Chapter 1:
My demons know me twice as well
Reincarnation was, to put it bluntly, a weird fucking thing. The worst part it all is that I don't remember how or when I died. I had a few vague recollections of my life, like who my parents were, what school I went to, what friends I had, what I did, but the concrete details were scarce. I don't know what kind of relationships I had or if I was successful in life. I don't even know if this was some fanfiction self-insert bullshit or I got isekai'd.
Honestly, I figure it was a mix of the two. The world I inhabited now in this new life of mine was familiar to me, and let's be honest, the superhero genre was the perfect choice for kids. Well, unless you were an anime fan. I was equal parts excited and worried at first for a few reasons. If I was in DC or Marvel, I was so not looking forward to being in the middle of an alien invasion or AI uprising. Ultron and Darkseid are cool and all, but I like living, thank you very much.
Thankfully, while I
was in a superhero world, it wasn't DC or Marvel. In all honesty, I would have preferred Earth-616 or Earth Prime for more than a few reasons. Of all the worlds I had to end up in, it had to be fucking Earth-Bet, i.e. where hope goes to die and 90% of the superheroes were assholes for one reason or another or were too wrapped up in their politics. Worse yet, I apparently lived in Brockton Bay, where hope didn't just die; hope went through the nine stages of grief, put in a meat grinder, beaten to death, gangbanged a la
Goblin Slayer, then gets its necked crushed by a boot before it finally gets put out of its misery by a well-placed bullet.
If a god, omnipotent entity, or so help me a version of myself behind a laptop sent me here, so help me, there will be vengeance, there will be blood, and the assholes responsible for this had better pray to their gods I don't get my hands on them.
…well, on the plus side, I was reincarnated in the body of an adult. My new body was late twenties, early thirties at oldest, and to my relief, he wasn't some pretty boy heartthrob or "call me daddy" material. I had zero interest in romance, much less now or anytime soon now that I was in this shit hole of a world. Actually, my new body looked vaguely familiar, but for the life of me, I had no idea why.
Eh, whatever. At any rate, I had been in Earth-Bet for three month, and in that time, I've learned that living in Brockton Bay, while hazardous to my life, wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Whoever or whatever dropped me here didn't do it half-assed or without any prep beforehand. This new body had a life, and my own investigations into my past-life in this world were fruitful. I was a recent transfer to the Brockton General Hospital as a nurse (and I "conveniently" had a rapt understanding of the human body) from Chicago, I was a white-collar worker with no immediate family, my "parents" died while I was in high school, and I constantly moved around from place to place looking for jobs and opportunities.
Oh yeah, and I had powers too. That was a bonus. They were also ludicrously broken. I wasn't like Panacea, who could turn any organic thing into a monster that'd make Nilbog shit himself, but I was just as well-versed in flesh manipulation. I wasn't strictly limited to flesh like Panacea was, though. I could easily play around with non-organics, like asphalt, brick, steel, and what have you.
So, now that we're caught up to speed, let's get to brass tacks and talk about what's happening in the present. It's mid-March, and I'm currently dealing with a shitshow of epic proportions. The hospital was flooded with newcomers, some gang members who just got the shit kicked out of them or civilians caught in the crossfire. The Empire and the ABB had a pissing match, and both sides came out with bloody noses. In other words, same shit, different day. And of course the heroes were late to the party and failed to capture the villains, only driving them off and preventing further casualties.
Panacea was here like she always was, healing anyone the doctors pointed her at. Honestly, the whole thing was pretty routine at this point. If I didn't know any better, I would say the hospital was taking advantage of her. Any patient that was not in critical condition was given the barest minimal amount of care, leaving me and our motley skeleton crew to look after them. The poor sod I was looking after had a leg bent in a way it was definitely not supposed to. The flesh around his knee was twisted and ripped and bone was sticking out from the wound.
Not life-threatening my ass, I thought to myself as I glanced at the patient. The old man was out of it, pumped full of pain killers and anasthetics. If he were the least bit lucid, he'd be screaming his lungs out by now.
I could use my power on him, reset his leg, but was it really worth it? Sure, it'd be the "heroic" thing to do, but was it the "right" one? The hospital would get suspicious if a patient who came in with a fucked up leg miraculously healed when they weren't looking, especially if he wasn't one of Panacea's. If there was one positive thing about Brockton General, it was that they kept some very detailed records, and the place was outfitted with security cameras up the wazzoo. I can't blame them, given we live in discount Night City, but god damn.
I stare at the old man a moment longer before shaking my head. I didn't know the man, and I wasn't willing to risk getting myself outed to the powers at large. I had no interest in joining the Protectorate with the heavy amount of restrictions and emphasis on PR, and I sure as hell didn't want to be on Coil's radar anytime soon. Then again, given what I intend to do once everything's all set, there was a chance he would know of me sooner or later. I intended on entering the cape scene eventually, but I held off until everything was in place. I couldn't afford to fuck up.
"How's the patient?" Carla asked me when she saw me exiting the room.
"Leg's bent sideways and hopped up on every pain killer he wasn't allergic to," I replied. "I still got twenty more patients to go through. How many on your end?"
"Too damn many. From what I heard, Hookwolf and Lung were going at it." The older nurse's face scrunched into a look of disgust and fear. "I've seen on the news what that Nazi fuck can do, and everyone knows who Lung is. Protectorate got there by the time they leveled half the fucking street. So many DOA…"
"If only they'd just kill each other," I remarked.
Carla scoffed and shook her head. When another nurse called her over, small talk ended and she left to finish the rest of her duties. She was the senior nurse and the one who showed me the ropes when I transferred to Brockton General. She was a cranky old bitch when she needed to, but she was a fairly nice woman otherwise. Like me, she also felt like the hospital was taking advantage of Panacea's selflessness, even though it was blatantly clear the girl was sleep deprived.
Then again, from what I knew about Amy Dallon, the girl was an emotional time bomb and a half waiting to happen. And, of course, all it takes is an Endbringer and a visit from the Slaughterhouse Nine, plus some pre-existing family issues, for her to become the dreaded Red Queen of Earth-Shin.
Thinking back on what I knew about Earth-Bet and what will happen in two years, I can't help but wonder why anyone would want to go out of there way to try and save this place. Seriously, I just don't get it. It has more assholes than I care to count, and it's utter shit to otherwise good people. Any attempts at playing nice end up with you being swallowed up, chewed, then spat out near unrecognizable. Take our dear Escalation Queen for instance. A troubled, maybe suicidal girl with desperately wanted to be a hero, only to become a villain (and later a Warlord) and found out the hard way that the world isn't so black-and-white as she thinks it is.
Speaking of Taylor Hebert, I wonder how things will go for her? I haven't met her, and to be honest, I don't want to. Do I feel sorry for the poor girl? Of course I do, the amount of shit she goes through would make anyone balk, but I couldn't imagine myself going out of my way to help her. There's no point. There's no benefit, except maybe having a potential recruit for when I take to the field.
I sigh and run my hand through my hair. Today was really ragging on me, and my bed was calling out to me like a succubus. I wanted this day to be done and over with, but my shift wouldn't be over until evening. Until then, I would have to continue playing the part of the nice, if anti-social nurse.
Words could not express how happy I was when my shift was finally over. Better yet, I was allowed to leave early once Panacea's impromptu visit was over and done with, since the influx of patients subsided. My first act of newfound freedom for the day was to hit the nearest disgustingly overpriced fast food joint, stuff my face, then head on home.
Fugly Bob's was no substitute for Burger King (which is shit here on Earth-Bet by the way), but it was good food nonetheless. Their chicken sandwiches and greasy-as-fuck fries were the best in town, though the drinks could use some work.
I was a little tense when I went to go order, finding a stringbean of a girl that was rather tall for her age and wearing glasses talking with an older man with a scruffy beard and messy unwashed hair in front of me while standing in line. I hoped they weren't who I thought they were, but my hopes were dashed when the man called the girl "little owl".
Fortunately, my run-in with Taylor fucking Hebert was a short one since A) she didn't spare me so much as a glance and B) she was only here to get food with her father. While I was relieved this wasn't some universal "coincidental" bullshit to get us closer together and I can somehow improve her personal and cape life, I started to dread the possibility that I might end up running into her at some point, if not be there when she makes her first debut as a cape.
That was a meeting I wanted no part of, thank you very much. That said, I knew we would meet and interact properly in some manner, assuming canon events don't diverge too heavily. I could worry about such events later, however. For now, I wanted to focus on the immediate future and not what-ifs.
My home was an apartment complex in the Downtown Coast area, right near the shoreline and sitting next to Empire territory. I didn't have to worry about Empire dumbasses trying to accost me on any of my routes to the apartment since it was also in ABB territory. Lung's grip over this place was tight, and he did not take any acts of aggression lightly. The slightest offence was enough to piss him off. On the other hand, it wasn't out of a genuine sense of responsibility or care, he just didn't like it when someone had the gall to touch what was his.
I just turned the corner on the street where my apartment was when Mr. Okada stopped me and called out from his shop. "Oi, Chisaki-
kun!"
That was the name of this new body. Kai Chisaki. Again, I felt like I should know that name, but I could not remember it for the life of me.
I walked over to his shop, a small rustic place made of wood and plaster that wouldn't look out of place in the countryside or rural town. "Okada," I greeted amicably. "Did you need something?"
"The thing I ordered last week finally came in. Cost me a pretty penny, but it's worth it if you ask me." I raised an eyebrow and wondered why he was telling me this. Was he the type to brag or something? Keeping my mouth shut, I watched as he dove under his counter and returned with a box, setting it on top of the counter. "Here, take it."
I blink. "You're giving it to me?"
"Well, yeah. I bought it for you. As thanks for all the help you've done for me since you came here."
I looked at the box on the counter. "What is it?"
"A book about Feng Shui, some cook books, and a hot pot. I remember you muttering how you wanted to get one, but it was expensive."
That…was two months ago, barely after I woke up in this city. How did Okada even remember that? After a moment to think, I offer him a small smile and take the box in my hands. "Thank you, Okada-
san."
"It's no problem! And hey, maybe you should take some time off? You look like you've barely slept."
It wasn't entirely untrue, I slept less and less these days recently due to a mix of nightly activities and the graveyard shifts at the hospital. I would imagine I'd be getting even less sleep, assuming all my plans pay off.
With a box and a bag of food in hand, I finally make it to the apartment complex and make my way up to the second floor, where my apartment was. Any plans I had about enjoying my lunch and looking up some hotpot recipes online crashed and burned when I saw the superintendant standing in front of my door, looking like Lung himself came for him.
"Is something the matter, Chang-
san?" I asked as I walked over.
Chang Wu-ming jumped and whirled around in surprise, nearly tripping over himself before smiling nervously. "O-oh, Chisaki! How-how nice to see you! You are back early."
"Shift ended early, but I have to work late again tonight. Sorry, but it seems like I'll have to cancel our plans with mahjong tonight," I said apologetically. Mahjong night was one of the few activities I enjoyed doing with the other tenets, especially if there was alcohol and gambling involved. "Is everything alright? You're awfully pale."
"Oh, I'm fine, honestly!"
"Are you sure? I'm no doctor, I can give you a quick check-up." I glanced at my door and frowned. "Was there something you needed? Don't tell me Mrs. Kendricks wants me to fix her bathroom
again."
Chang shook his head rapidly. "O-oh, no, nothing like that! I wanted to talk to you about something important! It's about the next tenet meeting, you see. N-neighborhood's been getting more d-dangerous, you see."
What was he talking about? While this part of town was no stranger to gang activity, the ABB didn't do jack shit unless it was time to collect protection fees, which had been ramping up as of late. No doubt the guy in charge of the bracket was getting greedy. I almost told Mr. Okada to return what he bought since it cost so much. He didn't make very much money, and the ABB fleeced him enough as it is. I doubted things got so bad he needed to talk to us about protecting or looking out for ourselves lately. He already told us to be careful as it is.
I stared at Chang, keeping my expression leveled and even while scrutinizing his behavior. He was sweating, and it was still cold as hell outside, so unless the heater was doing a better job than normal…
"Okay, then. Let me put this stuff away and fix you a cup of tea." I walked past Chang and put my hand on the door handle, only to stop and stare.
I felt Chang still behind me. "Is-is there something wrong? D-do you need me to c-carry your things?"
"…Chang," I said slowly. "Did you let someone in my room?"
"W-what? No, I—"
"My door is open by at least three centimeters, and the bolt isn't in the slot." I let go of the handle and set my things down on the floor. "Also, the lead I stuck in the hinges has snapped in half. I put that there in case someone broke inside. Since you're the only one with the master key, and there aren't any scratch marks, you either went inside…"
I narrowed my eyes and glared. "…or you let someone inside."
Chang broke down immediately. "I-I'm so sorry, Chisaki! T-they didn't give a c-choice! Th-they told me they-they would—they were gonna kill Mimi!"
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my eyebrow. If Chang was still standing in front, then that meant whoever he let inside was still there.
I hope they didn't muck up any of the furniture. I'm very attached to that sofa.
Chang stuttered and balked at the sight of me entering my apartment. He would probably go back inside a while later, either finding me beaten bloody or dead. The lights weren't on since it was still bright outside, and the intruders didn't bother hiding. They were lounging in the middle of the room like they owned the place. Two men and one woman, all Asian and dressed in green-and-red colors.
"You Kai?" the woman sitting on my sofa asked.
"I prefer Chisaki, if it's all the same," I said as I closed the door shut behind me. "Also, would you kindly take your feet off the table?"
One of the men sneered and walked up to me, brandishing a knife and pressing it against my throat. I ignored the familiar urge to snarl and turn him into mush for putting his hands on me. I couldn't stop my fingers from twitching, though. He was literally up in my face, and I could touch him with ease. He wouldn't have any time to react. I could kill him in a second and he wouldn't be able to do anything.
"What're you gonna do if we don't, huh?" I wanted to gag. Did this idiot not know about breath mints or brushing his teeth?
"The blood stains are going to be a bitch to clean. I would rather not give Chang-
san more work when he has to clean the place when we're done here."
"You're a cocky fucker, aren't ya?"
"Not really. You guys aren't planning on letting me leave this place in anything other than a body bag, right?"
The woman chuckled. "How strange… You seem like a smart man, and yet, you're so stupid." She actually accepted my request to remove her feet from the glass coffee table and pointed to it. "Sit."
I grimaced, not because of the order, but because she was telling me to sit on my own table. It was sturdy enough, but it would no doubt creak and groan under the pressure of a grown adult on top of it. I nodded nonetheless and sat down on top of my table. The woman's flunkies flanked me on either side, one holding a knife and the other holding a nailed bat. The woman herself was holding a kukri, which looked far more deadly than the pot-sticker her friend was carrying.
The woman looked me in the eyes, flashing a crooked smile. "You know who we are?"
"I don't know you three personally, but I can hazard a guess. ABB?" The woman nodded. "Has Gon-
sama taking to flee the tenets of the building as well? I was under the impression Chang-
san covered for us with our payments."
"This ain't about protection money," the thug on the right spat. "This is about you being a dumb-ass bitch."
I inwardly sigh. Seriously, what is it with Worm characters and their obsessed used for swear word?
"You seem like a smart man," the woman said, not looking away once. "Well-off too. I've looked around. You live alone? How long you been here?"
"Three months," I answered. "Not very long. I don't have a roommate or family if that's what your asking."
She looked at my nurse's outfit and snorted. "You work at the hospital?"
"I do, yes."
"So, you are smart."
"I would like to believe so, yes," I said before frowning. "But you also said I was stupid."
"That's because you
are stupid. Only someone with a death wish would steal from the dragon."Ah, so that's what this was all about. I figured that was the case. I'm actually impressed; I've been at this for a month or so, and I covered my tracks pretty well. I guess not everyone in Lung's organization is incompetent. "It'd be one thing if it was just small shit, like women and drugs. Cheap dime-a-dozen whores are easy to find, and the drugs're barely worth shit. The dragon could care less if that was all you'd take."
I snorted. "You mean he'd settle for beating me to within an inch of my life and throw me in a dumpster somewhere."
That actually got a laugh out of her. It sounded nice, yet so wrong, coming from such a twisted woman. "He probably would, wouldn't he?! But yeah, that's right. He would beat your ass bloody if all you took was his women and drugs." Her smile vanished and her eyes became icy. "But that wasn't all you took. You actually had the balls to steal his weapons and money too. That hit on the Ruby Dreams, that was you, wasn't it?"
"I'm afraid not," I said honestly. "Though I will admit, I did have plans to swipe some of Lung's hard-earned cash from there. He's made so much money from Brockton Bay's wealthiest."
The woman scowled. "…you think you're gonna walk out of this alive,
teme?"
I smiled. "Yes."
"That's enough out of you, you dumb fuck!" The thug with the bat clamped his hand on my shoulder and gripped his bat fiercely. His friend to my left also put a hand on my shoulder and flipped his knife into an underhanded grip. "In case it hasn't dawned on your scrawny-ass yet, you ain't leaving this place alive! Lung-
sama wants to make an example out of you. See, we aren't gonna kill you. At least, not yet. First, we're taking your bitch-ass out of here, put you in a van, then put you in front of a crowd. Maybe make it a nice big show where everyone can watch as we tear your fucking ass apart, limb by limb and throw what's left of you into the ocean!"
I raised an eyebrow at the thug, wondering if he was serious. The glint in his eyes told me yes, he was. I looked back at the woman and she did nothing but languidly lounge on my couch. She was going to help them do it, probably with a smile on her face.
"…good grief. I was looking forward to eating my lunch in peace, maybe watch an Aleph flick and wait for a phone call. Now I have to ask Chang-
san clean up the mess. What a pain."
My words incensed my would-be captors, one of them smacking me across the face. My cheek stung. I felt something warm and wet dribble down the corner of my mouth. "Shut the fuck up and start walking you—"
I couldn't hold back the urge any longer. I was barely keeping it together as they kept their hands on me, but that smack shattered my patience.
"
—Don't touch me."
All I had to do was touch their hands and let my power do the rest. One moment they were standing there like my executioners, and in the next, they were freshly-popped zits. Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering the walls and the ceiling in crimson. Some of it splattered on me as well, coating the right half of my cheek and making a messy, wet stain over my neck and on my shoulder.
Ugh, that was great. Not only do I have to take a shower now, but I'm also going to have to put my stuff in the washer too. Looks like I'll have to skip my next shift at the hospital. What will I tell Carla?
"…huh?" Oh, right, the woman. I forgot about her for a second. She looked confused, blinking rapidly as if she wasn't sure what she saw. This was in spite of the fact that blood also splattered across her face, some of it in her hair. Shit, was there blood in my hair too? God dammit, why was this so messy? "What… Wait, what just…?"
She looked at me. Then she looked at the newly-made coats of blood on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Then she looked back at me. The dots connected then, and suddenly she was devoid of all color.
"…oh. Oh fuck.
Oh fucking shit."
I walked around the coffee table and approached her.
The woman leaped off my couch and hastily backed away, shakily pointing her kukri knife at me. In her retreat she collided with the desk I had propped up against the wall. "S-stay back! Don't you fucking come near me!"
"Relax, I'm not going to kill you."
"Fuck me! You're a cape!"
I snorted. "You really didn't think I would be stupid enough to try and take Lung's organization from him without having any powers of my own, did you? Now, come on, put the knife down before you go poking your eye out with it. I would rather not mess the room up more than it already is."
I had no intention of killing her unlike her friends. Well, I wouldn't lay a finger on her if she didn't try anything at the very least. Still, what to do? How do I keep her from telling Lung about what happened? I really didn't want to threaten her, namely because I doubt it would work all that well. I wanted to be respected, not feared.
…then again, given what I'm aiming for, I'll probably be feared anyway, so maybe it'd be better to be feared
and respected instead?
The woman stared at me in horror, frozen stiff and still pointing her kukri at me. I could easily take it from her, disassemble it with a pinch. She'd have nothing to threaten me with, but there was also a chance she had a gun on her person as well. Should I take her arms as well?
As I pondered how to deal with her, the phone on the desk started to ring. The woman jumped in fright and looked at it.
"Answer it," I said. She looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm expecting a phone call around this time. Please, answer it and put it on speaker if you don't mind."
The woman looked at me, then at the phone. Finally, she picked the phone up from its cradle and answered it.
"Hello? Kai, you there?"
"Yusuke," I greeted. "I'm surprised to hear from you again. I thought you'd be in a ditch somewhere."
"Fuck you. I'm not stupid, I know better than to get caught like common street rat. I found Lung." The woman choked and went wide-eyed while I smiled. "He's in a warehouse near Hunnington Street, six miles from your place. He's going to host a rally in a few hours, hype up the men for a fight with the Empire. Sounds like he wants payback for what happened today."
"Thank you. I'll repay the favor someday."
"For your sake, I hope so. I'd hate to drag your charred, rotting ass from your grave."
The call ended. Realization dawned on the woman then and promptly flew into hysteria. "Y-you're gonna fight Lung?! Are you fucking insane?!"
"I'd like to believe I'm sane," I replied. "By the way, do you have a car?"
"W-what?"
"Do you have a car?" I repeated. "I usually have to walk or use the bus to get around the city since my car got demolished last month, and I haven't gotten a replacement yet."
"I-I…" the woman swallowed thickly. "I h-have a car."
I smiled. "Shall we get going then?"
"W-what do you mean?"
The drive to Lung's place was silent. Chang looked ready to drop dead of fright on the spot when I came out of the apartment with blood on me, moreso when I told him that I made a mess of the apartment and promised to clean it when I got back. Fortunately, none of the tenets saw us leave, so I wouldn't have to worry about the police or Protectorate come knocking at my front door. I do wish the woman would lighten up, she's so tightly wound.
Then again, I imagine it was natural. She no doubt believed I would kill her after watching me kill her friends with a touch.
Still, would it kill her to make some conversation?
"So, what's your name?" I asked her.
The woman glanced at me, her fingers all-but glued to the steering wheel. "W-why you wanna know that? Y-you gonna threaten my family?"
I felt offended. "Who do I look like to you, Hookwolf? I'm asking out of genuine curiosity and to put a name on you. I can't exactly keep calling you 'hey, you', now can I?"
"…Amaki."
"No last name?"
"Don't got one. Never knew who my parents were, and my foster parents were douchebags."
"Abusive or neglective?"
She gritted her teeth. "Does it fucking matter?"
"I'm curious is all. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," I told her.
She said nothing else. Amaki kept glancing at me throughout the drive, as if trying to figure out some kind of puzzle. After a minute, she finally spoke again, this time in a more confident, colder tone. "You're gonna die, you know. Ain't nobody that can kill the dragon."
"So I've heard."
"You think you honestly stand a chance? I dunno what kind a power you got, but it's not going to help you. He fought Leviathan by himself. Do you know how many people can fight an Endbringer by themselves?!"
"Not many, I would imagine," I replied.
Akami glared at me. "Then what're you acting so calm for?! What the hell makes you think you can pick a fight with the dragon anyhow?! What, you think you can do what the PRT—"
I held up my hand. Her rant stopped dead in her tracks and her bravado crumbled, replaced by fear and terror. I lowered my hand and looked her in the eyes. "…why do you respect Lung?"
The question takes Amaki off guard. "W-what?"
"Why do you respect Lung?" I repeated. "Why do you follow him?"
"Th-the hell kind of question is that?" Amaki scowled. "We follow him because he protects us! Before he came to this fucking city, the Empire strung up anyone that wasn't white, American, or fuckin' Aryan! And if it wasn't the fucking Empire, it was the Teeth before their ass was driven out of town! You got any idea what it was like, having to hide like a scared little girl while the world outside wanted you dead?!"
"So you feel indebted to him for protecting you?"
"Of course we do!"
I frowned. "Then why do you fear him so much?" Amaki froze. "They say where there is smoke, there is fire. Lung united the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean ethnicities living here in Brockton Bay and united them under his banner. And yet the people fear him. His extortion rackets, pressuring others to join his group under threat of death, caring little for what his subordinates do in his name so long as it does not bring him trouble or disgrace. Then, of course, there is his human trafficking ring. I've heard among the girls he picks up and sends to his whore houses are fellow Asians."
"T-that's…"
"You follow him out of a mix of fear and devotion," I surmised. "You fear what Lung may do to you if you fail. It's understandable, really. Anyone in your position, except perhaps confident and suicidal fools, don't want to risk being turned into a lump of burnt charcoal. On the other hand, who else can you go to? The Empire accepts only whites and fellow Germans, and the Merchants are an infection cancer who would rather drown in excess heroin, meth, and god knows what else. I understand why you would join with Lung. I would make the same decision if I were in your shoes."
"Then why are you—"
"Why do I oppose him?" I chuckled and looked her in the eye. My expression must have chilled her to the bone because she froze and went pale. "Because, like every other major player in this rotting city, I want what they want. I want
control."
Control… That was the best word to describe these feelings of mine. When I learned what I could do, I considered joining one of the gangs for my own benefit and survival. Even if went rogue or kept my head down, it would only be a matter of time before my powers nudged me or I was in a situation where I would either use my powers or die.
Based on what I knew about Kaiser, he might be willing to welcome me into the fold, but I imagine I would be under heavy surveillance and subject to no small amount of hazing. I would remain at the bottom of the latter no matter how useful I proved myself because I was Asian. I would not be surprised if someone in the Empire or the Gesellschaft orchestrated a scenario where I'd end up dead. I did not even consider the Merchants for several reasons, chief among them being how pathetic they were. Nothing more than ambitionless idiots looking for their next fix, led by a man who had no dream or drive. The PRT was also a no-go. I had no intention of joining an organization that was set up to fail, especially not a place where the status quo was god.
In all the years the Protectorate ENE were stationed in Brockton Bay, they never managed to keep the criminal under control. They could never quell them, never bring them to heel. Emily Piggot's requests for reinforcements were denied, both because the city was a test bed for Cauldron and because the PRT wrote the city off. They couldn't give the city over to the villains, of course, but the fact that they were so understaffed, not to mention compromised on all fronts, spoke volumes of how little they cared about the ENE branch.
As for Coil, the man would be extremely hard to contact, and I had my reservations. I would rather work
with the man rather than be under his thumb like Tattletale and the Undersiders.
Had Lung ran his organization better, I might have been willing to work for him, but I couldn't agree with his methods. What was the point of ruling through fear? All it did was make you more enemies than friends, and what friends you did make would happily sell you out for a chance to get away when the going got tough. Oni Lee obeyed Lung because he was powerful, and Bakuda… Well, I'm not sure
why Bakuda joined Lung. She could have been forced to join under threat of death, or maybe Lung sweet-talked her when he realized how obsessed she was with being the best. Now that I think about it, March was also the month Bakuda was recruited. Had she already joined their ranks at this point or was Lung getting ready to bring her in?
I noticed the warehouse coming into view, clearly in use judging by the dim lights through the windows whereas all the others were dark. "We've arrived," I stated the obvious, if only so Amaki could park. Once she stopped, I disembarked, though not before giving her some parting words. "Have a pleasant evening, Amaki."
Contrary to my expectations, she didn't immediately drive off. Instead, she watched me walk towards my hypothetical gallows and pulled one of the gates open, announcing my presence to the Dragon of Kyushu and his pet bomber before stepping inside.
Lung was as the pictures described him. A ferocious dragon mask with snarling fangs dyed in emerald and crimson. His upper torso was bare for all to see, a mountain of muscles and scarred flesh from many years of combat, matched only by the number of tattoos on his body. Beside him was Oni Lee, dressed all in black and wearing a hanya mask with an assortment of grenades strapped to the leather belts around his waist and arms.
I knew Lung was expecting to see me, having heard the car running outside. He gave no inclination of recognizing me, though. I doubt he did unless I pointed my identity out to him. My being here angered him as his voice rumbled like thunder, echoing across the empty warehouse. "I said I did not want to be bothered until later this evening," he said irritably. "Unless the Empire or that fucking waste of skin Skidmark is causing me trouble, you better have a damn good reason for annoying me."
"I have business with you, Kenta-
dono." I couldn't repress my smile when I saw Lung stiffen, his otherwise irritated and lax expression straightening and his hands curling into tight fists. "Half an hour ago, you sent three of your men to teach me a lesson. Two of them offered to redecorate my apartment room in red while the other is patiently waiting outside. I asked her for a ride."
"…who are you?" Lung asked carefully. "No one has called me that name in
years, and few know of it."
"Chisaki, Kai. I'm surprised you never bothered to learn my name, considering I apparently offended you by stealing your shipments. The girls in those cargo containers were freed and returned to their families, and I burned every stash of drug I happened to find. As for the weapons and money, I kept those for myself. I can't build my own power base otherwise."
The leader of the ABB stood up, muscles rippling and a low growl pouring from his throat. His words dripped with newfound disdain. "So you're the wise-ass who's been taking what's mine…" He stomped toward me, glaring down at me as if I was some insect who offended him. His body radiated with heat, and I could see his skin start to redden and harden, hints of scales growing from his flesh. "Who the hell do you think you are, you little punk? Do you know who I am?"
"Asago, Kenta," I replied.
Lung grunted. "No, not anymore. That man died years ago. I rose from his ashes and stood when Leviathan came. When others chose to fled, I fought that sea creature and drove him back while Kyushu sank to the bottom of the ocean. When I came to this city and announced myself, the heroes came in force and attempted to subdue me. I brought them to heel." His voice rose, as if making a declaration for all the world to hear. "I am Lung. I am the dragon of Kyushu! Who are you to dare challenge me?!"
I tried to hold it back, I really did. I couldn't take him seriously after he said that. "I see no dragon," I told him with the biggest shit-eating grin on my face. "Only a little koi fish, floundering in a waterfall, with dreams of delusion and grandeur. You're no more a dragon than I am, Kenta."
The air turned silent. Lung was still, almost as though I struck him even though I had yet to move a muscle. In the far back, I saw that my words affected even Oni Lee, who stared at Lung with a gaze I couldn't quite place. I turned my attention back to Lung, staring at gold orbs swallowed with rapidly-mounting rage. The dam broke when he screamed an ear-piercing roar and reared his arm back to turn my head into mulch.
I had no intention of turning this into an action-packed, drawn out fight. Lung didn't ramp up from fighting for prolonged periods of time. His power increased in proportion to the danger he faced. If he were against the Triumvirate all at once, or Leviathan when he wasn't pulling his punches, Lung would become an unstoppable juggernaut. Fighting him normally and for the sake of proving a point was just stupid. I had no intention of wasting time. I didn't want to prove a point.
I wanted to make a statement.
His movement was telegraphed, no more than a slightly-enhanced thug. I ducked under his swing and brought everything to an end with a touch of my hand. I put my whole palm on Lung's ribs and activated my power to its fullest.
In one second, in a single instant, with a single touch, the dragon of Kyushu was dead. There was no remains, save his mask which clattered to the floor. What was left of Kenta flew through the air in a shower of blood like his minions who came to kill me. A fresh puddle formed on the floor.
Unfortunately for me, a fair amount of blood got on me as well. I grumbled under my breath in disgust, fully intent on taking a shower when I went back to my apartment. I looked at Kenta's mask, then at Oni Lee. While Kenta was easy to kill, his subordinate would be trickier. His power relied on line of sight, and his ash clones had a degree of sentience, enough that they could use suicide tactics. If I was gonna kill him, I would have to do it quickly and put out all the stops.
"…Lung is dead," Oni Lee said in the most dead voice I've ever heard. "You killed him."
"I have," I said.
I wondered whether Oni Lee would move to avenge his employer. He made no such motions. He stared at me, as if judging my worth, before he nodded and clapped his hands together, bowing deeply. I blinked in surprise.
"…the ABB is now yours."
"You…aren't going to avenge him?" I asked slowly in confusion.
Oni Lee shook his head. "I followed him because he was the strongest. Lung is dead because you were stronger. Ergo, I follow you."
…well, this is a surprising and welcome turn of events. I fully expected on killing him and Kenta's supporters if they refused, but it looks like I wouldn't have to.
"What are your orders, dragon?" Oni Lee asked.
I rolled my eyes. "Please don't call me that. I am no koi fish, but I am no dragon. No, I am worse." I bent down and picked up Kenta's mask from the bloody puddle. "Call everyone here. I believe it's fair they learn that there has been a change of management."
"What shall I tell them?"
I broke down Lung's mask, piece by piece, until it was remade into a more fitting image: the beak of a plague doctor's mask, dyed blood red with green markings resembling veins along the mask's mouth. I placed the mask over my mouth and tied the string behind my head, securing it. With this, I was no longer Kai Chisaki. I was something more. I would be a name spoken with terror, and with any luck, respect. I would not bow or yield to my new rivals. I would show them I was their equal.
"Tell them Lung is no more," I ordered Oni Lee. "And that the ABB is no more. That name is dead, and the ideals Lung left behind will be buried with him. Tell them…"
Beneath my mask, I did not smile. I bared my teeth.
"…that the Akuma wishes to speak with them."
So, I would imagine you guys are confused. I can imagine you guys asking questions like "Why are you writing another Worm fanfic? I thought you'd stop after re;cursion," "don't you have enough stories to work on," "why are you having an SI as Overhaul and not an OC with Overhaul's powers or another Alt!Power fanfic," or "shouldn't you be working on your book?"
To answer in order, in relation to the first two questions, Brockton Knight was a spur of the moment and it was just ONE extra fanfic that came to be on the spot, and since I'll update it when I feel like (speaking of, expect a new chapter sometime soon), and this fanfic will be my last Worm fanfic and fanfic in general. I recently made the disgustingly hard decision to delete another fanfic of mine over on Fanfiction.net due to having just lost passion and interest in writing it. The fanfic in question was Infinite Stratos: For Answer, a Infinite Stratos/Armored Core crossover for anyone wondering. As such, please don't expect any new fanfic from me in a while until I complete some of the ones I have. When I complete a fanfic, I will inform everyone ahead of time and let you know if that fanfic is getting a sequel or if I have a new fanfic in the works.
Moving on to the question of why I have an SI as Kai Chisaki rather than an OC with his Quirk or Taylor Triggering with Overhaul's powers, much less why I had the SI get reincarnated/isekai'd into it…well, "because plot" and I couldn't think of anything better. I was lazy, so sue me!
As for progress of my book, I currently have four and a half chapters done, with chapter 5 almost finished. For the record, I got know idea how long it'll be, and I'm crying for my wallet because the illustrations are going to be so goddamn expensive no matter who I go to. For someone who finds over a hundred bucks to be a fortune, something up to a thousand is quite a lot for me.
Anywho, I'm hoping this will help me get over my block over my book and get me off my ass and finish that sumbitch. My hope is to have it published sometime within this year.
With that out of the way, I hope you guys enjoy this. It's pretty much about a character with slightly better morals than Overhaul, but still otherwise ruthless and takes over the ABB with the intent of rebranding the organization. Needless to say, things in Brockton Bay are going to be VERY busy.
