Chapter 13 - Shadows

"What the h*ll did you do?" Allen shouts in angry voice.

"I destroy some of their computer in their lab." Abraham said.

The three are running on the hall with many masked criminals tailing them.

"Why are you following us?" Allen asks to Felicity.

"You guys ruin my plan, I'm planning to steal something valuable in this warehouse but you show up to destroy my plan again." Felicity says as she runs following Abraham and Allen.

"That's not my fault, it's Abraham's." Allen replies.

"Doesn't matter whose fault it is, we need to focus on getting out of here first!" Abraham exclaims.

"Stop running!" One of the criminals following them shouts.

A bullets rain down towards the three as the criminals starts to fire their guns.

As the bullets flew around them, the trio sprinted faster, desperately trying to find an exit. The sound of gunfire echoed through the halls, creating a chaotic and tense atmosphere. Abraham, Allen, and Felicity maneuvered through the corridors, their hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline.

"We need to find a way out of here, quickly!" Abraham yelled over the cacophony of gunshots.

"No! You guys go ahead! I'll stop this criminals!" Allen shouts.

Allen starts conjures shadow tentacles using the shadow of the criminals to ensnare them and create a diversion. The shadowy tentacles reached out and grabbed the criminals.

"Come on, let's go!" Abraham shouted as he led the way down a dimly lit corridor.

Felicity followed his lead, running as fast as they could with the sounds of chaos behind them. Felicity looked back over her shoulder and saw Allen's shadow tentacles holding the criminals at bay.

"We can't leave him behind!" Felicity said, her voice filled with concern.

"He'll catch up, we need to keep moving!" Abraham urged, his eyes focused on finding a way out of the warehouse.

With Abraham and Felicity out of the way. Allen starts use the shadows to pierce all the criminals that he immobilized in a non-lethal body parts.

The shadows moved swiftly under Allen's command, piercing the criminals' arms and legs to render them immobile. Allen knew he had to act fast before more reinforcements arrived. Using his shadows skillfully, he incapacitated the criminals without causing permanent harm.

As Abraham and Felicity reached a door leading to the outside, they paused to catch their breath. Felicity's heart raced with worry for Allen, but she trusted in his abilities to handle the situation.

"We can't leave him behind," Felicity insisted.

"He'll be fine. Crypt is strong, he'll find his way out," Abraham reassured her.

"Yes I know, but there is someone stronger than him inside that warehouse." Felicity said.

Back to Allen, the criminals are grunting in pain, the shadows still holds them. Feeling a stronger presence behind him, Allen turns around and a rapier is pointing on his face.

"Hmm... So you are Crypt? You're not that scary as I imagine." The mysterious figure says in a chilly voice.

Allen stares defiantly at the figure, the tip of the rapier mere inches from his face.

"Appearances can be deceiving. And you seem to have a knack for underestimating your opponents," Allen retorted, his voice steady despite the situation.

The figure chuckled softly, a cold smile forming on his lips.

"I like your spirit, Crypt. Let's see if it holds up when faced with true power."

With a swift motion, the figure lunged forward, the rapier flashing in the dim light of the warehouse.

Allen dodged and quickly tried counter with a punch to the side but the man disappear before he can even hit him.

As the figure vanished, Allen spun around, trying to anticipate the next move. The warehouse was eerily silent, the shadows playing tricks on his senses.

Gritting his teeth, Allen focused his senses, listening for any hint of movement. Suddenly, a scraping sound echoed from behind him. Before he could react, a flash of steel whizzed past his ear, narrowly missing him.

The figure reappeared in front of him, a wicked grin etched on his face. "You're not bad, Crypt. But you're still no match for me."

As the figure lunged again, Allen anticipated the move, sidestepped, and delivered a swift kick to his opponent's midsection but before it can even hit the figure disappear again.

Allen remained alert, scanning the dimly lit warehouse for any sign of the mysterious figure. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his side as the rapier made contact. Gritting his teeth, Allen turned quickly, trying to catch a glimpse of his elusive opponent. The figure stood a few feet away, a cruel smile on his face.

"You're quick, Crypt, but not quick enough," The figure taunted.

"Who are you?" Allen demanded.

The figure hesitated, a flicker of emotion crossing his face before he swiftly masked it with a cryptic smile.

"I am known by many names, Crypt. But you may call me Ex." With those words, Ex launched himself at Allen once again.

Their movements were a blur of steel and shadow as they clashed in the dimly lit warehouse. Allen was skilled, but Ex was a formidable opponent, matching his every move with precision and speed.

"Come on, Crypt. Is that all you got? Show me the monster in the dark." Ex taunts him.

The adrenaline surged through Allen's veins as he faced off against Ex, their battle intensifying with each passing moment.

With a sudden burst of speed, Ex lunged forward, aiming for Allen's chest. Thinking quickly, Allen sidestepped and tries to deliver a swift blow but again Ex disappear before it could even reach him.

Allen's frustration grew as Ex continued to evade his every move, disappearing and reappearing with uncanny speed.

"I'm getting tired of these!" Allen's aura become intense and the shadow around him starts to form a large dome.

As the shadowy dome enveloped Allen, a surge of dark energy crackled in the air, sending shivers down Ex's spine. The mysterious figure hesitated for a moment, his cocky demeanor faltering for the first time since their encounter began.

"What are you?" Ex demanded, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

"You want to see the monster in the dark right?" Allen's aura grew bigger and form a dark version of himself that gazes with malicious intent to Ex.

The dark shadowy form emanating from Allen's aura towered over Ex, exuding a menacing presence that sent a chill down Ex's spine.

Ex's confidence wavered as he faced this otherworldly manifestation of Allen's power, a stark reminder of the depths of darkness that lay within the cryptic figure known as Crypt.

"I'll show you why they call me, the monster in the dark." With that Allen controls the shadow around Ex and entangled him.

The shadowy tendrils wrapped around Ex, restraining him as he struggled against their grip.

As Ex wrestled against the shadowy restraints, a look of terror crossed his face. He had underestimated Allen, not anticipating the true extent of his powers.

The warehouse seemed to twist and contort around them as the dark energy consumed Ex, drawing him deeper into the shadows.

Allen stood with a steely resolve, his eyes fixed on Ex as the shadowy tendrils tightened their grip. Ex's struggles grew more frantic, but it was futile against the overwhelming force that now held him captive.

Allen slowly walks towards him with Ex's rapier on his hand, he points it at the neck of Ex.

"You know the rat king?" Allen asks his voice is low and serious.

"The rat king? He's not someone you want to mess with." Ex says, "You can't even touch him if you fight now."

As Allen held Ex captive with the shadowy tendrils, his expression remained unyielding. The mention of the Rat King seemed to trigger a glint of recognition in his eyes.

"The Rat King may be elusive, but I have ways to deal with pests like him," Allen retorted, his grip on the rapier unwavering.

Ex's eyes widened at the implication in Allen's words. "I don't know what you're planning, but crossing paths with the Rat King is a dangerous game," Ex warned, a note of urgency in his voice.

Suddenly a distorted voice speaks from Allen's earpiece. "Bring me Ex."

"Understood." Allen says no hints of defiance in his voice.

Allen engulfs Ex in shadowy cocoon and starts to drag it outside the warehouse.

Outside, Felicity and Abraham is waiting.

"What's that?" Felicity asked.

"An enemy." Allen throws the cocoon to Abraham. "Bring it to the boss."

"She wanted this?" Abraham asks as he lifted it.

"Yes, she asked for him specifically," Allen replied, his gaze never leaving the cocoon. "Make sure it's secure for transport."

"Hmm... Who's this boss, Crypt? I thought you were a vigilante?" Felicity asks, a sly smile on her face.

"I'm a mercenary," Allen confirms. "And as for you, you need to leave now before I throw in jail myself."

Felicity's smile widens at Allen's words. "Oh, so you're a mercenary now?" She teases, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Allen narrows his eyes at Felicity. "I'm a mercenary before we even met."

Felicity chuckles nonchalantly. "Okay then, I'll leave you to your mercenary business," She says, stepping back.

As Felicity walks away, Allen turns his attention to Abraham. "Make sure the package reaches the boss safely. I'll catch up with you later,"

Abraham nods in acknowledgment and heads towards the waiting vehicle, securing the cocoon for transport.

Allen removes his shadow cloak and put his mask in the compartment of his motorcycle, he starts it and drives away.

As Allen rides away on his motorcycle, the engine's roar blending with the night, he reflects on the latest turn of events. The encounter with Ex had unveiled connections to a shadowy world he had tried to distance himself from. The mention of the mysterious boss and the enigmatic figure of the Rat King lingered in his mind.

Despite his facade as a mercenary, Allen's sense of justice still pulsed within him. The lines between right and wrong blurred in the murky world he traversed, but deep down, he knew where his loyalty truly lay. As the city lights blurred past him on the darkened streets, Allen felt the weight of his choices pressing upon him.

SOMEWHERE DEEP WITHIN THE UNDERWORLD...

"Master, Ex has fallen." A man kneeling says, in front of a figure sitting on some kind of throne.

"Don't worry... Our plans is not affected." The figure says in a chilly voice.

"But he got captured too." The man replies back.

"I said not worry right?" The figure said his tone change from chilly to serious.

"Y-Yes Master." The man says in trembling voice.

"Ex is nothing but a mere rat for me." The figure says, "I'm more interested in Crypt... The power he holds is not a simple power, it comes within him and it's getting stronger..."

"This world is interesting isn't it? The heroes creates more evil than the villains. The more they resist the darkness the stronger it becomes and they are not ready when the day the devil himself comes to the surface."