It was a dark, stormy night, wind and rain battering against a small city, making many inhabitants quake in fear as lightning flashed, and thunder boomed.
However, in an abandoned theatre, three young children were terrified for an entirely different reason, surrounded by several rough-looking men and demons, all of who were armed to the teeth and on edge, ready to fill the first thing to make an unexpected move full of bullet holes. "Hey." One of the men suddenly spoke up. "Are you sure this gambit's gonna pay off? I've heard that no one has ever escaped that guy! He's taken out half the boys already!" He exclaimed, looking around worriedly.
One of the few demons not showing any signs of fear laughed harshly. "That may be, but we're holed up in a fortified position now, and if that intel we got is correct, then that bastard won't do a thing as long as we've got the kids as hostages." He sneered, kicking the legs of one of the children, causing the tyke to whimper in fright and pain.
"Why's he after us anyway? Who sent him?" Another asked.
The demon who'd spoken earlier shrugged. "I dunno, we've all done a number of despicable things, but I can't think of any single organization that would want us all wiped out... Unless..." He murmured, looking around thoughtfully as he stroked his chin.
"Well, what is it boss?" Another of the demons asked expectantly.
The now identified boss shook his head. "y'know, there is one, but only one organization, from many years ago, that would want all of us demons gone, and any humans that associated with us- But I'd heard they'd fallen into obscurity, and faded away, a long time ago." He replied.
"Wh-who cuh-could that huh-have been?" One of the human thugs stuttured, the fear starting to overwhelm him.
The demon nodded thoughtfully. "It was-" He started, only to be interrupted violently as a coughing boom echoed throughout the ampetheater, followed by violent rumblings that threatened to shake them all off their feet...
And then the lights went out.
"Oh Hell, he's here, isn't he?!" One of the men panicked.
The boss laughed in the darkness. "Even if he is, he won't do anything if he knows what's good for him, or the brats will get it!" He yelled out, groping around for the kids, only to find nothing but air. "Wh-What the Hell? Where did the brats go?!" He exclaimed as a flash of lightning illuminated the large room, revealing that the kids were gone.
"... You do not need to worry about the children any longer, for they are safe, and you are about to be sent to the abyss..." A cold, low voice, which seemed to echo from all around, said. Another flash of lightning revealed a man, dressed from head to toe in a black cape, standing there on the stage.
"LIKE HELL WE ARE! GET 'EM BOYS!" The leader roared as he and the others opened up with their guns.
"Did we get 'em?" One of the thugs asked hopefully as the last shot ehco died down.
"I... I think so!" Another exclaimed as lightning flashed again, revealing the stage to be nothing more than a smoking ruin before all went black again.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We are nothing more than dust, and to dust we shall return..." The haunting voice echoed throughout, sending the men into a blind panic before their death screams permeated the night.
Lightning flashed once more, revealing the black-cloaked figure standing amidst a pile of bodies. "Amen..." He finished, and the darkness claimed the area one last time.
*a few hours later*
That morning, the three childen, after having been knocked unconcious by the figure so that they would not witness the slaughter, had been returned to their homes unharmed- the only things that they would be suffering were nightmares for a little while because of their ordeal, but they were ok overall. Exiting the window of the last child's home after having placed her in her bed, the figure dropped to the ground before walking off, his hood still drawn up as he strode forward towards an industrial district, the morning sun shining brightly behind him.
"Hn hn hn hn... I didn't know you cared for kids so much."
The figure stopped in his tracks, turning his head so that he was facing a long, dark alley-way situated between a pair of warehouses, quickly spotting a man leaning against one of the buildings, dressed smartly in a black suit, smoking a cigarette while adjusting his sunglasses. "So I take it the job was done?" He asked, removing the cigarette from his mouth.
The man in the black cloak nodded. "Yes, all of the targets were wiped out, not one escaped." He replied, his voice, as hard as steel and sharp as a razor cutting through the morning air, even though he spoke in barely more than a whisper.
The suited man nodded, kicking off from the wall before sauntering over to the other figure. "Good, good. Here's your pay. You have three days off before your next mission, so make the most of it, eh?" With that, he stepped back into the alley, disappearing into the inky darkness.
The cloaked figure looked down at the invelope in his hand. "Well now, let's see what I can do with this..." He murmured before sticking it in a pocket and walking off.
Several hours later, at an orphanage, one of the younger attendants bustled to the front door after it had been rung, wiping her hands on a dish-towel. "Hello? How may I help you?" She asked, opening the door, only to find a young man standing there, holding a large box on one shoulder and another under his arms. "Wh-wh-wh-" She stuttured, drinking in the man in front of her. He was about 6'1, wearing black clothes with a white collar and the type of face she'd only ever seen a few times, along with piercing, pale blue eyes and jet-black hair that was pulled back in a pony-tail. "What can I do for you?" She managed to squeak, blushing.
The man nodded to the boxes. "I'm a travelling priest, and I thought I would bring some joy to the children of this orphanage, so I come bearing toys for them." He said, walking in as she opened the door for the rest of the way for him.
The attendant nodded. "Yes father, just take your gifts into the living room, and I'll fetch the matron directly." She replied, pointing to where the living room was before dashing off toward's the matron's office. "Ma'am! We've got a guest here who has brought presents for the children, and he's a priest!" She exclaimed, bursting into the older woman's office.
The matron, hearing that, smiled. "Well isn't that nice. Shall we go greet our guest properly?" She asked, getting up from her desk and following the attendant to where the man was. WHen they got there, however, the found that the kids had already gotten to him, and were now scattered across the living room, playing with the various toys while he sat off to the side, a small smile on his lips upon seeing how happy the children were. "Father! Thank you for your generous donation." The matron said, bustling over to him even as he stood up.
The man nodded his head. "It was my pleasure. Bringing smiles to these poor little children is the only thanks that I need. I've got something else here..." He said, reaching into a pocket before pulling out an envelope and handing it to the matron. "Here, another small donation from me." He offered before making his way to the door.
The matron, upon opening the envelope and seeing all of the money inside, almost fainted. "Wait, father! We surely can't accept such a generous donation!" She exclaimed.
The man stopped at the front door before looking back. "There is no amount that is too great to help the innocent of the world. Please take it madam, and make sure that the children are happy." With that, he disappeared through the door, closing it behind him. As he walked down to the sidewalk, he suddenly stopped, tilting his head to the side.
Someone was watching him.
Subject: Through the Darkness 
