I lurk in every corner. I am the shadows. I stand for justice and protection. I am fear. I am peace and serenity, the watchful eye in the night sky. I am The Silver Angel.
As a hero, it is my number one duty to protect the lives of those who dwell within Victory City. I deliver light to the evil that lurks in the shadows, preying on lurking in the shadows, preying on those incapable of defending themselves. I don't have powers like some heroes, so I rely on my intellect, employing tools and mixed martial arts to take down my enemies. I dedicate my life to fighting crime, which makes me a lethal force against the scum who ravages the streets.
I was a wrench thrown in the criminal underground's gears, and I remain strong no matter how hard they've tried to pluck me out. The start of my nighttime adventures was rough, but in time the shadows have learned to fear The Silver Angel. There is no place they can run to and no corner they can hide. No matter where they lay in wait, I will find them and bring them to justice.
***
Just moments ago, I got word of a hostage situation while monitoring the police radios. I reacted without hesitation. Criminals are desperate these days and will go to any lengths to achieve their goals. The assailants took shelter in an abandoned factory on West Avenue in the south district; at least, that's what the city called it when, in actuality, the south district was nothing more than a hell hole filled with crime.
After the city relocated the industrial sector to the northeast side, Mayor Greene repurposed the south portion of the city for 'low-income homes. That's what they say anyway, but what they meant was, 'it's a place to throw away the trash.'
The city attempted to lower crime rates by essentially sectioning off a place designated for those they viewed as criminals or potential criminals. Needless to say, it worked, but that's because no one goes to the south district unless they're unfortunate enough to have to move there. Hell, they even moved both precincts across the river, and their primary purpose was to stop the criminals from infesting the rest of the city. It sucked for the very few who genuinely couldn't afford Victory City's lavish lifestyle, but as with anything in life, some people just get dealt a bad hand.
Rain tip tapped as it impacted the surrounding rooftop. Crouched on top of one of the many dilapidated buildings scattered throughout the district, I reached up and tapped the side of my mask twice. My action swapped my view over to thermal imaging. This would make it easier for me to locate my targets, and given the cool rain, any heat signature would stand out like a candle in an open desert at night.
Looking from right to left, I slowly scanned the abandoned factory, picking up on eight heat signatures inside the worn-out structure. Four of these signatures were pushed back into a corner, with one more standing off to the side, holding an object with both hands. The other three were invested in different activities throughout the place. I had a suspicion there were potentially more hostiles lurking around, but I didn't have time to waste on reckoning. If the police arrived before I took these guys down, it would end in a bloodbath and result in the death of the hostages.
Raising my right arm, I flexed my wrist, causing a small hook to propel itself toward the factory. The hook landed on the roof, and I flexed my wrist again to make the line retract. The small piece of steel became caught on the rusty railing that followed along the edge of the rooftop. It was time to see if the rusted iron bars could stand the test of time. Gravity began to pull my body down to the cracked pavement below. This is when the sensor in my gauntlet automatically activates, reeling in the line.
One moment I was free-falling; The next, I was being propelled through the air. Using my momentum, I flipped over the railing and stuck the landing just on the other side. The roof groaned under my weight, and I was pretty sure my six-foot two-hundred-and-ten-pound stature would've sent me right through the roof had it not been for the reinforced steel beams lining the inside.
Treading carefully across the top, I made my way over to the maintenance hatch. The metal screeched as I pulled the hatch open to peek down into the dark hole, scanning for even the faintest trace of heat. After waiting a few seconds, I dropped myself into the darkness below. There was a slight tap from my boots connecting with the concrete floor.
I was now on the top floor of the building, which placed me three levels above the hostages. I paused for a moment before shrinking into a corner as two footsteps began approaching from the end of the hallway. Light began to shine in my direction, and the footsteps started to close in.
One of them spoke, saying, "I'm telling you, there's nothing up here."
"Man, I know what I heard. We might've caught the attention of that hero. Oh, what's his name?" The other responded, his voice shaky.
"The Silver Angel?" His partner asked.
The nervous one snapped as the lightbulb came on, "Yeah him. The Silver Angel."
The other guy burst into laughter, "You're right. You did hear something. Maybe the screws were rattling in your head. You're delusional."
"Laugh it up, asshole. Let's just clear this hallway." I could hear the frustration rising in his voice.
"Yeah, alright, if it'll make ya feel better and put your superstitious ass at ease."
They started moving again, getting closer to my position. I was going to need to time this right if I was going to take them down without alerting the entire building of my presence. Waiting until they were almost on top of me, I gripped the batons holstered on my back. Drawing my batons, I charged around the corner, catching them off guard. I launched one of the fiberglass sticks and struck the guy on the right, right between the eyes. He fell back, and I instantly turned to his partner and smacked him across the jaw with my other baton; dazed from the blow, I uppercut him, making him come off the ground. His head hit the small red pipe above us, causing a pop before he fell unconscious. His neck turned at an unnatural angle.
The first guy was shaking off the shock and began to reach for his gun, but I was too fast. I slammed my knee against his face, causing a wet pop. His nose broke from the impact, and he groaned in pain as he covered his face. After shaking off the pain, he got up and raised his fists. I could see the blood oozing from his nose. Thanks to the flashlights. With a loud war cry, the man charged at me. Everyone knows this move never works, but that's his mistake. I hopped up, gripping the pipe above me before launching myself feet first at him. Both feet connected with his chest, and I took him to the ground before giving him a solid punch to the face. The man's head snapped back, bouncing off the floor before he went completely still. He was out like a light.
I began to move through the rest of the factory quickly. It wouldn't be much longer before the police arrived, which meant the clock was ticking for me to keep this engagement from escalating.
I made my way into the central part of the factory, taking out three more enemies along the way. Crouching behind one of the broken-down machines, I started to assess my surroundings to get an idea of where everyone was. Three adversaries were now surrounding the hostages. While the other two were standing on the catwalk looking out the window, probably on the lookout for the police.
I reached down to my belt and grabbed two pieces of equipment before putting them together, which created a small black grenade launcher. There was a small compartment on top for loading, which I popped open before placing two golf ball-sized explosives inside. After closing the latch and cocking the launcher, I leaned around the corner and fired twice. Thanks to the aiming system built into my mask, I hit my mark. The small balls launched from the weapon with a thumping sound and collided with the support beam underneath the two on the catwalk. They exploded, causing part of the catwalk to collapse, taking the two down with the rubble. The commotion alerted the other three, which was what I wanted. I needed to draw some of the attention away from the hostages to prevent a high risk of one or more of them being executed. The other three started shouting for their buddies to respond, but that response never came.
One of them barked for the other two to fan out and search the place, which made me smile. They were leaving their leverage open, and I would exploit this opportunity to the fullest.
I dashed out from my cover and tackled the assailant, who ran in my direction. We began rolling and fighting with each other for dominance. Ultimately, I took control as I wrapped one arm around his neck and squeezed. He struggled to get free while gasping for air, but he couldn't break my hold. I held him there until his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his body went limp. Now that he was out, cold. I headed for the one still guarding the hostages. Closing in on him, I slowed my pace and began to creep. I motioned for the hostages to remain silent as I came right up behind the man.
"Time for a nap," I whispered in his ear before slamming a baton into the back of his head. He crumpled to the floor, blood oozing from his cracked skull.
"Hey, Johnny..." A voice trailed off from behind me.
I quickly spun on my heel to see the remaining group member, who was a brute of a man. The guy looked like he could crush my skull with his biceps. He started to raise his gun, but I kicked it out of his hands. The kick left me open, which he exploited as he barreled into me, driving his shoulder into my gut. Every bit of air left my body, and I felt sick from the attack. His size definitely wasn't for show. Before I could recover, he wrapped his arm around me and slammed me to the ground. I gritted my teeth as my back met the concrete.
"Fuck." I muttered, hissing from the pain.
The man brought a meaty fist back to punch me, but I curled up, placing my feet against his chest. I pushed back with all my force, making him stumble and fall on his back. Pushing off the ground with my hands, I came to my feet and rushed him. Leaping into the air, I flipped and brought my heel down onto his groin. The man went from sprawled to curled up like a baby in an instant as he started whimpering, and I was sure I had crushed his jewels entirely.
I let out a groan as the pain in my back began to become more prominent. The force of the impact would definitely leave a nasty bruise, but thanks to the padded gray armor, that was the extent of the damage. Finally recovering from the fight, I freed the hostages from their bonds.
"Wait outside. The police will be here shortly." I said to them, my voice being distorted by my modulator.
They quickly ran for the exit, leaving me to gather all the dickheads involved. Once I had brought all of them to the center of the factory, I pulled out a disc. Tapping the small button on the side, I tossed it over the bunch, and the disc exploded, covering them with a net to keep them from escaping if they woke up before the cops arrived. After exiting the crime scene, I waited, perched atop a building, to watch the victims just in case something else went wrong. Luckily, everything went as smoothly as hot butter. The cops arrived shortly after and proceeded to care for the hostages and simultaneously take the now-conscious criminals into custody.
"Score another one for Darrian Osiris," I said to myself before hopping over the edge and using my grappling hook to lower myself down to the alley below.
Feet firmly planted on solid ground, I tapped my wrist pad several times before a sleek black motorcycle revealed itself. The cloaking device built into the beautiful piece of machinery had deactivated, and the two-wheeled vehicle turned on, filling the stormy air with a low roar. I slid onto my bike and placed my hands on the handlebars before revving the engine several times and speeding off into the night.