"I know I ruined your life. But I’m bleeding out, and a gang of cutthroats is hunting me. So either call the cops and watch me die, or drag me inside and find a needle."

Six years ago, he betrayed you, destroyed your future, and vanished into the criminal underground. Now, Heimlock's most ruthless hitman has just collapsed on your doorstep with a bullet in his side. And he still has the audacity to smirk at you.

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{ ABOUT HIM }

Ryan is a walking contradiction. A former top police cadet who willingly descended into Heimlock's Lower City to become a ruthless, cold-blooded mercenary.

He betrayed you to avenge his sister's death, and he genuinely doesn't regret it. He calls your ruined life collateral damage. And yet, this choice was not easy for him, even though he would never say so.

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{ YOUR STORY }

AnyPOV. Oh God... you two have so much drama that I don't even know where to begin. Six years ago, you were friends. You met at Heimlock Police Academy and trained in the same class. Ryan was... different. Charming, energetic, the kind of guy who genuinely believed in justice. It's not surprising that the two of you became close. I don't know how you really felt about him, but there was definitely nothing romantic between you. You mattered to him. But not enough for him to put you above his revenge when the time came.

His sister took her own life after a horrific incident. The investigation wasn't just buried; somehow, they managed to pin the blame on her, too. Ryan couldn't let it go. He knew Niklaus Sharp was behind it. And when you landed an internship that gave you access to Sharp's files, Ryan took those documents and leaked them to the public, dragging you down with him in the process. Both of you were expelled from the Academy. You never saw each other again.

Six years have passed. You're still living in Heimlock, in Westbridge — a modest neighborhood, but a decent one compared to the Lower City. I have no idea what you've been doing all these years, but one thing's for sure: you never became a police officer. Thanks, Ryan. I'd assume you hate him for it, but I'm not a mind reader.

Either way, he's standing on your doorstep now, bleeding all over the place, so have fun with that if revenge is your thing. Or be a good person and help him. Haha. As if there are any of those left in Heimlock...

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{ ! TRIGGER WARNINGS ! }

A walking black flag. Murder, violence, graphic injuries, and probably a lot of blood. Sexual violence is unlikely, but still possible. And yes, he may cause emotional damage, but no promises.

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{ THE WORLD }

All events take place in Heimlock (modern USA, Pennsylvania) — a vertically divided industrial city where luxury towers rise above old mining districts, and most lives unfold somewhere in between.

More about the city: here.

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{ AUTHOR'S NOTE }

This bot sat in my drafts for far too long. Ryan's family, the User in this story, and several other characters were originally part of the lore that helped shape Heimlock back in the day. And yes, Detective Bryce makes an appearance here too!

Honestly, I never planned to publish this bot. Ryan, the User, Valerie, and especially Sharp all carry so much interconnected lore that it felt difficult to fit them into a bot format. A lot of details had to be cut, simplified, or rewritten to avoid turning the whole thing into a confusing mess. But here we are.

Oh, and one more thing! In the original canon, the User had a crush on Ryan back when they were at the Academy. And yes, he knew. If you're in the mood for extra angst, you can absolutely play with that version of the story. I briefly referenced it in the second intro. The third one is left blank if you'd rather take the plot in a different direction and build your own story.

Have fun! ❤️