Just as I got home from my first official date with Olivia I received a call from the police chief. She had found out through her information network she established thanks to my help, that Crane is about to launch a full scale operation with the goal of extracting secrets from WalCorp about the radiation incident. Which means that his mutant soldiers are all but complete. Before doing so though, he's making a point to take back, by force, all the debts he is owed, with the help of his overpowered-lackeys of course. That's when we decided to intercept and arrest him. The date Chief Monroe gave me was only a few days away, and with a lot of things to think about, I started my preparations to put an end to the vicious cycle of crime Crane had started throughout the city. Before I knew it, it was finally time for the real deal... The day was upon us.

New York, Queens

Aaron's Apartment

18:21

Aaron stretched his arms and warmed-up his muscles a bit, immediately after wearing his suit. "Can't believe I'm actually doing this..." He mutters to himself while looking at himself through the mirror. His skin-tight leather suit stuck on his skin like glue, a sensation he had very much gotten used to. He ruffled his brown hair lightly and played with the scarf-like mask that had retreated to coil around his neck. "...The next time I see my room, there will be officially one case closed..." The teenager took a deep breath and let it out softly as he spoke. Despite doing vigilante work all this time, he couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought of arresting the biggest mafia mobster Queens had ever seen. He took yet another deep breath, this time shutting his eyelids in the process. He felt an all too familiar sensation in the pit of his stomach, all the hairs in his body prickled and a cold feeling made its way to his chest. When he opened his eyes he was no longer just Aaron Beckett, wearing a suit. He was Wraith, the vigilante of Queens. He fixed his now white hair backwards and donned a serious expression before raising his half-face covering up to his nose. "...As for the other case...."Aaron muttered to himself as he picked up a cylinder object approximately the size of his palm from the desk. "...Don't think I'll need you, but might as well bring you with, just to be sure..." The teenager nodded to himself stuffing the object in the last vacant pocket of his suit. The object he had just decided to take with him was none other than the ace up his sleeve against the transformed Brad Wilson. It was Aaron's original idea which he thought of when he saw an owner with her dog during his date with Olivia. The owner was blowing on a whistle that looked like it caused pain to the animal, and after talking her down from using it he got the idea that it might prove useful against Brad on his werewolf-monster state, due to the dog DNA in his blood. Although it wasn't likely he would come across him today, bringing it with him in the case of an emergency couldn't hurt. Thus, after getting all geared up, he went out the fire escape took one last look at his room and closed the window back up.

...

He glided through the chilly New York wind of mid-November running along rooftops as he went. Before long, he reached the designated starting point of the operation.

"Chief Monroe, I'm in position." Aaron said conservatively as soon as the call connected.

"Great. Proceed as planned..." She replied in the same stern tone as always. "...We're counting on you, Wraith." Her voice took a softer tone as she said that, and disconnected the call.

"...I won't let you down, chief." The teenager voiced before taking a deep breath. He crouched towards the end of the rooftop he was standing and gazed upon the big familiar limo that belonged to none other than Crane. Soon, the man himself got out of a nearby building, presumably one of his many warehouses, and with the usual tail of bodyguards that looked a lot bulkier than the usual, he made his way inside the long black vehicle. As a large number of his followers followed suit, the vehicle's engine roared ever so slightly, softly slipping through the back alley and onto the street. Aaron moved to another building, in an attempt to follow the vehicle all the way. As soon as he got in range, he fired a small tracking device from his wrist, which stuck on the roof of the black limousine. The first part of the operation was smooth sailing, as he successfully managed to stick the tracking device on Crane's means of transportation. The next part was to continue tailing the vehicle, until Crane got out of the car himself and use that opening to beat his lackeys and arrest him. Wraith pulled out a small device the size of his palm from one of his pockets and gazed at the screen. It was a sort of GPS tool that was connected to the tracking device stuck to the limo. He successfully connected it to the AI system on his suit and slid it back inside his pocket, all the while still following the car discretely.

"Is everything okay, dad?" He heard a very familiar voice coming from the speaker engraved at the inside of his mask. The tracking device had a very sensitive microphone in-tact, which was capable of singling out the background noise and unnecessary commotion of the city, and sending back only the sound waves coming from humans. Thus Aaron could hear everything inside the limousine as clear as day.

Was that Sarah... just now?

The teenager thought to himself as he pressed the speaker closer to his ear.

"Yes Sarah, you don't have to worry about a thing." Crane said in an attempt to reassure his daughter, who was startled by the sudden appearance of all those burly and vicious-looking men.

"Aren't we... going home?" She asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"You are. But don't worry I'll be back for dinner, sweetie." Her father replied with soft words, but his voice was still stern and serious. "As soon as we reach the destination WE will get off. You three will see Sarah home." Crane spoke to his lackeys in a much more commanding manner, and the three goons he addressed answered briefly and energetically with a "Yes, sir!"

"...After our first... job is complete, Number 5 will come pick us up. So all you need to worry about is driving my daughter home, am I clear?" The mafia boss addressed the driver, his intimidating aura practically emanating even through a mere device.

So he's gonna send Sarah home before he starts collecting, huh?

Aaron concluded, as he relentlessly followed the vehicle.

Soon the black limo came to a stop near the suburbs of the city in front of a run-down apartment that belonged to a cheap complex. Crane and a bunch of his mutated soldiers got off the car briefly.

"Take care, dad..." Sarah said worriedly, her voice trailing off, like she had realized something sinister was afoot.

"Of course, I'll see you at home, sweetie." Crane's mask cracked for a split-second as he smiled at his only daughter. But it really only lasted for so, as his expression turned dead serious right after, and the limo drove off.

"Can't believe they actually bought this dump..." Crane muttered to himself and that was the last thing Aaron's device caught before he disconnected it. It was no longer useful to him after all, as the vehicle which was stuck on was no longer Crane's means of transportation.

Aaron jumped to the nearest building and hid himself as he prepared to strike. The operation was reaching its final phase... apprehend Logan Crane.

One of Crane's goons knocked on the door viciously and as Aaron was about to jump out of cover with one of his usually witty quips, yet another familiar voice made him freeze on the spot.

"Who's there?" A tall, blonde and brawny high school student stood in the doorway of his ran-down apartment with an unamused expression on his face. The look he was donning though quickly disappeared as he realized who was standing before him. "...Crane...?" A hushed voice escaped his throat as he furrowed his brows in shock.

"Brad Wilson. Long time no see." Crane spoke sternly walking up from behind his bodyguards.

NO WAY! BRAD OWES CRANE!!! OH MAN THIS COULD GO REALLY BAD!!

The cogs inside Aaron's brain start turning fiercely as he remembers how Steinn explained Brad's mutation to him.

His transformation is fueled by emotion...

That particular part played at the back of his head as he continued to eavesdrop on the conversation.

But I need to be careful I can't just blow my cover like that and get Brad dragged into all this... Arghh, what am I supposed to do?

"You know I don't show up in person unless it's important, right kid?" The mafia boss spoke as Brad audibly gulped. "And you Wilsons, have made a somewhat minor part of my job, TOP priority. You do know what I'm talking about, right?" Crane's tone become harsher the more he spoke.

"If this is about the debt we will-""You will what, exactly? You were supposed to pay me back last month. And the month before as well. No more excuses for you. You, go grab his bitch of a mother. You three, break everything you can inside that damn place." The man commanded his forces like a cruel general sending his troops on a raid.

"No! Get your hands off my mother!" Brad barked angrily as he tried to break the hold the goon had on his passed out mother. "Shut it!" The extremely muscular man let go of the woman and punched Brad square in the face. The teenager landed on the wall behind him, unable to move. All he could do was watch as the men broke his already run-down house down. All the necessities his mother had worked and suffered day and night for, shattering against the fists of those cruel and heartless monsters. All the while, Crane was witnessing the act, with that still, cold and dissatisfied glare apparent on his eyes.

"You.... You bastard!" Aaron heard Brad's voice from inside the house as he had no way of knowing what was happening.

I need to act!

He thought as he got up but was once again interrupted by the heavy banging footsteps of a creature. "Oh hell no..." He muttered as he saw the wolf-like creature crouching unable to walk out the door in any other way. It's sheer size and build surpassed even the transformation from last time. It was as if every time Brad transformed, he was getting stronger, walking closer to the threshold of human and monster as he did.

"KILL! YOU!" The monster's barks managed to form words as Crane's goons quickly rushed out of the house to protect their boss.

Now's the time!

Aaron thought reaching for his enforced whistle. "Wait... what?" He tapped around at his suit but the item was nowhere to be found...

NO NO NO NOOOO!

He screamed inside his head in a state of panic. But the monster obviously had no reason to neither wait nor hold back, with a few swings he easily sliced up the mutated goons standing between him and his target. Even the super-soldiers Crane had created were no much for a fiend such as him. The mafia boss chuckled to himself in a state of insanity and panic.

"Wilson, you brat! You were that monster all along!" He hissed angrily pointing a handgun at the beast. The werewolf monster roared angrily and swiped at him, catching only air. The reason for that was none other than Aaron's interference. He teleported right next to the man in grave danger, and pushed him away from the swing with his body.

"Wraith?!" Crane voiced angrily as he got up.

"You know, I hadn't planned on saving a scumbag like you, but letting you die is not an option either. For now, just get the fuck out of here!" Wraith urged the mobster to escape as he stood between him and the beast, whose mouth was salivating profusely at the sight of his previous enemy. "Hey, I'm glad to see you too, boy!" Aaron voiced as he readied himself for an attack.

"You can't possibly think I'll flee! I need a blood sample of that creature! I'll create a new series of soldiers with this!" Crane shouted out like a madman in a trance as he didn't back away.

"What?! Are you fucking nuts?!" Wraith shouted back dejectedly as he evaded a wild swing just barely by ducking under and quickly jumped back. The monster wasted no time and pressed the teenager to the wall, coiling his large palm around his neck.

What the hell? How is he so goddamn faster than before?! If only I didn't drop that damn whistle!

Aaron clenched his jaw in frustration while fighting back the monster's grip around his neck with both hands. The werewolf brought its other free hand to his enemy's face grazing his face with its blade-sharp claw, leaving a bloody trail behind. The monster's jaws curled up as the nail tucked on his face covering, with Aaron unable to break free in the slightest.

I am absolutely fucked now am I? How did it even get to this? This was supposed to be just an "arrest Crane" mission and now I've got my hands full with both super-villains! How unlucky can one teenager get?!

The only thing the young hero could do was contemplate on that, as his mask edged closer to being torn apart and the grip around his neck tightened with every passing second making the color drain from his face. The heavy silence broke with the sound of a gunshot. The shot landed cleanly on the beast's shoulder, which roared in utter irritation. A barrage of shots followed, as the creature turned to the shooter with a vicious growl. Crane took a few steps back, a nervous yet confident smile playing on his lips, as he gripped the gun in his palm.

"What the fuck... are you doing?! Get... the hell... out of here!" Wraith barked angrily, in between coughs, at the man refusing to flee.

"I didn't do this to save you punk, just so we're clear I ju-" Before he could finish his sentence he was stabbed clean through his abdomen, the creature's nails appearing at his back as he hunched over in reflex. The creature lifted him up and discarded him to the side, no hesitation or remorse whatsoever.

"Oh... come on..." Aaron voiced as his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

....

Not even a full minute later his body jerked up and he awoke from his momentarily collapse, as he quickly spotted the gravely wounded mobster but not the werewolf monster. "He must have ran off... He's gonna go berserk in town... That's bad news..." Aaron wobbled to his feet and made for the wounded man who was facing the sky.

"Ah... I figured you're not dead..." Crane spat, blood dripping from his lips all the way to his collar.

"That's my line, actually." Aaron thought as he crouched next to the man. He didn't like him one bit, but it wasn't a pleasant sight to watch anyone die. Especially knowing he was Sarah's dad. His abdomen was full of blood, painting his white suit a crimson red. The ground was full of the red liquid as well, forming a pool just below him.

"I don't think you're gonna make it..." Aaron spoke as calmly as he could, given the circumstances.

"I already know that. I don't need your pity." He said back with his usual serious expression. "Go after him. I don't need you witnessing my last moments..." Crane spoke with that same expression. "...I wish Sarah was here..." During that last part though his face softened, a tear dancing at the edge of his eyes. All Aaron could do was clench his fist in regret. He couldn't save him and he had no place in Sarah's and Crane's family affairs. He was just a by-stander in a tragic story. "Here, I think... it belongs to you..." The dying man handed over the cylinder whistle Aaron was so desperately looking for and a mix of emotions came over his face.

"How?" The teenager only managed to spell out in confusion.

"You need this to defeat him, right? I found it lying around while you were fighting. I figured it was for calling backup or something so that's why I didn't blow it, but now I understand... Now get the hell out of here." Crane spoke softly for a moment then quickly turned back to his usual self before successfully delivering the valuable item.

If only he had blown it...

"Dad!" Sarah's voice echoed through the empty alley and both men looked up at the shell-shocked girl.

"Quick." He whispered, more like an urging and less like an order, and Aaron got up. Ignoring the hammering of his heart and the pained glare Sarah gave him, Wraith fired a hook and left the back alley, in the hope of finally putting this mad cycle of killing to an end.

I'm sorry Sarah... I'm so sorry...