Empire State University, Library, After Classes:
"Thanks, Gwen. I don't know what I'd do for the math midterm without you," I said gratefully after completing our maths study session.
Right after the classes were completed, Gwen and I went to the university library for the promised maths teaching session.
Gwen's intellect was rarely showcased, except for stating the fact that she was considered a genius. She was killed before she could show her full potential. The Gwens from alternate timelines also did not show much intellectual capability.
But this Gwen was definitely a prodigy. I didn't know how she could compare with top geniuses like Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Peter Parker, or the others, but it didn't feel like she was far behind.
And it showed directly in the majors she had chosen. Yes, that was not a mistake, I meant, majors, plural.
She was pursuing double majors in Biology and Biomedical Engineering, in addition to taking elective courses in Biotechnology.
Yes, it wasn't as challenging as pursuing two unrelated majors together, such as Biology and History, since her selected majors shared common subjects that counted for both. However, with the extra elective courses, she wasn't far behind.
That's why I had put her under my radar.
In Marvel, you are not successful if you don't have at least a few genius scientists under your payroll.
Gwen smiled, brushing it off. "It's no problem, Kevin. You're actually good at math—you just need practice with the tougher problems."
Of course, brains weren't her only selling point. Her beauty didn't hurt, and recently I'd discovered a third reason to keep her close.
I gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, I'll go through all the ones you pointed out at home."
"That's the spirit," she said brightly. "It'll make tomorrow's session easier if you practice."
Yes, tomorrow. We had already decided to study together for one hour after class each day for the remainder of the week.
These study sessions target three targets with one stone. Getting closer to Gewn, irritating Felicia, and of course, improving my maths.
"So, what's the plan for today?" I asked casually.
"Well… I'll probably study until tonight," Gwen said, matter-of-factly.
"Study? Till the night?" I raised an eyebrow. She nodded, looking confused.
"Girl, please. With your brains, you must have finished studying all the courses for this semester. What's there to study now?" I asked.
Gwen blushed at my indirect compliment.
"...for next semester," she mumbled something.
"What was that?" I asked. I thought I heard something ridiculous.
She sat up straighter, voice louder, face red. "I was studying next semester's books."
I looked at her face, too stunned to say anything. Gwen squirmed under my constant gaze.
"What?" Gwen asked, embarrassed.
"Nothing," I sighed. "You are awesome."
Gwen's blush deepened, but she smiled shyly.
"So tell me," I leaned in, curious, "do you ever do anything besides study? Or are you secretly a robot?"
I felt like I was talking to another Jessica, just with a higher IQ.
"Of course I have fun," she said quickly—then lowered her voice. "Just… not much."
She rushed to defend herself. "I've gone to a few parties. Mostly, MJ and Liz drag me. Sometimes shopping, beaches, movies, clubs with them…"
I smirked. She sounded like she was listing evidence to prove she wasn't a bookworm.
"Good. At least you've touched grass," I teased.
I shifted gears. "So, you on social media?"
She gave me a look. "Who isn't?"
"Fair. Stupid question," I laughed.
"So, have you seen clips of the fight between Spider-Man and a new supervillain?" I asked. "I think he called himself Shocker."
Yep, another Spider-Man villain was introduced, and they fought one week ago, which, as expected, ended with his defeat and his subsequent imprisonment.
"Yeah, Liz showed us the video," Gwen said.
"It was awesome," I said excitedly. "Sometimes, I wonder how good it would be to have superpowers, like Spidey."
"Yeah, that'd be good," Gwen said softly, her eyes distant. She looked like she was thinking about something.
"Hey, Gwen," I said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Do you think Spider-Man uses his powers for fun other than, you know, crimefighting?"
"I don't know, I don't think so," she frowned. "Moreover, isn't it wrong to use such powers for playing around?"
"What's the harm in that?" I asked.
"It's selfish to use such powers for personal gain," Gwen said. Her frown even tighter.
"How is it selfish? If I have an edge against others, what's wrong with using it?" I asked. "If I can fly, then why should I crawl in the traffic?"
"No. It's selfish. You can't treat something that dangerous like a toy. If you only think about yourself, someone else could get hurt. Such powers aren't a game. They should be used for the good of everyone," Gwen said firmly.
"See, that's where I disagree. Why does it have to be one or the other? If you can do something extraordinary—run faster, jump higher, see things no one else can—why pretend it's a curse? Why can't you enjoy it along with helping people if you want? If you love what you do, you'll do it better," Kevin said with a grin.
"That's the rationalization people use to convince themselves. But once you cross one line, what's stopping you from crossing more lines? If you focus on fun, you undermine others. Maybe you push yourself to do something reckless because you want the thrill, but it may end up hurting someone," Gwen shook her head.
"Hurting? No. If I use what I have for myself, it won't hurt anyone. If I take advantage of the edge that I have but others lack, then it's not evil, it's smart. The world rewards those who take advantage of what they've got," I said, leaning forward, my eyes looking directly into her eyes.
"And what about when that 'edge' means someone else loses out? Powers mean responsibility. If you take shortcuts because of your powers, you're undermining all the people who worked hard without them. That's not smart—it's unfair," Gwen snapped, her voice getting a little higher. She was trying too hard to prove that she was right.
"Unfair? Life isn't fair. Some are born into wealth, while others are born into poverty. Some with strength, others with sickness. Some with brilliance, others with nothing at all. For some, the finish line of another's lifelong struggle is nothing more than their starting point. So why pretend the game was ever equal? If you're lucky enough to get dealt a winning hand, you play it," I said, my tone edging with disdain.
"No, but, this, this is wrong," Gwen shook her head. My last reply clearly shook her.
"No. What's wrong is shackling yourself with invisible chains—ethics, morals, rules, regulations. All those are man-made cages to keep people obedient. You think they're noble? They're just leashes. And leashes are for the weak."
Her lips parted, but no words came.
I softened my tone, almost to a gentle one. "Look, Gwen, I'm not saying your way of thinking is wrong. But tell me—if you only use your edge for everyone else, then where are you in it? Why pretend you don't exist? Yes, it's selfish. But what's wrong with being a little selfish? Powers are yours. Not theirs. If you use them for yourself first, no one has the right to say otherwise."
Her gaze lowered, deep in thought, chewing on every word.
"What's wrong with using powers for yourself? Having fun with them? Helping others is a choice, not an obligation," I said in a deep voice, finishing the discussion.
I smiled suddenly, tone flipping back to casual. "That was a nice debate. It is good to have such debates, now and then, keep the brain sharp, right?"
"Y-yeah," she said, uncertain, still caught in the weight of what I'd said.
"It was nice talking, Gwen. See you tomorrow for math. Thanks again." I waved and walked off.
"Goodbye, Kevin…" Her voice was soft, almost distracted, still tangled in the conversation I'd planted in her mind.
…
After completing a few fares, I came to Chinatown. I stood in front of the building with the plaque that read "Chikara Dojo."
I pushed the door open, my expression dripping arrogance, the kind that said all of you are beneath me.
Inside, rows of white-belt students moved through their katas under the watchful eye of a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, wearing a black belt and a white gi, her hair neatly braided. Even without makeup, she was striking. Colleen Wing.
She noticed me immediately. "Hi, do you want to join the dojo, or maybe try a free class first?" she asked politely.
"Join? This dump?" I smirked. "No. I'm here to challenge it."
The students froze mid-form. Colleen's polite smile faded into a frown.
"If you don't want to join, then please leave. We don't have time for games," Colleen said sternly.
"Games? Woman, if you run a dojo, then you should be aware of Dojo Yaburi, right?" I smirked.
Her brows creased at hearing that.
"Or are you too chicken to accept a direct challenge?" I said, laughing arrogantly. "If that's the case, then take off your plaque as surrender, and I will directly take it as a sign of my victory."
"What did you say, you bastard?" a hot-headed student A, who was also secretly a member of the Hand, said.
"Sensei, please let me beat some sense into him," a student B requested to Colleen.
All the students were glaring at me as if ready to eat me alive.
Even Colleen's face showed faint anger, but she quickly controlled it. She didn't want to appear to lose control of her emotions in front of her students.
"So you want to challenge the dojo?" Colleen asked seriously.
"Woman, are you perhaps dumb? Why are you asking the obvious?" I rolled my eyes.
Colleen took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Fine, but you must first defeat my students before you can fight me," Colleen said.
I smirked arrogantly. "Bring it on."
"Darryl, you go first," Colleen ordered to one of her students. He was the one who requested her to let him beat some sense into me.
You want to fight me?" I sneered. "Brat, go back and suck on your momma's titties."
"What did you say?" Darryl growled in rage.
I ignored him and looked towards Colleen to get her started on the competition.
"Hajime," Colleen said after giving me a deep look.
I launched like a bullet. One punch to the gut, another forearm across his skull—he dropped before he knew the match had started.
Gasps rippled through the dojo. Even Colleen's eyes narrowed now. She now knew that I wasn't just some hooligan who came to insult her.
"Becca, you go," Colleen ordered a female student.
"Yes, sensei," Becca bowed and came in front of me. She looked serious as she took a stance.
"Don't expect me to go easy on you, missy," I smiled arrogantly.
"I won't," Becca shot back, but maintained her form.
"Hajime."
I moved as I had last time, but she was prepared, unlike Darryl earlier.
A round house kick was aimed at my head. I smiled and caught her foot mere centimeters away from my face. Her eyes widened as she tried to yank free. Futile.
I smirked at her, then I pivoted my body while still holding her foot. Using the movement, I pulled her with her foot and slammed her body heavily onto the mat.
She screamed as she fell. Colleen immediately went to check on her. She sighed in relief when she found that Becca was bruised but didn't have any significant injury.
She gave me a fierce look. She was extremely protective of her students, but her pride as a samurai and dojo instructor also prevented her from reprimanding me for being heavy-handed with her students.
"Brian, you go," Colleen ordered another of her students.
A black man came into view in front of me and calmly took a stance. I still maintained a smirk, but this time, I was serious inside. He was one of the few F2s among Colleen's students. That meant he was trained by the Hand.
This was going to be my first fight with an F2, but I was ready. With my skills, I was confident to fight as an equal, at least in a one-on-one fight.
"Hajime."
We circled, slow, calculating. Then struck at the same time—our fists colliding mid-air. Pain shot up my knuckles, numbing my hand. I flexed it, shaking the sting away.
Brian winced too, but not as much as I did.
I resumed the fight with a kick to his shin. He tried to side-step, but was late. He grunted at the impact.
I closed in, my palm aiming for his solar plexus. He blocked my palm with his right hand. I immediately followed with an uppercut with my left fist to his chin.
He staggered, but I didn't let him breathe. My hand clamped the back of his neck, yanking him down into a brutal knee that drove into his solar plexus. The impact folded him. His body hit the mat limp.
Silence filled the dojo, broken only by Brian's wheezing breath.
"Woman, your students are trash," I said flatly. "Why waste time with them? Fight me yourself."
Colleed thought for a moment and then nodded. She passed her bokken to another student and came in front of me empty-handed.
My heart trembled once she was finally in front of me, but I didn't show it on my face.
Defeat was a foregone conclusion, but I wasn't going down without a fight, no matter how ridiculous her status looked.
Name: Colleen Wing
Rank: E3
Skills:
Chi Manipulation (Master)
Martial Arts (Master)
Swordsmanship (Master)
Unarmed Combat (Master)
She was different from Jessica, even though they both held the same rank. While Jessica reached that rank with superpowers, Colleen clawed her way through relentless training day and night, fueled by blood, sweat, and tears.
With her skills, she could've gotten even a higher rank, but her human limits limited her. Physically, she was only peak human, but she'd sharpened herself into a weapon that could rival someone like Jessica.
As we looked at each other, the smirk on my face was gone, replaced by a serious expression.
"Woman, you are strong," I complimented.
Her lips twitched into a faint smile before she smothered it. "Thank you."
The referee for this fight was Mary, another one of Colleen's students.
"Hajime."
For the first time after coming inside the dojo, I formed a stance.
Colleen's eyes showed a hint of recognition at my stance. Both Uncle Niko and Old Man Kobayashi stressed the importance of maintaining a proper stance. So, I had practiced it extensively.
But on the other hand, Colleen stood calmly with her hands behind her back. She didn't take the fight seriously.
A part of me was offended by her casual stance; my pride was hurt because she seemed to look down on me.
But I didn't let it overwhelm my mind. I controlled my pride; my pride didn't control me.
Let's dance.
I started the fight with a kick to her knee. She easily stepped aside and dodged it. I didn't falter and followed with a punch to the side of her head.
She easily guarded against it, and her fist drilled into my stomach at the same time.
I wheezed and dropped to my knees. I felt as if all the strength had left my body.
My body protested, but I stood up, my legs shaking.
I again formed the stance and punched her.
She easily caught my fist in her palm. Then she clutched it and twisted my hand.
I grunted, but she didn't give me a chance to breathe, and a palm struck squarely in my chest.
I coughed loudly as I dropped to my knees. My hand hurt too much.
I looked up to her and, with steel in my resolve, I stood up again.
I aimed the round house kick at her head, but as I caught Becca's foot, she grabbed my foot effortlessly. I felt pain as she squeezed it. I tried to pull it back, but it was useless.
She hurled me across the mat. The force was so strong that I rolled for a few meters before coming to a stop.
My whole body was in pain, but I got up again.
I punched again. Colleen tilted her head, and the fist passed by. She clamped my neck and yanked me down—a knee strike on my solar plexus, and I couldn't breathe again.
"Victory to–"
"Shut up," I screamed while collecting my breath. "I can still fight."
Mary froze, looking to Colleen. Colleen gave a single nod.
I got up and ran to her and punched again.
Again, she downed me effortlessly.
I charged again. She dropped me.
I rose. She dropped me again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
My body was slick with my blood and sweat. My fists split open, my ribs ached with every ragged breath. I stopped counting after thirty falls.
"Again!" I roared, dragging myself up on shaking arms. My body refused, arms buckling.
"Why don't you admit defeat?" Colleen's calm voice cut through the ringing in my ears.
"Woman, you dare question my resolve?" I barked with fire spitting from my eyes.
For a moment, she flinched back.
Then, unexpectedly, she bowed. "I am sorry, it wasn't my intention to insult your resolve."
For the first time, she took a stance.
I laughed weakly, staggering upright. Blood dripped from my mouth. My next punch was pitiful, drained of power.
Colleen caught it. With no hesitation, her fist hammered my stomach, folding me in half.
She didn't go easy on me because of our earlier exchange. No, instead, she used more strength, not out of cruelty but out of acknowledgement of my resolve.
I could no longer get up. But I didn't want to give up. I tried pulling my body up, but it refused to listen to me.
"I can still… fight." A whisper was forced out of my lips.
I tried again and finally got up, my legs trembling. I punched again. This punch was even more pathetic than before.
But suddenly, I felt darkness before my eyes. My feet wobbled as I moved towards her. Finally, all strength left my body, and everything became dark.
…
I woke to the smell of antiseptic. Bandages wrapped half my body. My shirt was folded neatly on the table.
"Don't move too much."
The calm voice belonged to Colleen. She was no longer in her gi, just a tank top and workout pants, hair loose around her shoulders.
"How long?" I rasped.
"An hour and a half," she replied. "You're weak, but your recovery is impressive."
"So I lost," I sighed.
She didn't use even one percent of her full strength. Not to mention, amplifying her strength with chi.
"Yes, you did," she agreed. There was no gloating, she calmly stated the fact.
"I am joining your dojo," I announced suddenly.
"What?" She looked stunned, then she said with a slightly angry expression, "Didn't you say it was a dump and my students are trash?"
"Both are still true," I said arrogantly.
Before she could say anything, I interrupted.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you are strong," I said. "And that's more than enough."
She looked at me as if unsure whether to be angry or amused, so instead she asked, "Why do you want to join the dojo?"
"Why? Of course it is to defeat you," I declared proudly.
Now, she looked even more stunned.
She blinked. "…So you want me to train you… So you can one day beat me?"
"Exactly."
Her frown deepened. "Why?"
I slid into my shirt, ignoring the pain as I stood. "Because I need strong subordinates. And you qualify. I'll defeat you, then make you mine."
Colleen laughed, "So, is this some kind of proposal. First time in my life I have heard one like that."
I looked her dead in the eyes. "Don't misunderstand, woman. It is not a proposal. I want you, not as a lover but as a subordinate. And as my subordinate, you will be mine. There is a big difference."
I didn't wait for her answer. I stepped out of the room.
"Don't forget to bring the fees tomorrow with you. My dojo is not a charity, and I charge a premium for special cases." Colleen's shout came from inside the room.
Art of Persuasion (62/100) (+1)
I smirked and left the dojo.
I wasn't in the mood for taking any fares and had wasted too much time, so I decided to go back home and study programming, both for my mid-terms and for my criminal career.
However, before that, I still had the maths problems that Gwen had given me.
I sighed. Too much work. Too little time.
On the way home, I saw someone swinging around the buildings. At first, I dismissed that person as Spider-Man, but I noticed that person was wearing a hoodie, pants, gloves, and shoes, and had a mask and black goggles covering the eyes. Not a single piece of skin was visible. Only through the noticeable bulge on her chest did I conclude that that person was a woman.
Not Spider-Man. Spider-Woman?
I thought of something and smiled.
I tailed her as best I could, stuck in traffic while she soared above. Still, the streets were light tonight, and I managed to keep her in sight.
She finally landed on a rooftop in one of the city's seedier districts. She stood there for a few moments, then dropped down into the alley.
I reached the building and parked my car outside the alley. Then on foot, I continued inside.
There she was fighting some junky with a knife, if it could even be called that. A guy was on the ground, too shaken up, likely previously held at knifepoint by the junkie for his valuables.
Though by the time I reached her, the fight was already over, and the junkie ran away in fright.
The guy on the ground also ran away in the opposite direction from the junkie. He passed by me as I walked to her.
She looked at me and jerked her head back slightly as if she couldn't believe I was here.
I smiled inwardly as I saw her reaction. Then I changed my expression in a heartbeat, showing surprise.
"GWEN?!"
*********************
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