The Knight of Justice

"Congratulations, Mr. Argus. From now on you're fired." The man's lunatic smiles booms between them.

"I'm gonna knock your teeth out of your goddamn mouth." Argus thoughts while trying to keep his cool in front of the man.

The table between them is the only thing that keeping the man away from Argus. One more words that will comes out of the man's mouth and Argus will explode in front of him.

"So, why don't you go ahead and pack up—" A hand grips the man's face and slam his head on the table.

The room falls into stunned silence as the man groans in pain, his smile wiped away in an instant. Argus stands there, his hand still gripping the man's face, his eyes burning with frustration and anger.

"I've had enough of your games," Argus growls, his voice low and dangerous. "You can take your job and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. I'm done with this."

He released his grips from the man's face and turns his back, walking towards the door but before he can open the door. The man speaks up, "That arrogance is the reason why you lose Lilly." He laughs as he struggles to stand.

Argus stands by the door, his eyes widened in anger, veins popping out of his head. The nerve to mention his late mother, his hands clenched hard and bloods starts to pours down.

In a sudden burst of rage, Argus whirls around, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turn white. Without a second thought, he lunges at the man, the room erupting in chaos as their bodies crash against furniture and walls.

"Keep my mother's name out of your damn mouth!" Argus shouts, as he continues to beat down the man, throwing him across the room and slamming him against the wall.

The vicious onslaught continues as furniture shatters around them, the room echoing with grunts and impacts. With each punch, Argus releases a torrent of pent-up fury, his mind clouded by a mix of grief and anger. As the man lies battered on the floor, gasping for air, Argus steps back, chest heaving.

Suddenly, the doors open and authority starts to burst inside the room, all their guns pointed towards Argus. "Sir, I'm gonna need you to back off and put your hands up." The woman says as she points her gun towards Argus.

Argus raises his bloodied hands in surrender, his chest still heaving with fury and anguish. His eyes flash with defiance as he meets the gaze of the woman holding the gun.

The woman slowly approach Argus, she takes Argus hands and puts a handcuff around his hands. "You're coming with us, sir." She says with an authoritative tone.

The man lying on the floor slowly sits up, bloods drips down his nose and mouth as he tries to speak. "That's right! Take that crazy man out of here!"

As Argus is led away by the authorities, a mix of emotions swirl within him—anger at the man's words, regret for losing control, and a deep sorrow for the memory of his mother. The handcuffs feel tight around his wrists, a physical reminder of the consequences of his actions.

As he is escorted out of the room, Argus casts one last piercing look at the man who provoked him, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction mixed with a heavy burden of guilt. The chaos he had unleashed would now follow him as he's taken to face the consequences of his outburst.

The man on the floor watches silently as Argus is escorted away, a sly smirk playing on his lips despite his battered state. It's clear that this confrontation was just another move in a much larger game, one where the stakes were higher than Argus had realized.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Argus is sitting inside his cell, contemplating on what happened earlier but still feeling a satisfaction by beating the man.

"You've been grinning inside that cell ever since you got here." The police woman earlier says, her blonde hair is now free from her cap and it's dripping down all the way to her back.

Argus looks at her with curiosity, "You ever talk to a prisoner before?" He asks, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"Nope, just you." She replies shortly. "My name's Gwen. What's yours?"

Argus eyes her with disbelief before looking down with a smile on his face, "You're asking my name now, huh?"

Gwen nods with a smile as she sits down on the chair in front of Argus's cell. "Come on, don't left me hanging here, handsome."

"The name's Argus. Argus Sykovian." Argus answers her with a smile.

"That's a unique name, handsome." Gwen says, "You know... I've arrested a lot of people before, but I never arrested a member of H.U.M.A.N.S until now." She pulls a pen out of her pockets and starts to spin it between her fingers.

Argus watches Gwen spin the pen with interest. "H.U.M.A.N.S, huh? You seem pretty calm for someone who just arrested a member."

Gwen chuckles softly. "Former member actually. You got fired right?"

Argus leans back against the wall of his cell, crossing his arms. "That's true, but I actually want to leave, it's just that they fired me first."

Gwen stops spinning the pen and looks directly at him. "Most people we arrest, they're either scared or angry. But you? You seem...content."

Argus looks at her, not giving much away, but the corner of his mouth twitches into a half-smile. "I've been through a lot, woman. Sometimes, sitting in a cell is the only peace I get."

Gwen leans back in her chair, studying him intently. "Peace in a cell? Now that's a new one. Care to share your story, cupcake?"

Argus lies down to the mattress before turning his back towards Gwen. "I have a lot of story, but you have to get it out of me."

Leaning forward in her chair, Gwen speaks softly, "Alright, sweetheart. I'm not one to give up easily. I'll get that story out of you, one way or another. But if you ever need someone to listen, I'm here."

Argus doesn't respond immediately. He remains silent, but the faintest hint of a smile lingers on his face. Gwen takes this as a sign and stands up from her chair.

"I'll be back later with some food. Don't try anything funny now," Gwen says with a smirk before turning to leave

Argus waits for Gwen to leave, when he hears no footsteps coming his way, he quickly stands up and stands in front of the window of his cell. He grab one of the metal bar and use his other hand to boost himself to break the metal.

As Argus tries to break the metal bar of the window, he struggles against its sturdiness. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoes in the confined space. Gwen, who had lingered just outside, hears the commotion and quickly rushes back to his cell.

"What in the world are you doing?" Gwen exclaims, her eyes widening in surprise and a hint of amusement.

Argus turns to face her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Just testing the durability of this place. You never know when you might need to escape, right?"

Gwen chuckles softly, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're going to need more than sheer strength to break through those bars. Luckily for you, I'm here to prevent any more escape attempts."

"Oh, trust me baby girl. My strength is enough." With a sudden burst of power. The metal bar brokes and the wall of the cell came crashing down to Argus.

As the wall collapses around him in a shower of dust and rubble, Gwen is momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events. She recovers quickly, pulling out her radio to call for backup.

Argus stands there amidst the debris, a smug grin on his face as he dusts himself off. "Looks like I didn't need your help after all, sweetheart," He quips, winking at Gwen.

Gwen raises an eyebrow, impressed despite herself. "You've certainly got some tricks up your sleeve, I'll give you that. But don't think this is the end of the line for you. We'll catch up soon enough."

As sounds of approaching footsteps grow louder, Argus gives Gwen a mock salute before making a run for it through the newly created opening. Gwen shakes her head, a mix of frustration and amusement evident on her face as she watches him disappear into the night.

...

Somewhere, inside a bar. Argus sits at the front, his prisoner's clothes is catching all the attention inside. He asks the bartender to give him another beer, there's already three empty beer bottles in front of him and he keeps asking for more.

The bartender is eyeing him up and down, wondering why is he wearing a prisoner's clothes. A escaped convict is in front of him and no one is calling the police, he puts another beer in front of Argus and he goes back to wipes some glass bottles.

"You know, I just got fired..." Argus says, he drinks his beer and ask for another. "Then the guy who fired me... Starts talking about my mother... And I beat him up, throw his body around the room and mess his goddamn face."

The bartender listens intently, a mix of surprise and curiosity on his face. "Really? That's quite a story. So, did you get caught or did you manage to escape?"

Argus chuckles and takes a long swig of his beer before replying, "Oh, I escaped, of course. Ain't nobody gonna keep me locked up for long. I'm a free spirit, you know. Plus, it wasn't my first escape either." He grins mischievously, clearly enjoying the attention his story is getting in the bar.

"Ahhh.... Alright I've had enough, I'm leaving." He stands up, his legs wobbling as he tries to walk but continues.

As Argus stumbles out of the bar, the cool night air hits him, helping to clear his head a bit. He chuckles to himself, feeling a sense of freedom despite his current circumstances. He knows he can't stay in one place for too long, especially not in his conspicuous attire.

...

"Please don't," A woman cries in the dark alleyway.

Three men is surrounding her and one of the men speaks up, "Don't worry, sweetheart. We just need a little something to make ends meet. You understand, don't you?" The man smirks, his tone unnervingly calm as he steps closer to the woman, his intentions clear.

Argus notice this and he quickly hides behind the wall to listen. The man walk closer to the woman, he touch her cheeks and whispers, "This is gonna be fun."

"Leave her alone." The men turn to see Argus standing there, his expression is steady.

The three men laughs as they turn their attention to Argus, "Look, someone trying to be a hero." One of the men mock.

"I'm not in the mood for this. Just leave so we can all move on." Argus says, his tone is calm.

The men eye Argus warily, unsure of his intentions. The tension in the alley grows thicker as they assess the situation. For a moment, nobody moves, the stalemate hanging in the air like a heavy cloud.

"You better scram, old man, before you get hurt," One of the men sneers, attempting to intimidate Argus.

Argus remains unfazed, his gaze unwavering. "I won't ask again. Leave her alone and walk away."

The atmosphere crackles with defiance as the men exchange glances, sizing up Argus. Suddenly, one of them makes a move, lunging towards Argus with a knife glinting in the dim light.

Argus sidestep and grabs the man heads, he grips his hand tightly, with a sudden burst of power he slams the man's head to the wall beside him, knocking the man out cold.

"Old man, huh? I'm 23 idiots." Argus retorts.

The tension in the alley is palpable as the remaining two men weigh their options. After a brief moment, they decide to retreat, dragging their unconscious companion along with them as they hurry away into the darkness.

Once the men are out of sight, Argus turns to the woman, who is leaning in the corner. He approaches her slowly, "You okay there, woman?"

The woman didn't speaks, instead she disappear out of thin air. Argus look around confused by the sudden disappearance.

Suddenly, a chilling air blows behind him, a cold hand touch his shoulder. "Argus Sykovian. A meta human with enhance strength and durability. A perfect vessel for me, would you like to bring justice in this world? Would you like to bring down the evil of this world?" The woman whispers in his ear.

Argus turns around but he saw nobody behind him, "Who are you?" He shouts but nobody answers.

As the wind began to whirl fiercely around him, a powerful aura enveloped the figure standing in the center. "I am Themis, the esteemed Goddess of Justice," Her voice sounded through the tempest, filled with solemn authority. The gusts grew stronger, a chilling sensation creeping over Argus's skin, not from the cold, but from the raw power of divinity manifesting before him.

A cascade of white fabric emerged from the raging winds, wrapping itself around Argus's form, a symbol of purity and righteousness. "Bullets will not fierce you," The voice of the goddess proclaimed, each word carrying a weight of certainty beyond mortal understanding. Alongside the white fabric came strands of black cloth, carefully winding themselves around his head, obscuring his identity with an air of mystery and providence.

As the transformation continued, a pair of magnificent scaled wings unfurled from his back, a symbol of impending judgment and swift retribution. "You will soar through the sky." The winds finally settled, forming a serene white hood around his now-masked face, completing the transformation initiated by the Goddess of Justice.

"Rise before me, my chosen Knight of Justice," Themis's words echoed in the aftermath, bestowing upon Argus a duty and purpose that transcended mere mortal affairs.