Brooklyn District.
Basel was on his way home when he was intercepted by a group of small-time gang thugs.
"Kid, it's been a while since we last saw you. You been hiding from us on purpose lately?" the lead thug sneered. "Well, we finally caught you today. If you don't cough up all the protection money you owe us, we're gonna make sure you crawl back home."
A fierce glint flashed in Basel's eyes. In the past, he had been constantly extorted by these guys, forced to pay "protection fees" regularly just to avoid a beating. For a while, he truly had no money, so he had to take long detours home just to avoid them.
But things were different now. Now that he possessed great power, no one could bully him anymore. He had already dealt with the school bullies to vent his frustrations; now it was time for these thugs who used to shake him down.
Basel gave a contemptuous smile. "I came here specifically looking for you."
"Seems you've wised up. You knew you couldn't hide forever," the leader laughed triumphantly. "If the amount you offer today satisfies us, we might overlook the fact that you've been dodging your payments."
"I'm here to tell you something," Basel said with a slight air of arrogance. "Give back every cent you ever extorted from me and apologize. If you do, I might consider letting you off the hook."
"Did I hear that right? This kid wants us to apologize? To let us off the hook?" The gang leader burst into laughter as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.
"This kid's lost his damn mind."
"He's asking for it. Looks like he needs a lesson he won't forget."
"We should leave him in a hospital bed for a few months so he remembers to pay up next time."
The thugs jeered, pulling out pocketknives and brandishing them threateningly. Basel looked at them with a cruel smile and pulled out a Gaia Memory.
"Violence!"
"M-monster!" The thugs screamed in horror as they watched Basel transform into a Dopant.
These punks were ultimately just delinquent youths, not even true organized criminals. Their "expertise" was limited to cornering students after school for lunch money. Seeing a Dopant transformed by a Gaia Memory for the first time, they were scared witless and immediately turned to flee.
"Want to leave now? It's too late for that," Basel growled. He swung his right hand, flipping a heavy dumpster into their path to block their escape.
"It really is a Gaia Memory," Jessica, who had been tailing Basel from a distance, whispered to Luke Cage. "Should we stop him?"
Luke Cage shook his head. "Those thugs aren't good people anyway. A lesson might do them some good, stop them from harming others later. Besides, our detective job is just to investigate the cause of Basel's change. Technically, we don't need to interfere unless the client asks for more."
Jessica nodded. "You're right. Our next move depends on what the client wants." In truth, Jessica also wanted to see these thugs get what they deserved.
Basel felt a surge of exhilaration seeing these punks, who used to bully him at will, now trembling in fear. Once, he could only shiver in their presence, enduring their insults and handing over his hard-earned savings.
But now, the roles were reversed. It was their turn to be afraid of him!
"Now, get on your knees and apologize, and maybe I'll let you go," Basel said with a smug grin.
"Damn it! Don't be scared! He just looks intimidating," the leader snarled, trying to save face. If he backed down now, he'd never be able to lead his crew again. "We have weapons! Are we really going to kneel and beg a little punk like him?"
"A little punk?!" Basel roared in fury. "Today, I'm breaking your legs. You're the ones who are going to crawl home!"
Seeing the unprotected Basel approaching, the thugs grew desperate. They lunged forward, thrusting their daggers at him. However, the blades posed no threat to a transformed Dopant.
With a casual sweep of his arm, Basel sent several thugs flying. The sickening sound of snapping bones echoed as they slammed into a nearby wall, collapsing in agony.
"Damn you! You forced my hand, you monster!" The leader pulled out a handgun and fired wildly at Basel until the magazine was empty.
The shell casings hit the ground with a rhythmic metallic clink. Basel remained completely unharmed.
"How is this possible?" Facing an invulnerable Dopant, the thugs completely lost their will to fight.
"Kneel and beg now, and it might not be too late," Basel said, blocking those trying to run.
"We're sorry! We were wrong!" several terrified thugs cried out, immediately begging for mercy.
"You bastard, don't get too cocky!" the leader yelled. "I don't know where you got this power, but I know exactly where you live. My cousin is a high-ranking member of the Big Horn Gang. If you touch me, you better pray for your family's safety."
Hearing this, Basel's rage boiled over. The violent impulses of the Memory took hold. He swung the massive iron flail on his arm, smashing it into the threatening thug.
"My hand! Ahhh!" the thug screamed. His right arm was twisted into an unrecognizable shape, his shoulder crushed into pulp.
"You dare threaten my family?" The bloodlust in Basel's heart intensified. Without hesitation, he swung the spiked ball at the end of the iron chain directly at the thug's head.
"No, he's going to kill him!" Jessica gasped in shock. Basel was going for a lethal blow. Even at their speed, she and Luke knew they couldn't reach him in time.
At the critical moment, a figure wearing a red-and-blue patterned hood dropped from the sky, pulling the thug out of the way just as the hammer struck.
"Are you crazy? You'll kill someone!" Peter Parker, who had recently gained his spider powers but had not yet become Spider-Man exclaimed as he looked at the concrete ground shattered by the impact.
Peter had followed Basel because his "Spider-Sense" had been buzzing whenever he was near his formerly timid classmate. Confused by the change, he had followed Basel after school to observe. Seeing a life at stake, he jumped in instinctively.
In fact, if Basel hadn't taken out the school bullies first, Peter likely would have used his new powers to stand up to them himself, potentially becoming a person of interest for Gwen Stacy's investigation. But since the bullies had been cowed into submission by Basel, Peter hadn't found a reason to show off.
Basel breathed heavily, his voice thick with rage. "Are you with them? You want to stop me?"
He swung his iron flail, closing in on Peter.
"It's me, Peter Parker! Basel, something is wrong with you! You need to calm down!" Peter pulled off his hood, trying to reason with his classmate.
(End of Chapter)