Neon lights, holograms, advertisements, chatter, pedestrians, sirens, cars, the occasional motorcycle, trains running to catch up their schedule, smoke or steam rising from either buildings or from manhole covers.
These descriptions are what your typical industrialized environment that you can find from famous cities such as; New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
But one particular city is special, the "City of Dreams" or her official name: Night City.
Formerly known as "Coronado City", This city was supposed to be made as a capitalist utopia but Richard Night would probably be spinning in his grave if he was to see the sorry sad state of his city.
Sometimes… It takes a Dark (K)night to make a difference.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!"
The Night is young and bright as the neon lights & holograms illuminate the city streets and alleys, people bustling to dine at their local food stalls down at kabuki market. People ate whatever soy, plastic, synthetic food but unluckily for one bloke who was eating away at his stir fry…
"Hey, watch it!" the bystander complained as his noodle spilled all over the concrete.
"Get the fuck outta the way!" A roided' man swatted away the noodle eater as he swats more people more away not caring for their wellbeing since he is looking out for himself.
He looked up to find neon lights filled with words, adverts, and holograms of red paper lanterns but none of these details gave a clue to where it was, "Whe- Where's that freak?!
Sweat dripped as he felt the hair on his skin stood up, his optics caught something at one of the rooftops: Two white eyes stared down at him.
"DIE!" lifting up his machine gun, he unleashed the rain of lead to the dark creature
TATATATATATA!
"AAAH!" Rapid bangs echoed throughout the market place which signified the bystanders to run screaming everywhere just to find some safety from the imminent violence from about to occur.
"Leave me the fuck alone!"
PEW! SCHLICK!
"FUUUCK! MY LEG?!" a small dart pierced right through his calf and instantly unfurled four blades from the point.
ZOOP
"WOAAHH!" The grappling hook pulled him up as he accidentally dropped his rifle from the speed of his ascension. He watched the upside down advertisements and hologram paper lanterns passed by him. He screamed, he thrashed but it did not stop him from going up to whatever monster was hunting him.
He stopped and felt a hand gripping his injured leg which greatly discomforted him… He looked up (or down?) to find it again.
Two white eyes. Belonging to a dark creature with twin horns (or maybe ears?) from its head.
"AAAH! AAAAHH!"
"Where is James Norris?!" The voice was dark and deep, a type of voice that would instill intimidation.
"GET ME DOWN!" he shook even harder and flailed his arms out of desperation but it seems the creature was not amused.
"As you wish." the creature lightened his grip and dropped him completely!
"AAAAAAAAAAAA!" holograms, words, signs, and neon lights, passed by him in a distance but his eye was glued to the pavement
TWANG! SCHLICK!
"YAAAGGHH!" the four-hooked dart pulled to his calf muscles as blood squirts more because of the metal claws digging more into the flesh.
Zoooohp He was being pulled again to meet his interrogator once more.
"Did your life flash before your eyes?"
"Uh-huh," the interrogatee nodded.
"Good. That should jog your memory, or do you need to jog more?"
"No, no, I'm good! I remember everything, swear to God!"
"Swear to me!"
"Alright, alright! You want the Sixer right?! He went fucking AWOL right after he klep the sandy!"
"Answer my question! Where. Is. He?!"
"He-He muttered something about Corpo Plaza! You could find him there! That's all I got!"
"Thank you." The creature leaves his thanks by releasing his grip.
"AAAAAAAA!" he descended fast as neon lights passed him fast again with his artificial eyes could only watch in horror as the pavement was coming closer to his face.
TWANG!
"Hhggh! Huh?" he felt the pain in his leg pull him apart but his eyes saw that the pavement halted a foot away from his face.
CHING
The hook from his calf detached itself-
"OOF!" his face not so graciously kissed the cement and could only lie there being thankful that the nightmare had ended.
"Fuuuuck meee…"
"Regina, I might have a lead to his whereabouts but it could be misleading."
"Well shoot, I got nothing on my side so might as well go with this one," a female voice answered within his cowl, "whatchu' got?"
"His former colleague stated he recently installed a sandevistan and was muttering right after about Corpo Plaza," Water rained over his cape and the hard cowl as he glide through the air heading towards the twin holographic koi fishes of orange and blue from the distance, "I'm heading there."
"Sandevistan!? Careful with this one then, unless you have a sandy yourself. I hope there's a solution within that magic belt of yours." Regina Jones exclaimed behind his communications.
"Let me handle it like last time, I'll bring him alive like always."
"Still, be careful out there. There isn't as much a good soul out here in Night City as you, even with your crazy ass Dracula costume."
"Noted."
It was pouring.
Water rained as the droplets phased through the koi fishes. Under the Militech building were palm trees surrounded by police enforcer cars and police holo tapes as the boys in blue were busy conducting an investigation.
"Man, thought you'd be off the clock by five," a man's voice came through a police officer's holo call, "they keep you on call. Shitluck."
"Cap said I could leave my gun and badge if I went home to listen to my old lady go on and on about her online shopping or whatever the hell she did all day." the police officer chatted back.
"That's what you get for choosing the life of a public servant."
"It just had to fսck¡ng rain"
"Since you're gonna be here for a while, what do you think of him?"
"Who?"
"Y'know, the Bat. You think he's real?"
"Dean, you've seen the reports, the briefings; the guy is definitely real, urban legend no more."
"What if it isn't a guy? What if it's a vampire!?"
"You're pulling my fucking leg here aren't cha?" the cop scoffed in amusement, "You've been listening to Maximum Mike again?"
"I'm serious!"
"If this bat-freak is a vampire then where's the bite marks? Or even better, why are all the victims he attacked still alive?"
"Maybe he's a good vampire? Like a crime-fighting one!"
"Jesus Christ you're fucking stupid."
The sound of showering water pouring down the ground being muffled thanks to his car window made him feel a bit lucky that he's spending his patrol in a car instead of being drenched outside like his colleagues. He was minding his own business while chatting with his holo call.
Until… a shirtless, muscular, chromed-out blonde man in his 40s with a metal beard and spider-like optics staring at him by the car window from the passenger side.
"Hmm? What the hell you doin'? Back it up." the cop warned from the other side of the window, "Looking to get shot?-"
!
Immediately the blonde intruder pulled out a Rostović DB-2 Satara right in front of the car window directly aimed at him!
Ching!
From out of the blue, a sharp metal bat-like blade inserted itself to the two barrels of the DB shotgun-
BOOM!
Before the gunner could react, he was already too late since he pulled the trigger which caused a malfunction that exploded at his right arm with some electricity dancing. His right arm was blown up and had removed its skin-colored cover to reveal his silver subdermal armor underneath.
"Sh-shit it's a fucking cyberpsycho!" the cop in the car quickly opened the car door from his side and hid around from behind the car, "Fucking shoot him already!"
A small army of cops behind their own cars quickly pulled out their pistols with some bringing in rifles and shotguns.
TATATATATATATATATATA!
BOOM!, Ch-shick, BOOM!, Chi-shick BOOM!, Chi-shick
No matter how many bullets or pellets, the Cyberpsycho did not budge from the rain of lead he was showering in with the nearby enforcer he was standing in front of was the only thing taking holes. Cops on the other hand keep hailing as much firepower as possible but even they could realize how futile their efforts were.
For the Cyberpsycho, he was wandering his head above trying to find who threw the bat-shaped blade to his Satara…
"He's not going down, fucker has armor chromed to him!" one of the blue boys blurted in a panic, "Raise MaxTac now!"
Suddenly the psycho turned around then pulled out a Masamune from his right and an Omaha from his left hand-
Chick, chick, chick, chick
His spider-like optics could only stare at both his jammed guns as his head tilted with confusion. He threw them aside to de-slot his projectile launch systems from his left while his right hand unfolded a mantis blade.
Ching!
But his left hand had some kind of arrow attached to a rope that pierced right through his cyber forearm-
Zoop!
Bang! Boom!
His left arm was quickly pulled which forced him to aim high at the raining sky as fired his projectile launch system. Coincidentally, a dark figure is plummeting towards him-
WHAM!
A dark-gray boot aggressively kissed his metal beard, then the back of his head was smashed against the police car roof as the glass turned into shards from the sheer kick.
The Dark figure jumped over the car and hid from behind, right next to the cop that was holo calling from earlier.
"You- You're under arrest, psycho!" the cop quickly pulled his handgun with determination but his hands betray him as they were shaking, "fucking vampire cosplayer!"
"The real psycho is that man over there," the vampire cosplayer voiced his reasoning as he casually a place circle device at the enforcer
"Hey what are you doing!?"
"I know you're scared but my intention is to apprehend the cyberpsycho before he causes too much damage." bat-man walked towards the cop and nonchalantly placed another of the same device at the other end of the car, "You might want to tell your colleagues to best step away."
"You think you're better than us!? That you can take the law from your own hands, Batman!?"
"After careful observation throughout everything NCPD has accomplished, I don't think I'm better." Batman simply climbed over the roof to overlook the cyber gunner as he lifted his left forearm which lit up with a series of holograms that only he could see.
His whole color scheme or the lack thereof is dark gray (not black), everything from cowl to cape to boot to even the bat symbol in the middle is gray for effective stealth in the dark. His piercing white glowing eyes will shake anyone to the core if especially they are alone in the dark. His cape covered him like he was some creature of the night.
What makes him mythical is that he had a mouth guard covering his mouth area which had 16 holes that were divided into 8 holes on both sides thanks to the sharp ridge at the middle where his nose should be.
His mouthguard took inspiration from medieval knight helmets. After all, he is the Dark Knight.
"It's because I know I'm better." The bat state as he lightly taps one of the glowing buttons
FWOOOOM!
The devices shot out strong flames that forced them to push the car towards the cyberpsycho along with the bat figure riding along as he stands there thanks to his magnetic boots! The other blue boys quickly get out of dodge from the barrelling hunk of metal and neon.
The car along with its passengers rocketed towards the middle of the glass plaza that is being circled by the holographic koi fishes. The devices stopped propelling which stopped the car from flying any further but the cyberpsycho flung directly to the middle of the glass floor.
"Can you hear me, James?" The bat figure calmly stepped off the wrecked car, "What you are seeing are hallucinations, you need to get a grip of yourself!"
The Cyberpscho did not reply, he only became a blur and danced around him with an incredible speed!
"Suit yourself, Norris."
The Blur dashed towards him!
Splash!
Before the bat can be diced, the cyberpsycho felt something pull him away from his first victim and tripped over to the glass ground. The Psycho looked over to find sticky white goop all over his foot.
WHAM! CRACK!
A dark-gray boot stomped on his chromed-out head that cracked the glass floor underneath his metal beard.
James Norris suddenly took hold of the bat's foot and flung him away with great distance!
"Hngh!" The bat grunted and was even surprised by the strength he experienced, "H-How!? Lucius, give me a scan!"
"Right away!" A dark-skinned older man replied from his communication, "it seems that Sandevistan is no Sandevistan at all!"
"What do you mean?"
"Whatever he has it's a hybrid between a Sandevistan and a Berserk!" Lucius exclaimed as Norris cut off the white glue from his leg, "No wonder that skilled veteran suffered through Cyberpsychosis, that advanced level cyberware would be even too much from a peak human!"
WHIRR!
BANG!
Suddenly, red lights lit up in James's general area and something shot off his mantis blade. The AV from above opened its compartment to reveal the MaxTac members with their green six-eyed helmets.
"We need to fry the system fast." a male MaxTac commented.
"Freak's supporting military-grade ICE!" the female MaxTac netrunner replied as she scans.
"Meaning that our tech isn't? Get to it!"
James immediately tried fleeing but his cyber spine immediately shot sparks and made him trip himself again, hopelessly lying on the glass floor. Five MaxTacs descended from ropes and surrounded the lying cyberpsycho.
"Execute the bastard!" a MaxTac officer ordered. Another officer came nearing in with his modified triangular barrel SOR-22 to finish the deed, James Norris's right knee unfolded another mantis blade!
"What the fu-" even the officer who was about the execute was surprised from the unusual placement of the cyberware. In normal circumstances of Night City, one of them should have died but not this night because-
"No!" out of nowhere two batarangs flew, with one cutting of the stem of the mantis blade with the other piercing said officer's SOR-22 but the trigger finger already which-
BOOM!
"FUUUUCK! MY HANDS IT FUCKING HURTS!" the officer screamed as he was shocked to find his hands burnt and littered with shrapnel.
"Fry that fucking bat!"
"On it!" the netrunner in the AV from above had her six-eyed visors glow red as she stared down to the bat with a smile but it quickly turned upside down as her net vision saw something else, "What the fuck!?"
"What's going on with your side?!"
"There's some black ICE? What the fuck are you!? G-Get away! Help Help!", the female MaxTax runner panicked as she swatted away at the air, "They're all over me!"
"What's her problem!?"
"AAAAH! THEY'RE BITING MEEE!" She screamed as tears leaked out between her helmet, until her-
BZZZZZZZZ
"aGGhHHgGGhHH!" the sparks popped from her visor and electricity danced all over until she as her limp body lied on the AV.
"D-Did he just offed her?" one of the MaxTacs uttered and could only return their visors on that pointed ear demon right in front of them, "We'll kill ya halloween lovin' bastard!"
There were no replies, only the hum of the av and the trickle of rain.
"Kill him!" all of the MaxTac officers fired their rifles as the series of blue muzzle flashes contrasted to the red light from the AV. The Bat responded by throwing a small pellet at them.
Bang!
Once the pellet his the ground, a loud bang accompanied by a light flash had surrounded the officers in dark gray smoke to which it was impossible to see through.
"Pussy is using smoke!" an officer said clearly thanks to his helmet covering his nostrils but that will not save him from the upcoming beating they about to experience.
Kahpow! Pow!
A dark fist walloped someone right at their now crack six-eyed visor and another to the chin!
(One.)
"He's over there!" one warned and shot the general direction where the bat was but the unconscious body of his colleague flung towards him, "Aagh!"
(Two.)
While he tried to get rid of his coworker's sleeping form, another managed to sneak up to the bat with a barrel trained at his cowl head, "Gotcha ya bastard."
Bang!
The Batman immediately ducked his head then grabbed the barrel of the gun and aim it down to the glass floor.
"How the fu-AAAHH!" an audible crack! was heard from his knee bending sideways, then Batman pulled the gun away smashed right at the helmeted head.
Thud!
(Three.)
The new knocked out body was thrown at another officer again but this female officer dodged to which landed on the same officer from who was struggling with another unconscious body and pulled out her twin mantis blades from her forearms.
"Who knew my next prey would be a bat?" came from the female MaxTac, "I'll take your pointy head as my personal trophy."
"Then come and earn it!"
While she was charging, a fifth officer tried pulling the bat's cape from behind. Batman responded by charging at the female mantis wielder.
What surprised everyone is that when Batman ducked in front of her, his cape retreated to his collar at incredible speed! To which flung her colleague towards her.
She managed to sidestep the poor man but she didn't anticipate the leg sweep right after and tripped because of it.
(Four and Five.)
Once the smoke clears, their positions revealed that the whole squad was crowded together with three of the MaxTax officers piled on while the other & the female were left lying together.
"Your little smoke trick is gone!" She grinned as she extended her mantis blades for more intimidation, her grinning smile alone could radiate the bloodlust she craves, "You're gonna pay back for being a pain in the ass!"
"Not as painful as this." the Dark Knight quipped as he shoots his batclaw at the glass floor and pierced it.
"M-Melissa, you might wanna look down…" her one standing colleague uttered as she stared at the grappling hook, then at the line that was attached to her, then to her teammate, then to the rest of the squad… And then the gel-like material is drawn in a bat symbol…
"Did Dracula just dupe us?"
BOOM!
"AAAAAAAAAHH!" The glass floor exploded into shards as they all fell into the hole as screamed for their lives but it didn't make him worry since he watched them dangle through the glass.
The pathetic lying form of James Norris stayed there watching the whole confrontation play out as for him… what he saw was a demon… a fear into reality… a nightmare in the city of dreams.
"And to any of you sick degenerates planning to make entertainment for your depraved pleasures," Batman's hand gripped James Norris's neck as pressure made it suffocating from the sheer strength.
"I'm coming for you." He reeled his arm away then-
BAM!
"AAHH! My fucking face!" the Latino boy in a black shirt and gold cross around his neck screamed as he tried to pry away his BD goggles in a panic to which he successfully did, "What the fuck, Doc?! I'm supposed to be having fun gunning down popos, not to be scared shitless by Cyber-Dracula?!"
The young Latino screamed in his dark apartment with the red neon lights from the window and the blue from the shelves & advertisements.
"Lighten up Davey," a Jamaican accent spoke in his holo call, "it's just a prank, maybe a lesson that you shouldn't be watching these kinds of stuff in the first place, man!"
"Shut the hell up, Doc. I push these XBDs for you and you sure as shit I'm getting some employee privileges."
"Privileges my ass."
"Who's that guy anyway?"
"You mean the creature of the night? A fooking legend in da making that's what!"
"Legend? Got another Silverhand on our ass?"
"Nah, he's more like Blackhand. Hell, he's, even more of a pacifist but that doesn't stop him from being da scariest fooking monster out there at night."
"What kind of rep does he has then?"
"Da type that makes criminals sigh with relief at the first glimpse of sunrise."
"That kind of rep for a pacifist?"
"Being alive is a broad term, Davey boy. Because someone without limbs, blinded, scarred, burnt, paralyzed is still considered alive by da dictionary so don't do anything stupid at night!"
A chuckle came from David's mouth as he gently set down his BD goggles on the bed.
"What's funny?" Doc queried from his holo call.
"Y'know it's a bit poetic that Night City, known for having the highest crime rate in all of North America, has now become much safer for civvies like us but became a lot scarier for criminals when at night."
"Whatever, I don't care what dis goody two-shoes motivates him but as long as I get more customers being chromed out by him."
"I wonder what Richard Night will think of him?"
