A line of soldiers charged at him. Bullets burst apart all around Virgil as he dashed through the street. Several shots tore into his coat and sliced into his arm. Blood trickled from the gashes.
He spun around and held the gun sideways. One trigger pull, one after another, unleashed a salvo of ethereal bullets in an arc. Each shot struck home and several soldiers crumpled under the onslaught. A grenade clattered to the ground in front of him. Before he could react, it exploded.
The blast threw him back with a searing rush of heat and dust. His head cracked against the pavement and he nearly blacked out.
Virgil forced himself to roll over and groaned. He felt his back burn where shrapnel had torn through his coat. The wounds ached but he wasn't bleeding too badly.
Struggling to his feet, he dragged his gun and rose to one knee.
Two Adrenomancers charged toward him from different angles. The tall one reached him first and slammed into him with a brutal shoulder charge. Virgil hit the ground and rolled. He caught a glimpse of a thin spear arcing down and twisted aside. The weapon embedded itself into the concrete where his neck had been a split-second earlier.
The other Adrenomancer pulled back on the spear and drove the blunt end straight into Virgil's gut.
His body absorbed the brunt of the impact but it still hurt like hell. Gasping for breath, he fired two shots at the man and scrambled to his feet. The ethereal bullets bounced off his foe's armor. A spear lanced toward him again. Virgil brought his gun up in time to deflect it. He grabbed the haft with his free hand and fired point blank into the Adrenomancer's chest.
The round ignited and spread a flash of flame over the armored man. His scream died as he collapsed into a smoldering heap.
The other Adrenomancer assaulted him before he could get his bearings. He dodged aside but was too slow to avoid a gauntlet to the side of his head. Pain flashed across his face.
He held his gun steady and fired back. A bullet plowed through the Adrenomancer's helmet. Blood sprayed from the entrance wound. The rest of the man's body remained still.
Virgil grimaced and inspected the area for any more hostiles. As soon as the coast was clear, he activated his commlink. "Fii? Report."
"Yeah," he grunted. "What's your status?"
"Same. Helix? What's our situation?"
As Helix ran through the numbers, Virgil listened and clenched his teeth. It wasn't good. He'd hoped they'd have been able to turn the tide by now, but the fighting was far too spread out for them to deal with effectively. The only thing they could do was keep going and pick off as many hostiles as they could. As long as the number of enemies kept dropping, he'd take it.
Helix alerted him.
Virgil turned to check on the newcomers. They were soldiers—a lot of them. From his vantage point, he counted ten spread across the street. Another line moved behind them. At least fifteen more.
"Got it," he grunted. "Hey kid? I'll catch you later. You just keep doing what you're doing." He clenched his teeth and pulled the brim of his hat down low. "I got some punks to deal with."
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Amidst the chaos of the battle-scarred streets, Elijah "The Enforcer" Gray commanded his territory with the grim authority of a warlord. The alleyways of the slums echoed with the crack of gunfire and the screams of the wounded as the Ashen Hand clashed with Salvatore’s forces. Around him, gangsters fought and fell beneath the hail of enemy fire. Some managed to drag themselves to safety while others lay motionless in the gutter.
Dust and debris clouded the air, but through the murky haze, Elijah's unique ability churned the ash into a swirling tempest around him. His hands waved through the air, and swaths of smoky tendrils spiraled out, coalescing into solid forms.
With a flick of his wrist, ash solidified into sharp projectiles that flew through the air, embedding themselves into the armor of an advancing Adrenomancer. Blood poured from the wounds as he fell to his knees.
Elijah lashed out with another wave of tendrils, sending a hail of ash and cinder slicing through the enemy line. Several soldiers collapsed in an instant. One threw himself behind a nearby barrier, firing back with wild abandon.
A moment later, the man's face contorted in agony as an ashen tendril wrapped around his throat. He writhed for a few seconds before falling still.
As he advanced, Elijah transformed his arms into swirling vortices of choking ash, engulfing a group of soldiers who had been pinning down a section of his gang. The ash seeped into every crevice of their gear, filling their lungs and blinding their vision, leaving them gasping and vulnerable.
The Ashen Hand members didn't hesitate, rushing forward to capitalize on the confusion he wrought. Several enemy soldiers crumpled under concentrated gunfire. Others were pummeled into the pavement with vicious blows from reinforced clubs and machetes. Their numbers thinned quickly.
"Form up! Shields front, shooters behind!" Elijah barked as he charged ahead. At his command, particles of ash swirled around him, coalescing into a dense, swirling cloud. As he brought his arm forward, the cloud solidified into a broad, impenetrable shield, blocking the incoming barrage of bullets.
"Now!" Elijah roared as he advanced into the fray. Behind him, his gang followed suit, using the cover he provided to pepper the enemy line with concentrated gunfire. Several soldiers dropped under the assault, but a few managed to fall back to the safety of cover. As they regrouped, Elijah stepped forward to meet them.
The ash shield exploded outward in a ferocious torrent, transforming into a barrage of sharp, solid shards that ripped through the enemy ranks. Screams echoed as the shards found their marks, piercing armor and flesh alike.
As the barrage subsided, several Adrenomancers charged into the breach, rushing forward to confront Elijah directly. The Ashen Gang brawlers who met them first were tossed aside like rag dolls. Their bodies hit the pavement with sickening crunches.
One Adrenomancer with an enormous two-handed axe spun a brutal killing arc towards him.
In an instant, Elijah's body dissolved into a cloud of dark smoke, reassembling behind the advancing Adrenomancers. Before they could react, he thrusted his hands forward, sending a dense billow of choking ash into their faces.
They coughed and sputtered as they fell to their knees. As the others turned to face him, he slipped past them once more, moving like a wraith through the swirling miasma. As they struggled to orient themselves, Elijah struck. A dense tendril materialized in his grasp, solidifying into a sharpened spearhead that pierced one of the Adrenomancers straight through the chest.
A third Adrenomancer charged through the haze, his form blurry with the speed granted by his enhancements. As he closed the distance, Elijah dissolved once more into a thick cloud of smoke and ash. The Adrenomancer's chain-wrapped fist sailed harmlessly through the space where he'd been.
Before the Adrenomancer could react, Elijah reformed behind him, a deadly blade of ashen matter materializing in his hand. He brought the blade down in a swift arc, slicing cleanly through the man's neck.
As the body crumpled to the ground, Elijah looked up to see the final Adrenomancer being beaten to death by his gang.
"For the Hand!" one of them shouted as they closed in for the kill. The others joined in the chant as they piled on top of their victim. They pummeled and stabbed the Adrenomancer until his form was motionless beneath them.
Elijah waved his arm to clear away the dust and debris in front of him.
As the air cleared, he surveyed the scene around him. Bodies littered the ground in a grisly display of violence and brutality. Many were his own men. A few unlucky souls were still twitching and moaning as they lay there bleeding out.
He snapped his fingers to get their attention. "You. You and you. Finish 'em off." Elijah pointed to the wounded enemy soldiers. "The rest of you, clean up this mess."
"Yes sir!" came the chorus of replies.
As his gang scrambled to follow his orders, Elijah reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn pack of cigarettes. He shook one out and lit it with a flick of his thumb. As he took a long drag, he glanced around the battlefield.
The smoke hung thick in the air, lending a hazy glow to the scene before him. Despite the destruction wrought by the fighting, he couldn't help but admire the beauty of it all. There was a certain artistry to the violence and chaos that unfolded in these streets. He didn't always agree with how Mother Mercy ran things, but he could appreciate her vision.
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This was their domain. Their kingdom. And they would hold it against any who dared try to take it from them.
He took another long drag and exhaled slowly. The smoke curled around him in lazy tendrils before drifting off into the wind. It was almost poetic. Like the souls of the dead escaping their bodies.
His thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of gunfire—a distinct cadence he recognized instantly. The only person who fired rounds like that in the slums was Virgil.
A cold smile crept across his face as he pondered the possibility of facing the man himself in combat. The thought sent a thrill down his spine. He'd been waiting for this chance ever since they'd first clashed years ago. If this battle went according to plan, he'd finally get his wish.
No doubt the vigilante had his hands full with Salvatore's men. It would be the perfect opportunity to strike. Maybe even finish what they started all those years ago. But more than that...it would be an opportunity to prove himself. To show Mother Mercy and the rest of the Hand what he was capable of.
With a final drag on his cigarette, Elijah tossed it aside and turned to the nearest group of gangsters. "You. You're coming with me. We're gonna hunt us a vigilante."
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As they neared Virgil’s location, Elijah felt the familiar rush of adrenaline mixed with a deep-seated rage. This was his chance to settle old scores. He motioned for his gang to split up and surround the area while he closed in from the front. They acknowledged the order and faded into the shadows as instructed.
In the distance, a figure stood alone against a squad of soldiers. There was no mistaking the tall, imposing silhouette that belonged to Virgil. The man stood firm despite the hail of bullets flying his way. His revolver bucked in his hand as he fired shot after shot with practiced precision. The bullets tore through the enemy line, felling several soldiers with each pull of the trigger.
It was a mesmerizing display of skill and marksmanship. Even Elijah had to admit he was impressed. But as impressive as it was, he couldn't let himself get distracted. The vigilante was a formidable opponent, and he needed to be at the top of his game if he wanted to have any chance at victory.
Just meters away now, Elijah prepared for the confrontation. His body swirled with ash and smoke as he drew closer.
Virgil, as if sensing the approaching threat, turned slowly to face him.
Elijah stepped out, his form coalescing from smoke into solidity, a grim specter of wrath. "Virgil!" he roared, his voice echoing off the shattered facades of the nearby buildings.
The vigilante turned to face him and adjusted his hat. He raised his revolver and pointed it squarely at Elijah's chest. "Well...if it ain't the Enforcer himself." His drawl carried through the din of battle.
"You and I got unfinished business," Elijah called out as he approached. "I think it's time we settled things once and for all."
Virgil cocked his head to the side. "Now's not a good time. Maybe later?"
Elijah smirked and cracked his knuckles. "Oh no, this is exactly the right time. I've been waitin' for this day for a long time." He pointed an accusing finger at the vigilante. "Today you die!"
Virgil chuckled dryly. "I like your confidence. You sure you don't want to rethink that last part?"
"Shut up!" Elijah roared. "I'm tired of hearing you talk! Let's do this!"
With a snarl, he lunged forward. As he closed the distance between them, the air around him erupted into swirling eddies of ash and smoke. Tendrils lashed out like striking vipers, snapping at Virgil from every angle. The vigilante dodged and weaved through the assault, his trenchcoat billowing behind him.
He fired a few shots as he evaded the strikes.
Elijah's ashen shield absorbed the bullets with ease. He smiled at the futile effort. "Is that all you got?"
Virgil adjusted his hat and took aim again. "Not even close."
A searing round tore through Elijah's shield and pierced his armor, carving a bloody furrow across his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and pressed on, launching another barrage of ash tendrils at the vigilante. They hammered against Virgil's body, knocking him off balance. He staggered backwards and fell to one knee.
"Hah!" Elijah cried out in triumph. "See? I told you I'd—" He cut himself short as he felt a sharp pain in his gut. Looking down, he saw a bullet hole in his midsection. The blood began to trickle out slowly. His face twisted into a snarl. "Bastard..."
Virgil rose to his feet, the revolver smoking in his hand. "Still think this is a good idea?"
Elijah clenched his jaw and steadied himself. "We're just getting started."
The ash churned around him as he launched another flurry of strikes at the vigilante. The tendrils lashed out with deadly force, slicing through the air and biting into Virgil's skin. But despite the damage, the man didn't falter. He fired back while simultaneously managing the hail of bullets from Salvatore's men.
He led Elijah across the battlefield, guiding him to avoid the enemy fire. Elijah, caught up in the heat of battle, followed eagerly.
"You look distracted, Backfire! Can't keep up?" he taunted.
Virgil’s response was a stoic silence, his focus split between the approaching gang enforcer and the soldiers who relentlessly pressed their attack. The vigilante spun around in a blur of movement, dodging and weaving through the swirling tendrils. He fired a few rounds at Elijah before turning his attention back to Salvatore's men. Shot after shot thudded into the advancing soldiers, felling them like wheat before a scythe.
Meanwhile, Elijah's men moved in to support him. They fired on Virgil from the surrounding buildings and rooftops, forcing him to duck for cover behind a nearby dumpster. Bullets pinged off the metal as he crouched there.
Elijah grinned and took advantage of the momentary reprieve to catch his breath. The blood flowed freely from his wounds now. It trickled down his chest and legs. But he didn't care. He was too focused on the fight ahead.
As he lunged forward, his form dissipated into a cloud of smoke, reassembling behind Virgil.
The veteran gunslinger’s instincts kicked in, and he rolled to the side, firing three shots mid-move. Each bullet whizzed through the cloud of ash where Elijah had been moments before, striking Salvatore’s men approaching from behind.
Elijah reformed, ash coalescing into solidity just as Virgil regained his footing. They locked eyes for a brief moment.
With a swift motion, Elijah waved his hand, sending a dense cloud of choking ash towards Virgil, attempting to obscure his vision and suffocate him.
Virgil had already clicked his revolver to the next chamber. A searing blue bullet fired, cutting through the smoke with ethereal fire that lit the night. The bullet barely missed Elijah, igniting a nearby pile of debris instead.
"Fancy tricks," Elijah grumbled, his form flickering between solid and smoky as he advanced.
Virgil, undeterred, fired another shot, this one aimed not at Elijah but at a cluster of Salvatore's men who had tried to flank him. The bullet, glowing with a brilliant luminosity, marked the soldier it hit, turning him into a beacon. A second shot impacted the marked soldier, and the man screamed in agony as ethereal flames engulfed him. He flailed about wildly, only for the flames to leap onto another nearby soldier. They both fell to the ground, thrashing about in pain as they burned.
"Still got some fight in ya, I see," Elijah acknowledged gruffly, reforming his strategy.
He surged forward, arms spread wide as he manipulated the smoke into a thick wall, moving it like a wave to crash down upon Virgil. The vigilante twisted and fired an ethereal round at the approaching wall.
This time, the bullet froze the smoke in place momentarily, giving Virgil the split second he needed to move. He rolled away from the impact zone just as the wall dispersed and exploded outward in a swirling vortex of ash.
Elijah's eyes widened in momentary surprise. "How?"
Virgil kept firing with ethereal rounds as he dodged and weaved through the chaotic assault. Each shot sent ripples through the smoke, causing it to swirl and eddy as they passed through.
Elijah scowled and redoubled his efforts. His strikes came faster now. More powerful. He threw everything he had into the attack. And yet...the vigilante continued to evade him. With each successful dodge, Virgil landed another shot on a soldier or gang member behind Elijah. The surrounding buildings were littered with corpses from the vigilante's deadly precision.
Elijah paused and reformed for a brief second to take stock of the situation. He could sense the tide of the battle turning against him. He needed to find a way to even the odds. And fast.
As Virgil turned to face him once more, three Adrenomancers burst through the wreckage of the buildings on either side. Two of them charged towards Virgil while the others headed for Elijah. One threw a flurry of punches at Virgil while another launched a brutal kick at his midsection.
The blows landed squarely, staggering the vigilante.
Elijah, meanwhile, held off the third Adrenomancer's assault with a defensive cloud of smoke. "Back off!" he growled at the assailant. "This is my fight!"
He blasted the Adrenomancer with a barrage of solid ash tendrils that knocked the man away. Before he could regain his footing, Elijah sent a wave of ashen spears at the man. They pierced his body in several places, impaling him to the ground.
"Now...where were we?" Elijah turned to face Virgil again.
The vigilante seemed to have his hands full with the two Adrenomancers, struggling to keep them both at bay. One of them kicked his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. The other delivered a series of powerful punches to his midsection while the first pinned him down.
Perfect. Just the opportunity Elijah needed. He reared back and hurled a cloud of smoke at Virgil. It swirled around the vigilante and his attackers, obscuring them from view. A moment later, he sent a barrage of ash tendrils lashing out at them from all directions.
The Adrenomancers managed to leap away in time, but Virgil wasn't so lucky. The tendrils caught him full force, slashing and tearing at his body as they slammed him into the ground. His revolver slipped from his grasp and skidded across the pavement.
"That's more like it," Elijah crowed as he strode forward. He took his time approaching Virgil, savoring the moment.
Somehow, the vigilante managed to pull himself up. His trenchcoat hung in tatters, revealing the numerous wounds covering his body. His hat lay askew on his head. But still...he refused to fall. Even now, he remained defiant. Unbroken. Elijah had to admit he admired that quality in the man.
"You got no gun, no tricks...no hope," Elijah boasted. "Now you're hoving in death's door."
The two Adrenomancers looked at each other before also stepping towards Virgil. Two more approached from the sides as well. They circled him like a pack of wolves circling their prey.
"This one's mine," Elijah barked. "Stay outta my way."
They nodded and backed off. They might've been working for Salvatore, but even they weren't stupid enough to try to interfere with an established grudge match.
Elijah stalked closer to Virgil, grinning wickedly. "You ain't nothin' without your fancy gun," he sneered. "Face it, Backfire...you're outmatched."
Virgil glared back at him through a swollen eye. "Is that right?" He spat blood onto the ground before continuing. "Maybe I don't need the gun."
Elijah paused, his grin faltering as he sensed a shift. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
Virgil's eyes closed momentarily, and when they opened again, they burned with a cold, otherworldly light.
The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, the vibrations sending tiny fissures snaking across the concrete.
Suddenly, behind Virgil, the air shimmered like heated asphalt. A spectral form began to coalesce—a towering skeletal entity wrapped in tattered robes that fluttered in a non-existent wind. Eight skeletal arms extended from its body, each clutching an ornate revolver, the barrels glinting ominously in the low light.
The figure's head was a haunting visage of a Buddha-like skull, crowned with three glowing red eyes. It loomed behind Virgil like an ancient guardian spirit.
An pale aura radiated from it, chilling Elijah to the bone, his earlier confidence evaporating into a cold dread.
"Wh...what the hell...?" he gasped.
Virgil grinned through bloody teeth. "I told ya...I don't need the gun."
The gunslinging specter unleashed a thunderous howl as the revolvers in its eight arms rose in unison. Then the barrage began.
The last thing Elijah saw was a blinding flash of countless spectral bullets tearing through him, the sound of bones shattering, and the ground rushing up to meet him. Everything went black.