It Begins: The Death of Alacritas City

"Get out."

"Yes, sir."

She barely had time to collect her clothing before the words left his lips. With his arms crossed comfortably behind his head, Ayden Hume just laid in bed, resting. Life was good. 'Comfortable' was a good word.

There was a soft click as she closed the door, quiet as a mouse. He had promised her some kind of promotion or something, but didn't even care enough to remember her name. It wasn't anything personal. Ayden just considered himself to be on a higher level.

Technically speaking, he was the owner of a gigantic, multinational corporation, Hume Enterprises. But that was only technically speaking. His father had shaped the company into what it was; Ayden simply hired the right people to take it to the next level.

The only time you ever saw him at work was when you cashed your check. His name was auto-signed onto the bottom.

Otherwise, he spent his time like any billionaire playboy does. He parties hard, pays people to forget about his maleficence, and is a completely arrogant piece of crap about it. He wouldn't even provide you with his two cents unless you had enough zeroes on your bank account.

The one thing that Ayden always cared about was himself, and that was true of his physique. He was a strong man, well-toned and athletic. He was an excellent martial artist, with quick reflexes and unbelievable precision.

At first he practiced just for the look, but martial arts became the one thing that Ayden Hume truly loved.  Maybe it was because he was good. Who knows?

He finally sat up in the bed, ready to move on to his next target. He pulled his pants over his legs and stood at the window, looking out over Alacritas City. Ayden had a love-hate relationship with this place. It had made him a fortune, but he couldn't stand to live among "them."

Just as the hate brewed in his gut, the phone rang. He gripped it off of the night stand and raised it to his ear.

"What."

The venom was clear in his tone. Just thinking about the people of this city gave him purpose, and not a purpose that could be considered justifiable.

"Sorry to bother you sir. It's here."

A crude smile curled up on his face. He nodded his head and even let out a sneer of happiness.

"Excellent."

This was only the first step, but it was the beginning of the end. Ayden Hume was not a doctor. He was not a faith healer, or a surgeon. He was not a wizard or even a likable man...

...but he did have the "cure" for Alacritas City.

Ayden loved mirrors.

He was a self-centered man with a self-centered agenda. The full-body mirror in his room was the only thing in which he saw himself. Prim and proper, but savage and ruthless. This brought a smile to his lips.

He latched the cuff on his sleeve and threw on his jacket. He had spent a small fortune for "the package," but if it were to act as planned, it was well worth it. With one final look in the mirror, he departed his luxurious loft for the streets of Alacritas City.

At the door to his building, a huge, muscular man stood holding an umbrella, waiting for Ayden's arrival.

"Good evening, Mr. Hume."

"Do you have the package?"

His heart was racing, but not in fear or anxiety. He had waited for this moment a long time. This was pleasure—and not them meaningless kind he had become accustomed to. This package was something that he truly could not wait to get his hands on.

"Yes, Mr. Hume."

"Well give it to me, you big buffoon."

The hulking man opened the trunk of the limousine and handed Ayden a briefcase. It was expensive, but normal in every sense of the word. He slid into the backseat of the car and flipped the latches open without hesitation.

His eyes lit up.

"Where would you like to go, Mr. Hume?"

"Drive me to the most populated area of the city."

There was a long pause, but the man started the car without questioning Ayden's request. He knew better. They took off for downtown Alacritas City, with who-knows-what in the billionaire's briefcase.