Prolouge
"The complexity of being a man, is the idea that being protective, equates to being powerful. To be respectable means to be in control. There's a line that every boy must walk in order to find out what man he'll be. men are capable of creating just as impressive as their destruction. Every man has the capacity to be great, but not every man has the ability to be good."
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I was 17 when my father died. When I felt the heat of an explosion singe the nape of my neck. Hundreds dead, thousands injured, and millions ignoring the truth. What was I supposed to do? Move on? Walk away? I know I'm not special... People loose their dads all the time, but how many had to watch, had to sit still knowing the man responsible gets to profit off the suffering of us all. Another expendable statistic, just like my old man. Playing as a drug mule for the biggest crime boss in Backland city, and an informant for the FBI. And for what? Just to be thrown under the bus by everyone; leaving me and my family to feel the scrutiny of his actions. I didn't sit still. I didn't walk away. I decided to do something no one else would, but in order to do so, I needed a mask. A mission. A target.
Victor Antov, or most notably in the criminal underground, as the Bear. A strong Russian mafia boss, sinking his teeth into the cities vulnerable. His empire expanded after imploding a fraction of Backland city, and with each dollar earned in blood my anger grew. I wanted him to feel fear, feel the same pain he dealt unknowingly to me. But I was a child, I needed help.
I recruit my best friend Aaron Jefferson, he keep my head on my shoulders, helped me process my pain into focus,knowing the pain I carried would destroy me if I kept going out looking for a fight. I needed to stop brawling in the streets. Stop venting my anger, and home in on The Bear. No easy task, nor journey, but through my struggles I found someone. Caleb Nguyen; he was also after Antov, he also had a mask. He was injured protecting me, and offered me a chance to actually bring Victor to justice, but with it came rules. No killing, no vengeance, justice was the only way he'd agree to train me... so we got to work. I spent years training honing my body, strengthen my mind, and amplifying my soul. Taking Caleb's gray mask and making it my own. I was a protector of the city. I was a vigilante.
Through the years we came across like-minded vigilantes operating in other cities. Others who suffered from injustice and corruption, others who were fed up with the way the world ran. I met Ranger (Riley) and Scout (Alice) the vigilante duo of Valora. As well as Verdict (Bryan); Rumford's Judge, Jury, and Executioner. Each operated in their own way, but we all had a common goal, change.
I found my own style, my own missions, training and attacking the crime world. I slipped, started falling in love with Sofia, and making personal enemies like Giovani Costa, but his street name was Giovani Hendrix. He tried to hurt her, to get to me, Isaac... but I got to him first as the vigilante. I knew then I couldn't have a relationship and a mask, I promised myself I wouldn't let Sofia in the crossfire again, focusing on what's important.
My training with Caleb elevated me to Backland City's gray protector. Yet, getting a grip on my dual personality was harder than it looked. Struggling in school, relationships, and money; not to include Caleb's rigorous training and his agenda to strengthen his team, recruiting Alice in taking down Antov's reign. She left Riley and Valora to finally take down a serious threat.
At the brink of their operation, Caleb's past came to haunt him. Ty Zhang, leader of the Triad Clan. A secret militia dating back to the 1700's, striving to build elite warriors. Caleb failed to mentioned he was recruited by them overseas, or that he sold his soul to them, and Ty is ready to collect. He initiates his right to the blood pact Caleb and him made years ago.
I trusted Caleb, he was my mentor after all. He trained me from 17 to 22, those years I'll never get back. So what if his past secrets flooded open his desertion of his military unit, and the joining of this war mongering cult, his failure to protect his family. It didn't change things in my eyes... yet.
I was the first to pay for his past actions, being ambushed by the clan. I fell down a building, putting me in a physical therapy. Recovering, having to watch as my mentor struggles with his past. Ultimately asking all of them to bear arms once more. They terrorized the people I cared about, and there was only one way to remove them from the city. So I did what any protector does, I challenged Ty to trial for Clan-head. Since I was Caleb's direct pupil I am capable of taking Caleb's place in the blood pact. I didn't realize how much pain I could endure until that night. And as we both squared off to the death, I knew I had to break my rules I would have to kill.
I barely survived, but at a heavy cost. And knowing I was a killer I just needed to be with my team my family, yet Caleb goes missing and Alice flees leaving myself and Aaron back to being the last vigilantes to take down Victor.
I walked alone in Backland nights. Operating on the criminals with grit and determination. I wasn't a kid anymore, I was a force of nature and Knocking heads, to get details on Antov's biggest move was my job.
Victor attempted to get his seat In the mayoral position. Having unfettered access to the city's infrastructure; he'd be unstoppable, Yet I became bolder, angrier, darker. I had one opportunity to get Victor's crimes out in the open. And his sour deals with Arman Westing, a dangerous arms dealer, his resources are staggered. The public can finally see the Bear for what he is, a wild animal. Needing to be put down.
I would've pounced immediately but I became unfocused, my attention splitting between Isaac and Backland's Brawler. Then I met her. The Violent Violet. A scrappy quirky girl trying her best to fight crime. I tried to put an end to her vigilante days but through admiration and attraction i couldn't just turn her away. She wanted what I wanted. Change. So I promised Emma, I would teach her how to do this properly and recruit her in my mission.
Of course once I find a new woman in my life, Sofia returns trying to rekindle what little we had after Giovanni's wicked actions at prom. Tensions are high and will is tested as I had to face not only the man responsible for killing my father, but the evil men benefiting off of the city's destruction. I watched as Victor Antov, and Arman Westing begin their turf war.I couldn't focus, I had too much on my plate, but Emma did make it better. I tried to keep it professional, but the heart wants what it wants right? I became unfocused, and she matched my infatuation. It didn't take long, and as we trained, I'd feel the connection, one worth walking away from this life.
No matter my choices, I knew the stage is set for a true deceive play. He recruits his friend's Riley and Bryan to help capture Westing so he can testify on Antov's criminal antics. Bryan's Verdict persona carries his anger and brute force, along with Riley's new persona Apollo, a shield bearing defender, working in unison to overrun a stronghold. Westing's men fall at our might, only to fail in recovering the criminal.
Meanwhile Emma oversteps her bounds, trying to expose the criminal world with the police to put Arman Westing away. Unbeknownst to her, the precinct was filled with corrupt cops, ambushing her and brutally injuring Emma. I made it to the hospital just in time to see her, and as she cried in pain I knew I put her there.
My rage came next. My alter ego took control. I tore through the underbelly of Backland crime, searching for the men responsible. Each one feeling my wraith, Brutally and viciously suffering by my hands. I tried to refrain from killing, but I still let some die.
I found him, that coward. Hiding away from what he deserved. I ripped Arman Westing out of his hiding hole only for a bullet to pierce the arm's dealer's head. I was played. A fool, letting my anger cloud my perception. I gave the bear his biggest competitor on a silver platter, and I failed to recognize the bigger picture. With the last ditch effort to save the day I came face to face with my father's killer... and was brutalized and maimed in a trial by fire.
Broke, beaten, bruised, I could barley breath let alone think. I tried to escape, but Victor understood my pain. Knew how to hurt me perfectly. Pushing me towards a bomb so no one else has to die.
frustrated and exhausted, i stood in front of the bomb never going off and Victor laughing at easily breaking my spirit as well as my body. I can only recall this because I was saved by my allies Verdict and Apollo, but couldn't accept it, I could only lash out at the very idea of heroism.
Claiming to never wear a mask again, to let the city burn and to leave me out of it. I was, crushed by the depression and pain of loss, I gave up, retired the vigilante mentality leaving Aaron with the mask, letting him be the only one left to stand on the mantle me and Caleb held. It's been a year and six months since that day and yet, I wake up paralyzed every morning reliving my pain that night.
