Shiloh Asura, the Wraith
Corvus Rodin Helstrom, the Arclight
“Enough. I have all I need,” Shi’a said.
He turned to leave after breaking the restraints that held the Tracksuits. “I will let you live this time, but one more screw up and I will feast on your souls. Go back to the Kingpin and tell him why you failed.”
Without a sound Shi’a was gone. The police officers would begin to wake a few minutes later. He was sure they would be a report made on what happened, but what was a return without a little fun?
Corvus, at the same time, snuck away from the old auto shop that had served as a drug den, if only for a short while, and trudged upon the thick snow drifts that had come to afflict this particular alley. There was a narrow path that appeared to have been shoveled, perhaps last night, but it too was starting to get filled up with snow. He quickly headed out, and soon, he was in another building, scoped rifle pointed at the streets below to look out for future threats.
On the snow, there would be footprints, but there was little time before these too got covered up by the new snowfall from the skies. Perhaps these are more than enough…?
Shi’a wasted no time scouring the auto shop for any sign of the intruders. This ArcLight was a nuisance to his boss and Shi’a would have to see what all the fuss was about. When there was no sign, Shi’a returned to the street and looked at the small auto shop. It didn’t take long for him to locate footprints in the snow ridden alley near the auto shop. Perhaps his prey was watching. Shi’a, still in his wraith form, released a loud and intense wail that collided with the auto shop. The metal beams and brick walls struggled to remain still against the force of the sound, but nothing could withstand the power of sound. The beams began to snap, and bricks began crumbling as the wail intensified until the building collapsed. Thankfully with no one inside. Any within the vicinity would find it hard to concentrate and be disoriented after the ear piercing wail. Shi’a floated in place for a moment allowing the cold snow to fall onto his form. He moved just in frame of Corvus’ scope.
Corvus paused. He examined this strange wraithlike being through his scope, taking note that he had shifted from a human to a… ghost, wraith thing. Seeing him now, though, pretty much confirmed all he needed to know. This was Shi'a Asura, one of the assassins in service of Kingpin. A bad guy.
The scoped rifle shimmered with a golden glow, pulsating with powerful mutant energy. This was a chance that he may never get again… take out the right hand of the big man himself. And, then perhaps, draw out the Kingpin later on.
Corvus wasn't a slayer, for the most part, at least. But for this one, he'll have to make an exception.
The crack of a rifle shot filled the air, with the bullet letting out a stream of yellow light as a testament to its enhanced state… and it missed by just an inch. The wall right in front of Shi'a, though, exploded in a smattering of shattered brick. That blow was powerful enough to have pierced the armor of an armored personnel carrier, and certainly would have killed a normal human. But this enemy was no human…
Pieces of brick flew up and struck Shi’a in the shoulder before falling to the ground. The explosion had sent dust and debris all over, but Shi’a remained still, hovering, unphased by the attempt on his life. Someone had targeted him. No doubt it was the one responsible for the mess earlier, the one who had become a thorn in his father’s side. Shi’a gazed in the direction the shot had come from. The light had vanished as quickly as it had come, nearly half a second, but that was all he needed. The thrill of the hunt filled him with adrenaline. It had been ages since he’d been in the field to assist his father, and yet he grew more excited at the thought of draining the soul from the mortal's body and watching the light fade from his eyes. It was always the same when they faced him. They were always so sure they could vanquish him, always ready to battle and yet when they set eyes upon him, the very fear that they once hid came to the surface. The very soul within their mortal frames quivers and begs to be freed, and Shi’a being the gentle angel of death simply delivers freedom at their request.
Shi’a had slipped into the shadow with such swiftness, it was hard to keep track, that is until he struck. His voice filled the room first.
“Well well, you must be the infamous Arclight. I expected more from you.”
Shi’a emerged from the shadows as black and purple miasma slowly poured from him, traveling along the floor.
“I have so many questions.”
Corvus faced Shi’a with a furious glare, the weapon he was holding shimmering with golden light. Even the bayonet affixed to the bottom of the gun barrel glowed as well, signifying that it had been enhanced to greater proportions of power.
“Expected more?”, Corvus replied, taking out a pistol from beneath his coat and infusing it with the quiet rhythm of psychic energy. “Did you expect someone taller? I’m sorry to disappoint you. I really am.”
Corvus, knowing that something as ghostlike as this couldn’t be fought in close quarters, let alone with that strange miasma spewing all around it. He wasn’t sure what that was, but Corvus did not desire to test it out. What he needed, then, was a more open area.
Arclight fired an infused round, aiming it at the floor that Shi’a was standing at. He quickly turned tail and ran towards the open window out of which he had fired his shot, aiming to land upon that conveniently angled piece of roof. He was going to get to the open streets…
The man was actually rather handsome. Funny how mortals spent a majority of their lives fascinated by the beauty others possessed. Shi’a tilted his head at the response of the rifle wielding vigilante and would have laughed had the shot aimed at the floor not distracted him. The resulting explosion caused the floor to cave and debris to hit Shi’a ethereal form again, yet he remained hovering over the huge hole caused by Arclight. The man dashed towards an open window and landed on the roof. The chase was always the fun part. Shi’a miasma twisted and melded into a beautiful bow. Souls trapped within the weapon begged to be free. He pulled the silver bow string and waited for the right moment. With great precision he released two arrows that soared at immense velocity towards Corvus.
Corvus looked over his shoulder to see whether Shi'a had been neutralized by the previous shattering of the floorboards… only for him to see that the man was still there. Now, though, the pursuing wraith person was aiming at him with a bow… and he looked just in time to see the string get loose.
It was strange, then, that the arrows made no sound. Corvus evaded one of the flying projectiles, but the other hit him at the shoulder. Right at the same place where he had shot the Tracksuits a while ago. He yelped in pain. This was different to what he had expected from an arrow. It would seem that just like the man himself, the arrows were not mundane in nature… but magical? The arrow wasn't stuck there, despite the welling sense of pain that lingered on that spot, and there wasn't any bleeding.
"Ow. Ow," Corvus hissed as he tried to lift the gun to no avail as the stinging sensation on his shoulder forced down his arm. He felt slower, too. Something definitely was fishy about those arrows.
"Okay, we can talk about this. How much does he pay you?... Eh…"
Alright, that was quite the blunder.
Shi’a phased through the wall that separated him from Corvus and approached the man who was pinned by his spirit shackle. The more he resisted, the tighter the chain would become. Shi’a hovered like smoke on the wind until he was a mere foot or two away from Corvus.
“Ahh, now you wish to talk. Very well, I suppose I can talk. After all, it has been a while since someone as handsome as you has crossed my sight,” Shi’a said, moving in a circle around his prey. “If you are wondering what he pays me, I assure you it is beyond your bank account, but perhaps you can compensate me in other ways.”
Shi’a hand reached out and stroked the side of Corvus’ face before retracting back into his form.
“Relax, I’m merely having a little fun. Now, there is something I want to know and you are the man to tell me. How long have you targeted his businesses?”
"Oh, bloody hell, this one's a flirting bloke..." Corvus hissed again, as the flirting that accompanied the question began in earnest. Handsomeness? Compensation? Face touching? They've only just met-
"Alright, since you're nicely asking, I suppose I'll answer," Corvus began, not sure why this person is simultaneously terrifying and funny. "I've been hitting these 'businesses' for the last five or so years. Because newsflash… drugs are bad for you."
Corvus tried his best to ignore the fact that he was apparently very attractive to the eyes of this… person. Who was the last person who told him that anyway, Mom? That's what moms always say…
Shi’a couldnt resist the giggle that burst forth, but the many voices made it bone chilling to hear.
“Five years…… Five long years. You must be tired. Is it rewarding? To keep the streets of New York drug free. The sad realization is there will always be someone willing to distribute drugs without consequences. It's a pity that money can twist even the greatest of souls.”
Shi’a was tired of the business his father ran. When would the man focus more on his legitimate businesses? The last thing he wanted was to have to visit his father behind bars. Even wealth had its limits. For the last four years Shi’a dedicated his life to creating a clean business for his father in various states across the country, but here in New York his father seemed hell bent on distributing toxins to the citizens of the great state. It saddened him, but he was faithful to his father and would do as he asked. This man could be a saving grace for him. This man could help him, but would he be willing to make a deal with such a dark entity as Shi’a?
“Has there been a decline in drug use since you started your vigilante mission? What is to stop another from taking the Kingpin’s spot when he is gone?”
Shi’a’s flirtatiousness had diminished and his tone was serious. He wanted to know if this man’s efforts were for naught. Have there been any results?
"Look…" Corvus looked away, his tone becoming one of sombreness. "We all dealt with the Blip in our own way, alright? This is how I first dealt with it, keeping my mind off from the fact that everyone I know is dust. Now… well, you… you have a point. But what do you want with me, really?"
“I want you to help me. The Kingpin won’t stop until someone stops him, and I have been in his employ far too long for it to be me. I know there are others like you who want the streets of New York to be a safe place.”
Shi’a paused and sighed.
“I have done so much for him. Killing just so that he would go unchallenged. When I heard that he had a new thorn in his side I figured it would be best for me to investigate instead of him sending someone who would kill you on sight.”
Shi’a stopped circling Corvus and transformed back into his normal form, his beautiful blue eyes piercing Corvus' own. His long hair fluttered in the breeze as he hovered in front of the man still tethered by the spirit shackle.
“Promise me that you will not stop, that you will do everything I can’t to keep this city safe. You give me your word and you are free to go. He will not stop until he is stopped, but when that time comes, promise me you will not kill him.”
"Okay…" Corvus nodded slowly, taking in the sight of this long haired man that looked straight out of one of those Chinese movies about divine, heavenly beings. He had expected something worse the moment that he found out that this person was completely unfazed by a bullet that had enough kinetic energy to blow someone's limbs off, but this was… something.
And this promise… it really was strange, at least for him. This ghostly assassin wants the Kingpin's business to be destroyed? Because he was tired of it? But again, if really was just there to assassinate him… worse things would have happened right now. Corvus is so lucky.
"Alright. I don't really intend to stop," Corvus shrugged. "Not as long as things are as bad as they are. But how can I know that this isn't some… elaborate ruse?"
“Here,” Shi’a said, reaching into the inner folds of his garments and retrieving a card, “this is how you can contact me. Rest assured it is no elaborate ruse. Those are boring and if I wanted you dead you would be dead.”
Shi’a placed the card in Corvus’ front pocket and sighed as he drifted slowly away.
“Just don’t get yourself killed playing vigilante. These roofs are rather slippery,” Shi’a said, as he made a yanking motion with his hand. The spirit shackle broke, releasing Corvus from his restraints and giving him full use of his body. “We will be in touch. After all, your choice of vigilante outfit needs lots of work. Oh and set up a meeting with that friend of yours. The one who blinded the Kingpin’s men. I would definitely like a chat with him.”
Do I look like I want to play with costumes…?Corvus sighed, looking down on the rooftop that he was standing on before looking back at Shi'a. "Well, if you want to meet Quasar… that guy comes and goes as he pleases. If you can count an interstellar star ghost as a guy, that is. He could be nearby. Or far away. I just never know when he's around."
He then looked away, a smirk slightly on his face. "You're the only one who ever complimented my face. That… is funny."
“Fabulous, then it’s settled. The next time you encounter him, let him know of my request and we can go from there,” Shi’a said, “and you are handsome, just own it more, no one can deny it. Judging from your outfit, I can have something tailored in no time.”
Shi’a’s bubbly personality was showing and he quickly reeled it in before throwing an adorable wave at Corvus before being consumed by the shadows.
"Huh," Corvus shrugged to himself just as the cawing of his crow filled his ears. "That was weird. Well, cheerio, I guess…"
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