"From behind the curtain of corruption and destruction a man must rise to save a forgotten and unloved city. A hero born, destroyed and reborn again. A reaper to bring life to the clinging and death to the adhesives that grip onto the city and her walls like an infectious cancer. A fire to burn the cynics and warm the faithful with it's hot encircle. A Soul. A Chance. A Spirit....."
--
Morhaven CIty - "The Great Panic"
--
Denny Colt races through an alleyway with his handgun drawn and ready to fire. His heart siphons fear and blood throughout his entire body after each step taken. His free hand trembles uncontrollably as it slides carefully against the accompanying building wall next to him. He can feel the death and destruction through the vibrations that travel intravenously from within the walls. He can feel his city screaming in absolute pain and confusion as it rumbles and booms the melody of chaos. He can hear the screams of it's citizens as well as the sound of numerous, countless explosives go off in reaction to one another. The terror. The confusion. The sense of defeat.
His city is lost.
"Looking for me, Detective?" A voice echoed throughout the dark alleyway, interrupting the lingering silence that lay beneath the sound of sirens and gunshots.
"Show yourself you damn coward!" Denny shouted, his eyes focusing on the various shades of black that occupy the narrow passageway.
"Now, now, don't be a sore loser. I told you I would destroy you and everything you loved, Detective Colt." The voice continued after a brief silence to allow the sense of dread to sink in. "Who would have ever guessed that the thing you hold dearest to your heart is the city you are paid to protect and serve." The mysterious figure laughed maniacally, overwhelming the dark corridor with an echo of confusion and fear.
"Riots in the streets. Controlled explosives strategically placed throughout the city to thin out law enforcement to the lowest denominator for minimal resistance. Prisons, hospitals and mental asylums being the biggest of your targets. Hundreds of innocents dead in the first hour. Martial Law predicted to be placed in Morhaven City within the next 24 hours. You have literally gutted my city from the inside out." Denny said hoarsely. His eyes searching all around him for any sign of the mysterious figure.
"Did you really think that I was just going to be like all the other 'bad guys' in Morhaven? The ones that dress up like animals and colorful puns and rant absurd threats at you when they could be doing something worth a damn? No. I refuse to be just another picture in your scrapbook of memories, Detective Colt. I am not another sideshow in this carnival of horrors you call a city. I am special, you see? I say things and unlike the rest of them, I do them. I am more than talk.. more than bark. I bite and I chew and I claw and devour til there is nothing left but scraps and bone. I am the beast here, Denny boy. I am The Octopus and from within this burning city I promise you, tonight will be the night I finally kill you!" The Octopus shrieked from behind Denny Colt. Before Denny could react, The Octopus plunged a syringe that contained a green chrome colored liquid into Denny's back, causing him to scream in pain.
With eyes full of tears and a mouth overflowing with foam and blood, Denny fell violently to the floor.
"Goodnight Sweet Prince." The Octopus cooed gently as he placed his palm against Denny's cold, dead eyes.
--
Morhaven City, 5 Years Later
--
".... and that's exactly what I will be. It's what I have to be if Morhaven is to survive the rest of the world."
Denny Colt, now dressed as The Spirit (Black Domino Mask, Black Fedora Hat, Black Suit, Red Tie) patiently oversees the glimmering city skyline from the top of a dark shaded building. His eyes still as empty as the day he died.
"What do you want me to say, kid?" An older man with a wrinkled face and crestfallen eyes reveals himself from behind The Spirit.
"Denny, we thought you were dead all this time. I watched my daughter weep as she kissed your lifeless cheek goodbye. I watched your casket get lowered into the ground while she whimpered like a child. I watcher her cry harder than when her own mother died when your body was dug up and reported missing the next day. And now.. not only are you revealed to be alive five years later, but you have been this entire time? And then if that wasn't the perfect cherry to an already perfect cake, you return as some goddamn masked vigilante? Do you have any f*cking idea how much..--" The older man shouted before being interrupted by The Spirit.
"Commissioner Dolan." The Spirit raised his voice sharply to get the older man's attention.
"I'm not her to reconcile or apologize. The Denny you knew is dead and is never coming back. I come to you simply as a man who wants to help you, the commissioner of Morhaven City, push the city back into the shallow and out of the bog that you have allowed it to slip under. Nothing more. Nothing less." The Spirit turned to face the sullen commissioner who's face was contorted into anger and disgust.
"You're only here for intel on the city and it's top dogs. If I weren't commissioner you wouldn't have even considered to pay me a visit." The commissioner shook his head in anger.
"As I said before." The Spirit replied coldly. "Nothing more, nothing less."
The commissioner closed his eyes and lowered his head, emotion filling his heavy heart and overworking brain. The Spirit continued.
"I know you Eustace. I know how much this city means to you. It's slowly slipping out of your control and judging from your current state, i'm guessing it has been for some time. You have probably been hoping.. praying for something to just magically appear and solve all your problems for you or at the very least relieve some of the pressure. Well that something is me and i'm here now. I can't die Commissioner. At least not as easy as you can. I can do things and go places other men can't do and go. How you feel about me isn't what is important. You have a duty to these people to pull them out of the fire while there is still a chance. So do your job already and shake my damn hand." The Spirit voiced silently, reaching his hand out in the commissioner's direction.
"Two things before I agree to anything.... Spirit." The commissioner hesitated.
"First things first. You run everything by me and when I say everything I mean every last thing."
"Second and most important. Ellen. You stay the hell away from her. If I so much as even think you are thinking about contacting my daughter, we will see just how much you can live through."
The spirit smirked and chuckled at the commissioner causing the man to raise his eyebrow in confusion.
"Whats so funny?" The commissioner snapped back.
"Five years later and you're still the same hard ass old man that pushed me through the academy.It's good to see some of that still left in there." The Spirit smiled, avoiding the commissioners warning.
And with that the vigilante vanished leaving a worried commissioner to contemplate weather or not this new alliance will be the greatest mistake of his career or the start of something better.
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