Page 17

Story: Saint of the Shadows

sOMETHING’S cHANGING IN mE. i nOTICE IT fIRST aFTER thAT rABID rAT bITe. nO bLOOD. bUT wHEN iZzY’S gETAWAY dRIVER sHOOts mE, AND mY bODY bECOmes sWISS cHEESE? THE cHANGE IN mE pUSHES oUT THE bULLETS lIKE WORmS cRAWLING tHROUGH THE dEAD.

tHAT dOCTOR mADE mE A gOD.

i aLMOST fEEL bAD FOR kILLING hER.

wHEN tHIS cITY iS tORN aPART BY THE cOMING pLAGUE, IT wILL bE mE lEFT sTANDING. i’LL pUT THE rUINS bACK tOGETHER IN mY iMAGE. tHEn tHE ciTY wILL bE A pLACE tHAT dOESN’T nEED TO bE rEScuED BY cOSTUMED fREAKS.

pEOPLE wILL sEE mE AND kNEEL.

FOR i aM tHEIR sAVIOR.

yET, eVEN wHEN i sTAnd IN THE rOAD, i sTILL dOUBT mY pOWER. hOW dOes IT fEEL, iZzY, wHEN i pUNCH yOUR gETAWAY cAR? mY fIST cRUNCHes THE fRONT eND, aND THE tIRES sCREAM lIKE A sTUCK pIG. The sHATTERING gLASS mOVES mE lIKE tHE tINKLING oF cHURCH bELLS. yOUR cAR fLIes oVER mE AND rOLLs TO THE rIVERBANK. THE sMELL OF bURNT rUBBER AND sMOKE gIVEs mE A hARD-oN.

yOUR dRIVER cRAWLS oUT, nO lONGER hUMAN-sHAPED. i aDMIRE hIS vIGOR. i aDMIRE tHAT hE sTILL fIGHTS eVEN AS hIS bODY liEs bROKEN. tHAT fINAL gASP OF aIR wHEN i rIP hIS bARELY bEATING hEART FROM hIS cHEST! yOU pROBABLY kNOW tHAT bLOOD lOOKS lIKE iNK IN THE dARK. jUST AS yOU mIGHT kNOW tHAT THE mETALLIC sMELL OF bLOOD mAKES yOU hIGH.

wHEN wILL i sMELL yOUR bLOOD, iZZy?

mY mOUTH wATERS.

i bREak oUT THE pASSENGER wINDOW, dESPERATE TO kNOW wHAT A gREAT mAN’S hEART fEEls lIKE IN mY hAND.

bUT yOU aRE gONE. sWALLOWED bY tHE rIVER pERHAPS?

THE cITY wILL tHANK mE bECAUSE i sAVED tHEM FROM yOU. AND then i’LL sAVE tHEM FROM THE pOLICE, THE gANGS, AND THE mASKED vIGILANTES. i’LL dEMAND tHEIR fEALTY OR tHEIR dEATH. wHAT sHALL IT bE, sHADOWHAVEN? pROSPERITY OR pLAGUE?

wHAT sHALL iT bE?