Blacktop
is a Horror Thriller Web Serial Novel written by Otneimica. Currently a work in progress, it's hosted on Archive of Our Own, DeviantArt, and Wattpad, where Otneimica regularly edits and updates it.
For centuries, daemons have been a scourge on humanity, with Dirge City being one of the many places in the world where they spring up the most. Dirge City's people are terrorized by daemons daily, from getting kidnapped by them, to getting their property destroyed by them, to even getting killed by them. But that's where the Firm comes in.
The Firm is a worldwide agency dedicated to the hunting, capturing, and relocating of daemons back to whence they came. The agents of the Dirge City branch of the Firm are adored by the city's populace for everything they do. And one of this branch's veteran agents is The Hero of this story; his name is Gael Gonzalez, but to the people, he's known by his codename:
Blacktop.
The people love Blacktop for the countless daemons he's dealt with over the years, which has contributed to the decline in malicious daemon activity in the city, allowing humans and daemons to peacefully coexist... for the most part, anyway. Blacktop's fellow agents, however, have a much lower opinion of him due to his tendency to spare daemons he doesn't see as a threat, to the point where they believe he's "gone soft". Regardless of how he's perceived by others, Blacktop's become jaded with his life and bored with his work, and all he really wants is something big to happen to make things in the city more interesting.
But when readings of daemon activity go off the charts one day, Blacktop might just get his wish...
Blacktop can be read here on Archive of Our Own, here on DeviantArt, and here on Wattpad.
However, according to Word of God, it is now on indefinite hiatus.
Blacktop provides examples of the following tropes:
- Always Chaotic Evil: Downplayed with daemons. The Firm exists for a reason and Blacktop's killed a good deal of them during his career as an agent. But with a veteran like him sparing them so much, it can be inferred that some daemons are more mischievous than evil. It's also hinted that even the city's populace know not all daemons are bad, and, while they may be frightened by them, have no problem coexisting with them... so long as they behave.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Daemons that disguise themselves as humans to hide from agents. Being a veteran agent, Gael's well aware of this, which was why he suspected the little red-haired girl was actually a daemon. Licking her scalp with the vine in his hand when he patted her on the head was all he needed to confirm his suspicion.
- Constructed World: Seems to be this, what with daemons roaming around, though Gael and several other characters have names that suggest they're of Hispanic descent, which is obviously a real world ethnicity.
- Cruel Mercy: Downplayed. Blacktop's infamous within in the Firm for letting daemons go. The reason he does it isn't cruel, though; he does it because he doesn't see some of the daemons he's sent to find as a threat. This is why he lets the little red-haired girl go. But he does tell her to watch herself, or else the Firm will send an agent that just might follow through with their mission after her.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Gael may be an imposing man decked out in dark clothing that can sprout scary-looking black vines from his palms, but he's very much on the people's side, and is understanding enough to spare some of the daemons he corners.
- Experienced Protagonist: Blacktop's already an experienced daemon hunter who's been working for the Firm for a substantial amount of time prior to the start of the story, and has already established his reputation as The Hero to the city's populace. This is in direct contrast to his girlfriend, Bunka, a novice agent who likely has yet to see any real combat.
- Mystical 108: The Barguest Building, the Firm's headquarters, has 108 floors, with Queen Xi's office (and only her office) being situated on the 108th.
- No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: The story's Central Theme; Blacktop and the Firm in general are very good at what they do, and Blacktop's earned more or less all the citizenry's respect. But they're so good at what they do, that barely anything's going on in Dirge City in the story proper, to the point where Blacktop lets the daemons he's sent after go, as he doesn't see them as worth killing. Now, all he wants is something to happen to give him a reason to care again...
- Our Doors Are Different: The door to Blacktop's penthouse apartment is, anyway. It's less of a door and more of giant black panel with no knob or lock made of... something. It isn't explained how Blacktop opens it, either; he simply places a hand on it, and then it pulsates and shatters into pieces, allowing him to enter his home. It "closes" itself by instantaneously reconstructing itself, and only does so after Blacktop passes through it at least once.
- Secret Identity: Downplayed. The only thing agents seem to keep secret from the public are their names. Other than that, everybody knows who they are. Gael himself is a fine example; though they're well aware of what he looks like and even where he lives, as far as Dirge City's populace is concerned, he's just ''Blacktop''. And it doesn't ruin his personal life, either, as nobody, not even his biggest fans, bothers him (though that may be due to his rather imposing stature).
- Scary Black Man: Downplayed. Gael's a compassionate man who's well-liked by the populace, but he's still someone you really shouldn't mess with, lest he'll show you why he's considered one of the Firm's best agents...
- Tendrils of Darkness: Blacktop's primary ability is to make black, vine-like tendrils sprout from his palms. He uses them mostly to bind daemons with, but if he's pissed off enough, he'll use them to squeeze daemons he binds until their bones break. They're also sharp enough to cut through almost anything. They do have one major weakness, however: since the vines are part of his body (and very sensitive parts of his body), if they're stabbed or bitten, they'll cause Gael great pain, which the red-haired girl exploits during her struggle with him to escape from him.
- The Good, the Bad, and the Evil: The agents of the Firm (no saints, but are ultimately fighting for the citizens of the city) are the Good, the Daemons that follow York (obviously a scourge on the city, but coexist well with humans for the most part) are the Bad, and the Blancs and the humans they coerced on their side (led by Whitefly, who has no qualms killing anyone and everyone to further her own goals) are the Evil.
- The Hero: Deconstructed with Blacktop. He's been keeping Dirge City safe for a years and it loved by the people for it. But he's gotten very bored with his work over time, and wants nothing but something horrible to happen, because then he'd actually have a reason to "go all out" instead of sparing daemons left and right.
- Urban Fantasy: It's a world where daemons exist and live among (and terrorize) human beings, and it's the job of people with supernatural abilities to keep said daemons in check.
- Wretched Hive: Downplayed. Dirge City's a metropolis ridden with crime, poverty, and bloodthirsty daemons disguised as humans. The Firm isn't there for nothing, after all. That said, the agents do a fairly good job at keeping the citizenry safe, and some of the daemons Blacktop allows to roam free are wise enough to put a lid on their unruliness and behave.
