prevously in chapter 60
Finally, Henry stopped in front of Jimmy "Slim" Callahan, the most disrespectful and lazy of the group. "And you, Slim, you're the worst of them all. Always high, always late, always screwing up. Do you think I tolerate failure?"
Slim opened his mouth to protest, "Boss, I can explain—"
Before he could utter another word, Henry grabbed him by the head, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Slim's eyes widened in terror, his limbs flailing as he tried to break free. Henry's grip tightened, and with a sickening crunch, he crushed Slim's head like a watermelon. Blood and brain matter splattered across the floor, the gruesome sight freezing everyone in their tracks. The room was deathly silent, not one of them wanting to move a muscle, as they stared in horror at the lifeless body of their former comrade. Henry's expression remained cold and unfeeling as he wiped his hand on a nearby cloth.
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Chapter 61
"Let this be a lesson," he said, his voice deadly calm. "I don't tolerate failure. Do your jobs, follow my orders, and maybe you'll live to see another day. Disobey, and you'll end up like Slim here." Fear etched deep into their faces, the gang leaders nodded vigorously, their respect for Henry now replaced by sheer terror. Henry turned to leave, before he stopped as he turned his head towards them, "as for king pin and the mask man, i will handle" which caused them to look at each other as henry left, gina them immediately started to vomit as most of them gagged.
-scene change-
Henry left the warehouse, his mind still fuming over the incompetence of his subordinates. "Well, that was disappointing," he muttered to himself, "but I guess that comes as a result of having subordinates. Always being disappointed." He sighed for the umpteenth time as he walked between two buildings. The location where the meeting was held was quite secure and out of the way, so there weren't many people around. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Henry was surrounded, but he didn't seem surprised. Above him, several feet up in the air, was an invisible object, unseen to the naked eye. He glanced around, watching as several figures gradually revealed themselves from the shadows.
"Well, this is something," Henry muttered to himself as he observed the figures. They moved with a grace and precision that spoke of years of training. These were no ordinary assailants.
He smiled, a cold, confident smile. "Took you long enough. What happened? I thought you guys would be on my ass all day, every day, but you went dark. Were you gathering intel?" He asked, but they remained silent. All of them.
In an instant, they rushed him, their movements swift and coordinated. "Oh, this is just disappointing. I thought you guys gathered some intel," Henry said as he effortlessly dodged the first attack. The ninja wielded a katana, slicing through the air where Henry had been just a moment before.
"Let's see, one, two, three... 21," Henry chuckled as he counted his attackers. "Wow, you brought twenty times the amount."
The first ninja lunged at him with a flurry of rapid strikes, the blade whistling through the air. Henry moved like water, flowing around each attack with minimal effort. He ducked, sidestepped, and spun with a grace that made the ninja's efforts look amateurish. With a quick flick of his wrist, he disarmed the ninja, the katana flying from the assailant's hand.
A second ninja came at him from the side, throwing a barrage of shuriken. Henry deflected them with a casual wave of his hand, the tiny stars embedding themselves harmlessly into the walls around him. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, striking the ninja in the throat with a precise, deadly blow. The ninja crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Another ninja attacked from behind, swinging a pair of nunchaku. Henry twisted, grabbing the nunchaku mid-swing and using the momentum to flip the attacker over his shoulder. The ninja landed hard, the wind knocked out of him. Henry followed up with a crushing stomp to the chest, ending the fight.
Despite their comrades falling around them, the remaining ninjas didn't falter. They increased the ferocity of their attacks, moving in perfect synchronization. Two ninjas wielding sais attacked in unison, their movements a deadly dance. Henry weaved between them, his movements a blur. He caught one by the wrist, twisting it until he heard a snap, and then drove the sai into the ninja's own chest. The other ninja met a similar fate, his neck snapped with a swift, brutal twist.
The ninjas were highly trained, their skills evident in every precise strike and coordinated maneuver. They moved with a fluidity that only came from years of rigorous training. Yet, Henry's superiority was undeniable. He danced through their attacks with an effortless grace, each movement calculated and efficient.
A ninja wielding a bo staff came at him next, spinning the weapon with impressive speed. Henry ducked under a sweeping strike, catching the staff and using it to leverage the ninja off his feet. With a swift motion, he broke the staff over his knee and drove the jagged ends into the ninja's chest.
Another ninja, armed with a kusarigama, swung the chain and sickle with deadly precision. Henry sidestepped the blade, catching the chain and yanking the ninja forward. He delivered a crushing elbow to the ninja's face, shattering the mask and dropping the attacker to the ground.
One by one, the ninjas fell, each meeting a swift and brutal end. Despite their numbers and skills, they were no match for Henry. He moved like a phantom, his attacks deadly and precise. The few who managed to land a strike found their weapons harmlessly deflected or turned against them.
As the last ninja fell, Henry stood amidst the carnage, barely a scratch on him. The silent night was once again still, the only sound the distant hum of the city. He looked around at the fallen bodies, his expression one of mild disappointment. These ninjas were the same as the first ninja he had ever faced, the first life he had ever taken. Back then, they had been a terrifying, almost insurmountable challenge. But now, at this stage of his life, Henry was far from defenseless. The irony was almost laughable.
"Your men were quite disappointing. I hope you are different," Henry suddenly said, He turned toward an alleyway where an elderly woman, probably in her 70s and using a cane, was slowly walking toward him. She was Asian, with visible wrinkles that spoke of a long, experienced life.
Henry smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "I am guessing you must be their leader." The woman paused, her calm eyes locking onto his. She moved with a speed so fast that even the fastest athletes couldn't accomplish it. Despite her age, she seemed almost superhuman. Henry noted this with a hint of surprise, though he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he remained calm and composed, which surprised the woman as well, he looked up and said, "Can I tell you a story?"
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A/N: Well, another chapter is here. So yeah, I didn't forget about the hand. In fact, Henry is going to be a thorn in their side, damaging their business and using borrowed knives to hit them where it hurts. After all, why waste time if you can get someone else to do it for you? Anyways, guess what story he is going to tell?
PS: There are nearly a hundred projects I need to cover, and I have covered 27 of them so far. But remember, most of these projects aren't just a single episode or movie. These projects are sometimes several episodes, and Henry needs to have a hand in all of them, whether it's personal or not. So yeah, this novel is going to be longer than anything I have ever done.
PS: guess what movie i am currently on? hint: cold and robot.