บท 5: Vengeance
Trigger Warning: This chapter features the first instance of real gore. I used to have TWs in it but no one seemed to want them mid-story and some people complained about it disrupting flow, so they've been removed.
After having mostly composed himself, Lucas now wields a cardboard box full of beer and garlic knots upon his left shoulder, with the treasured pizza box held before him. He is still making a conscious effort to stay calm, however, his mind keeps uncontrollably drifting back to the newly discovered knowledge of his... contractual obligations.
Walking the few blocks back to his apartment, he does his best to project an aura of, 'want my pizza? Fuck around and find out.' Thankfully, every covetous look upon his illustrious cardboard is successfully glared away by him.
Being fully aware of Lucas's foul mood, 427 has tacitly stayed silent throughout his journey home.
Roughly two blocks away from his apartment, Lucas notices a vaguely familiar red-haired young woman with a very familiar accursed purse ahead of him, walking in the same direction as him. Guessing what time it is, he comes to the realization that he is not far from a certain fatal incident.
With his attention now focused on his surroundings, his expression falls into a deep scowl that compliments his foul mood.
'Where is that asshole? I want to punch him in the face. Can I punch him in the face, 427? I'm gonna punch him in the face. That bastard.'
[You... Yes, you may punch him. However, it is highly recommended that you wait until the GDV task is in progress. This way, the action counts towards successful task completion. Premature actions prior to the triggering of a GDV task due to advance knowledge from a rollback do not count as being part of the resolution of the task. ...Wouldn't you rather earn some free points for the act of punching him?]
'...Well yeah, duh. So even though you, as a system, know that someone is about to do something that merits a task, I have to wait until you alert me that it's time? Oh... actually, yeah that makes sense. Offin' a serial killer before he's done anything would just make it seem like you were murdering him in cold blood. Tch, so much for tryin’ to legit make the world a better place. Stupid, shitty-ass job with shitty-ass rules. Wait, speaking of job, am I gonna get paid? Do I need to work at a normal fuckin' job, too, to get income while being forced to do this GDV bullshit at the same time?'
[...It seems you've determined the answer to your first question on your own. In regards to finances... I will have to make arrangements. Previously, this was not an issue when superheroes were welcomed by the general populace. It is further complicated by the easily traceable, highly secure, financial structure now in place. Do not worry, though, a solution will be found. It would be unforgivable to have our sole functioning... employee..?]
[...Anyway, it would be unforgivable for you to be forced to live in poverty. Maximized availability for GDV tasks is in the Superhero Enhancement System's best interests. This petition should not pose a challenge.]
'At least that’s a little bit of comfort in all of this...'
The much-anticipated thief now makes his debut in this life cycle. Shoving past Lucas' left side to approach his target, he starts reaching for the girl's purse.
[Ah, there he goes. Alert; a new minor GDV task has been assigned. Please prevent this purse-snatching incident.]
'Oh, with great pleasure.'
Lucas shifts his grip on the box on his shoulder so that his left hand is resting on top, rather than holding the side, and then brings the pizza box up to hold with said hand. Flexing his fingers while rotating his right wrist a few times, he starts swiftly closing the gap between himself and the thief, who has just secured his hold on the strap of the coveted purse.
Just as the would-be thief yanks it off of her shoulder and starts running past her, he is instead stopped in place by Lucas's hand firmly pressing down on his left shoulder. The interrupted momentum causes him to pivot slightly before being forcibly spun back 180 degrees by a strong yank from Lucas.
"Don't you fucking dare," Lucas hisses at his murderer while he is aggressively turning him around.
The thief is briefly stunned by this turn of events, the confusion clear in his expression. Looking at him face-to-face again, or in a sense, for the first time, Lucas pulls his right arm back with a huge grin on his face.
Once fully reared back, he clenches his hand into a white-knuckled fist and slams it into the thief's face with all of his might out of vengeful rage, not accounting for his recently acquired super strength enhancement.
Lucas's brain doesn't register that something is wrong until his fist is a full inch past the initial point of contact, yet still barely feeling any resistance. The front of his ex-murderer's skull is shattered into bloody shrapnel that is largely following the momentum of Lucas' fist, some of it embedding itself into the thief's brain within the brief moment before it is crushed, popping like a watermelon being violently pounded by a mallet.
While the force of momentum drives the thief's entire body backward in a real-life display of ragdoll physics, the force applied directly to his head has completely severed its connection with his spine. Now launched as a grisly projectile, the crushed remains of his head hit the back of a pedestrian several feet ahead with enough force to make him stagger, nearly losing his balance.
The pedestrian looks back to see the mutilated head that fell to the ground after its impact with him. In short order, his face goes white, and he begins screaming before running away as fast as physically possible. Several other people nearby also follow his example, on all counts.
Lucas thinks he just heard 427 whistle, though he deems it unlikely.
Lucas also staggers forward, as he had instinctively expected a counter-force to slow him down. He almost trips over the now-bloodied fallen purse, barely recovering just in time. He even somehow manages to keep his own belongings secure, without dropping anything.
The headless corpse is sprawled out across the sidewalk in front of him, with its limbs spread wide, as if it was in the middle of making a snow angel in its own blood.
'SWEET FUCKING JESUS, HOLY FUCK! I DIDN'T MEAN TO! OH MY GOD, WHAT DID I DO!? OH FUCK!'
[...Congratulations on completing your minor GDV task for a reward of .05 GDV... A penalty was applied for murder, however, this penalty was reduced, given the circumstances, as a courtesy...]
427 had a soft tone when speaking up, its masculine voice less stiffly mechanical-sounding than it has otherwise been thus far.
Lucas stares down at his trembling gore-covered fist, an expression of sheer horror on his face. After a few seconds, he becomes aware of the fact that the purse's owner has been silently standing in place in visible shock, alternately looking from his fist to the bloody purse and then to the corpse on the ground, all without physically moving her head. She also has an equal expression of open-mouthed horror.
The adrenaline coursing through Lucas's body has at this point shifted from fight to flight. Now relaxing his fist and holding it palm out towards the woman, he reflexively shakes it from side to side in a nervous gesture before realizing that doing so is just making a bigger mess, thus forcibly stopping himself.
[...It would be hazardous to leave his knife behind. It is advised to confiscate his weapon, and a reward of .01 GDV will be given.]
Lucas takes a few faltering steps towards the body, reaching into the corpse's right pocket and pulling out the blade with shaky hands before looking up at the woman.
"You... You can have your purse back I'm sorry aaaAAAH!" Lucas bolts in the direction of his apartment, as if increasing his distance from the scene of the crime will somehow reduce his perceived sin.
The young woman is still standing frozen in place until he is a full block away from her. Then, she finally, slowly, bends down to pick her purse back up while trying to shake off some of the blood and fleshy matter splattered across it, with a dazed expression on her face.
No one dares to bother the screaming madman running down the sidewalk while splattered with blood and gore, carrying a knife, beer, and a pizza box.
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Lucas kills this chapter: 1
Lucas total kills: 1
Lucas deaths this chapter: 0
Lucas total deaths: 2
Lucas current GDV: 2.45 (+.05 +.01 = +.06 net change)
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Little character theater:
Lucas, in complete shock: Worst fucking day of not just one but two of my lives...
427, as softly as possible: [...I'm so sorry...]
Author, also as softly as possible: ...I'm so sorry +1. At least it won't get any worse... uh, anytime soon.
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