Chapter 1 - He Who Lurks

"Stop running!" The man shouts.

The hooded figure run as fast as it can, it doesn't mind the stairs, it feels like its running on flat surface.

The man run after it but it's too fast for him, only a few stairs left before the door to the rooftop. The figure jumps on top of the railings and jumps again for the door.

The figure open the door and run and stop in the middle of the rooftop. The man stop in front of the door, pointing his gun at the hooded figure.

"So you're not a legend after all." The man said. "I heard your stories, about a hooded figure who lurks in the darkness and steal from people."

The hooded figure looks above the man, thunder rumbles, but the figure remains silent, its hood concealing any facial expression. The wind picks up, causing the figure's cloak to billow dramatically around it.

"I've been tracking you for years," The man continues, his voice tight with adrenaline. "You've eluded us for so long, but now it ends here."

As the first drops of rain begin to fall, a flash of lightning illuminates the rooftop, casting eerie shadows. The hooded figure takes a slow step back, its eyes fixed on the man and the gun aimed at it.

"Do you think a gun could kill it?"

A voice echoes through the sky, thunder rumbles again and lightning strikes between the hooded figure and the man.

The hooded figure takes a step back as he sees a figure starts to appear in the lightning. The figure in the lightning begins to materialize, revealing a man with glowing eyes and crackling energy surrounding him. The hooded figure tilts its head, seemingly unfazed by the sudden appearance.

A sudden gust of wind sweeps across the rooftop, swirling debris and rain around them.

"So you're the legend that they're talking about." The newly arrived man said. "I don't need you here cop. Leave now, this is a battle of powers."

The cop hesitates for a moment, weighing his options as he looks between the hooded figure and the mysterious, energy-clad man who just appeared. He grips his gun tighter, his expression determined.

"I won't just stand by and watch," The cop asserts, his voice firm. "I've been chasing this thing for too long. I need to see it brought to justice."

The energy-clad man's eyes narrow as he regards the cop, a sense of power radiating from him. The hooded figure remains silent, watching the unfolding confrontation with an air of intrigue.

A low growl emanates from the energy-clad man as he takes a step forward, his aura crackling with intensity. "You have no idea what you're up against," he warns, his voice tinged with an otherworldly echo.

The cop stands his ground, his jaw set as he raises his gun, aiming at the hooded figure. Rain continues to pour down heavily, the wind howling around the rooftop, creating an aura of tension and anticipation.

Before any further action can be taken, a blinding flash of light engulfs the rooftop, momentarily rendering everyone blind. When the light fades, the hooded figure is nowhere to be seen.

The cop frantically scans the rooftop, but the mysterious figure has vanished without a trace. The energy-clad man looks around, a sense of disappointment crossing his face.

"It's gone," The cop mutters, lowering his gun as a feeling of defeat settles in. The energy-clad man nods solemnly, his expression unreadable.

As the rain continues to pour, the two men stand in silence on the desolate rooftop, the encounter with the hooded figure leaving more questions than answers in its wake.

THREE WEEKS AFTER THE ENCOUNTER...

"The heroes are at fault for this!" The man shouts in frustration. "I already have it cornered, if not for that hero."

"Woah, take it easy Clyde," Another man tries to calm him. "The last thing we need is making the heroes our enemy."

"I don't care, I don't need them." Clyde said greeting his teeth.

SOMEWHERE, INSIDE A SHADING BUILDING

The hooded figure drops a large bag on the table. It then unzip the bag revealing a stacks of cash inside.

"Marvelous!" A large man said while looking at the stacks of cash.

"Where's the orb and my share?" The hooded figure asks.

"Ah, of course." The large man clap his hands and two maids come, one is holding a sphere shaped object and the other one is holding a suitcase. "There's your money and the orb that you want."

The hooded figure grabs the orb and the suitcase and prepares to leave.

"It's a pleasure working with you, Allen Rymes or should i say Crypt."

Crypt glances at the large man before he leaves. As Crypt walks out of the building, he can sense the eyes of the large man following him. He knows that this partnership may come back to haunt him in the future, but for now, he has what he came for. Securely holding the orb, Crypt disappears into the shadows, blending seamlessly with the night. The mysterious figure known as Crypt had secured his prize, but at what cost, he wondered.

INSIDE THE POWERED DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS (PDHQ)

"You let it get away!" The woman shouts.

"Yeah, but i got information for you." The energy-clad man said. "The figure is a man."

"So what? That's not useful enough for us!" The woman shouts at him again.

"But it completely destroyed our theory about him being a genderless monster." The energy-clad man tries to calm the woman down.

The woman takes a deep breath and lets out a heavy sigh. "Fine, at least we know he's not what we initially thought. We'll need to update our profile on him."

"We should focus on tracking his movements and finding any leads we can," the energy-clad man suggests.

"I want every agent we have out there searching for any trace of him. We need to bring this guy down before he drains this city," the woman declares, determination in her voice.