the night was dark. all the hope on the world was dying. there is no escape from the dirt nor the filth on the air.
Miguel is holding a gun with all his strength. he walks away quietly from the scene of the crime that was committed seconds ago. he has thrown a man off the window.
Miguel had pushed Daniel Grinberg to his own end. there is no coming back from the line that was crossed. there is no salvation after taking a life. now it is all about the confusion and the doubt as Miguel walks away.
no one stops him as he becomes a shadow among many. Miguel keeps moving without looking back. he keeps walking without showing any emotion. no one can see the fear on those cold dreadful eyes.
no one can suspect of him at all. step by step he gets further from there with no trace, nor hint of regret. there is no guilt on a crime that was committed with all his hatred. an act that comes from someone's rage doesn't becomes less severe, all the opposite.
there is no soul out there to say what happened. there is no recording. and Miguel used a mask while walking inside and outside of the building. so no soul will ever know who was the one to end the reign of the infamous Daniel Grinberg.
as Miguel keeps walking he receives a message from Terry Davis. he wants to meet with him on the same place on which they first met four years ago.
it feels like a trap. it smells like a trap. it looks like a trap. it must be a trap. but even so Miguel doesn't find a reason to reject Terry's offer to have a final meal on the city. only God may know what will go down, if anything goes down at all.
Miguel stole a car to avoid suspicion. he drives just on the speed limit. he keeps driving without going down nor up. Miguel tries to look as natural or normal possible.
then out of nowhere he listens to a song. the lyrics are playing on his mind as tears start to fall from Miguel's eyes. that used to be his girlfriend's favorite song. the nostalgia from the past that was stolen hits hard.
at times Miguel thinks about what was stolen, and about what couldn't be.....
the world surely is unfair. then you have to remember that justice was only invented for those who can afford it. there is nothing wrong with been a person of justice, but is wrong to not have the money nor power to make sure it's done.
the world didn't commit a mistake. things are the way they are done. it isn't a light of hope or one single person who can make a change. everything falls on the hands of society as a whole. if society fails, then the whole system fails.
failure isn't giving up after falling one thousand times. failure is giving up after thinking about falling before even trying at all.
the world didn't wrong you. it was you who hurt yourself, by thinking that society will follow your own moral standards without questioning their selfish demands. without questioning the origin of their morals.
Miguel drives under a heavy rain. the clouds are gray like a dismal omen. there is something suspicious about the weather. or probably it is the paranoia speaking. it is hard to think without overthinking on this kind of situation.
Miguel lose more of what he won. there was barely any achievement on his actions. these lose battles aren't bravery, it is more stupidity than anything else. there is nothing to be proud about. there is just chaos left on the road.
there are many things that can't be solve, or shouldn't be solve. now the question is if Miguel's messy life counts. or if there is anything else to save from his life.
some exiled ideas play on Miguel's mind. there are some dead dreams that wish to resurrect with all their passion. some conflicted choices that don't make sense once they are thrown into hindsight.
there is an eruption of thoughts out of tune. here comes the aftermath of untreated damaged emotions, like poisonous branches they get attach to the heart. then like a fungus it spreads that bitter hollowness in the heart.
there are thousands of reasons to doubt your head. in order to preserve the reason, one must abandon those useless emotions that only bring you down. with all your might, you must hold with claws and fangs clinging to what little sanity is in there.
that is the type of journey that Miguel took. that is the kind of battle that Miguel keeps fighting even now. there is no guarantee about his mental stability, not even after he is done with the bloody road of revenge.
after some minutes Miguel finally arrives in front of the old place. the place isn't what it use to be on the past. now it is a Diner of Texan food. it is called, "Bill's Hill."
Miguel gets out of the stolen car. he slowly walks towards the Diner's front door. he opens the door slowly as he gets inside. with careful steps the former cop moves. then Miguel looks at Terry Davis sitting on a corner with some guards at his side.
the more Miguel thinks about it, the more suspicious it looks. there is no doubt that Terry Davis decided to betrayed him on the last second. Miguel isn't fearing for his life. at this point life or death. it all looks the same to Miguel.
Miguel takes his gun out. some people look at him. some are aiming at him. there are too many for Miguel to take them all out. Miguel is starting to question Terry's help. why? why now? they were suppose to be allies. Miguel feels rage.
it is done. there is no turning back.
"did you actually chose to betray me now? today? really?"
"I am not a child. I don't play games, child. I am an old man with little time left on the world. all I did was use you, and you knew it."
"but why?"
"like I said before. I don't play child games, I play adult games. and one of the saddest games of all time includes getting rid of loose links. don't take it personal. let's see how does our story ends."
Miguel aims at Terry. the bodyguards shoot at him. Miguel receives a rain of bullets as he tries to avoid most of the bullets. he then shoots at Terry four times. all the bullets hit on the chest. the old man falls on the ground dead.
Miguel falls on his knees bleeding out. he laughs like a maniac. it was clear since the beginning that there was no happy endings. but even so Miguel feels bitter for the final outcome even after so much hardship. after so much suffering, sweat, blood, and tears.
the lights are turn off. on those five seconds Miguel runs out of the Diner. he keeps walking about to fall at any given second. then he looks at Richard who was awaiting for him on an ambulance. Miguel gets inside of the ambulance. they leave.
some patrols are following them. some doctor takes care of Miguel's wounds. fortunately none of the bullets hit a vital point. he is going to live. Miguel can listen to the sound of cop cars from afar. Miguel smiles feeling so much damn resentment.
Miguel's heart stopped three or four times on the road. Richard made sure to bring him back to the world of the living every single time. while Richard takes care of the multiple bullet wounds on Miguel's body. the girl is the one doing the driving.
Miguel has a strong reason to cling to life. there is a debt many have to pay. there is a score to settle with some colorful members of the city. this might be his last opportunity to avenge the dead and himself.
Miguel lose all faith on a God the moment he faced great struggles for the first time. but right now he is praying to a God. not even Miguel himself knows to which God he dedicates his devotions. but he wishes for there to be someone listening to every word.
as soon as they found themselves out of the city Miguel was out of danger. if there was a doubt about Miguel's possible survival. now it is just that, a doubt. Miguel's hatred and desire to live are so strong. he won't die, before his vengeance is fulfill.
Richard calls some people. he tells Miguel that they can't stay together. but he thinks about visiting him and calling him. Richard explains how some acquaintances who own him their lives will take care of him while he heals.
Miguel is losing consciousness. everything starts to look blurred. he is out of danger. jet he lose too much blood. he will need a lot of rest if he wishes to recover. Miguel can feel the cold hands of a phantom caressing his face. he saw the face on his fiancee.
that is the last thing Miguel remembers before falling unconscious.
.....
4 months later.
Inside of a Hospital.
Howard Church is walking on a corridor. he stops in front of a room. he knocks on the door and awaits for some seconds. he then gets inside of the room.
inside of the room lies down Daniel on a bed breathing through a machine. he didn't die. but he isn't much alive jet. a doctor is inside of the room. he looks at Howard.
"it is a miracle that he survived."
"is there any hope for him to recover? or for him to go back to his days of glory?"
"like I said before Mr Church. it's a miracle that he is alive."
Howard Church thanks the doctor. then he leaves.
the reason why Daniel Grinberg didn't die when he fell off the building was simple. there are some trees around of the building. so when he fell. the trees avoided what could be a lethal fall to death. but even so the trees did so much damage to his body on the fall.
it's almost a miracle that he didn't die then. right now there are some doctors taking care of the unconscious gangster. the most loyal of his henchman are making sure that no one ever dares to make a Hit on him while on the hospital.
Daniel may had been a notorious monster. he was a brutal animal. he make sure to kill others no matter of their age, of their innocence/guilt, or of their (dis)capacity. but there are few to who Daniel saved, or he even gave a new life to them.
there are some henchmen who are absolutely loyal to him. there are some henchmen who would die to save their Boss. even the most notorious and dangerous person on actual times can have people who are willingly to die for him.
some may hope for Daniel's death. others wish for his survival. but at the end of the day it all depends of Daniel's will to live. it all depends of him.
for years the city lived on chaos and darkness. for years everyone treated one simple man as if he was everything, but human. now everyone sees hope on a new chapter on the pages of the city. there is light after the tunnel.
but what no one saw coming was how strong is Daniel's will to live. how stronger the infamous gangster will return. but because this isn't a tale about Daniel, but about those who were affected by him. that is all is left to say about Daniel Grinberg.
maybe some day will come the David, to defeat this city's Goliath. but so far many who intended to make a change failed. so far no one was able to finally, once and for all put Daniel on the grave. we could say that animals don't die easily.
and so far like that Daniel's tale will continue, until there are no more chapters, or no tale left to tell about his infamy.
.....
Later that Night.
Howard Church is on his mansion. the lawyer Kyle Jones is at his side. with them stands Jose "El Loco Bobo" Martinez.
there are some bodyguards. security guards. some hired guns around, inside and outside of the mansion. they are carefully protecting the property.
Howard Church lose contact with the Fierro Mafia. the only middle man was killed by Miguel before he escaped from the city. there is some fear on Howard's heart. but he knows that Miguel is just a human. he can easily bleed as much as anyone else.
with Daniel on a coma. and Terry Davis underground. Grinberg's mafia [mostly known as "the Seeds of the Devil."] is now breaking apart.
there are some who want to lead their own gang. there are others who want to take Daniel's place as the boss. there are others who await for their boss' return. as of now there are at least ten fragments.
of those fragments, Jose "El Loco Bobo" Martinez is the second in command of the biggest and strongest fragment. he is representing his actual boss. as the second in command he is visiting Howard to make some deals.
as always Kyle Jones is in there to take care of everything "Legal." of course when it is abut deals between representatives of the government and gangsters. there is nothing slightly legal about those deals.
Howard Church send his useless son away to study something useful. Howard deeply loves his son as he is the last gift that is left from his late wife. but he truly hates how stupid and useless his son can be.
the business was going too good to be true. then someone mentioned Miguel's name. everyone else on the room was silently awaiting for a proper answer. somehow that name alone became a bitter point that brought discomfort to everyone present.
while everyone was inside of the mansion eating cheese and drinking wine. outside of the mansion like a phantom came Miguel Perez.
just like a slasher villain, he came back to fulfill his promise of vengeance. his heart was a breathing rage's fire. his mind was a sea of peace. there was only one thing clear. he came to finish what he started with Daniel Grinberg.
as soon as he stepped on the property. every security guard came shooting at him. this time Miguel came prepare as he started to shoot back. he walked slowly with strong steps without taking a single step back.
slowly one by one the guards fall like flies. unlike the previous time, this time Miguel didn't came alone to fight a war. no, this time he came with company to end a war. last time Miguel didn't care if he lived, or died. he was ready to die. but he cares now.
there is only one objective today. to End two lives.
the owners of the night and city are aware of Miguel's arrival. jet they aren't capable of defending themselves. they aren't scare, jet there is doubt on their hearts. they can die tonight at the hands of a madman.
one or two of Miguel's accomplice died on the way. not even for a second Miguel stopped to look back. he gave away his soul for two cents, and it was worth it. there is nothing nor no one who can stop a man with so much hatred.
eventually Miguel found his way inside of the mansion. more guards approached him, just to die few seconds later. he walks towards the second main office on the first floor. slowly he opens the door to see three faces.
Kyle Jones walks in front of Miguel. he informs him that he is just a lawyer. he swears to not have hand on what happened to his loved ones. the lawyer tries to walk away, then two bullets hit him on the left leg. he falls on the ground on his knees.
"even a fly is guilty for association. so what makes you innocent? you a man of the law who sold his soul and broke rules for two cents. there is no such thing as a victim on this room, as it was clear from the beginning that we'll are sinners."
Miguel recharge his gun as he smiles at his enemies. then he aims at Kyle, who is praying and asking all his Gods for salvation.
after two long minutes of silence there was a BANG. a bullet hits Kyle on the back. he cries and screams feeling absolute hopelessness. then another BANG. this time the bullet hits him on the head from behind. then another two bullets hit the previous spot.
Kyle falls on the ground dead. his body trembles. the few papers he was holding, are now covered on blood and pieces of skull.
Miguel now looks at Howard Church, and then at Jose Mendez. two of the biggest names on his hit-list. there is no stopping now.
Miguel aims at Howard Church. the politician offers him a deal. with his silver tongue Howard tries to convince Miguel on giving up on his quest for vengeance. then a bullet hits Howard on the stomach. smokes comes out of Miguel's weapon.
then Howard falls on his knees. he is trying to stay on control as he dies lowly. then another bullet hits him on the chest. Howard fearfully drops dead on the floor. the second bullet had pierced his heart.
then there is only one man left standing. Jose takes his gun out. the two of them shoot at each other until their guns are empty. they charge their guns. then they shoot again. they repeat the process again. and again until they run out of bullets.
both man are badly wounded. the two of them fall on their knees. you can hear a sound coming from far away, it is the sound of the patrols and ambulance coming this way. they will arrive on about five minutes.
"f-fu-fuck, I ca-can't die, nor I ca-can't be done with it." said Miguel before falling on the ground breathing slowly. he didn't die, but he didn't had the strength to run away.
that same night Daniel Grinberg woke up from his coma. the first words he said are, "I, wa-want Me-Miguel Pi-Pee-Perez's head." to the Hammer Giant.