Interlude 1

Hi, I am Smith, a worker at Medhall Corporation, as someone who was living in Brockton Bay, with knock-off Nazis, Rage Dragon, and a bunch of druggies, the job could be considered problematic, even going to the work was a potential health hazard. However, the job was rewarding. As one of the few places that could provide jobs to the citizens of Brockton Bay to keep the city from dying completely, it was also my job to keep the place running.

I walked inside the company and greeted an elderly, African-Americans man in a janitor suit, "Hey, Dave. How's it going?"

This is Dave, my best bud. Even though we had known each other only for a short time, we would die for each other.

"Where are your buds?" I asked.

"Some skinheads got them. Bunches of fuckers, Protectorates should have just killed them all since long ago," Dave spatted.

I couldn't help but nod along with him, too. To hate someone for their skin colour is like the height of foolishness to me. I could understand if it was like these Case-53s who were really different. Even then, you shouldn't judge someone on their appearance. That was how you lose talents. Alas, it wouldn't be particularly healthy for me to voice my opinions in this city.

"Yes, they should have," I agreed with Dave. Strangely enough, I saw a few of my co-workers eying me.

After exchanging pleasantries with Dave and a promise of a drink on Friday, I went to work. In the elevator, I looked at myself in the reflection, fair-skinned, glossy blonde hair cut into a stylish neat hairstyle, a pair of deep blue eyes, and an above-average face. I looked like an ideal Aryan, these neo-Nazis were clamouring so much about. Fortunately and sadly, this had made my life so much easier living here. Sometimes, part of me wondered if these Nazis really learned anything at all. After all, everyone with a working brain would know that Nazis allied themselves with Japan back then. Then again, anyone who hated someone for their skin colour couldn't be said to be intelligent.

I shook off my wandering thoughts and walked into my office.

"Hey, Tim, how's it going? Sorry, couldn't come to your barbecue last Saturday".

"It's okay, Chief. You missed a totally awesome steak, though".

"Well, I will make sure to come next time".

"You got it, Chief".

One by one, I greeted all of my co-workers or subordinates. That was correct, I am pretty high ranking in this place. As the Chief Marketing Officer, it was my job to promote Medhall's quality medicines to reach even more people to benefit them. It was a job I did with great honour and dedication. After greeting all of my co-workers who are all…white…strangely enough, I headed inside my room, not noticing a bunch of malicious gazes headed my way.

I worked through the paperwork and was finally done with the day's work. My eyes took a glance at the schedule. There would be a conference with other departments' heads and CEO at 2 P.M. The strangest thing was that I didn't know what it was about. I would ask Jim and others, but it seemed that they also had no clue. I looked through my works to cover my bases.

As usual, I tapped the keyboard a few times and went to a familiar website. PHO. It was a useful site for getting useful information regarding the local cape scene. It was a necessity if you wanted to survive in Brockton Bay. These weeks, a new cape had been making news. Atrocitus was a new cape, assumed to be a Tinker, associated with the Dockworker Union. Ever since they got the Tinker, Dockworkers had been pushing all the gangs, including PRT and even the Police. Right now, the city was in a shit show. The powder keg threatening to explode a long time ago had exploded brilliantly and the city and innocent people were paying for it. I sighed and mentally mapped my road home.

Suddenly, the door opened and my secretary Anna came in. She silently handed a freshly brewed coffee.

"Thank you," I said with a smile. Anna made the best coffee. I took a sip and the cup slipped out of my hand. My vision began to blur.

"An-, wha-" I wanted to ask what she did, but I couldn't even form a full sentence.

"I am sorry, John, but race traitors aren't allowed in Medhall," Anna said coldly.

At that sentence, I felt like my mind exploded, a few details nagging at the edge of my mind began to take forms and show patterns. I might be naive, but I wasn't stupid. Otherwise, I wouldn't have got this position. Medhall was related to E88. Before I could digest that information, my consciousness faded into darkness.

I opened my eyes, I couldn't feel my body, the movement of my chest as I breathe, I felt nothing. Suddenly a being appeared in front of me, it was a great creature. Suddenly, I understood the perspective of ants toward humans a lot. It looked down and grinned.

"Hello, human. I have been wanting to meet you in person for a while, but I didn't think we would meet like this. But it doesn't matter in the end, I guess," The creature rumbled, and it shook me to the metaphorical core.

"Um, hello?" I tentatively greeted.

"Indeed, hello, John Smith. I am Ddraig, Red Dragon Emperor," it announced.

"Hello, Mr. Ddriag, can I ask you what is happening?" I asked.

"Heh, what is happening? You got stabbed in the back," Ddriag said with amusement.

"Right," I said. It was bad. Empire 88 might be a bunch of idiotic neo-Nazis, however, their leaders weren't. I really was blind. No, I knew the answer, I might have been willingly blinding myself. Now, the truth had ripped itself open.

"Don't worry too much," The dragon grinned, "you have me".

"You?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, there is a weapon called Boosted Gear in your right arm, which contains my soul. Use it and master it, and none of these pesky things you call Parahumans will be of no match for you," it boasted.

"Okay, how do I use it?" I asked.

"You will know. Now, return," it grinned.

"Wha-"

"Ah, glad to have you back, Mr. John Smith. It seems that our lovely, Ms. Anna had used more dosage than necessary. I am sorry for that," the man sitting on the iron throne said.

"Kaiser, I presume?" No shit, this was Kaiser, I have seen this costume many times in various posts and news.

"Indeed. Mr. John Smith. You see, I heard certain concerning news that you are being friendly with certain individuals and that worried me, as someone of the proud Aryan race, you shouldn't associate with such people. That's why I am here to give you a chance for your redemption," Kaiser said in his sickeningly slick voice and gestured something. A man appeared with a moving sack containing something or someone, as my brain registered the shape. The man dropped the sack roughly to the ground with a sadistic grin. He then revealed what was inside the sack. Inside it was the bruised and broken form of Dave. Dave tiredly opened his eyes, they shone in recognition as he saw me. I was speechless, my mouth hanging off from this beaten form of my best bud.

"Do whatever they told them to," Dave silently moved his lips, even through the pain he must have been feeling. I felt something warm flowing through my face to the ground.

"This man here has corrupted you. So, our boys punished him a bit. Of course, his final punishment will be in your hand, who is the victim," Kaiser said, but I could only hear buzzing in my ear.

"Now, the punishment worthy for his crime would only be death," he said as one of the lackeys stepped into the spotlight and handed me a sword. I glanced down, it was an old sword, rusty and dull, it was more like a flat stick of iron than a sword.

"Go on, cut his head off," Kaiser said with a sickening amusement twisting into his tone. I glanced down at the sword again and clenched it.

"Haaaa"

I let out a long sigh, I could feel a foreign energy coursing through my vein as my right arm began to glow, under Kaiser alarmed eyes and amidst the protruding blades from the surfaces, I twisted my body and jumped toward kaiser and slashed him down. I shouted with all of my rage, and my body filled with strength I couldn't have ever imagined. Even then, Kaiser reacted quickly, and my strike only managed to connect to his right arm. Something flew from his body, trailing red. Under the confused gazes of everyone, I grabbed Dave and ran away. I sighed with a heavy feeling. I honestly didn't want to know what tomorrow would bring.