By Dashiell Hammett
### A Night to Remember

The rain drizzled down like the tears of a jilted lover, slicking the asphalt in muted reflections. The streets of Eldritch City were alive with shadow, every flickering neon sign casting a ghostly glow across the alleyways where both dreams and nightmares whispered. I leaned against the grimy wall of an old diner, the smell of stale coffee wafting through the air, mingling with the scent of impending chaos. This was a city where hope went to die, but tonight, it would witness a showdown that would echo in the depths of its darkest corners.

I was The Avenger, Robert Steel by day, and where that man ended, the hero began. With a cybernetic framework pulsing with radioactive energy, I had ascended beyond human frailty. The Technological source of my power surged beneath my skin, a constant reminder of how I had once danced with the devil in the pale moonlight of a top-secret government project. My heart was a cold piece of machinery, and my foes' weaknesses became my strengths. I had fought too many battles to care about the collateral damage. I had evolved into the hunter, a solitary figure moving through the night.

But tonight, I had a target: Nightwing.

His reputation preceded him—an elemental powerhouse circling the shadows like a hawk. Nightwing, the defender of the downtrodden, the white knight of Eldritch. He wielded control over the elements with grace, bending air and water to his will. But experience was on my side, and ruthlessness had taught me a lesson: sometimes, even heroes fall.

In the heart of the city, a decaying warehouse served as our battleground. The air was thick with tension, charged like a storm about to break. I stepped inside, the hum of my power core echoing in the vast emptiness. There he was, a silhouette against the dim light streaming through broken windows. He wore his resolve like a mantle, ready to protect what he held dear.

“Nightwing,” I called, my voice a low growl. “You’re outmatched tonight. Step aside.”

His eyes narrowed, determination etched into the lines of his face. “You’ve come to remind the city of your chaos, Avenger? Or do you truly think you can take me down like a petty villain?”

I chuckled, the sound raspy and cold. “No, I’m here to make a statement. This city needs to know the power of Colony 5¹.”

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a surge of energy, the air vibrating with the intensity of my power. But before I could unleash it, Nightwing was upon me, weaving through the shadows with the grace of a panther. He struck, elemental fury crackling through his fist like lightning, but I was faster—preparing my response, my body taught with anticipation.

In that instant, I felt the thrill of the imminent battle, and my instincts took control. I sidestepped, the glow from my core intensifying as I charged forward, deadly resolve pooling within me. The Avenger unleashed a single blast of radioactive electricity, a streak of incandescent death that arced through the dim light, colliding with Nightwing before he could blink.

Time froze. The air crackled with energy, and the impact sent shockwaves reverberating through the warehouse. Nightwing, that proud guardian of the night, crumpled like a marionette with severed strings, collapsing to the ground in silence.

I stood over him, feeling the rush of power coursing through my veins like an intoxicating elixir. It was a bittersweet victory; I had won yet again, but I had not wanted this. In his eyes, I saw the flicker of a hero laid low, a man who had fought for truth amidst the lies.

“Tell your friends,” I said, my voice echoing in the stillness. “Chaos never sleeps.”

With that, I turned and walked out into the rain, where the city remained oblivious to the battle that had just unfolded. The world was black and white, but heroes and villains dwelled in the gray, forever entwined in a dance of power and consequence.

Tonight, I was The Avenger, and as I melded into the shadows, I couldn’t shake the feeling that one day, this city would rise again. And when it did, we would meet once more, two forces colliding in the night, for every battle creates the specter of another.