If I’m being honest, the city is weirdly beautiful at night. Even though I could hear some explosions in the distance, it still had a vibe to it.

  I pulled over my hood and put on some gloves.

  I was walking down in an area mainly described as Chicago’s Void. This place was the most dangerous and most vibrant in the city. Typically, you would find prostitutes and a bunch of teens being high. Heros didn’t give a flying fuck about this part of the city, only really sticking to the better areas of the cities, but that didn’t mean you wouldn’t find any here.

  “Hey, kid. You want some sugar?” I turned to see an older woman, probably in her 30s, wearing a lovely dress. She was holding some pills. “No, I’m too young,” I said in disbelief.

  “Oh, kiddos these days. Often being too stressed,” I heard her say. Yeah, that drug would likely black me out. Then, I would become a slave or something.

  “No, thank you,” I said, trying to be polite as possible. I saw a frown on the woman’s face as she walked off. She gave me the Hibby Gibbies.

  I soon made it to my location, a run-down building with mostly bordered-up windows, garbage all over the place, and no light to speak of. Then I tried to enter the building. I tried to get inside, but the door wouldn’t open. The door looked run-down, but the lock looked like Serpent’s tech. Then I saw a fingerprint scanner.

  After I scanned my finger, the door opened. I entered to see a run-down location with nothing notable, so I stood on guard.

  I walked around the building, top to bottom, to find nothing. Only just broken shit and other disgusting smells of rotten flesh and food. On the third floor, I gazed at a completely intact bookshelf.

  I thought of the classic trope of flicking a book to open a secret passageway. Nothing happened, so I tried pushing and pulling the book, but nothing happened. When I moved the shelve, I heard something open.

  Something changed.

  I looked around and saw a hidden door on a wall on the first floor, which looked like a vault door. I closed the vault door and heard the cogs being put back into place. I saw pink lights leading downstairs, but I heard no noise. I put on my blood mask.

  I prepared myself for an attack, but when I reached the bottom, there was only a hangout lounge devoid of people.

  The lounge was lit with pink neon lights. The decoration made some interesting choices, like one part being a jungle and another punk rock-themed. Then I saw a smashed keyboard on the ground in front of six computers.

  I quickly turn to see Serpent clapping with my blood arrow up. “Congratulations, you are one of the two men who have survived this test.” Serpent said. I deactivated my blood arrow.

  “Two? What do girls...” I asked, but Serpent laughed. “Yeah, men get a harder test. My girls come from terrible places, so I train them to find their props. Other girls who want to join are mostly loyal right away and see me as a mother figure. While Men... are reckless, so I test them to see if they have the balls of steel,” she said.

  “So, you’re saying you’re sexist,” I said. “Yeah, that’s because most of the time, powered men only try to join this team to be with girls or be a prick towards them. I knew you weren’t like them, but the other girls thought you were just a horny kid, so they wanted to be sure you weren’t some frat.”

  “Where are they now?” I said. “Oh, they are gone because... let’s say they’re not happy,” she said as I heard her awkwardly laugh. I didn’t know what to think. I mean, I didn’t join this team to get a harem. The only reason I joined was that I had to.

  Then I heard the metal door open, but it wasn’t from upstairs; it was downstairs. Then I heard voices but couldn’t tell what they were saying.

  I gazed at all of them. Cherry Bomb, Lighting Scabert, Animalistic, and Murder Jungle.

  Then, before I could even react and get a good look at them, Cherry Bomb threw a bomb at me, which caused me to smash into a wall. My body was in agony as I felt the shock wave through my body. My face burned, and my chest smashed in.

  “Good job, finally that cocky brat got what he deserved,”

  "idiot, you just killed him!,” someone said as I got back up, regenerating my body and some of my face. “YOU ASSHOLE WHAT WAS THAT FOR,” I screamed in pain as I almost attacked them, but I stopped.

  “How the fuck are you alive?” I heard. After that, I heard Serpent laugh. I vaguely saw Cherry Bomb. She was about to throw another bomb, but Scabert stopped her. “Stop destroying our hideout. So what if he’s just a guy? Give him a damn chance like with Volital,”

  “Ugh. Fine. But why couldn’t he join the subordinate division? Much better for someone like him,”

  Wow, what the hell did they go through to hate men... but then again, we’re in the Void district, Aka, the district with the highest rate of Sexual Assault. So, I wouldn't be surprised by that assumption.

  “I didn’t join in fooling around. I joined to be a core member, not just to achieve my goals but to get stronger,” I said in a stuffy voice, trying to flow my blood away from my lungs. Then, I got up in pain as I regenerated most of my minor injuries. At the same time, it took longer for the cracked bones and my eyes.

  “Cherry, it was your fault that you let him get the better of you,” Serpent said, to which Cherry Bomb responded. “NO!”

  I finished regenerating. So it was Cherry controlling the robot, and she got mad. “Man, I’m tired. I got to get home,” I said. My parents were already angry about me not coming home, so if I just left, they would be mad. Even though it’s a Friday, they are on my ass.

  “oh, so you’re the one with anger issues,” I said, which made Cherry try to attack me, but Animalistic grabbed her. “What you doing, animalistic? You hate this guy, too.”

  “He won fair and square. So, he is a worthy fighter to keep, even if he is a man that I hate to the point of ripping his guts out. He beat you,” Animalistic said. I saw them get dragged to another room, with Cherry resisting, but it was mostly blurry for me as my eyes weren't done regenerating. “He didn’t beat me, he cheated!”

  It is called intelligence. I finished regenerating my eyes, getting my eyesight back.

  “Still, I don’t want this bum here. So please, get out of here when he finishes looking at us girls, tell him to get out of here. I don’t want to fucking deal with him now...” Murder Jungle said, as I saw her walk off to a room and heard her yawn. Well, she is lazy, which is good to know, or tired.

  It was just me, Serpent, and Scabert. I sat down on a pink couch to recover more.

  “Hey, don’t ruin the couches with the rubble!” Scabert said. “yeah, sureeeee, I believe that is your couch; that did not steal,” I said sarcastically. I saw them both sit down across from me with a bean bag.

  “Alright, Kid. Scabert and I will explain the second stage of your test,” Serpent said.

  “Wait, there are more tests, seriously,” I said in distaste.

  “Yeah, you think you’re the only kid that got past the robot. Other people and heroes beat the robot. Don’t be a fool, kid. Others are as smart as you, but at least you didn’t run. That was the focus of the test,” Scabert said.

  “So, what are the trials?”

  “That is a secret, so be prepared for anything,” Serpent said. “Come on, I don’t like playing games. I joined for a reason. Why is it a secret?” I said.

  “Sorry, but I can’t tell you, and you’re not in yet,” Serpent said. I could tell she didn’t like my pushy tone as I saw her face turn into a frown.

  “Fine, is that all?” I said. “Yes, now we need a basic name since ‘kid’ isn’t for people who beat the robot,” Scabert said.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  I had never considered my villain name before. I didn’t do it because I thought acquiring a large amount of wealth would be easy. Luckily, medicine is like buying a car: You pay a certain amount upfront, then pay monthly. However, even in the criminal world, $50,000 cash is harder to come by because heroes put special measures in place to know when large amounts of money are involved.

  Man, fuck them.

  “You will also need a better costume than that stupid hoodie if we want to recognize you. I only recognize you because of the implants. If you didn’t have them, I would have killed you.”

  Well, Then I saw where my first trial would be. It was somewhere closer than the robot’s location—Monday night. Now I need a name and a costume. Though I thought about names, I haven’t fully decided yet.

  “Think of a name, and that’s your identity for the rest of your life. It better hold weight. See you soon, and don’t get into trouble with other villain teams,” Serpent said. “Alright, see you later,”

  I walked out the same way I came in. Then looked around the street to see more whores and some homeless people just being who they were. I took off my blood mask so people wouldn’t get ideas of who I am. Then, I walked the same way I came from, and after a few minutes, I saw the same woman talking to a teen earlier.

  I didn’t trust that woman, so I got closer and recognized the teen. Jake.

  What the fuck is he doing here? Drugs? Sex? or criminal activities? All three?

  I pretended to lie on a metal pillar holding a train track. “Yeah, I would like some sugar,”

  “Ok, you also want to have some sugar with me. Think about the nice cozy time you can have,” the woman said as I saw her getting closer to Jake. Then I saw put her ass in front of Jake with her hand on it, which made me disgusted instantly. “Uhh... sure-e,” I heard Jake say.

  Horny idiot. The woman looked around and then dragged Jake away.

  I slowly followed her without noticing, and she entered a big club. I attempted to enter, but the bouncer stopped me. “Hey kid, what are you doing? You need to be 21 or older or be escorted in by a VIP member,” the bouncer said.

  “yeah, dude, I’m 23.”

  “Ok, sure, kid. GET OUT!” He said, then grabbed me with incredible strength and threw me on the street. God, why do people have to be annoying as fuck?

  “Dam,” I said, rubbing my head in some pain. I went a few buildings down and climbed the fire escape on one of them. Then, I traverse the roofs to the club building. I was on the roof with the door leading into the club. Luckily, each building was about five feet apart, so it was easy to jump the roof from the roof.

  When I got on the roof I entered and walked down the stairs to see to my right the entire club on the second floor, then I saw Jake and the lady going up the stairs to my left. I quickly ran up the stairs to hide. In order not to get detected.

  Then Jake saw me but didn’t do anything as he entered one of the rooms on the second floor.

  I went down from the stairs. Then, it entered through a vent. Now, I was above the room hiding, and the room was not a typical sex room. It had Wee,d, I think, and a bunch of other weird, kinky shit that would be for some Gooner.

  I could see Jake with his head down and hands together. “Don’t worry, sweety. I’ll give you a little sugar, but first, swallow the pills to make the experience better,” she said.

  “But-t that would make me high, and I won’t remember,” Jake said, stuttering.

  “Not those silly, these pills. They make you last longer,” she said as she took some out of the drawer. “These,”

  She put them on the table with some alcohol, l and then I saw Jake slowly get up. He walked to the table, and I saw the woman remove her clothes. I’m not going to lie, though; she was hot.

  Then I saw Jake look back and then look away. He took the pills and swallowed them with the alcohol.

  Then I saw Jake fall to the ground with the lady, laughing sadistically. “Stupid kid. Thinking he was going to lose it, typically,”

  Then I saw a fake door open from the opposite side of the room to see a villain, Noorman. Aka, a low-ranking Kereos member, is wearing a costume made of doors. His ability to create or open a door anywhere means he can turn a wall into a door.

  Then I assumed the girl was the druggist, Alica— another low-ranking member. The girl put on her villain costume, a slick black latex suit with her hand cannon intact. However, I don’t remember her ability, even though it involved nerves.

  I didn’t know how she did it, which sucks, got to look at it later. “What’s happening? What did you do to me fucker?” I could see Jake crying.

  “You caught another thirsty kid; too bad your merchandise now,” Noorman said. “Ugh, shut up, Dor. You’re just an ugly computer fuck,” Alica said.

  “I hope a hero rapes you,” Noorman said. Jesus, if he fucking said that out loud in a public crowd, people would kill you. I have seen it. and hopefully never will.

  “Oh fuck yourself, honestly dark heroes do that shit. The actual heroes prefer kiddos instead. I count a hero would buy this gremlin over here, right little gremlin?”

  Damn, that's harsh. But Jake, you idiot, why did you want to fuck a prostitute?

  “Don’t worry, kid, it’s not you. It’s just money and power. Just hope you don’t become some trade item between those old politicians,” Noorman said, now walking close to Jake and putting his hand on his head. “stupid kids,” Alica said.

  “Alright, let’s go, bitch,” Noorman said, taking his hand off of Jake. “I wish I could just cut your balls off right now and hang them in a room like a trophy,” Alica said

  Then, I attempted to position myself, but I made some noise. I quickly crawled out of sight but wasn't my best option. “Hey, I heard something in the vent,” Alica said.

  “Probably a rat, you sped fuck,” Noorman said. “No, open it,” Alice replied

  Then, in a split second, I put on my blood mask and fell out of the vent as the entire bottom of the vent opened like a box. I crashed into the desk. I felt some pain, but it was not as destructive as a bomb. Not even close.

  “I knew something was up!” Alica said. Then She fired her gun, but I quickly dodged to the left and crashed into a small concrete wall door made by Noorman. I felt immense pain. However, I persisted. I couldn’t give up, or Jake would die. Or far worse, I could die.

  I didn’t care if I was quitting school, but I wasn’t letting a friend get kidnapped on my watch. Even if it was Julie, slavery is a fate worse than death.

  I got up and tried to attack, but the floor opened below me. Falling into another room, I crashed into the floor, and two people screamed. “Super Humans!!” I saw the naked man and girl. They got up and ran out. Then, I could hear screams.

  Alica jumped on me, stabbing me in the side, but I put up my blood for Harding to stop it. Then she spat in my face. Then I saw Noorman come down with a distressed Jake, shaking. “Help,”

  “Don’t think about fighting back, you curious brat. My spit paralyzed you,” Alica said. I couldn’t move my body even with the Serpent tech. My muscles tighten. Though paralyzed from the neck down, I could still control my blood flow.

  “Why would you say valuable info, dumbass?” I said, then she stepped on my ball like a bitch. “OW, I'm going to kill you,” then Alice took my hood off to see my blood mask. “Oh, you’re that stupid new brat that can control blood.”

  Then I saw Alica put up a gun. However, I spit out a classic blood-spit arrow, which stabbed her in the eye. She dropped her weapon. “Ahhhhhhhhh, you fucker. Help me kill this fucker.”

  Then I saw a concrete block come down. I coated my body in blood to protect myself like a turtle. However, I still felt an incredible amount of pain, and I still couldn’t move.

  Then, I understood why Alice's power was affecting my nerves. It's like my nerves are dead, but not at the same time. I focused on my blood, generating and replacing the nerves affected by it, and I felt my body become responsive, stronger, and back in action.

  Noorman moved the concrete that had fallen on me, but I awkwardly kicked him with a blood-infused kick in his face. I saw him move back, holding his face with some groaning. I could now see Alica holding her face as I got up, but I still felt my body being unresponsive, mostly.

  With all of my will, I got up and grabbed Jake with both of my hands like a baby. With the bit of strength, I had left because of the stab wound. Then I glimpse outside in the hallway. I saw people running away while crashing and tripping into each other.

  Before I could get out of the hallway, a gunshot went off, and for a second, I was confused; then I felt the flare of pain like a giant bee stung me with pepper spray, on the stinger. I fell and dropped Jake. My shoulder was in immense pain. I was only a few feet from the main dance floor.

  “You little shit!!” I heard the loud ringing in my ear. I covered my back with blood coating as I felt more bullets being shot. Luckily, none pierced my blood hardening.

  I laid down and stopped resisting and made some blood flow out of me, to make them think I was dead. “Hey, get up, please,” I could hear Jake in his dropsy voice. “He’s a dead kid. He has like five shots in him,” I heard Noorman say as he kicked me hard.

  “Yeah, a dark hero trying to stop a sex abduction. But hey, at least he’s down for good, though honestly, he would have been better merchandise than you. Life isn’t fair, right?” Alica said, still holding her hand in her eye. I saw people looking in fear cowardly at the walls of the club.

  I looked around my position to see Noorman next to me, with Alica petting Jake with her gun on his head, taunting him. Then I used my pool of blood on the ground to make a long spike. It felt weird like this time around I could feel some of the microbes and germs in my blood. Then I cut Noorman in half, with his top half falling on the floor, his organs spilling out like a pinata, and his bottom collapsing. However, this took so much blood I felt I was almost about to faint. Then I absorbed the blood I could from Noorman to get more power back so I could fight.

  I saw Alica turn her face from glee and smiling. To her eyes, to her mouth wide open as she dropped the gun. I slowly got up, absorbing Noorman’s corpse as the blood flew through me like I was taking a drug and I could feel the tingling flowing through my veins. Then I attempted to regenerate everything, with made some of the pain come back.

  I expected her to charge at me or to pick up the gun. Like the bitch she is, she left Jake there and ran outside with the last remaining people. like a coward.

  I still saw people from a distance recording.

  I shot a bloody arrow near them without hesitation, but purposefully missed it. They got the warning and ran away.

  I got up with my body, feeling like it had gone through a marathon; where you had to set yourself on fire while running on needles with poison, making you slower.

  “Louis?” I looked towards to see Jake. Not good. Not good. Can't let him make that connection

  “Who’s Louis? Now get out of here, kid,” I said, trying to make my voice deep. “You are, Louis,” Jake said, trying to get up and run, but he couldn’t.

  I grabbed him with resistance, with him still under the paralyzation effect. “Let me go,” he said. He knew even a promise from a friend wouldn’t be enough. I picked up the gun and pointed it at him, which made him stop.

  “shut up, not that simple,” I said trying to keep this deeper tone up.

  Then he stopped resisting as I carried him to the roof. What a pain in the ass this is gonna be!