"That is a terrible idea."

Ethan looked over at his mother, Helen, amused by her reaction to his suggestion.

"What's so terrible about it?" He said, feigning ignorance.

Ethan's mother narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't get cute with me, I'm still healthy enough beat that behind of yours." She threatened.

Ethan chuckled; he was glad to see his mother's fiery spirit hadn't gone anywhere, especially given the circumstances. His mother's blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes were still so full of life, her white skin was a bit paler than normal, but if not for that fact that she was currently sitting in a hospital bed you'd never think anything was wrong with her.

"You've always said you wanted to go Spain."

"Yes, to visit, not move there."

"Well don't think of it as moving there, think of it as an extended vacation."

His mother's eye turned somber; he knew what she was going to say before she even said it. "Ethan, I'm dying, moving to Spain, just isn't practical."

It hurt Ethan to hear those words again, it had been almost a year since he first heard them, the first time being from the doctor who told them his mother's prognosis. He still remembers the inexplicable dread he felt that day as he answered the call that informed him that his mother had fainted at work and had been taken to the hospital. He also remembers his near breakdown at the news that the disease was unknown and that there was no cure. Ethan had wanted to scream and shout and probably would have had his mother not grabbed hold of his hand. Even after hearing about her impending death his mother remained steadfast, her eyes and voice never wavering, the only indication that she understood her situation were the tears that ran down her face.

"That's exactly why we should go." He argued. "You have to use what time you have left to actually live. Go where you've always wanted to go, do what you've always wanted to do, I mean do you really want to spend what time you have left cooped up in a hospital?"

The unknown disease seemed to drain the person of their energy making them lethargic and weak. As the disease progressed it became harder for his mother to move around and it was recommended, she stay hospitalized. Inevitably the disease will make even staying awake difficult, in all the other cases the patients eventually die peacefully in their sleep. Ethan only solace was that there was no pain, but still he spared no expense and admitted her into the best hospital in the city with her own room and private bathroom.

"What about your job or money for that matter, do you even have enough money to buy a house in Spain?" She argued back.

"I've been saving up and I work on a computer all day, as long as I have an internet connection, I can do my job from anywhere."

"I still don't know." His mother mumbled.

"Knock, knock, is it okay to come in?" A voice called out from the doorway.

It was his mother's friend Diane; she was an older lady around the same age as his mother with red tinged brown hair and brown eyes, they both met while receiving care here at the hospital. She was admitted after being in a nasty car accident that left her wheelchair bound for a few months. Her family had to force her to come here after she refused to stop working and recover properly. She's stubborn and hardheaded just like his mother, probably why they get along so well.

"Of course, please come in."

"Thanks Helen, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm great, thank you."

"And Ethan, I swear you get more and more handsome every time I see you."

"Yes, he's looking more and more like his father every day."

Ethan wasn't vain but he was fully aware of how attractive other people found him, it mostly had to do with his mixed heritage. His father was originally from Spain and Ethan inherited his bronze skin and black hair from him. But it was the vibrant blue eyes that he got from his mother that really drew people in. It was this combination of dark skin and hair with his blue eyes that really captivated people. Not that it was all genetic, because of his true vocation, Ethan had to keep himself in peek physical condition. Added all together it wasn't difficult to see why so many people found him attractive, even with his current plain appearance of black shoes, black pants, and white tee.

"When are you going to let me introduce you to my niece, she just turned twenty-five same as you."

"Don't get me started, I've been telling him for months, ever since he broke up with...what was her name?"

"Jenny, and you've got more important things to worry about than my love life." Ethan chided. "Besides, isn't she like five nine?"

"She's five eight, and why should that matter?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, throughout his life he's found that most women tend to date or go out with men of either a similar height or taller, rarely do they go shorter no matter how attractive. At five feet five inches, Ethan was clearly in the shorter category not that it bothered him, in fact it suited him and his needs.

But before Ethan could answer, his phone chimes, taking his phone out of his pocket he sees he has one new message.

Target on the move.

"Mom I got to go, its work." Ethan says as he gives her a peck on the cheek.

"Ok, tell Joe hi from me."

"Sorry Diane looks like we'll have to talk about your niece another time."

"That's what you said last time and her name is Rose." Diane pouts.

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Ethan just continues to smile as he grabs his backpack and quickly ducks out. Not wanting to waste time Ethan decides to take the stairs down instead of waiting for the elevator. Which wasn't too bad as it was only two floors down. He quickly makes his way down and out of the hospital via the automatic doors and into the sprawling city of Port Iron.

Outside the weather was perfect; the sun was shining with just enough clouds in the sky to keep the temperature from getting too hot. The streets were packed with cars and the side walks were jammed packed with people, a few of them dressed in red for the small blood drive celebration happening downtown. Ethan quickly falls into the flow of foot traffic as he makes his way down the city street. As he walks, Ethan can't help but think how fake it all seemed, as if the city itself were trying too hard to put on a friendly face. But Ethan knew better, he knew that behind the beautiful façade was a dangerous and volatile center. The city itself was massive and seemed to be in a perpetual state of growth and construction. It reminded him of the two cities from his favorite comics: the beautiful and expansive Metropolis, and the dangerous and ever-changing Gotham. Ethan snaps himself out of his brief reverie, now isn't the time for idle contemplation, he chastises himself. After a few more blocks Ethan finds himself downtown, it would have been faster to take the tram, but he wanted the extra time to go over the different plans in his head.

Ethan didn't really work with computers, he was a thief one of the best in the city, but he doesn't steal for himself, he steals for his clients. Most of the time his jobs are pretty straight forward, he's usually in and out before anyone even notices something wrong and always at night. But this job was different, the mark this time was a high-end art dealer who was extremely careful even by Port Iron standards. He only moved during the day and always traveled with armed escorts, mercenaries. And he always carried the desired item with him until delivery, the item this time being a gold crest shaped pendant with an emerald center. But none of that was the real problem, the real problem was that the client set a deadline and not a friendly one. But with the amount they were willing to pay it would be worth it. This was Ethan's whale; with the money he gets for this he can finally take his mother to Spain and be done with Port Iron for good.

Ethan ducks into a café and heads straight for the bathroom, he gets a few smiles from some of the female customers inside, but ignores them and continues to walk past. The bathroom was in the back of the café obscured by a small wall you have to go around. Once inside the bathroom Ethan quickly checks to make sure he's alone and once he's certain no one else is there he locks the bathroom door. Removing his backpack Ethan pulls out a pair of black gloves, a red hoodie, and a mask. The blank featureless mask was solid white and was custom made to fit his face with the right eye camouflaged to look like the rest of the mask while the left eye was made with a red outer glass lens. Giving the mask the appearance of having only one red eye, which is what Ethan's clients know him as, Red Eye.

Ethan puts on the gloves and hoodie but before putting on the mask he takes a second to look at himself in the mirror. He takes in a few deep breathes to steady himself, and then he looks into his own eyes. The vibrant blue eyes staring back at him reminded him of his mother, the reason he was doing this, the reason this was worth the risk. Ethan quickly slips on the backpack and puts on the mask; pulling the hoodie over his head to obscure it as much as possible. Ethan unlocks the door and slips out of the bathroom, making sure to not be seen. He then goes out through the emergency exit leading to the alleyway behind the café. The alleyway was empty save for a few garbage cans and cigarette butts that littered the doorway.

Ethan checked each end of the alleyway; he could see people walking by on the streets but wasn't too worried about being seen. Most of the time people in Port Iron avoid alleyways like the plague, knowing that nothing good would ever come from looking down one. Ethan looks at his watch; a quarter to four, it's almost time. Over the last few days Ethan learned that the art dealer had a thing for one of the baristas inside. To show off his wealth and authority, he would buyout the café for a few hours to have it and her to himself. As if on cue Ethan hears a voice inside the café asking everyone to leave.

"Sorry everyone but the café is being closed for a private party, again I apologize for the inconvenience."

Ethan walks to the opposite side of the alley and turns to face the door getting into a runner's start position. As he waits, he focuses on his breathing and concentrates his mind; the noise of the city falls away and everything seems to slow down. He could sense the people inside the café, besides the barista and the art dealer, there were three guards inside. Two were standing by the art dealer who was sitting down and the third was walking toward the emergency exit to check the alleyway and make sure it's secure. Ethan discovered this ability at a young age and its one of the reasons why he's one of the best thieves in the city. From what he could gather neither of his parents seemed to share this ability, so how or why he got it remains a mystery to him.

As the door slowly opens Ethan burst into a run toward the door, by the time the guard fully opens it, Ethan is already tackling him to the ground and knocking him out with a punch. But Ethan can't afford to stop, he breaks into another run around the wall and toward the café. Everyone but the guards were still in a state of surprise from the loud bang caused when Ethan tackled the guard, it showed these mercs were well trained. They were already reaching for their weapons when Ethan rounded the corner, but it was no use. Ethan ability allowed him to view the guards as if they were moving in slow motion. He quickly grabs one of the small café tables and chucks it at the three men, who instinctively move to avoid it, giving Ethan enough time to jump between them. Ethan quickly kicks the dealer who was getting up off the floor back down, and then uses the same foot to kick the back of the guard's knee to his right, causing the guard to fall down onto one knee. The guard on his left tries to attack Ethan with a punch, but Ethan deflects the blow down and away. Allowing Ethan to counterattack with a strike to the guard's temple, stunning him. Ethan continues his attack by back handing the guard on his right in the back of the head and then proceeds to turn and launch a roundhouse kick to the stunned guard's head knocking him out. Ethan turns to face the remaining guard only to see that the back hand to his head before had already incapacitated him. He turns towards dealer who's was still ailing from the kick earlier. Ethan quickly searches dealer, the café windows were already filled with people trying to see what all the commotion was about, and the police had undoubtedly been called.

Inside one of the dealers' pockets was a black box, opening it up Ethan finds the gold pendant with the emerald, he quickly pockets the pendant and closes the box.

"Don't move."

The sound of a gun getting cocked was made to emphasize the command, it was the guard that Ethan had tackled and punched earlier.

"Careful, miss and you might end up shooting you employer." Ethan called out.

"I'm a good shot, besides, I was hired to protect the pendant not the employer. Now get down on the ground and put your hands on your head."

Mercenaries, you got to love them, Ethan thought to himself. Just then the alarm on Ethan's watch starts to beep signifying it was four o'clock.

"What's that?"

Thinking fast Ethan calls out, "A bomb, catch." And tosses the black box at the guard.

The guard instinctively jumps away from the box, giving Ethan enough time to toss a chair through one of the café windows and jump out after it. All the onlookers step back in shock and fear, as Ethan makes his way to the middle of the street just as police cars start arriving. But Ethan wasn't worried, because right on schedule a group of about a hundred people all dressed in red hoodies and similar backpacks show up enveloping him. They were promoting the blood drive and passing out fliers. Ethan removes his mask and watches as the police and the now recovered guard search in vain for the masked figure.

Ethan smiles and slowly slips away.

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