As Barry and the other Forensic Scientists searched for clues, the other officers checked the Camera footage. They were disappointed as the EMP grenade fried them. There was also another piece of information they did not know that made this impossible.
The Bounded Field created a separate space which was more of a copy of a certain location making the cameras useless. As for the Gunmen themselves, they were taken to the hospital where they were treated for internal bleeding, broken bones, and severe concussions.
They would not be robbing any banks any time soon as their injuries would leave them in recovery for months. It was also possible they would never recover fully as well. While the ambulances were on their way, the police questioned the gunmen who could still talk.
All they got was a broken-up stream of nonsense, of shadows moving, a knight of shadows, and a dog. It was nonsense which was a result of the fear that Viktor had instilled in them.
Barry had heard the whole thing and from the look of the bullets on the ground, they hadn't done anything. He used a pair of forensic forceps to pick up a flattened bullet head. He glanced down at the floor where something big and heavy had dropped down from the ceiling cracking the marble with considerable force.
He glanced up at the ceiling and didn't see any damage. Meaning that whatever fell, was the thing that the gunmen had shot at. It fell from a considerable height and still managed to take down 13 armed gunmen with ease.
Barry relied on the Speed Force which enhanced his speed of thought as he began to build up a scene.
'Something or someone dropped from the ceiling which resulted in the cracked floor. The gunmen instantly fired, but from the bullets on the floor, what they were shooting at was unharmed. Then, from the state of the injuries they sustained the culprit was most certainly enhanced.
Then from what they said, the shadows came to life, and a black armored dog and a knight stopped them. A meta, mage, who can control darkness. Who fights with an armored dog?'
As he was thinking, Joe stepped toward him. Joe West the Father of Iris was a heavy-set man with red hair, and a red beard, which was well-groomed. He was one of the few people trusted with the secret of Barry and Wally.
"So? Any ideas?"
Barry stood up as he collected some of the casings and bullets from the floor. He placed them in bags for testing at the lab.
"Not as much as you think, I can tell you that whoever stopped these was enhanced. Either a Meta human or some other empowered individual. From what the gunmen said, they were stopped by an individual wearing what they claimed was a set of knight armor. They had a small black dog wearing armor as well which resisted against their bullets.
Plus, he took them down with one blow each. They got sent flying which is why the wall over them has a human-shaped hole. Aside from the armor and the dog, both could control the shadows which they used to fight. An umbramancer, someone who controls shadows."
Joe wrote this down before he asked something else.
"Anyone you know?"
Barry squinted his eyes as he thought of his rouges and other Justice League super villains.
"At the moment, no, controlling the shadows is not so common. Unless this wasn't a meta and was instead a magic user."
Joe continued to write it down before he closed his notebook.
"Magic. If not for Doctor Fate and Zatana I would hardly believe such a thing existed. So, let's go with that, why would a magic user who are usually all high and mighty feel the need to get involved in this?
Not just that, this wasn't the only place. All throughout the city, thugs and petty criminals were tied up to street lights. After questioning them, they said the same thing. The sketch artists are going to have their work cut out for them."
Barry stood up before he glanced around.
"Regardless, they are highly dangerous. If they are a Meta or Mage who can control shadows, who knows what else they will be able to do once they get a handle on their powers?"
Joe shook his head as he walked away to join the other officers.
"Well, I am sure you will figure it out. Our new vigilante is sure to strike again so keep an eye out."
Barry nodded as he would do just that. Central City was his home and while he wasn't Batman who hated other vigilantes moving in Gotham he would appreciate the help as long as the one helping wasn't a villain in the making.
---
As for Viktor during this whole thing, he and Yami just snored away in the beddroom. He didn't know how long he would be able to squat in this house, but he hoped for a while. However, as he slept Incinerate Anthem which had taken the form of a silver cross that hung from his neck shifted as he moved.
As he slept, the cross constantly released a holy aura that now that Viktor had some power to his name had grown stronger. While Central City wasn't known for ghosts where ever lots of people lived there were bound to be people who could not pass on.
Drawn by the power of the cross, a few of these wandering spirits drifted toward Viktor and Yami. The ghosts feeling the great aura of holiness radiating from the cross reached out for what they felt was their salvation.
Instead, when these foolish spirits touched the cross its power these ghosts began to burn. With screams of agony, Holy Flames enveloped these ghosts and burnt them to nothing.
Viktor opened his eyes as he watched the ghosts burn up.
"That was dumb."
He smiled as he patted the cross across his neck. It was a truly beautiful thing as it was made of what he could only call pure silver. It constantly radiated a feeling of warmth and it he felt that it nurtured his soul with its power.
Plus, the cross was also sentient in a different way to Lyakon. Where Lyakon was created by merging King Lycaon with Ama-No-Ohabari, the Divine Sword of Izanagi, Incinerate Anthem was created using the cross which Jesus, but he didn't think that was it.
After all, the Longinus contained a consciousness inside of it. He could tell that much but not more, but he could only continue to improve his connection to his second Sacred Gear. After the ghosts had been dealt with, Viktor sat up from his bed.
He turned to Yami who was clearly annoyed at being woken up.
"Oh well, we might as well get back to our training."
Yami yawned, but he might as well get up as the stronger Viktor and he got, the safer they would be. Once again, another Bounded Field, and Viktor returned to his training. He started it off by meditating for 30 minutes while circulating his mana throughout his body.
Yami also mediated alongside him which worked by improving their connection. During his mediation, Viktor kept a hand on Yami's head while his other hand was clasped around Incinerate Anthem.
Viktor's mana flowed through the three of them as the two Sacred Gears shared one thing in common. They were bound to his soul so the mana flowed from Viktor to Yami, then to Incinerate Anthem, and them back in an endless cycle.
Through this method, something interesting happened. Viktor's consciousness descended into his soul something he had yet to do. Here, he saw his own soul which was split down the middle. The left hemisphere was filled with bright purple fire and holy energy.
The right hemisphere surged with darkness, cursed black fire and what seemed to be swords. At the point where the two halves of his soul connected the powers of his Sacred Gears didn't clash, but they didn't mix either.
As Viktor watched on, Yami appeared in the dark side, but rather than his cute dog form he seemed to be the darkness. Just a burning pair of eyes looked at him with the same loyalty Viktor had come to know.
On the left Incinerate Anthem, the cross itself radiated a constant stream of holy fire filling up his soul. As a result, his soul was growing because of the pressure placed on it by two Longinus.
However, the cross which seemed to be made of Holy Fire much like Yami changed shape. A pair of burning eyes glanced at him with great interest. When Yami and the other eyes glanced at each other there was no animosity or anything.
The power of the two Longinus just were not ready to combine properly as he needed to push his connection to both. He turned around to look at the consciousness of Incenerate Anthem, the one he had yet to communicate with.
"This is our first true meeting. First I would like to say nice to meet you. I hope to get to know you better in the future. In this world, the three of us will need to work together to survive."
After he said his words, the consciousness of Incinerate Anthem seemed happier. He could feel it through his soul. He also felt that Yami was happy that he would have another partner and hopefully a friend.
Viktor also learned something, where Yami was male, the consciousness of Incenerate Anthem was female. Of course, he didn't know her name, but Walburga called her The Chief Mourner whatever that meant.
While Viktor wanted to remain in his own soul, keeping this state going drained his mana by the second.
"It seems our time will be cut short. This seems like good progress."
With that Viktor's consciousness returned to his body. He felt his head hurt as his mana had fallen dangerously low, but he felt it was worth it. He had grown his bond with not just Yami, but Incenerate Anthem.
He could feel that the woman who was fused with the Cross was someone important. Why did God, fuse her with the Cross Jesus was crucified on? Who was she? He would get those answers in the future, but not now.
As he got to his feet he glanced down at Yami before he increased his grip on Incenerate Anthem.
"Well, then. We got a long way ahead of us."
Yami barked and he could feel that Anthem agreed with him. That is what he would call her until he got her true name. Until then, it was back to training as he could recover his mana while he practiced his swordsmanship.
Viktor never considered himself a lazy person even before, but now that his efforts were rewarded with strength he felt no reason to laze around. Once his mana recovered he continued to practice in forming constructs out of the Holy Flames.
He also tried to find ways to merge the Cursed Fire of Yami with the Holy Fire of Anthem. The flames didn't fight as neither Yami nor Anthem were actively impeding him. The flames themselves and their opposing nature refused to merge.
Rather than give up he continued his efforts while training in a variety of bladed weapons. Even shaping the darkness and at a later date, he would need to spend time going through the thousands of years of memories of Yami and hopefully Anthem.
This way he would use the experiences of their previous weilders to light the way for him. He didn't stop his training until it was 3 hours to sunset. He ate a big meal heavy in protein, took a shower and took a nap to recover.
When the sun set, Viktor, and Yami once again went out on patrol. Only this time they were even more stealthy using the dark and teleportation to avoid detection. They stopped a few crimes in progress, got some drugs off the street, and stopped several break-ins.
Of course, they were not gentle about it as he took the Batman method. Don't kill, but leave them wishing they were dead. When mourning came, more criminals were found battered, bruised, and tied to street lights. Viktor was here to stay and he liked his new vigilante life.
As a result of his actions, a new rumpr spread in Central City of the Knight and his Hound punishing the guilty after dark. All the while, Viktor continued his training increasing his confidence and power.