Of Good & Evil

Prologue III - Kneel Before the King

"Come on, man! Grab the pallet and let's go!"

A small gang was attempting to steal a large pallet of gold bars. They broke into the bank in the middle of the night. They were not armed with any standard tools typically used in a robbery, and the pallet of bullions weighed roughly ten tons. They only brought themselves and an unusual man with an unusual ability to perform remarkable feats of strength. They hadn't known him long, but he agreed to help them steal the gold, provided he could have a cut.

The team kept watch, as they were able to sneak into the bank with minimal effort. A member of the gang walked up to the stranger and asked, "Hey, man! What was your name again?"

He didn't want to use a name they may be able to research. He had to pick a new name, one that wouldn't reveal anything about him. "Hardy," he said, "King Hardy,"

"Well, your majesty," the leader of the group mocked, "get the gold and let's get out of here. Is it too heavy or what?!"

Hardy took a breath, then bent down and lifted the pallet of gold bricks with no visible effort. The team shouted with excitement as he began walking toward the entrance with the pallet extended in front of him. They all made their way toward the entrance of the bank, seemingly about to get away without raising any suspicion.

To clarify, without raising any alarms would be the more accurate assessment. The sight of a single man walking around with ten ton in gold would catch a fair amount of attention. This is why they had the escape route planned. They planned to use a series of alleyways and tunnels to avoid encountering any curious citizens or police.

A member of the gang whispered that the coast was clear, and they all exited the bank. Hardy had difficulty seeing over the gold, so he had one man in front of him and one behind him to provide directions and support.

Just then, they heard alarms and sirens coming from the bank. The last man on their team, the leader, had tripped the alarm as he was leaving the bank. Hardy heard the sounds of his teammates in front and behind him growing nervous with the added pressure of the alarms sounding. This would undoubtedly mean the police were on their way.

Hardy heard the man behind him say, "Just stick to the plan. As long as we follow the path, we good."

"Shut up," Hardy spat, "Let's get this taken care of and meet up with the rest of the team so we can get out of here."

The three of them moved forward through the tunnels, careful to avoid the helicopters which were now searching the nearby areas. They darted from alley to alley, dodging police cars and curious onlookers. Eventually, they reached the rendezvous.

"Great, bro! We made it!" one of his teammates said with excitement.

Hardy gently set down the large pallet of gold bricks and took a breath. He realized the stress of the situation had been getting to him more than he thought. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"We'll meet up in a few days after the heat dies down," the other teammate said quietly, "Be sure to cover the gold with the tarp."

Hardy covered the gold as instructed and began to walk away. Just as he was about to leave the alley, he noticed a young boy holding a large, gold brick. The boy was in his early teens and must have picked up a brick that had fallen off when Hardy was rounding the last corner. As Hardy was approaching the boy to request the gold, he heard the voice of their leader just behind him.

"Seems you missed one, your majesty," he said mockingly.

Hardy turned to see him preparing an attack using some strange purple energy. Hardy jumped in front of the boy, defending him.

"He didn't see anything," Hardy said somewhat frantically, "I was just about to ask him to give back what he took."

The leader gave a sadistic smile, saying, "And how do you know he'll give it back?"

"He can keep it," Hardy said more frantically than before, "H-he can take it from my share, a-and it will keep him quiet!"

"And you don't think someone will question where a little boy got a solid gold brick?" the man taunted.

Hardy was a little dumbfounded. He said, "Yeah, maybe, but you can't just kill him."

"Oh, but I can, actually," the man said, never losing his smile, "And if you won't move, I'll take you out with him."

Hardy, a newfound resolve in his eyes, said, "You'll have to."

"So be it, your majesty" the man said.

The leader of their small group of thieves blasted multiple purple spears made of a sparkling purple energy. They leapt forward with a slight whistling sound. They rapidly moved toward Hardy, as Hardy closed his eyes, preparing for the pain that was about to hit him.

But no amount of preparation could have prepared him for the pain that spread through his body. With several puncture wounds in his chest and stomach, he fell to the ground. He found the strength to look to where the boy was standing, but he was gone. Did he have the time to push him out of the way? Did he do it on instinct and just didn't realize it? What if he pushed him too hard? He couldn't think about that right now.

Hardy looked to where the group leader was standing, but he was gone as well. He must have fled immediately after launching his attack. As Hardy was beginning to fade, he heard footsteps approaching.

"You've really made a mess, it seems," the stranger said calmly, "I suppose I'll have to keep a closer eye on you from now on."

Hardy looked up to the man who had approached. While his vision was blurring, he was able to make out a figure standing over him. He couldn't see his eyes at first, but then the stranger's eyes began to glow white. Hardy's vision began to return, as he felt a tingling sensation clouding the pain in his chest and stomach.

Hardy looked down to find the wounds closing, and eventually disappear entirely. He had been healed by this stranger using some strange power he had never seen before. As his vision returned completely and the feeling was restored to his body, Hardy stood to greet the stranger that had saved him.

"Thanks, man. I gotta pay you back," Hardy said, "I was almost ghosted just now."

"Oh, don't you worry," the man said with a smile, "I'm sure we'll figure something out. Come, let's talk."