(Twisted Fates) The Phantom

Chapter 4: The Anarchist

PRESENT TIME

Luke felt the cold ground from the defeat by the hand of the Anarchist.

Luke slowly raised his head up to see the Anarchist get away- he wasn't done quite yet. His night wasn't over yet, that means that neither should the Phantom's.

The reminders of what got him into this situation, saving that man, dying, the fight at the bar, everything! Discovering a purpose ever since his family's murder.

Luke stood back up and wiped himself off, he looked at the bullet wound on his side.

"I'm not impermeable... I can mark that off."

Luke started to run in the direction of his next target.

Miller Enterprises
1:07 AM

In the heart of the city, the Anarchist stood, a menacing figure masked by the shadows. His gloved hands clutched a device that promised destruction, and his gaze fixed on the Miller Enterprises building.

The Anarchist, a harbinger of chaos, poised to unleash devastation upon the symbol of corporate might. His finger hovered over the button, ready to trigger an explosion that would reverberate through the city.

As the tension peaked, a figure emerged from the darkness-a silhouette in a makeshift suit. The Phantom, fueled by determination, stepped forward, confronting the Anarchist.

"That's enough! Drop it, now!" The Phantom's voice echoed.

The Anarchist was surprised by this!

"Well well well. What do we have here? You really are a persistent fool. Your hero act is a joke, and I'm here to make sure everyone knows it."

The Phantom zipped at The Anarchist and punched him with the same incredible speed as he did at Lost Wind, causing him to drop the device.

"You just don't get it, do you?"

The Anarchist sneered, and stumbled a few backwards.

"This is the city of the damned!"

The Anarchist, with a malicious grin, pointed a finger at The Phantom. In an instant, four ominous red dots appeared on The Phantom's chest, marking him as the target. Reacting on instinct, The Phantom rolled out of harm's way as the deadly precision of bullets tore into the ground where he had stood just moments before.

His mind raced with strategic clarity. He swiftly scanned the surroundings for an advantage. Spotting a nearby alley, he sprinted toward it, using the shadows to his advantage.

The gunmen, momentarily confused by The Phantom's evasive maneuvers, struggled to acquire a clear shot. Seizing the opportunity, The Phantom circled back, his movements shrouded by darkness. As he approached from an unexpected angle, he struck with precision, disarming the first gunman with a swift kick. Using the disoriented shooter's weapon, he swiftly killed the second assailant.

The remaining two gunmen, realizing their vulnerability, hesitated in the crucial moment. Seizing this opportunity, The Phantom closed the distance, disarming one with a well-timed 'Phantom Dash' the last with a strong jump kick.

The echoes of the confrontation faded into the night as The Phantom, having outmaneuvered the gunmen, turned his attention back to the Anarchist.

"Impressive moves... however! You make the same mistakes every time- you weren't even worried about me were you?"

The Anarchist held his hand up with the device in palm.

The Phantom looked at it and his heart almost stopped. He didn't know what to do now-

"You know! I'm so glad that I didn't live in the same time when The Voice and Excalibur were the vigilantes. I only got some off brand... lucky me." The Anarchist says with a smile.

"What do you get from doing this- why blow up the building or any other for that matter?" The Phantom asked.

"Let me ask you this vigilante... when you see something, do you ever wonder what it looks like blown to bits and engulfed in flames?" The Anarchist asked as he walked in circles.

"No- I can't say that I do."

"See that's the difference between you and I! The difference between Miller Enterprises and I even! They wanted to help build Baltimore, I want to watch it crumble."

The Phantom walked slightly forward.

"What about the innocent people in that building-"

The Anarchist walked closer and his grip on the device was visible as he waved his hand in the air.

"I don't give a shit about innocent lives!! You better start walking backwards now, I hold the power here, not you!"

The Phantom walks backwards as commanded.

"Alright alright!!"

Luke focused on the device in his hands. Seizing the opportunity, The Phantom spoke.

"You crave chaos, but do you truly understand the power you hold? You're not just an agent of disorder; you're a puppet to it!"

The Phantom continued,

"Press that button, and you're not liberating the city. You're letting chaos control you."

The Anarchist only thought about those words for a second- but a second is all the Phantom needed- with every bit of speed of agility he could muster he hit the Anarchist's wrist causing him to drop the device. After that he punched the Anarchist in the jaw, causing his mask to break.

"GAHH!!

As the fractured mask fell away, the city's enigmatic adversary was unmasked, the truth laid bare in the dim glow of the streetlights. The Phantom, standing victorious, now faced the unmasked Anarchist, ready to confront the man behind the chaos that had threatened to consume Baltimore.

"I don't know who you are- but you have just drawn your last breath!"

The Anarchist pulled his pistol off of his hip and aimed it at The Phantom. The Phantom jumped high into the air and came down onto the Anarchist. And started beating him down whilst he was pinned.

"Answer me this question! Who do you work for?" The Phantom demanded.

The news helicopters circled overhead, capturing the chaotic spectacle unfolding in the city below.

"What the hell are you talking abo-"

The Phantom punched him one more time.

"Don't play fucking stupid with me! Where'd you get the weapons? The gear? The men?" The Phantom pushed him against the ground.

"You want answers, huh? Nexus... he's the puppeteer pulling the strings."

Before he could divulge more, a sudden crack shattered the night, and a sniper's bullet struck with brutal precision. The Anarchist's head nearly exploded, a gruesome spectacle of blood and brain matter that splattered across The Phantom.

"NO!"

The Phantom looked from everywhere to find out where the shot came from, eventually he locked eyes with the man, he had messy black hair and was wearing a tapered formal suit, he gave him a wave then ran off. He was too far gone to be caught.

Stunned by the abrupt and gruesome end, The Phantom stood amid the aftermath.

"I'm sorry- I.."

He looked at The Anarchist one last time, this time his eyes caught something new, one his arm sleeve, the symbol, not just any symbol. The same symbol the men who killed his family wore.

A wave of realization washed over him.

"What...?"

The words escaped his lips.

As the city's police began to arrive, their flashing lights illuminating the scene, The Phantom fled the scene.