บท 9: Bodyguard
It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. It took me a few weeks of trial and error, but I succeeded in the end. In a fairly big city like this, the two cases of gangsters in a catatonic state shouldn't attract too much attention especially since they were in a 'car accident'.
I felt rather satisfied with my accomplishment as I watched the boss of Westmob, the gang who claimed a substantial territory of the harbor on the east side of San Francisco.
I didn't directly control him yet, but after days of trying, I had the suggestions that were most important to me right now implanted into his mind.
I stood next to him in the new outfit that I would be using for any dealings as a criminal. I was inspired by the look of time breaker King Vegeta, though I replaced the red with simple black as I found it too striking.
With the mask and the hood on nobody could recognize my face or my unchanging hair.
[A/N: Here]
The coat I was wearing reached beneath my tail. I couldn't have my tail be seen since I was probably the only one or one of a few people with a normal human-looking body with an additional tail.
I was pretty happy with how my outfit turned out and I came across perfectly intimidating if I may say so myself.
I was currently going with the name Hakai. I would have taken a different name like Mehrunes Dagon or Molag Bal or something, but I went against it.
Didn't want to invite these Daedric Princes into this plane of existence because I had spread their name around, though I wonder how they would fair up in this universe. An idea for another novel.
Currently, I was posing as the newly hired bodyguard of this gangster boss. I wasn't really hired since being his bodyguard was the first suggestion I managed to implant into his mind.
Obviously, my sudden appearance caused some of the more loyal members of the group to mistrust me, but they couldn't really overrule their boss.
As their boss' personal bodyguard, they didn't dare try to cause trouble for me either. Additionally, there weren't any happenstances that would have required my presence, so the days among them were fairly uneventful.
In the end, it was a suggestion with minimal effect and even that had been a bitch and a half to make it work. It was just too difficult to implant these suggestions since I needed to make sure that they fitted into his mind without making him crazy.
I couldn't just implant something completely out of character or else he would get suspicious. I could have wiped his mind, but that would result in blackouts that would definitely attract his suspicion.
Honestly, it was barely worth the effort. I just skipped the part about building up his professional trust in me. Though that in turn gave me the opportunity to stay at his side for a period without attracting too much attention.
I could slowly implant as many suggestions as I wanted and that was what I would do over the next few weeks. Over the span of two weeks, I had implanted another suggestion. It was just to feed me with information and any resources I would ask for in the future since it would help me 'protect' him better.
It was quite fun at first, to see how the story I had made up was just accepted by someone, but I could already see how turning someone into a complete puppet was just too much effort for the returned gains.
I had the plan to sneak into several other gangs in San Francisco and pose as a bodyguard as I took complete control over their boss, but I might have to discard that idea seeing how troublesome it was to control someone.
I didn't want to stand next to a person for numerous hours a day just for them to hire me as a bodyguard. I might do it once or twice more, but anything more would eat up too much of my time. The value to effort ratio just didn't make this approach appealing enough.
I would just choose one or two more and let my control run deep into their psychic to make them loyal and then build up their empire with them at the top.
I wasn't worried that someone would get suspicious of my sudden appearances either. As a bodyguard, it wouldn't be weird if I was seen switching to affiliated gangs as I was just for hire.
The people would just see me for what I was, a bodyguard, as the muscle of the group with the boss ordering me around. I wouldn't enjoy as many benefits as I would on the seat of power, but that was exactly what I wanted.
Why didn't I want to occupy the position of the mastermind? Well, if I were the big boss then more vigilantes or any resentful victims would try to seek me out to take their revenge. If I were just the muscle most would just leave me alone. Besides where was the fun in being the mastermind?
As a bodyguard, I had the perfect opportunity to engage in combat more often than if I ordered them around from the shadows.
To be honest, my human side was fine or rather felt more satisfied with that, to just control everyone without anyone being the wiser, but as a Saiyan, I wanted to fight. I just hoped that there were some powerhouses hiding among these common thugs.
Oh well, if the gang got big enough it would only be a matter of time until it would gain the attention of metahumans.
On another note, I would need a lot of money to buy the resources for my gravity chamber, but afterward, I could sustain it with minimal finances. So, I didn't really need an illegal passive income for the future.
Good thing I had asked Minion for the blueprints the AI had used for my training. Initially, I wanted to give them to Bulma, so she could improve on them, but that plan obviously fell through.
The current gravity capabilities the AI had already developed would be enough for now. I would have to find a scientist to enhance them when I max out the current settings, but that might take a while.
Either way, I would need to sort some things out first before I build up my hidden hero lair. I would drain the entirety of San Francisco's underworld for what it's worth and then bolt to another city. The gangs I was affiliated to could grow on their own.
I guess I could do some good too if I implanted a suggestion in which crime they would dabble into. Maybe I could make them go against the low scum like rapists, human traffickers, and the like as well. I certainly wouldn't mind some test subjects for future abilities.
With that approach, any inspiring vigilante might leave them alone as well since those gangs were the better alternative. 'At least they were doing some good.' Or something like that
Hmm, to have a politician at my disposal would be nice as well… Nah, I would just let my puppets deal with all that political bullshit.
On a related note, I already had some information about some identity forgers who were unaffiliated with any gang. I also scouted the surrounding cities already and found a nice place to stay and live.
My offshore bank account is already in the making and I had several options from where I could get my more illegal resources which I would build my gravity chamber with.
It seemed like I already had everything in order. A new house for my public and hero identity, a way to make a lot of money in a short time, and options to gain my gravity chamber resources.
I just needed to drain the underworld and I was good to go. Oh, the only thing I didn't think about yet was a legal income source, so I could justify my living conditions.
It would be best if I earned passively or earn a lot in a short time, so I had more time to train. I certainly didn't want to work inside an office or as a reporter.
Now, the question was, how would a Saiyan legally earn enough money to live comfortably?
…
The criminal side of San Francisco was increasingly restless. They used more and more guards for patrols around their property and they were a lot more trigger friendly, Felicia noted.
It was getting more difficult to break into their place without being seen, but she was anything but shy of a challenge. Although her father was a miserable excuse of a dad, he at least taught her how to steal enough, so that she could live on her own.
Admittedly her job at the bakery was already enough to live by but she was already long addicted to the thrill of her nightly adventures. It was also a reminder of the rare fond memories she had with her father.
Her outings became more frequent in the last few years to the point that she would be out at least once a week even though she no longer needed the money.
Maybe she should have stopped, maybe that way she wouldn't be followed by several gangsters who were eager to put a bullet into her head. But what use was it to complain now? She just needed to get away.
It had been ten minutes since she was on the run, but she couldn't shake them off her trail. At every corner, several members of a gang popped into the open and tried to catch her.
She had already figured out that the entire gang was working together tonight but she didn't know why. It certainly couldn't have been because of her. She had been harassing them for a while but not to the degree that it would warrant such a reaction.
There was something else going on that she wasn't aware of and was caught up unaware in the middle of it all. She looked at the street sign and saw that she was already at Cashmere Street.
She would only need to turn to the alley that seemed to end in a dead-end, however, she knew that she would be able to get through a small walkway all the way to Catalina Ct.
With that, she would be officially in a different hostile territory and the gang pursuing her would be reluctant to follow her.
Though she knew that another territory wasn't like a wall. They wouldn't instantly turn around if they thought they were able to catch her, so she had to keep moving fast. She must not stop.
Just as she ran out of the walkway, she noticed several other gang members clearly waiting for something.
"There you are motherfucker!" One of them screamed as he noticed her first.
"Shit." She couldn't help but curse, though her voice was muffled by her bandana that covered the lower half of her face. They were clearly from a hostile gang why were they working together?!
She started to sprint as fast as she could. With how exhausted she was that didn't give her much of an edge.
She didn't need to turn around to know that they had pulled out their guns and were aiming at her. She quickly ducked into another alley when she heard gunshots behind her. She ran between the many buildings so her pursuers wouldn't be able to get a clear shot at her.
She noticed that she entered the truly poor side of the city. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know a thing about this area as there was nothing for her to steal here. She now could only rely on her luck to get away.
Just as she was about to turn around a corner. A large garbage bin she hadn't seen barred her path which she barely dodged as she slipped on a torn newspaper. A gunshot rang out and she felt a burning pain suddenly erupting in her leg.
She stumbled forward into the alley with no control of her body anymore before she crashed into someone stopping her momentum completely. Dread started invading her mind. She knew what stopping for just a few seconds would mean for her.
Death. Worse if they noticed that she was a girl.
She tried to get up, but she lost her balance and almost fell to the ground again if it wasn't for the arm that picked her up like a sack of rice. Her fear was amplified as she imagined the worse. Her pursuers finally getting a hold of her.
She was then placed leaning against the wall of the building behind the garbage bin. Her mind froze when she finally got a look at the person she had run into.
'Isn't that the guy from the bakery a week ago?'
She looked at the guy that looked to be around her age. He was incredibly handsome and was built better than any other person she had seen in her life. It was why she wanted to go out with him before being completely ignored by the other party.
He was casually dressed and didn't look the type to be affiliated with any gang.
[A/N: Here]
He looked confused or rather surprised at her sudden appearance. He had a sandwich in his mouth and after setting her down he ignored her for his bag and the groceries that had fallen out of his bag.
It only took a second before she came out of her daze. She struggled to get up as she warned him, but alas it was too late. She suddenly heard the commotion made by the gangsters that had finally turned into the alley, they were in.
"There you are!" They were about to go ahead and grab her before they noticed the handsome guy.
"You! Fuck off if you value your life!" One of the bigger guys of the little group shooed him away as he approached the two.
She tried to pull him away but found him unmoving. She first thought that the guy froze up due to fear as he made no movement even after the other party arrived a meter before him, but she couldn't help but doubt that notion since he was casually finishing his sandwich.
"Are you deaf?! I said fuc-" Before the gangster could finish his sentence he suddenly fell forward and landed on his face without breaking the fall.
The others had already trained their guns on them and didn't hesitate to shoot… She closed her eyes in fear as she knew they were good as dead. She waited for the pain to kick in, but nothing happened. She only heard the clicking of empty magazines.
She opened her eyes and saw that the handsome guy had his arm outstretched while forming a fist. He slowly opened his hand and small pieces fell to the ground. The echo in the alley that was produced by the metal hitting the concrete was rather quiet, but it couldn't have been any louder for everyone present.
"Hell naw." One of the gangsters said before pushing himself out of the group to run away. He was quickly followed by the others as they almost stumbled over the other, fearing that the handsome guy would pursue him.
"Hey! You forgot your friend…" Nobody answered his exclamation.
Felicia couldn't believe what she saw. She looked at the crumbled bullets on the ground before looking at the back of the culprit that sent away a group of gangsters with their tails between their legs.
He turned to look at her and she didn't know what to feel. Should she be happy or terrified? She was almost killed only to be rescued by a guy that was able to catch bullets with his bare hands!
"T-thank you." She opted with gratitude.
"No problem." He curtly answered the same way he did when he turned her down at her work. He crouched down and with his hand covered her wound which she was able to ignore due to the adrenaline rush. A sudden glow appeared where he touched her, and she could feel the pain slowly vanishing.
He stood up again and picked up his groceries.
"You should be able to walk now." He said before leaving. She was staring at the scar where her wound should have been.
She blinked a few times until she hastily stood up and followed him into a rundown building before the door could close.
The guy turned around and frowned at her which prompted her to speak.
"There are more out there looking for me. Do you mind if I stayed with you?" She nervously asked but she could already see the rejection in the guy's eyes. If he decides to send her to the police to spend the night there, her life would be ruined!
If there was something she was good at, it would be to think on her feet.
"I can cook you something! I frequently cook so I can conjure you something nice!" He stopped for a second in contemplation before nodding, confirming her suspicion that he was a foodie. She had been cooking for herself since she had been living on her own, so she was confident in her skills.
She followed him into his apartment, which looked a lot cleaner than the rest of the building. The apartment was very minimally furnished. Apart from a proper kitchen, it wasn't like anything was missing. It looked like what she thought a normal guy's place would look like. With no pictures or plants.
Though he didn't seem to have a computer which was unusual since most young adults had one nowadays. Though since he was living in this section of the city it wouldn't be unlikely that he just couldn't afford it, however, with his speed he could just take what he wanted…
He put down his bags and pulled out some groceries and then a sandwich that wasn't unlike the one he just ate outside. He then pulled out another sandwich, and another one, and another one…
"Have fun." He sat down at the table and pulled out a newspaper to read while occasionally taking a sandwich to eat, devouring them like it was nothing.
She looked at the bags of fresh food and wondered where he bought them at this hour. She stood up and started to cook something up.
…
She blankly looked at the stacked empty plates on the table.
'I had wondered why he asked me to cook so much. How can someone eat that much? Where does all the food go??', she asked herself as she adjusted her bandana.
"You can either sleep on the couch or leave whenever. Steal anything and you lose a hand." The guy said as he stood up and went into the bathroom.
Felicia only nodded. Who in their right mind would dare to even think about stealing something after they had witnessed his little demonstration?
She placed the small bag next to the couch. It was filled with some jewelry and some cash. A normal haul but this time she almost died for it if it weren't for him.
She looked up and saw the guy come out of the bathroom in just his boxers. A body as if it was sculpted by the gods themselves and considering what he could do that might not only apply to the aesthetics.
She couldn't help but watch him as he crawled into bed before he stopped as locked eyes with her. She quickly crawled under the blanket on the couch. She was thankful that she still had her disguise on because she was definitely not blushing.
She closed her eyes in hope that she would get some sleep before she would have to go to work.
…
After her work, she went to the building of the guy again. She wanted to thank him for saving her life. She had a couple of bags with her pastries that she made over the day at work. Mostly sweet stuff but she figured that he would at least appreciate the gesture. Maybe she could get to know him better too.
After ringing she waited for a while, but he didn't open the door. She facepalmed as she didn't think that he could be out for work right now. He would need to do something to have bought the furniture in his apartment, right?
She thought for a while before deciding to just place them in his kitchen. She picked the door with ease as the lock was a subpar one at best. She went up the stairs without making a sound.
She wore a different disguise today, so he might not recognize her. With his speed that could lead to some accidents. She wouldn't even be able to blame him since she was breaking into his apartment…
There might have been a better option to show her gratitude than to break into someone's apartment to place some cookies in his kitchen, but it wasn't like she was weird... This was weird, right? He definitely would think she was a weirdo, right?
Just as she began to doubt her impulsive plan, she unlocked the door to his apartment. I am just going to place it inside and then leave…after looking around for a bit.
The thrill of danger and the mysteriousness of the man of whom she still didn't know the name of was too great of a temptation to just leave it be. Was it a smart decision? No. But did it at least feel like a good decision? Also no. That made the decision all the better.
It wasn't like he would kill her after rescuing her, right? Besides she had come too far to turn back now, might as well finish what she had started.
She ignored her increasing heartbeat and opened the door to step inside. With a foot inside she almost froze immediately. She glanced at the door to see if she was at the right address. She had carefully remembered it when she left in the morning, so she couldn't be wrong.
This was his apartment. She looked around before checking the bathroom, but like the rest of the apartment, it was completely emptied out. There was no trace of him or someone living here. It looked renovated and ready for a new resident.
She looked at her hand with the bag of a multitude of cookies, muffins, and all the other pastries she baked and couldn't help but feel dejected. Disappointed she quietly left the apartment and went home.
…
It wasn't too big as I wouldn't share it with anyone, but it had the necessary extras to help me in any way I was able to imagine. I looked around and found the interior to be rather modern. Though it was almost too luxurious for his taste. A sauna and a whirlpool to relax and support my muscle's recovery time.
A giant ass fridge and freezer for all the food I would be storing. Of course, I also had all the necessary appliances for a relaxing lifestyle.
I also had the plan to hire someone to prep and deliver my food. Even if I lived alone, I had no intention of staying in the kitchen for hours just to cook up a single meal of a day.
Food would probably become the single most expensive thing in comparison to everything else. I could already see how my stomach would burn a hole into my pocket.
My kitchen would stay almost untouched as long as I would live here and since I wouldn't sell this house even if I moved to another city, the kitchen was more like a decoration.
I would also need to hire a cleaning lady since I didn't want to do all the work myself. It would just cost me a bit of money and since my time was worth more to me than mere money, it was a necessary investment.
The most important thing about this house would be the basement, which would house the gravity chamber that I would be building soon. However, I had no intention of hiring someone to built it for me. That was something I couldn't outsource to anyone.
Since I had telekinesis and the necessary strength to pull it off, I would just do it myself. Obviously, I wouldn't be ordering the resources directly to my house. Just those that were legal to buy anyway.
I stepped out of the first real shower I had for quite some time. I had visited a public bath in San Francisco, but that wasn't the same as showering at my own place. I certainly wouldn't use the makeshift shower with the hose attached to the sink in Aidan's apartment.
My control over Westmob was secure enough that I didn't need to stay there permanently. They would be busy for the next months anyway. For all, they knew I was helping them somewhere else.
The other gangs were anxious to find the culprit that had completely emptied their treasury. They would never financially recover from that, which made it the perfect time for Westmob to come in and sweep them up.
If nothing went amiss, they would be controlling more than half of the city in a few months. If they had a problem which they couldn't handle they had my number.
I had only moved to Portland in Oregon, north of San Francisco which was just a driving day away from San Francisco. I didn't want to be too far away from San Francisco in case I needed to help the gang with whatever problem they encountered.
I could have gone south but I didn't want to get anywhere near Los Angeles in fear that Lucifer was running around there.
I remembered hearing that he wasn't as nice in the comics as he was in the series. Las Vegas wasn't my vibe and San Diego was too close to LA, which was why I moved to Portland in the north.
According to the map I had bought it was just south of Starling city which I remembered to be the city in which the Green Arrow was patrolling in. Oliver Queen's return was announced not long ago, so his exploits as a vigilante weren't that known yet. A bit further north was Seattle which was just a few hours' drive away from the Canadian border.
Well, it wasn't like I would be patrolling these cities as a hero as well, but it wasn't bad to be aware of the other major city on the west coast.
I started to get dressed as today was already my first day at my new temporary job. I didn't want to wait too long for a financial source of my public identity and since I had everything in order the little incident from last night was the last push to initiate my new start in this city.
I would be fighting 'underground' for a few months before investing my money in real estate and earn passively with the rent I would be getting. Maybe I will run a company as well, I would have to think about that.
Underground fights weren't entirely illegal. In fact, most states were usually allowing fights to happen because of something called 'Mutual combat', which would allow two individuals to engage in a fair fight intentionally and consensually. Some states would just declare them normal sport fights and regulate the fights with laws for normal combat sport while ignoring the usual necessary health and safety requirements.
The requirements weren't that harsh in this day and age, so most organizations would just get a permit from the state to be on the safe side, but some wanted to skimp on the money used for the medical tests or just wanted more bloody fights.
Oregon in which Portland was in, pretends to do something about that by specifically banning 'Mutual combat', however, organizations would just make excuses of having an audience, which made it regulated under a different law.
The state didn't care too much about it as long as the right politician got a share in money from these organizations. So even if there was something wrong, they would mostly ignore any problems.
Either way, I didn't really care as long as it was considered legal, and I could start investing in other income sources. The only reason I didn't just join a normal organization for combat sport was the attire.
I could wear whatever I wanted which was kind of important to have my tail hidden away. Currently, I was still reluctant to expose myself as an alien or as a meta-human. Otherwise, I would have to fear Cadmus coming for my ass.
The only thing that was unfortunate was the fact that my opponents would be rather weak since fights among meta-humans weren't a thing yet, but that was why I would suppress my ki to a degree at which I could be considered human even if it raised several eyebrows.
It would make the fights more enjoyable, and I would get some combat experience against other skilled fighters while getting legally paid. This was probably a dream come true for any Saiyan even if I couldn't really get injured…
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