Chapter 18

[Later That Night]

[David POV]

Alan finally cracked.

He had been holding out, but didn't last long after hours of silence, isolation, and starvation, his resolve shattered. When he finally spoke, it all came spilling out like a flood.

"They're called the Iron Serpents."

"Every single case I helped cover up for them... it was always the same reason. They got in the gang's way."

I kept my expression unreadable. "Explain."

Alan hesitated before speaking again. "One of them was a woman. She tried to help some girl the gang had their eyes on for trafficking. She was driving the girl to the police station when they hit her. The crash killed her instantly. Driver's side impact."

I stared at him, and knew exactly who he was talking about, my heartbeat was raising. I was trying really hard not to snap.

I asked. "And the girl?"

Alan shook his head. "Don't know. The gang member was pissed when she tried to get away from them. They cleaned up the mess, made sure no one looked too deep into the case. I just filed the paperwork to make it seem like an accident."

He continued. "I was only contacted by their handler when they need to handle things if it comes under my precinct area, who passed the money and instructions."

When I asked about the other cases, Alan reluctantly spilled those, too. About cases that he had hand in the cover-up.

I still had my doubts if he was telling the truth or not.

So, I pulled my pistol from my hip holster and racked the slide, ensuring a bullet was in the chamber, which was to show that I was not bluffing before leveling it at Alan's head.

His breath hitched. His eyes, already sunken from exhaustion, went wide.

"Can I trust your intel?" I asked.

Alan's body shook violently. "Y-yes! Yes, you can! I swear to God, I don't want to die! What I did was wrong, I know it was wrong! Please, don't kill me! Please!" His voice cracked.

As I watched him with my finger over the trigger, the urge was creeping in, tell me pull it and make him disappear.

I pressed the barrel harder against his forehead. His body went rigid.

"Do they have any weaknesses?"

"T-there's a silent war going on," he stammered. "Between them and the Russians. The Russian Mafia are pushing into Hell's Kitchen, trying to take their territory."

"And in Brooklyn… they're being pushed back by the Yardies. Word is, they're losing ground, fast. That's all I know," Alan pleaded. "Just please let me go! Don't kill me! Please!"

"Who was it?" I asked " the handler?"

He nervously asked "Which one do you want to know about?"

"All of them."

Alan hesitated before finally spitting out the name.

Alan swallowed hard. "Guy named Victor Ruiz. Back then, he was just a mid-level enforcer. But now… he's moved up. Word is, he's running operations for the Serpents in Brooklyn. He hasn't been in that role for the last two years. Someone else took over."

I narrowed my eyes. "Who?"

Alan licked his lips. "A guy named Manuel Cortez."

"Where are they now?"

Alan replied. "Victor operates out of a nightclub called Horizon in Williamsburg. It's a front, high-end on the surface, but the back rooms are where deals are made. Drugs, guns, girls... Victor's got his hands in everything. Cortez runs a auto shop in called Romero's Repairs."

I stayed silent, my grip tightening on the gun.

Then, I slid the pistol back into my holster and stood up, I took a step forward and stood before him.

I had been exercising extreme patience since the piece of shit had started talking. But now, I didn't want to kill him and I didn't have the guts to do so, at least not yet.

So I decided to something that I had the guts to do. Beat him up until I could 

My fist crashed into his face.

His head snapped to the side, a strangled grunt escaping his lips. He didn't even have time to react before I drove another punch into his gut. He jerked against the restraints, but he wasn't going anywhere.

I hit him again.

And again.

I wasn't thinking. I didn't care.

His lip split. Blood dribbled down his chin. I could see his teeth stained red as he coughed, his head lolling forward.

I didn't stop.

Not until his body went slack. Not until his head slumped forward, his breath coming in weak, uneven gasps.

I stepped back.

Alan wasn't moving.

For a moment, I thought I had killed him.

But then when I checked he was still breathing.

I exhaled, and let go of his shirt.

Alan's body hung limply against the chair, his head slumped forward, blood dripping from his broken nose onto his shirt. His face was swollen beyond recognition, a mix of purple and red bruises blooming across his skin. His breathing was shallow

I exhaled sharply. I lost control. Fuck

That realization didn't sit well with me. The rage was blinding. I had beaten him while he was still tied up.

I should've felt something to have put someone in this position.

But I didn't. I felt… nothing.

Shaking off those thoughts, I pulled out a knife from my inventory and sliced through the ropes binding him to the chair. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

After seeing him, I could tell that he might not wake up. How did I know? Deadshot's experience, probably.

The injuries weren't life-threatening, but they were bad enough that without medical attention, he wouldn't last long.

I clicked my tongue in irritation. "Tch."

I wasn't about to waste a full bottle of my Full Recovery Potion on a piece of shit like him. That would be too generous.

Instead, I took out a syringe and filled it with a small portion of the Full Potion I had obtained from the lottery draw.

He was going to be my guinea pig for testing just how effective the potion really was.

I crouched down and injected it into his arm. Almost instantly, I could see the effect, his breathing steadied, the swelling around his eyes slightly reduced, and the worst of his wounds began to clot. Even a fraction of the potion was working wonders.

Satisfied that the bastard wouldn't die, I tossed a bottle of water and a small pack of food onto the floor beside him.

Standing, I turned toward the exit of the underground bunker. Before stepping out, I cursed myself again for losing control, for letting my emotions dictate my actions. It couldn't happen again.

I wasn't stupid enough to walk out looking like I just stepped out of a bloody crime scene. My gloves, jacket, and even my mask had Alan's blood on them.

Quickly, I stripped down, tossing the bloodstained garments into my inventory. Sigh two sets of clothes have gone waste till now.

I stripped off my bloodstained clothes and gloves, replacing them with a fresh set from the warehouse before heading home.

After leaving the warehouse, I made my way back to my apartment.

As soon as I stepped inside, my stomach grumbled in protest.

Realizing I hadn't eaten anything since noon, I decided to fix myself a dinner. I pulled out a package of pre-marinated chicken from the fridge and tossed it onto a hot skillet.

The sizzle of the meat filled the small kitchen, the rich aroma blending with the faint hum of the city outside. While the chicken browned, I chopped bell peppers, onions, and a couple of tomatoes, adding color to the meal.

The rhythm of cooking became almost meditative for me.

Once done, I plated the food simply, chicken with the sautéed vegetables, finished with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Sitting at my small dining table, I ate slowly, savoring each bite.

As I ate, I pulled up my status screen.

[STATUS]

[Name: David Arthur Brown

Age: 25

Race: Human

Strength: 20

Agility: 20

Intelligence: 25

SP: 725 

Lottery Stack: 3/3 draws

Skills: Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery, Parkour Mastery, Hacking Mastery, Perfect Recall, Cooking Mastery, Bullet Time, Eye Color Manipulation, High-Speed Calculation (Psycho-Pass – Shinya Kogami's Combat Analysis), House Cleaning Mastery

Inventory: Glock 17 (5 Mags, Leg Holster), $20,000 Cash, Knuckle Dusters (Hidden Knives) – 2 nos, Luce & Ombra (Devil May Cry), Senbons (Naruto), Full Potion x 5 (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime), Elucidator & Dark Repulsor (Sword Art Online), Yubashiri (One Piece), C-147B Paladin (Splinter Cell), Christian Wolff (The Accountant), "Monster" Ford Mustang GT (Death Race), Jason Bourne (The Bourne series)

Character Assimilated: 

-Deadshot (DCEU)

Character Assimilation: 

1.Nil

2.Nil

Characters Summoned:

1.Nil

2.Nil

3.Nil

Missions:

Primary Mission: Revenge

Objective: Make those responsible for your mother's murder pay.

Time Limit: 9 months 

Rewards: 500 SP, A Skill, Mystery Box] 

I stared at my pending lottery draws, remembering that today was the last day before the stacking period ended. With a sigh, I closed the status screen and focused on finishing my dinner.

Once done, I retreated to the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, I let the warm water cascade over me, washing away the sweat and grime.

The steam filled the cramped space, wrapping around me like a comforting haze. I closed my eyes, letting the steady rhythm of the water relax my tense muscles.

After showering, I changed into a fresh set of clothes before collapsing onto my bed with a deep sigh. My body finally began to relax, sinking into the mattress. But my mind? It refused to follow.

I needed a distraction.

Pulling up the system, I stared at my pending lottery draws.

Without hesitation, I tapped the screen to begin.

The results appeared, and the moment I saw what I had drawn, my exhaustion evaporated. My brain blanked for a second, struggling to process what was in front of me.

I blinked. Once. Twice.

Then, a slow realization crept in, sending a jolt of adrenaline through my veins.

"Yes!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs, unable to stop myself.

BANG!

"SHUT THE HELL UP! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

My neighbor's angry voice rang through the wall.

I winced. "My bad."

I sat up straight, staring at the rewards.

If someone saw my face right now, they'd think I was a lunatic because I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot.

To Be Continued...