I know many things.
A woman in Nigeria, screaming for her son. He is not even ten feet away from her, butchered, dragged through the streets.
An anti-war protest gone horribly wrong.
Humans are a vile, hateful species. So much potential, flushed because of petty differences, rivalries, prejudices, and misunderstandings. War is in their nature. It is as familiar to them as a heartbeat, a sound so easily turned silent.
Why bother preserving that which is driving itself to extinction? Humans are arrogant enough to believe that they rule nature, that by pure virtue of machine and willpower they can change the course of rivers, alter landscapes, and capture and slay indigenous wildlife with reckless abandon. They collectively believe that there is no force imaginable that can supercede their own. That they are supreme, and that the Earth they were born on is theirs to inherit.
They had their chance.
---
Allegiance. James Palmer, subject of a super-soldier serum while stationed in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973. Family, all deceased, save for younger brother Aaron Palmer, born 1965, who has gone into hiding. Finding the scientist would be too bothersome. James has presented a perfect opportunity while in Gothic City. He recently stopped a bank robbery alongside another "hero," Gabriel de la Vega, a mutant codenamed Vamoose for the sake of secrecy. His identity does not elude the eyes of the Court, especially not those of its greatest hunter.
The Pursuer followed his prey, taking into account that Vamoose and the two bank robbers, mutant teenagers of no real value, disappeared to safety. Allegiance did a remarkable job in calming down the police officers assembled there, saying that the perpetrators were taken to a place where they could be tried justly and fairly without pro-mutant supporters rioting in the streets. Of course, this meant Paradise, the seemingly only house for mutants to be treated like human beings.
This was no more a gesture of kindness than putting a majestic panther behind glass for the rest of its life. Safety and happiness eventually become antonyms.
As soon as Vamoose and the children were off to Paradise, Allegiance began to move. His vigilance over Gothic City had just begun. His disappearance caused a gap that needed to be filled, now more than ever. A genocidal conflict between humans and mutants was on the horizon, and he needed answers. This suited the Pursuer just fine. A man on a mission is always easy to strike down.
Eventually becoming isolated, Allegiance took up a post on the edge of an abandoned apartment complex, surveying his surroundings and deciding where best to look.
"I'm actually impressed," he mumbled, turning to face the Court's agent. "Only now have I realized you're behind me. You're good,"
The mock notion of respect tingled something in the Pursuer's brain. Anger? No, not yet. There is no time for a slow approach, now, kill him. The Great Horned Owl swooped into the fray, launching a barrage of lightning-fast blows, each one absorbed into a reactionary strike from the Star Spangled Super Soldier. A jab flowed into a roundhouse kick, only to have the one underneath it fold into a casual roll. Kidney shot, blocked by a folded elbow, then rising knee. Vault over the limb like a hurdle, respond with a femur to the tender ear canal.
It's all just fanfare. Testing grounds, prying at each other's weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Based on their current independent statuses, the two are on relatively equal terms, something the Pursuer anticipated and loathed. Allegiance had not even moved his shield off his shoulders yet.
"Impressive," he replied dryly. "I would expect nothing less from one of the Strigidae's puppets. I'm sort of busy, so can we just move this along?"
Mission details were brief, installed by an unseen hand recognized only as Strigidae, unsure of the number or identity.
Kill Allegiance. He is a threat to the pro-mutant cause by establishing a movement for interspecial peace.
If left unchecked, he will draw others to his side.
He will inspire them.
The Pursuer removed a baton from his belt, which, at the push of a button, coiled outwards into a spear about five feet in length. This would be the same spear that he skewered the adamantium plate with while training under the supervision of Dr. Strauss and, more importantly, Lady Ivana. Hopefully, he could do the same here. James, on the other hand, seemed a bit annoyed by the gesture, thinking his opponent to be little more than a thug in an owl-themed costume. He removed his shield from his back, but something overcame his senses.
He put his arm through the straps and transitioned from a heavyweight martial artist into a greater warrior. He was at home with his emblem, for over the years it became a part of him. He was now at his greatest potential threat level. The Pursuer understood this, for he too shared that threat level.
Circular sidesteps. Precise measurements, down to every inch. The Pursuer slid his foot into place, but exploded from the pattern, initiating the charge that set off the rest of the fight. Sparks shot up as Allegiance ducked underneath his armament. The pure power behind the stabbing thrust would have taken his head. He reached out for a liver blow, but met open air. The Great Horned Owl had grabbed hold of the shield, using it to stop in midair, and evaded to the side, blowing off the punch with his forearm. Allegiance now stood exposed, and he went for another stabbing motion.
Luckily, the All American had enough room for his arm to fold outwards, slapping the polearm down as he turned on a dime in midair and slammed his foot into the side of the Pursuer's face, sending him headfirst into the concrete barricade. It would have broken a normal man's neck. Allegiance deliberately held back because he just wanted to knock the hunter out. He rolled his shoulders seeing that that wasn't the case.
He was ready now as he watched his foe rise out of the debris, unshaken by the impact. He started to piece together that this was no ordinary assassin out for his life. He barely dodged the next slash from the spear. In fact, he could not dodge all of them. His shield could only do so much. When he defended his chest or torso, his legs would come under attack, and vice-versa. Not even bullets managed to get past his iconic emblem to this extent. But he knew the speed now. He could set his tempo.
He swept aside the next slash, implanting a treaded boot into his friend's kneecap. He heard an audible snap as the thickest joint in the body collapsed under the immense pressure. James typically did not flaunt his thirty ton strength, but in this case it seemed warranted. What he did not understand remained in the fact that he did not hear any sort of sound indicating pain from the assassin, almost as if he didn't feel it crack in the first place.
Retaliation was inevitable. Displaying an uncommon feat of superhuman strength, the Pursuer completely ignored his leg wound and soared into the sky, rolling twice before coming down with his spearhead forming the crux of his pinpointed attack. The Indomitable Patriot, of course, made a motion to defend himself, but only accomplished forming the head to the nail that was the rest of his body. The roof gave way and their battle continued into the cavernous dark of the condemned building.
The sun had set completely.
They were in the Pursuer's realm now.
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