The First Legendary Anti-Hero

Recognition dawned on Castillo's face. "The prosecutor. Listen, I had nothing to do with your family. That was not my order." "You own everything that happens in this city," he said. His voice sounded distant to his own ears. "Every death. Every deal. That makes them your responsibility." "Please. I have children too." "Not anymore," he said as he raised his gun. The shot echoed through the mansion. Dan stood over the body, waiting for satisfaction that never came. The hollow space inside him remained empty. He sat on the edge of the bed as sirens wailed in the distance. He did not run this time. When police burst through the door minutes later, Dan still sat there, the gun resting beside him on the expensive bedspread. "Daniel Henza," Chief Rivera said, his voice tight. "Put your hands where I can see them." He looked up slowly. "Justice is served." "This is not justice," Rivera said, handcuffs ready. "This is murder." "What is the difference?" He asked. He tried to stand but could not. The room spun around him. For the first time, Rivera noticed the blood pooling on the floor beneath Dan. "He is hit! Get medical in here now!" Dan touched his side. His hand came away dark and wet. When had he been shot? The guard in the hallway. The bullet he thought had missed. "No," he said. "No doctors." His vision blurred at the edges. The pain hit him all at once, as if his body finally remembered to feel. He fell sideways onto the bed. "Stay with us, Daniel," Rivera said, pressing his jacket against the wound. "The ambulance is three minutes out." He smiled. A strange calm washed over him. "Tell them not to hurry." The faces of his family appeared before him. Not as they were in death, but alive. Smiling. Waiting for him to come home. "I am coming," he whispered. His eyes closed. The sounds around him faded. The last thing he heard was Rivera shouting for the paramedics to hurry. Then silence. Darkness. [Soul Evaluation Complete] [Candidate: Daniel Henza] [Justice Rating: 97/100] [Vengeance Rating: 100/100] [Potential: Exceptional] [Initializing Justice System...]