He hadn't felt the Morissey air for a while.
With his bomber jacket on, Clive Stabler got out of the van that he was in. He threw two $100 bills at the driver. "Pretend we never saw each other." he said to the driver who drove off. He was in the Northwest part of the city, just as his feet touched the sidewalk.
He saw the hundreds of men in suits, and women in formal wear, walking alongside him or past him.
The jacket Stabler was wearing had a heavy shade of brown, although the shoulders did emit a lighter shade of the brown. On the back of his jacket was an engraved cat skull on fire. Left to the flaming cat skull was the word HELLFIRE written in a coat of yellow.
Stabler knew for a fact that speakers were all over the city, giving announcements left and right, all tracing back to the Morissey Communication Command in downtown.
Today's announcement boomed:
"Citizens of Morissey." the 40 something year old voice of a speaker, began. "The 9th Precinct of Morissey has suffered an attack from a possible Hellfire Arm User. Be on the lookout! Check your surroundings, raise your awareness. A reminder to all citizens: Hellfire Arm users have appearances that stand out from our society. DO NOT by any means make contact with or approach a Hellfire Arm user if you do see one. Instead, contact the local police or a nearby HAST officer."
Piercer was strapped onto his back, and it was hella long, even for a rifle. It's sleek silver chrome paint was visible even miles away. He locked eyes to the bystanders that saw his clothing, and the Hellfire Arm with him.
"Not one word." the phrase that came out of his mouth whenever somebody looked at him funny, regardless if it was his face, his clothes, or more than likely, Piercer.
Things in the city run by fast, including news and events, like that police station he shot up.
He had to be quick.
Just a few inches away from him was the Full Moon Hotel. Stabler swiftly made a right into the alleyway. For an alleyway in the north, this particular alley was clean and neat. There he saw a uniformed man standing outside. The man had a tag on his name which read: Uwell.
"Stabler, right?" Uwell spoke. "I was told to meet you here." Behind Uwell was a door.
"Ye." Stabler replied. "I've gone to a meeting with someone."
"Yes sir. Please follow me."
Stabler followed Uwell through the door. Inside, Stabler saw the red carpets and the elegant design of the hotel. Gold, white and red were it's more dominant colors, in addition to a small staircase leading up to the upper side of the ground floor, for a more exhilarating view of the hotel's interior.
He followed Uwell to a staff elevator. It was powered up by one of those new Uberlectric machinery Morissey imported from Germany. Uwell took out his wallet and swiped his card, prompting the elevator to go up to the 32nd floor.
There was silence as the elevator went up. Stabler had his hands in his pocket. Uwell saw Piercer slightly shrink.
"It tends to do that." Stabler suddenly let out his voice. "When it's in closed spaces like this elevator."
"Can I ask a question, sir?"
"Depends on the question." Stabler spoke politely. He hated dumb questions. "Shoot"
"Is it true you and Mr. Bright met The Devil?"
Hellfire Arms aren't much of a strange thing anymore, Stabler thought. Of course Uwell was going to be one of the many citizens that wondered such things. These weapons have the word hell in them afterall, even though that wasn't necessarily the case.
"We met a devil." he spoke of Valefar, the Gunsmith's representative. The guy who makes the Deals. The one who sealed the contract between him and Piercer. "But not the Devil you think of."
"Do you enjoy working here?" It was Stabler's turn to ask questions. Uwell noticed the Hellfire Arm user's cold blank stare. "In a place full of well dressed rich monkeys?"
"I gotta make amends for my family." Uwell replied. He thought about the usual guests that came in and out of the hotel.
We all gotta pay our livings, Stabler thought. Some people went as far as being a Dripper, and that's no longer a strange thing anymore.
The two men stopped at the 32nd floor. Uwell went out first. They then proceeded to walk up to another staircase, stopping at another door leading to the rooftop.
Stabler handed him $50. "For your troubles."
"Oh, thank you sir." Uwell replied in surprise.
"All I ask in return is-"
"Silence." said Uwell. "Mr. Bright has made it very clear about the people he works with, and the uh, organization you all have."
Stabler gave a cheeky grin, the kind a bastard would have. "Good man." he said before he walked through the door, and arrived at the hotel's roof.
The view of the city was great from here. You could see Ryder's Island from here. All those poor bastards jailed there, dealing with equally damned guards in the prison and sharks in the waters surrounding the island.
"The hell is he?" Stabler said as he turned his head to find Bright. He then heard the wind howl, as a trace of crimson went by him. The eerie crimson sheet of wind was floating in the air, and as it came down, Stabler slowly saw the wind forming a tall figure: a man in crimson.
"Dammit Bright." Stabler said in surprise as he now saw Bright's usual form. That crimson hat, the equally crimson scarf, the crimson clothes. He shook off the eerie feeling. "I'll be quick. I shut up Graham." Stabler looked left and right. "Where's Hunch?"
"He's working his shift at the usual place."
"You're kidding me." Stabler said. "Tell him to get out of there. Even if Graham was dead they'll still look for him you know, especially since Hunch hasn't shaved that freaking mustache."
"I doubt the MPD will use up all of their men to search for one man." Bright replied about "Hunch".
"No, but that Haverton who interrogated Graham might."
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
"No, Piercer's already loud as it is. I didn't want to blow my cover at the time."
"Good."
"Good!?" Stabler exclaimed. "That guy, whoever his name is, is gonna be helping the MPD get the Hellfire Arms sooner or later. Him and the other Havertons."
"We can't compromise Drip Work Inc." Bright spoke of the organization he and Stabler were in, along with 100 or so people.
"Sure, even though you're the guy who made Lloyd Howitzer say goodbye to Earth." Stabler countered. "Who else can kill people and cut them up like pigs then leave crimson on their bodies?"
Stabler looked down to see a coat of crimson below his feet, he then looked to Bright. "I had my reasons." the man in crimson said. Stabler was quiet. He knew the technique Bright might pull off, when he has hisa crimson sheet under his victim's feet.
"Mind filling me in on the details?" As Stabler said that, the crimson sheet disappeared.
"Not here, not now." Bright spoke. "For now, no kills, no contracts for you. Piercer's volume can't be altered, so best you stay at that place of yours until you're called again."
"And what about the others?" Stabler said that name in a serious tone. "I sure as hell hope they don't bring unwanted attention."
"I'm sure they can handle themselves. As for the MPD, let the fishes swim, venture into dark waters. Now go and get out of here. I heard today's announcement from the speakers all around town. Your appearance alone can't be changed, so try not to pick a fight with anyone, for your sake."
"Not even the cops?" Stabler countered. "They're probably looking to confiscate the Hellfire Arms, we should do that too!"
"I asked you to lay low." Bright said as his crimson creature appeared, huffing in front of Stabler. "Or do I have to make it even clear for you?"
"Alright, alright." Stabler had his hands up. "I'll lay low, but what about-"
"I'll handle it." Bright said as he morphed into crimson mist once more, leaving Stabler alone from the roof. The crimson cloud Bright was now blended with the wind, flying through the city's billboards and making sharp turns in between the buildings.
He saw the amount of people on the street level just going through their days. It was just a matter of time until actual fear was implemented in each of the citizen's veins, up to their brains.
At the corner of his ear, Bright heard squeaks. He turned to see a rat standing on the edge of a building. It wasn't the tallest building in all of the city, but it certainly was high enough for someone to break their legs, or their face, depending on the position they were dropped.
Bright came back into his usual form, his feet landing on top of the building safely, as the rat went up to his hand.
The rat was squeaking, but Bright had a good idea on what was being said. The crimson suited man chuckled.
"Tell your King to get a move on, to follow that Haverton wherever he's heading. Make sure he can't continue his investigation."
The rat squeaked again.
"You saw another man? With a red tie?" Bright asked. Soon it came to him. "Well I'll be damned, the Representative himself." The rat saw Bright's eerie grin, and was soon on its way, far far away from Bright.