Rebirth

Zyke Taylar was dying.

He lay under literally tons of steel, glass and cement by a psychotic woman, with at least six broken bones, and most likley more. The only thing that had saved him from being crushed to death was a mangled support beam above his head.

The same support beam that was now pinning his arm to the ground. He was bleeding profusely in multiple places, and to add to his list of greivances, he was runnig out of air.

So this is how it ends. he thought, seconds before the world went dark.

To Be Continued . . .

(For the backstory, check out Hunter, Hunted.)

Zyke opened his eyes, and snapped them shut again. Wherever he was, it wasn't buried under a building. He briefly wondered if he was dead, but quickly rejected that idea.

He opened his eyes again. Slowly this time. Though his vision was blurred, he could dimly make out the shape of a hospital room. Inexplicably his vision cleared and energy returned to his limbs.

The door opened and a man in a lab coat walked in. "You're up!" he said, surprised.
"I -- Where am I?"
The man smiled and relplied distractedly as he checked various things around the room, "My hospital, in a closed down ward, being seen only by me."
"Umm, okay. How long have I been out?"
"About fifteen hours. I've taken advantage of that time to get you declared legally dead, and --"
"WHAT!?"
"Look, everyone knows who the Emerald Knight is, and since he is technically a criminal himself, you're basically not safe anywhere. Yeah, the cops can't catch you, but they keep trying. So what I did you is a favor. Now you can disappear, become a new man."
"Yeah, but --"
"Now, can you get into this wheelchair," he wheeled one into sight, "so I can show you what I've prepared for you."

To Be Continued

Doctor Talis, according to his nametag, wheeled Zyke into another hospital room, but this one had been cleared of medical equipment, and filled with combat equipment.
"All of it," Talis said, "is yours. Use it to construct youself a new identity, a new hero for Highrise."
Zyke looked around the room. "This is inredible. Thank you so much."
"I'll leave you alone to decide what you want to do."

Zyke ended up choosing a balck and grey color scheme, lighter armor, and more blades than he had before. He opted for a katana over a longsword and he dyed his hair blonde.

As he came out of the room, feeling much better, inexplicably, the good doctor found him and explained one thing that had been a mystery to Zyke.
"Have you found yourself feeling more energetic at crucial times? That is because of a small device I placed at the base of your skull." Zyke reached back and found a small box, "That device is an adrenaline production stimulator. When you activate it, you should find that your reflexes are enhanced eponetially for about two minutes, rather useful, if I do say so."
"Asking permission ever occur to you?"
"You were out cold, and besides, it probably saved your life, and obviously sped your healing to remarkable quickness."
Zyke realized that he had no injuries, except for scars.
"Anyway, I think you are ready to get back into action, Mister . . ."
Zyke pulled up his mask, which covered the bottom half of his face, "Nightbane," and then, he walked out of the ward, and never looked back

End