Second Contact

"… ARISE!!!"

The two-syllable word rippled around Aldrich.

There were many dead beings whom Aldrich had analyzed well enough to bring them back to reality. But one man was too close and personal to him. Aldrich knew everything about him, his strengths and weaknesses. He also knew what his goals were and for what he truly cared for. And the most wonderful thing about this man was that he had not died only once, but thrice.

The space didn't fluctuate, nor was there any sound. It was as if the word itself was a mirage that kept vanishing with every passing moment. A man in a tattered black jacket and jeans materialized in front of Aldrich. He had rough black hair, and there was an eerie black mask on his face. Through the eyeholes of the mask, his ordinary black eyes brimmed out with unimaginable intelligence.

This person was the Masked Menace, Aldrich Guo.