The Shit-Town Saga:

Chimera part 1

Mano pushed Nadie’s wheelchair through an underground corridor to a locked vault door guarded by two Costa Tristen soldiers. A middle-aged, moustached man in an officer’s uniform stepped out to greet them. “He’s in there, sir,” Esteban Barca was quite imposing, particularly for his age and held an air of authority befitting a Colonel. He was the highest ranking officer in the Costa Tristen army and only answered to the president, officially. In reality, the frail old man in the wheelchair was very much in charge.

“Has he spoken?,” Nadie asked.

“No, sir,” Colonel Barca stooped down to Nadie’s eye level, “I understand how you feel about this sort of thing, sir, but I know where his wife and children are. I could send a few men to his house-”

“That’s enough,” Nadie’s tone was firm and unwavering, “Open the door. I’ll talk to him alone.”

Mano didn’t wait for Barca’s orders and motioned for the soldiers to open the door, which they did. Barca stepped aside to let Nadie in, never masking his disappointment. The room was a small, concrete cell with dirty, empty walls. In the center, a man sat slouched in a chair with his hands restrained behind his back. He wore nothing but a pair of briefs and had obviously been beaten and tortured for some time prior to Nadie showing up. The old man wheeled himself next to the prisoner and spoke into his ear, “Any man who fears death has never truly been born.”

The prisoner did not respond.

Nadie continued, “But I see you don’t fear death, General Reis. Or pain. You never gave up the names of the lieutenants involved in your coup no matter what Barca’s men did to you. We eventually found your cohorts ourselves, of course… they all met with very unfortunate accidents as you know,… but you refused to give their names nonetheless. Your connections in the States are a bit more bothersome to find.”

“What does it matter?,” Reis asked, “They aren’t a threat to you.”

“You know that’s not true, General. I’ve been funnelling money into New York for some time and you tried to redirect the cash flow to fund your coup. You still managed to keep the money in the US, however, and you hoped we wouldn’t notice. It might’ve worked but, well, I’ve always known you to be an ambitious man so I kept a close eye on you. I know money went to New York but some of it ended up in the wrong accounts. I’m sure the people you paid were powerful and that could be a problem going forward. Who were you buying?”

“Just kill me and be done with it.”

“I’m afraid that can’t happen just yet,” Nadie brought his chair around to meet him face-to-face, “As you know, Colonel Barca is a monster. He’s a monster in my employ but a monster nonetheless,” a concerned look crossed his face, “As of this moment, he wants to have his men visit your wife and children and there is currently only one man in the world who can keep them safe. Barca will not touch a single hair on their heads without my say-so and, despite your hatred for me, you know what sort of man I am. I beg you now, General, to bring salvation to your beautiful wife and children. Tell me what I need to know.”

General Reis clenched his eyes tightly and began to sob.

Nadie placed a sympathetic hand on his head, “A man protecting his allies is a noble thing but there is nothing nobler than a man protecting his family,” Nadie took a notepad from his pocket along with a pencil, “All you have to do is give me the names of these Americans. They’re people who never cared about you and only allied themselves with you for their own benefit. You know this. You owe them nothing but to your family… you owe everything.”

“I’ll do it,” Reis said sadly, “I’ll do it… But I want you to answer one question first.”

“Certainly.”

“What’s the difference?,” General Reis asked bitterly.

“Pardon?”

“You act high and mighty but you also have ‘monsters’ working for you. I can admit those same monsters would’ve worked for me but at least I own that. You somehow believe you’re above it all… so what’s the real difference between you and I?”

“The difference…,” Nadie began, “Is that I would never allow those monsters to hurt innocent women or children.”

Days later, the Cavalier sat on a rooftop overlooking a march of angry protestors. One of the lingering effects of the Resurgence had been on housing and the economy, particularly in New York. As new buildings were going up around the city and property was being bought cheaply, investors and real estate companies began snatching up what they could in hopes of profitability. Rent was beginning to rise and repaired buildings were soon sold for a much higher price than they were bought. This effected Michael Hawkwood just as much as anyone else. He managed to receive a commission for a property investing company which was enough to pay rent but he knew he would likely have to take on a part-time job if he wanted to continue. It concerned him as he knew he would be less likely to continue his superhero activities (he had already given up jeet kun do lessons). He supported the protests but also knew tensions were high, so he was on hand to ensure it would not turn into a riot. Police were on scene to ensure it wouldn’t get out of control but their very appearance seemed to anger the crowd even more.

As the Cavalier scanned the street, he noticed a man in a hoodie leaning against a wall by a dark alley as if waiting for someone. Soon, another figure approached and seemingly flashed some cash before they moved deeper into the alley which was when the Cavalier made a move. His new armor came equipped with a grappling-hook launcher that was smaller and lighter than his gun and with it, he shot a line to the wall below then swung down, landing at the entrance to the alley. He couldn’t hear the buyer or seller due to the shouting from the crowd in the street but it was obvious what was happening: there was a quick exchange of money and a small baggie. The drug deal wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before, but it was the color of the drug that was curious.

It was a dark alley but the powder was clearly lime green and didn’t resemble any drugs he was familiar with. He rotated his wrist, activating his new Round Table weapon and a holographic crossbow appeared on top of his gauntlet which got their attention, as planned. The seller pulled a gun but barely had the chance to raise it before an arrow-shaped electric bolt shot down the alley. A jolt coursed through his body and he collapsed against garbage bags while the buyer turned and fled. “Hey, wait,” Cavalier called out as he gave chase. He didn’t want to harm someone struggling with addiction; he needed to know about the green substance in his possession.

Not far away, the protest heated up with strong words being exchanged between protestors and the police. The buyer rounded the corner, turning directly into the middle of the conflict just as a man threw a bottle at a police officer. The bottle shattered against a riot shield and that was all the reason the police needed. A riot broke out, as feared, and the police instantly began launching tear gas canisters into the crowd. The Cavalier exited the alley just as a trash can flew past. With the rush of bodies and the haze of tear gas, he lost sight of the buyer.

The protestors had already been affected by the gas and when they saw Cavalier rushing into the street, they began to fearfully scatter in different directions. A few brave souls threw bricks before disappearing into the crowd. The Cavalier ducked under the flying objects but made no other move. “Knowing my luck,” he thought to himself, “They’ll probably go online and say I attacked them.”

“Freeze, police!,” came a voice nearby and he knew his luck would not be changing any time soon. When he turned around, police officers in riot gear charged him. He leapt into the air and slammed both feet into a riot shield which knocked a cop into one of his partners and took them both to the pavement. He ran to the other side of the street as another officer charged him with a baton; he stooped down and flipped the man over his shoulders before taking aim with his grappling hook. He attempted one more scan of the chaotic street to see any signs of the buyer but only saw officers rushing him from all sides. Wasting no time, he zipped into the air and disappeared over a ledge.

The next day, the Cavalier arrived at the Metro Knights’ soup kitchen, hoping to gain some insight into the previous night’s events. Afterall, the Knights often had a close connection to what was occurring on the streets. Emily Koboshi and David Tyrell decided to meet him in the church sanctuary upstairs while the younger members served soup in the basement.

“I’m not sure what the guy was dealing,” Cavalier explained, “I swear it was green, whatever it was”

“Like Saint Pat’s?,” Emily asked humorously, “Never heard of any green narcotics.”

“I still got people on the streets,” David informed them, “I can ask around.”

“Drug trafficking is more common than ever,” Emily added, “A lot of people have lost all they’ve had after the Resurgence and the housing crisis hasn’t helped. There’s a reason why the city’s called Shit Town these days.”

“The thing is, between the Horseman and the New Agartha business, a lot of criminal organizations have taken a hit recently,” Cavalier explained, “I haven’t seen much local movement in weeks.”

“This could be an outside job,” David ran his hand along a church pew as he spoke, “I think we all know what that could mean.”

“Nadie,” Cavalier responded, “It’s a workable theory. The Costa Tristen cartel has been here more than once.”

“Remember the last time they showed up?,” Emily began, “They poached some of our students. Some came back… but some never did. I can track a few of them down and see what I can find.”

“Keep me posted,” Cavalier rose to his feet, “I’m gonna head to the neighborhoods where the Triads and Hell’s Trespassers used to operate. See if any new business is out that way.”

“It’s a good start,” Emily smiled, “And by the way, thanks for bringing us in on this one.”

Cavalier stepped outside where the Dragon was parked. Once he was inside the hovercraft, he took off into the air. Nearby, a motorcycle revved up and took off after the Dragon. The motorcycle was followed by another bike and then two more in a line.

Shortly after leaving the block, the Dragon’s projectile sensors went off and the Cavalier heard bullets hitting the underside. He flipped on the bird’s-eye view on his console and was surprised to see a darkly clad biker on a motorcycle firing a sawed off shotgun in his direction – a look Cavalier was very familiar with. “Are you shitting me?,” he said aloud. As far as he knew, the Horseman was in jail awaiting trial, so unless he escaped, this new player was following in his footsteps. Just then, three more similarly-dressed bikers rode up alongside their leader and likewise took shots at the hovercraft with semi-automatic weapons. “And now there’s four of them,” Cavalier grumbled, “Why not?”

Even with their customized motorcycles, he was sure the Dragon could easily outrun them if he poured on the speed but he needed some answers. He slowed down and turned into one of the city’s many demolition sites, ensuring that they followed. Once he found an appropriate spot, he spun the Dragon around to face his attackers and descended. They parked their bikes in a line on the other side of the rubble as he hovered about six feet off the ground, never fully coming to a rest or opening his hatch. Once he had their full attention, he flipped on the loud speaker and spoke into the mic, “So what is this, some kinda copycat bullshit? Maybe you guys are just cosplaying and took things a little too far?”

“Bit more than that,” the leader announced, “You’re looking at four allies of the Horseman.”

“Does he know you stole from his wardrobe?”

“I’m Jersey,” the leader motioned toward the other three men, “And this is Philly, Syracuse, and Stamford.”

“The Four Horsemen, huh?,” Cavalier shook his head, “Not a shred of originality.”

“Get all the jokes out now!,” Stamford roared, “We’re gonna turn this city around and you’re our first mission.”

“That didn’t go so well for the last guy.”

“The Horseman told you it wasn’t gonna end with him. Remember that? Madison Square Garden?,” Jersey shouted back, “The Horseman told you then it was only the beginning. This is retribution.”

“Yeah,… I’m really not in the mood for this shit,” Cavalier flipped on the Dragon Roar.

A sonic siren erupted from the hovercraft, echoing across the demolition site. The Four Horsemen covered their ears in agony, too stunned to retaliate. Next, the Cavalier kicked up the turbines and shot off into the air once more. He knew that not all the Horseman’s followers had been arrested so retaliation was expected. Dealing with them would have to wait, however. He had needed to learn who was selling the new mystery drug.

In Costa Triste, President Javier de Guzman addressed the public in a televised speech. “What happened to General Reis was a tragedy,” he spoke in the same sort of nervous manner he always spoke in, “Drinking and driving is a serious danger and I implore all citizens of this beautiful country to be reminded of…”

In Nadie’s villa, he and Mano watched the speech on a large screen. Mano scoffed, “Is that idiot seriously trying to turn Reis’ death into a PSA?”

“The president is doing his job,” Nadie waved him off, “His personal crusades are his business. Tell me what you’ve learned about Reis’ contacts.”

Mano produced a handful of files, “Our ambassador in New York acquired this info. The contacts were New York City Council members who were trying to start a construction company to rebuild businesses in the city after the Resurgence. Reis was a silent partner and I assume once the business took off, he would launder the money for his coup.”

“If we eliminated the Americans, would the company go entirely to Reis’ estate?”

“It seems that way.”

“I think certain assets can be liquidated through tax collection. If the paperwork takes too long, have it forged for now. I want it state-owned.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Taking over the construction company could be advantageous to our plans in New York. We already have our product and our buildings. Creating a more centralized location with enough resources to transport could work to our benefit. What can we do with the City Council?”

“Our Ambassador told me about a City Council meeting tomorrow evening. He’s ready and able to have his men set explosives at Town Hall if needed. Apparently, the Mayor and District Attorney will be in attendance and they have no known involvement but it could be the only chance we have to eliminate Reis’ contacts all at once.”

“I’d rather it not be that messy,” Nadie folded his hands in contemplation, “Then again, exploiting the chaos and desolation of a post-Resurgence New York works in our favor in the long run,” he took another look at the files, “We’re sure there won’t be any school children in the building? No field trips?”

“The meeting is in the evening so from all indications, the people in that building will mostly be cops and politicians. No children. Civilian collateral will be unavoidable but minimal.”

Nadie placed his hands in his lap as he reached a decision, “It’s acceptable.”

The next day, the City Council meeting was held at City Hall, as scheduled. District Attorney Chelsea Kassia addressed the Mayor and Council concerning the recent protests and their increasing violence. She took a sip of water at the podium before speaking, “It’s no secret that New York has suffered a great deal the past few months. The Resurgence left us with a damaged cityscape and destroyed lives while the surge in vigilante and criminal activity has not made things any easier. Recently, this city has seen a protest turn into a riot and while some might argue the riot is a symptom of current events, I feel there will be more riots in the future that will be far more violent. What I propose is -”

She didn’t finish her sentence. The homemade bomb ripped through the meeting room, immediately killing the DA, Mayor, and the entire Council along with the police and staff present. The explosion carried out into the hallway as well as the floor above, killing more officers, staffers, and at least one maintenance worker. Several others were injured. Smoke and the sound of alarms carried into the street and pedestrians began to panic.

Minutes later, firefighters and EMTs arrived on the scene and began evacuating all personnel while police swarmed the area. Commissioner Reins looked up at the smoking hole in the side of the building and was at a loss for words. It wasn’t an unusual sight in New York considering recent events but this time was different. He knew the chaos that would ensue from this attack and was fearful of whoever was behind it and what they would plan next. He scanned the area before taking the burner phone from his pocket, then quickly sent a message.

Shit Town just got worse.

Continued…