Title: Requiem for a Rogue: The story of a Gray Man.


On a cold foggy morning in 2004, a man heads to work, not knowing his life will change forever in mere moments.

Silas Gray looked out his car window on the foggy Chicago morning. "I'll never make it on time in this weather", he thought. As he pulled up to the stoplight, Silas noticed a large object floating in the sky. "What the Hell is that?", he said aloud. As he peered out the window, more and more of the objects filled the sky. That's when the bombs started to drop. Huge explosions ripped apart the intersection in front of him. Silas saw the body of a business man fly past his window. "I have to get out of here now", he thought. Abandoning his car Silas ran for safety. The floating objects were everywhere, and now strange creatures started appearing on the streets, mercilessly hacking away at citizens. Chicago's Finest were powerless to stop the invaders, every 100 feet or so Silas could see groups of Police Officers, back to back, making a last stand. As he was watching the brave souls fight for their lives, one of the creatures appeared behind him, picked him up, and threw him 20 feet into a wall. Positive he was about to die, Silas threw his arms over his face. Then, as suddenly as he appeared, the creature was gone. Silas leaped to his feet, and straight ran the last 300 meters to the office building were he worked.

When he got there, Silas was ushered into the conference room where all the staff who had made it in had gathered around a television. "Reports are coming in from all around the globe." The anchor man said. "From Bangkok to Paris to Washington D.C., these strange aliens have appeared everywhere, and appear to be bent on one thing; World Domination." "So it wasn't just here?" Silas thought to himself. "The aliens appear to call them selves The Rikti, and have technology vastly superior to our own", the Anchorman said again. "The center of the Rikti attack, however, appears to be Paragon City!" "Nowhere is safe anymore, I have to get home, Rachel and Tal need me." As he turned to leave, Silas' boss, Bob Mader, stopped him. "Silas, you can't go back out there, people are disappearing." "I have to get to my family Bob, I can't leave them alone." replied Silas. "Silas, they're monsters, I saw them rip Steve from accounting in half." "Why did you just stand there and watch?" Silas retorted. The heavyset man looked confused and ashamed, but made no response, so Silas edged past him and out the door into the waiting streets.



Silas dashed out onto the streets, fuming at his boss, and at himself. "All I could do is watch." he said to himself. "That's pathetic." Silas was at a loss on how to get back to his family, until he noticed an abandoned Police Motorcycle on the pavement. Silas mounted it without incident and was off. Riding through the streets on his newfound steed, Silas switches the radio until he find a band that comes in clear. "Oh God! They're everywhere! More keep coming! They won't stop!" This fades into unintelligible begging, followed by an ear piercing scream. Sick to his stomach, Silas turns the radio off, and rides silently down the streets.

About 10 miles from his house, Silas sees an obstruction in the road. More of those Rikti! Leaning on his left, Silas eases the cycle to screeching halt. The aliens start shooting at him as he leaps off his bike. The bike slides to a stop in front of the confused and bemused aliens, when it promptly explodes, killing the unarmored aliens instantly. "Wow, that was way cooler than it should have been." Silas says aloud. Determined on making it home in time to save his family, Silas sets out on foot the rest of the way.

Silas stands in front of the entrance to the neighborhood mouth agape. Everywhere he sees devastation. And all around him he can hear the cries of the wounded and the dying. Afraid of what he'll find when he gets there, Silas walks slowly to where he and his Family have lived for three years.

The destruction is absolute. The house was completely leveled, and the only indicator of what had transpired was his wife, Rachel's broken body, lying amid the debris. Silas falls to his knees. Clutching his dead wife, Silas lets out a bloodcurdling howl, more animal that Human. Silas sobs into her shoulder, and for some reason, he can't stop apologizing. Apologizing for failing her, for being to late, and for everything else he ever did wrong.

After some time Silas rises to look at his surroundings. "Where is Tal?" He thinks to himself. "Tal!" he screams. "Tal! It's dad! It's ok to come out buddy!" Silas can't find the boy anywhere, nor does he find the boy's body among the wreckage. Sifting through the wreckage in vain, Silas finds his old bow. He smiles inwardly. He always was a straight shot. "This will come in handy, it isn't much, but it's a start." He thought to himself. As he made his way out of what used to be his home, Silas sees something out of the corner of his eye, an old family photo of a picnic some years ago. Making a silent vow, Silas tucks the photo inside his jacket.

As he sets out towards Paragon City, his mind filled with violent images of bloody vengeance. Silas is fueled by thoughts of his dark purpose, the death of all Rikti, everywhere. It is a vow he made to himself, a vow he will honor at all costs. Even if it has to cost him his soul in the process.