Highway or the Hard Way
Freeway, 15 miles from Metropolis CBD: Thursday, 7:49pm, 7th of February 2015:
Along an empty highway, a large commercial truck and trailer was making its way towards the city of Metropolis. While the truck appears inconspicuous and ordinary...the inside is anything but. Within the trailer is a room of very lavish furniture and carpet, and about 15 men and women...3 of them carry large scimitars on their backs, covered in symbolic tattoos, one in particular of a sword figure 8 on their palm. Another 5 individuals have fanged canines, drinking from sippy cups full of blood and the remaining 6 stand near the large ornate desk that sits in front of a fish tank, they have neither scimitars nor fangs but they do carry an assortment of weapons. Though they seem drastically different, the one thing that they all have in common...is that they are staring at the two men that are bound and tied in the middle of the trailer.
One of the men is wearing a black kevlar armour, black undershirt and matching combat pants and shoes. The kevlar is spray painted with a large white skull that has splotches of blood spread across it. The other man is wearing a similar get up but with more inlaid metal pieces of armour. He also has a sword sheath on his back that is missing said sword. Most of his suit has been damaged in numerous scuffles and fights, doesn't help that the people surrounding them, particularly the ones with fangs are currently inspecting...or playing...with his weapons. The other men too.
"M1911, Beretta M9, M27 automatic rifle, three tactical combat knives, a steel wire and finally, an M60...you have quite the arsenal, Mr. Castle." A deep, dark voice says as a man in a swinging chair, swings around and faces the two men. The figure is wearing a pristine cut, white business suit, but in contrast, the figure wears a black bone designed mask, hence the man's name...Black Mask. "Go fuck yourself, Sionis." One of the bound men, Frank Castle, says as he turns his head and spits out a gob of blood. Soft hissing and moaning can be heard from the vampires in the trailer as all their eyes trail to the blood, savouring the smell but they nonetheless manage to control themselves. "Come now, surely we all can be civil here...we are, of course...business partners." Sionis says as he picks up Castle's M9 and inspects it. "I'm not your business partner, you son of a bitch...and when I get out of here, I'm going to put a bullet in your head, and then some." Castle threatens to Black Mask which causes all the occupants of the trailer, par the other bound man and the ones who carry swords to laugh at Castle's threat. "Seems the Punisher still has some fight left in him." Black Mask says as he turns his head to a sword carrier and nods his head...the woman stares back at him with disgust.
She walks up to Castle and with expert precision, drives her fist into two of Castle's already broken ribs. The man groans softly from the impact but the woman gives him no time to recuperate as she punches him across the cheek, opening another of several cuts along his face. Black Mask and his men laugh while the vampires holler and cheer at the assault. Black Mask puts down the gun and gets up from his seat, approaching Castle. "It seems that you have forgotten...who the fuck you're talking too, Castle? I'm Black fucking Mask! And when I tell you to be civil...you'll be fucking civil!" Black Mask starts off calmly before his mood drastically shifts as he yells in fury at Castle before grabbing him by the face. "Get me a cigarette...about to teach this piece of shit some manners." Black Mask orders his men who hurriedly grab a cigarette and a lighter.
Castle struggles to break free of his binds and the grasp of Black Mask's thugs as they force his head up. "That's enough." The woman from before says quietly but the echo of her order resonates in the trailer. Black Mask looks at her with an annoyed look before sighing in aggravation, pulling his hand that is holding the lit cigarette away from Castle's eye. "You just had to ruin my fun." He says to the woman as he approaches and gets in her face. The woman stares back unflinching as a man beside her, pulls lightly on the sheathed dagger, showing the blade. Black Mask's men see the glint of light and cock their weapons, preparing for a fight. The vampires sit back in total relaxation and eagerness as they await the chaos. The woman holds up her hand to the man, seeing the unspoken question the man sheaths his dagger, the action causing the thighs to relax. "You can have your fun another time, the League of Shadows cares nothing for it but The Head of the Demon has had his fill of patience with these two. Find out what they know, who they know and who they are affiliated with. Failure to achieve this, will result in consequences that you will not like." The woman says calmly to Black Mask who scoffs and turns away from the woman, hitting one of his men in the face with a punch. The man drops to the ground like a bag of bricks as the vampires laugh at the display. "Got to admit...when the Mother sent me here, I did not expect to find so much entertainment, might have to make this a recurring deal." One of the vampires, Stephen, says to everyone as he slips from his cup. "No asked you to speak, fanger. You'll be smart and do us a favor and shut the fuck up." The other bound man, Blade, speaks finally as everyone turns their attention to him.
Stephen scowls in anger at the insult and gets up from his seat. He approaches Blade and backhand slaps him across the face. The dark man doesn't utter a single sound and turns his head back. His pale eyes focus on Stephen with murderous intent as he steps back slightly in fear of the dreaded hunter. He pushes down his fear and punches Blade with all his force, the blow causing Blade to groan slightly but he nonetheless...turns his head back and stares. "Looks like the black bitch has more balls than you, blood-fucker." Black Mask quips to Stephen who turns and shows his fangs to Sionis with a snarl. Sionis simply chuckles at his threatening display. "I had to deal with a psycho clown and a crazy freak dressed as a bat for the better part of a decade...it's going to take more than just a pair of sharp canines to frighten me." Sionis says as Stephen scoffs and goes back to the rest of the vampires, many of them offering their blood drinks to help calm his rage. Stephen snatches one and downs the cup in one gulp.
Black Mask fixes his tie and goes back to the desk, pulling something out from underneath. "But that is all in the past, and tonight...we have a job to do. The two of you have been quite the thorn in my associates side for some time...both of your reputations are well earned, especially you Mr. Castle. And my blood sucking associates only have nightmares and fear whenever they speak of you, Mr...Blade." Sionis says to the bound men as he drops a large crowbar on the desk. "But like all good things, they must come to an end. The so-called 'Head of the Demon' wants you dead, Mr. Castle and you Mr. Blade have apparently made enough enemies to last a few hundred lifetimes, but according to my fanged associate." Sionis says as he gestures to the Shadows and Stephen who glare silently and snarl at him, respectively. "Apparently 'The Mother' has use for you. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't give two shits for murderous cultist fanatics and pale, blood-sucking fuckers...but they are willing to pay and lately, things haven't been looking good for me...I'm sorry but no hard feelings...this is all but business. Surely you both know that." Sionis apologizes with no real remorse as he grabs the crowbar and stands in front of the two men. Castle and Blade look up at him before glancing at each other. "He did apologise." Blade says to Castle who scowls. "His apology means jack to me...I'm going to kill one way or another, any works for me." Castle says back as Blade smiles. "Oh I agreed, I just find it funny that they all think that they are in control. Don't you find that funny?" Blade asks back to Castle as everyone in the trailer, par to the two bound men, tense up when blade says that they're not in control. "The fuck you talking about?" One of the vampires question but the two men ignore them. "So how do you want to play this? Like Mexico City?" Blade asks but Castle turns sharply to him. "Fuck that. Mexico City was your fuck up and I ain't going through that shit again." Castle growls out to Blade who smirks. "If I remember correctly, you ended up just fine after the ordeal." He says but Castle hops on his chair closer to Blade. "Well, not all of us can a damn healing favour, but it doesn't take away from the fact hat you got is in that situation and if it wasn't for me, the fucking cartel would have tortured us for weeks before killing us."
As the two of them go back and forth with their arguing. Black Mask, his things, the Shadows and the vampires are all looking at the two incredulously, absolutely baffled by the two arguing...like the rest of them aren't here. "What the hell are two talking about?" One of Sionis's men asks but Blade turns to him with a glare. "Hey, shush...the adults are talking. Now, where were we? Yes...ok, I'll admit, Mexico City wasn't the best experience so let's just leave that...what about London? That one turned out alright, large mob...hundreds of pounds of coke and a fanger club happening down below. Let's not forget the trafficking that was also going on. We were in and out without a hitch and we went home bloody and happy." Blade explains to Castle as the rest of the room goes silent from the thugs' dismissal. "Nah, it was over too quick...none of them really put up a fight. We did good but it was a waste of the and bullets." Castle explains back which is the last straw for Sionis who grabbed the crowbar and slammed it on the table, the heavy metal nearly cracking the wood in half. "I have had enough of this shit! Tell me exactly what your talking about or I swear I will bash your fucking brains out!" Sionis screams in fury at Blade and Castle but the two men simply look at him with bored expressions on their faces. "Ok, fine. Got the time?" Blade asks which takes Black Mask off guard. "What? Time? What do you mean, time? What does that...?" Sionis questions but he nonetheless checks his watch...though no one can see what his face looks like, everyone can see that his eyes widen in fear at seeing the time. "Klaus...check the window...is the sun still up?" Sionis asks, fear laced in his voice. The thing, Klaus, looks at Sionis and everyone else with confusion but he nonetheless, follows his boss's orders and opens a panel tag lines the trailer wall. He gazes out to try sunrise, seeing the towering buildings of Metropolis, but unlike another time of seeing the 'Golden City of Heroes', the sun has set over the horizon, casting the city in darkness...leaving only a half moon and a starless sky. Klaus swallows a gulp of fear as he looks back at Sionis. "The sun's gone." He says with fear as everyone tenses up. The vampires put down their drinks and get to their feet, pale claws slowly coming out of their finger tips. Black Mask's thugs all widen their eyes and grip tightly on their weapons, sweat building up and sliding from their brows. The Shadows don't show much visually unease or discomfort but they do reach for their hidden weapons and gently unsheathe them, though keeping the blade within the sheath, just in case. The leader of the Shadows, however, reaches for her scimitar and pulls the blade off her back, the steel glinting in the light. As the thugs, vampires and Shadows were shutting themselves, Castle and Blade were smiling softly as they glanced at each other. A knowing look enters their eyes as they carefully grip the arm rest of the chair, preparing themselves for what's to come. "Dallas?" Castle whispers to Blade whose eyes widen slightly before gleaming with knowing amusement. "Dallas." He affirms back with a nod as he tightens his grip.
The rest of the trailer was in pure pandemonium. Black Mask was furiously ordering his men to stock up on their weapons and ammo. The vampires raided the blood fridge and gorged themselves on the blood, not caring for any mess...their only concern was getting as much blood and strength into them. The Shadows were fairly the best out of the three groups. The leader was kneeling and praying under her breath, words like 'Demon' and 'Sisters' being softly heard from her. The other two were pacing around, helping out everyone else. The only man of the Shadows was inspecting some of Black Mask's weapons before settling on an M4 assault rifle. The other woman was sharpening her throwing knives before sheathing them, she got her scimitar out and also started praying along with the leader.
The chaos was interrupted by Black Mask's phone ringing. The echoing noise stops everyone in their tracks. Black Mask swallows a nervous gulp and puts the crowbar down. He approaches the phone with trepidation, every muscle and instinct in his body is telling him to turn and run as far away as he can. He calms his nerves and picks up the phone. "What?" He questions to the caller, who turned out to be the truck driver himself. "Someone's tailing us, boss." The driver says as he glances at the side view mirror. The faint glow of headlights can be seen closing in behind the truck. Black Mask snaps his fingers at one of his men and points to the slide panel at the end of the trailer. The thug hurries over and opens the panel, gazing out, down the road at the unknown vehicle. "Is it him?" Sionis asks, fear and dread laced in his voice as the thug turns back. "It could be." He says fearfully as the mystery vehicle drives up side by side with the truck. The driver looks closely in the side mirror and sees the familiar black paint job and engine blower of a '69 Dodge Charger...not to mention the fire that sparks out of the blower and lights the wheels on fire. "Oh God." The driver says with terror as Black Mask's eyes widen. "It's him!"
The scream sends everyone into a frenzy. Sionis's thugs head to the paintings on the wall and move them out of the way, revealing around a dozen panel slides. The vampires ready their claws and reveal their teeth as they prepare themselves for who has arrived. The Shadows scramble to position themselves in the most safe and advantageous position in the trailer, their training and mental discipline kicking in...they hold their fear, knowing exactly who is right outside. "Well, what the fuck you waiting for? Crush him!" Sionis yells over the phone as the driver starts to swerve dangerously in order to drive the Charger off the road. The thugs and the vampires with guns start to fire through the panels at the Charger but the vehicle doesn't move and the driver barely even phases from the excessive barrage, with the fire coming off the car seemingly burning the some of the bullets before they even reach the car. However, the Charger does move to avoid the colossal truck swerving into it. The men and women inside do not let up their gunfire, but the swerving of the truck is making it difficult for some of them to keep to their feet and hold their aim at the Charger. The truck driver makes a large swerve that nearly pushes the Charger off the road but the driver expertly pulls the car back and does a complete 360 to the other side of the truck, leaving a molten trail of ash and flame. Seeing that the car has moved, the thugs, vampires and Shadows move to the other side and open up more panels, continuing their assault on the Charger.
Black Mask takes a specialized Benelli M4 from his wardrobe and loads a full capacity into the shotgun. As everything is happening, Castle and Blade look at each other and nod...both of them have themselves up and off the floor and slam back down, breaking their chairs and freeing themselves to some semblance of movement. The sound of wood breaking catches some attention as the male Shadow makes his way over to the men, but Blade kicks himself up and begins throwing quick, precise strikes against the assassin. The man is blindsided and caught off guard by the quick movement of the half vampire...Blade throws a straight punch to the man's throat, nearly crushing his larynx and rupturing his vocal cords. The man gags and holds his throat as Balde throws him over to a trio of vampires that were making their way over to him. The force of the throw and weight of the assassin sends all four of them to the ground. "They're free! Kill them! Kill them both!" Black Mask shuts but before he can pint his shotgun, Castle speeds over, not caring about his broken ribs or other injuries. He grabs the shotgun and manages to change Black Mask's trajectory, just as the gun fires, blowing out one of his thugs torso, spraying crimson blood all over the trailer wall. With skill and technique, Castle breaks Sionis's hold on the shotgun and snatches it from him, instead of shooting the Gotham Crime Lord, Castle turns and swings the butt of the shotgun at Sionis which sends him tumbling to the ground in a heap.
But outside, the Charger has sustained some damage but to the horror of the men and women inside, the metal seemingly glowing bright with orange embers and the metal starts to melt and mold back together, like a wound that is rapidly healing. The Charger speeds ahead and places itself in front of the truck. The driver pushes the accelerator, almost flattening the pedal. The truck's increased speed brings it closer to the muscle car but the Charger simply speeds ahead with greater speed before turning sharply, now facing the truck while also in reverse. The truck driver's eyes widen when he spots the fiery glow coming from the driver and the pale whiteness of bone also seen through the fiery embers that surround the car. He pushes his fear down and grits his teeth in anger before grabbing his Uzi beside him and lowering his window. The driver opens fire on the Charger but the driver simply holds his position and lets the driver empty the clip. The driver stares baffled at the same orange embers from before, before turning to horror as the car heals itself. The driver of the Charger reaches for something beside him in the passenger seat. The truck driver's eyes widen in terror as the Charger's window lowers the object is revealed to a sawed off Winchester 1887 shotgun. Though, instead of the typical look of the gun, the metal appears melted and molded together like it's been sitting in a fire for too long and has been mashed and melded together...not to mention the orange flames that are flickering off the weapon. The driver of the car fires his weapon and instead of releasing a shell of ball bearings, a giant fireball is fired out and takes out the passenger side window, chair and top corner of the truck and trailer...luckily, none of the fire hits the engine. The fireball's impact was so intense that the truck driver was rocked by the shockwave and incidentally swerves the truck drastically, nearly toppling it.
The inside was fairing any better, not with the blast doing anyone any favors. Castle has managed to get one of his combat knives back and used it with extreme proficiency. Castle deflected and blocked an attack from one of Sionis's thugs, the crime lord's crowbar being the weapon of use. Castle kicked out the thug's knee with a deadly kick, the thug barely had any time to cry out in pain before Castle stuck his knife up into the underjaw of the thug, the sharp serrated blade cutting through flesh, muscle and bone like it was nothing. Castle pulled the knife out and grabbed the crowbar before throwing it to one of the vampires, knocking her in the head.
Blade was fairing just the same as his partner, he managed to get his titanium mixed alloy sword back and was currently crossing blades with the leader of the Shadows. Her scimitar was cutting through the air like butter but the vampire hunter was unphased by the skill of the assassin. While he admits that she has great training and has mentally and physically pushed herself to peak human condition...she, unfortunately, is not him. He is more than human and has centuries of experience to build up and hone his skillset. Blade manages to lock the assassin's sword with his own...using his greater physical strength, he lifts the Shadow and throws her into the wall, metal nearly bending from the force of the impact. Blade turns back to the rest of the occupants. The vampires are uneasy, seeing their greatest fear, free...unbound...and with a sword in hand. Blade notices one of his stakes laying on the ground, she smirks and kicks the stake up and holds it rightly in a reserve grip. "So...who's first?" He asks sarcastically before charging the vampires. With no time to fully prepare from the onslaught and with nowhere to go, the vampires try desperately to gang up on Blade, but the vampire hunter's experience is showing through as he bobs and weaves himself and his sword through the seemingly overwhelming numbers.
Castle himself is dispatching as many as he can Using whatever tools are presented to him, he attacks with a fury unlike any other. Using whatever means necessary to achieve complete and total pain and death. No matter the object, he will find a way to bodily harm or kill a person...currently, he is using his combat knife and one of Black Mask's thugs, pistol. The shotgun was tossed aside after Castle found it to be poorly maintained. Driving his knife through the thigh of a thug, Castle smacks the man's temple with the butt of the pistol before throwing it aside, he reaches down and grabs the man's baseball bat and begins hammering away at his head, blood and brain matter start to leak out onto the floor as Castle roars in fury. He is pulled away by a cut to his shoulder blade, he turns and sees the other female Shadow, holding her scimitar in a thrust position...seeing the danger that he currently is in, Castle quickly puts the bat in front of him and diverts the blade away from his torso, the blade only managing to cut along the upper end of Castle's left bicep. Gritting his teeth of the pain, he bangs the handle end of the bat against the Shadow's head, dazing her before reeling back and hitting her across the face, sending a couple of teeth across the floor. The Shadow quickly gets to teeth, mentally commanding herself to ignore the pain. She begins swiping and swinging her sword at Castle who defends himself with the bat. While his skills against ninja-like individuals have never been a part of his skillset, the last few years have made Castle review his arsenal, in both weapons and physical skills. And learning from a few centuries old half vampire does bring its own little perks, such as defending oneself from a sword welding cult fanatic with only a wooden baseball. With the assassin put out for now, Castle made a break for Black Mask's table, grabbing his 1911 and chambering a magazine into it. With his knife in one hand and his gun in the other, Castle has surrendered himself to the Punisher mentality and is cutting and shooting anyone who gets in his way. One thug attempts to tackle Castle but the former Marine is able to hold him back. Turning his knife in reserve grip, Castle slams the knife right into the spine of the thug who cries out in pain. Caltex doesn't stop and drags the knife up along the spine, causing further damage to the already now paralysed thug. With the thugs' tears soaking the floor and loud whimpers coming from the him, Castle states down with zero emotion and points his 1911, firing a single round into the man's head, killing him instantly.
Suddenly the trailer is rocked hard by a second fireball. The truck driver was able to swerve himself out of the way in order to avoid the shot but the side of the trailer was hit instead. The force of the fireball pushed the trail up onto its right side wheels. The occupants inside were thrown about from the force except the leader of the Shadows. She manages to wall run against the trailer and keeps her balance relatively stable. She looks behind and sees Castle having a hard time keeping his balance, seeing a chance to complete her mission...she leaps ahead and tackles him. Meanwhile, Blade sinks his sword into the floor to stabilise himself. Looking ahead, he sees Stephen scrambling to centre himself... Blade throws the stake over to the vampire...the silver, titanium stake sinking into his heart with ease. The vampire screeches in pain and fury as his body disintegrates, leaving only a skeleton behind.
Castle rolls the Shadow over himself as the truck starts to lean. We her now beneath him and in place, Castle starts throwing wild, hammering blows to the assassin's face. With relentless fury and unbridled rage, Castle continues his assault. The assassin is nearly all but out cold. Castle grabs the assassin's sword and goes to stab her but the other Shadow, the one that he dealt with earlier . The Shadow kicks him in the head, dazing him off the leader. The two of them begin a striking match with Castle's strength and combat experience providing him with an edge against the assassin but her skill and deadly precision with her strikes is probing to be a match for the ex-soldier. During their bout, the truck driver manages to stabilise the truck...with the truck leveled again, Castle blocks an overhead strike from the Shadow before throwing a straight front kick to her solar plexus. With both of them catching their breath for a quick minute, they scowl at each other before drawing their weapons. Castle bends down and picks up his knife again, the Shadow walks over slowly and picks up her scimitar. The two of them stare at each other before clashing once again. Their skills are far apart as one can be but similar in an eerie way. Castle's honed reflexes and knife skills are providing some equal footing with the expertise of the Shadow. Locking himself with the assassin, Castle spits a gob of blood into her eyes which throws her off. With her distracted, he sinks his knife into he wrist, earning a painful cry from the assassin. Castle head butts her and kicks her to the floor. Marching, like a predator to the downed Shadow, Castle plants his feet on either side of her body and twirls his knife back into reserve grip. Striking down to stab the Shadow, Castle's eyes widen when the assassin manages to, with one hand, get her blade in between herself and Castle, holding back his momentum and the knife. But, it proves for naught as Castle narrows his eyes and pushes more of his weight onto the knife, the tip of the blade manages to slip just close enough to puncture her...she gasps in pain and shock as her strength starts to waver. Castle pushes finally with all his strength and the knife finally stabs through her heart and out her back. The Shadow goes limp as her life fades out of her eyes. Castle pulls the knife out and takes her sword. A Black Mask thug tries to shoot him but he rolls and avoids the shot and swings the assassin's sword. The thugs hand is severed, causing him to scream in agony. Castle swings the sword back, only this time, across his throat. The thug gurgles on his blood before dropping dead, blood sprawling out onto the floor.
Back on the road, the Charger maneuvers itself beside the truck...the driver throws a hook chain at the axle of the truck. Pulling the chain, the axle is pulled out from underneath the truck, sending it spiralling out of control and onto its side. The remaining occupants of the trailer are sent flying about. The furniture is broken into splinters and shards. Guns are accidentally fired, a thug in particular, accidentally shot himself from the truck flipping. The truck crashes into its side before sliding to a stop a fair distance away...the Charger pulls up to the overturned truck and stops. The door opens and the driver steps out, dressed in black combat pants and matching boots. A grey undershirt is worn with a black leather jacket over the top with two sets of three spikes lining the shoulders. A pair of chains are wrapped around the forearms of the driver with two deadly hooks hanging loosely at the end of the each chain. The last accessory is the Winchester shotgun strapped on his back. The individual's eyes narrow at the truck before glowing ominously with fire. He feels his fists back and throws the hook chains at the trailer.
Back inside the trailer, everyone was getting their bearings together. Black Mask pushed off the body of one of his thugs, taking the machine gun from him in the process. Blade was wiping the blood off his sword while Castle was gathering all of his and Blade's gear back. Their armour, weapons, etc. "Just like Dallas, huh?" Castle asks the vampire hunter as he tosses his signature sunglasses back to him. Blade catches the glasses and smirks as he places back over his eyes. "Well, it's not as clean as Dallas, but close enough." He says as he sheathed his sword and put his kevlar armour back on. Castle finds his kevlar, gazing with sombre eyes at the white skull, he throws the armour on the table and holsters his knives and guns. Blade finds his trench coat has been smeared with blood and has bullet holes in it. "Dammit. I really liked this coat." Blade says disgruntled as he tosses the coat away. "Do you fuckers know any idea...of what you've done?!" They hear Black Mask yell out to them as they turn and see him, limping on one leg, holding a machine gun. "All you had to do...was fucking tell us what we wanted to know! All you had to do...was fucking die afterwards! Do you two thick headed fuckers know what's going to happen to me when they find out about this?! Do you?! Answer me!" Black Mask screams but Castle rolls his eyes and pulls out his 1911, firing its last round into Sionis's kneecap. The crime lord screams in agony as he drops to the ground, clutching his ruined knee.
"He talks too much." Castle quips as he reloads the pistol. "He talks too loud." Blade says back as both men laugh at the their joke and the pained cries of the crime lord. "Now it's getting annoying." Castle says as he goes to finish the job but Blade holds him back. "You know that he won't like that. Sionis might have information and like it or not...he is our only lead to The Light at the moment." Blade advises Castle who huffs and holsters the gun. A pair of hooks blast through the trailer wall with the same ease as a knife through wet paper. Castle and Blade state at the hooks, as does Black Mask...underneath his signature mask, his face goes pale when recognizing the pair of hooks. An orange glow starts to spread from the hooks as the wall starts to melt from the intense heat. "Knock. Knock." A deep, dark, muffled voice I heard through the trailer as the hooks are pulled against the metal, the steel bending and cracking like nothing as the wall is pulled off the trailer. Standing before Castle, Blade and Black Mask is a towering, muscular figure, with a flaming skull in place of a human head.
"No. No, no, no, no!" Black Mask whimpers as he tries to crawl away from the feared entity of the Ghost Rider. "Took you long enough." Castle says as he straps his kevlar over his body and steps out of the trailer. "Good to see you too, Frank." The Rider says to Castle who grunts back in welcome. Blade chuckles at the duo before walking up to Ghost Rider. "Good to see you, my friend. Thanks for coming." He says as the two supernatural beings grasp in a forearm shake. "Yes. But what concerns me is that the two of you told Matthew that you didn't need me. That you both would be back before the sun set...do you think me a dog that will fetch you when things go wrong?" Ghost Rider asks in a serious tone...if it was anyone, they would be shifting themselves but Blade has known Ghost Rider, more in particular, Zarathos...the Spirit that gives the chosen host the powers of the Ghost Rider, for the better part of two centuries. The vampire hunter sees the mirth in Zarathos's eyes and smiles at the concealed joke. "No, you are not a dog. But I'm beginning to think that we should just bring you with us whenever we decide to go out." Blade replies back with a smirk which earns a chuckle from Zarathos...the sound sending a very cold, chill down Black Mask's spine. The crime lord just watches the duo from the corner of the destroyed trailer. "Perhaps. Surely save me a while lot of trouble in saving your asses. Good to see that the both of you are fine...to a point, just don't let something like this happen again. I was able to get here as quickly as I could because I had a feeling that I would be needed, I teleported here as soon as the sun set. I like you, Blade and I appreciate you and Frank helping me out with the job...but don't ever use me as a quick escape for you again. Understood?" Zarathos warns Blade who drops his smirk and nods his head at the entity. Zarathos hmms in seeing Blade's agreement. Turning his head, both of them focus on Castle who is leaning against the de-flamed Charger, his focus on the conversation. His eyes dart between Blade and Zarathos before sighing. "Yeah, ok. Agreed." Castle says as Zarathos nods towards him. Turning his gaze back to the trailer, the Rider stalks towards Sionis who is cowering under the weight of Zarathos's gaze. "Please...please don't kill me. I'll tell whatever you want. I can give you whatever you want. Money, drugs, weapons...women." Black Mask says frantically to Zarathos who stalks ever closer to the man. Seeing that his offerings are doing nothing, Black Mask tries to escape with promises. "I promise, I'll walk away from this life. I'll turn myself if I have to. I'll go somewhere if you wish. Leave America, never show my face here again...please, I promise...I'll go anywhere." Sionis continues, almost on the verge of tears as Zarathos stands above him. Soft whimpers escape Sionis's mouth as he closes his eyes, awaiting whatever the Rider has for him.
Zarathos reels his fire in as skin starts to grow back around his skull. Zarathos has shifted back into that of his human host and partner, Matthew Spectre. Black Mask opens his eyes to see the more human looking form of Spectre. Although Zarathos is not 'in control' right now, it doesn't mean that Matt doesn't have the same reputation as the dreaded Rider...and Sionis knows that. "Oh, don't worry, Roman, I'm not going to kill you..." Spectre says to Sionis as he pats his head, like a parent to a child. Sionis releases a deep, relaxing exhale...thinking that he has dodged a very, very, large bullet. But suddenly, he is grabbed by the neck and lifted up above Spectre's head, his feet dangling from the floor. "...not yet, at least. But you have some information that I am very keen on hearing. And depending on how much of a good mood I'm in after hearing it...I might just let you live. So...decisions." Matthew says to Sionis who tries to pry Spectre's hand from his throat. Matthew narrows his eyes slightly and very carefully, tightens his grip...not enough to kill Sionis...but just enough to make him believe that he will.
Sionis struggles against the pressure, his pants turning to a slightly different colour in the you-know-where. Matthew, seeing his fun has reached its pinnacle, throws Sionis out of the trailer and towards the Charger. Sionis cries from landing on his blown-out knee. Deep inhales following his cries as he gets his breathing back. Matthew stalks after Sionis who tries to crawl away but Spectre simply lifts him by his shoulder and pulls him up, before dropping him with a powerful headbutt. Seeing the once feared, and powerful crime lord of Gotham, on his back...unconscious, with a blown-out knee and a very visible pee stain on his pants, earns a chuckle from Blade and a smirk from Castle. Matt simply states with zero amusement and drags Sionis to the back of his car, before opening the trunk and putting Black Mask in. Shutting the trunk, Spectre walks back over to the other two. "Hope you guys have some method of getting back home because I ain't taking you with me." Matthew jokingly says with a smile as Blade and Castle roll their eyes. "Ok, we get it. Zarathos already had a go at us for it. We don't need it from you." Castle says as Matt laughs and hovers his hand over Frank's ribs. Castle looks down and sees a soft blue flame gliding along Matt's hand before settling on his ribs. Frank's eyes widen slightly when the pain of his broken ribs vanish as the flame extinguishes itself and Matt pulls his hand back. "Thank you." Frank says softly. Matt smiles beige nodding his head. Knowing when to speak and when to not is a skill that not many people learn or even think can be taught and in most cases...they're right. It's more of a gut feeling than a taught skill. Matt knows that more than anyone, when Frank Castle, of all people, thanks you personally for something...it's best to simply smile gratefully and nod your appreciation for his thanks rather than speaking it out. Frank is a man of very few words and his beliefs is that actions speak louder than words. It's knowledge and trust that stems from brotherhood...a brotherhood that has had years to build.
"So...where's Blake tonight? Would've have thought that he would have helped out." Blade says which earns an annoyed glare from Matt. "Ok, too soon. But still, where is he? Haven't seen him in a few months." Blade asks as Matt smiles. "Oh, not much. He has had a lot of sleepless nights. Luke's been keeping him up." Matt says with a knowing smile as Blade and Frank look at him weirdly. "Who the hell is Luke?" "I thought he was with Rocket?" Frank and Blade ask respectively as Matt laughs at their question. "Don't ever change guys, please, it'll be a sad day if you do." Matt says with a chuckle as he pulls his phone out of the Charger and shows a photo to the duo. The photo is of a dark-skinned woman in a hospital gown and bed, holding onto a newborn baby in her arms. Beside the mother and baby is a light skinned man of muscular build and a wide-open smile on his face as he holds the woman and baby close to himself. "No fucking way." Frank and Blade say in tandem as Matt laughs again. "Yeah, that's why Blake hasn't been out with us for the last few months. Gentlemen...this is Luke." Matt says dramatically as Frank snorts and smirks slightly. "Cute kid... definitely got his looks all from his mother." Frank quips which earns a laugh from Matt and Blade. "Oh definitely. How are they coming along?" Blade asks, referring to Blake and Raquel. "They're great. They went through a rough patch, when Raquel found out she was pregnant. She didn't know how to handle these news, nor how to break it to Blake. He found out all on his own. He wasn't very happy when he found out, simply because she didn't tell him but he told her that he loved her and that they'll get through it together. It was about 2 months ago, that Blake came to me with some news." Matt says as Blade and Frank inch slightly closer, in anticipation for the news. "He told me that he bought a ring." Matt says as their eyes widen. "About fucking time! Goddam!" Blade cheers out as a wide smile spreads across his face.
"About time he grew some balls. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that they already tied the knot." Frank follows up as Matt nods. "Yep, told me...'Matt, I bought a ring'. 'Matt...I'm going to ask Raquel to marry me'." Matt says dramatically as the other two chuckle at the younger man's antics. "I told him, 'great...but I'm not her fucking parents...you're talking to the wrong person, mate. But congratulations, anyway'." Matt quips once more as all three of them start chuckling. "Well, good luck to him, and her. They deserve each other." Frank says which earns a nod from Matt and Blade. "Ok guys. Let's get back home and call it a night. I'll do what I can with Masky back there and see what info he has. If it's good then great. Means we're on the right track." Matt says to Frank and Blade who nod in agreement. The two of them hop into the car with Blade on the back and Frank in the passenger side seat. Matt forms a teleporting portal with a chain before walking back and hopping into the driver's seat. The engine roars to life as the Charger drives through the portal, which closes behind as soon as they pass through.
Unknown to the trio, a white hooded figure was standing on a nearby ridge, looking down at them and the overturned truck. The figure is a woman that hides her face within darkness, leaving nothing to be seen from the shadows of the hood. Sitting upon the figure's shoulders were a black and white crow. The two birds were gazing silently down at the road, same as the hooded figure. Two sets of low growls are heard as the figure turns slightly. Two massive wolves, one white, one black...like the crows...walk out of darkness and take their palace on either side of the figure. The wolves growl on unison to the figure, a pair of dainty...boney, hands caress the top of both wolves head's who growl affectionately from the caress. "Is it ready?" A soft, melancholy voice is heard as the wolves growl affirmatively. "Nær. Sál." The figure speaks to the crowd who turn their heads. "Fly ahead. Make sure that they are prepared for us." The crows screech at the order and fly down to the road, shadows seem to trail behind the flight path of the pair. "Sköll. Hati." The figure says as the wolves look toward the figure who gestures to follow her. The wolves follow close behind as shadows surround the figure. Gone from their position on the ridge, the figure and the wolves step out of the shadows and smack dab in the middle of the road, right before the truck. The crows sit on top of the trailer as the wolves circle amongst the debris. The figure walks with a soft, slow step as she inspects the individual's left behind. Everyone, par the Shadow leader is dead and lying in a pool of their own blood. The Shadow leader whimpers as Sköll growls at the woman, getting the attention of the figure. The assassin stares up through her bloody eyes and sees the white cloaked figure, who by some miracle is completely void of blood staining her clothes. "Who are you?" The Shadow moans painfully as the figure kneels down and rests her bone hand on the woman's shoulder. The assassin is unnerved by the bone hand. "I am a guide, dear child." The figure says back to the woman who slumps in exhaustion. "Are going to take me?" The Shadow asks as the figure nods. "Yes." The figure says which earns a deep intake of breath from the woman, who steadies herself and looks up at the ceiling. "I'm ready." The Shadow says before closing her eyes. The figure still has her hand on the woman's shoulder but she feels the life fade away from the woman. The figure closes their eyes briefly before reaching down and grasping the recently passed assassin's hand. "The living, you are no more. You are now Einherjar. When the final day comes and our great enemies and their armies come for us...you will be there, to fight one last time. Assassin, you may have been in life...but in death, you are now a soldier. Come with me, child and I'll take you to the next step of your journey." The figure says before standing up, as her bone hand rises...a transparent form of the deceased Shadow rises with her. The ghost like figure shrinks into four small lights if blue energy...each swirling around each other...trying not to get lost. A bark echoes as the figure turns to see the crows sitting upon the wolves. Sköll barks again for which the figure chuckles. "Beggars can't be chooses, Sköll. Plus...we'll need all the help we can get." The figure says as they draw the lights over to Nær and Sál. The crows clutch the lights in their claws before flying into the distance before disappearing into darkness.
"Come...let's gather the others." The figure says to the wolves who nod their heads and trail over to the resr of the bodies, passing the charges remains of the vampires in the process.
Jade Nguyen Hideout, Happy Harbour, Rhode Island:
Matthew had taken Sionis to Jade's old safehouse in Happy Harbour. Being so close to the Mount Justice wasn't exactly what Matt wanted to do but the safehouse is secure, hidden and perfect for his uses. In the years following the Light's take over the Justice League and Matt's eventual departure from the Team had seen Matt and his wife, Jade, turn this safehouse into a small prison. With the Light continuing their mission for Earth, Matt needed a way of getting information that will aid in combating the Lift and their demon sorceress ally, Lilith. Currently, the hideout/prison has been updated to serve as both an interrogating station and a prison for potential information sources. Many have been held here...not many have left.
"Please...I'll tell you what you want! Just let me go!" Sionis please as he drag across the floor. In a dark, cold room of the prison, Matt pulls a chain down from the ceiling and wraps it around Sionis's hands and arms. "Come on! I'll tell you what you want! Why are you doing this?!" Sionis yells out as he slumps to the floor, exhausted from shouting. "Because I can." Matt says darkly as he pulls the chain, lifting Sionis off his feet and raising his hands above his head. Sionis hangs from the ceiling by his hands as he grunts in pain and exhaustion. Matt reaches forward the pulls his mask off forcibly. The soft leather of the mask being torn apart like wet cardboard.
Matt throws a straight punch to Sionis's kidney, the crime lord groaning loudly from the blow. A short uppercut punch is followed, right up into the liver. Blood starts to drop from Sionis's mouth as Matt continues the slow assault. Short but precise punches are thrown in the very vulnerable points of Black Masks body. The kidneys, liver, solar plexus, the ribs...strike after strike after strike...after strike. Sionis hangs unconscious, knocked out from the shock and pain of Spectre's assault. Matt lifts Sionis's head but the crime lord gives no sign of response. "I know that you will talk, Sionis. Just had to leave something for you when you wake up. Can't have you backing out on telling me what I want to know." Spectre says before dropping his hand and waking out of the room. "See you tomorrow, Sionis!" Matt shouts as he closes the door, locking the beaten-up crime lord in shrouded darkness.
Matthew Spectre's Apartment, Gotham City, 10:02pm, 7th of February, 2015:
After dropping off the crime lord at this pseudo prison, Matt Spectre made his way back to his home in Gotham City. Parking his Charger in his validated spot, Matt hops out and makes his way to the elevator, clicking the button for the penthouse. Coming out of the built in lift, Matt's eyes trace around the apartment, his eyes trying to find the only other occupant. "Jade?" Matt calls out to his wife as he places his keys down and removes his jacket. "In here, người yêu dấu."Jade calls out from the bedroom. Matt's eyes soften when hearing the voice of his wife but he feels a pit forming in his stomach. Jade sounds...scared almost, which really puts Matt on edge. Loosing a chain just a bit, Matt makes his way into the bedroom and sees Jade sitting on the bed, wearing a shirt that is one size to big...a melancholy look in her eyes and a stick bar in her hand. "Jade...chồng yêu...what's wrong?" Matt asks as he kneels down in front of her. Her eyes begin to tear up slightly as she shows the stick to him. "Matthew...I sense life." Zarathos speaks to Matt as his eyes widen when seeing that the stick is a pregnancy test...and a 'plus' sign tells all that needs to be said. "Jade...are you...?" Matt stutters as he is rocked by the revelation. Tears stream from Jade's eyes as she cups her eyes in her hands. "Hey, hey, hey...it's ok...we'll get through this, I promise." Matt says to Jade but with a sniffle and a shake of her head, she raises to meet his gaze. "It's not that...it's them...it's him. I don't want them to take my baby..." Jade says before breaking down, bawling her eyes out as she falls into Matt's arms but he holds her close, comforting the scared mother-to-be. "I promise you, yêu và quý, they won't take our baby...and if they try...I'll kill them all. Every last one of them." Matt growls as Jade hugs him closely. The husband and wife duo just sit together, just letting their worry out and letting the other person feel there comfort. "You know...we're going to have to think of names." Matt says with a lift chuckles as Jade smiles at him. "Luna...her name is going to be Luna." She says decisively which earns as sorrowful look from Matt. "Luna?" She says softly as Jade smiles back at him and kisses him softly. "She was your sister...a sister that you lost too soon. I want to honor her, and you." She says as she takes Matt's hand and rests it on her stomach, with her hand overlaying his. Matt's eyes widen when he feels Zarathos reach out with his senses...Matt feels the small ember of life growing within her. "I...I can feel her." Matt says with tears streaking down his face. Jade smiles with her own tears falling and rest her forehead against his. "She's strong...like her mother...I promise you, little one. You will never feel the pain that we felt. You will know luv, you will know family. I swear this to my dying day." Matt says decisively as Jade hugs him close. Both of them have pushed their worries and fears of their enemies away and just hold each other and cry at the knowledge, that a child is coming into their lives, the final piece to complete their family.