The room was dim and quiet. Mike was at his computer, sitting at his desk. He heard someone come in, someone slowly walking behind him. He quickly turned around, prepared for whoever it may be.

"Jake!" He said.

I stumbled into HQ, pressing my wounds, covered in blood. Mike ran over to my aid. He laid me down on the table to check my wounds.

"Jake you're gonna be alright ok." Mike told me. He put pressure on the cut on my arm.

"He killed himself." I said, still traumatized from having witnessed that.

"Stay with me Jake, stay with me." Mike said. He moved around the table to check my other wounds.

I slowly faded.

I woke up. Rusted pipes ran across the ceiling, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. I looked to my left, and Mike was looking inside this big black box. I called his name.

"Mike." I said, faintly. Mike heard me and ran over to me.

He helped me sit up on the table. I was still very weak from the fight. I was still a bit stunned. I could've died tonight, I should've. Mike was checking wounds, which I see he covered up with some bandages.

"You're gonna be alright Jake." He told me.

"I could've died tonight Mike." He stopped to look at me. "I should've died."

"But do you know why you lived?" He asked me. I shook my head no. "Because you still have a job to finish."

I knew what he meant. "The Kingpin" was still out, selling guns, causing terror in my city. I didn't have in me to keep going for the night.

"He killed himself right in front of me Mike."

"Jake-"

"He drove the knife through through his head."

"Jake-"

"I need a minute Mike, I need a-"

"Jake!" He yelled, grabbing my head. He looked me in my eyes and said, "I found 'The Kingpin'."

My eyes widened in disbelief. I wanted to hear him say it again.

"What?" I said.

"I found 'The Kingpin'." He repeated.

"Where?" I asked him.

He had my full attention. He helped me off the table and over to his desk.

"There was a security camera in the alley, I saw the whole fight between you and 'The Berzerker'."

"The who?" I asked him.

"'The Berzerker'. Anton Ivanov. He was a lieutenant in the Russian Armed Forces, 61 confirmed kills. He was dishonorably discharged after he stabbed his major in the eye, and well, because he's crazy. After that he went off the grid, and came back as a hired gun. Traveling the world, picking up a big resume for his very gorey and butchery kills, thus how he got the nickname 'The Berzerker'. He came here to Liberty City to visit a relative when this happened a night or so ago."

He pressed one of the keys on his keyboard and showed me a security feed from last night. There he was, "The Berzerker", mugging another guy in that same alley. He had on the same grey shirt as well. I started to get angry because he almost killed me, then the picture of him stabbing himself came into my head. I regained my focus when I saw this big black truck pull up, covering the alley entranceway. I saw two big guys in black suits step out the truck, followed by this woman in an all-white suit.

"Now listen." Mike said. He pressed another button on his keyboard, and I could hear what they were saying clearly.

"What do you want?" The Berzerker said. One of the guys pulled out this big silver case. He opened it and it was filled with stacks of money. More money than I had ever seen before.

"I have a job for you." She said. "I want you to kill 'The Vigilante'."

My eyes widened. Mike stopped the recording. Mike looked at me and said, "I believe this woman is 'The Kingpin'."

"So, The Kingpin's not a man?" I asked him.

"No." He replied.

"So she's a 'queen pin'?" I said, not really clear how to identify her. Mike chuckled.

"Glad to see your sense of humor is back." He said. I laughed a little as well.

It was all making sense. I was digging into The Kingpin's business too much. She saw me as a problem, she saw me as a threat. I foiled so many of her plans, it would make sense she would want to kill me. It was just a coincidence I ran into "The Berzerker" the night after that. She was the one. She was behind it all. The guns, the crime, she was "The Kingpin".

"So what now?" I asked Mike.

"Well, I found out where she is." He replied. He pressed a few buttons on his keyboard, and showed me this tall hotel building. I remembered the building. We passed it when we were going to the police officer's funeral.

"The Plaza Hotel. 1030 Tower Road." Mike said. "It's time Jake."

He was right. It was time. It was time to finish this. To bring down this "queen pin", to stop her whole operation, to save the city,...to finish what my uncle started. I was ready to go.

"But if you're gonna go, you might need this." Mike got up from his chair and walked over to the big black box. He slowly opened it, revealing what was inside. Instantly it caught my eye. I slowly walked to the box, mesmerized by what was inside.

I looked at Mike and asked him, "Is that what I think it is?" Mike nodded. A big smile came across my face.

I couldn't believe it. He actually did it. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I felt like a kid getting ready to put his Halloween costume on, getting ready to go trick-or-treating. There it was, in all his glory, my new suit.
"Suit up." Mike said. I looked at him then back in the box. I quickly grabbed my new suit and put it on.

I slipped my arms into the sleeves of the jacket, adjusting it to fit on my body. The jacket resembled a black bomber jacket, but with a hood. It had grey lines stylized all over it, outlining my torso. The texture felt like Nylon, but as Mike explained, it was layered with the d3o material and Kevlar. I pulled it together, and zipped it up all the way. I put on the rest of my gear on: these black cargo pants, a pair of black combat boots, some black ballistic gloves, and my utility belt. My belt had a bunch of pouches with all different types of gadgets, Mike told me. From the neck down, my body was completely covered. I felt secured, I felt protected, I felt ready to take on anyone or anything that came my way.

"Mike, this is the coolest thing you've ever made!" I was so excited. I couldn't stop looking at myself in the dingy mirror.

"Sorry it took so long, but it's my job to make sure you are protected out there." Mike said. I wasn't even paying attention to him, still staring at my suit. "One last thing."

He walked over to the box and pulled out this black full-head mask. He walked back over to me and handed it to me. I gazed into the mask. I could see it, the determination on the face, the intensity in the eyebrows, the hard chiselled structure of the jaw and chin, the anger in the eyeholes, the fear it would strike into those who looked into it.

"I remember what your uncle used to tell me." Mike said. I looked up at him, turning my attention away from the mask.

"He said, when I put on this mask, I put my other life behind me. I put this mask on so my enemies won't use my face against me. My face, to threaten the ones I care about. When I put on this mask, I become someone else. I become the hero this city needs. When I put on this mask, I am 'The Nightwatcher'." Mike said. He continued.

"And that goes for you too Jake. You wear this mask to hide your face, because if your enemies see your face, they will hurt the ones you love. When you wear this mask, you are the hero this city needs, the one it deserves. When you wear this mask, you are 'The Vigilante'."

His words spoke volumes, they really touched. I looked back down at my mask.
This was the face that every criminal in this city would come to fear, this was the face of the new "Black Crusader of Liberty City", this was the face of "The Vigilante".

I slid the mask over my head, covering my face. I pulled my hood over my head. I looked up at Mike, and said "Let's go fight some bad guys."

On the other side of town...

A buzzer noise was ringing in The Queenpin's office. She was writing on some papers at her desk. She pressed a button on her answering machine.

"Mr.Padder is here to see you." Someone said over the answering machine.

Still writing, she answered. "Send him up please."

Shortly after, Mr. Padder arrived at her penthouse suite. He stormed into her office.

"What have you done?" Mr. Padder asked, sternly.

She ignored his sternness and continued writing. "Mr.Padder, good to see you."

"Did you hire a hitman to kill 'The Vigilante'?" He questioned her.

She ignored his question and continued on, "Where are my notes from yesterday?"

"Did you hire a Anton Ivanov to kill 'The Vigilante'?" He asked her again, raising his voice.

She quickly looked at him and asserted her authority, "I'd watch your tone Mr. Padder." He cowered at her. She put her pen down and stood up from her seat, walking around her desk to Mr.Padder.

"I'm sorry ma'am. It's just-you hired me-'The Vigilante' was something I was suppose to handle." He said, cowering.

"As of late Mr.Padder, you haven't seen to have been 'handling' anything." She said, very sternly.

"Your incompetence forced me into the light." She said to Mr.Padder. She walked back over to the other side of her desk, and sat down in her chair once again.

"Hopefully my mercenary produces better results than you ever could have." Mr. Padder was trembling. "You are dismissed." She finally said, before going back to writing. Mr.Padder wanted to speak, but left her office instead.

Mr. Padder exited her office, then entered the elevator, leaving her penthouse.

I was standing on the roof right across from The Plaza Hotel. The building was still tall from the roof; the building illuminated at night. I could see the lobby inside. The lobby was colored in white and gold. There was a man sitting at the front desk in a very fashionable dress suit. Mine was better. There was a seating bench on each side of the lobby, and gold decorations covered the room. Mike was talking to me through my earpiece.

"How's it looking out there?" Mike asked.

"It's quiet. Are you sure this is the place?" I asked.

"I ID'ed the truck and traced it's location to that building. Now I don't know where exactly she is in the building, that you're going to have to find out." Mike said.

"Did you find out who she is?" I asked him, trying to see into the lobby.

"Uh, she's definitely not from America, no ID for her in any American databases. I'm going to try international." Mike said. Shortly after, I saw Mr.Padder. He was exiting an elevator, heading for the front door.

"Mike! Mr. Padder is here." I quickly said.

"Jake he knows where she is! Do not lose him!" Mike said.

I shot my grapnel gun down at the front at the hotel. My arm jerked. I was surprised my cable could reach that long. He was getting closer to the door. I jumped and ziplined down to the front door of The Plaza Hotel. Mr.Padder walked through the revolving door, and I dropped right in front of him.

"Remember me." I said, in a low and muffled voice.

"You." Mr.Padder said, startled.

I quickly grabbed him and brought him back into the building. The guy at the front desk pulled out a gun. I quickly threw a "Nightblade" at him. It hit his hand, making him drop the gun.

"Don't move!" I yelled. I put a "Nightblade" up to Mr.Padder's neck, for intimidation.

"Do as he says." Mr. Padder said. The guy put his hands up.

"I know she's here." I said into Mr. Padder's ear.

"I have not the faintest idea what you mean-" Mr. Padder said.

"Take me to her!" I said, aggressively.

Mr. Padder nodded at the guy at the front desk. He slowly moved his hand, doing something at his desk, then put his hands back up. An elevator opened up behind him. I slowly moved toward the elevator, with my arm around Mr. Padder's neck. We stepped inside.

"Do you mind?" Mr. Padder asked me. I slowly left go of him. He fixed his collar, then put a key into the keyhole in the elevator. He turned it and took it out. The elevator door closed. On the display, it read "PENTHOUSE". We then started going up.

I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. I was finally going to be face-to-face with "The Kingpin", or I guess the "queen pin". Mr. Padder was standing in front of me in the elevator. I held my "Nightblade" into his spine, making sure he didn't make any unnecessary movements.

"I like the new look. It's very intimidating." He said. I didn't reply. Though I was nervous, I was focused. I was ready, ready to get my answers, to finally meet the one behind it all.

"There will be a dozen men waiting when we get up there. Highly-trained, all-armed." Mr.Padder said, informing me.

I wasn't worried. I had a plan.

They knew I was coming, and they were prepared. They were all prepared. A dozen men in dark suits, all carrying SIG-Sauer P220R pistols, all aimed at the elevator door. When that elevator door opened, they were going to rain hell on whoever-whatever was inside. But what was inside, they were not prepared for. They could hear the elevator getting closer and closer. DING! The elevator was at the penthouse. They all checked their guns. The elevator doors slowly departed, the guards took aim. The elevator opened, and....A cloud of smoke filled the inside of the elevator. They were all confused. Three silver marbles rolled out of the elevator. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They broke open, releasing three clouds of smoke. The cloud grew, bigger and bigger, faster and faster, covering the entire penthouse. The men became disoriented. It was my perfect time to strike.

I jumped out of the elevator, kicking down two guards. Once they heard me, the gunfire started. I stayed low to the ground. The guards kept shooting blind, firing at a target they couldn't see. Flashes randomly popping up in the smoke. It let me know where they were. I sweeped the leg of one guard, he fell down hard. I punched him until he was unconscious. There was another guard on my right, shooting in my direction. I could see his shoes. I shot my grapnel gun at his foot, and yanked on the cable. He fell down, dropping his gun. I pressed the trigger again on my grapnel gun, the cable retracted, dragging him towards me. I  smashed his nose, knocking him out. The smoke was starting to fade. I stood up, and there was a guard on my left and my right. They both saw me. They pointed their guns at my head. BANG! I dropped to the ground, dodging their bullets. I watched as the bullets ran parallel and they hit the other guard. I hopped back up. I saw the jacket of one of the guards through the smoke, and darted across the room. He saw me at the last second. I jumped up and landed a big flying knee into his chest. He fell back, tripping over something. BANG! BANG! A guard was shooting over my head. I turned around and I could see him shooting at me through the smoke. I ducked down. I felt something hit my shoulder. I looked and I could see a bullet in my jacket. It didn't penetrated my jacket, just hit the surface. I pulled it out, making sure I was ok. "Thank you Mike." I said, to myself. The guard was still shooting. I pulled another smoke bomb out of the side pouch on my utility belt. I rolled in towards the guard. BOOM! Another big buff of smoke flew up into the air. I ran and jumped right through the smoke, nailing him with a flying kick. The smoke was starting to clear. I looked around and found the last two guards. I darted at them. One guard turned toward me, getting ready to shoot. I kicked the gun out of his hand. I grabbed the other guard and made him shoot the other guard in the foot. He fell down, whimpering in pain. I hit the guards arm with my elbow, making him drop the gun, then I elbowed him in his jaw. Then I threw him over my shoulder; he came crashing down hard on the floor. I knocked him out. The smoke cleared. I looked around the penthouse to see all the guards were on the ground, with me standing tall. Now there was only one left, "The Kingpin".

I opened the office door, and there she was. She was standing behind a big desk, staring out the window. I crept in, slowly closing the door behind me. I slowly walked towards her. She finally spoke, still staring out the window.

"In the game of chess, there's a cunning tactic where the player would stage a ruse on their adversary. Some find it difficult to depict the tactic as non-fictional or as a sham." I moved closer while she continued. "The player would intentionally sacrifice their queen in favor of a tactical compensation, even forcing their adversary to checkmate. They win the game."

"I know who you are." I said, in a low and muffled voice. She turned around to face me. "You're 'The Kingpin.'"

"In the flesh." She said, confirming. I crept toward her desk. There were so many questions I needed to be answered.

"Why are you bringing guns into Liberty City?" I asked. I needed to know.

"Money, power, supremacy, like any other legitimate businessman." She said, sitting down in her chair. She didn't seemed threatened in this hostile situation.

"You don't care what these thugs do with these guns? How many people they kill?!" I asked her.

"Tell me, if you give a child an apple, can you tell them how to eat it?" She questioned. I stopped. Her question was very puzzling. "I provide products to my customers. I could care less what they do with it."

"These people were dangerous, long before you put a gun in each and every one of their hands. Now they have the firepower to terrorize this city, my city." I said, trying to get her to understand.

"And who made you mayor?" She said, smiling. I became frustrated. "Let me explain something to you Mr.Vigilante, I could care less about your city, let alone, the people-"

"Is that why you killed 'The Nightwatcher'?" I questioned. She giggled.

I needed to know. This was the question that ran through my head, day in and day out, ever since I first put on this hood. Did she have my uncle killed?

"You come to my home, stand in my office, and dare ask me that question." She said. She giggled again. I was still waiting for an answer. She stood up and said, "You're even stupider than I thought." I stared into her eyes. She didn't give me the answer I wanted.

"You're gonna stop. You're gonna stop selling guns to the Russians and whoever you been selling them too, and you're gonna leave my city." She started laughing. She kept laughing and laughing. Her face turned red. I was confused.

She finally gathered herself and said, "I don't think so." She quickly pulled out a shotgun from under her desk. BANG!

I dropped instantly. I was laid out flat in the center of her office, blacked out. She slowly walked from behind her desk. I was dazed. Not dead, not bleeding, but very disoriented. She came closer. By the time I gathered myself, she standing over me. She pointed the gun in my face. My eyes widened. I quickly swept her leg, she fell to the ground. She shot up into the ceiling. I quickly got up and ran out her office, into the kitchen.

"You see Mr. Vigilante, you were nothing more to me than a little fly in the sky. You flew past me a few times, but I never payed you any attention." She was holding the shotgun, aimed and ready to shoot. I was hiding behind the kitchen counter. She searched the penthouse, taunting me.

"But then you kept flying past my face, it became annoying."