Empire State University, Cafeteria, Lunch Break:
"We cannot allow these masked menaces to take the law into their own hands! They are a danger to our society — a corrupting influence on our youngsters."
"Children look up to them. They may even try to imitate their reckless, inhuman feats."
"Think about it — what kind of city will we become if we start treating these inhuman monsters, like Spider-Man or Arachne, as heroes? We cannot permit that kind of lawlessness!"
"I say it loud and clear: Spider-Man and Arachne must be outlawed. There is no place for such dangerous creatures in our fair city!"
"The youth of this nation must learn to respect real heroes — men and women who serve openly, who earn their place through honor and sacrifice. If they want a youth icon, let them look up to my son, John Jameson — an astronaut who reached the stars through courage and discipline."
"But these masked vigilantes? These selfish freaks who hide behind anonymity? They do not deserve our trust, our admiration, or our headlines."
"This is J. Jonah Jameson, and that's the hard truth the so-called 'hero lovers' don't want you to hear!"
"Man, JJJ's hate boner was hard as ever," I said with amusement after watching his speech on Mark's phone.
"Yeah, it only hardened even further when Arachne appeared," Marko laughed, shaking his head.
Of course, it did.
Hell, this insecure bitch even made his speech just because he couldn't get his way when he said that it must have been Arachne who teamed up with Rhino to kidnap his son. Instead of being grateful to her, he hated that Arachne was praised for helping his son from a superpowered criminal.
I looked up at the students in the cafeteria. They were busy discussing the video, which had risen to the trending section within a few hours of its release.
I looked at Peter, who tried to appear nonchalant, but I could see the faint frustration on his face. After all, no matter how good-natured he was, even he felt annoyed by this misplaced hate.
On the other hand, Gwen at his table looked beyond pissed, even if she tried not to show it on her face. She knew this video was JJJ's "gratitude" for saving his son.
Thanks, Jameson —your hate speech, directly or indirectly, only helped me. As it would only make Gwen question herself further about whether it was right to help others without expecting anything in return.
…
Initially, Gwen and I had planned to study again after classes today, but after the video came on, she wasn't in the mood, so she went home straight away, and I decided to pick up some fares after class at the dojo.
I thought I'd do it for an hour max, but in the end, the time stretched into the evening because I didn't feel like doing anything today and just wanted to aimlessly cruise in the taxi, even if it was just to pick up fares.
But in the end, I decided I had wasted too much time already, so my current fare was my last fare for the day.
"God, this city is a mess. Every damn road's under construction. What do these people even do with the taxes we pay?" The man sitting in the back seat complained for the umpteenth time after we were stuck in traffic for more than twenty minutes, as two roads were under construction and all the traffic was diverted to the current road.
I looked at the tired, frustrated man through the rearview mirror. He looked to be in his early forties, his tie loose and his shirt half-untucked. He looked like the poster boy for corporate slaves crushed under the pressure of ten unfinished deadlines.
"Long day?" I finally asked after his endless complaints had begun to irritate me.
"Every day's a long day. I swear, I work harder than anyone in that company and still get treated like dirt. My boss? Walks around like he owns the damn air we breathe," the man said with irritation.
"Maybe he does. Some people figure out how to charge for oxygen before the rest even start breathing," I offered.
"Ha! That's good. That's exactly how it feels," the man said with a bitter laugh.
Then he paused and looked out of the window, looking at the traffic moving at a turtle's pace. "You know, sometimes I feel like I should just quit one day. Walk out. Let them drown in their own chaos."
"Then why don't you?" I asked calmly.
"What?" He said, startled. "Oh, no. Can't—mortgage, school fees, old parents. Life's a chain, my friend. You can't break it unless you want everything to fall apart."
"Chains don't break by accident. Someone has to decide to pull hard enough," I countered.
You can't change your circumstances or improve yourself by brooding about it all day.
"Easy for you to say. You drive all day, meet people, and go home free. I'm stuck in a cubicle counting other people's money," the man scoffed.
I chuckled softly. "Freedom's not a job title. It's a choice. You're just scared of what comes after you walk out that door."
"You think I'm scared? I've handled worse things in life," the man said, leaning forward, slightly offended by my words.
"Then prove it. Take a day off tomorrow. Don't tell anyone. Don't send an email. Just disappear for twenty-four hours. Watch how the world reacts when you stop moving. You'll see who really needs who," I challenged him.
The man sank back in his seat, with a light laugh, he said, "You talk like some motivational guru. What's in it for you?"
"Nothing." A lie.
"Just curious how many people out there are slaves pretending to be employees."
The man was quiet for a while, then muttered, "...You know, maybe I will take a day off. Let the bastards sweat for once."
"Good. Let them feel the silence you leave behind. It's louder than any complaint," I encouraged him further.
The man nodded absentmindedly, deep in thought.
Art of Persuasion (100/100) (+1)
Title: Art of Persuasion
Objective 3: Persuade 100 individuals to get desired outcomes (Completed)
Reward: Charisma (E1) (Ready to receive)
Hidden Objective: Persuade at least three superhumans to get desired outcomes (Completed)
Bonus Reward: System Module: Shop Unlocked
So, even this mission had a hidden objective. And once again, it was a close call just like the Taxi Driver mission. I had persuaded exactly three superhumans after receiving the mission: Kara, Colleen, and Gwen. One less and I would have lost the system shop.
I closed the notification as I couldn't focus on the screen while driving. I would check about it in detail back home.
Same for the Charisma upgrade, I would receive it back home. I was actually looking forward to my first E grade attribute. But I wouldn't receive it in the middle of the traffic. The last time I had the Strength stat upgrade, I accepted it only because of the danger and because I needed to use every weapon in my arsenal.
If F were human, E would be an enhanced human, the beginning of becoming superhuman.
E1s are equivalent to supersoldiers, those who are modified to surpass the peak of human potential.
E2 can easily destroy a door.
E3 can easily destroy a brick wall.
Of course, these are benchmarks for the strength attribute. But the other attributes have similar equivalent benchmarks.
After driving for another fifteen minutes, I finally dropped the corporate slave.
I turned the taxi around and decided to head home to study programming.
As I was driving, a car passed by me.
Which wasn't anything novel, I was on a road.
But it was the driver who intrigued me. I wasn't sure I was right, so I stepped on the accelerator to get a good look at the driver.
I caught up quickly, and as I had guessed, it was Jessica. I had a feeling that she was on her way to annihilate another poor gang.
It had been a while since I last saw her. I had no way to communicate with her. I was previously considering approaching her through Kara, as she had a basic idea of Zebediah's base. But it looked like I could meet her much sooner, so I decided to follow her.
I didn't announce my presence immediately because I didn't know whether Jessica was Zebediah's order. If she were and knew I was there, she might try to delay it, which could create a problem for her. The best bet was to follow her wherever she went, then announce my presence at the right moment.
With my driving and stealth skills, I easily followed behind her at a safe distance. Soon, we reached the outskirts and found ourselves driving through the woods.
Why did I feel that she was going somewhere I knew?
After driving for a few more minutes, she finally stopped, and I realised why it looked familiar. She stopped in front of the Steel Vultures Gang's autoshop. It was the same place Felicia and I went on a heist, and I killed someone for the first time.
Looks like someone wanted to rip off the wings of the vultures.
I parked my taxi beside her and walked on. I brought my gun with me in case of an emergency.
The entrance looked like a place of total carnage. Bodies were lying around in various broken states, with blood staining the ground and walls.
Ha, she started the massacre as soon as she reached the entrance?
After all, what was the use of small talk with soon-to-be-dead men?
I went inside, alert, and looked around to make sure no one jumped on me from my blind spot.
Soon, I found Jessica. She was facing a thug who looked like a walking bag of muscles. But she clutched his neck and easily lifted him with his legs flailing in the air. It was almost comical how she lifted a much bigger man, as if he were a misbehaving puppy, as he helplessly tried to claw at her hand.
Looking at them, I remembered the day when the brute in Vince's gang had lifted me similarly. I felt as helpless as the guy Jessica lifted by the neck.
Oh well, enough reminiscing.
A thug stepped out from the shadows, gun raised toward Jessica. She hadn't seen him yet.
It was finally time for the hero to save the beauty, even if the said beauty could easily shrug off the bullets from a small gun like that.
I shot the thug's hand. I couldn't hit anywhere as he might pull the trigger. With my firearms skill at the apprentice level, my aim wasn't that good, but luckily, the target was stationary, which was much easier to hit than a moving one.
BANG
"Aah," the thug screamed in pain, and he let go of the gun in his hand after it was stuck. Jessica immediately pulled the man in her hand in front of her as a shield and looked around to check who had fired the gun.
I shot once more, and this time the bullet hit the thug's chest, and after heaving for a few seconds, he died.
By then, Jessica had noticed me, too. First, she was shocked, then the shock was morphed into joy. She snapped the neck of the thug in her hand and threw him aside.
Jessica practically ran to me and tackled me in a hug. I hugged her back and patted her gently to show that I was real, not an illusion.
We separated in a few seconds as there were still enemies remaining to find and kill.
A tear dropped from Jessica's eye as we separated. I gently wiped it off and said with a smile, "Hello again, stranger."
Jessica smiled brightly as another tear fell, saying, "Hello again, stranger."
The door opened from the side as another guy came out with a machete. I shot him the moment the door opened.
Jessica finally noticed something was different.
"You," Jessica said, confused as she looked at the gun and then at the dead thug. Then she looked at the thug I killed before, and she realised that it was me who killed the thug.
"Later," I said softly, wiping another tear from her cheek. "Let's finish this first."
The doubt immediately evaporated from her face, and she agreed with a bright smile, "Yes."
The rest of the fight couldn't even be called a fight. It was a one-sided massacre despite the guns on the enemy's side. Jessica did most of the heavy lifting; I just killed another one who tried to shoot her when she was busy deforming his buddy.
We finally arrived at the boss's office. This time, the boss was there. He wore a dark blue suit as he sat calmly in his chair. He appeared calm, but the slight shaking of his hand told a different story. There was a gun on the table near his hand.
"So, the time has come," the boss said calmly, but both of us heard the tremor in his voice.
Jessica looked unconcerned, but I was alert inside. I didn't know if he would suddenly decide to shoot. I wasn't skilled enough to draw first in a Mexican Standoff.
"Was it Tombstone?" The boss asked, but it looked like he already knew the answer. Jessica didn't bother replying, but that was enough confirmation for him.
"I was so close," the gang boss laughed bitterly. "So close, and I could have taken over his territories and businesses in Harlem."
Then his face morphed into rage, "It was all due to those damned thieves; if they hadn't stolen the documents, then I would still be supported by the big guys. With their help, I would've killed and replaced Tombstone and would have become a major player in New York City's underworld instead of surviving on the fringes."
Whoa, who knew a simple heist would lead to the destruction of the Steel Vultures Gang?
Hmm, was it Tombstone who hired Black Cat to steal the documents?
"But now all is lost, and he has sent the Purple Death after my gang and me," the boss said bitterly.
Purple Death?
I immediately turned to Jessica.
Jessica's face turned red as she showed an embarrassed expression at the nickname she got for terrorizing the local gangs.
The gang boss looked at Jessica. His gaze filled with hope and desperation. "I can offer you a better deal than Purple Man. I will make you my partner. Together, we can rule the entire New York City underworld with an iron fist."
But once again, Jessica didn't bother replying to him.
"Hahaha," the boss laughed loudly, then it turned bitter. "I didn't believe it at first. But it seems it is true that the Purple Death is the Purple Man's leashed bitch."
Then the boss picked up the gun on the table. My gun was aimed at him from the start. I was ready to shoot him, but it looked like he didn't want to shoot us. Instead, he placed the gun muzzle on his temple.
"Even if I die, I will die on my own terms," the Steel Vultures gang boss said defiantly.
But just as he pulled the trigger, I shot his arm.
BANG
The gun fell from his arm as he clutched it while crying in pain.
Jessica looked at me, confused.
"Isn't it better that he stays alive for some time?" I asked with a smile.
Jessica's eyes widened as she understood what I implied.
"Yes," Jessica said with a smile. Then her face looked sad, "I am sorry, I should've let one of them live after I met you."
"No need to apologise," I said gently and ran a hand through her hair. Her face turned red at the intimate gesture.
"Who are you? Why did you do that? Aren't you here to kill me? Then why not let me die on my terms?" The gang boss howled.
I went up to him, grabbed his collar, and pulled him from his chair. He fell on the floor. I shot each joint—knees, elbows—fast, clean, disabling him without theatrics.
Then I dragged him, leaving a trail of blood, towards the torture room. No one was being tortured at that time. I sat him on the chair, bound him to it, and taped his mouth. He wriggled and gagged, helpless and furious.
I left and closed the door behind me.
"You hungry?" I asked Jessica who was waiting for me outside the room.
Jessica smiled and nodded her head. We left the area in my taxi.
Finally, in the taxi, Jessica could no longer keep herself from asking.
"That back there—" she began.
"You know how last time, while delivering drugs for the fat fuck I was almost killed by those gang members," I said in a low voice. "So, I decided to learn some self-defence and how to shoot, so that I may be able to save my life."
Then I smiled immediately and said, "Turned out I am very talented in shooting, so I learned it very quickly."
If my Gamer System can be considered a talent, then yes, I am incredibly talented.
Jessica showed a sad expression hearing that. "I am sorry you had to go through all that."
Then, intense killing intent appeared in her eyes. "I think I know that cop who is blackmailing you. If you want, I will remove him from the face of the earth."
Ok, now that wasn't something I expected from her so quickly.
Jessica, who abhorred the idea of killing under Zebediah's control, offered to kill someone for me.
Heh. Interesting.
It was actually good that I didn't meet her for so long. It allowed her to simmer in her feelings.
I took her hand and gently squeezed it. "Thanks, stranger. I am grateful for your offer of help. But I don't want to cause trouble for you when you are in deep shit yourself."
Jessica tried to say something, but I interrupted her first.
"Do not try to downplay it," I said sternly, and she lowered her head in sadness.
That guy was a police captain. If such a guy were killed by a superhuman, it would trigger a much larger investigation and might even involve the other superheroes.
Not only Jessica, but I would be in deep shit too if I were investigated thoroughly.
There was another selfish reason on my part. If superheroes were involved, they could help Jessica break free of Zebediah's control. Then my entire plan would be for nought.
My pride might actually be at play here, too, as I wanted to deal with him personally.
"Moreover," I continued. "Now it's personal between me and him. Letting you kill him will be too easy for him."
She wanted to protest again, but I interrupted her once more. "I know it is dangerous. I will definitely ask for your help if I need it."
Jessica wanted to argue, but she sighed in defeat under my gaze. "Fine," she relented. "Promise?"
"Promise," I said with a smile.
"By the way," I said, changing the topic. "How do you know that cop? Are you sure it's him?"
Even if I didn't want Jessica to kill him, that didn't mean I wouldn't ask for information about my enemy.
I might be prideful, but I wasn't an idiot.
Jessica once again showed an angry expression as she thought about that fat fool. Her fists clenched in anger.
Girl, why do you look like you are more pissed at him than I am?
"The Steel Vulture Gang's leader was right. Tombstone paid for the hit. He had sent a cop in his stead to discuss it," Jessica started.
She gave me a look, then continued, "I know you didn't tell me his name not to put me in danger. But the cop matched the description you gave me of him: black man, fat, balding, pretty high in police hierarchy."
Ok, that was precisely the physical description I gave her of him.
"What was his name?" I asked, my voice leaking a bit of impatience.
"Robert Davis," she said. "He is a captain in one of Harlem's precincts."
Motherfucker.
Tombstone? That suddenly increased the difficulty too many times. He usually only had an all black gang, so it was possible he would have dealings with a corrupt black cop high in the police hierarchy.
I still remember how the corrupt cop tried to test me by sending me to the Black Dog Gang's territory.
They were not like Cockroach and his gang. Once they thought I had exhausted my use, they would still kill me even if I would never visit the darker parts of the city.
Ok, deep breaths, Kevin. Deep breaths.
At least there was a silver lining. I finally knew who the third was on my kill list, with the second being our favourite corrupt cop, Robert Davis.
Of course, the first was still the guy who put the gun to my head the first time in Hell's Kitchen. I still didn't know anything about him.
Whatever.
"Thanks, stranger," I said with gratitude. "You helped me big time here."
As Sun Tzu had said in The Art of War, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
"By the way, since it is already our second meeting, we do not call each other strangers anymore," I proposed with a smile.
Jessica blinked, then her eyes widened. "Wait—really? You mean—?"
I chuckled. "Hi. Kevin Kolt."
Her lips curved into a grin. "Jessica Jones."
"Miss Jessica," I said smoothly, "would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner this fine evening?"
"Absolutely, Kevin," Jessica agreed immediately.
We looked at each other for a second, then started laughing together.
We had a pleasant dinner at a nearby diner. Well, as enjoyable as it could be in a local diner.
After dinner, we went to a park for a night walk. We walked hand in hand like lovers, talking about random things. Time passed before we knew it.
Jessica blushed hard when I took her hand while walking, interlocking our fingers, but she didn't pull back, which was a silent agreement.
After walking, we sat together on a bench with Jessica's head on my shoulders. There was a comfortable silence between us.
Finally, I broke the silence and asked, "Hey Jessica, is the name of the guy blackmailing you, Zebediah Killgrave?"
She removed her head from my shoulders and looked at me in shock.
"And he is not blackmailing you; rather, he is mind controlling you," I continued, this time not even bothering to frame it in a question.
Jessica's head lowered as tears streamed down her face. "Yes," she said in a low voice.
"Come here," I said and pulled Jessica into my arms, resting her against my chest. She sobbed softly while holding me tightly. I gently patted her back and hair to show I was with her.
After some time, Jessica pulled back. With a crying voice, she pleaded, " Kevin, please. He is very dangerous. Please promise me you will stay away from him."
Jessica was shaking as she tightly clutched my hand. For her, currently, Zebediah was her boogieman, who was capable of doing any kind of vile deed.
"Don't worry, girl. I promise, I will not approach him without a proper plan. And you will definitely be part of that plan," I reassured her with a smile.
She nodded, and I pulled her back in my embrace.
Once again, we were settled in a comfortable silence.
Once again, I broke that silence and said, "Jessica, I think I know someone who can help us against Zebediah."
*********************
Happy New Year!