Thanks to acrobatics, I was able to move closer to the warehouse while silently taking down the armed guards. But eventually they knew something was wrong as guards began to move erratically and fully alert.
They were searching for me. No doubt that they finally saw their unconscious friend.
But that didn't matter as they focused their attention outside the surrounding area and I was able to enter the warehouse by the windows.
' Whoever left that window open, thank you.' I said in my heart as I sneaked my way through the stacked crates and stood before a container.
A lock stopped me from seeing what is inside the container.
' Ain't gonna stop me.' I thought as I pulled out my baton to break the lock before opening the doors.
I felt my world freezing, before shattering as my mind tried to piece itself back together as I began to realize the severity of the situation.
Women and children huddling together in fear. I heard their cries muffled. Before seeing them, I thought I was ready… but now, I realized how far from ready I was.
" You!! You injured my men!!" A shout came from behind as I glanced back at the source.
" Don't worry, I'll save you." I tried to comfort the victims before turning towards the criminals.
***
" Ugh! Hello? Captain Stacy?"
< Detective, sorry for calling at such late notice but we need you down at Hell's Kitchen, the old Warehouses.>
" Alright, I'll make my way down." The detective slumped back into bed with a heavy sigh before gathering the resolve to get out of bed.
" Goddamn it… waking me up this late." He grumbled before changing into his detective uniform and glancing at his wife before closing the door and left the house.
After a few minutes driving, the detective arrived to the scene to see ambulance and police officers at the scene.
" What's the sitrep, Captain?" The detective asked as I walked towards Captain Stacy who finished giving orders to another police officer.
" Detective, you made it. It's the vigilante again."
The detective nodded as he observed the criminals getting loaded into the ambulance.
" Some of them may not walk again."
" Good, that'll stop them from doing any crime in the near future." The detective sighed before walking towards one of the girls who was covered by a blanket as a police officer talked to her.
" H-he wore a mask… a black mask and jacket… he was about this tall…"
" I see, thank you. We'll send you back home in no time ma'am." The officer nodded and stop his questions once he starting seeing the girl becoming uncomfortable.
As the Officer was about to walk away, he noticed Captain Stacy and the detective.
" Cpt. Stacy, Detective. All descriptions have led towards the new rising Vigilante. It seems he had a huge fight in the warehouse after discovering the victims." The officer reported before closing his notebook.
" Hmm, he must've lost control but luckily held back in killing them."
" The victim also stated that the vigilante got injured, a bullet wound."
" I see, Thank you John. I'll see what I'll find." The detective mentally noted his words before walking into the warehouse and stood in front of the shipping container the victims were found.
' Seashore shipping company…' He noted the logo on the container before looking at the insides.
' Chains welded to the walls and the floor… broken by blunt force. He snucked in by the back exit door and to here. Then a huge fight broke out.'
The detective walked through the blood splatter and a small powder.
" Officer John, got any feedback from the lab about this residue?"
" Yes Detective, they said it's from a compressed air smoke pellet, usually used for theater effects."
The detective nodded and searched before finding a blood splatter labeled 'Bullet wound'
' The vigilante got overwhelmed and they held him up which caused one of them to shoot him. Filled with anger, desperation and adrenaline. He managed to get one of his arm free and used a smoke pellet.'
" The bullet wound, did it go through?" The detective asked.
" Yes, we managed to find the bullet and we've already sent it to the lab for a blood analysis. From what I've heard, it'll take a day or two for them to get a diagnosis."
" Well, if y'all have everything figured out, then why did you need me here?" The detective stood up and turned towards Captain Stacy.
" I want you to be there when they complete the analysis and assemble a team to track down this Vigilante. I'll be here to fully analyze the scene and who these criminals work for."
" Sigh, guess I'll have Ash deliver me some food in the meantime."
***
" Shit! That was so stupid! Why did I do that!?" I gritted my teeth in pain and anger which mostly towards myself.
But seeing those helpless faces made the pain worth it.
[ Congratulations! You've completed the mission and stopped the operation ]
[ Armed Guards defeated: 21 ]
[ victims saved: 17]
[ Moral Alignment: +10 honor ]
[ Moral compass: 23 -> 25 ( Law-abiding -> Protector ) ]
[ Mission Grade: B+ ]
( Combined with severe injury, which was caused by intense emotion. Youve still managed to defeat armed guards and saved the victims but at the cost of your identity being exposed.)
[ New Skill unlocked: Tier 1, Danger Sense ]
( Ability to detect danger in a 15 meter radius along with highlights enemies.)
" That's great and all, but this health stim ain't working fast enough." I grunted in pain until my eyes hovered above my identity being exposed.
' Shit!! My blood was at the crime scene!! Stupid!!' I banged my head against the wall in anger and helpless as I realized my mistake.
[ Mission Rewards: 2 packages of smoke pellets(20EA), 2x medical injectors, Safehouse unlocked.]
' Injector now!!' I commanded the system as it appeared in my hand before injecting it next to the bullet wound.
A pained groaned slipped from my mouth as I tried to get up but quickly stopped.
' Think I'll just rest here for now… damn that hurt.' I clutch my side as the pain began to numb away as I glanced at the wound slowly closing.
< Dad: Hey Son, when you wake up have your mother drop off some food for me would you? There was an emergency here at the station. Thanks kid.>
' Ignore the pain, you can move. Just gotta sabatoge the investigation.' I thought as I quickly made my way home to get any leftovers from the fridge for father.
***
" Hey jimmy, working the night shift?" I walked towards the two officers at the desk who looked up to see me walking with food, on one hand was fathers leftovers and the other two boxes of pizzas.
" Ash? What are you doing here so late?" The old officer asked as he looked at the two boxes of pizza.
" I'm here to drop some food off for my dad, and while I'm at it, thought I would drop some food for the officers working so late." I smiled which caused the officers to relax.
" Here, you guys can take it to the others. Im going to deliver this to my father."
" Haha! Thanks Ash!"
I walked through the building as I noted and memorized the layouts and sections of the building by looking at the signs on the walls.
It didn't take long to spot my father in a cubicle, staring at a white board with pictures.
" Well well well, so that's the vigilante?" I looked at a hand drawn portrait of my persona.
' Who ever drew that needs a raise, the detail is insane.' I thought as father looked behind towards me.
" Ash? Thanks for the food." Father smiled as he grabbed the leftovers from my hand.
" And yes, this is the most recent sketch we gotten about the vigilante." He said tiredly as he opened the box and placed it in a microwave nearby.
I nodded as I studied the board, and I realized that they were getting closer. Every block, street and building was marked.
[ suspect: The vigilante ]
[ Age: approx. 5'10 - 6'0 ]
[ Build: Athletic ]
[ Clothing description: wears a dark uniform containing a black hoodie with a black balaclava, gloves and boots. ]
[ Uses a baton that generates electricity. Trained in CQB, and moves in controlled aggression. ]
[ Whoever this vigilante is, he fights with aggression to the points it takes months for criminals to recover ] - Detective Alvarez, Organized Crime Bureau.
[ every footage we try to recover from the crime scenes have coincidentally have been blank during the time period. ] - Crime scene technician Report.
[ A new variable in this city, the gangs seem to be taking hits price by piece.] - Confidential informant.
As I read the notes on the sides, a radio on my fathers desk went off.
" Hey detective? This is Ray from the security office, something with the cameras-" the man on the radio didn't finish as he was cut off.
" Huh? Ray? What were you saying about the cameras?" My father asked as he picked up the radio only for silence.
My ears picked up the ventilation blowing more air.
' It's time… Sorry father.' I thought as I dropped my bag down to the floor and reached in to grab a gas mask and quickly placed it over my face.
In a few seconds, father fell to the floor trying to resist the gas.
" Ash…. Run…" he mumbled, trying to reach for his gun.
I stood there watching, watching my father try his best to protect his son.
" Don't worry father, I'm safe." I whispered before wearing my vigilante uniform over my clothes and walked towards the blood analysis room, passing the few police in the office as they began to fall one by one.
The blood analysis room was had a separate ventilation system which I came to realized as I watched a man operating behind a glass wall.
I pressed tapped the glass with my baton, which scared the analysis as he quickly turned around and froze.
I pressed the intercom.
" It seems you know who I am. So let's make this quick. The blood samples you've gotten from me. Destroy them." I ordered holding up a police officer's pistol.
" N-No! I can't do that! B-Besides! That's bulletproof!" He regained his confidence once he realized he was in a safe room.
But that confidence shattered the moment I held my phone up, and the door opened.
And fear crept in as the man stumbled backwards as he breathed into it, and I slowly approached the vial of blood on the table.
" N…o…" the man mumbled as he began to lose power in his body before succumbing to the gas.
I dragged the unconscious man outside of the room before walking back in to grab a bottle of pure alcohol and splashed it across the tables and equipment and lit it on fire.