The Adventures of Jack Steele.
"Evil thrives in the absence of honorable men."
Heavy winds crashed against the walls of the high rise buildings as smog and rain stained the steel and glass, a cold night did little to tame the heated passions and lusts of those below that inhabited this ever throbbing metropolis. Market City was once a hub for commercial excellence and urban perfection, that however was decades ago almost an ancient history long lost in the many rings of the tree like buildings of this man made forest. Those smart enough and with wealth enough long ago left the city for better and safer endeavours those with out such means remained and became trapped as victims in a giant spiders web, awaiting the impending finality of their own looming fate.
A shadow of flesh leaped onto the slick cement as it trailed a cluster of Hyenas like fiends that seemed to giggle and laugh as they stalked a panicked prey far ahead of them. Like their distant relative on the great African plains, these animals seemed to derive a sadistic pleasure in the hunt of those that can not defend themselves from such an attack. Unknown to this pack of Hyenas a bigger and badder predator was on their tail, lurking amongst the shadows of this cement jungle, as a big cat would amongst tall grass, this shadowy predator was focused.
The pack of fiends broke into a steady run as they approached a pair of young girls, the pair just breaking into their twenties were dressed in a manner that displayed their feminine perfection, but a manner that only served to drive a primal desire in such animals as these men.
"Look at these two fine pieces" squealed excitedly a curly haired member of the pack.
"I go first with the Blondie." said another as he produced a long blade from his pants.
The young girls moved closely together as they helplessly awaited the attack from this group. As the curly haired fiend pounced on the blond haired girl, an explosion at the side of his head sent his limp body spiralling awkwardly to the bitumen. The rest of the rabble spun and turned to address the attacker from which ever direction he appeared. Desperately with weapons or clenched fists they could only see the emptiness of the city at night, no attacker was in sight.
Suddenly from the shadows a tall man appeared, the darkness hiding his scared face, as he walked with a casual menace towards the pack of men.
"Who the fuck are you ?" Challenged a hyena with a crowbar.
"Steele."
Like a leopard the man from the shadows exploded towards the crowbar armed man, seizing the weapon he smashed an elbow into the fiends jaw followed by a sharp knee to the sternum. Spinning away he found another man, the man from the shadows thrust his right leg through the fiend buckling him over as ribs cracked upon the impact of shin. Just as his leg landed on the ground his was onto another hyena just as it attacked with a wild and crude hay maker of a punch, the man from the shadows went low and deep, seizing his victim at the legs he picked him up and lifted the man to his shoulders, double legging the hyena he drove it towards a wall tilting his prey head first into the hard brick. Dropping the limp pile of flesh, he faced the remaining fiend, walking towards the man he stared coldly into his now fearful eyes.
Breaking rank the slime bag fled into the night.
"Go home." The rescuer said to his damsels.
"Thank you."
Both girls ran towards the lights of the city's center. The big man disappeared back into the night. Leaving the low level menace to their injuries.
Jack Steele climbed the side wall up to his multi storied apartment in the cities southern side. It was a quiet and calmer part of the city, an area of professionals and working families. Steele was able to blend in, though he seldom left during the day any more. Entering his spartan apartment he was greeted by two dog's each excitedly rushed him, their tail ends wriggling ecstatically. One a beagle and the other a thick bodied ridge back, each loyal and happy to see their master. As he removed his leather wrist bands, and utility belt Steele flicked the kettle on to brew himself up some tea, as he turned to approach the television he noticed a figure standing still by his lounge, neither dog acknowledged it. Steele removed his extend able baton from his pants and flicked it at the ready, the figure remained still.
"Jack Steele. It has taken me some time to locate you. And I must confess, such humble dwellings really add to the intrigue of this cities lone guardian. " An English accented and thick voiced man stepped from the darkness. His long aquiline face narrowed with some length reaching a sharp tip with his nose and chin. His eyes sunken pits filled with black orbs, surrounded by greying flesh and leathery skin that seemed to belong to a corpse or reptile.
"Who are you ?" Jack asked as he lowered his baton, though still holding it ready for action.
"I believe I am to be what will be your, nemesis. Your polar opposite you complete contrast. I am the sole entity that will give you purpose, meaning and drive. Though I will also add more than conflict to this adventure, I shall twist the story with tragedy and loss for you, but will also allow you the opportunity to display your greater moral dignity as you shall foolishly spare my life, only to see me revived again and again at some later date. Though their will be other foes, I shall assure you I will feature as your ultimate enemy. Now, that we have established this crucial key point ever so delicately, I wish to get a few things straight."
Jack walked to the strange man's side, as he attempted to get a better look at him. From every angle he looked frail, though formidable, aged, though evil, everything that Steele was not.
"Go on." Steele said.
"I will not send masses of hybrid animals after you, nor will I set honey traps for you. I will however be prepared for you every heroic though vain attempt to stop my plans, no matter how sinister of grand that they may be. I do not need to idiotically rob banks or anything like that, because I have a substantial inheritance, and with that I shall feed my forever growing design to take over this city, that you call home."
"What makes you think I will let you leave this apartment?" Jack asked, eyeing his foe carefully.
"Oh you know Mr Steele that your strong sense of right and wrong will see that I walk out your door and into the night. Besides breaking into your sparse though eloquently lovely apartment, I have yet to do any wrong, that you know off, and it is with this fact that you shall let me go. Because Mr Steele in this dramatic play that we call life, you are the good guy and I suppose I am the bad guy. So as much as I would like to stay and share a cup of chai with you, I must be getting my nights rest because I have bad guy things to do in the morning. "
The stranger walked down the hallway and towards the front door, he passed the larger dog patting it as he walked by.
"To me you seem like another crack pot with stupid delusions." Steele said to the man's back.
"Perhaps that is true. But my delusions are no illusions. You shall soon see. Good night, Mr Steele. " The man unlocked the door and stepped through it. Jack watched him, unsure of whether to stop him or to let him go.
"Oh, I almost forgot. How rude I must seem. My alias is 'Le Villain', which is 'The Villain' in French, though as you can tell from my accent I am not French, I just dislike them. I am sure in good time you will come to learn my real name. And who I am when I am not doing 'bad' things. Now good night, sweet dreams and get your eight hours Mr Steele." The man left the apartment, shutting the door gently behind him.
That night Jack struggled to sleep, he had spent most the night checking his apartment for any explosives, listening devices or anything out of the ordinary. It was an hour into his search before he discovered a small gift basket wrapped with a red bow. In it was some exotic chocolates, dog biscuits, exotic bath soaps and a card that read;
"Welcome to the new Market City, in kindest regards 'Le Villain'."
Jack laid in bed, and eventually he found sleep. He had a new fight on his hands it would seem. No longer did the violence and scum of this city conduct itself in random acts of chaos, it seemed it would have a conductor to bring an evil symphony out of the cacophony that Steele had grown to known.
Kym Robinson
