed through gritted teeth, his body squirming in pain, causing everyone's expression to change.
The trio's expression ignited in hope, and Selina seemed amused at the sudden turn of events. However, Wraith was the only one frowning as he sensed a 'but' coming.
And sure enough.
"He's coming here, and I can't control him for some reason!" the demonologist added, his breaths turning rapid as he heaved while clutching his chest.
As if on cue, the silver liquid slowly merging and, taking the Mawzir's shape, began wriggling more rapidly, as if energized and revitalized by the revelation.
"Gone! Gone! - the form of man —!" Jason Blood shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice distorting further with every word he spoke as his body ignited in a bright orange flame.
That was all Wraith needed to hear as he hurriedly broke into a mad sprint, activating his phantom belt and turning invisible as he turned his body.
Catwoman copied Wraith's actions as she too escaped, leaving the mortified trio staring in horror at the transforming demonologist on their own.
"Rise, the Demon Etrigan!" he bellowed. His voice was now completely hoarse and gravely as the blaze dissipated, revealing not Jason Blood but a towering, yellow-skinned demon with a scaly face and long, sharp claws capable of rending steel.
The demon was tall. It stood at 6.4 feet as it inspected its surrounding with two red, ominously glowing orbs that spoke of violence and malice, seemingly searching for something or someone.
"To hell and back, Etrigan is as mighty as he is quick! He comes for the eldritch stench in the air that makes him sick!" The demon, Etrigan, as he sharply turned his head in Wraith's direction despite the latter being currently invisible.
"There!" Etrigan exclaimed and began sprinting on all fours towards the vigilante. However, he had understated Wraith's speed and the advantage his head start had given him.
He would catch up eventually, but why wait for what you can get immediately?
Etrigan stopped sprinting, grunting as it performed a gesture and disappeared, appearing right in front of the running Wraith.
...
'For fuck's sake... now what?' I mused, bitterly smiling under my helmet as Etrigan stood in front of me, intently gazing into my eyes with his red, glowing orbs as if trying to peek into my very soul.
"Before the mighty demon prince stands a human soul, mortal through and through..." Etrigan remarked, narrowing his eyes as he intently and curiously sniffed the air.
"Yet, he caries a familiar scent of home. His fate is tied. Etrigan wonders to who?" The rhyming demon added, and I could do nothing but frown at the cryptic words he uttered.
"What do you want, demon prince?" I blankly asked, holding back a sigh and a twitch in my eyes at the rhyming gibberish as I got straight to the point.
If there was one thing fiction taught me, it's that mincing words with demons never ends well. Avoid talking with them altogether if possible; if not, get it over with quickly without giving them ammunition to use against you.
"Addressing the demon with respect is wise, but be not alarmed, mortal man..." Etrigan replied with a grin that showed his sharp, white teeth as he shook his head.
"Had the demon prince wished you harm, then it would be done already, for he is Etrigan," the towering demon added, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone as he spread his arms apart.
"Your soul is touched. A residue of hell's depths in the man's spirit, the mighty demon can sense," Etrigan explained, and his words did nothing to lessen my confusion, doubling it instead.
"'Tis a mystery the demon now cannot solve, so words he will no longer mince..." the demon remarked after a second's pause as he gestured with his hand, causing an orange flame to ignite in his palm.
"Take your artifact and slay your foe. The demon price will be watching. Give him a show," Etrigan said as the fire turned into a repeater rifle, decorated in arcane symbols from its iron sight to the stock.
Though still confused, with no idea what was happening, I took the rifle from the Etrigan's hand and gave it an inspecting look. The rifle's wooden parts had strange white symbols all over them, while the metallic parts had beautiful carvings that were also unknown to me.
"Till we meet again, mortal, and meet we will," the demon concluded as its entire body ignited in flame and disappeared, replaced by Jason Blood, who immediately fell to the ground.
'Yeah, that's not ominous or anything...' I sighed as I held the Ace of Winchesters in my hands and turned to the Mawzir, who was about finished healing now.
'Still... now that Etrigan destroyed the Arkannone, I wonder how their minion would react...?' I mused as I hid the rifle behind my back and approached the Mawzir's almost recovered body.
I had no intention of playing around, but seeing how the demon would react to the demise of his masters might help me understand more about its kind.
"I... we can feel it..." The Mawzir said as soon as its mouth reformed without waiting for the rest of its head to recover. "The masters are dead... freedom, at last!" the demon added, its tone particularly giddy as its face fully reformed.
"We no longer have an interest in you, mortal..." The Mawzir remarked with a cackle as its eyes met mine, grinning hideously as if its words were enough to make me move aside.
"We?" I asked, holding my ground as I gave the Mawzir a confused look, to which it did not reply. The answer came from Jason Blood as he finally managed to gather his bearing.
"The demon before you was once five different nazi butchers. I can see it now that Etrigan is back..." The demonologist remarked as he shakily got to his feet, dusting himself clean.
"The Arkannone combined their tortured souls with dark magic to create the fine specimen standing here now," he added with a chuckle as he adjusted his jacket.
"Indeed, and now that the Arkannone are no more, we are free to complete our mission. The Reich shall—" That was all the Mawzir could say before collapsing on the ground as I drew the ace of Winchesters from behind me and put a bullet in its head.
I stepped forward and put several more bullets in its body, watching as its body started turning into liquid. However, instead of wiggling as it merged together, it simply evaporated this time.
"Imagine being a racist demon..." I remarked with a chuckle, shaking my head as I stored the rifle in my inventory while keeping an eye on the evaporating liquid, just in case.
"Worst yet, imagine being a dead racist demon," the demonologist said, his tone clearly amused as he stood beside me and scoffed in derision at the Mawzir's remains.
"Speaking of demons... about what Etrigan said...?" I said, my tone hesitant and concerned as I turned to Jason Blood with a grimace, reminded of the demon prince's words. "Do you have any idea what he was talking about?" I asked after a second's pause.
"Afraid not, but Etrigan is not one to speak without rhyme or reason, pun very intended," the demonologist said with a chuckle, shaking his head, and I could do nothing but scoff at the lame joke.
"In any case, my interest is piqued, and I will try to get answers from Etrigan," Jason Blood remarked as he cleared his throat. "But don't get your hopes up. Etrigan can be surprisingly tight-lipped at times," he concluded, waving a hand to the side.
"That's all I can ask. Here..." I replied as I took out a slip of paper with my contact information. "Contact me if you manage to uncover anything," I added as I offered the sheet to the demonologist.
"Will do..." Jason Blood said as he took the paper from my hand with a nod and turned to leave. "I've got a hot bath and a warm bed waiting for me back home. It's about time I was on my way..." he concluded, waving me goodbye as he walked away.
'It's always one thing after the other...' I sighed, bitterly smiling as I looked around and only found Monaghan and his two friends still present in the cemetery.
'Looks Selina already dipped, probably as soon as Etrigan showed up...' I couldn't help but smile in amusement at how fast the brunette left as soon she realized there might be a danger to her life.
'I could learn a thing or two from her...' I shook my head, turning my attention to the trio as they celebrated the victory by embracing the living shit out of each other.
'Oh... so it's as I thought...' I mused as I watched Natt excuse himself and walk away, leaving Monaghan and Deborah alone, meaningfully staring into each other's eyes.
Based on what I gathered from public and private databases, my own conclusions, and what I was currently seeing, Deborah Tiegel was likely Monaghan's designated love interest in the comics.
It's basically a done deal with her former interactions with the hitman and how she showed up just before the fight with the Mawzir, leaving no room for doubt in my mind.
The only possible obstacle to them being together was Deborah's job as a detective, which evaporated when her corrupt superior kicked her out of the force.
And according to the blatantly obvious narrative, the two would probably share a kiss after the intense fight, their passion blooming into a full-blown romance, or something along those corny lines. That's comic books for you.
'Time for a little science experiment...' I mused, lightly chuckling as I watched Monaghan take hold of the detective's hand, and the two began muttering.
'Yup, I'm definitely doing this for science and not my petty grudge...' I grinned as I approached duo and activated empathy.
I was almost blinded by the bright pink auras the two were emitting, but I ignored it and kept walking.
I cleared my throat as soon as I was within hearing distance, and the two lovebirds immediately flinched upon noticing my presence and let go of each other's hands.
"Detective Tiegel," I remarked as I looked into the former policewomen's eyes, holding back a chuckle as the pink aura quickly turned red, which could mean anger, embarrassment, or a mixture of the two.
"Not a detective anymore. The force let me go," Deborah replied, quickly regaining control over her emotions as her aura turned neutral, unlike Monaghan.
The hitman was emitting a red aura of anger so intense, that a red power ring might suddenly fly into his finger at having his romantic moment being interrupted and getting cock-blocked.
"A terrible shame. The city needs all the honest cops it can get..." I said, trailing off at the end of my sentence. "Which brings me to why I approached you now, even though you looked busy..." I added, and the duo's aura flared in even more anger and embarrassment.
"If you are interested in resuming your duties as a detective, meet in this place in three days..." I said as I took out a pen and a paper from my inventory, quickly writing down the timing and the place.
...
'I'm probably going to feel like an asshole for a while if this works...' I mused as I lay on my bed, my hands cushioning my head as I stared at the bunker's ceiling in a daze.
I immediately went to work once I returned home from the cemetery. I already had the evidence to clear detective Deborah's name, convict her corrupt captain and his associates, and put them away for a long time.
However, now that I've had the time to think about my rash decision, I couldn't help but feel some guilt. I was basically trying to toy with people's lives, and for what? Sheer pettiness? Satiating my curiosity? To see if I could forcefully change the narrative?
The idea behind my so-called science experiment was simple. I had no doubt that detective Deborah Tiegel was Thomas The Hitman Monaghan's love interest.
They were two people on extreme opposites of the law, similar yet different. One was an honest detective in an otherwise corrupt city, the other a violent killer for hire who only kills bad people.
The only obstacle to their relationship disappeared when Deborah was fired, and now nothing should be able to hinder their developing romance. Or that's how the narrative was supposed to go down.
But what would happen if I gave Deborah her job back? Would it destroy her relationship with Monaghan? Would she quit being a cop to be with him? Would he do the same for her? How will the narrative change? Can I even change it?
I had so many questions that could only be answered if I went through with my plan, even if it would leave a bad taste in my mouth. I needed to be sure I could change the world, that my actions had consequences and meaning.
Otherwise, what was the point of living?
I needed to do this, and if the hitman and the detective needed to suffer for it... then so be it.
'On second thoughts... I'm already feeling like an asshole...' I sighed as I turned to my side and closed my eyes, trying to sleep to get my mind off my guilt, but there was no such luck.
'Might as well check the notifications if I can't get any sleep...' Letting out another sigh, I sat on the edge of my bed, brought up the system interface, and turned to the notifications tab.
[+1 level the Brawling skill]
[Brawling (level 45)]
[+3 levels to the Acrobatics skill]
[Acrobatics (level 27)]
[+1 level to the Mechanic class]
[+3 stat points]
[Due to reaching a milestone in your Acrobatics skill, you have unlocked the perk: Enhanced Agility]
[Enhanced Agility: with this ability, you can go from one motion to another effortlessly, effectively dodge attacks, swing from things easily, sprint, do back-flips, leap across rooftops, and numerous other gymnastic, athletic and martial implements with little to no effort]
'Hm... I wasn't really having trouble in the adjustment department when it came to my Acrobatics... but it would probably enhance it still...' I mused with a nod, intent on testing the perk's effect later.
[+3 levels to the computers skill]
[Computers (level 36)]
[+4 levels to the Gun Mastery skill]
[Gun Master (level 24)]
[+5 levels to the Mechanics skill]
[Mehcanics (level 15)]
[+6 levels to the Mechanic class]
[Mechanic (level MAX)]
[+15 stat points]
[Stat points: 44]
[You have reached the maximum level for your current clash. Would you like to choose the next one now?]
'Already...?' I mused, raising an eyebrow. I didn't expect to max out the Mechanic class so quickly as I was used to how things were before I unlocked so many skills and could ground more than one simultaneously.
I suppose it made sense, though. I was grinding my Acrobatics, Brawling, and Guns skills whenever I was fighting, only to come back and start working on my Mechanics skill in the hideout while working on my personal computer power to level up Computers.
'With this, my archetype should have leveled up again... I wonder what power I'll get this time...' I quickly moved on to the next set of notifications, hoping whatever power I got would be as convenient as the one I got last time.
Machine Control was an incredible power. It basically allowed me to mass produce whatever I wanted as long as I had the required materials in my inventory, so maybe my expectations are a bit high, but a man can hope, you know?
[+1 level to the archetype: Mad Scientist]
[The Mad Scientist (level 4)]
[You have gained the power: Machine Morphing]
[Machine Morphing: the user of this power can morph, change, and, or shape-shift any machinery or themselves (depending on if they are machines themselves). The change in mechanical structure can also give new enhancements or powers to the target]
'Holy shit... I had my hopes up, but this new perk might even be beyond that...' I mused, my eyes widening as I quickly read the new power's description.
The description was vague, without mentioning the power's limits. But if it's what I think it is, it will give me a considerable boost in strength, especially in a controlled environment.
I'll have to test it later, but first...
'Let's see what we have there...' I shrugged as I began browsing the list of available classes and was not surprised to see it didn't change with no new options.
[Available archetype specific classes: (Surgeon) (Chemist) (Biologist)]
[Available basic classes: (Duelist) (Artist) (Scholar) (Linguist)]
'What to choose...' I pondered my options as I carefully looked through my character screen for reference to see what I was missing and what class would help me the most right now.
'I barely have the time to work on my Mechanic class as it is...' I mused, already dismissing the idea of choosing another archetype class since my Mechanics and Computers skills were already lagging behind everything else.
The current mad scientist archetypes required laboratories with advanced equipment to use them to their full potential, which I didn't have the time or the funds to set up currently.
'I need to grind my Mechanics skill to a high level so I'd be able to build whatever I need myself...' I nodded, intent on devoting more time to work on my Mechanics skill as I turned to the available basic classes.
Duelist and Artist were the most appealing to me, the first because I got a sword in my inventory and recently discovered the fun of cutting shit and dicing it to many pieces, thanks to my brief encounter with the Mawzir.
The discovery that I could imbue energy into weapons only made the duelist class more appealing.
The Artist Class, on the other hand, I only wanted it because everything I created turned out ugly as shit, especially the sentry box and the motion sensors I've been working on recently.
Not only did my creations look ugly, but they also stood out like a sore thumb, rendering any possibility to merge with the environment and stay hidden void.
That meant not only will they attract attention, but anyone who lays eyes on them (and they will because of how ugly they are) will immediately be wary, denying any surprise element or planned ambushes.
'Guess I'll have to let my eyes suffer a bit more...' I sighed, intending to give my possibly non-existent talent in art another chance to emerge without the system's aid.
'I'll go with the Artist class next if my mechanics skill is still lagging behind by the time I max out Duelist...' With that, I made up my mind and picked the Duelist class.
[You have gained a new class: Duelist]
...
[Duelist (Max Level 10)]
[The class comes with three stat points, plus three stat points for every level and the Medieval Weapons Mastery skill]
...
[Medieval Weapons Mastery: When a fist is not enough, it's time to bring out some old-fashioned sharp metal whatsits and start a-hacking and a-slashing. This skill is used for all archaic weapons, from swords and quarterstaffs to crossbows and throwing axes]
...
[Due to your prior experience, you have gained ten levels in the Medieval Weapons Mastery]
[Medieval Weapons Mastery (level 11)]
[+5 levels to the Duelist class]
[Duelist (level 6)]
[+15 stat points]
'Huh... well, that's unexpected...' I tilted my, scratching my head in confusion at how many levels I got for the new class, but it didn't take me long to realize why that happened.
'Must be the steel wire...' I concluded, nodding my head. I've used the steel wire as a melee weapon in almost every fight I've had so far, so it makes sense.
'No use looking a gift horse in the mouth...' I shrugged as I turned to my available stat points and current attributes. 'Might as well...' I thought as I invested 40 points into my Spirit attribute, raising it to 140, and two points into my Body attribute to even it out.
My mind was lagging a bit behind, but I'll leave it there for now. My OCD demands it!
...
Name: Grayson Whitlock
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Archetype: (The Mad Scientist level 4)
Class: [Thief (level MAX)] [Fighter (level MAX)] [Acrobat (Level MAX)] [Programmer (Level MAX) [Gunman (level MAX)] [Mechanic (level MAX)] [Duelist (level 6)]
...
Stats:
Body: 140
Mind: 100
Spirit: 140
Stat Points: 17
...
Skills:
[Brawling (level 45): call it fighting, martial arts, fisticuffs, or flailing your arms around wildly, this skill covers the art of using your hands and other assorted body parts to hurt your fellow man (or critter) and avoiding such punishment yourself]
[Crime (level 40): breaking and entering, pickpocket, lock-picking, skulking around, lifting evidence—if it's illegal, this skill covers it, with two exceptions, computer hacking uses the Computers skill, and conning people the Influence skill. You don't have to be a criminal to have this skill; cops, private investigators, and other honest but street-wise folks have it as well]
[Acrobatics (level 27): the favored skill of cheerleaders and circus performers, the ability to perform tumbles, somersaults, and other such maneuvers; You can use it to dodge attacks, climb obstacles, and achieve similar feats of agility. Acrobatics can replace Crime when trying to move silently (use the higher of the two skills when attempting to sneak around)]
[Computers (level 36): the nerdy art of keyboard slinging for fun and profit, and with this skill, you can make computers do what you want, including programming and hacking. People don't need this skill to use a computer. Anybody can find the on-switch and use a mouse. The Computers skill lets you do fun things like breaking into confidential databases, writing your own programs, programming your VCR, and other cool stuff]
[Gun Mastery (level 24): This skill covers your basic things that go "bang" — shotguns, pistols, and the like]
[Mechanics (15): if it's broken, this skill can fix it. If it's not broken, it can improve it (sometimes making it worse). If it just isn't, it can build it. Mechanics covers all technical and craft skills, from carpentry to mechanics to roadie work. It is what you need if you want to rebuild the engine of that mean machine you're tricking out or to make sure the rock concert comes through loud and clear]
[Medieval Weapons Mastery (11): When a fist is not enough, it's time to bring out some old-fashioned sharp metal whatsits and start a-hacking and a-slashing. This skill is used for all archaic weapons, from swords and quarterstaffs to crossbows and throwing axes]
...
Perks:
[Dormant Metahuman: you have the Metagene, the source for all Metahumans' powers. However, it lies dormant for now]
[Silent Step: as a seasoned, hardened criminal (your mother must be proud,) your footsteps are silent, and only those with supernatural hearing ability could detect you through the sound of your footsteps]
[Eidetic Kinesthesia: sometimes called Muscle Memory or Photographic Reflexes; it is the ability to instantly mimic any physical skill, including various fighting techniques, acrobatics, or weapon skills]
[Superhuman Stamina: sometimes called enhanced stamina, it is a term used to describe the ability of some characters to function without tiring or feeling undue strain. People who possess this perk can often go for long periods of time without rest or even sleep]
[Perfect Recall: sometimes confused with genius-level intellect and known as photographic memory, it is the ability to recall anything and everything you have ever been allowed to remember over the course of your life]
[Accelerated Healing: is the ability to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate. It differs from Regeneration because although you can recover from tissue damage and even regenerate entire cells, it cannot repair separated limbs or torn cells]
[Energy Detector: the ability to sense the presence of energy, whether they are electromagnetic (magnetic/infrared), psionic, magical, spiritual, etc and possibly gain a detailed understanding of the power you are sensing, including the amount/size of energy they are perceiving depending on the particulars of the target, and your energy]
[Energy Concentration: The power to focus one's energy into any point of the body to perform attacks, techniques, or spells (if they are trained in the arcane arts)]
[Augmented Reality Vision: the ability to see through the world as an augmented reality: a live, direct or indirect, view of the world that includes digital elements such as information boxes regarding places (this perk requires the Personal Computer power to fully function)]
[Energy Conductor: your body is perfectly compatible with all types of energies, enabling you to channel and convert energy with 100% efficiency and even absorb a portion of any foreign form of energy affecting your body]
[Enhanced Durability: your physical durability, the ability to withstand damage, is extremely high, allowing you to take numerous blows of internal or external assaults before succumbing to the effects. (The user can withstand bullets, grenades, and low to medium explosives)]
[Empathy: the power to fully interpret the emotions, moods, and temperament of other sentient beings, allowing you to understand their intentions within a specific range, depending on how high your Mind attribute is. (Empathy may not work on those with no emotions or exceptional self-control)]
[Energy Manifestation: the power to channel and manifest your energy through your body parts into the outside world in different forms as a means of attack. (the range, strength, precision, and everything in between rely on the user's energy reserve and proficiency)]
...
Archetype powers:
[Network Crash: the ability to negate or destroy protected networks by injecting energy into them through physical on wireless contact (the Network Crash power is dependent on your programming skill, and you will not be able to salvage any information from any network you may destroy]
[Code Manipulation: the ability to create and break any code, from simple firewalls all the way to the universal equation itself, depending on your combined Programming (Computers) skill and Mind attribute]
[Personal Computer: the ability to integrate a single computer into your brain, giving you full, telepathic access to all of its functions (you may choose to assimilate a different, more powerful computer at any time)]
[Machinery Scan: the ability to understand the inner and outer workings of any machine through scanning it with energy, enabling the user to find any malfunctions and generate a blueprint of it in his head, depending on how advanced the target and how high the Mechanics skill is]
[Machine Control: the power to assemble or disassemble any and all machines, as long as the user has a preliminary understanding of their function, design, and inner components with the use of energy]
[Machine Morphing: the user of this power can morph, change, and, or shape-shift any machinery or themselves (depending on if they are machines themselves). The change in mechanical structure can also give new enhancements or powers to the target]
...
Gotham
Gray's hideout
'I knew the police force in Gotham is corrupt, but this is too much...' I mused, frowning as I browsed the private database of the city's justice department.
I've already met with detective Deborah and entrusted her with enough evidence to get her reinstated in the force, get her corrupt captain fired and earn her a promotion as a bonus.
Though reluctant and suspicious in equal measures at first, the lure of getting her job back and realizing how far her captain went to sabotage her proved a good enough temptation to get the detective to trust me.
Deborah's captain did not only try to frame her and get her kicked out of the police force (to which he succeeded) but also robbed her of various meritorious services over the years.
However, despite the condemning evidence I left in the detective's hands, things weren't going as swimmingly as I'd expected. Far from it, actually, believe it or not.
Even now, with enough evidence to send him away to prison for the rest of his life, the police captain was still putting up a good fight against Deborah and might even get away scot-free thanks to his connections in the internal affairs department and district attorney's office.
'Is this the narrative fighting back, or is the city really that corrupt...' I pondered, rubbing my chin in thought as I watched a live video of the detective getting rejected by yet another internal affairs officer.
The man didn't even bother to give the evidence in Deborah's hand a look before letting her know she wasn't welcome and that she should give up the wild goose chase to find a new career.
'No matter... I'll see it through to the end...' I frowned as I began digging for dirt on the various higher-ups of the GCPD internal affairs department and the district attorney's office.
'Even if I have to expose the entirety of Gotham's law enforcement departments for the crooked pieces of shit they are...' My expression darkened as I started working, having already decided to invest most of my time into getting Deborah her job back.
...
Gotham Downtown
On top of a six-floor apartment building, a man in a red and chrome-colored tight suit could be seen, humming a pleasant tone while tending to his sniper rifle, gently cleaning its barrel with a white cloth.
The man then set the rifle on the roof's parapet and peeked through the scope, intently watching a black Mercedes with shaded windows sandwiched by two GMCs as it moved through the street, gradually slowing down to stop in front of a hotel with a luxurious facade.
Muscular men wearing black suits, sunglasses, and earpieces got out of the black GMCs, and one of them walked to the Mercedes, opened the passenger door, and stepped back while still holding it.
Soon, an old gentleman dressed in a grey, white striped suit stepped out of the passenger door and hurriedly walked to the hotel's entrance with a phone stuck to his ear, seemingly in a rush.
The man on the rooftop grunted as he saw the old gentleman, his finger tightening around the trigger. He adjusted his aim to compensate for his target's movement and prepared to take the shot.
However, he stopped at the last second as a pleasant ringing tone sounded from his pocket, causing the man to sigh as he put away his rifle and retrieved his phone.
"This better be good. I'm in the middle of a job," the man said as he picked up the call, frowning under his chrome mask as he leaned on the roof's parapet.
"Hmm? How much?" the man asked, pausing slightly after the caller explained he had a job for him. "That's a lot of zeros... must've pissed you off real bad..." he said in an amused tone as he lightly chuckled at the target price the caller was willing to pay.
"Yeah, yeah, quit the grandstanding, pal. I'll do it," the man said, shaking his head as he ended the call and let out another chuckle at the caller's tone, which quickly turned offended.
"Now... where were we..." the man remarked as he set his rifle and started looking for his target, only to find no trace of the older gentleman, as the latter was already inside the hotel.
"Looks like I'll have to cause a scene after all..." the man remarked, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he took a remote control device with a single red button.
He waited for several minutes and then pressed the button, nodding as a massive explosion occurred on the hotel's top floor, shattering most of the building's windows.
"Another day... another job..." the man remarked, shrugging as he picked up his rifle and turned to leave.
...
Bludhaven
Avalon Heights
"Bollocks!" Elain Marsh-Morton loudly cursed, speaking in a heavy English accent, having already flipped the entire apartment in search of her target, and found no trace.
She sighed at her last lead to her target disappearing, at a loss for where she could get the next paycheck to prevent foreclosure on her improvished family estate.
She was a descendant of a long line of British aristocrats and mercenaries, thus the one and only heir to her family's state, which proved a heavy burden on the young woman's shoulders instead of a boon she expected it to be.
Elain's family had long lost their fortune due to generation after generation of idling bums, who refused to contribute anything to the family while leeching on their ancestral wealth.
Unable to abandon her family estate and history and in desperate need of funds to keep it afloat, Elain decided to continue the family's legacy, took the name Lady Vic and became a mercenary.
Though the recent generations of her family were nothing more than lazy bums who refused to do anything productive and benefit the family, they at least made sure to pass down the skills they've honed since olden times to their descendants.
Elain used those skills, which included martial arts, weapon mastery, and marksmanship, to earn money and maintain the family estate, which finally led her to work under her current boss, Blockbuster.
Returning to Blüdhaven to collect a fee for an assignment she had performed for gang boss Antonio "Angel" Marin, she was upset to find Marin missing.
Elain tracked down his lawyer and threatened to kill the man's young daughter if they did not pay her— a threat she definitely would have carried out if Nightwing had not intervened.
She later found out that Blockbuster had disposed of and replaced Marin. The man was willing to give Elain her pay and even offered a bonus if she worked with him. She agreed.
And here she was, tracking one of Blockbuster's subordinates, a woman named Tarantula. The gang boss had ordered her to eliminate his former ally as she had disobeyed his orders.
The pay would have been enough to maintain her family estate for one year at least, but luck was not on her side this time, as she had already exhausted all of her leads to Tarantula's whereabouts with nothing to show for it.
Elain removed the saber hanging on her back as she sank into the comfortable couch, heaving a tired sigh as she took out her phone and began searching for temporary work to keep herself busy until new leads about her current target showed up.
"Hmm...?" Elain hummed, perking up as she found a possible well-paying job on one of the many private forums dedicated to sharing information between people of her profession.
'With this much money... I'll have enough money to maintain that bloody estate for at least 20 years...' Elain mused, feeling no small measure of temptation to go for the job.
However, the target was considerably challenging as he had no known base of operation or places he'd visit, not to mention the rumors flying around him.
Even Elain, who usually stayed in Bludhaven, heard of the target who'd never strayed far from Gotham since his debut as he was rumored to have killed the KGbeast, one of the most feared mercenaries on the planet.
The many zeros in the number the client offered for the job only proved how dangerous the target was, and Elain knew she would be risking her life, but the temptation was too great for her to ignore.
'I won't be the only one going after him... I'll just let someone else test the waters for me to see if it's worth...' Elain concluded after some thought, picking up her saber as she stood up.
She quickly called her boss to inform him of her leave and promptly made for Gotham with haste.
...
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