Marcus spent the day analyzing the intelligence Oracle had provided. The Archive's files on Black Talon were comprehensive—detailed profiles on every member, their known hideouts, operational patterns, financial records, and most importantly, their power classifications.
**Void Raven** - Real name: Rebecca Cross. B-rank villain. Shadow manipulation, flight, limited intangibility while merged with shadows. Former hero candidate who turned to crime after her family was killed in a villain attack that the Hero Association failed to prevent. Ruthless but principled—avoided civilian casualties, targeted only high-value scores.
**Crimson Chain** - Real name: Marcus noted the irony of sharing a first name with his target. Vincent Marcus Kane. C-rank villain. Could manifest chains from thin air, control them telekinetically, and enhance their durability. Former military, dishonorably discharged for reasons the files didn't specify. Void Raven's second-in-command and closest confidant.
The remaining fifteen members ranged from D-rank to low C-rank, with abilities covering elemental manipulation, physical enhancement, and various utility powers. All experienced criminals, all dangerous in their own right.
But they would be vulnerable tomorrow night.
Marcus reviewed the pier schematics again. Pier 23 was isolated from the main port complex, accessible by a single road that would be easy to block. The security force was entirely baseline human—well-trained, but no match for awakened criminals. Black Talon would overwhelm them in minutes.
And while they were focused on the security forces and loading the Essence, Marcus would strike from an unexpected angle.
During lunch at school, Sarah noticed his distraction.
"You're doing that thing again," she said, waving a hand in front of his face. "The thing where you're physically present but mentally somewhere else. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about a project."
"Your genetic engineering thing? You've been obsessed with it lately." Sarah leaned closer. "Seriously, Marcus, are you okay? You look tired. Are you sleeping?"
"Enough."
"Liar. You look like you haven't slept in days." She pulled out her phone. "I'm canceling our study session tonight. You need rest."
"I'm fine—"
"Marcus, I'm serious. You're going to burn yourself out." Sarah's expression was genuinely concerned. "Whatever you're working on, it can wait one night. Take care of yourself."
Marcus considered arguing, then realized her cancellation actually made things easier. He wouldn't need to make excuses for missing their session tonight.
"Alright," he said. "I'll rest tonight."
Sarah smiled, satisfied. "Good. And tomorrow you're going to tell me more about this project of yours. I want details. Real details, not vague scientific terminology."
"We'll see."
After school, Marcus returned home and descended to his laboratory. He spent three hours preparing his forces, selecting the optimal monsters for tonight's operation.
His total population had grown to two hundred and sixty-three creatures:
- **7 Commander-tier (Beta):** His most powerful creations, capable of independent tactical thinking
- **25 Elite-tier (Alpha):** Strong combatants with specialized abilities
- **94 Awakened-tier:** Various powers harvested from criminals and enhanced through mutagens
- **137 Micro-monsters:** Surveillance and support units
For tonight's assault, Marcus selected:
- **All 7 Beta-tier monsters:** He needed their intelligence and power for coordinating the attack
- **15 Alpha-tier monsters:** Mix of combat specialists and support units
- **40 Awakened-tier monsters:** The bulk of his strike force
- **50 Micro-monsters:** Reconnaissance and infiltration
Sixty-two monsters for the main assault, with the rest held in reserve at the laboratory. It was the largest force he'd deployed since his awakening, and if something went wrong, it would be catastrophic.
But Marcus had planned for contingencies. He'd scouted the location extensively, positioned escape routes, and established fallback positions. And most importantly, he had inside information from the Archive that Black Talon didn't know was compromised.
At 9:00 PM, Marcus left his house through the window. His parents were on patrol until midnight, and even if they returned early, they'd assume he was asleep.
The pier district was quiet as he approached, staying in shadows and avoiding security cameras. His micro-monsters scouted ahead, confirming that Black Talon hadn't arrived yet but the security forces were in position around Pier 23.
Marcus found his observation point—a condemned warehouse with a clear view of the pier and multiple exit routes. He released Beta-One through Beta-Seven, positioning them throughout the warehouse.
"Status report," Marcus commanded.
Beta-One spoke in its grinding stone voice: "Security forces confirmed: fifteen baseline humans, armed with conventional weapons. No awakened abilities detected. Black Talon has not arrived."
"Good. We wait until they engage. Let them weaken each other."
Beta-Four, the gravitational manipulator, tilted its grotesque head. "Strategy analysis: Black Talon will focus on rapid extraction. Engagement time estimated at twelve minutes. Optimal strike window?"
"When they've loaded the Essence and are preparing to retreat. They'll be distracted, overconfident, carrying valuable cargo. That's when we hit them."
The monsters settled into waiting positions. Through their shared consciousness, Marcus monitored the pier and surrounding area.
At 10:47 PM, his thermal-vision equipped monsters detected movement. Multiple heat signatures approaching from the north—seventeen total, moving with tactical precision.
Black Talon had arrived early.
Marcus adjusted his timeline. They were striking thirteen minutes ahead of Oracle's predicted schedule. Either her intelligence was slightly off, or Void Raven had changed plans at the last minute.
*Good instincts,* Marcus thought. *She doesn't follow predictable patterns. That's why she's survived this long.*
He watched through his monsters' enhanced senses as Black Talon positioned themselves. Void Raven led from the front, her body partially merged with shadows that made her difficult to perceive. Crimson Chain flanked her, his hands already manifesting the chains that gave him his name.
The security forces had no idea they were surrounded.
Void Raven struck first.
Shadows erupted across the pier, smothering lights and plunging the area into darkness. The security guards shouted in confusion, flashlights cutting through the black but revealing nothing. Then Crimson Chain's chains whipped out, disarming three guards in seconds.
The remaining security forces opened fire, but their bullets passed through Void Raven's shadow form uselessly. Other Black Talon members moved in, their various abilities overwhelming the baseline humans quickly.
It was professional, efficient, brutal. Within ninety seconds, all fifteen security guards were down—unconscious or disabled, but not dead. Void Raven kept her word about minimizing casualties.
"Loading team, move!" Void Raven commanded.
Six Black Talon members rushed to the shipping container that held the Essence, breaking the locks and opening it. Inside, illuminated by their flashlights, were dozens of containers filled with crystallized Essence—pure power refined into physical form.
Marcus felt hunger radiating from his monsters as they sensed the energy. They wanted to consume it, to grow stronger.
*Soon,* Marcus told them. *Wait for my signal.*
Black Talon worked quickly, loading containers into their vehicles. Void Raven and Crimson Chain stood guard, scanning for hero response. But the pier was in a low-priority patrol zone, and the Hero Association's response time would be at least fifteen minutes.
They'd be gone in ten.
Marcus counted the containers as they were loaded: twenty-three so far, with approximately thirty remaining. Twelve million dollars worth of pure power.
At 11:02 PM, when Black Talon had loaded two-thirds of the Essence and were beginning to relax, Marcus gave the signal.
"Strike."
His monsters erupted from the warehouse.
Beta-One through Beta-Seven led the charge, their massive forms moving with terrifying speed despite their size. The Awakened-tier monsters followed in a coordinated swarm, while the micro-monsters spread out to flank and infiltrate.
Void Raven reacted instantly. "Contact! Unknown hostiles, east side!"
Crimson Chain's chains materialized, creating a barrier between Black Talon and the approaching swarm. "What the hell are those things?"
"Monsters," Void Raven said, her voice cold and focused. "Combat formation! Protect the cargo!"
Black Talon's discipline showed immediately. They didn't panic, didn't scatter. They formed a defensive perimeter around the vehicles, powers activating in concert.
But they'd never faced anything like Marcus's creations.
Beta-Three, the acid-spitting armored monster, charged through Crimson Chain's barrier. The chains wrapped around it, trying to restrain, but the acid dissolved the metal faster than it could regenerate. Beta-Three crashed into two Black Talon members, its claws tearing through their defenses.
Beta-Four activated its gravitational manipulation, creating a field that crushed three villains to the ground. They struggled against the overwhelming pressure, unable to move or use their abilities effectively.
Void Raven merged completely with shadows, becoming intangible. She flew above the battlefield, assessing the situation with tactical precision. "Fall back to secondary position! Abandon half the cargo!"
She was adapting, recognizing that this fight wasn't winnable. But Marcus had anticipated retreat.
Beta-Seven, positioned at the exit route, emerged from concealment. This monster had been created from the fire manipulator, enhanced with additional mass and power. It breathed a wall of flames across the road, blocking Black Talon's escape.
"We're trapped!" one of the villains shouted.
"No, we're not." Void Raven's shadow form coalesced near the water's edge. "Emergency extraction! Through the water!"
She was trying to lead her team into the harbor, where they could use the darkness and confusion to escape. Smart thinking under pressure.
But Marcus had monsters waiting there too.
Alpha-Six, his energy-absorbing crystalline creation, emerged from the water. It had been submerged since Marcus arrived, waiting for exactly this scenario. The creature's crystalline armor refracted the limited light, making it appear like a living prism of death.
It grabbed the first Black Talon member who entered the water, dragging him under. The man's screams cut off as he was pulled into the depths.
Void Raven cursed and changed direction. "Crimson Chain! Create a path through the flames!"
Crimson Chain manifested dozens of chains, using them to create a bridge over the fire wall. Three Black Talon members started across, but Beta-Two's energy beams cut through the chains, sending them crashing into the flames below.
The battle was turning into a massacre. Black Talon was skilled, experienced, and powerful. But they were facing an enemy they couldn't understand, couldn't predict, and couldn't escape.
Marcus watched from his position, analyzing every move. Void Raven was the key. As long as she remained operational, she could coordinate her team and potentially find an escape route. He needed to neutralize her.
"Beta-Five," Marcus commanded. "Target the shadow manipulator. Use your darkness affinity to counter her intangibility."
Beta-Five had been created from a villain with darkness manipulation—not quite the same as shadow control, but similar enough to interfere. The monster focused its power, creating a field of absolute darkness that competed with Void Raven's shadows.
She materialized partially, her intangibility disrupted. "What—"
Alpha-One struck while she was vulnerable, its enhanced strength allowing it to move faster than she could react. The monster's claws raked across her side, drawing blood and forcing her to fully materialize to avoid worse injury.
Void Raven hit the ground hard, clutching her bleeding side. "Rebecca!" Crimson Chain abandoned his position and rushed to her side, chains forming a protective barrier around them both.
With their leader down, Black Talon's coordination collapsed. Members began fighting individually, desperately, no longer following tactical doctrine.
Marcus's monsters overwhelmed them systematically. Within three minutes, fourteen of the seventeen Black Talon members were dead or dying. The survivors were Void Raven, Crimson Chain, and one D-rank member cowering behind an overturned vehicle.
Marcus emerged from the warehouse, walking calmly across the battlefield. His monsters parted to let him pass, creating a corridor of nightmarish creatures leading to where Void Raven and Crimson Chain made their last stand.
"Who are you?" Void Raven demanded, blood seeping through her fingers as she clutched her wound. "What are you?"
"Someone who needs what you were stealing," Marcus said simply.
Crimson Chain's chains rattled as he prepared for a final attack. "Rebecca, get out of here. I'll hold him—"
"You'll do nothing of the sort," Marcus interrupted. He gestured, and Beta-One materialized beside Crimson Chain, its crystalline claws resting on the man's shoulder. "Drop the chains, or die."
Crimson Chain looked at Void Raven. Some unspoken communication passed between them. Then, slowly, his chains dissolved.
"Smart," Marcus said. He studied Void Raven with clinical interest. "You're Rebecca Cross. Former hero candidate. Turned to crime after the Hero Association failed to save your family during the Northside Massacre. You've been leading Black Talon for three years, built it from nothing into one of the city's most effective villain organizations."
"You've done your homework," Void Raven said, her voice tight with pain. "Are you going to kill us?"
"That depends. I'm going to make you an offer, and you're going to accept it."
"What offer?"
"Join me. You and Crimson Chain. Bring your skills, your experience, your loyalty. In exchange, I let you live and provide you with resources beyond anything Black Talon could achieve."
Void Raven laughed bitterly. "Join you? I don't even know what you are. Some kind of monster tamer? Summoner?"
"Monster creator. I build them from raw materials. Living, dead, human, animal—all can be transformed into what you see around you." Marcus gestured to his army. "Your organization had seventeen members. I have over two hundred and sixty monsters, and that number grows daily. Join me, and you'll be part of something far greater than a simple villain syndicate."
"And if we refuse?"
"Then you become raw materials. I'll harvest your abilities, convert your bodies, and add you to my collection. Either way, Black Talon ends tonight. You choose whether you end with it."
Crimson Chain stepped forward. "Rebecca, don't listen to him. We don't work for anyone—"
"Vincent." Void Raven's voice was quiet but firm. She looked at Marcus with her dark eyes, assessing, calculating. "You could kill us right now. You've already won. But you're offering recruitment instead. Why?"
"Because you're competent. Your tactics tonight were flawless. You adapted quickly when surprised. You prioritized your team's survival over the cargo. Those are valuable traits." Marcus tilted his head. "I can create unlimited monsters, but human intelligence and experience are harder to replicate. You'd be useful alive."
"Useful. Like tools."
"Everyone is a tool, Rebecca. The question is whether you're a willing tool that maintains autonomy, or a converted tool that serves without question. I'm offering you the first option."
Void Raven was silent for a long moment. Then she looked at the battlefield—her team's bodies scattered across the pier, her organization destroyed in less than fifteen minutes. She looked at Marcus's monsters, at the overwhelming force that had crushed her people.
Finally, she looked at Crimson Chain, who stared back with desperate eyes.
"If we agree," Void Raven said slowly, "what happens to the survivors? To the one hiding behind the vehicle?"
Marcus glanced at the D-rank villain cowering thirty feet away. "That depends. Is he loyal to you or to the organization?"
"To me. His name is Jason Drake. Shade. He's been with us since the beginning."
The Archive's informant. Marcus had wondered when he'd reveal himself.
"Then he joins with you. Three survivors of Black Talon, now working under new management." Marcus extended his hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Void Raven stared at the offered hand. Marcus could see the calculation in her eyes—survival versus pride, pragmatism versus principle. She was a survivor, had been since her family died. She'd do what was necessary.
She took his hand. "We have a deal."
"Excellent." Marcus helped her to her feet. "Beta-One, retrieve medical supplies from the vehicle. Treat her wound."
As Beta-One moved to comply, Crimson Chain approached Marcus. "I want to be clear about something. We're joining you because Rebecca decided it was the best move. But if you betray us, if you harm her, I will find a way to kill you. Monsters or not."
"Noted. Your loyalty is admirable." Marcus turned to the cowering Shade. "You can come out now. You're safe."
Jason Drake emerged hesitantly, his shadow manipulation making him partially translucent with fear. "You... you're the one who—the Archive said—"
"The Archive works for me now," Marcus said simply. "As do you. Welcome to the new organization."
With Black Talon neutralized, Marcus directed his monsters to begin cleanup. The bodies of the fallen villains were consumed entirely, their abilities harvested and integrated into his existing creatures. The security guards were left alive but unconscious—witnesses who would report monsters attacking both them and the villains, creating confusion about what actually happened.
The Essence cargo—all fifty-three containers of it—was loaded onto vehicles Marcus had prepared. Twelve million dollars worth of crystallized power, now his to use for accelerating monster creation.
As his creatures worked, Marcus addressed his three new subordinates.
"Here's how this works. You operate independently, handling tasks I assign. You report directly to me, not to anyone else. In exchange, you receive protection, resources, and a share of whatever profits we generate. Think of this as Black Talon 2.0, but with significantly more power behind it."
"And if we want out eventually?" Void Raven asked, her wound now bandaged by Beta-One's surprisingly gentle ministrations.
"We'll discuss that when it becomes relevant. For now, focus on recovery. Your first assignment will be in two weeks, once you've healed." Marcus handed her a phone. "Encrypted communication. I'll contact you when needed."
Void Raven took the phone, studying Marcus with new eyes. "You're what, sixteen? Seventeen? And you're commanding an army of monsters like it's natural. How long have you had this power?"
"Three weeks."
The three villains exchanged shocked looks.
"Three weeks," Crimson Chain repeated. "You've built all this in three weeks?"
"I'm efficient." Marcus checked his own phone—11:34 PM. The Hero Association would arrive in approximately six minutes. "Time to leave. The heroes are coming, and I'd prefer not to reveal my full capabilities yet."
His monsters returned to compressed form, disappearing into his clothing and backpack. The three surviving Black Talon members stared in amazement as over sixty creatures simply vanished.
"Follow me," Marcus commanded, leading them to his prepared escape route.
They left through the sewers, emerging three blocks away from the pier. By the time heroes arrived at the scene, they'd find only unconscious security guards, burn marks, and biological residue from the consumed villains.
No clear evidence of what had actually happened. Just another mystery in a city full of them.
Marcus returned home at 1:15 AM, exhausted but satisfied. The Essence containers were secured in his laboratory, his new subordinates were positioned as intelligence assets, and Black Talon had been eliminated without drawing hero attention directly to him.
He'd killed fourteen more awakened individuals, bringing his total to thirty-seven. His monster population would grow significantly once he integrated the harvested abilities. And he'd recruited a B-rank villain with tactical expertise that would prove invaluable for future operations.
As Marcus climbed through his bedroom window, he found a note on his desk from his mother:
Out on patrol until 3 AM. Leftover dinner in the fridge. Love you. —Mom
Marcus crumpled the note and collapsed on his bed, not bothering to change clothes. His micro-monsters were already spreading throughout the city, monitoring hero responses to the pier incident, tracking the Archive's activities, and surveilling Void Raven to ensure she didn't try anything stupid.
His phone buzzed. A message from Sarah:
Did you actually rest like you promised? If you're up at 1 AM, I'm going to be mad.
Marcus smiled despite his exhaustion and typed back: Sleeping now. Stop texting me.
Good. See you tomorrow, science boy.
He put the phone aside and closed his eyes. Tomorrow he'd need to attend school, maintain his cover, act like a normal powerless teenager concerned about grades and college applications.
Tonight, he'd destroyed a B-rank villain organization and stolen twelve million dollars worth of crystallized Essence.
The duality was becoming routine.
As sleep claimed him, Marcus's last conscious thought was about the timeline. In his previous life's history, Black Talon wouldn't be destroyed until 2147—two years from now, by a coordinated Hero Association strike.
He'd just accelerated that timeline by two years. Changed history. Made himself a factor in events that should have unfolded differently.
How many other changes am I creating? Marcus wondered as consciousness faded. How different will this timeline become?
The answer, he suspected, was: completely different.
And he wouldn't have it any other way.