Prologue

Prologue

The night was cold and dark. Thick clouds blotted out the sky and smothered the moon. Rain pelted the streets of New York City. The few people still awake hurried off to their destinations. It was silent except for the pounding of the rain. The weight of the atmosphere was crushing. Lightning flashed, revealing the city.
A dark figure was running through the back alleys of Manhattan. He wore a long, black, hooded cloak, completely concealing himself. He was running with a dark bundle under his arm. His breath was coming in ragged gasps.
“Can’t be caught. Can’t be caught,” he muttered to himself. Suddenly a group of people appeared behind him.
“Halt!” one shouted. The figure continued to run. “Surround him,” the man commanded his group. Then he took off running after the dark figure.
The figure weaved in and out of alleys but he couldn’t shake his pursuer. The man was more rested and fit, but he had very little knowledge of the back alleys. Because of that he had to slow down. The cloaked figure jumped into a side alley and hid himself in the shadows. The man stopped and peered into the darkness, looking for his quarry. He was about to move on when a flash of lightning illuminated the figure. The chase continued.
Suddenly the figure slipped on the slick pavement. He fell backward and the bundle slid away into the darkness. He scrambled to get up but the man had caught up. The figure pulled something out of his cloak. Another bolt of lightning revealed a long gleaming sword.
The man pulled a gun out and aimed. Click. Click. He cursed. Then he threw the gun at the figure and grabbed a lid from a nearby trashcan. He put it on like a shield, and then charged at the figure. Metal clanged on metal and the man slammed his fist into the figure’s stomach. Then he spun around and backhanded the figure, sprawling him on the ground. The man thought that the fight was over and reached down to apprehend the figure.
The sword flashed and the man’s arm fell to the ground with a thunk. Blood spurted from the wound and he fell to the ground in agony. The figure got up and searched for the bundle. He found it and began to walk away, but then took another look at the man.
He unwrapped the bundle to reveal a robotic arm. He placed it next to the man and said, “Take good care of it.” Then he ran off.