Saturday, September 10. On a thunderous night, 3 thugs covered in odd serpent cross tattoos wait for a meeting with other people. Beside them a young girl long brown hair and hazel eyes has her arms tied up in an alley as some type of captive.

Cross-face: That old man’s look was priceless.

Thug1: I know right, he was all like “No, release her!” or some bullshit.

Thug2: Then I just knocked his ass on da ground. His head just bounced on da floor, haha.

Cross-face: Yea… that wasn’t needed! Asshole, now you gotta call the boss about this shit. We just came to grab the payment.

The Cross-face Thug then points at the girl whom is terrified about these people.

Thug2: Bitch looks like a 13 year old, *looks at girl* an’t that right honey? You 13, right?

The young girl in wet dirty clothes doesn’t not reply, let alone look at the thugs.

Young girl: …

Thug1: Man I gotta tell ya, she pretty fine for her age though…

Cross-face: DON’T EVEN TRY IT; we need to sell her, that’s our job! Tell ya what; next girl we get ya can do what ya want with her, got it?

Thug1: Bellow 14?

Cross-face: Jesus… yea…

As they were talking in the corners of the alley, there were homeless people hiding from both the thugs and the rain.

Thug2: Shit man where they at? Weren’t they suppose be here before us? We even in da right spot?

Thug1: Ya we are. See, da logo’s there.

As the thug points towards a wall with a small cross shaped by snakes in paint, the young girl wobbles her way deeper into the alley. She sees some red splats on the ground that lead toward a dark corner. Then light from a lightning strike shows a man in a dirty hooded cloak, just sitting on the ground, as if he was sleeping. One of the thugs grabs her before she realizes it.

Thug1: Shit, can’t believe we almost let ya go little cutie. *he looks around and sees no one* Ya know, I like ya… na more like I love that body of yas. So let’s do this before they find us.

Young girl: S-stop! Get off me!

Thug1: You can talk! Yay!

As she gets pinned down by the thug and grabs the young girl’s top about to tear it off, a voice from the dark corner is heard.

???: God damn it, I can’t believe I fell asleep… Hey, were you waiting for some people with cross shaped tattoos?

Thug1: Who that said that!? Come out here!

Just as the thug said that a swift kick onto the thug’s face hit him. The young girl looks at who it was; it was the same person that was sitting in the dark corner. Rain then begins to fall lightly.

???: I’m just asking you one simple question. Were you waiting for some cross-shaped tattooed people? Yes or No?

Thug1: Who da hell are you!

Back where the two other thugs were, they started looking for their friend and the young girl.

Thug2: Man this rain an’t letting up, and where the hell did they go to anyway?

Cross-face Thug: It’s you guys fault that she left, arguing about if this is the right place, what if she gets raped by that idiot, virgins sell a lot more than a bitch.

Thug2: Maybe they got caught by that “monster”.

Cross-face: Not this again, that’s just a rumor, aright? Ya know how many people want us dead.

Thug2: Na man, this guy been hunting down people that have snake crosses on dem for the past three weeks. Maybe he got those guys that were supposed to be here… oh man I think that-

Cross-face: That’s enough, look it’s not real, there’s no way some guy in a robe with claws for hands is real. There an’t no such thing as a Bloodstained Crow.

Soon after they both hear a scream coming from ahead of them.

Cross-face: Ugh! Now what!

Before the scream happens, thug1 is failing to hurt the unknown cloaked person with a knife.

Thug1: Stay still you little fuck!

The cloaked person then kicks the thug’s head towards the ground, and then stomps down on his face.

???: I know that there were two other people with you, so I’m gonna need you to call out for them.

Thug1: Go to hell-*a foot grinds on his face* Ahhh!

???: *grins* Good just like that, but a little louder, okay?

The frightened young girl saw her savior bring down the thug that was going to assault her, but as she looked more at the cloaked man she saw that it was not dirt on the cloak, but dry bloodstains.

The two other thugs run to the screams and find their friend on the ground.

Cross-face: What da hell happened here!? Da girl kick ya ass?

Thug1: Na… it was… a guy in some robes…

Cross-face: What? No wait where da hell is the girl! Did you lose her!?

Thug2: I knew it man, he is gonna kill us, I an’t gonna stay here man Im out!

Just as he turns around to run, he sees right behind him the cloaked person. Unable to see his face but can see the blood covered cloak.

Thug1: There… he’s behind you!!!

Cross-face: What!? Who the fuck are you!?

??? : Just someone that wants all you people dead.

The Cross-faced thug pulls out a gun at the cloaked person.

Cross-face: Fuck that! *shoots gun*

The cloaked person grabs Thug2 and uses him as a meat shield.

Thug2: Gueh! *bullet hits his chest* What dah fuck!?

???: Careful *smiles* you might kill your buddy here. Want to try again and see if you can hit me?

The Cross-faced thug is then immobilized by the face the cloaked person was showing. Grinning, showing his teeth like a wild animal before it kills. The cloaked man saw this fear, tossed thug2 aside, and rushed towards the cross-faced thug. The Cross-faced thug then snaps out of his fear and tries to shoot him, but before he realizes it, his hands holding the gun have been cut off by what seemed to be the cloaked man’s claws.

???: *grabs the cross-faced thug by the throat* Now, tell me where your cult’s holdout’s at?

Cross-face: *choking* What the fuck are you! *neck is tightened*.

???: *sigh* Come on, it’ll be painless death if you can just tell me… Oh wait that freak should know too.

The cloaked man then stabs the cross-faced thug in the stomach, then walks towards thug1 and was about to interrogates him. The thug notices that the cloaked man's fingers are large sharp metallic claws; they almost seem transparent as well.

Thug1: Don’t kill me! I’ll tell ya, I’ll tell ya where we hang at! There three places, one at “Club68” in Hollywood, second at the underground subway station near the Los Angeles Stadium. I don’t know where da third is though; I’m new to Cross.

???: ...

Thug1: I swear I told ya everything I know *rushes him and stabs him in the arm* Now can ya tell me where that girl went ta?

The cloaked person then smashes the thug’s head to the wall, breaking his skull. He then walks towards a garbage container and opens it revealing the young girl.

???: You okay? The people that were going to hurt you are gone now.

Young girl: …

???: Scared huh, can’t blame you. You can come out of there now though…. *sees the girl is still scared* Hm, I’ll be back.

The young girl peeks out and sees that the cloaked person is dumping the bodies into another dumpster. Grabs a cell phone from one of the bodies and walks back to her.

???: Here, call the police. I’m sure that they will take you back home.

Young girl: ... Why’d you help me?

???: *looks at the girl* I’ll be honest with you, if they weren't the people I wanted I wouldn't have gotten involved. You should be careful with older guys like that.

She then grabs the cell phone from the cloaked man and sees what he meant; his hands stained with blood making his claws appear red crystal like.

Young girl: I didn’t choose to be with them. They just grabbed me from my home… I… think they killed my dad.

???: Oh… but, you don’t even look sad about that. If you want to cry go ahead, children like you shouldn't hold stuff in like that.

Young girl: No its okay, I don’t really feel like it, he… he wasn’t someone I was good with… Also, I'm not a child, I'm 17 years old.

???: Eh? Are you seriously giving me an attitude after saving your ass!? *sigh* whatever then, least you can say is tha- *sees her using the phone* (she ignores me when I’m talking to her too…)

As he sees her dialing 911 he starts to walk away.

Young girl: *sees him leaving* W-wait! I thought you would have killed me too, why did you save me?

???: … That’s none of your concern. Just make sure you don't get caught up like this again.

Young girl: ...

Moments later the police arrive to the alley and begin their investigating where the fight had been. Two detectives walk towards the crime scene. One of them wears a long brown coat, short black hair, with his hands in his pockets; named Marshall Patientia. While the other detective had on a black coat, hat, and loose tie; named Steven Xiao.

Marshall: Man this rain just won’t let up will it? But even with all this rain, this mess is still here.

Detective Marshall points to the carnage of torn limbs and blood on the walls of the alley where Eveline was found.

Steven: Yea, almost as if this was made by some pack of hyenas.

Marshall: Why hyenas? Of all things…

Steven: Sorry just some humor, but still, no way someone normal did all this. Hmm, *asks one of the officers besides them* hey where was the girl when you arrived?

Officer1: *walks to the dumpster she was at* I found her here shaking from the cold, so I got her a coat and put her in the car as soon as possible.

Steven then looks around to see if anything was anything that hasn’t been washed away on the floor.

Marshall still trying to figure out what might have happened, he goes to a forensic member named Phillip to ask if they found anything that wasn’t washed away.

Phil: All we found at the moment is some arms, few legs, fingers-

Marshall: Aright! I got it! Jesus, Phil.

Soon after though Marshall gets called by Steven to see what he found.

Steven: *points to the wall* See, it was them again; the story the girl had matches up now.

Marshall: So Cross was going to sell her since her father couldn’t pay them back. Fucking Christ.

Steven: A father with drinking problem and a mother that committed suicide. Such a story is common now and days.

As Steven said that he then notices some blood on parts of the floor as the rain begins to let up.

Steven: Marshall, I think these guys were being set up. Look at some parts here *points to parts of the floor* they led up to where the girl was found. Minus some bruises she had, she didn’t have any cuts that would cause this amount of bleeding.

Marshall: Yeah, makes them notice the blood and they would have followed it. But where are the bodies at?

They both are called by Phil as they wonder where the bodies might be.

Phil: Guys! You might want to come back here; we found where our slave traders were hiding!

When Marshall and Steven arrive where Phil is, they see some people look pale as they look away from a dumpster a few corners away from where the girl was.

Marshall: Well Phil, where are they?

Phil: Look in here. *points in the dumpster*

Marshall: What the!? *looks away quickly*

Steven: That’s really morbid, even for creeps like them. Though I suppose they had it coming…

Marshall: Phil is this the only trash can that has bodies like this?

Phil: We’re checking that right now.

Marshall: Good.

Steven: Marshall, that’s means the girl’s story was 100% correct, that guy was involved in this incident as well.

Marshall: That makes this the nineteenth attack in just 3 weeks. Jesus, makes me wonder how the hell we gonna ever capture someone like this.

Steven: Not sure, but we have to, he could end up killing people that aren’t in “Cross” in the process one day. Somebody that wears black armor, a cloak covered in blood and claw for weapons.

Marshall: "The Bloodstained Crow”, sounds kinda weird if you ask me.

The two begin to walk towards their own car.

Marshall: Well looks like we got some more paper work to fill out at the office.

Steven: Correction, I have paper work, you should go deal with your wife’s birthday party, poor Sharon, married a workaholic.

Marshall: Shut up. My family is important, so if I want them safe then I gotta do my job properly.

Steven: What about the girl, *looks at Marshall’s car* she doesn’t have a home to go to anymore right. Gonna drop her at the station or something?

Marshall: No, I think for now I should place her in my care until I can find a better place. Look, leave some work for me got it. I don’t want you to do all the work and make me owe you something.

Steven: No prob, I’ll do 1/8 of the paper work, and the rest is yours.

Marshall: … Don’t play like that Steve.

As the two part ways Marshall, enters his car and besides him is the girl, her name Eveline Everstone, shivering from the cold rain as she warms up by the car’s heater.

Marshall: *uses keys to start engine* Eveline, I’m sorry about everything that’s happen to you today. I’m also sorry, by the time ambulance got to your dad; he had died from an injury on his head.

As he looks to Eveline he sees that she seems to be not bothered by such news at all.

Eveline: No, it's fine.

Marshall: … I see. *begins to drive the car*

Eveline: So, where am I going now?

Marshall: For the meantime, you’ll be living with us since you don’t have anywhere else to go.

Eveline: You sure that’s a good idea? Won’t Cross come looking for me?

Marshall: To them, you were 1 out of 1000s of people they sell each day. Besides, like us, they got their hands full.

Eveline: … That guy, is the Bloodstained Crow really a bad person?

Marshall: The crow? His reasons may look heroic, but those methods… they aren’t at all.

Eveline: I... I see.

Marshall: I have to ask you one more time, can you remember anything else about him that sticks out?

She tries to think about anything she can remember about him that would help, but all she can tell them is what they already know.

Eveline: No, only that he had red claws, a hooded cloak, and black armor looking things on his body. Sorry that’s all I can think of.

Marshall: It’s okay. If you can think of anything else, please tell me when you do *smiles*.

As Marshall drives the car his thoughts travel around his head about the Bloodstained Crow.

Marshall: (Bloodstained Crow, what you are doing isn’t justice or heroic at all. Your nothing but another murder. Just what in the hell are you trying to justify?)

On the roof tops near downtown Los Angeles, the Bloodstained Crow travels towards the underground subway. As he continues to jump from roof to roof, he hears a voice he recognizes.

???: Impressive, I’m very impressed with your progress. Keep this up and you’ll have this whole city tremble in fear, Bloodstained Crow. Or should I call you by you given name, Cipher Avalon.

Cipher: Vice… Where the hell are you!?

Soon after an appearance of an angel with black wings, named Vice shows himself.

Vice: Quite a temper you have, you really have a bad attitude, and you need an attitude adjustment mister. *smiles*

Cipher: Get out of my way Vice, I know where he is now. So move it!

As Cipher begins to pass Vice, he looks to Cipher as he walks by him.

Vice: You know… there’s no one at that subway station. And it will take you some time to get to that club; it’s pretty far from here. Should have gotten that info of that last area from that thug before you killed him you know.

Cipher: No point, I know he wasn’t lying. Worthless humans like that will sellout they’re friends in a heartbeat to save their skins.

Vice: True, but you were going to kill him no matter what anyway. After all, you find pleasure in this now don’t you?

Cipher: No. I kill only those bastards, that’s all.

Vice: I suppose so. If you didn’t think about killing that girl as well.

Right when Vice said that Cipher froze, not knowing how to respond to Vice’s comment. Vice sees this and continues his speech.

Vice: I know you Cipher; you don’t have a shred of humanity left in you. The humans left you as a child, fought you, called you names, and you… you wanted them dead. Such a misfortunate child, abandoned with no memories and right when you think a have friends and family; humanity stole your life as a normal human being. *puts his hand on Cipher’s face* Face it boy, you rather see the world burn then to return to your former life.

Cipher: *tries to stab Vice* SHUT THE HELL UP!

Vice: *grabs Cipher’s arm before it hits him* Pathetic, you have no class. And to add salt to my wound, you attack me when I was going to tell you where the third location they’re at right now. And “he” is there with them as we speak.

Cipher: TELL ME WHERE HE IS NOW VICE!!

Vice: No. You hurt my feelings when you tried to attack me earlier. And to think I gave you this chance for your own petty emotions.

Cipher: VICE!!!

Now furious, Cipher uses his other claw to strike against Vice. However his other arm that was still in Vice’s hand was then broken by Vice’s strength which stopped Cipher’s attack.

Cipher: Aghh!

Vice: Dear child did you forget, you might have died once, but because I gave this gift that allows you to live once more; you can die again. So in turn, you can still feel pain.

As Cipher begins to go down on one knee Vice grabs his other arm and breaks it as well.

Cipher: Ahhh! *falls to the ground*

Vice: Don’t forget Cipher, you made a deal. *grinds his foot onto Cipher’s head* Besides those arms of yours will heal back no time; after all you did absorb the souls of those humans with those claws, remember. You’ve had 3 weeks since returning to this filthy world, and now you finally got some idea where your killer is.

Cipher:*in pain* …

Vice: Good, now then I must get going. *takes foot off of Cipher’s head* An angel like myself staying on Earth for too long may cause problems for us you see.

Cipher: Screw… you. You’re no god damn angel.

Vice: Temper now, don’t want me to smash that head of yours do you, that’ll be painful for you, and I don’t think you have enough energy to recover from that. *begins to walk away* Find someplace to hide when those arms heal okay, I’ll keep in touch. Bye!

As Vice vanishes, Cipher lies on the ground and waits until the bones in his arms heal completely. When Cipher’s arms finally heal he wonders where he should go. He looks at the city in front of him as the rain begins to stop.

Cipher: (That girl said she was 17 if I remember it correctly. So despite looking like a 13 year old, she's the same age as me. Weird.)

He then remembers the one place he grew up and decides to head toward that direction. Using the rooftops he sees people going by their business and traffic caused by cars going slowly due to the heavy rain before. Soon he reaches a residential area as he begins walking on the sidewalk.

Cipher: (Looks like the neighborhood hasn’t change that much. Actually… it looks empty now than before.)

As Cipher continues to walk, he finally stops in front of and old boarding house that hasn’t been used in a while. He gives a cold stare and walks to the front door of the building.

Cipher: (This place, it’s completely run down. Well, it’ll do for a while; getting tired of sleeping on hard cement. Can I even open the door with these hands?) *pushes the door and it opens* (Huh, I guess I lucked out.)

While walking through the empty building, Cipher looks around and sees all the rooms have been unused and all seem to be good to sleep in. But he continues and heads towards the stairs. When he reaches a door on the second floor he sees that it’s also open; so then he enters the room.

Cipher: God damn it. *sigh* I really hoped that my old bed might still be here.

All he sees in his childhood room is an empty room, two windows that face the city and away from the streets, and one wooden chair. Cipher then grabs the chair, takes his cloak off and places it on the chair. With his cloak off it shows that he has on clothes with black iron armor, armored plates on his pants and shoes, light brown hair, brown skin, and black eyes.

Cipher: Ahhhh…. This feels relaxing as always. *looks up to the sky* Damn clouds, one thing I hate about cloudy days, impossible to see the stars in the sky… I wonder if that girl is safe now…

He then remembers the face of the man that took away the life he always dreamed of. The man that had murdered him.

Cipher: Samuel… I will make sure you will die a painful death by my hands.

His mind begins wanders off. Knowing that what he’s doing is opposite of what the one person in his life taught him, he tries to forget as he dozes off. During his sleep Cipher begins to experience a nightmare. He’s running in towards someone as fast as he can.

Cipher: *running* Wait, don’t go there!

As he runs he tries to grab the girl with his hands; which he does in which he then raps his arms around her.

Cipher: Don’t go there. Please, just stay!

However he then sees fire all around, it seems to be burning people around them which are screaming. He then feels the girl in his arms place her hand on his face.

Cipher: Huh!? *sees his hands covered in her blood* Ahhhh!

He awakens from his sleep and he strikes at the wall nearest to him and hits some type of creature. His face covered in sweat, he is confused at what he just attacked.

Cipher: *breaths heavily* Well... fuck.

Vice: Oh so the little Nightmare spirits just barely go to eat the life-force from you. They usually appear if they are summoned.

Cipher: Been meaning to ask you, how am I even attracting these things?

Vice: Your soul has a type of aura that attracts low-class demons like these to come into this world. Did these little guys give you a good dream, little Cipher?

Cipher: Go to hell. Least I was able to get some sleep this time.

Vice: Not like you need it, you’ve been killing these humans without the need to sleep. However all these are the lowest common type of demon that you can encounter, similar to the dead spirits that attack you during the night. (But I wonder how he’ll react is if told him what those dreams mean…) By the way Cipher; whatever dream you had from the Nightmares, are 100% accurate. Meaning they showed you the future.

For a moment, Cipher stops breathing as a recalls the dream he had. The room full of silence until Vice speaks up.

Vice: Well, tell me what type of dream was it. Wait let me guess, you became a harem king!

Ignoring Vice’s comment, Cipher grabs his cloak as he walks away. As he leaves Vice tells him one last thing before they part ways.

Vice: Remember child, in the darkness the spirits of the dead will come towards you. Last night was your first time to sleep like a normal human since you came back. So be careful on you killing spree!

As Cipher exits the building he wonders if he should even look for the person he saw in his dream or continue on his mission.

Cipher: *puts cloak on* Least the rain washed off all the blood on this thing. (What should I do…? Look for that bastard that killed me or look for her to make sure she’s safe… Damn that bastard of an angel.)