Chapter 21: Year Zero Part 3

A Cramped Apartment – That Night

Rain pattered softly against the broken window.

Leon stood in front of a cracked mirror, tying the final piece around his head — a mask with long, tattered rabbit ears and white lenses. His black hoodie and armored vest clung to his frame, stitched together from scraps, tools, and stubborn will.

He exhaled, staring at his reflection.

This wasn't for revenge.

This was survival.

This was war.

The city had turned its back on him, on his sister, on everyone like them.

But now it had something new to fear.

Bunnyman.

Devil's Side – 3:14 AM

The alley reeked of cheap liquor and blood.

Two men groaned against a wall, unconscious, faces bruised beyond recognition. Bunnyman stood over them, panting slightly, fists raw and still clenched.

His work was far from done.

Every night, he scoured neighborhoods the police had abandoned. Every night, he made himself known — not by name, but by fear.

People whispered about the man in the rabbit mask.

A ghost in the alleys. A shadow with fists.

Near the Docks – Later That Week

The wind was unnaturally cold.

That's when he saw him — a tall man draped in a white winter jacket and hood, breath fogging unnaturally in the warm night.

Locals called him The Cold.

And his presence brought a frost that wasn't natural.

Without warning, a sheet of ice shot toward Bunnyman's feet. He dodged, sliding behind an overturned truck, just as another spike of ice burst forward and shattered concrete.

The Cold stepped forward, voice low and echoing.

"You're the one messing with the city's rot... You don't belong here."

Bunnyman responded with silence, then lunged.

The fight was brutal. Cold's very presence chilled the air, making each movement feel sluggish. Ice formed on railings, walls, the ground — turning the battlefield into a deathtrap.

But Bunnyman adapted.

He tackled Cold into a wall, broke part of the icy surface with a flurry of elbow strikes, and followed with a hard knee to the gut. The Cold growled and threw him back with a wave of sheer force — jagged ice exploding in every direction.

Bunnyman was cut, bleeding at the shoulder — but still standing.

He rushed in again, faster this time, slipping under Cold's reach and slamming him into a steel pipe. The final punch cracked his nose and sent him sprawling.

The Cold didn't get back up.

A Different Night – Rooftops

Moonlight shimmered off rusted tin roofs.

Bunnyman crouched, watching a figure swoop through the sky — bronze armor catching the light, wings buzzing with artificial power.

Eagle.

A mid-tier criminal, thief, and now mercenary-for-hire.

As Eagle landed on a rooftop to catch his breath, Bunnyman struck — boots first, sending him rolling across the ledge.

"You again?" Eagle spat, wings flaring. "You just don't quit, do you?"

Bunnyman said nothing. He moved fast, ducking under a swipe from Eagle's talon-gauntlet and countered with a punch to the ribs.

They clashed violently — Eagle using aerial spins, sharp dives, and tactical strikes. Bunnyman stayed grounded, focused, using the environment and raw aggression.

Blow for blow, metal clanged against fists.

Eventually, Eagle fired a flash grenade from his wrist — a burst of blinding light filled the rooftop. When Bunnyman looked again, Eagle was gone.

Another escape.

Another lesson.

Present Day – 14 December, Morning

Leon opened his eyes.

Sunlight slid past the curtain.

His body still ached from the fight with the mysterious figure, pain shooting through his ribs. He sat up, silent, steadying his breath.

Ivy was still asleep.

Leon glanced at the bag under his bed and pulled his suit.

Daylight called.

And Bunnyman answered.