It is a breezy Wednesday afternoon. Fluffy white clouds drift lazily above the American warden temple. Kiara's school is on early release due to parent-teacher conferences, so she spends her afternoon training in the courtyard with Adam.
Kiara sidesteps around Adam, mildly catching him off guard. He holds himself high with his back straight and his body aligned like a knight. He brings up his weapon above his head before swinging down in a downward strike.
Reacting to this, Kiara shifts her weight and dodges the strike. Adam grins to himself not expecting Kiara to quickly react to dodge. Playfully shuffling her feet, Kiara switches out her katana for a pair of jagged jet-black daggers. Nearby mentors lazily watch the sparring, narrowing their eyes with intrigue.
"Hey, when did you mark daggers as a part of your loadout?" Adam comments playfully before leading with one of his arms raised in a defensive pose mimicking a shield-bearing knight. "I thought D-ranks weren't allowed to summon multiple weapon types until later."
"I...I just thought having katanas as my only choice was kind of boring," Kiara sports a mischievous smile, using animated gestures to emphasize the words.
Evander gifted them to her after the battle involving the Distortion zones. Sleek and didn't carry too much weight. Perfect for fast-paced combat.
"Oh, we have a rule breaker here. That's how it always starts– flash over discipline," a grey-haired mentor begrudgingly mutters to himself. "Starts with extra weapons then ends in disaster."
Kiara's reflexes were much faster than before allowing her to dodge many of Adam's strikes. Leaving with a horizontal slash, Adam swings his broadsword to catch her off guard. Reacting quickly, Kiara instantly switches out her daggers for her katana.
That action raises many eyebrows from the upperclassmen and seniors. Whispers begin to circulate around them. A swift change in tactics is an arrogant disregard for protocol.
"Her skills looked like they've improved drastically," a female recruit comments from the background.
"Yeah but she better keep her emotions in check." a lanky kid rolls his eyes unamused by Kiara's display. "There's always one every generation. Maybe it's going to be her this time."
"She better be careful not to become a Conroy," a recruit sneers to himself. He walks away with his friend leaving a quiet chill in their wake.
Adam gracefully turns around Kiara with a wide arc. Shifting her body weight, Kiara dodges a hidden sword strike. Her eyes sharpen, catching the glare in Adam's blade.
He's fast but so is she.
For a moment, it looks like Kiara has the upper hand– until Adam suddenly shifts his stance, sweeping his leg beneath hers.
Kiara falls onto the ground with a loud thud.
"Hmm. You really are a fast learner," Adam playfully compliments, sheathing his broadsword. He extends his hand out helping Kiara get off the floor. He pretends to let go of his grip causing Kiara to fall on the ground. She flops back with a surprised groan.
"You did that on purpose," Kiara rolls her eyes, throwing some dirt on his pants. Adam jumps back a bit while laughing to himself.
"Yeah I did," Adam smirks to himself, "Let me help you for real." Kiara slowly rises off the ground, stumbling on her feet. She pats down on herself to remove some dust from her pants. Turning her head, she overhears what the nearby mentors and upperclassmen are talking to themselves about.
"Better hope we don't get a Conroy record on us," an upperclassman mutters, crossing his arms. "We have enough wannabe rebels trying to do the whole 'rule breaker' act. Gotta shut it down before they end up the same."
The mention of this Conroy made her stomach tighten. Something about his name made it feel like she failed an invisible test.
Who the hell is Conroy? Kiara doesn't say it out loud but it sticks in the back of her mind like a splinter. She tries to brush it off at first but the reference makes her skin crawl.
"Hey, you alright?" Adam's voice cuts through her thoughts. His eyes flicker with something Kiara can't quite place–something more serious than his usual demeanor. Kiara nods, trying to hide the weight of their words in the back of her mind. Yet she couldn't.
As they started to walk towards the benches, they met up with Seth being lethargic after training. He sits slouched on the bench as he notices his friends nearby.
"You seem tired," Adam comments, sliding his hands into his pockets.
"You know training is tough, man. Sleeping is more fun," Seth calmly says but dodges eye contact. He clenches his hands trying to brush off Adam's comment.
"Adam. You know what those classmen were talking about," Kiara puts her arms behind her neck, looking cautiously at her friend.
"Huh. Don't worry about them," Adam leans back on a stone wall. "It's one of their usual talks."
"Yeah but who is Conroy?" Kiara questions, looking at the tense recruits eyeing her. It gives her the feeling that she is being watched.
"Uh…You know when everyone thought you were going to kill the Arbiter," Seth stumbles, shrugging his shoulders awkwardly. "People just get all weird…and how you looked like you'd snapped or something." He's clearly trying to pick the right words to tell Kiara but the explanation feels too tangled.
"It brought back terrible memories," Adam finishes for Seth. He wasn't being overdramatic but it is clear he doesn't want to fully explain it. "Especially for those who witnessed it."
"Don't worry…even I get called a Conroy because I don't like to work I guess," Seth playfully jokes, lightening up the mood. "They see one person who just doesn't fit the mold. Conroy this. Conroy that. It's all meaningless at this point."
"It's like they're looking for any excuse to label someone," Adam chuckles, shaking his head.
Kiara winces from the pain, still not fully recovered from the battle with the distortion zone. While most of her bones and bruises have healed, the pain still lingers across her body.
"You sure you don't need Anby to heal you again?" Adam glances at Kiara, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Or at least a decent healer. Fix those remaining cracked bones."
"Yes that would be great," Kiara says in a flat tone giving a quick nod.
"What did you do that caused all of this?" Seth questions, giving Kiara a light shoulder bump that shoots a piercing pinch across her body.
"I did something called grinding," Kiara playfully lies, tilting her head slightly. "Getting that XP to get stronger."
Seth just stares on like Kiara said something crazy to him.
"It's video game stuff," Adam calmly assures before redirecting Kiara to the healing room. He playfully wraps his arm around Kiara's shoulder. "While she gets to play games in her free time. We just get to study all day," Adam says loudly, pointing his finger around Kiara's space.
Kiara just chuckles to herself as the three of them make their way to their destination. As the laughter fades behind them, the bustling business district takes over—the streets alive with the taxis honking their horns and pedestrians flowing through the streets. The skyline is dominated by glass skyscrapers and low-rise buildings stretch to as far as the eye can see. The sidewalks were packed with people from all walks of life, weaving in and out as they went on their day.
Edward walks through the train station, paying no attention to the civilians walking past him. Finishing his mission, he is returning back to the city. He carefully steps forward inside the train. Unknown to Edward, many men in black suits follow him inside. Extinguishing his cigar, a grisly-looking man in an all-black overcoat resembling a cowboy follows the suited man inside.
The train is bustling with a mix of packed people sitting and standing shoulder to shoulder next to each other. The people were absorbed in their own world, either looking at their phones or looking through the windows. The scent reeks of perfume and body odor.
A soft hum is heard signaling the train's system activating. The acceleration is smooth but noticeable. Edward could feel the steady flow of motion beneath him, accompanied by the sound of the wheels gliding against the train tracks.
The mountain area blurs and shifts rapidly outside the window. The scenery is a mix of fields and small towns in quick succession. Power lines zip by as the train accelerates. The environment races and constantly shifts as the train cuts to its destination. Edward looks as the hands of the clock slowly transition as the vehicle gets closer and closer to the city.
The train conductor's voice cuts through the train cars with a loud beep.
"Hello everyone on board. We will expect to be at Lavender Springs City in under 30 minutes," the conductor calmly assures as Edward sips his water cup. His eyes darted to all the passengers on board. A family of 4 looking through the window while a businessman was busy scrolling through his phone. The rest of the passengers were busy standing next to the poles in the ground or watching videos on their phones.
Closing his eyes Edward tries to sleep for the rest of the trip. Everything felt calm for just a second until he sensed a dark energy slowly coming from the sections in front of him. The assassins start taking positions in their respective train car as they form a hand sign.
Edward watches silently as he sees the veil engulfing the Metrolink. His eyes narrow as he sees the people ahead slowly fall asleep. Their bodies slouching down and their eyes closing shut. He quickly forms hand signs to protect himself from the effects of the veil.
He slowly closes his eyes to mimic everyone asleep on the train while he covers his hand in spiritual energy. The train falls quiet, rows and rows of seats filled with sleeping civilians. Two men dressed in black suits slowly enter the cabinet, their steps heavy on the carpet floor.
Edward's hand twitches a bit as he waits for the perfect moment to strike.
As one of the assassins walks towards Edward, in a swift motion, Edward lifts his hand high in the air and slams it on a fork. As the fork spins around in the air, catching the light, Edward grabs it and stabs the assassin in the neck. It slides through like ink through paper.
Blood spurts onto the floors and the windows like confetti. The man gurgles on his own blood as Edward keeps stabbing the man with his fork relentlessly until the man is dead.
The assassin's partner, reacting quickly, tries to fire his firearm at Edward–too slow. Reacting with swift motion, Edward uses the assassin's dead body as a body shield protecting himself from the bullets. Edward boots the assassin's corpse towards his partner.
"Never try to kill a veteran in this profession," Edward stands tall, analyzing the situation ahead of him. "I survived this long because I know how to deal with threats like you."
Momentarily taking advantage of the situation, Edward runs towards the assassins, summoning his blade in his outstretched hand. The assassin pushes his dead partner out of his way and locks blades with Edward.
Gripping the hilt of his blade, Edward swings his blade with a rapid succession of attacks quickly overwhelming the man. Edward pivots around the assassin, with the man momentarily confused, Edward swiftly cuts the man down like a cheesecake.
Edward looks around at the carnage around him. Creating a hand sign- he summons his shikigami spirit. The phoenix appears in a fireball of ash and smoke before incinerating the dead men's bodies leaving only charred ashes on the carpet floor.
The smell of char and ozone fills the train as the phoenix dissipates back into pure spiritual energy.
Edward looks intently as the train is slowly reaching its destination. 15 minutes left, Edward thinks to himself urgently, sensing a couple more individuals still in the front of the train. Edward quickly walks over to deal with the assassins.
As Edward walks forward, a 1960s jazz track plays in the background. A smooth saxophone tune against the upcoming chaos.
Hmm. The music still works even with a veil covering the subway, Edward comments to himself. His steps low on the carpet floor stained with the cheery blood of the assassins. Narrowing his eyes, he sees a couple more assassins show up out of corners.
Edward swings his blade at all the opponents that make his way, dealing with them with swift precision. Each compartment vomits out more and more assassins for Edward to deal with.
A couple tip toes felt like a ghost walking close to him.
A swordsman sneaks up on Edward, his steps silent yet precise but the old man turns his head around. With a sudden stomp, Edward slams his heel on the man's toes. The swordsman screams out in pain like a kettle.
Edward uses his right side to block two attackers with his blade while he uses his left to grab the man's collar.
"I'm sorry I think I stepped on your foot," Edward says nonchalantly, before smacking the swordsman in the face with a backhand strike. Winding up his hand, he smacks the man in the face with a reverse. Finally, Edward uppercuts the man, causing him to fall onto the ground unconscious like a cartoon character.
I hope Kiara and Evander are okay. Edward thinks casually dodging a knife swing while smacking a man in the face. He grabs another swordsman by the collar and flips him onto the ground.
I'm afraid I might not be the only one being targeted. He muses, stepping around the carnage. She's getting better every day with Evander's training but she is still easily distracted. As long as she is at the temple, she's safe.
A gunshot rings in the air like lightning. They pop in the air like popcorn in a microwave.
Edward dodges behind a subway seat. He peeks his head slightly through the cracks of the seat analyzing their movements. Three gunmen- lean and lanky, perched between a couple of rows.
"You got some style," one gunman compliments, his voice low and amused, dancing with the trigger with his fingertip.
Edward's hand curls around the metal guard rail. Enforcing it with spiritual energy, he quickly pops it off with one clean motion, the metal screeches under the pressure but the gunmen don't notice. The tune shifts from a 70s saxophone tune to a more 80s funk disco theme.
"You know what they say about cockroaches," a lean skinny man taunts, peeking his head out of the seat. "They just keep crawling no matter–"
The sound of metal cuts through the air. In the blink of an eye- a sudden blur of motion hits him.
The end of the guardrail smacks directly on top of the man's head like a falling coconut. His body jerks back and crumbles on the floor. His head smacks directly onto the carpet floor. The other gunmen start firing their pistols towards Edward.
Spinning the guardrail at high speeds, Edward manages to block or deflect many of the projectiles fired directly toward them.
"What the?" one man screams out, completely bewildered by what he is seeing. Edward slams the rail into the man's stomach. The man's eyes widened as the pain shot up his entire body, it felt like a sledgehammer slammed into his stomach. He stumbles on his feet, the force reeling him back. Gripping the rail, Edward starts pummeling the man like a broken washing machine- face, ribs, back.
The assassin couldn't react as his vision was constantly being blurred by streaks of grey smacking him relentlessly. Each hit felt like a wrecking ball to his body. With a powerful swing, Edward smacks the man's head like a baseball sending him crashing into his partner. They tumble and shift mid-air as they collide headfirst on the overhead compartments.
Their bodies give up on them as they fall onto the ground like chewed-up dog toys. The air is still thick with the sound of their defeat.
"Shabam," Edward casually drops the guardrail onto the floor. He chuckles to himself, his body rising up and down. I can't believe Kiara likes to say that. Edward shakes his head in amusement, It's so stupid yet fun. Need to stop picking up on her phrases.
"Well. I need to take care of all the evidence before everyone wakes up," Edward breathes heavily. He looks over the mess that has happened before him. Assassins- conscious or dead scattered around the train floor. "I think I went a bit overboard…they tried to kill me first. It was all self-defense."
A few groans of the wounded echo out but they ain't getting up anytime soon.
"The temple isn't going to like this. I'll send a quick message to get them to arrive here as soon as the train enters the station," Edward lays out the plan while stepping over the bodies of the wounded assassins. His boots click softly on the floor. "I will tie up and hide the wounded right now. We will obviously need to stage everything so no one gets on of course."
The train starts to rattle violently as Edward grabs onto a nearby pole to stabilize himself. He sensed another assassin coming closer to him–his presence much stronger than the ones he just beat.
A man in a black trench coat appears right in front of Edward's path. Edward stares intently at the man sensing a powerful reserve of spiritual energy flowing inside him. He is no mere foe. His eyes were sharp and intense like a shark. He had a clear intent to end Edward's life.
Swiping his wrist, a black mist showcases Edward's katana. Its blade glistens in the light above it.
"Your assassination attempt didn't go as planned," Edward states calmly, holding the hilt of his blade tightly. Leaping forward, Edward tries to overpower the assassin but he manages to block every single one of Edward's attacks. His movements were fluid, positioning himself to avoid the danger.
Edward slightly turns his head, his eyes narrowing to see a familiar pin on the man's coat. In a swift motion, Edward tries to grab the pin but the assassin kicks him away. The assassin throws a bag of blood at Edward, instantly reacting. Edward calls out the command of his water elemental ability as the assassins yell out his command.
"Blood spikes," the assassin yells out.
"Hydro," Edward shouts out at the same time.
Edward blade's turns into a watery weapon as he throws a wave of water to block the blood spikes thrown directly at him. The water shield quickly dilutes the blood spikes causing them to lose their shape and fall directly on the floor.
"Not bad," the assassin compliments, tipping the brim of his hat. The man slowly taps the holster of his firearm and he stares intently at Edward.
"Don't you even dare," Edward commands, grasping the hilt of his blade, and preparing to strike the assassin. He slowly gets into his fighting stance as the assassin pulls his firearm out of his holster.
"It's a pleasure to meet the Mothman himself," The assassin acknowledges, mockingly bowing down to Edward's presence. "The man that exuded fear and promise in the 70s."
"Not really a big fan of the title anymore," Edward says sarcastically but still on edge, "Thought it was all cool and dramatic when I was younger."
"I am the Reaper," the man coldly says, his voice raspy and deep. It sounded like his voice was on death's door due to how much he smoked. "You are a very special man worth over $5 million on your head."
"I expected this sooner or later," Edward eye's narrow, clutching his katana tightly. The blade gleams with a deadly edge. He keeps his legs far apart as he readies himself.
Swiping his wrists, the Reaper summons a blood blade in his hands. They both stare each other down, the funk beat that has been playing above them slowly dies down.
"You think you can win," the Reaper inquires, raising his blood blade in one hand with the other dancing around his firearm.
"Damn near certain," Edward remarks, his voice full of determination. The second the Metrolink went under the tunnel as the lights instantly turned pitch black like a curtain, they charged towards each other.