Chapter Four

James McCloud stepped out of the taxi and walked up the steps to the entrance of TrenchVision HQ. The building was luxurious, a modern marvel in every sense of the word. Nobody knew much about the CEO, Quinton Trench, only that he was an orphan who worked his way to fortune and fame. TrenchVision, on the surface, was just a luxurious sunglasses company, but there were whispers that they also supplied gear and weapons to the military and that Trench personally funded and equipped FRAG. Not many people have actually even seen Quinton Trench, James didn't know if he even ever left this building. However, James knew better. He knew better than normal people. During his time in Russia, he got in deep with the Russian Mob and learned some things, that made it simple to put two and two together. Two years after Quinton Trench became a worldwide name, suddenly, a new 'hero' appeared. At first he didn't have a name, he was just a man in a high tech nano-suit who did everything from save people from fires and rescue kittens from trees. A modern day white knight. Well, that name stuck and 'Knight' became known as the golden boy 'Superhero'. James believed that Trench was this Knight character, but didn't have any hard evidence to support it. Besides, he had no beef with Knight and no reason to involve himself with him. That was until his tracking device pinged a New World Order vehicle at TrenchVision HQ.

James walked up to the reception desk in the lobby and saw a beautiful woman sitting behind the desk.

"Excuse me." James said politely "I have an appointment with Quinton Trench" he said as he showed her his ECPD badge. James knew he could get in trouble for this, considering he wasn't sent here on an actual case, but he didn't want to show up as Borei and cause a fight that wasn't warranted. The woman smiled and gestured to an armed guard. The man walked over and led James to the elevator. When they got in, the guard used his key card on the elevator to get up to Trench's office.

Floor 120. James didn't realize just how big this building was. The door opened, and was shocked at how fancy this floor was, even compared to the lobby.

The guard led him to a large set of double doors. He opened them for James, and didn't say a word. James thanked him and walked into Trench's office.

The office was massive. Who else has offices that have marble pillars. The furthest wall was one huge window, presumably made of bulletproof glass. The desk made the Oval Office desk look like something you'd buy from Walmart. There he was. The famous Quinton Trench. He stood up from his desk. He was easily 6'4" and was built like an action star. He had slicked back black hair, and a well kept beard. He even had Trench Vision glasses on, but James had never seen them before, so it was safe to assume they were personal, custom glasses that only Trench himself had. He wore a handsome Italian suit, with a gold plated watch.

"James McCloud is it? I'm Quinton Trench." He said kindly as he extended his hand. James shook it and said "Yes sir, I am, and everyone knows who you are."

Trench chuckled and sat back down, gesturing to James to do the same.

"So, what is it I can do to help the ECPD with today?" He asked. James paused for a moment, he honestly didn't think he'd get this far. So he decided to lie, but not completely lie.

"Well, sir, I'm just a mortician at ECPD, but I have a personal investment in some of the gang related crimes in this city." James began to explain, but was cut off.

"Yes, I would assume as much considering your parents were killed by 'gang related crimes'" He said, pulling a cigarette out of his desk and lighting it. "Would you like one?" James didn't answer, as he was shocked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I do my research. Especially after I found a tracking device on one of my company vehicles. Never expected Borei, The Revenant himself, to show such interest in my company." Trench said before taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Then I guess we can skip the formalities." James said, returning to his normal demeanor instead of his timid civilian demeanor. Trench clapped his hands.

"There it is! Thank you. I'm not a fool James, and don't worry your secret is safe with me. I have no interest in outting you, when I approve of your work." Trench explained.

"Then if you approve, why are the New World Order using your company vehicles?" James asked candidly. This time it was Trench's turn to be shocked.

"I'm sorry? What?"

"That tracking device you found? I put it there two nights ago after your vehicle was apart of a arms deal in The Warren's. I was tracking down 'The President' and instead, was led to your building here." James explained. Trench was silent a moment then stood up. He walked over to the window and looked out it, over all of Eagle City.

"You know, James, we are not that different from one another."

"How do you figure?"

"You, and the rest of the world, sees me as a billionaire philanthropist, but what the world doesnt see, is what I was before."

James stared at him, waiting for him to continue, while in his mind he thought that there was no way Quinton Trench could be anything like himself.

"Before all of this, I was just a soldier. Just a man trying to serve his country. You know what I got for that? Paralyzed from the waist down. That may seem surprising as I am standing before you, but that's only because of this." Trench tapped on the back of his neck. If there was something there, James couldn't see it behind his suits collar.

"I was always good at technology. Some call me a genius, because of the glasses, but not for the reason they should." 

Suddenly, a suit began to form over top of him, started from the back of his neck. It looked like a second set of skin, but a bright silver. Trench, now donned in the Knight suit, turned back towards James.

"All I want to do, is protect the innocent. But here you are. You don't care about innocent people, you only care about killing the evil ones. That's where our similarities end. I fight for the people, you fight for revenge. I have no desire to stop you, or to convince you to join a more righteous cause, but imagine my shock when The Revenant, Death himself, yeah I know about you, shows up on my door step, and now accuses me of working with or for a criminal organization."

James could tell that this was going south quite quickly.

"I wasn't accusing you. If I was, I wouldn't have came as myself, but as Borei. I wouldn't have given you a chance to speak." James said, now standing himself. Ready for a fight, though not desiring one.

"Ah, well thank you for the mercy Death. The righteous Pale Rider. No. If there is any truth to these claims you bring to me, then I will see to them myself. You may see yourself out." Trench said before the Knight suit retracted back into the back of his neck.

James began to walk towards the door.

"Oh, and Jimmy" Trench said, James stopped but didn't turn back to him.

"Don't presume to know me. You fight against organized crime, but recall you being quite chummy with the Russian Mob." Trench said. James clenched his fists.

"Oh, and next time I see you. It won't be as Trench, it'll be as Knight. Good day, and fuck off." James chuckled to himself and exited the office.

-----

"No! No, NO!" BANG BANG BANG

You couldn't save them. You caused this. You did this. You think you can cross King Cruel? This is my city.

-----

Borei stood on a rooftop adjacent to TrenchVision HQ. If Trench honestly believed that Borei would simply sit back and do nothing, he didn't know as much about him as he thought he did.

An SUV pulled up to the truck bay and three men that Borei knew to be apart of New World Order stepped out.

Borei headed down to the truck bay. When he got there, he cloaked himself, neat little power he had developed. He was invisible in shadow, and almost invisible even in a lit room.

He stood in the shadows of the corner of the truck bay, cloaked.

The men stood in the center of the bay and waited for a few minutes. Then, Trench himself, walked up to them.

"Hey boss, what did you call us here for?" One of the NWO men asked. Trench didn't answer at first. He just looked at the three men.

"Hand me your gun." Trench said. The first man, confused, handed him his desert eagle that he had tucked in the back of his pants. Trench looked it over for a second.

"I usually have Mr. Wynn handle things like this, but I felt this deserved a personal touch." Trench said. The men began to fidget, anxiously.

"Can you explain to me, why I've heard that you've been working for the New World Order?" Trench asked, not looking up for the gun. The men looked shocked.

"Uh, s-sir? What do you mean? We wouldn't do that? We're loyal to you." The first man stammered.

"Now see, that's what I thought as well. Then I did some digging myself." Trench said, then paused a moment. Then shot the first man point blank in the face. Splattering his brains and blood over the two other men. One if them hastily reached for his own gun, but before he could, Trench had his gun pointed up under the man's chin. Which stopped the man in his tracks. Gestured to the direction he entered the room, and another man came into the clearing, dressed in a black suit. Presumably Mr. Wynn.

"Take these two upstairs, I have some pressing business to attend to." Trench said. Mr. Wynn didn't say anything, but pulled out a Beretta and led the men out by gunpoint.

Trench paused a minute, and tucked the gun into his suit.

"I told you. I would handle this." Trench said out loud. Borei was taken aback. It seemed that Trench knew he was there. So, he stepped out of the shadow.

"It seems I was incorrect." Borei reluctantly admitted.

"Well, I did say if you interfered, you wouldn't meet with Trench, but Knight. Now, I can't just go back on what I said." Knight said mockingly. Borei scowled.

"You don't want to do this. I don't want to hurt you, and most of my fights end in death." Borei said with a snarl.

"See that's your problem. All you did is kill. All these gang bangers you kill, why don't they deserve a second chance? Like you got?" Knight asked. Borei just stared at him.

"I know you used to be in the Eagle City Savages, McCloud. Savage is right. Look at you. Gang banger, turned Russian Mafioso, turned contract killer turned righteous serial killer. How are you any different?" Knight said.

Borei had had enough, he threw a right hook that connected solidly with Knights jaw, and dropped him to his back. Borei grabbed him and pulled him back up, just as soon as Knight was on his feet, he was thrown against a nearby wall where Borei commenced to throw lefts and rights into his face. Knight finally parried one of the fists and delivered a thrust kick that sent Borei sprawling to recover from the tremendous force the Knight suit was capable of exerting.

Unbeknownst to Borei, the suit was also capable of flight. Knight flew towards Borei and snatched him by the throat. Knight flew out of the loading dock and went up.

Borei began to kick and claw at Knight.

"You want down? I'm good at down." Knight said. He then threw Borei onto a nearby rooftop.

Borei slammed onto his back hard, and used the momentum to roll himself backwards and back onto his feet.

Borei pulled out his dual Glock 34s and began firing into Knight, as he was descending onto the rooftop. The bullets smacked against Knights chest, but didn't pierce the suit. Borei could tell the impact of the bullets still hurt him though. Suddenly, Knight extended his hand and a blue translucent shield appeared, blocking the rest of Borei's shots.

When Knight realized he was out of bullets, the shield turned into a beam of blue that shot towards Borei.

He didn't react fast enough. He was used to knowing who he was fighting, he had no idea what the suit was capable of, and he paid for it when the beam hit him in the chest like a brick and also burned his chest, which flung him back to his back.

He sat up and looked down at his chest. His armor, which was made out of kraxinium didn't melt, so that was good news. Borei went to return to his feet, but Knight flew forward and drove both of his feet into his chest and drove him back to the ground, and actually through the rooftop and down to the floor below it.

Knight, himself, wasn't ready for the roof to collapse, so he was returning to his feet when he felt something pressed against the back of his head.

"This is a kraxinium blade. I'm not completely sure if it'll pierce the suit, but I'm willing to test it out." Snarled Borei.

"You think I'm afraid?" Knight yelled before he attempted to spin around and instead caught the blade into the side of his arm. He yelled out in pain as Borei yanked the blade back out.

The suit was pierced, and Borei could see the wound in Trench's arm. The suit repaired itself over top of the wound, but it was enough to know that his blade could pierce the suit.

Borei tackled Knight to the ground and held the blade to Knights throat.

"See? I knew it. Go ahead, kill me. Kill me like you kill everyone else. You can't save this city, or the world, you'll just destroy it more than it even is. You can't save people if you kill them all." Knight yelled. Borei paused for a moment and then got off of Knight.

" What are you doing? Why don't you finish me?" Knight asked, genuinely confused.

" I'm not what you think I am, and maybe you're right. I can't save anybody, if there's no one left to save." Borei explained, back to Knight.

"People are already terrified of you. How are you going to be a hero?"

"Well, it wouldn't be good for trying to reform my image by killing the golden boy of Eagle City, now would it?"

Knight chuckled, then grimaced in pain. He looked down at his arm where Borei stuck him. When he looked back up, Borei was gone.

"I have a feeling we'll all be hearing more of the Revenant. Should probably change that name too.."