The city of Nexus, a sprawling metropolis, the center of many technological advances and businesses, but, as with many cities there’s dark shadows underneath the lit-up streets, in one of these shadows is a bar named the Nights Mirage. It is a little place off the alley where one would go drink, party, and possibly look for a few mercs to do a job for them, after all one gains enemies no matter how friendly they seem. Silently approaching the door, a hooded man takes a breath before fixing the disposable mask on his face, opening the door his eyes lock onto a brawny man, the loudest in the bar as he laughs with 3 others.
He was easy to spot due to his large stature, broad shoulders, and grey almost shining silver hair, laughing about his most recent job he rubbed his chin, the voice gruff as his body he exclaims “Apparently the target was some rich guy’s son! Didn’t want him dead but asked I roughed him up as an [example] to his dad, now the company he owns is downsizing just like the client wanted!” he laughs as his three compatriots chuckle and nod along, enjoying the man’s enthusiasm, one of them glance past him and ask “Oi! What d’ you want?” but no answer came from the hooded man, compared to the mercenaries in front of him the man was as big as a teen just entering puberty.
The hooded man glances at the 3 his hands in his pockets, soon taking out a pendant out of one, rubbing it as he ignored the glare of the merc, he whispered something to it, the brawny man laughs and points to it “that a memento of something kid? Or something to use to pay us off, ‘cause we will need more” he jokes and laughs his men joining in as the man keeps quiet, walking towards them as the scrawniest of them, despite still being big, huffs at him “oi he asked you something!” Yet still no answer from the hooded figure.
Ignoring the displeased glare, he walked next to the leader of the group of 4 and asked a simple question “which one of you is Victor Stahl?” his voice had a purposeful gruff, not wanting any details of his identity known yet it made him seem more childish, more kidlike to try and add a gruff, the large man laughed and leaned in to get close to the hooded figure, “That’d be me… You a revenge merc sent by the brat’s father~?” he asked with a dumbed tone at the end and chuckling to his guys. “No. I’m Here for some questions and-” “Hah? Questions? Why do I need to answer your questions? If you don’t want to join or give us a job, get lost kid” Stahl would interrupt, not wanting the hooded man the time of day, he reached out to him in an attempt to grab and toss him away but as his hand approached, he felt dread filling him.
Bang!
The Bar around them went quiet as they stared at the table, the 3 comrades of Stahl jumped out, guns and blades at the ready as Stahl, now very sober glanced at his hand, imbibed into the steel beam used to hold up the rafters. With a yank and a grunt, he freed his hand before glaring at the hooded finger, ‘thank god I was able to activate it, just a bit late and my hand would not be able to move’ He thought to himself, “Now! I dunno who you think you are but my friend you made a very big mistake.” He tells the man, his words almost dripping with malice as he signals his men. The scrawny one of them immediately aim their gun and shot, but soon screamed as the hooded figure disappeared from Stahl’s view, causing him to look back to his men, soaring over the one with the gun as if an acrobat was the hooded man, holding what looked to be a dagger, now laced with blood as below him the gun holding merc screamed in pain at his handless arm. The gun clatters to the floor along with the graceful landing of the adversary as he makes a quick motion to silence the merc by stabbing him through the throat.
“You BASTARD!” His companion shouted, swinging just to miss the agile figure, and thus the figure spoke to Stahl “Victor Stahl, General of the Blood Corp. Janurary 15, 14 years ago you got a mission” this sentence makes victor and his men freeze, he growls “I dunno what you are thinking but-” “you took it, having no qualms, it was after all a simple job, go to a manor, start a fire, and kill any of the staff who escaped right?”
Bang!
The hooded shadow glanced at where his head was, another steel pillar bent by the force of the punch, not wasting time he ducks to avoid the blade at his neck he would then drive his fist into the abdomen of the merc who tried it, causing him to step back but not enough to knock him down. “So what, you one of their kids?” Stahl asked kicking at him while the other merc, one with a scar over their nose picks up their fallen comrade’s gun and fires at the figure. This causes him to fumble trying to dodge 2 dangers at once, so as he rolls on the table ready to get up, he is grabbed by the collar and slammed into a pillar causing him to exclaim and his hood to fall.
Stahl would freeze as he stares at the kid, seeming no more than 19, but his piercing amber eyes and kept brown hair would remind him of a man, the man who gave him a job and a hefty pay. “you’re his nephew…” but soon that shock would turn into more as the kid grabs his arm, anticipating a stab he activates his ability but soon would recognize it as a mistake, the man would somehow spin in his hold, his grip on his arm causing it to twist painfully past what it was meant for, causing Stahl to drop to a knee holding his arm. “Iron body, your Desperado, makes it so normal swords and bullets can’t hurt you” Said the man, flinging his hood back on and suddenly disappearing again, a yell and a clatter made it clear to Stahl that his men were going to have a hard time, he stood up quick enough to catch the hooded avenger shoot his last man between the eyes as he had stabbed the gun toting merc. Stahl was the last one standing as the hooded man glares at him, it was clear now that his was getting exhausted, but Stahl, never took his eyes off him as he aimed the gun at him.
“So, gonna try your luck?” he asks grinning arrogantly “you gotta get close to try that twisting trick again and you know I wont give you that chance!” the hooded figure just glares, breathing heavily, leaning down to pick as if something up Stahl rushed towards him aiming to choke the life out of him, but soon heard a voice behind him, no longer in a fake gruff “the True Rodriges’ send their regards” and something snap around his neck.
Stumbling out of the bar stopped by no one the Avenger took out the pendant from before, he clenched it tightly in his hand and brought it to his chest, breath hitching as if wanting to cry, merely saying a promise “One demon is down… don’t worry Mother… the rest will follow.” He stumbles towards the shadows, Connor Rodriges the last of his family, glaring coldly into the night, sets his eyes on the next “demon” to slay needing to find their hiding place. To anyone else he seemed to be a poor beat up kid having gotten into some gang fight, but in his eyes was a person coldly analyzing his next path. Disappearing into the dark shadows of tonight.
