This is a short story that takes place in the world of my future comic. It is canon.
2 years prior to the start of the story...
Jack Kane, A journalist from across the sea, was enjoying his stay in Japan’s artificial land. It was hard to believe that it didn’t exist 70 years ago, and was only put together after the 3rd world war ended, and Japan being small, made a compromise, and allowed artificial land to be built onto Japan. Jack had a nice hotel room near the coast of, “New Japan,” overlooking the water that splashed against the island.
Jack, however, did not travel from his usual workplace in America only for some relaxing views. No, the reason he had come to New Japan was to investigate the disappearances of several low lifes over the course of the last few months of 2117. There was a small amount of evidence that could make it seem like it might be the work of loan sharks or one of the mafia groups taking out people who could be a liability. Jack wasn’t so sure though. While the evidence was there, there was no proper motive that fit. There were also rumors that had come up about a figure in the night nicknamed “The Reaper,” but Jack shrugged them off as nothing more than that, rumors.
About an hour after sundown, Jack finds himself on one of the many dark alleyways of New Japan’s business district.Not too many people were out walking, just a teen in a white jacket with a gray hood walking home and a few other old folks arriving home. While walking Jack passed a man in a cloak. It appeared as if the man was wearing a mask under the hood of the cloak. “You lost or something?”, the man asked. Jack turned to find the cloaked man facing him. With a better view, Jack could see the details of the mask. It looked similar to a skull but black markings on the sides and a weird symbol Jack didn’t recognise. “Just walking around enjoying the evening,” Jack responded. Jack turned to leave to find another cloaked figure with the same mask blocking his way. “Why do you seem to be in a hurry? I’m sure you have time to talk,” said the new cloaked figure. Jack looks down to see the person holding a gun. “I don’t want any trouble”, Jack says turning back around.
When Jack turns, he notices another cloaked figure behind the first cloaked guy. This new figure seems to have a purplish glow coming from his hood, and for a second Jack could have sworn the figure’s skeletal face wasn’t a mask. Jack could feel this would be his last moments, and that he would surely die at the hands of these guys. It was a surprise when cloak 2 yelled, “watch out!” Before Cloak 1 could react, the new figure was already on top of him. Up close, Jack could see the figure's face was a skull with purple glowing pupils. Out of thin air the skull figure pulled out a double-bladed scythe. The blades were purple, connected to the handle by orbs with light blue glowing centers. In one swift swoop, the skull figure swung the scythe right through cloak 1, but instead of the bloody mess that Jack expected, the guy’s body started to glow light blue at the cut and started to disintegrate to light blue ash by light blue fire. Jack quickly reached down to a camera in his pocket and hit record. Cloak 1 tries to cry out, only to be silenced by ashes. Meanwhile Cloak 2 was frantically trying to shoot the skull figure, but it doesn’t seem to be fazed. Cloak 2 tries to run, but the skull’s blade cuts through their legs, turning them to the light blue ash.
The skull figure turned to face Jack, then moved into a shadow filled alley, disappearing from view. Jack let out a deep sigh as he pulled out his camera and stopped the recording. Jack pulls the video and begins to skim through it. Jack stops when he has a good shot of the Skull figure, only it's not the skull figure. Its a teenager in a black jacket with a gray hood, the same shade as the kid from earlier. Suddenly, the camera is knocked out of his hand by a purple blade, barely missing Jack. The blade smashes the camera and lodges itself in the brick wall beside Jack. Suddenly, the scythe returns to the dark alley flying back in a rotation. Jack looks over to have his eyes meet the purple eyes in the shadows as they fade away. Jack had hust had his first Deathy Encounter with The Reaper.
Story End
