บท 4: Chapter 4: Breaking Strides Part 1
"Muzan? As in Muzan Kibutsuji? Like the Japanese mythology demon?" Chris inquired tiredly.
"Precisely!" Muzan beamed out, hands clasped.
"...okay….."
"Oh come on, I think it suits our current predicament just fine."
"It's just that…you picked the demon KING, not some random, 'bum tier' random, the fucking KING OF DEMON KIND." Chris all but shouted at the dashing demon. He was too tired to be dealing with this.
"Well confidence has to come from somewhere, and you're not really helping that by being stuck in the past."
That rubbed Chris the wrong way. Setting him off like a piece of dynamite. "Stuck in the PAST! D-Do you hear yourself? how can you ignore all the crap i-we just went through!"
"Simple, just ignore the complexities and keep moving ahead. It's not like you can do anything about it." Muzan remarked off-handedly, but still in a joking manner. Stoking Chris's flames.
"ARE. YOU.KIDDING ME! My-No. Our dad just died, then we wake up in a box, nearly kill multiple people, destroy buildings, got a new alternate me living in my head, and WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT WAS in my dream.I do not care WHAT you have to say! How can you be so calm an-and apathetic when I'm so fucking done with everything!"Chris screeched out all the pent up emotions he felt with enough might it'd make a confident politician silent.
The only sound that was present was Chris unconsciously strangling his hands out of pure frustration. Blood falling from the newly opened wounds and onto the floor.
Muzan's smile was gone, in its place an imperceivable mask stood. The downcast look he gave made Chris anxious, yet it still infuriated him. He finally opened his mouth after what felt like minutes.
"...Did you get it all out?"Muzan asked, that mask still ever present on his face. Chris was surprised by the drastic change in tone. It threw his emotions for a loop and made him reconsider his mindset.
"Yes…..yes I-I think I did. Sorry for yelling like that." Chris apologized, the intent clear in his voice.
"It's fine, don't apologize, if you feel that strongly about it then that's okay, it's natural to feel overwhelmed in a situation like this."Muzan stated in the same confidence he had since he appeared.
"D-D-Don't you feel like it's too much?" His voice came out stricken with great guilt.
"No, but….sometimes….you just know everything will be alright."
Chris snapped with a controlled roar of words. "How do you know if you've never even experienced it? How do you know we were the ones that were meant to survive and not him?"
"I have survived, through you. And…I don't actually know, but what I do know is that he would've wanted us to not only survive, but thrive." Muzan exclaimed, somehow getting the point across that he too shared his pain. The empathy in his voice shook Chris, he remained unphased outwardly, but in his mind, he finally realized and accepted Muzan as a fabric of his split psyche.
"Just stop thinking you have to do everything yourself. Especially when I'm in here as well." Muzan said abroad with that same commanding tone.
It was surreal that this was actually happening to him. This was real, at least it was real to him. Chris had tried so hard to avoid trouble in school, and in life, now it didn't matter. It hurt more knowing that dad may not have died then if it was for him going with him.
But like his other self said, the past is the past. He'd be better than before, he'd move and do better by his family.
He'd leave a legacy they all could be proud of...It didn't help with the hole in his heart still. He found himself a funny joke to say, but he didn't have enough energy to bother with it.
Chris realized that he hadn't responded to Muzan, sitting in dead silence, stuck to his mental ramblings. Despite the new physical upgrades, he hadn't changed a bit...besides the murder-psycho side thats presented himself to him.
Muzan decided to just pick up the conversation.
"Well it seems that you came to your own conclusion based on the matters, that's good. I'll just say that stronger men have failed to get past the point you're currently in." Muzan chimed in with his 'fake' wisdom, perhaps he really was just that corny on the inside.
"Thanks for that, I needed it."
"Of course, you are me after all. It'd be truly unacceptable if you couldn't keep up with me." Muzan remarked in a snarky, challenging tone.
"Maybe. Eh, who knows. I think I'll leave that up to the universe and my future self to decide."
"So you can read my mind?"
"We are the same, are we not?"
"Fair point. Well anyhow, the PRT is most likely on their way most likely, any ideas?"
"Yes, body modification."
Chris perked up at that.
"Body modification, as in changing organs or shape? Shapeshifting? Wait, hold on! Just how many abilities do we have?" He diligently pestered.
"A lot more than you know, I'll help you understand them better later, but for right now, this is our best option."
"Okay lay it on me, how do I shapeshift?"
"Concentrate on your body, have confidence in yourself, and will it into that image. Think of it as flexing a muscle."
"Okay…..how do you know this'll work?"
"Uhhh…look just trust me man."
"Are you serious right now?"
"We're always serious."
"...we're gonna die."
"Didn't you just want to die?"
"Ya know what? Fuck it. Shut up and show me." Chris yelled tiredly.
"Fine then, if you insist." Muzan added a giggle at the end.
His body began to shift its muscles contracting vigorously as the cells attempted to sculpt a new being. It took a few seconds but Muzan was no longer Muzan, just an average, 5 '8 dude in an electrician uniform.
The change in size reminded him of how tall, or more accurately, the level of presence his other half exhibited. Clearly took more after dad if that's for what it's worth.
"How do I look?" The new being asked. Chris almost couldn't believe it, as he sounded distinctly and instinctually different from before. Gone was the charmingly soft, yet booming tone, remaining was the bland, tired, 'done with life' drone voice he was so accustomed to hearing in the Bay.
They were practically two different individuals.
"Oh my god, you really can shapeshift..." Chris said enamored by the simple spectacle.
'That would make sense actually. It explains how I grew so strong in such a short span of time. It isn't exactly the same, but it does prove my body is different from before, and that there could be more abilities to worry about. How grand.' Chris mentally added with a snicker at the end.
Chris found his mind wandering to another question, was the trigger itself dependent on outside factors? like another Cape, or perhaps there are different conditions that have to be met.
He'll have to look into it, he wasn't too big on the Cape scene. If anything his dad probably knew more than he did.
The gangs, the wards, mostly because his friends were….all over them to say the least. New Wave. The triumvirate. The local protectorate. He knew the basics. But if you asked him anything deep like "how old is Armsmaster.", he'd make an educated guess. If it had nothing to do with him personally, then he wasn't going to worry about it.
The age would be 34. Exactly that number.
"So how exactly do I do it?"
"Well it's pretty simple, just think of what you want to look like, once you have the picture, manipulate your body to mold it into its form. From there you can create clothing from your own body and presto, your whoever you want to be."
"...I don't really understand it, but I'll give it my best shot."
He mentally conjured up an image of someone, he thought of an old, frail man wearing nothing but the rags of a sailors outfit. Reminiscent the days of old when Brockton Bay wasn't a hive of scum and villainy, before superpowers became widespread. Before everything became so complicated and….overwhelmingly depressing.
"Huh that was better than I expected, you did it on the first try." Muzan exclaimed, impressed.
'He did it?'
"Well you tried to look like an old sailor right?"
Chris nodded.
"Then you have succeeded. Congrats." Muzan began mock clapping, somehow sounding like sandals slamming against something.
If he was different, he certainly didn't feel it. He just felt more worn out if anything. He flexed his hand, it had already healed since he stabbed it. It was still pale, but the texture was notably different.
"Well then what now?"
"We find a place to lay low for a while, learn about ourselves, and maybe make a comeback in the world." Muzan summarized. His smile was a stark contrast on his depressing looking face.
"Ya know what, sounds good to me. I need to figure out why I'm going ballistic anyways."
"About that…." Muzan remarked, looking shrunken while doing so.
"Ohh…so it was you!" Chris proclaimed boldly, having already inferred a few ideas, with plenty more to spare. Chris continued his ramblings. "Oh well, we'll figure it out."
Muzan was slightly surprised at the reaction, however he didn't show it, hiding behind fake confidence.
Was he really this fake before? Damn...That's just unhealthy. At least he made up with his dad...
"I'm sure we will. We did seem to find a way out of dying." Muzan remarked, smiling brightly towards Chris. What he said did reignite some questions in Chris.
How did he come back to life exactly? Did triggers actually do that or did some outside entity cause it? It's been ragdolling his brain ever since he woke up.
Questions for later, he'd go on a computer to find more answers….OR he could just let himself be taken by the Protectorate, and he can talk with Miss Militia, Armsmaster, and a lot of other heroes.
Choices. Choices. Choices.
"You better make your choice quickly, I sense some people are heading this way. A LOT of people. And...don't forget to joke around. Its not our style to be a stale loser over spoiled milk."
"Oh don't worry, the world can't break me that easily."
"Thats good to hear. Now, have you made your choice?"
"Why yes i have."
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Armsmaster awoke to the comfy feeling of a soft, comfy pillow. Opening his eyes, they lit to a spotless, cozy, hospital room.
He looked to his side and saw a laptop on his side, next to that was a get well card from Miss Militia, and some flowers from Battery and Assault.
He tore his eyes away from the appreciations, and tried to sit up.
"Shit" he said to himself dissatisfied, he couldn't really move his body that well. It hurt like hell. After a while of struggling, he finally managed to stand himself up in bed.
The laptop lit up, a familiar, female voice echoed from it. Dragon.
"You're awake."
"Yes, I'm still alive." He replied mildly confused.
"That you did, Colin. Your heart almost stopped, a lesser man may not have pulled through."
"Then how?"
"Chris shattered your rib cage, the suit took the brunt of the force. The onsite paramedics kept you along long enough for Panacea to make it there." She emphasized the 'shatter' part.
"I'll give her my regards, what about Chris?"
"No one has seen him, when the sun came up, he escaped into a storm drain. He hasn't been seen since." Colin found himself confused at that.
"He didn't leave any trace? Are you sure" Colin was sure he saw Chris losing his whole bottom half or something.
"I'm very sure, it was like the ash never existed. We also never found him in the storm drain, or the sewers. We've been scouring the city but no luck so far."
"I think I remember that. He was rushing at me but stopped at the entrance. Then he ran out, fearfully."
"An instinctual response to the sun rising?" She inquired, trying to understand the vampiric boy. That'd be the best way to describe him.
"Seems so."
There was a pause.
"I've already sent a suit your way to find him. In the meantime I'm going to look into his background more."
"Thanks."
"...Your a fucking idiot Colin, that was the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen."
He laughed at that, it came with pain but he couldn't help it. He never regretted it either.
"Hope that hurt. You should've waited for Miss Militia or Battery and Assault, she arrived just when Chris fell into the drain."
"I had to protect the caller, and my squad." He retorted.
"I repeat: Stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen." She had none of it.
He laughed again, before emerging into deep thought. Chris screaming 'No!', was still caught in the shackles of his mind.
He voiced his thoughts.
"Chris isn't a bad kid. I think there's something forcing him to be aggressive and animalistic. He could've let those flames consume us, but he didn't, hell he could've killed me, but he didn't."
"Maybe he's confused is all, he was resurrected after all."
"You're right, but who do you think resurrected him?"
"Within the bay, I don't know anyone capable of that, he was 2 weeks dead before he came back."
"Maybe the Slaughterhouse 9?"
"No there would've been signs, plus I'm not sure Bonesaw can resurrect people who have been dead for that long."
Chris presented himself as a walking enigma. It was like he was a zombie. Dragon spoke up.
"Like I said, I'll look into it. You get some rest for right now. I'll repair your suit for you. Just have something to say to Director Piggot after you're discharged." She said helpfully.
"Thanks again, for all of this."
"Just get better okay. Take care." The computer shut off. Leaving an empty black screen.
Colin sat back, thinking about Chris, there was more to this. Chris wasn't bad, he could say that with absolute confidence. But there was a part that screamed to him, a part that told him that there was something….evil lurking within him.
It felt superstitious, but this kid has done some frankly paranormal stuff.
Despite that, he felt compelled to this boy for some reason. It felt almost like staring at himself in the mirror, but as a child.
He doubted Chris would join any group or gang. Despite that, he still felt uneasy.
He needed to get ready, he felt a storm was coming, and no one in the bay was ready for it.
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When Chris finally settled down amongst the rats and flies. He finally had a chance to think for a moment, with a clear head he reflected. When he was focused, he became very narrow minded and tunnel visioned…..
Now he wasn't so sure.
Before, it was trying to not lose that focus for long enough was the issue, however he noticed that the issue was recently mitigated almost in its entirety. He could think clearly, and freely pass thought to thought without forgetting his recent reaches. It was like recalling info, but on a much bigger scale.
It was to the point he thought he might've had something akin to ADD before. Although he doubted it was nearly that severe, his grades proved it. He was glad he never told dad, but he was saddened he never got the chance to ever experience the discovery with him.
But just off the basis of what he knew, he was smarter, stronger, faster, and more hungry.
'Focus'
Not only that, had a multitude of other different abilities that he failed to notice before. He was still getting used to the night vision.
The flies were getting annoying though, they kept on trying to gnaw at him, but it was to no avail, they couldn't even breach his skin. The buzz wanted to make him flip the trash can into orbit. The rats huddle anywhere away from him.
It almost made that 'mad dash' not worth it. Again, thank god the clouds were on his side today. He was sure no one saw him.
He heard a booming laughter in his mind, but he shrugged it off. Muzan wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought. Naming yourself after a mythical entity however?
The least to say was the novelty was lost on him.
…then there was Armsmaster, who didn't seem like the type to hold grudges, too stern, at least to him. He knew of the guy, no family, no close friends, yet he still keeps chugging along.
It was hard not to feel inspired by the guy. It felt even worse he nearly put him six feet under. He felt for the guy more than say Glory girl or Eidolon, or any other hero probably could be.
He'd go as far as to say he was his personal favorite, although he'd never admit it to anyone.
Now that he thought about it, Armsmaster's record was perfect, he executed everything successfully, and had a lot of skill.
And he beat him without even thinking. It was unsettling to say the least, just how strong was he?
Muzan didn't say shit. Bastard. That was his que. Maybe he didn't know either.
He wasn't sure how he felt about basically having multiple personalities. If there is one, is there more? On top of that something about Muzan just felt….off.
Maybe he was being crazy but Muzan showed some signs of being like him, but either backtracking or outright saying something suspect.
If that was the warning, the blaring alarms were that his vibe was creepy as hell, just like the legends told. And if that was the alarms, then the endbringer sirens were the fact he can appear, manifeeeefest, visible to his eyes.
How did that even work!?
Perhaps he's overthinking this, like his dad, but something just told him, something was off about this alter ego. He'd always keep that in mind, and never let it go. Although Muzan probably knew already, he seemed to be able to read his mind. Another red flag.
If he earned his trust, he'd earned it, but he was going to keep his mental distance.…what was he doing again?
"You were waiting for night time so that we can make a mad dash to the warehouses to set up a new home." Muzan followed up helpfully.
Ah yeah that's what he was doing, he forgot it the sun was still up.
"Dingleberry."
"Dillaphadile."
"Troglodyte."
"Bitch."
"Timmy."
"Skinhead."
"Bigtoepithecus."
"...dammit I wasn't ready for that."
"Hahahahaha you thought you could beat me, quit dreaming!" Muzan boisterously proclaimed.
Then there's moments like that, where he's reminded that he's still a 13 year old zombie-vampire-whatever the hell. And that he's probably just superstitious.
'I miss you dad.'
'I miss him too.'
Chris forgot how long he sat in the dumpster, only 4 people visited his humble abode. He turned into a bearded hobo whenever they had approached close enough to warrant it.
Two of them were workers taking the trash out. A male and a female. The guy flinched from seeing him and slid it in gently. The girl saw and threw it in. No hesitation.
Dick.
The other was a Protectorate person. He heard the comms talking about finding him. He feigned sleep, and it worked! She took one look, paused, then closed it.
He wouldn't be surprised if the moment he opened it up he'd get jumped by the heroes…..that thought came way too casually than he was comfortable with.
The last one…well she didn't open the dumpster but she was staring weirdly so she counted. Weird girl, she had dogs with her. She and her dogs kept their distance. No barks. Silence. She left after staring at the trash for a minute.
He had no clue who that was, maybe someone that triggered with sensory powers? Or was she paying attention to the dogs and knew something was up from their reaction. Guess it doesn't matter. She knew he was in the dumpster, that much was certain.
"Let me go!" A girl screamed out in terror. Chris already knew what that most likely meant.
Guess that that was his que to leave the comfy confines of the trash.
"You're going to help?! What about the sun!" Muzan exclaimed in worry.
Chris didn't bother with a response. However Muzan was still molded in an unreadable smirk.
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EndoSlayer
EndoSlayer Aye aye wut up I'm back! Yes I survived! Somehow. Hope everyone's been doing well!
Lots of things have been going on recently in my life and I just want to take a moment to thank and praise God for giving me the strength to make it through, and to get this chapter out to y'all!
Anyhow tho ROTC is coming to a close, but wrestling practice is going to start up soon so oof. I'm also doing robotics and theater albeit it's going to be a min until the next musical pops up. As of writing this I actually have to got to the homecoming dance. And I got a beach clean up I need to attend.
Mostly for the food, but someone did ask me out so hey I guess that's cool. Will see how that turns out.
But outside of personal stuff, we're on web novel and to reiterate we're on space battles so yes sir no one gonna try and steal my stuff yes sir!
But in all seriousness I'm happy that I was able to expand this….the more i write about this the more fun i have, so I'm glad I'm able to have the ability to spread this story. The more I write the more I want to make sure this story stays in the decent to good ranges that everyone says it's at.
Which is nice…..but I feel like I'm ass still, so ima keep pushing you know?
Who knows I might have the cahoongas to actually write my own story after I get through this and that Obito one that I'm terrified to release.
But hey who knows….only god knows and I'm just going to say I'm not arrogant enough to act like I do.
Even though I'm writing fanfiction.
Regardless, thank you all for sticking around! And I hope y'all enjoy this new chapter!
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