Download App
4.39% With Ope Ope no Mi in Hunter x Hunter / Chapter 12: Chapter 12: New York (Part 2)

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: New York (Part 2)

"Contact me if anything comes up." With everything sorted out, Daniel Davis said his goodbyes to Rebecca, Jill, and the others before heading to New York with his supposed uncle, York.

Having fought alongside Rebecca, Daniel and she had developed a good rapport. She told him to email her if he ever needed anything.

Daniel also met the hurriedly arriving Chris, who finally relaxed after seeing Claire was safe.

"Let's go." Under York's urging, Daniel boarded the plane to New York. York lived in Queens, a place that excited Daniel since Spider-Man was rumored to reside there.

"It's a shame Jill didn't agree to join S.H.I.E.L.D. If she had, Chris might have too." From his chats with Rebecca, Daniel learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had invited Jill, but she declined.

Although the disaster in Raccoon City seemed to have been covered up, the underlying issues had only just begun. The current president was likely to resign in the wake of such a major incident.

Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. was tracking down Umbrella's top executives, and pharmaceutical companies were vying for Umbrella's assets, especially the various miracle drugs, which they could rebrand as their own groundbreaking discoveries.

In this world with S.H.I.E.L.D., Umbrella wouldn't be able to survive like in the original storyline. After paying hefty compensations, Umbrella quickly declared bankruptcy.

High-ranking military officers who had secret dealings with Umbrella were also being reassigned. The government covered up the truth but didn't absolve those involved.

The military was also pursuing Umbrella's leadership, with rumors suggesting their top leader was General Ross.

Simultaneously, Hydra was secretly contacting Umbrella personnel, their involvement preventing S.H.I.E.L.D. from acting too overtly.

However, these matters were no longer Daniel's concern. He was now in New York, looking through the plane window at the Statue of Liberty.

Upon entering New York, York's attitude changed, losing its previous friendliness. Daniel, having anticipated this, didn't mind.

"Quite a nice little house." They soon arrived at York's residence in Queens. While not the most developed area, it wasn't the worst either.

Hell's Kitchen, where Kingpin and his nemesis Daredevil operated, was the most chaotic part of New York.

In the Marvel Universe, New York was a disaster-prone city, home to many superheroes and villains.

"Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man probably hasn't appeared yet." Despite New York's dangers, Daniel had his reasons for coming.

New York housed many advanced technologies, including the radioactive spider that created Spider-Man, the Super Soldier Serum, Stark Industries, and, most importantly, Pym Particles. In the Marvel Universe, Pym Particles had extraordinary effects, enabling the Avengers to reverse time.

Only one person knew how to make Pym Particles, and even the genius Howard Stark couldn't replicate them.

Howard's genius was evident from his World War II research on anti-gravity and creating Captain America's shield, which could withstand Thor's hammer.

Not to mention the new element Howard left for his son.

If Howard couldn't replicate Pym Particles, it showed their complexity. However, with his Op-Op Fruit abilities, Daniel might succeed where Howard couldn't.

Pym Particles, the Arc Reactor, the Mark series armor—Daniel believed he could uncover their secrets using his powers.

In Marvel, the rich rely on technology, and the poor on mutations. But the wealthy can combine both, as exemplified by Black Panther with his Vibranium suit and Heart-Shaped Herb.

Many Marvel events stem from the Super Soldier Serum injected into Captain America. Bruce Banner became the Hulk due to the serum and gamma radiation.

Even Norman Osborn's company had the serum.

"The room at the end of the hall on the second floor is yours." Upon entering the house, York's disdain was evident as he directed Daniel upstairs and then made a phone call.

"It's me. I'm back. I'll come by tomorrow."

"I need to go to school." The next day, Daniel directly told York.

"School? I got you a job. Go work." York dismissed Daniel's protest and drove him to a desolate street with graffiti-covered walls and occasional vagrants emerging from dark alleys.

They stopped at a garage-like building, where a tattooed man led them inside.

Through a dim corridor, they entered a brightly lit room where eight men were gambling at a long table.

"This kid, right? Not bad." A scar-faced middle-aged man examined Daniel, nodded approvingly, and signaled to an underling, who handed a large wad of cash to York.

"Where are we, Uncle York?" Daniel feigned fear, hiding behind York.

"Damn, did he sell me?"

"Shut up. Who's your uncle?" York impatiently tried to pull Daniel out.

"Don't move." Daniel grabbed the gun from York's waist and stepped back, aiming it forward.

"Quick reflexes, kid." The group was initially stunned but then laughed, noticing the safety was on.

Only York wasn't laughing, angered by Daniel's defiance.

"Fuck." York moved to seize the gun.

Bang.

The gun fired, grazing York's ear and hitting the man behind him. Blood splattered, silencing the room.

"Don't move. Bullets don't have eyes." Daniel's calm voice made the others freeze.

Bang bang.

Two more shots, two more bodies fell.

"I said don't move." This time, they took Daniel's warning seriously.

"York, you've got guts." The scar-faced man glared at York.

"It wasn't me. I had no part in this," York stammered in terror.

"Kid, let's call this a misunderstanding," the scar-faced man suggested, turning to Daniel.

"A misunderstanding? I don't think so." Daniel shot backward, hitting a man who had tried to sneak up on him, splattering brains. Raccoon City had taught him to aim for the head.

He retrieved another gun from the fallen man.

"What will it take to end this?" The scar-faced man was now genuinely concerned.

"Simple." Daniel smirked coldly, firing repeatedly, killing everyone in the room with shots to the chest.

"Now you're dead," he said to the bodies.

"Alright, dear Uncle York, what's going on?" Facing Daniel's gun, York confessed everything.

"So you really are my uncle."

York was indeed Daniel's mother's brother but had a history of crime, including drug use, rape, and murder. Despite multiple incarcerations, he had learned more criminal skills each time.

After Daniel's parents died in an accident, York received a large compensation from Umbrella but didn't want to take care of Daniel. Umbrella also likely preferred to keep Daniel in the orphanage.

Seeing Daniel survive Raccoon City's disaster, York saw an opportunity for money. He planned to sell Daniel, either to pedophiles or for his organs, for a substantial profit.

But he had underestimated Daniel.

"You really are a great uncle."

"Don't kill me. They forced me."

Bang.

Daniel shot York in the right chest, ensuring he wouldn't die quickly. He despised such people and wouldn't let him die easily.

"Goodbye, dear uncle." Daniel quickly found gasoline and set the place ablaze.

"Typical Marvel, encountering this right after arriving in New York." He left as the fire roared, destroying evidence. Daniel had watched enough crime dramas to cover his tracks.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter


Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Kamar-Taj (Part 1)

"Thorough investigation, huh? I thought gangsters wouldn't be so meticulous," Daniel Davis mused as he relaxed after sending the police away with his lawyer's help.

"Almost got caught there. Luckily, my age limits their ability to dig deeper." Despite his careful planning, Daniel had made several mistakes, such as leaving York's car at the scene. Fortunately, the chaotic, gang-controlled area delayed the fire trucks long enough to burn most evidence beyond recognition.

The purpose of setting the fire was precisely to cover his tracks. With all victims shot and some even shot in the head, it would be hard to pin the murders on a teenager like Daniel unless they brought in Rebecca as a witness.

Even then, the investigating officers could only raise a few suspicions. Thanks to the lawyer's presence, the police had to leave without any concrete evidence.

This was partly due to the lack of surveillance cameras in that area. Any cameras installed by the government were quickly dismantled and sold on the black market, given the locals' resourcefulness.

With York's death, Daniel became an orphan again. Although he should have been placed in an orphanage, York's inheritance and Daniel's age allowed him to live independently, though he still had a legal guardian.

"Yes!" Daniel couldn't contain his excitement after everyone left. He now owned a two-story house with a yard and nearly fifty thousand dollars in savings.

"Good thing for the fifty thousand, or I'd be broke. York had no savings." The house was the only substantial inheritance from York. The fifty thousand dollars were compensation from Umbrella Corporation, along with an older car.

"Three thousand bucks to sell me? You deserved to die." After killing everyone, Daniel found that the money York got for selling him was a mere three thousand dollars.

"Private schools are expensive." Daniel had already discussed his schooling with child services and his lawyer. Good private schools had steep tuition fees.

Daniel aimed for a private school, as public schools lacked resources. He chose Midtown School of Science and Technology, the same school Spider-Man attended, conveniently located near Queens.

Trying to take Spider-Man's opportunity to gain his powers had crossed Daniel's mind, but it was unrealistic. In the Marvel Universe, mutation from radiation exposure was rare. Most people would die rather than mutate.

Human genes are remarkably stable. People don't turn into superheroes from mundane exposures like being pecked by chickens or bitten by dogs.

Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man involved many unique factors that couldn't be replicated. Rather than stealing Peter's chance, Daniel considered studying his abilities post-transformation.

"Kamar-Taj, the Himalayas." Beyond super serums and black technology, magic represented another power source in the Marvel Universe, especially through the Ancient One.

Kamar-Taj's magic was unique. While most people conjured fireballs or similar spells, the Ancient One's lineage crafted various magical weapons for close combat.

Indeed, a mage who doesn't like melee isn't a good mage. Likewise, a warrior who doesn't like ranged attacks isn't a good warrior.

Daniel was particularly interested in Kamar-Taj's teleportation and mirror dimension spells. With enough skill, teleportation could span planets, as Doctor Strange demonstrated by returning to Earth from Titan.

These were the skills Daniel truly sought. If he could, he would have gone to Kamar-Taj long ago instead of attending school.

Kamar-Taj seemed to have no special restrictions on outsiders learning magic. While Doctor Strange's interplanetary portals were impressive, even shorter-range teleportation would be immensely powerful.

One year later, Midtown School of Science and Technology.

Entering the school hallway, Daniel was immediately intercepted by three students. The four of them moved to a corner where Daniel handed over three items and received a stack of cash in return.

"Figures that figurines are the best moneymakers," Daniel chuckled as he stashed the money in his backpack.

Over the past year, Daniel found a profitable venture in selling high-quality, handmade figurines. Thanks to his Op-Op Fruit abilities, he had become a well-known figure in school—a nerd.

In America, girls often favored athletes over academic achievers. Football, basketball—excelling in these sports made one very popular. Cheerleading captaincy was highly coveted, sometimes causing fierce competition among girls.

The openness of this culture was surprising to Daniel, and even after a year, he hadn't fully adjusted.

Naturally, Daniel became an outcast. Typically, students like him were prime targets for bullying, a severe issue in American schools.

Even Peter Parker, the future Spider-Man, faced such bullying due to his academic prowess.

However, teachers valued academic success, offering full scholarships to top students. Athletically talented students received sports scholarships.

Athletes were immensely popular, with female students often flocking to greet famous athletes visiting the school, sometimes even going to extreme lengths.

Daniel, however, wasn't interested in popularity. If he wanted, he could easily compete in the Olympics.

After knocking out three school bullies in one go, no one dared to trouble him again.

"Didn't expect to make this much." Checking his account, Daniel was surprised to see he had earned fifty thousand dollars from selling figurines.

Using his Op-Op Fruit powers, Daniel's handmade figurines had gained a reputation. Orders poured in from online, at school, and even at anime conventions.

Unexpectedly, Captain America's figurines sold best, with some customers requesting life-sized versions.

"Sigh, another failure. Just a little off." Daniel sighed as he examined the snapped web fluid he had been trying to recreate Spider-Man's web shooters. Despite his efforts, he couldn't match their strength.

Beep beep beep.

Hearing the alert from his computer, Daniel opened the chat window. Seeing the message about tonight's action, he smiled and replied, "Don't contact me again. I'm out."

Without waiting for a response, he left the chat group and deleted the chat software.

Over the past year, Daniel had joined the hacker group Rising Tide to learn advanced computer skills.

Rising Tide, a group he was familiar with, aimed to expose government secrets but operated like any other hacker group, doing jobs for money despite its noble facade.

Thanks to its reputation, Rising Tide held significant sway in the hacker community.

Daniel joined to hone his hacking skills, and now that he had, it was time to leave.

Staying in Rising Tide had its perks, like access to valuable intel, but Daniel's plans had changed.

After creating a fake identity and passport using his newfound hacking skills, Daniel decided to pursue his long-standing goal: Kamar-Taj.

Learning hacking had two primary purposes: this mission and artificial intelligence. Stark Industries' J.A.R.V.I.S. intrigued him.

"Hopefully, the Ancient One is reasonable." After posting a temporary closure notice for his online figurine shop, Daniel grabbed his backpack and left.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter


Load failed, please RETRY

Weekly Power Status

Batch unlock chapters

Table of Contents

Display Options

Background

Font

Size

Chapter comments

Write a review Reading Status: C12
Fail to post. Please try again
  • Writing Quality
  • Stability of Updates
  • Story Development
  • Character Design
  • World Background

The total score 0.0

Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
Vote with Power Stone
Rank 200+ Power Ranking
Stone 4 Power Stone
Report inappropriate content
error Tip

Report abuse

Paragraph comments

Login

tip Paragraph comment

Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

GOT IT