Chapter 52: Michael Wilson Arrive  

Mark Fletcher, also known as Nightwing, stood alongside Loe Halloway, the new Angel Vigilante, and Mindy Williams, as they faced off against a monstrous version of Alphonse Capone.

Mark's violet-red hair was slightly disheveled, and his dark blue Nightwing suit bore fresh scuff marks from their battle. Beside him, Loe stood tall, his blue spandex suit gleaming under the dim light of the Chicago Outfit's underground base. The golden wings emblem on his chest signified his presence as a new guardian of justice.

Mindy, the girl of the trio, had blonde hair and piercing dark blue eyes, her telepathic abilities pushing Alphonse to his limits. But despite their efforts, Capone was still standing—stronger than ever. His once-aged body now surged with dark energy, his movements sharper, his punches heavier. Whatever unholy power had been granted to him, it was turning him into a true monster.

Alphonse snarled, his gaze locking onto Mindy. The telepathic assault was drilling into his mind, weakening his focus. But instead of retreating, he roared in frustration, his voice booming through the underground chamber.

"You brat!!" he bellowed.

In an instant, he lunged forward, his fist soaring toward Mindy with deadly force. The sheer speed and power behind the punch were enough to crush stone—Mindy's eyes widened in terror.

Frozen.

Fear locked her limbs in place.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

CLANG!

A shockwave burst through the air as Loe intercepted the punch, his arm raised in a perfect Savate parry. The force of the attack sent a sharp vibration through his forearm, but he held his ground, his boots digging into the concrete.

Mindy slowly opened her eyes, realizing she was still standing.

Loe shot her an irritated glare. "Idiot, don't close your eyes. Evade it!"

Mindy swallowed hard, her heart still racing. She had been reckless. She had let fear paralyze her.

Alphonse pulled his fist back, his dark, vein-riddled muscles twitching with power. "Tch. You're getting on my nerves."

Loe took a step forward, his golden wings insignia on his chest almost seeming to glow as he prepared for the next strike.

Mark cracked his knuckles beside him, twirling his baton in his right hand. "Alright, enough talking." He glanced at Mindy. "You ready this time?"

Mindy took a deep breath and nodded.

Alphonse let out a guttural laugh. "Oh? Then let's see if you can handle me now!"

Before anyone could react, he pulled out another syringe filled with an ominous, black liquid and jammed it into his own neck.

Loe's eyes widened in shock. "Fuck! What is that?!"

Mark's expression darkened. "Stop it, you bastard!"

Mindy, desperate to prevent whatever was about to happen, pushed her telepathic powers to the limit. A sharp, piercing pressure filled Alphonse's mind as she tried to shut down his motor functions—but then, suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her skull.

"Ah—!" Mindy gasped, stumbling back as blood trickled from her nose. Her vision blurred, her head spinning.

She had overdosed on her powers.

Loe turned his head, his usual sharp-tongued attitude fading as concern flickered in his eyes. "Mindy!"

Mark's grip on his baton tightened, his expression tense as he saw Mindy falter. "Damn it..." He clenched his jaw and turned his glare back to Alphonse. "Tch."

But it was already too late.

Alphonse had injected the entire dose.

A guttural roar tore from his throat, raw and inhuman. His body convulsed violently, veins bulging as the black substance spread through his bloodstream like wildfire. His back arched unnaturally, muscles swelling at an unnatural rate.

Then—CRACK!

His bones snapped and restructured themselves.

His spine elongated, pushing against his skin as his torso expanded. His fingers stretched into clawed appendages, his nails thickening into black, razor-sharp talons. His once-human features twisted into something monstrous, his jaw unhinging as his teeth sharpened into fangs.

The room filled with the sound of sickening cracks and grotesque squelching as his body underwent a horrific transformation. His eyes, once human, now glowed a sickly yellow, filled with primal rage and madness.

Alphonse was no longer human.

Loe placed a firm hand on Mindy's back, steadying her. "Are you okay?"

Mindy wiped the blood from her nose, giving a weak chuckle. "Are you... actually worried about me?"

Loe clicked his tongue, quickly looking away. "Who the hell would worry about you, idiot?"

But before Mindy could tease him further—

A bloodcurdling, monstrous shriek filled the air.

Loe's head snapped toward the sound, his heart pounding in his chest.

Alphonse—or whatever he had become—was no longer screaming like a man. His voice was now a deep, guttural growl, layered with something more—something unnatural.

Loe's breath caught in his throat as he took in the monstrous form before him.

"Shit... what the hell has he done?"

As Alphonse keep growing the building of Chicago outfit suddenly shaking

Alphonse's transformation was complete. His massive, grotesque body loomed over them, his skin a sickly shade of gray, stretched tightly over bulging muscles. His once-human face was now distorted beyond recognition, his jaw unnaturally elongated, revealing rows of jagged, predatory teeth. Two curved horns protruded from his forehead, glowing faintly with an eerie, pulsating red light.

His limbs had tripled in size, his arms resembling thick, sinewy tree trunks, each movement sending tremors through the floor. His fingers had become long, black talons, dripping with an inky substance that sizzled upon contact with the ground. His breathing was deep, guttural, and monstrous, each exhale vibrating through the air like a beast that had been unleashed from hell itself.

Then, suddenly—

BOOM!

The entire Chicago Outfit headquarters began to shake violently.

The ceiling cracked, dust and debris raining down as people screamed in panic. Light fixtures flickered wildly, some shattering on impact as the ground beneath them trembled. The massive weight of Alphonse's new monstrous form sent shockwaves through the entire building, causing walls to groan under the pressure.

"EVERYONE, GET OUT OF HERE!" Mark shouted, his voice barely heard over the chaos.

The members of the Chicago Outfit stumbled and scrambled in all directions, trying to escape the impending collapse. Some ran for the exits, while others froze in terror, staring at the nightmare unfolding before them.

Loe clenched his fists, his sharp eyes darting around. "Tch! This is getting out of control!"

Mindy, still recovering from her telepathic overload, staggered to her feet, breathing heavily. "Loe... Mark... what do we do?"

Mark narrowed his eyes at the monstrous Alphonse, gripping his escrima sticks tightly. "We stop that thing before it brings this whole place down."

....

Meanwhile...

A few floors above, in one of the more secluded hallways of the Chicago Outfit headquarters, Gil Felcoms and Lenore Van Ryn had been in the middle of a tour when the tremors hit.

The floor lurched beneath them, knocking Lenore off balance.

"W-What the hell?!" Gil shouted, grabbing onto the wall for support as the entire building quaked.

Lenore quickly steadied herself, her sharp blue eyes widening in alarm. "I... I don't know!"

The lights above them flickered erratically, casting long, jagged shadows across the walls. Distant screams echoed through the halls, a clear sign that something was terribly wrong.

Gil gritted his teeth. "Damn it, what's happening down there?!"

Lenore felt her heart pounding in her chest. She had been part of the Chicago Outfit for a long time, but she had never seen or felt something like this.

She swallowed hard, a growing sense of dread creeping over her.

"Boss Alphonse... what the hell is happening down there?" she thought.

As the tremors intensified, she grabbed Gil's arm and said urgently, "We need to move! We have to find out what's going on—NOW!"

Loe Halloway barely had time to react as Alphonse's monstrous form loomed over them, his grotesque horned head scraping against the ceiling. The creature's distorted muscles pulsed, veins bulging beneath his mutated, grayish skin. His eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, locked onto them like a predator eyeing prey.

The tremors continued. More cracks formed along the walls, the floor beneath them slightly caving in.

"Fuck—what the fuck are we supposed to do now?!" Loe snapped, his fists clenched. His cape billowed behind him, but at this point, his usual confidence was starting to waver.

Mark Fletcher, gripping his escrima sticks, looked around desperately. There had to be something they could use.

Then, his eyes fell on the space storage bag Michael had given them a while back.

A spark of hope lit in his mind.

"There must be something here…!" he muttered, quickly rummaging through the bag.

Loe, still keeping an eye on Alphonse, glanced at Mark. "You better find something fast, dude—because I don't think that thing's gonna wait for us to come up with a game plan."

Mark's hands scrambled through the items in the storage bag until his fingers brushed against something cold, metallic, and rectangular. He pulled it out and—

His breath hitched.

It was a bomb.

A high-powered explosive, compact yet lethal—perfect for bringing down something massive.

Mark's expression hardened.

"This… this bomb—we can use this against him!"

Loe's eyes widened in disbelief. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!! Do you really think a fucking bomb is gonna help us take down this Godzilla-ass, oversized lizard?!"

Mark turned toward him, gripping the bomb tightly. "What choice do we have but to try?!"

Loe gritted his teeth, frustration evident on his face. He knew Mark was right. There was no other option.

Then—

BOOM!

Alphonse lunged at them, his mutated claws tearing through the air.

Mark and Loe barely dodged, rolling in opposite directions as Alphonse's massive fist came crashing down, creating a crater in the floor.

Dust and debris exploded outward.

Loe coughed, regaining his footing, and glared at Mark.

"Fine! We use the fucking bomb! But you better have a plan other than just throwing it at him and hoping for the best!"

Mark smirked, gripping the bomb tighter.

"Oh, I have a plan."

But before he could explain—

A shadow moved above them.

Loe and Mark snapped their heads upward as a figure in black spandex swung into the crumbling room.

A familiar voice rang out—

"You guys better not be planning something stupid without me."

Michael Wilson had arrived.

To be continue