The man formerly known as Kyle Reux was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was gently rocking back and forth in a black cargo net that had been cleverly converted into a hammock. It was fairly comfortable, considering how hastily it had been constructed. Kyle sighed and turned his head to get a better view of his current location. The dusty old shack that served as The Chainers' main base of operations was a far cry from fancy. Even though they were one of the most feared and respected gangs in Paragon City, their leader hadn't bothered to even hire a grunt to clean the damn place. There was trash from fast food joints in the corners, and dirt was layered all over the room. This wasn't the boss's room of course. This was just where the soldiers stayed. Kyle finally decided to get up, so he rolled off the makeshift hammock and nimbly landed on his feet. A soft chuckle drifted to his ears, originating from behind him. Kyle whirled, one hand already resting on the hilt of his katana. His training ran deep.
"What's the matter, Chainer? You look a little testy." The man was grinning like a loon. Kyle straightened up, feeling each muscle relax as he released the grip on his weapon. He was still unsure why everyone called him Chainer. His title, as thrust upon him when he was initiated, was Chainer Ixid. He had a four letter name, just like every other member of the gang. Yet no one called him Ixid. Just Chainer.
"Testy? Of course I'm testy. There's nothing to do in this shithole, Arin. I'm bored out of my mind in this place." Arin, as Kyle called him, was the closest thing Kyle had to a friend in the gang. The blonde-haired man had joined almost the same time Kyle had. They were initiated together, and often found themselves on the same team for raids. Kyle stood a little taller, but Arin had more muscle. Still, they got along well enough.
"Would you rather be out on the front lines? Risking your neck with all those damn heroes cluttering up the streets?" Kyle shook his head.
"Nah, but I'd like to be making some cash. If my family didn't need the money, I wouldn't be here anyway." Arin jumped to his feet and slapped a hand over Kyle's mouth. Arin's eyes darted around the room to make sure no one heard the remark.
"Are you crazy, Chainer? You know the creed! Loyalty above all else! Saying that you are in it for the money could be construed as a breach of the creed. You could get severely punished for that!" Arin removed his hand, but used the other to smack Kyle in the back of the head. Kyle dodged it easily, and a smile crossed his face for a second.
"Just keeping you on your toes, Arin." Arin mumbled something as he started to sit back down. Before he could, however, the front door slammed open. A short man with thinning hair emerged, causing every person in the room to jump to attention. This was Chainer Falon, the Boss's right hand man. Everything he said had to be taken as if it came from the Boss himself. This was the reason Falon got five letters in his name, whereas the soldiers only got four. Falon was wearing a snarl as he stomped around the room. He glared at a few soldiers, but never really stopped moving until he came to Kyle.
"Ah, Chainer Ixid. You've been selected for a mission. A local bank downtown is moving a large sum of money that I think we could use to more effective means. The details are in this envelope." Falon held out a small manila envelope. "Do you accept?" The question was a trick. A true member of The Chainers never refused the Boss. To do so was considered a breach of the Creed, and the gang would be required to punish you by any means necessary. Kyle snapped a crisp salute and gave a 'Sir, yes sir' before lowering his hand and taking the papers. Faron just smirked and turned back to the other soldiers. "The rest of you, get to training. We are The Chainers. We need to be feared. And no one fears weakness. That is all." Falon turned and promptly stormed out the way he came. The soldiers all broke up into sections to practice their weapons. Sparring matches broke out as each member eagerly strove to better their skills. Some wielded broadswords, maces, shields, or even practiced unarmed combat. Arin patted Kyle on the back.
"Well, you got what you wanted. A little action, a chance for some cash? It's a shame though, since now I have to beat up one of these losers. No challenge." Kyle laughed as he peered at the contents of the envelope. As usual, it contained the location of the driver who would take him to the attack point, along with a few other details.
"Don't worry, Arin. I'll be back to kick your ass later." Arin shook his head.
"Yeah, uh huh. Good luck with that." Arin paused before he pointed a finger at the envelope and added: "and with that."
"I don't need luck." was the only reply.
***
Sitting in the black van was no new experience for Kyle. As a new recruit, he proved himself alongside Arin in the field. He defeated a young hot-shot mutant and managed to steal thousands of dollars for The Chainers. He only got a small portion, of course, which all went towards his sister's medical bills. That was where all his money went. The poor kid had a terminal illness, and those bastards at Crey were the only ones who had the cure. And they assured him that it wouldn't come cheap. So Kyle went on another mission, and another, and even another. As stronger heroes arrived to beat him, Kyle's cut went up. Now he was getting almost 50% of each haul. It wasn't enough to pay for the bills, yet, but it was getting closer and closer. A few more heists and 'Ixid' might even earn himself another letter. Then he'd have enough money for sure, and his sister could finally get the cure. The longer he thought about it, the more he felt he needed to visit her again. It had been over a week now, and she could probably use the company. She was homeschooled by her mom at the hospital, so she didn't have any friends her age. Kyle, sadly enough, was the closest thing she had to a friend.
A sharp knock from the driver's compartment stirred Kyle from his thoughts. He readied his weapon and kicked open the back of the still-moving van. He took a few seconds to accustom himself to their speed before jumping out. He hit the ground rolling, and the van disappeared around a corner. Kyle stopped the roll on one knee, hand on hilt. Two guards stopped loading cash to turn in his direction. It took a second for everything to register for them, and a second was all Kyle needed. He burst from his kneeling position, closing the gap. As the first guard started to pull a weapon out, Kyle unsheathed his katana. Mentally going through his forms, Kyle sideswiped the guard's hand with a move called 'Gambler's Cut.' The guard dropped the gun and Kyle did a flip over top of him. Landing right in the middle, Kyle spun with his blade out in 'The Lotus Drops' style, slashing both guards on their legs. They fell to their knees, and Kyle landed a blow on each of their heads with the hilt of the katana, rendering them both unconscious. Two more guards emerged from the bank, guns drawn. Kyle ran to his left just as the sound of gunshots echoed into the street. Civilians started screaming and running for cover. Kyle ducked past a civilian and took a second to catch his breath behind a set of stairs leading up into the adjacent store. He was on a time limit now. Those gunshots will have certainly caught the attention of a hero, if the guards hadn't already activated some sort of silent alarm.
The crunch of gravel caught his attention, as one of the guards slid into view, strafing his position. Kyle reacted with astonishing speed, rolling backwards onto the stairs before using them as a spring board. He launched himself towards the guard still near the door as more gunshots rang out. Kyle landed with his feet planted firmly in the guard's face. The two tumbled to the ground, the gun following soon after. As it clattered to the ground, it misfired. The bullet dung itself into Kyle's leg, causing him to grimace in pain. He rolled to his feet, keeping pressure on his good leg. He glared at the last cop, pointing his katana with a gesture called 'Calling the Wolf.' The guard backed up a few steps, his gun shaking in fear. He threw the gun down and ran, yelling that he didn't get paid enough for this. Kyle nodded, and sheathed his weapon.
With the guards incapacitated, Kyle finally had a second to compose himself. Focusing his chi, Kyle pulled out the bullet and watched as the blood ceased to flow down his leg. It would still get infected if not treated, but he would live a little while longer. He searched the guards before eventually finding the keys to the armored car carrying the money. It looked low to the ground, as if it was filled with something more substantial than just cash. He grinned, imagining all the gold and jewels that filled the truck. Just before he reached the door, however, a voice called out behind him.
"Identify yourself, Villain!" Kyle whirled, removing his blade from its sheath once more. His time had apparently expired, and a hero had come to save the day. This particular one was wearing all blue and was hovering a few feet off the ground.
"Fucking great. Can't you assholes just leave me alone for one goddamned heist?" The hero looked momentarily startled by Kyle's language. But it only lasted a second before being replaced by the stereotypical 'Hero' look.
"My name is Impulse, and I demand that you surrender yourself into my custody, villain!" Kyle shook his head.
"Has that really EVER worked, Impulse? Have you had a single person willingly get arrested instead of starting a fight? Get with the real world, man. They call me Chainer Ixid, and I'm certainly ready to fight. Question is: do you have the stones to try me?" Impulse never wavered as his hands pointed towards Kyle. Two blasts of blue energy shot out from the hands, blasting towards the villain. Kyle jumped the beams, pushing off mid-jump from the top of the truck. The beams blasted into the door, shredding it. Kyle flew right into Impulse, bringing the hero back to the ground. While Impulse was getting back to his feet, Kyle launched an attack, scoring multiple shallow wounds with the 'Sting of the Wasp' technique. Impulse roared, sending a wave of energy out from his entire body. Kyle skidded back, barely keeping his feet. But the blast was beyond Impulse's normal skill, and it left the hero defenseless and drained of his endurance. Kyle brought the sword down with the 'Divine Avalanche' skill, burying it in the hero's skull. Impulse collapsed in a heap, completely stilled. Kyle sat down, exhausted.
"It's your fault you know. If you had just let me take the damn money, you'd still be alive." Kyle removed the blade from the hero's head and scowled at the sight. It disgusted him to think about what the gang had turned him into. He used to be a normal kid with a sword fetish. No different than any other fantasy geek. But The Chainers had turned him into something else. Something he didn't want to be. A thief, murderer, cop-killer, and destroyer of heroes. Kyle spat at the thought as he stood. Looking at the hero's body, he noticed the medical badge that was flashing. His body would be teleported to the nearest hospital in a few seconds, to no avail. Kyle shook his head and drove the truck back to the base.
***
"Do you think we're stupid? Do you think we're morons?" Falon was practically spitting in Kyle's face. He had made it all the way back, only to find that the truck was full of sandbags. He had been set up. Still, he said nothing as Falon went on his tirade. "This is beyond failure, Ixid. This is a betrayal of our trust, our bond. Our creed. So tell me once more what the hell happened back there." Dread began to fill Kyle's gut. It was an unfamiliar feeling.
"Sir! Upon arrival at the destination, I found the two guards as planned. I dispatched them easily, but two more attacked from the bank. I was shot once taking them down, but I took them down nonetheless. The gunshots attracted a nearby hero, who I was forced to kill. I then stole the truck and drove it back here, as planned." Falon sneered.
"Then where is our MONEY!"
"Sir, I do not know, Sir. It might have been a routine Crime Sting. They were just trying to catch a lowly thief and got more than they bargained for." A few of the soldiers sitting watching chuckled. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyle could see Arin sitting on his bed, cradling his head in his hands.
"Is that so? Well I have my own theory. Yes, I know all about your dear little sister. It would be very tempting to hide away a little money for her, wouldn't it?" Kyle didn't respond. "Yes... I can see how you might think family is more important than we are."
"Sir, I would never betray The Chainers." Falon turned from Kyle, nodding his head.
"Of course, of course. You know that we are your family now. But I wanted to be sure. That's why I had your little friend Arin over there kill her while you were gone." Kyle froze in disbelief. Arin approached him quickly, tears evident on his face.
"I-Im sorry, Chainer. I had to. I...I made it quick and painless. She was even smiling..." Thoughts raced through Kyle's head. So many things were
happening, it seemed surreal. His only sister couldn't be dead, it wasn't possible. His left hand tightened on his weapon without his knowledge. Falon turned back, his face filled with delight.
"You hear that, Ixid? You poor little sister enjoyed it! Hahaha, how delightful!" Kyle growled as his weapon unsheathed itself.
"You BASTARD!" Kyle moved with superhuman speed, driving his weapon straight through the empty space where Falon's heart should have been. The Boss's second-hand man was dead on impact, the smile still plastered on his pudgy face. Kyle kicked the stump of a man off his blade viciously, snarling as he turned on Arin. The other soldiers al jumped to their feet, weapons in hand. Arin back away slowly, hands up in a peaceful gesture.
"Chainer, buddy, what are you doing? It's me, Arin. We're old pals! You don't want to do this! Chainer, Ixid, Kyle..." Kyle growled when Arin said his real name.
"Im not Kyle anymore. You people turned me into a monster. No, Kyle died with his sister." He continued to advance, his mind blurring with rage. Arin was still trying to calm him when Chainer took his old friend's head off with one clean slice. Chainer didn't feel a twang of guilt as Arin's head began to roll away. Blood sprayed violently, shooting into the air like a fine mist. The other soldiers ran in, trying to subdue their former comerade. Chainer dodged to the left as a mace nearly cleaved his skull in two. He whipped his sword up, removing the attacker's arm at the elbow. Continuing with the momentum of the sword, he also managed to sever the man's leg before having to retreat. A quick leap backwards got him safely out of range of the remaining soldiers, for a few seconds at least.
A quick count found him severely outnumbered. The mace wielder was out of commission, and would certainly bleed out before the night's end. This left Chainer with five more ex-gang mates to deal with. The weapons were varied, including a duel blades, a broadsword, a battle ax, a ball-and-chain, and an unarmed assailant who Chainer knew could use Martial Arts. Definitely not good odds. But he wasn't going to back down until each and every one of these assholes paid the price for his sister's life. And it wasn't going to be cheap.
Chainer dove forward, heedlessly leaping into the midst of the soldiers. His reckless maneuver earned him a few seconds that he used to slash the Ax wielder in two. Chainer turned to continue, but lost his footing in the red pool covering the ground. As he fell, a broadsword twice the size of Chainer's Katana materialized where his head had just been. Chainer pushed off the ground, regaining his feet just in time to lock eyes with the broadsword's owner. Their gazes never broke until Chainer sliced through them in one clean swipe. But in the second he was distracted, a cold metal chain looped around his head. It closed around his throat, blocking any air from entering his lungs. Chainer was just about to use his Katana to free himself when two short swords started to come down upon him. He hastily moved to parry as his vision started to swim. He barely managed to fend off the dual blades, but it left him unable to deal with the chain threatening to choke him out. Chainer glared, his substantial anger refusing to let everything end here, in this refuse heap he once called home. Chainer thrusted weakly, attempting to lure the blade user into a false sense of security. It worked, but not before the blades expertly removed the Katana from Chainer's grasp. He used this chance, however, kicking the soldier in the shins. The slick floor prevented the man from keeping his balance, and he fell face-first onto the mace from earlier.
With the odds a little more in his favor, Chainer closed his eyes in an attempt to focus. Everything was starting to fade around him as his situation became far more dire. Using the dual blade soldier's body, Chainer forced himself up, and felt his head connect with the chain user's nose. Chainer could feel blood trickling down the back of his head, but he would be hard pressed to guess whose it was. The chain mercifully slackened, and Chainer gulped in the warm iron-tasting air. Chainer dropped to his knees in relief, using his legs to bring the choker down with him. Once they were both on the ground, Chainer scored a powerful kick into the man's face, rendering him unconscious. Now it was one on one. Chainer rolled as a foot came crashing down towards him. He got to his feet, cursing himself for losing his weapon mid-fight. The martial arts user approached quickly, shooting a flurry of blows. Chainer blocked as many of them as he could, retreating back towards his bunk. Each hit, however, left him feeling weaker. His rage fueled strength was subsiding at the worst possible time. As they crossed the room, Chainer realized that they were getting dangerously close to the corner where he used to sleep. An idea started to form as he parried yet another punch. Backing farther into the corner, he felt his old bunk touch the nape of his neck. Feinting a counterattack, Chainer made the other solder pause for a brief instant. It was all he needed. Doing a back flip, he landed on his old hammock with his feet kicking off of the wall. The force was enough to rip the hammock off the wall and send him soaring back towards the other fighter. The move was unorthodox enough to earn him the advantage of surprise. The hammock bound the martial artist tightly, leaving him helpless on the floor. Chainer landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of them both. Chainer recovered faster, straddling the other soldier and raining punches down on his head. He didn't stop until a sickening crack left the other man dead on the floor. Chainer got to his feet wobbly. His head ached, his knuckles were cracked and bleeding, and his body was covered in bruises. But he couldn't stop here.
Retrieving his weapon, Chainer opened the door in the back; the door that lead to the Boss's room. The lights were all off, but monitors on the opposite side of the room gave off an eerie glow. They illuminated the outline of a large chair that was facing away from Chainer and a dark wooden desk. He spit, tasting the coppery blood mix with his saliva.
"Face me, you filth." The chair never moved. A raspy voice drifted to him, seeming to come from all directions at once.
"Ixid. I have been watching you for some time. You are an excellent fighter and seemed quite popular with the other soldiers." The voice paused, and Chainer thought he heard a low wheezy chuckle. "That is, you were fairly popular before you killed them all. But that is beside the point." The chair swiveled around and Chainer did a double-take. The voice had led him to believe that the Boss was elderly and frail, but the exact opposite was true. The Boss was rippling with muscle from head to toe. Chainer placed both hands on his Katana and pointed it at the larger man. He struggled to keep the point from wavering and betraying his own failing strength.
"Cut the small talk. I'm here to avenge my sister." The wheezy laugh came again, and Chainer was sure it was coming from the Boss.
"Ah, that's right, I had her killed. There was really no other way, you see. Falon was no longer able to live up to his position and he needed to be replaced. I had not counted on you killing the entire squad, but it is of no consequence. They are all expendable." The Boss stood and opened a drawer. "Falon used to be a good fighter, but he got lazy, sloppy. You were next on the list. But just in case you get any ideas based on your success so far..." the Boss took a weapon out from the drawer. It was a pure black Katana, except it was curved and sharpened on the back too. It shone, even in the lack of light. The Boss slowly walked around the desk, spinning the Katana in a vicious circle. "I am in charge here, and I am willing to let you be my right-hand man. You can serve me and make more money than you ever dreamed" Chainer growled, and tightened his grasp on his weapon.
"The look of surprise on your face when I kill you will be payment enough!" Chainer charged, slashing rapidly. The attack bounced off steel as the Boss's weapon appeared in the way. He moved with unearthly speed, flowing around Chainer like the wind around a boulder. A shallow gash appeared on Chainer's back, and he stumbled forward. Chainer whirled, the anger rising a little more at the insult. He charged again, feinting once before jabbing. The Boss didn't fall for it, parrying it easily and responding with a slash on Chainer's right forearm. Chainer held back the pain as he released the weapon. Spinning quickly, he used his left to catch the Katana in midair and struck at the Boss's feet. It connected with the left foot only moments before the right kicked him in the face. The Boss snarled as Chainer was sent sprawling backwards.
"It has been a long time since I've seen my own blood. I was right when I said you were skilled. Unfortunately, it seems you won't listen to reason. You've left me no choice." The Boss slowly advanced on Chainer as he got to his feet. Chainer lunged, hoping to catch the other man off guard. It failed, and the Boss used his free hand to catch Chainer's katana. The Boss smiled and twisted his hand, snapping the blade in two like a dry twig. Chainer stared in disbelief as the Boss's weapon appeared in his stomach. It was strange, because he didn't even feel it. The Boss leaned in, his raspy breath tickling Chainer's ear.
"It is a shame you had to die. You had so much promise." Chainer coughed, a little blood trickling from his mouth. He was panting hard to catch his breath.
"I wish...I could say the same." With the very last of his strength, Chainer removed the Boss's weapon and turned it on its master. It entered at the base of the neck and protruded from the crown of the Boss's skull. A look of surprise crossed the Boss's face before his eyes clouded over in death. Chainer withdrew the blade as the corpse fell. He sheathed it in his own belt before stumbling out the door. The world was at an angle with reality, and he barely kept his feet. He crossed the room, falling to his knees from the blood loss. He crawled to the middle of the room, holding his wound. Everything was fading to black, and he really couldn't care less. He had avenged his sister, and all was how it should be. When he lost consciousness, the last thing he thought of was if his sister would be waiting for him in death.
***
Hours later, when the swat team entered the former gang's headquarters, they were horrified by what they saw. Instead of following their trace and finding The Chainers, they instead found a bloodbath. Body parts and guts were scattered across the room, broken only by the occasional piece of trash from a nearby take-out joint. A layer of blood-stained dirt coated the entire room a dark red. In the center of it all, the man formerly known as Kyle Reux sat cross-legged on the floor. He was also covered in blood, though it seemed it wasn't all his own. He had a peaceful, almost serene look on his face, as if he had finally found his purpose in life.
Along with the swat team was a well-reputed hero named Electrosys. He was the leader of a Super Group and had saved Paragon City more times than he cared to count. When the chief of police asked him to personally oversee the Chainer Base raid, how could he refuse? He looked around the room and shuddered. This was one of the worst massacres he had ever seen. The man in the middle of the room was bleeding badly, but Electrosys's sensors told him that there was still life. He kneeled and shook the man gently. Chainer Ixid opened his eyes curiously, and even Electrosys was surprised that the bloodied man was conscious.
"What happened here? Who did this?" Chainer looked up, a weak smile registering on his rugged and blood-stained face.
"Justice happened here. They all paid for their sins in blood. I made sure of that." Electrosys stared through his visor, wondering how a single human with no powers could have possibly done all this.
"What is your name?"
"They called me Chainer...Chainer Ixid." Chainer's eyes rolled back into his skull as he collapsed into Electrosys's arms. Electrosys picked up the man gently, turning to leave. The police wouldn't need him here anymore, and he had more pressing concerns. Like making sure that this new Hero didn't die prematurely. Sure, it might take a while before Chainer would be back to full strength, but he would certainly become a major force for good in Paragon City. Electrosys would see to that personally.