It was a usual cold night in the latter half of the year in Long Island New York. A dive bar near the shore of the Atlantic Ocean was packed to the brim with both Drunkards and locals looking for a good show. Tonight's viewing was an exotic-looking Hispanic silver-skinned woman with white hair pole dancing while spinning upside down and letting her golden top fall from her body. While most of the men Oogled the beautiful woman, a Man in dark clothes with purple hair was knocking back a full bottle of 1800 brand Tequila he casually plucked from the shelf.
As he drank, the bartender approached him. "I Saw that... Listen, buddy, between you and me? Whatever you're running from isn't at the bottom of that bottle, what say you go and enjoy the show with the pretty girl eh? For a newbie, she ain't half bad!" He offered as Darkness put money for the bottle of tequila on the table. "I'm not HERE for the show." He responded as he kept drinking. The bartender just looked at him with a stern look. "Then go see the sights? Regardless, I'm cutting you off, nobody who drinks that much that fast is looking out for their health!" He replied. The man nodded. "Well, when you're right you're right... Truth be told I'm actually here for that guy." He said as he nodded his head toward a morbidly obese man with messy blonde hair snickering at some pictures.
"Albert Farley, real piece of work that one... Just got out of the slammer early after the molestation and murder of a six-year-old boy... All on Daddy's money, they say the cops can't touch or pursue him legally." He finished as he looked at the bartender while pointing a 1911 behind him. "But I can," he said as he fired instantly into Albert's shoulder, watching his blood spill. The bodyguards near him pulled out their guns, only for the dancer on the pole to reach under the floorboard for a pair of silver-plated submachine guns and open fire into them while their backs were turned.
The man chuckled and nodded to the dancer as he walked over to Albert, who was crawling away. He put a barstool over Albert's head so that he was trapped between the legs and took a seat. Black tendrils sprouted from his back and held Albert's arms and legs out tight. "Hello there Al, my name is Darkness... At least that's what I go by... You've been a VERY bad boy, haven't you? Couldn't just keep your hands out of the cookie jar... so someone put a mouse trap in it." He said as Al began to scream. "PLEASE! ANYTHING YOU WANT! I'M GOOD FOR IT! WHOEVER SET THIS UP I CAN MATCH AND DOUBLE IT!" He begged frantically. Darkness chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry buddy, this one ain't about the money..." He responded as he opened fire repeatedly into Al's Torso until the body went limp. The tendrils on Darkness' back faded away as he got up.
Darkness put away his handgun and grabbed his tequila bottle while calling for the dancer who hopped in his arms and smiled. Darkness just looked at the shaking bartender who cowered behind the bar. "Sorry for the Damages man, I'm sure you know Mr. Capryse? Give his people a call, they'll settle ya up nice, plus a bonus!" He offered while heading out to his Purple 1970 Dodge Challenger. The Dancer hopped in through the passenger side window and slid into a sky-blue dress and a pair of white heels as she reapplied her make-up.
"So, Where to Derek?" She asked as she looked into the vanity mirror. Darkness just sighed and shook his head. "Silver if you're going to come along on these, it's DARKNESS When on mission." He said. Silver reached over and bonked the back of his head. "I'm your WIFE! I'll call you what I like! Besides it's just us! Who's gonna know?" She asked as Darkness rolled his eyes. "Much like you treat all guns like they're loaded, you treat all secret identities like they are secret." He explained, causing her to shake her head. "Yeah yeah yeah, let's just finish up and hit the Club! I don't want to miss Lyte's show!" She exclaimed. "Don't you mean Lisa?" Teased Darkness as he laughed when Silver smacked him harder.
It was about nine in the evening as Darkness pulled up to a nice light blue-painted upper-middle-class suburban house. he walked through the white picket-fenced gate and through the door. Darkness headed to the dining room and noticed that the beauty of the outside of the house had been deceiving the inside, there were clothes scattered, the smell of stale cigarette smoke and alcohol filled the room, and frames of pictures of a nearing middle-aged, slightly overweight man holding his young son were all punched through. "It's done." Said Darkness calmly to a man drinking a bottle of scotch. A briefcase was slid over to him. Darkness reached out to grab it before the man grabbed his wrist and turned to face him.
What was once the man in all of those pictures was now a beyond-overweight man. his eyes had sagging dark circles under them. and he was dressed in a sheriff's outfit. "Six years ago, I'd have arrested you for what you did... Yet here I am now, paying the very thing I swore to protect this city from... Truly god has abandoned me." He said as he let Darkness go. Darkness just grabbed the case and sighed. "I can't heal the past, We can only look to the future." He responded as he walked out the door, the sound of a gunshot echoing inside the house. "...Well... I can" He said somberly while walking to the car.
As Darkness drove, he looked at the briefcase. Even after all the jobs he had taken, ones like these made the money feel heavier. Silver just put a hand over his shoulder. "Come on dear, let's hit the club, I'm sure your sister will provide better entertainment than that musty old bar." She said as she kissed his cheek. Darkness nodded and kissed her back. "Thank you, Silver. I love you my Flawless one." He told her, causing her to giggle as they drove off to enjoy the night.