Aurian Origins: Mr. Capryse

 "Mama! Please! I want papa!" Said a little boy frantically as a Young woman loaded him into a cargo ship. "Shush, Antonio... Your father is gone... We weren't able to pay back what we owed the Benetelli family... Your life here is over!" She told him as the boat started to depart.

As Antonio Capryse reached for his mother, a group of men said words to her that he couldn't make out. The woman hung her head low as the men opened fire into her body several times, leaving a hysterical Antonio Capryse to cry with only the sound of the crashing waves of the ocean to console him.

Antonio was still sniffling softly as the boat docked on land. He had no idea where he was, only that he was cold, scared, and hungry. As he wandered the new location looking for something to eat, he accidentally bumped into a man wearing a black suit with a white tie. He gulped as he looked around, seeing a man on his knees begging for his life.

"Ohhh Son... You just found yourself at the wrong place at the wrong time." He said sadly. Antonio tried to ask what was going on, but he unfortunately only knew Italian. Taking pity, the man knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder, and switching to Italian. "Young man... You look lost and hungry. So I will tell you what, I'll take you for some pizza, after that... how does a nice Bath before bed sound?" He asked.

Antonio lit up and smiled before nodding. The man smiled widely and nodded. "Splendid! All you have to do..." HE started as he handed him a Beretta 9mm. "... Is shoot this man in the head!" He exclaimed. Antonio immediately gulped and started to back away, but the man pulled him back. "Listen, son, things ain't as easy as it was in Italy, we're in AMERICA! Here, it's kill or be killed!" He explained.

Antonio looked at the gun, then at the pleading man as he processed those words, it slowly dawned on him that even if he was allowed to leave, he'd still have nowhere to go. His eyelids lowered as he pointed the pistol at the man's head and fired between his eyes.

We now cut to a late night in Bronx New York ten years later. The foul stench of the sewer lines contaminated the air as a middle-aged gray-haired man ran for his life. He had been stripped down to a pair of deep cut wounds and was constantly looking back to make sure no one was chasing him.

As he looked back one more time, a push knocked him back from the shadows and onto his bottom. From the shadows. A young man in a rusting mask with a mouth that resembled a bat in the form of a smile and a white suit stepped out. In his hand was a crudely made machete that had clearly been hand-made out of metal found around the streets.

"Listen, Mac... I don't know your obsession with teenage girls... but you REALLY should have picked a better target!" Said the masked man as he brought the machete down hard on the man's left foot, causing a scream as he severed it."

"Please! I can give you money!" the scared man tried to beg as the masked man tilted his head to the side. "See? That's what I'm talking about! Do you honestly think you can pay more than that of a mob boss? The father of that girl you were stalking and stealing underwear from?" He asked while hacking away repeatedly at the man's body. with only the sounds of New York traffic to drown out his screams.

A week later, a Russian man in a fine blue three-piece suit with a golden vest and black tie looked through the papers. He chuckled over reading an article labeled "Horror down below" as he read about how the pieces of a man known as "Dimitri burnings" were found. the only parts missing were the yes, which were presented to him in a plastic bag.

"I guess if he wants his eyes near my daughter so bad... This is the next best thing! Good work Tony!" He said with a light chuckle as a skinny Italian teenage boy politely ate Gnocchi across from him at the table. "Thank you Mr. Agranov..." He said joylessly while he chewed his food.

Boris Agranov just tilted his head slightly as he looked to his youngest employee and raised a brow. "What could possibly have you down, boy? You make more money than anyone else on the payroll, you are in great shape, and you are a top student... what on earth takes away from that?" He asked.

Tony sipped his coffee lightly and looked at him. "It's just that last kill... Why couldn't I just have guarded Ms. Agranov myself? Things didn't have to drag out this far... I just felt that last kill to be... a waste of my time and talents." He said as he finished his meal. A curvy maid took his bowl and silverware before filling his coffee cup.

There was a long pause between the two of them before Boris let out a hard laugh. "Listen Tony... We've known each other for over a decade... ever since I pulled you off that boat you stowed away in and took you in as my own... you've been a top-notch killer-"

"-Because I witnessed your involvement in killing a man by the docks... Yes, I'm aware." Interrupted Tony as he tried to put that unpleasant memory behind him.

"- A kill that I made YOU clean up! Do NOT Interrupt me again, boy!" He scolded before clearing his throat. "The Point I am trying to make is that you've barely seen Saryn in all that time for a reason... And that is because while YOU are training to be the top hitman, SHE will be running this show... your boss one day! I don't need her being distracted by some young boy..." He said with a stern look.

Tony just looked at him. "You really think that lowly of me that I'd just allow her to shirk her responsibilities, for some... physical carnal release?" He asked with concern. "I am married to my work, not some trumped-up views on sex! I thought my years of outstanding work since my literal childhood spoke for itself!" He exclaimed.

Boris just grunted and finished his meal. "You're not going to let this go... Fine... I'll tell you what, I'll arrange an audience with her as your trial status... If she agrees, then fine... But if she says no, then you will drop it and commit to what I actually need from you!" He said with finality, to which Tony just nodded.

A week had passed, and Tony had just gotten done with his studies. Boris had slowly walked in with a young teenage woman. A blonde young woman with creamy white skin dressed in a black gown with sequins with a white star shining in the center, adjusted her glasses as she looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "You wish to... be my personal guard?" She asked.

Tony stood up and bowed to her. "My name is Tony Capryse! And I would love to be your...." But he stopped when she put her hand up. "I know who all my father's employees are. Your name is Antonio Capryse, you go by 'Mr. Bad Day' in your work life... and you just got done killing my stalker not long ago." She said sternly.

As she looked him over, she looked to Boris. "Father... If I agree to him, will I be able to go on long walks like I wish?" She asked curiously. Boris just grinned and nodded. "Fine... I accept." She said, resigning to her fate.

Boris clapped his hands and chuckled as he called in some men. "SPLENDID! ...Now... Strip!" He told Tony, whose eyebrows raised. "Uh... what?" He asked as Saryn coldly slid off her gown. Boris just looked him in the eyes. "You are going to be her new guard! I expect your capable hands to be able to provide for all of her needs AND mine... and what I need... is an Heir, now Strip."

Tony backed up nervously. "I'm not comfortable with this, sir. Perhaps we can-" But he was cut off by Boris ordering his men to strip him down. Saryn obediently, yet reluctantly, sat in her lingerie as a screaming Tony was carried to her.

The next morning, a deeply disturbed Tony was lying in Saryn's bed while she did her homework. "How long are you going to mope about this? The sex couldn't have been THAT bad.." She joked before closing her book. Tony just glared at her in frustration, causing her to glare back.

"Look, Tony... There is a lot worse my father has done, at least he waited until we were teenagers... But this is the life we have now... better get used to it." she explained. Tony raised a brow. "What do you mean, waited until we were teenagers?" He asked slowly.

Saryn laughed into her hand. "Where do you think the man you just killed came from? He was simply one of several from one of the rings my father owns...He just had his eyes on too big a prize this time! Tried to take what wasn't his!" She explained.

Tony's glare became cold as Saryn fanned him away. "You HAD to know there was more to this business than just debts and murder!" She told him, but Tony just glared. "I LIKE debts! They are easy to track, all money is... with proper backing I could easily track them down... that's why I chose economics as my major!" He told her.

Saryn nodded and put on a nightgown. "Is that so? Well, I'll tell you what... Let's make a deal, I'll let you run this organization in my stead... In return, you leave me free to my own devices!" Tony just chuckled. "I suppose we have a deal... 'My love' but what about your father?" He asked curiously. To which Saryn laughed.

"We will wait until all affairs are in order... and then it will be time to take over... I trust you understand what to do when the time is right!" She explained. Tony simply nodded and bowed. "Of course, Milady." He said politely before pouring a cup of coffee.

"Ooh la la! Such a gentleman! Glad to have your company, Mr. Bad Day." She teased as she sat on her bed. But Tony simply smiled bright and wide at her. "My name is not Mr. Bad Day anymore... It's Mr. Capryse." He exclaimed.

And with that, the two partners embraced each other before sipping their coffee and plotting their promised future, one that would allow them to at long last control their own destinies.

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 20: Date night: Amanda

 Amanda stepped out of her car and admired herself in her Car mirror. She still couldn't fully comprehend just how good she felt in her new dress. She was a little bit nervous about how much of her legs were exposed, so she got Silver to hook her up with a pair of Solid gold fishnet stockings to match the trim of her black V-neck dress.

"Well well... our little guest REALLY knows how to clean up!" Said a familiar feminine voice. Amanda turned to see Saryn eying her body with an approving nod. Amanda just blushed and returned the favor. Saryn had settled on a white Dress with blood-red floral patterns. The dress had no straps and cut off at the waist to reveal Saryn's silk white pantyhose. "Mmm, I think my husband has checked in our reserved table... why don't we greet him dear?" She offered as she linked her right arm around Amanda's waist.

"Uh... Sounds good to me." Amanda responded as she tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she walked inside the restaurant. The inside was beautiful, it had a marble water fountain feature with Italian paintings that over looked it, all the painted faces seemed to share a smirk as if blessing the patrons of the restaurant. Amanda drank in the establishment's atmosphere as she was led to a private booth.

"So... Where is Mr. Capryse?" She asked nervously as she took her seat. Saryn smiled smugly as she drew a finger along her chin. "A gentleman must look nice for his appearance, no? He's more than likely freshening up in the bathroom... For now, I think we should take this time to get to know each other." She said softly. while resting her legs in Amanda's lap, causing her to redden and sit up straight.

Meanwhile, Mr. Capryse hummed softly as he stepped out of a stall he had been adjusting his brown tie in. He eyed a slight bit of dust on his suit and casually wiped it off. A man in a black suit showed him a gold pocket watch with a silver 'F' on it. Causing Mr. Capryse to smirk and roll his eyes.

"You have a lot of nerve, young man. I made sure to keep the reservation list on the short end, so I know you snuck your way in... Is Zach's payroll really worth this?" He asked as the man flexed his muscles under the suit. He simply chuckled at Tony's statement took off his black bowler and sunglasses. "Fraid so Tony boy, your little arm flings ain't gonna shield you from Farley's wrath! Though I could always use a little dessert after the main course." He said as he pulled out a knife.

Mr. Capryse frowned a bit and sucked his teeth at the sight of his knife. "It would seem Mr. Farley thinks it wise to hire special help for my top earner... But not me..." He admitted while looking the assassin in the eyes while pointing his fingers in the shape of a gun at him.

The assassin raised a brow at him. "I don't think you get how this goes, pretty boy. What I'm bout to do is-" He stated before Mr. Capryse shot a crystal spike into his chest. Mr. Capryse smiled and kicked him onto his back. "I seem to give off some weird impression that I am nothing impressive to Mr. Farley... even after our story... I suppose I'll have to send a message." He said to himself while looking into the bleeding man's eyes.

Mr. Capryse smiled widely when he saw the desperate fear of a dying man as he rammed the spike deeper into his chest. "I told the witch doctor I was in a fix! Pretty girl wasn't falling for any old tricks! The old lady told me what I had to do: just take a deep breath and start humming this tune!" He sang as he placed a hand over the man's mouth to drown out the screams.

After ten minutes, Mr. Capryse stepped out of the bathroom while fixing his tie. As Mr. Capryse made his way to the booth, he could already see Saryn casually pressing as much as she could of her full body into Amanda, who was meekly talking about some stuff at work. As he sat down. Amanda could only drink in the sight of him. Whatever effect Saryn had on her was now intensified as She saw the beautiful Ivory white suit Mr. Capryse had chosen. She felt herself being hypnotized by the beautiful patterns in his brown tie.

"We haven't even ordered dinner yet, but it's looking like you both have moved on to dessert." Teased Mr. Capryse. Saryn made an adorable pout in response as she massaged her bare soles in Amanda's lap. "Not our fault you take so long to look presentable! I even placed your order while you were away... convinced our little guest here that the pasta here is to DIE for." She explained.

"How very right you are, my darling! I hope you enjoy this night, Ms. Cross, it's supposed to be all about you after all." He said as he kissed Amanda's right hand. Amanda grunted and let out an uncharacteristically girlish giggle as she nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Capryse. I have to admit I'm out of my element here... Police work doesn't really leave me much room for more than the occasional bar scene at best." She admitted.

Mr. Capryse nodded as the waiter arrived with plates of Spaghetti All'assassina for each of them. The three of them spiraled their forks and took the first bite in unison while fresh grape wine was poured into their glasses. Amanda felt as though she had ascended from the fresh flavors of the pasta combined with the attentions of Saryn and Mr. Capryse. "So, Amanda... everything to your liking?" Asked Mr. Capryse as he sipped his wine.

"Yes... You- I mean, this is all very lovely... I had so many things I wanted to discuss, but... I find myself loving this atmosphere so much!" She admitted. Mr. Capryse merely smiled and nodded. "I do apologize for that. If you need, take time to collect your thoughts, and we can discuss whatever you like!" He told her patiently.

Amanda nodded and took a deep breath as Saryn backed off. "Mr. Capryse, Zach Farley's son was murdered, and when I last visited you, he went in with the clear intention of threatening you... When he left, he seemed downright scared of you... I'd like to know why that might be, I am trying to get to the bottom of his son... I'd prefer you be honest!" She stated with confidence.

Mr. Capryse chuckled and patted her hand. "And here I thought it was something important... If you are worried I had something to do with his son... No... His son merely died in a spot near where I have invested property in, and as you can see... Zach Farley is not a pleasant man to talk to. It's no surprise he'd play the guilt by association route." He started as he looked deep into Amanda's eyes.

"How do I scare him? Quite simple, actually! You see in his pursuit of wealth, he hasn't exactly made friends with the local populace, even his own business executives despise his actions from time to time... and because I know what strings to pull, I can hit him where it hurts! THAT is the double-edged sword of having power." He said with a wide smile.

Amanda studied him and nodded as she took in his words. "That actually makes sense, and here I was worried you were going to try to kill him." She confessed... Mr. Capryse only grinned as Saryn outright giggled while leaning back into her. "My dear, that kind of violence would upset too many checks and balances... if something happens to Mr. Farley, it'll be because he upset the wrong person." He responded.

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed and leaned into Saryn. "Now that that all has been cleared up, why don't we enjoy the night?" She asked as she eyed Amanda. Amanda nodded and smiled. "Exactly, how bout we talk about-?" But she was cut off by a deep kiss from Saryn while Mr. Capryse enjoyed his meal. Amanda felt herself getting dizzy all of a sudden.

"I was thinking of MUCH more fun ways... perhaps later tonight at our house? Surely you can stay the night?" Asked Saryn as she pulled back. Amanda's eyes glazed over as she nodded slowly, eying Mr. Capryse. "If that's alright with you Mr. Capryse?" She asked eagerly. To which Mr. Capryse gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Of course, Amanda. It's not every night Saryn and I get to enjoy such beautiful company!" He responded politely while Saryn's arms roamed Amanda's body. causing her to swoon. Mr. Capryse just sighed inwardly as he thought about the long night of work ahead of him. 'The things I put up with for insurance.' He thought to himself.

As the lovely trio enjoyed their Dinner, Kayla simply smiled in her human form, wearing a beautiful, flowing red dress. Her skin was creamy white, and her pupils actually showed, revealing a dark shade of red. "Well well well... what have we here?" She asked as she watched on with a mischievous grin.

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 19: Some improvements

Darkness sat in his recliner in a black tank top and a pair of blue jeans. In his hands was his black Flying V guitar, which he had been playing for hours until his hands were cut up. "AH FOR FUCK'S SAKE! ENOUGH! I've been at this for hours... what do you want out of all this?" He asked as he looked at the spirit of The Composer.

The Composer just shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I agreed to teach you if you give me something in return... and if your little 'Rock' Is your way of doing music... Then it shall suffice!" He said with a nod. "Now... Your car... Open up the front of it, I wish to see this engine of yours." He said casually.

Darkness just grunted as he put his Guitar back in its case and went to the garage. He popped the hood to his 1970 Dodge Challenger as The Composer lowered his eyes. "This thing runs on gasoline... Did your mother not teach you anything about what I did? At least SOME of my schematics should have survived after all these years." He asked curiously.

Darkness sneered at him. "I couldn't use aura back then, mom felt until I could that it was best she didn't bother, I  don't blame her, I think she just wanted to wait for me to crawl before I could walk... Now that she's gone... I guess YOU get to fill her role." He said bitterly.

The Composer just looked at him. "You don't... Blame Me or Aura for that, do you?" He asked curiously. Darkness just sighed and looked down. "No... My Dad made a lot of enemies as a mercenary in his own right... My Mom sometimes made me feel like she didn't take any of it seriously enough... When they disappeared with Silver's parents, I had to pick up the slack... I guess me cutting back on the jobs and all-night binge drinking made me realize I wasn't dealing with all the repressed anger." He answered.

The Composer nodded firmly and looked in his eyes. "I can relate... being a spirit means watching your wife and everyone you know and love die... and since none of them transcended the way I did, I'm the only Aurian Spirit I know... But that training will come another time... For now, I want you to write down some notes." He said as Darkness grabbed a pen and paper.

After an hour, Darkness and the Composer had drawn out the schematics for a new Engine, and after removing the old one, they modified it. Darkness had sufficiently changed it. "Well... It's certainly not the same engine as before... what does it do?" He asked with excitement, causing The Composer to chuckle.

"What this is, is an engine that runs off of aura... when you install this, it should be able to be channelled through the ignition! I'll recommend some alterations to your car in the future, but this should be the first step in your training... Now get this in your car and take it for a test drive!" Advised the Composer happily.

Darkness smiled and hooked up his new engine, and turned the key. "Whoa..." He said as he felt a piece of his void cycle through the car. "It's like I'm... one with my car..." He said as he was overwhelmed with anticipation. "I Wonder..." He said out loud before focusing and turning his Car into a pure void before driving through the garage door. "WOW!" He said with glee as he zoomed through the streets.

The nighttime traffic now had no answer as Darkness went through each and every car while laughing. "Ease up on the void. Not only are you going to get exhausted fast, but someone is bound to notice a big black car shape going through them." Advised the Composer. Darkness nodded and slowly drove home.

"Your car doesn't use gas or oil anymore, it uses you... So get used to that as well." Said the Composer, causing Darkness to smile. "I've got to see if Silver will let me upgrade the Jeep later!" He exclaimed. The Composer just raised a brow. "Why not just do it straight away?" he asked, causing Darkness to shudder. "Look, I may be the one who built that Jeep, but that's Silver's BABY! If I touched that without her permission? I'd be punted into orbit..." He muttered.

"Your wife reminds me of mine! Flora never let anyone push her around. When they told her she couldn't become a knight, she dueled for the honor and won. Strong women, Derek... it seems we share that love." Said the Composer with a laugh. Darkness just chuckled as well before The Composer guided him to more schematics.

"What's this next project?" Asked Darkness. The Composer lost his smile before shaking his head. "I don't want to do this, as I don't like making weapons from aura... But if people like that Blood Angel are going to insist on using Aura to fight, I think those guns of yours should also be able to shoot Aura... These magazines will take time to construct, but when they are done, you can use Aura to shoot void bullets... Use them sparingly because again, they use YOU as a battery." He said promptly. 

Darkness nodded. "I see... so this was why you wanted me to play the guitar, get my Aura high so I would have enough to spare for all this usage... Thank you." He said earnestly as the Composer smiled at him. "You're getting there, my descendant... But you can't reach your goals alone. I can't talk to your wife or sister, I'll be relying on you to teach them as well!" He said patiently. Darkness just nodded and kept working on the new magazines.

As the night progressed. Lyte and Silver got home to see Darkness asleep in the Garage. he had his guitar by his side, and a plethora of tools out. He had been working all day on various projects. And to Lyte's surprise, there wasn't a drop of alcohol anywhere near him.

"Glad to have you back, big bro." Said Lyte as she kissed his cheek before heading to bed. Silver just scooped up Darkness and carried him to their room. "You certainly had a busy day, my love, can't wait to hear all about it later." She said as she got undressed and pressed into him as tightly as she could before falling asleep in his arms.

Meanwhile, Mr. Capryse laid out his Ivory white three-piece suit and picked out his favorite brown tie for tomorrow's date night. "Look at me! prepping for a fun night out in town at a fancy restaurant with a pretty young lady! ...Do I have to?" He asked as Saryn prepared a beautiful white dress that had rose shapes cascading from top to bottom. "Once again, yes, dear... That 'Pretty Young Lady' as you put it... commands a lot of power in the NYPD, and we both could use a little extra weight for when Mr. Farley tries to make his move, like you KNOW he will." She answered, causing him to grumble.

"Besides Tony, Amanda Cross is like a nice, sturdy piece of concrete... I wish my road to be finely paved before I walk upon it!" She said with a menacing giggle. Mr. Capryse lowered his eyes. "You and your father with this walking on people thing..." He said as he dodged a needle Saryn threw at him. "Right, right. No comparing you to your father, my mistake." He said as he sipped his coffee. "Regardless, it's going to be a long night, let's make the most of our company!" He said as his smile returned.

The house on River Red Lane

    Samantha sighed softly as she refreshed her phone constantly to check her bank account. After an exploration of an allegedly haunted house caused her to knock over and destroy a hundred-year-old library case, she had maxed out both her allowance AND a credit card to pay off the damages. “Come on, Dad, please put the money in!” She whined as she waited outside her dorm. After about ten minutes, a text flashed up.

    “Dear Sammy, your credit card has been paid off, and enough money for food will be added tomorrow; however, we will be holding off on your Dorm payments for a solid year. If you wish to continue making us worry about your supernatural investi-whats-its, you can do that on YOUR dime! I recommend a decent job near the school.” She read out loud, slowly getting more frustrated as she let out a crestfallen sigh.

    “Oof, rough!” Said a voice behind her. This was Josh Spindle, he shared a few classes with her, He’d even covered for her a few times when she did her investigations, and although she wasn’t thrilled that the nickname he teased her with, ‘Thelma Dorkly’ stuck with her, she had to admit he was kind of cute in a mysterious way.

    “Yeah… no idea what I’m gonna do, I think they freaking expect me to crawl home with my tail between my legs.” She admitted while chewing her lip. Josh sighed and nodded. “Well, if you need a place to stay, you can stay at a house where a few friends and I live… Heck, you can even earn a bit of pocket money helping with a few…. Odd jobs here and there!” he told her with a half smile. She blushed a bit at the offer. “Long as I don’t gotta get naked, I’m totally in!” She answered quickly, trying to rile him up.

    “Well, shucks, there go all of MY odd jobs!” He teased back, causing her to blush and puff her cheeks out hard. He just chuckled, “Only kidding! It’s on 13 River Red Lane when you are ready. Grab your stuff and I’ll get your room ready!” He said as he headed out.

    Samantha breathed a sigh of relief. As she got packing. “Oh…. em…Gee-OODNESS! WAS THAT EFFING JOSH SPINDLE?!” Asked Samantha’s now former Dorm roommate. Samantha just grumbled. “Yes, Alex, that was him, he even offered me a place to stay! Hopefully, I can just hitch rides with him now that I don’t have a dorm.” She answered with a smile. Alex just squealed. “Little Sammy is growing up! Soon you’ll be having a supernatural-themed wedding and a honeymoon in the Bermuda Triangle!” She teased. “SHUT UP AND LET ME PAAAAAAAACK!” Whined a red in the face, Samantha, as she finished loading her stuff. 

Samantha used some money to take a Taxi to her new home. “Alright! Here we are at 13 River…Red…Lane….. Wow!” She said that as she looked at the house, it was about three stories and looked even older than the mansion she explored. “How can a few college kids afford all this?!” She asked aloud. “Simple, it originally belonged to an owner who sold it as soon as he got it in his name, he said he’d sell it cheap if we erased all records of his family name… something about a crazed killer in his family heritage” Said Josh as he appeared.

Josh just smiled and grabbed some of her stuff. Samantha smiled and took the rest as she followed him. “Really man… I can’t thank you enough for all this, so when do I get to meet the other housemates?” She asked curiously. He led her to her room and set her stuff in the walk-in Closet. “We all sort of have conflicting schedules, I’ll try and pencil you in for a meeting, just… You might have to be cool real fast with what you see.” He explained with a nod. “I’ll be out back cleaning the hot tub, I recommend a dip later if you are up for it!” He said as he headed out.

Samantha just smiled as she unpacked while setting her bikini aside. “Hot tub, eh? NICE!” She said as she opened a desk for her notebooks. A stack of Newspapers greeted her, a few headlines caught her eye, they were all about murder victims with carved smiles on their faces. “Mr. Bad day strikes again, fifteen casualties by Lakehouse… killer never caught and remains at large… this must be that killer Jason was talking about… Wait, this was last summer!” She said with a bit of fear. She set the papers under her bed and fully unloaded her stuff. “Maybe Jason can clue me in over dinner…That’s just creepy!” She said while slipping into a small tank top and some loose-fitting Jammies.

Feeling a sense of Exploration, she decided to check out the rest of the house, making sure to AVOID the Library. She checked out the kitchen and made a quick sandwich while she watched the news, a stash of human body parts had just been unearthed from a sinkhole in the woods. “My……god… WHAT’S WITH ALL THE DEATH?!” She whined as she shivered a bit. Trying to shake it off, she saw a girl with blue hair come in in some cute, stylish, gothic hand-stitched pyjamas.

“Oh hey! You must be Josh’s Vi… girlfriend! I’m Megan!” She said with a wave. Samantha blushed hard. “Nonono I’m just his friend! I’m Samantha! Friends call me Sammy!” She said while trying to catch her breath. Megan just giggled and nodded,

“Whatever ya say! I was gonna hit the hot tub, wouldn’t mind a cute girl joining me later!” She said as she winked. “Uh… sure… so are you a college student too?” She asked, Megan just smiled and brushed her long blue locks back. “Oh yeah! I WAS taking Business and fashion classes, but recently I have been trying to get into Medical school!” She explained.

Samantha nodded, “I have been floundering since I got my Photography classes out of the way, I think I am gonna finish my Master’s and go from there!” She replied, though she was noticing Megan was checking her out in a weird way, it was clearly not sexual, but more of sizing her up. “Interesting! I am sure it’ll all be over soon before you know it! If you ever need help with your classes, lemme know! Ciao!” she told her as she grabbed some cookies before heading out. Samantha saw her drop a knife and pick it up before heading out. “She didn’t put the knife back? Wait… all she got was cookies! Why did she even need a knife? Weird…” She said as she went to check on Jason, who had just dropped something heavy out of the hot tub.

“Oh heya, Josh! How’s the tub coming?” She asked. Jason looked at her with a bit of a glare. “It’s coming! Sheesh, gimme time!” He said with a bit of a snippy tone, causing Samantha to huff. “Hey, I was just checking, no need to get all huffy! What even is the holdup?” She asked as she went to look at what he got out of the hot tub, he quickly tried to shove her back. “Just some trash okay?! Look I’ll be done soon, just… HEY!” He tried to reason, but Samantha just brushed by him, seeing the remains of a dead, horrified-looking girl in a bikini.”That’s Becky Bronson! She was a cheerleader at my high school! I hadn’t seen her since she locked that Sophomore in the freezer! WHAT THE HELL?!” She asked in horror as Josh sighed… “It’s… a long story… look, I know you are about to try to call the police… so let me just say right now… Don’t!”

“AND WHY THE HELL SHOULDN’T I, YOU PSYCHO?!”  She demanded as she backed up, unfortunately, into Megan, who was now in a black bloody nurse outfit. “Because we have your address, your family’s entire list of names and work schedules, and you really have nowhere else to go…. So I’ll make this simple: Either try to run and join Becky before your family follows suit! Or…. Join Josh and me in the hot tub tonight and learn about those Odd Jobs Josh talked about.” She told her. Samantha just gulped and nodded. “Hot tub night with two cuties? That’s all you had to say!” With a terrified giggle.

Later that night, Samantha sighed as she slowly slid up her yellow bikini bottoms. “This has to be a dream… No, a NIGHTMARE! Why would they do that to Becky? Are they responsible for all those other murders?! What am I gonna do???” She asked herself as she headed to the hot tub, where Josh and Megan were casually chatting and munching on pizza. They waved to Samatha as she slowly sank in, doing her best to avoid them on the far side of the tub. “Well, hey there, cutie! How ya gonna talk all the way over there?” Asked Megan with a wide smile. “VERY LOUDLY!” Yelled Samantha, causing Josh to pinch the bridge of his nose while Megan giggled. “Suit yourself!” She replied as she stood up, revealing her curvy body, with surgical scars all over it.

“Anyway, as you have guessed… This house is full of killers, Josh, me… and a few others you’ll meet later! We will not try to harm you as long as you do not try to harm US, which includes contacting the police, or telling people about what we do… Now, as you can tell, this job can be messy, so you will have to help hide bodies from time to time and learn how to falsify information that would otherwise incriminate us, as well as other tasks that require on-the-job training. We will teach you, heck, we’ll even PAY you!” Explained Megan, though the more she talked, the more Samantha wanted to protest.

“Why? Josh… I thought I liked you, but you all are monsters!” She said as she looked at him, his green eyes pierced hers and turned to slits. “The girl Becky locked in a freezer and killed was my sister. I wanted to hurt her a long time ago, but my journal was found by my father, and I spent the rest of my Grade school years in a mental institution… Becky was one of many by the time I got to her… hell, until you reminded me, I had almost forgotten WHY I killed her… For what it’s worth, I liked you back, still do even! It’s just… this is one of my many quirks… I hope you’ll warm back up to me later.” He replied as he looked at her, though it was clear she just wanted to run as far as she could. “I… I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way out of all this… but until then, I expect to be at college on time!” She said as she stormed off. Jason just looked down and sighed while Megan giggled. “I LIKE her, she’s very spunky! That’s the kinda girl you need, Josh!” She said as she made cute eyes at him, causing him to grumble.

Samantha sighed in her bed and tried to take her mind off the situation by playing a JRPG. A notification went off that a deposit had been put into her account. She paused the game and checked her bank before widening her eyes. “This is…. Twice what I need for housing allowance!” She said before a text from Josh came. “You still can’t leave, but I thought this might cover your living expenses… sorry again…” She read with a sigh. “I still hate this with every fibre of my fucking being…. But it’s better than any other option I had… I’ve just got to wait for them to slip up!” She said as she went back to gaming, but was still completely terrified for her life.

Webknot the origin of Spider-Wrath Chapter 1: The bite

 David Ranger sighed softly as he walked through the Local museum with his College class, His headphones blasting Nu-Metal music at full volume. He let his black and red hair swoop over his left eye, and was wearing a 'SLIPKNOT' Shirt. He had a pair of black pants on and red Sneakers.

"MR. RANGER!" Yelled an authoritative female voice. A Blonde woman in a lab coat glared at him through a pair of rounded spectacles. "I'm sorry if this tour is too boring for you, but if you would be so kind as to inform the group as to what species of spider this is?" She asked sternly while pointing to a nearby exhibit.

David rolled his eyes and put his headphones around his neck, and looked at the small spider housed inside the glass container. "Why certainly, Professor Octavia! That is known as the 'Spitting Spider'. It uses venom-infused saliva to subdue its prey... This particular exhibit is using a new form of Radiation to see if it can-"

"Reverse engineer a new kind of anti-venom that can be altered to match the other type of venoms we have on file, yes... Very good, Mr. Ranger... But please try to pay more attention... You were very lucky to be enrolled in UCLA after some high recommendations from your previous school.. I suggest you don't squander your chance to learn and better yourself!"

David just lowered his eyes at her. "Oh gee, and here I thought it was because of my four years of being on the honor roll, and Community service FOR UCLA... Silly me." He said with sarcasm dripping from his voice. It was clear he hated being talked down to.

Professor Octavia simply turned her nose up at him. "That might be good enough for a NORMAL student, but normal students don't go around getting into fights or taking extended leaves from school now, do they?" She asked as she walked with the rest of the class, leaving David to Sulk.

David just stared at the Spitting Spider with a glare. He hated being reminded of his leave from school, or all the jerks in his High School who bullied him until he eventually snapped and started fighting back. "Not sure which I'd rather be remembered as... The Wuss... Or the Crazy violent thug..." He said with a sad sigh while the spider made a web.

As he got ready to leave. The wall next to the Spider exhibit broke down. A pair of costumed people came crashing through. One of them was Big and Muscular, in a black full-body costume with a White Spider on his chest. The other was a shorter, curvaceous woman in a red Costume that looked like it was made of blood, with long flowing, blade-like dreadlocks coming out of her head.

"Holy shit, that's Venom and Carnage!" David shouted as he watched the two punch each other with full force. Carnage used the Dreadlocks on her head to slash at Venom, who simply backed out of range and fired webbing at her. Out of instinct, David pulled the nearby fire alarm, causing a loud, blaring siren to go off. Both Venom and Carnage screamed out and flailed around, wrecking everything in sight before Carnage broke the glass housing the Spitting Spider. David watched red slime ooze from Carnage onto the spider, with black slime from Venom chasing after it. He tried to shoo the spider away, only for it to slash his Right eye with a long tentacle before biting him. 

David screamed out in pain before dizzily collapsing by a Blonde man in a black jacket and blue jeans who had formerly been Venom. "E-Eddie?" asked David. David had remembered from High School Eddie Brock, A kid in his graduation year who had defended him from a fight that nearly put him in the hospital.

David grunted as he looked over and noticed a naked woman with Red Hair shaved on her left side with Dreadlocks on the other.  She slowly looked up at him with a grin and squashed the Spitting Spider, the Red Slime slowly returning to her. "Hello little David... You never called me!" She said as she crawled onto him and sat on his lap, extending her long symbiote tongue out to lick where his eye was slashed.

"S-S-Skarlet NO!" He cried out as he froze up when he made Eye Contact with Carnage as she bounced seductively on his lap. "My my, David... How you've grown!" She teased as He weakly tried to shake her off. David began to cough up black slime as he cried out for help.

"THAT'S ENOUGH CARNAGE!" Roared Eddie as black slime latched onto him, turning him back into Venom. Carnage looked up to him and roared as she quickly got up and jumped outside. Venom slowly turned back into Eddie and knelt by David. "David? Is that you?" He asked.

David didn't answer; he seemed to be in a near catatonic state as he cried out in terror. Eddie just hugged him softly, recognising the signs of shock. "David... what did she DO to you?" He asked with concern. David only looked back at him. "She's not supposed to be near me, they promised she couldn't be near me any more!" He cried out until the Venom from the spider caused him to pass out.

Eddie picked David up and walked him toward the exit. "Come on, man. We'll get you to a Doctor... we can talk later." He promised as he tried to avoid the now gathering crowd.

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 18: An unholy alliance

Blood Angel grunted as he slowly woke up. "Ugh, I can't believe I lost...And he didn't even finish me off in a spectacular way!" He muttered in disappointment. All of his thoughts and dreams about the killer he idolized were shattered like a rock through the stained glass of a cathedral. He simply shook his head before he looked around to see that he was in the middle of Central Park. "Huh... I'm nowhere near Lyte's club." He noticed.

"Yes, I felt the separation was pivotal to introducing our alliance!" Said a female voice, causing Blood Angel to turn his head to a pink-skinned, demonic-looking woman. She had red eyes and sported her blood red hair in a straight, brushed fashion. Her dress was the same color as her hair and cut off at just above her feet, which were sporting black heels.

Blood Angel looked at her as she walked to him. "And who might you be, madam?" He asked politely. The woman smiled and curtsied. "You may just call me Kayla!" She told him. Blood Angel kissed the back of her hand "Vincent Verikoff at your service!" He told her with a smile, one that she mirrored while looking him in the eyes.

"It's actually good to hear you say that! The reason I've healed you is because I've a proposal for you!" She said as she grinned hard enough to show all of her teeth. When Blood Angel raised a brow at her, she just continued. "You see, Vincent. I saw your fight with Darkness... and I feel both of you would make SPLENDID knights in my army... You'd be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!" She told him calmly.

Blood Angel merely chuckled. "I can't speak for Darkness, only myself... but there is no reward you are capable of that surpasses the thrill of hunting down a victim and witnessing the honesty of the terror in their soul as the light leaves their eyes... That everlasting thrill as they die in my embrace... Delicious!" He said as he began to drool.

Kayla merely frowned and huffed at him. "So you are turning down my offer?" She asked as a ball of flame formed behind her. Blood Angel wagged his finger and made a 'Tsk tsk' noise at her while shaking his head. "I said no such thing! The idea of slaughtering for a cause greater than that of a fat fuck upset over his pedophile of a son sounds FAR more enticing! Lay it on me!" He said with a smile.

Kayla's eyes lit up with glee as the Red ball of flame in her fire turned into a black ball of chains. "GLAD you understood me, Vincent... now... Welcome to the shadow dominion." She told him as the chains seemed to go right through Vincent, anchoring him to her hand.

Vincent laughed maniacally as a blood red armor grew out of him, making him look like a Royal knight, a long sword formed in his hand that resembled a large spinal cord with veins embedded into it. The sword seemed to extend like a whip, leaving a trail of blood that Blood Angel could easily control. Finally, Bloody angelic wings grew from his back. They were bought eight feet in both length and width, and folded to form a cape for his armor.

Vincent smiled as he admired himself before banishing the armor and grinning at Kayla. "This is AMAZING! I was strong before... but this power... It's almost overwhelming! So tell me, my lovely queen... Do we go and recruit the Void Walker now? Because I doubt he'll be so thrilled to join alongside ME!" He told her.

Kayla giggled and shook her head. "No... I've watched him for a while now... trying to recruit him would be a waste of time, and would also be showing my hand far too early... Besides! I've noticed his powers are evolving... I think for now... we shall observe his growth and watch in secret... I have big plans in store for that man... And I want him at full potential before I make my move... For now, you may return to your home... I will call on you if something comes up!" She explained. Blood Angel nodded and stood upright "Then I shall take my leave. Until we meet again, Milady!" He said as he walked home.

Kayla simply folded her arms behind her back and floated into the air. "And so the pieces are all forming into place..." She said while turning her skin white and banishing her demonic appearance. "For now.. I shall keep my eyes on you, and the games you're involved in.... My Void knight!" And with that, she pulled out a picture of Darkness... giggling to herself as she imagined him slaughtering countless men in her name.

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter 17: Count me in

Lisa sat there as she studied Darkness. "I.... REALLY wish I knew all that a long time ago, Derek." She admitted. "And I wish I had known about Tommy a long time ago, Lisa." Said Darkness with a shrug. "BUT, we are flawed beings... I'm sorry this whole thing caused this rift." He admitted. 

Lisa nodded. "Well, then I'm in." She said with a nod, causing Silver and Darkness to raise a brow. "With whatever this stuff you're doing... I'm IN!" She added. Darkness shook his head. "Absolutely not! You are not working with-"

"Yes DEREK! I AM!" She said with a determined glare. "I'm not losing my brother to this bullcrap! I may draw a line at killing, but I am helpful in other ways! I can gather information! My powers are a lot more developed and keep me safer than you! AND, I have my engineering degree! I'm a lot better with technology than you or Silver, I want in on this!" She said as she sat fully up straight.

Darkness' eyes narrowed. "And what happens when Blood Angel strikes again, Lisa? Where were your powers when he-" But he was cut off by Lisa slapping him with a hand made of pure Light. "That happened because I didn't know my older brother was doing what he was doing! Do NOT go there!" She fired back.

Darkness rubbed his cheek. "Is this going to be so you can tell me I should be making music again? Because that song and dance is getting old... Why do you even keep pressing that anyway? You've been doing that since I got back from the Middle East." He said as he crossed his legs.

Lisa raised her left eyebrow. "Are you... KIDDING ME?! After that story? You even brought it up that you felt you should have had a band by now! You gave that up at the time over supporting a family, and I get that! But nothing is stopping you now! I just... want the big brother who sat me in his lap and played the guitar to cheer me up... Wrote that love song for Silver that he stayed up all night learning how to sing in Spanish... And even played with MOM!" She said as she began to breathe rapidly.

Darkness' eyes rose as she rattled moments from his past off. "I... Don't remember any of that." He admitted. "I guess I really put a lot of thoughts aside in my quest to further my Military career... Honestly, that just makes me more sad that it all went south." He added as he laughed bitterly. "But I'm going to let you know right now, I still am not comfortable about you joining us." He added.

Silver stepped forward. "I'm not either, but if she wants to, she doesn't have to get involved like I do." She said as Lyte nodded, but Silver held up a finger to her. "That said, you had a chance to defend yourself and got dealt with easily, young lady! So if you want to join, you'll be training with ME first!" She said as she let out her aura and showed off her muscles, causing both Lisa and Darkness to gulp.

Lisa nodded after a moment and shrugged. "Fine, but it's not Lisa anymore, I'll be the LYTE to your DARKNESS!" She said, causing Darkness to give her the thumbs down. "Christ and I thought it was dumb when my friends called me that... That is the corniest crap ever." He said with a laugh, one shared by Lyte, and eventually Silver as well.

"Fine then... Lyte, you want in? I'll see about having you work when you can on trial status... But also, you might get your wish on me working on music again as well... I feel my aura resonates best when working with it... which I guess is why Dad always agreed I study with Mom more... it's in our blood." He said with an affirmed nod.

Lyte's blue eyes lit up as she hugged him tightly. "YAYYYY! That makes me happy, big bro! I can get you a studio if you ever need time to yourself! And even people, and equipment, and-" Darkness just chuckled and rolled his eyes as he looked at Silver, who was hiding a giggle. But then he looked up and saw the spirit of the Composer, who smiled down at him with his arms crossed. 'I've made a deal with the proverbial Devil.' He thought to himself in a joking manner.

A day later, Lyte was out at the gym going through a hellish exercise program with Silver. "Silver, how long have we been running?!" She asked between pants. "Only a few miles... I can run over ten without breaking a sweat... if you think THIS is bad, wait until the self-defense classes start!" Answered Silver with a wide grin. Lyte grunted and tried to focus 'This is all for big bro' she told herself while she tried to keep up with Silver.

Derek stared at the mirror. His aura was powered down, and he had gone through a full bottle of Bourbon and a few painkillers. The sight of ghostly figures were looking back at him. He could see that his dead friends were both glaring at him.

Derek rubbed the spot where he shot himself a few years ago and sighed. "Sorry boys... But I can't move on to the future... Without letting go of my past..." He said as he stuck his fingers into his head. Derek winced in pain as he grabbed hold of the slug in his head, trying to ignore the blood leaking out. "FUCK!" He screamed as his fingers pulled the bullet hard.

As he inched the bullet out of his head, He could swear he saw Truck and Golem saluting him back and fading away as the bullet was now fully removed from his head. "Goodbye, my friends... While I'll never forget you... I will never let myself be shackled like this again. I'll make sure I get Xaldin back somehow while I'm at it." He promised while he went to treat his head injury, the bullet from his head was lying on the table in a pool of blood.

The Aurian Chronicles Chapter Chapter 16 part 3: All that is left is Darkness

 "Silver, this is stupid! Why am I doing all this?"  Asked Derek as he walked into a building with Silver. It read "Pure Mind Solutions" In the main lobby and showed videos of people talking about how the company helped them overcome their problems with their families. There was also a beautiful water display with a light-up brain and fountains of water spraying against it.

Silver narrowed her eyes at Derek. She was in a teal T-shirt and designer blue jeans as she looked at him. "What other choice do we have? The therapy hasn't been helping you, and I can tell you right now the increased DRINKING hasn't helped you either... All you do is sob into your drink and blame yourself... Look in the mirror, do you think Xaldin would want this kind of life for you?" She challenged.

Derek looked in the mirror; his eyes had begun to sag from too many sleepless nights. His skin was discolored due to both too much and not enough sunlight. Even his wardrobe suffered; all he wore were tattered jeans and an army green jacket with a tank top underneath. his black boots were worn out and needed to be replaced.

"I guess, if it works... I could stand to fix myself?" He admitted. Silver just kissed him and nodded. "Don't worry, Derek. I'll be with you every step of the way!" She told him as they walked in to meet the doctor. A russian woman smiled sweetly at them as she stood up. Derek thought her black leather outfit looked like something out of a dominatrix shop, and the white lab coat over it all wasn't helping her case at all.

"Good afternoon! I'm Doctor Saryn Capryse! Your recent therapist tells me they were one of many doctors unable to help you adapt to society and move on! And that you might be able to help test my new product! NNI!" She said as she looked Derek in the eyes, causing him to feel like a piece of meat left out for hungry wolves.

"Yes, NNI... Or, 'Neural Nirvana Injection' Is a drug I've developed to help take natural dopamine generated from the body, and use it to help heal the negative patterns of the brain in troubled areas! My goal is to help struggling PTSD survivors get that extra push to conquer their mental illness and adjust back into society!" she said while walking them to her lab.

Silver listened patiently and smiled as Derek nervously took off his Jacket. "So if I do this... I can be normal?" he asked. Saryn blew a raspberry at his words. "There is no such thing as Normal, Mr. Sonata. If this works, the goal is to fix your mental health, nothing more, nothing less!" She told him as a bunch of doctors had gathered while she took a syringe out.

"Welcome, Mr. Sonata... to your new life!" Saryn said as she injected Derek with a purple vial of liquid. Derek winced a bit at the needle as he instantly began to feel calm. His smile began to grow wide as his eyes narrowed. Derek now saw himself on the battlefield as a soldier without a weapon and grinned as he grabbed one soldier and broke his neck.

"THIS IS WHO I AM! THIS IS WHERE I BELONG!" He said as he quickly tore through the soldiers. Derek screamed happily as he punched multiple soldiers in the face until they bled and bashed their skulls into the floor. Finally, he advanced on the last one and lifted them by the throat.

Derek's triumphant smile slowly began to wear off as his vision returned to normal. The battlefield he thought he was on turned into a now destroyed lab room, most of the doctors were dead by his hand, and to his horror, he had Silver by the neck, gasping for air.

"Silver!" He screamed as he dropped her, leaving her to cough and take in deep breaths of air. He began to see himself murdering innocent people and gleefully trying to finish off with his wife. Tears began to flow from his eyes as he sprinted off. "DEREK! WAIT! WE CAN-" Screamed silver, but Derek was already gone.

Derek cried out in frustration as he punched a hole in a back alley brick wall, mangling his own left hand. "HOW COULD I DO THAT!? MY OWN WIFE!! ALL THOSE PEOPLE!" He said as he sobbed. "All those people... I'm sorry." He said as he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at his left temple. "I'm sorry." He said one final time before firing into his own head. leaving a spray of blood against the brick wall.

'My hand has been forced... There is more to be done' Said a voice as Derek's body glowed purple, healing his head as black tendrils grew from his back. "Ah, my head... what the-?" He asked as he saw his tendrils. "No fucking way! Is this Aura?! I HAVE AURA?! THIS IS AWESOME! I gotta show Silver!" He said as he took off.

Silver was a nervous wreck as she tried calling out to find Derek; she even had Lisa looking for him in the local bars. Derek ran in happily with now purple hair, "SILVER LOOK!" He said as he showed his black tendrils. Silver gasped in shock, "Derek! There you are... the Aura is nice, but I'm more just glad you are okay! Where did you go?" She asked as she kissed his cheeks rapidly.

Derek smiled and looked at her. "I felt bad because of what happened, and I shot myself in the head! But with this, I feel better! Like all my thoughts are clear and-!" But he stopped when Silver dropped the phone. Her breathing was ragged, and tears were forming in her eyes.

"You... You tried to kill yourself?" She asked in a panic. Derek shrugged, "Who cares about that now? If I had known it would lead to this, I would have tried it a long time ago!" He said. The thought of what he just said struck him at around the same time Silver did as she punched him hard enough in the jaw that his back slammed into the wall, leaving a hole. 

"YOU SELFISH BASTARD! WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I LOST YOU?! WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO LISA!? WHAT WOULD...? What would...?" Silver began to yell before she finally buried her face into Derek's chest and began to sob. For the first time since she was a child, Silver wasn't her normal beautiful self. She was a mess.

Derek hugged her close and rubbed her back. "I know... I'm sorry, Silver... I fucked up badly this time... Drugs aren't going to help me... Neither is the bottle... I'll try to find something that takes my mind off things... Maybe a job... I don't ever want to make you feel like this again." He promised. Silver just nodded as she continued crying into his chest.

A couple of months had passed, and it was proving to be easier said than done to find a job. All of Derek's military experience was overshadowed by his dishonorable discharge and the reason for it. Acting on a bit of advice he had overheard from a bar, he had found his way into an arranged meeting with some rich guy who needed security work. 

Derek walked into a lovely two-story mansion, and found himself sitting in the office of a man in a brown suit with a golden vest and brown tie. he was wearing a bowler hat and happily sipping a thermos of coffee. "Well, Mr. Sonata, I've read your training, all looks good... And you even admitted to some of your mistakes in the past... I think I can use a man of your talents! Call me Tony!" he said as he shook Derek's hand.

"Uh, right.. So what am I guarding?" Asked Derek. Mr. Capryse just chuckled and shook his head. "Oh no no NO! None of that... I'll be introducing you to the fun and exciting world of contract killing!" he explained with a gleeful smile.

Derek's eyes widened. He was going to start to protest, but the thought of all those failed interviews was still fresh in his mind. "I'd... Be happy to get started." He finally relented as he signed every paper that was sitting in front of him.

"EXCELLENT! Now, while on the job, I'll be needing you to adopt a new alias. You got a name for yourself?" Asked Mr. Capryse. Derek closed his eyes and thought really hard, but all of his thoughts kept drifting off to drinking with the friends he lost in the Army. "My name... Is Darkness." He said with determination.

"Darkness, eh? Ooh, that's edgy and mysterious! Well, welcome aboard, Darkness! Your first kill is a man who strangled the contractor's wife, he lurks around the local mall! There's a pay bonus if you have it done within the week!" Said Mr. Capryse Cheerfully.

Darkness sighed and nodded. "Whatever, consider it done." He said while walking through the hallway. He stopped as he looked in the mirror. He had to admit, he was looking a lot better with the updated wardrobe Silver had made for him. He was sporting a black jacket, black cotton pants, a red shirt, and brand-new black boots. "Goodbye, Derek Sonata... Hello Darkness..." He said as he went out to start his new life.