The Shadow of Bludhaven

Birth of the Shadow

I woke on a subway train speeding down the tracks, the the sudden burst of noise filled my head with pain.

" Young man do you have a ticket," asked a woman dressed in a blue uniforn.

" A what," I asked trying to shake off the pain.

A piece of white paper was revealed in my hand.

" Very good," the woman said sounding pleased as she moved down the rest of the passengers.

The pain in head was gone but now I could think cleary and that was much worse.

" Who am I, Where am I going? and Why can't I remember any of this," I thought and these thoughts enraged me.

" Welcome to Bludhaven end of the line," boomed the speakers.

The subway train came to screeching hault and the passengers filed out one by one. I went to leave but then I noticed that there was a large black gym bag.

" Come on Punk I have to clean the train and I can't do it with you still on it," snapped an old man.

I picked up the gym and walked off the train. I was surprised by how heavy it was but I told myself that later I would check to see what it is.

I walked outside and was blinded by light, I blinked a couple of times so my eyes could adjust to the huge difference of lighten. A chill went up my spine then I realized that my clothes were shreds. Quickly I located a shop where I could could by clothes. I entered the smoke filled shop to find a man no older than myself behind the counter smoking a cigarette. Already I was disgusted by the excuse for a human being. I picked out black leather pants, leather vest, purple T-shirt and black fingerless gloves. I went the counter to pay my articles of clothing.

" That be 87 buckes little dude," laughed the boy. I reached in my pockets to find out in great sorrow that I had know money.

" I don't have any money," I said quietly.

The boy's laughter ended, " Then get out you poor bitch".

" But I need clothes so I don't...", I tried to say until the boy blew smoke in my face and the laughter then began again. My hatred swelled up I tried with all my might to hold back my anger but it was no use.

" I said get out Bitch", yelled the boy.

" You disgust me for so many reasons, first off you let yourself be controlled by an addiction that really is sad and secondly Your a coward," I yelled in anger and I noticed that in my anger my voice had become deeper.

" A coward," trembled the boy.

" You have to slowly kill yourself rather then do it all at once because you given to your fear", I snapped " So allow me to do it for you".

I threw my arm out in front of me and an invisible power sent the boy flying against the wall behind him. I hopped over the counter and stalked his body as he tried to rise to his feet.

" Please don't kill me", whined the boy with his face bleeding and his mouth filled with blood.

I looked at him, I saw the damage I had dealt to him and I searched myself for an answer and I found it, HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE!.

I helped him up off the ground.

" Thanks," he gasped.

I then went behind him and snapped his neck and his lifeless body then hit the floor with a loud thud.

I went to the door of the store and flipped the sign to read closed, I then pulled the curtains shut the room was submerged into shadows and I found it very calming. I decided to change into my new clothes. While I was changing I noticed that my hand was wrapped in bandages and this was I threw in front of me and sent the the boy against the wall with. I removed the bandages to find a black crystal planted in the palm of my hand. This must be the reason for the power I displayed just moments ago. At first I was afraid but then I thought of the possiblities for what I could accomplish with this power. I then remembered the gym bag I was carrying with me before I commited my awful act that I did not regret. I unzipped the bag to reveal its contents, a sword was in the bag I tried to pick it up with my hand and thousands of screams filled my head but the weren't screams of fright they were screams of people being slaughtered by the sword I held in my hand. I dropped the sword and stumbled back I then tried to make sense of what had happen to me.

" I guess I can't weild the sword but then how did I get it in the bag," I mumbled to myself.

I attempted to weild the blade again but with my other the same hand that contained the black crystal and my head filled with all the knowledge I need to weild the sword. No longer was it just a sword it was a part of my being.

" Now What do I need," I asked aloud. The first thing that came to mind was Money so I can surive in my new enviroment but how to get it I thought, I could rob the bank but I'll need more weapons I realized. I noticed an ad in the newspaper the boy had been reading it was for " Nick's semi Non- deadly weapons".

" That will have to do", I remarked.

Luckily the store was only a couple of blocks down from the clothes store that I had made my base of action for the meanwhile. I grabbed the bag with the sword in it and made my way to the store.

I arrived in the store to find a teenage boy behind the counter. He had medium length hair and glasses.

" Hi, what can I do for you," he asked.

" I'm looking for Nick and some weapons," I replied.

" Well I'm Nick and these are my weapons," he answered.

" I need some weapons for distration and to make clean getaways," I explained.

Nick then entered the backroom and ewntered with a tray of weapons.

" I think these will do the job," he said " there are smoke bombs, hand cuffs, explosive marbles and a set metal plates to mount on your gloves".

" This is great," I said happily.

" So how would you like to pay for this?", he asked.

Trying to avoid another murder I offered him a deal.

" If you let me have it now I'll pay you triple for it tomorrow", I offered.

Nick then had a very serious look on his face like he was about to turn down the deal and if he did I would kill him I cold blood just like the boy at the clothes shop.

" Okay sounds good to me," he replied in an upbeat manner.

" Great," I replied " I need one more thing".

" What's that", he asked.

" A sheath for my sword", I said while I placed the sword on the counter.

He then grabbed a sheath for it and I left the store to return to my lair.

" Come back any time," Nick yelled as I walked out.

I entered the clothes store to prepare for long night of crime ahead. I attached the metal platings onto my gloves and got the idea of hiding my identity.

" Better I know my identity first before the police", I laughed to myself.

I founded a dark purple cloak close to the same colour of my shirt and mounted it on my vest to form a cape, I also found black visor goggles and the were perfect I could see as palin as ever but nobody could see my eyes. My attire was perfect I could blend in with the darkness that I found so very comforting. I waited until the night cover of Bludhaven until I made my strike on the bank. Finally night had plunged the city into my realm the darkness. I climbed to the roof of store and jumped rooftop to rooftop making my way to my destination. I was amazed at my speed and the height of my jumps. Filled with confidence I flipped on to the roof top of the bank. The roof was a was made of glass so pulled out my sword so I could cut a circle big enough in the glass so I could fit through it. I jumped through my hole and landed on the hallway floors. The bank was very dark only the shine of red exit signs gave any source of light. I walked down the hall at fast pace so I could get to a vault and get to work.

" Stealth is for the weak," I laughed.

Suddenly the alarms went off and sirens filled my head but the noises only annoyed me not pain me like the screams.

" Hey you," yelled someone behind me.

I turned around to face a guard and his dog. The dog then rushed at me, by insinct I threw my hand infront of me and lifted the dog by using the power of the black crystal. The dog was suspended in the air for a while until I used my power to throw the dog at the guard. The guard dog then ran off in fear but the guard did not follow his dog instead he rush as fast as he could at me. I easily flipped over and landed behind him quickly I unshealth my blade and stabbed him from behind. I heard him groan probably in disbelief about his situation that in a matter of moments he would cease to live and all he would be remembered for was being a bank guard. I withdrew my sword from his body made my way towards the vault. I had decided to keep my sword by my side just incase I came across any unexpected problems. I rounded the corner of the hall to come across three armed guards. They looked in horror at my blade that was drenched in the blood of their fallen comrade.

" Your the one who set off the alarms," yelled one of the guards " And you killed Howard!".

The guard shot a couple bullets at me from his gun but all of them were deflected by my blade and were sent into his chest. He collapsed onto the cold floor and his blood started to paint the floor. Using the powers of the black crystal I removed the other guard's guns from there grasps. One guard ran at me and I grabbed him turned him around and slit his throat. This time I felt the blood run down my arm and it disturbed me suddenly I had a deep feeling of regret I had killed four people now and three were just doing there jobs. The final guard came at me with his right hand in a fist, I evaded the punch and with my sword I hacked off his right arm and kicked him to the side of the hall. The hall had filled with the stench of blood.

I turned around to face the one armed guard " Not everyone has to die tonight," I sais as I walked away.

I started to run the rest of the way, I wanted to get the money and get out of the bank before anyone else died at my hands. I arrived at the vault it was a huge circular metal door. I moved close to the door and had the idea of using the sword as my key, I stabbed the door with the blade and blue flames shot up. The blade easily cut through the thick metal door and no time I had made a large enough hole to fit through. I put the blade back in its sheath and walked in, the vault room was covered in rows of depoist boxes. Quickly I grabbed to empty bags that were on the floor and filled them, when I was done they must have been filled to the top with money and jewelery. I grabbed the bags and walked out of the vault room.

" Stop right there," yelled a voice.

A man in black a black and blue spandex costume emerged from the shadows.

" How the hell did you get in," I yelled.

The man then pointed at the window to his left " Through the open window" he replied.

" Who are you," I growled.

" I was just about to ask you the samething, tell me who you are and hand over the money," he answered.

I rushed at him and attacked him with an onslaught of punches bu the blocked every single one. Quickly I retreated and dove into the air and came at him with a kick but he blocked my attack so I started to kick with both I was walking in place on his hands that were blocking me.

" Man this guy is tough but I won't use the blade no one else deserves to die tonight", I thought.

" Give it up already", he taunted.

I reached in the inside of my pocket and found the smoke bombs. Quickly I threw a hand full and the room filled with smoke, I grabbed a pair of handcuffs and locked them one the hand of my masked foe's hand and the other end of the cuffs on a metal pole close to the window.

" I guess I'll see you later", I laughed and started to make my way out the window but then I stopped and walked towards my foe and gave him a stiff kick to the gut, he moaned in pain as I walked out the window. It only took a couple of minutes for me to get back to clothes store that was my base. I entered the rooftop door and locked it behind me. I got downstairs and locked all the doors. I then turned on the Television, the first channel it was on was the local news.

" Breaking News just in Bludhaven City Bank was robbed and thats not the worst of it our masked hero Nightwing was helpless againset the robber," the news anchor.

" So that's who it was this Nightwing guy", I realized.

" It is estimated that over one million dollars was stolen from the bank and three armed guards were killed and one criticaly injured, This meance got away and made a fool of Nightwing, security tapes have not come in yet but resident in the apartments across the street from the bank got a picture" a picture of me on the rooftop of the bank flashed on screen " This man of shadows is now made Bludhaven his home and is Nightwing powerless against? only time will tell", said the news anchor.

" Thanks Tom and tomorrow we are looking at a sunny day", said the blonde news anchor.

I turned off the television and got up from my chair and looked out thewindow trough the drapes and watched the police cars speed down the street.

" So the city has named me," I laughed " Whether they like or not Bludhaven is now home to THE SHADOWMAN".