It appeared to be a normal night in St. Martial. Just outside the Ice Palace, on a nearby rooftop, two figures stood and waited.

One, a tall slender man, wearing nothing but a tank top and jeans, his auburn hair in a long ponytail and his right arm appearing to be encased in some form of cybernetics. Next to him stands a much smaller, rounder fellow. His blondish hair dirty and unkept, wearing a large jacket and jeans.

“Bruno this better not be another dim-wit scheme of yours. We've been standing out here all night,” the taller of the two men spoke.

“Don't worry boss. This can't fail. I got all the information off the 'net. There is a huge pay-off to anyone that can off this Vorn guy. I'm talking billions.” Bruno smiled as his eyes lit up with the thoughts of money.

“Bruno, you idiot! One, you can't trust half of what you see online, Second, how do you even know this Vorn is going to show up here?” Vinny shook his head in disgrace.

“Well, um mm... ah... you see. I... “ Bruno paused for a moment to try and find the right words.

“It seems someone has been spying on me, and you two fools are going to pay the price,” came a third voice.

Both figures turned around to see a large reptilian man with grayish scales and blackish spikes coming from his shoulders. His arms were crossed as he hovered in front of them, a large angry scowl on his face and his eyes glowing yellow.

Both men stepped back slightly. “Oh shit boss, it's him... it's Vorn... ah... what do we do?” Bruno stumbled.

“What do you mean what do you do, ass? Get the bat and kick his ass.” Vinny tossed a baseball bat to Bruno and threw him right into Vorn.

Vorn seemed to just stand there as Bruno stumbled forward and swung the bat with all his might, only to watch it shatter against Vorn's skin. Vorn barely flinched.

“Oh, shit... Screw this...” Bruno tossed the remains of the bat and ran in terror.

“Bruno get back here, you worthless piece of...” Vinny shouted but didn't get to finish as Vorn grabbed him by the neck and raised him into the air.

Vinny actually began to laugh slightly even as Vorn tightened his grip.

“Strange, you mock me and seem to show no fear. I'm curious. Why? You should be running like your friend.” Vorn asked.

“I've heard stories of you. The big, bad conqueror from outer space and I'm not impressed. I've been dealing with goons like you for years. You're no different than the Family. That, and I'm more than I appear.” Vinny grinned as his cybernetic arm hummed with electrical energy, and zapped Vorn, causing him to drop the man and stumble backwards.

Vorn growled as he unsheathed his ax. “That was very foolish boy... Now I'll show you real fear.” He began to charge at him.

“Fear this!” Vinny hurled another bolt of electrical energy, but to his surprise Vorn seemed to shake off the blast as he got closer to the man.

Vorn gruntws as he slapped the ax into the smaller man's chest. What he saw next surprised him slightly. Expecting the blade to rip through flesh, bone and blood, it instead cut through a synthetic form of skin, metal and liquid type substances that simulated blood.

Vinny laughed as he fell backwards, holding his chest... “Wasn't what you expected... was it, buddy?”

“No, I'm rather unimpressed. Selling your soul and body for a fake immortality... it's pathetic and weak.” Vorn tightened the grip of his ax as he moved in closer. “Human or not, flesh and bone or metal and parts, you are just a stepping stone in my path of destruction. I shall gain my immortality even if I must take it from the Devil himself.”

Vinny actually seems stunned by this. “Come on, man... let's work this out. We can make a deal.”

“No deal. Not with a weakling like you.”With a mighty swing, Vorn brought his ax down on Vinny's head. Sparks flew as the blade ripped through his skull and continued through the rest of his body. “Now, where was your bumbling fool of a friend?”

Meanwhile, Bruno had been running for his life. Through alleyways, over fences, panting heavily as he finally stopped and leaned against a wall.”I'm... not... built for this.... I think..” he gasped, “I lost him... I shouldn't have left Vinny... back there.” He started to take shorter breaths as he relaxed slightly. “He'll understand... After all, he said it's survival of the fittest out here.”

“My words exactly. Except you are clearly unfit to survive. Though I must admire your desire to live. A pity you made two mistakes tonight.” Vorn floated down in front of Bruno. “The first was thinking you had a chance against me. The second was believing in the fool.” Vorn tossed one of Vinny's arms on the ground.

“You killed him... you son of a bitch... Oh, god... now you're going to kill me.” Bruno began to panic so much he actually soiled himself. He dropped to his knees and began to grovel. “Please don't kill me... Please!!!”

Vorn lookws down in disgust. “You're weak, worthless, a blight on the rest of humanity. Some of them are fit to survive to continue to fight on. Even after I bring this world under my heel. But you... You are not even worthy to grovel at my feet.” Vorn raised his hand as it crackled with black and redish energy.

Bruno began to panic more as he crawled backwards on his hands and feet, trying to get away, but it was too little, too late. The energy in Vorn hands blasted out in the form of a powerful bolt of lightning. Bruno barely had time to scream as it ripped through his body. The energy crackled around the alleyway for a few moments as Vorn stood there smirking. When all was settled, all that remained of Bruno was a charred corpse.

Vorn growled slightly as he looked around. “Synge, I know you're out there watching... somehow somewhere. Let it be known if this is the best your challenge has to offer, that dagger is as good as mine. But, be warned: if I discover you have crossed me, this,” he pointed to the remains of Bruno, “This will be nothing compared to what I do to you. I swear it.”

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