[ FOLLOWING 2 DAYS OF SILENCE FROM DARK... ] 

December 18th, 6:00 PM. Dark stalks from a rooftop, watching a movement of guns in a van. Dark had a tipoff from Nicholas, and was given new gear. Very minimal gear- but it would work. Dark gripped onto his wrist, tying something into place and setting it with a small click.

A grapple- looking more like a harpoon, but with dull enough edges to get onto almost anything.

"....let's see if this works out..."

Dark shot out the harpoon to a building across from him, swinging down. As the van crossed into his path, Dark gripped down, making a fist as the grapple returned to under his sleeve, and around his wrist. Dark landed on top of the van with a thump, balancing himself as he swung down to the back doors, unsheathing the small knife on his leg, and cutting the locks open on the doors.

As the doors swung open, Dark also swung himself inside. The passenger of the car stands up, exclaiming with confusion at Dark getting inside.

"How the hell did you get in? I'll have your head mounted on my fireplace!"

Dark walked forward as the passenger stood up to fight Dark.

With a sudden grapple, Dark violently slammed the man's head into the wall of the van, and threw him out of the back.

Without a word, Dark tapped on the driver's shoulder and spoke.

"Stop the car, and I won't bash your face in."

The Driver froze up, stopping the car as Dark punched the man in the side of the head, with enough force to knock him clean out. With the car stopping, a police siren was heard. Nicholas was going to get the guns for a lead on the Lofts.

'welcome back, kid. We'll get the lofts soon with this lead.'

Dark shot a harpoon to a rooftop, flinging himself up onto it.

Dark panicked for a moment, his stomach sinking and his heart following....but Dark barely made it, climbing up on the roof and utilizing them for his movements.

"next assignment."

Dark spoke calmly, but without readable emotion. For now he was focused.

'We don't got much, kid. There's leads on that comedy guy but- the Loft case is coming to a close with the way you're chasing it. If I can talk with my informant, I can get you something in a few hours.'

"Alright. Talk to me when you can-"

A bullet whizzes by Dark's head, and then a dart hit his leg. Dark looked in front of him. Esther...then behind him. Echo...

Dark was cornered, and injected with a sleep tranquilizer. With a swift reaction, Dark took the dart out and felt himself get woozy.

The siblings close in on him quickly- as Dark took a hit to the back of the head. A weak one, at that. The momentum of it made him stumble forward, into Esther's shot to his throat. Dark took the hit, coughing and then quickly raising his arm to tank a blow from Echo. Dark swung quickly to hit Echo's stomach. Echo hopped backwards, and then jumped forwards to punch Dark in the cheek.

Esther hit Dark in the spine, and Dark went to grab her. Esther moved quickly...and then closed in for another hit. Dark focused to Echo, taking the glint of movement to throw himself into a gut punch. Echo had worn a vest, so the impact lessened, but still hit him. Echo wheezed, and Dark hit him with a left hook, making him stumble with the punches direction.

Dark jumped on his heels, leaning back from Esther's next jab to his nose, and then leaning forward to headbutt her. Dark sent Esther stumbling to the ground, disoriented.

Echo made a zigzag movement at Dark, jumping up and kicking Dark in the side of the head, and then drop-punching him in the face.

Bruised, and damaged, Dark backed up, steam following his breaths as the wind kicked up, and the snow heavier around them. Esther and Echo get into low stances, rushing at him and moving in a zig-zag, constantly switching themselves between each other. Echo high-fived Esther, and then Echo bashed his head into Dark's.

Dark stumbled back, and received a hit to his side from Esther. With a quick swing, Echo punished Dark with a gut punch. Dark ran forward, and then was kicked in the shin by Esther. Dark backed off slowly.

Dark tried to think of a way to win, but Esther and Echo rushed forward again. Both looking tired out. Dark used a small opening, rushing forward without thought and bashing into Echo. Echo went flying, and held on for dear life to the edge of the building's rooftop.

1 left for now.

Dark ran towards the distracted Esther, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her to the ground. When blood coughed out from her mouth, Dark recoiled. Something got triggered in him and his body...was washed over with fear. Dark tried to shake it off, kicking her in the side of the head and making sure she'd stay down. Dark walked slowly over to Echo, who held on for dear life to the edge of the rooftop.

"What did I say, Echo? I told you to leave the criminal world, and what do you do? You come after me."

Dark stepped onto Echo's fingers.

"WHY?"

Echo let out a terrified whimper, basically fighting for his life as he swallowed his lies, and spoke.

"A bounty...you have a...big bounty on your head...we need the money..."

Esther groaned, slowly standing up.

"We've been trapped in debt...and the Lofts helped us back up...but...they've got us trapped in a body guard contract..."

Echo's fingers slipped...and in that moment...everything completely speeds by in his head. Memories...deaths...Esther...their parents...

The sound of a clap was heard.

The clap of Dark catching Echo's hands at the very edge.

"....If you tell me everything you know, I'll pull you up."

Tears fell from Echo's eyes from the pure relief and panic that had ran through his body. Echo nodded faster than he ever had to anything in his life, and as the tradeoff, Dark pulled him up.

With a lengthy pause of a deep breath, and a hug to his sister, the both of them spilled the information on the Lofts they had. For a start, it wasn't a shit ton, but it was information on supply routes, Loft's activities, and luckily, where Loft will be tomorrow, at a meeting with the Ryzuski family head.
"We aren't quite sure why they're meeting, but we're going to be stationed at the top floor with Loft. I'm pretty sure it'll be...in there."

Esther points to a tall building, apparently it must've been a place either Loft, or Ryzuski owned. Either way, Dark would have to break in.

"Either you'll have to climb up the building, or you'll have to fight your way through. I'm not sure if you have anything to climb with, man, but I would recommend climbing up it. Less issues, but the more elite forces of the Lofts and the Ryzuskis will be up there. They'll be meeting Tomorrow at midnight exactly."

Dark's eyes stayed slanted, staring at them with suspicion before speaking up.

"You know what? Before anything else happens, you guys are gonna help me with this. Tonight you're gonna go to the police building, and you're gonna talk to the chief. Tell him that the delinquent sent you both."

The two twins look to each other, then to Dark, then to each other."...Well, that works. We should leave the criminal world anyhow..."

Dark crossed his arms, having some disbelief in his eyes as Dark didn't quite believe these two would actually act on their word, so Dark had a proposition that would help him out.

"Yeah, and the only way I can confirm it, is by having you two help me with cleaning up this city. Lets me keep an eye on you two, and it just makes my load of work easier. We get paid by the nights we work, by the way...the chief pays upfront."

Dark turned to the horizon, it was about 8 PM, the night was still young. Then Dark began to speak again to the two."Another positive for you two is that I don't beat your asses anymore. You help me beat other people's asses, hell, you'll probably be beating your own colleagues asses up tomorrow. I expect that you two will be working with me by then, anyways. But...you have only this night to go home or whatever and think this over. But just know..."

Dark turned to the twins, a little smirk curling across his lips. With a serious tone, and an evil-looking expression, he finished his statement after the dramatic pause.

"I'm always watching you two. Don't fuck this up, or I will find you both."

The two seemed to be genuinely scared by Dark, backing up slowly and then exiting the area as fast as they could. Dark was left on the rooftop, laughing to himself over how scared they were. This laugh lasted for a good few minutes, before Dark let out a small sigh, and then jumped off of the building he stayed on, using his grapple to hook onto another rooftop, and swing to the next. With Dark's new and fast movement, he re-opened comms to speak with Nicholas.

Upon reopening comms it was quite loud, but I can translate some of what Nicholas said.

'KIDWHATTHEFUCKWASTHAT?? AREYOUSTUPIDWHYDIDYOUCLOSECOMMS?! ANSWERMEYOULITTLEFUCKINASSHOLE! WHATDIDYOULEARNFROMTHEM???'

With wide eyes, and one ringing ear, Dark swung up to a rooftop, and took a pause. With a confused expression, Dark spoke.

"Alright- Nicholas- say it a little slower, and say it a little quieter. It's not that big of a deal, okay? I get I might've gone unresponsive but- no reason to yell at me."

A sigh came from the other side of the line, a sigh of released worry and anger, a sigh that even Dark felt through a small ear-piece before Nicholas spoke.

'Alright...kid, what info did you get from those two? Was it useful? Why'd you close comms?'

"Okay, for one, I closed comms to focus. For two, it was very useful. For three, you know that big stocks building that Harris Walker owns? Apparently Reaper, and the Ryzuski head will be at the very top of it. I'm not sure of why they're meeting, it might be some kind of deal of peace between the two, I also got two of Loft's guards on our side, so we've got some inside help. The meeting's gonna be at midnight tomorrow, and for four, I'm gonna need something that can climb a big building."

'Alright, I can get you something by tomorrow. For tonight, maybe you should rest. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day for you, kid.'

"The city doesn't sleep, I don't either. I'm gonna be out here until dawn, and I'm not sure I'll get much information on the Lofts. I'm just gonna be clearing the streets and the alleyways. I'll chase the leads I get though. Thanks for the concern though, Nick."

'No problem kid. But for tonight I'll be going to rest, so I'll see you tomorrow.'

"See you Nick." As Dark pressed a little button on his earpiece, it made a 'beep'. The camera cuts to black following the small 'beep'.

                                                     To be continued in Chapter 5...The Final Clash.