After Peter received word from the street thugs that the mob might target Basel's parents, he knew the situation was dire. He immediately tracked down Basel to relay the news.
"Those bastards... they actually dared to tell the mob about me. I shouldn't have let them off so easily last time," Basel spat, his eyes turning bloodshot with fury. A fierce, predatory aura radiated from him, reminiscent of a wild beast.
Peter frowned at his reaction. "It's not entirely their fault. Regardless of what happened, they came to us immediately to warn us. It shows they aren't working with the mob; they reflected on their actions and tipped us off so we could prepare in advance."
Basel brushed him off dismissively. "That's only because they fear my power. If I had beaten them even harder last time—if I'd made them fear me more—they never would have dared to speak a word about me to that 'Big Horn Gang' or whatever they're called."
Peter watched Basel's agitated expression, hesitating to speak. He felt Basel's mental state was deteriorating, becoming increasingly radical and dangerous.
"How do you plan to handle this gang? Maybe we should call the police and seek protection," Peter suggested after a pause.
Basel shook his head in disdain. "What good are the police? If the NYPD could actually handle these gangs, Hell's Kitchen wouldn't exist. You can only protect yourself and get what you want if you possess true power. Since the Big Horn Gang wants to make a move on me, I'll make sure this gang disappears from New York forever!"
Basel gave a gruesome smile, his tone exceptionally ruthless.
"Basel, I really think it's better to ask the police for help..." Peter suddenly felt a shiver. He sensed an exceptionally dangerous aura emanating from Basel, like a predator ready to kill at any moment.
Basel gave Peter a cold look. "I said, no police! I have the power of the Gaia Memory now. A puny group like the Big Horn Gang is nothing to me. Tonight, before they can even make a move, I'm going to go out and wipe them out."
If he involved the police, his possession of the Gaia Memory would surely be exposed, and they would certainly try to confiscate it. This was something Basel could not accept, which was why he refused to let them get involved.
Seeing the atmosphere turn sour, Peter stopped pushing. He gave Basel a long, searching look. "Then... just be careful."
Basel nodded and turned to leave.
Peter watched his retreating back with a complex expression. The transformation in Basel felt ominous; such a drastic change in such a short time was definitely not normal.
Is it because of the influence of that Gaia Memory? Peter wondered privately.
After a moment's thought, he decided to follow Basel secretly. Given Basel's current mental state, Peter highly doubted the boy would stop short of killing once he confronted the Big Horn Gang. No matter what, Peter did not want to see Basel have blood on his hands.
Jessica had promised Gwen she would deal with the Gaia Memory in Basel's possession. To be safe, she reached out to Danny Rand, hoping to team up to recover and destroy the device.
Since the Dragon Bone incident, Jessica and Luke Cage had stayed in touch with Danny Rand and Matt Murdock (Daredevil). Between them, there was a tacit understanding—a loose alliance formed to combat the growing darkness.
Upon receiving the message, Danny Rand immediately rushed to Jessica's detective agency.
"To give something as dangerous as a Gaia Memory to an underage student!" Danny was indignant after hearing the details from Jessica and readily agreed to help.
Jessica nodded. "The biggest challenge is how to retrieve or destroy the Gaia Memory without hurting Basel. Based on the intel, the Memory has already influenced him deeply. He won't give it up easily. I'm afraid it'll come down to a fight."
"Don't worry. With me here using the W-Driver, we can directly destroy the Gaia Memory inside a Dopant's body and return the human to normal," the small dragon, Ao Xing, poked its head out from Danny's sleeve and spoke proudly.
Jessica's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Really?!"
Ao Xing shook its body. "Of course. As long as Danny and I use the Maximum Drive to unleash the power of 'W,' it'll be a piece of cake."
"That's great. Let's find Basel immediately," Jessica said, her excitement building.
She immediately contacted Luke Cage, who was on surveillance duty. "Basel should be heading home. Danny and I are on our way."
"He's not at home," Luke's voice crackled over the line. "He went home for a bit after school but came right back out."
"Where is he going?" Jessica asked, puzzled.
"Based on his route, he's heading toward a small gang hideout. I'm sending you the coordinates. You two better hurry; I have a feeling something bad is about to happen," Luke said, his tone laced with worry.
Jessica and Danny immediately set off for the location Luke provided.
The Big Horn Gang's hideout was a run-down bar.
"I never thought a mere student would have a treasure like a Gaia Memory. What a waste," the leader of the Big Horn Gang mused, already dreaming of the future. "Once I take that Memory from the kid, our gang will explode into one of the biggest syndicates in New York. Money, power—we'll have it all. We're all going to live like kings."
"The boss is mighty!"
"The boss is the man!"
"Only the boss is truly worthy of a Gaia Memory. That brat doesn't know how to use that power anyway; him finding it was just a stroke of luck so he could deliver it to the boss."
The lackeys showered their leader with flattery.
"When the time is right tonight, we'll head to the kid's house," the leader said with a smug, confident smile. "If we can get the Memory quietly, great. But if anything goes sideways, we'll just grab his parents and make him hand it over. I don't care if he has Gaia power or if he's bulletproof. At the end of the day, he's just a high school kid. Dealing with a brat like that is child's play."
"Everyone eat and drink up! Get your strength back. We move out late tonight. This is a guaranteed win. After tonight, the Big Horn Gang changes forever. We won't be stuck in a dumpy bar like this anymore!"