The streetlamps cast flickering light over the buildings, stretching long shadows across the alleys. On the rooftop of one of them, a man of athletic build stood motionless, calmly observing the alley below. He wore a white tank top that clung to his torso and black leather pants that reflected the dim light. His black eyes scanned every corner, calculating movements and assessing risks.
David dialed a number on his phone and waited a few seconds.
—Everything's ready —he said in a calm, relaxed, almost unconcerned tone—. I'll proceed as planned.
"All right, but don't play around, David," came the voice on the other end—maintain precision and avoid unnecessary risks.
—Don't worry —David replied with a faint smile—.
I got this
He pocketed the phone and fixed his gaze on the alley. Then he heard it: a deep roar echoed between the walls, vibrating through the darkness and stirring dust from the ground. The silhouette of the monster began to emerge from the shadows, towering and menacing.
David remained still, analyzing every movement, calculating every step before launching into action. A faint smile curved his lips, and he murmured barely audibly:
—Perfect.
Without another word, David leapt from the rooftop into the darkness of the alley.
He landed behind the monster. It was about to exit the alley, but a dull sound stopped it in its tracks. It paused for a moment, staring at him, seemingly evaluating every movement of the figure standing before it. Then, it tilted its head slightly and roared before it lunged forward.
David, wearing a faint smile, said:
—You're fast for your first transformation… well, I guess you leave me no choice.
A thick black mist began to emanate from his right hand, quickly spreading over his body and causing his monstrous form to grow, filling the alley with an imposing, dark presence.
The monster lunged with a shoulder tackle, but only hit black smoke. After a small explosion of the mist, David appeared behind it.
The monster skidded slightly from the momentum of its initial charge, dragging dust along the ground. Then it turned, seeing David's monstrous form for the first time. The monstrous form stood 2.90 meters tall, with a slender, seemingly fragile build, and skin of an unsettling bluish-gray. He wore a long black leather coat with nothing underneath, exposing part of his torso, and tight black leather pants. Mocasins adorned his feet, and the lower part of his face was covered by a cloth, revealing only two completely black eyes, sclera included, that seemed to absorb all surrounding light. His head was crowned with long black dreadlocks that reached down his back.
The monster, formerly Marcus, charged at him again. David aimed and fired at Marcus's left knee. The impact shattered the armor plate on the leg, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
Despite the stumble, Marcus roared fiercely, rising and continuing his charge even with the damaged leg. His right fist shot forward with full force, but David vanished in a cloud of black smoke and reappeared behind the monster, adjusting his position to aim at the back of the neck.
Without wasting a moment, David fired. The bullet whistled through the air toward Marcus's neck, which was turned away. Suddenly, the monster jerked its head forward, dodging the projectile that embedded itself in the wall just behind him.
Marcus spun rapidly on himself, propelling his whole body in a fluid motion. His right arm described a wide, powerful arc, launching a spinning backhand directly toward David's pistol.
David jumped backward, dodging the blow. As he landed, he squinted, furrowed his brow for a moment, and thought, How did he dodge that from behind? Then, with a focused gaze, he murmured firmly:
—I need to finish this quickly.
Then, David teleported in front of the monster just as it was about to charge, closing the distance instantly and ready to continue his offensive. He aimed his pistol and fired three point-blank shots at the monster's chest. Each shot cracked its armor, forcing the monster to stagger backward a few steps from the impact, wobbling slightly with each hit. David, taking advantage of the imbalance, advanced steadily, pressing the attack without pause.
He feinted a shot at the monster's face, causing it to raise its forearms in defense.
Without wasting a moment, David teleported behind it, kicked the back of its knee to make it kneel, and struck the back of its neck with the pistol's handle, destabilizing the creature. Immediately, he pulled a syringe from his jacket and injected it exactly at the same spot, delivering a green liquid.
The effect was immediate: the monster lost its balance and fell face down. David quickly pressed down on its back, keeping it under control as the transformation began to reverse. A faint vapor started rising from its body, signaling that its monstrous form was rapidly returning to human.
The monster let out weak gasps, its muscles relaxing completely, until it finally fell unconscious. When the figure finally transformed into Marcus, David stepped back and murmured calmly:
—Well, I guess it's over.