"I am the vigilante commonly known as Immortal." Upon hearing my introduction, he relaxed slightly, but at the same time, he seemed even more alert.
"I've heard of vigilantes… in some places, they're seen as myths—like the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, the good kid from Queens… and you, who seem the most mysterious…" He spoke, narrowing his eyes but ending with a different question. "What do you want with me?"
"As I said, I am a vigilante, specifically from a special group called the Guardian Sword. Now, for my proposal… do you really think your current actions benefit your community? Do you believe that person will truly keep their word? A crime boss like him?" The information, along with my series of questions, irritated him, but he stayed silent.
"It's what I have to do… to protect my people."
I didn't comment and sat lightly on the ground in front of him, my fingers tapping the floor beside me. "I'll let you think it over… but some information: the so-called Bushmaster, or rather John McIver, is tied to a special organization called The Hand, a massive group I aim to dismantle. He also seems to be using you in some internal conflict or regular dispute."
I paused to let him absorb the information, then tossed a small round device in his direction. "As I said, my group—or rather, my small team—seeks to destroy this organization or at least remove it from New York. If you're interested, you can contact me using that device. You seem like an interesting person; it would be great to have a new member, or at least a temporary ally."
Not waiting for an answer, I was already in the sky. But I left him with two warnings: "Don't try to hack or open it, or I'll know, and it will self-destruct… The Guardian Sword awaits your response."
With that, I disappeared into the night's shadows and cold winds. Luke remained at a distance, watching me depart and inspecting the mysterious little device now in his hand.
In the following days, I used Anturian technology, along with my stealth and infiltration skills, to gather information on The Hand's bases and resources. Daredevil and Spider-Man assisted me, though I limited the latter's involvement a bit. Luke still hadn't reached out, and I just hoped he hadn't been eliminated.
At the moment, I was at a depot dealing in drugs and other contraband. Hovering above, winds swirling around me, I looked down at the men below, who watched with weapons, visibly terrified. I raised my hand, conjuring a tornado-like serpent that shattered containers and debris.
Desperate, they fired at me, but I dodged, and the fierce winds around me blocked any attacks from landing. My hands moved in quick, repeating gestures, casting various spells in seconds.
"Ice Make: Eagles, Gorilla, Leopard."
From the first magic circle, icy eagles took flight, attacking them; from the second, two medium-sized gorillas appeared; and from the third, two leopards emerged and went after my enemies. They had no escape, as I'd stacked containers around them or frozen the area with Gray's static ice magic. My summoned creatures of pure ice quickly destroyed everything in their path. It was both a warning and an effort to weaken The Hand's presence in New York, though I knew this wouldn't end things as long as their leaders roamed free.
But… I found something interesting on-site.
My gaze landed on an intriguing figure wielding a sharp katana. I recognized him from files I'd gathered; he held a reasonable rank within the organization. I landed in front of him, unfazed by the icy environment and the destruction caused by my ice summons.
"Hello," he greeted in Mandarin, which I understood thanks to the Omnitrix's automatic translation.
"Who are you? Do you even know which group you're dealing with?" He seemed slightly unnerved, but he gave an order to some men hiding nearby, who charged at me wielding katanas and shurikens.
I was unfazed, drawing a dagger in my right hand while the nails on my left sharpened like knives. As they attacked, I slipped between their strikes, my eyes glowing softly blue, and my Haki sensed their every move. My martial arts blend flowed as my dagger moved with a mix of kenjutsu and Wind and Cloud cultivation techniques. I deflected their weapons, countered blows, and incapacitated them with punches, kicks, and strikes.
A strong blow to the neck rendered them unconscious, and soon they were all down. I took the opportunity to refine my combat techniques. Given their skill level, it didn't take long to defeat them, leaving only the leader standing.
He advanced with more skill than the rest. My dagger shifted into my larger, red-black sword, and I blocked his attack effortlessly. "Well, as a leader, you're certainly more capable than your subordinates. Congratulations."
I complimented him with a calm smile, and without breaking my rhythm, continued to fight until his standard blade shattered. "Tsk. What a shame."
With his weapon gone, I struck him in the stomach, causing him to collapse. I flexed slightly and placed my hand on his head, letting my telepathic and mental power invade his mind. My expression shifted from a smile to a frown as I extracted the necessary information. With a quick slice from my dagger, a thin line of blood appeared at his throat.
From the intel I gathered… one of The Hand's latest missions in New York is tied to Rand Corporation, and specifically, they seem to be seeking a young man with a yellow fist…
Without an exact image, I recalled a young man with a glowing fist—the rightful heir of the company. "Looks like it involves Danny… I'll have to meet with him in a few days."
I sighed softly, snapping my fingers as all my ice magic dissolved, and without hesitation, I used Kai Kai to return to base.
On the following evening, I decided to take a short break after making some classic American mac and cheese for my brother. Once he went to sleep, I asked the minions to help me clean up the kitchen.
At that moment, I knelt in my room, focusing my internal energy in one hand while attempting to extract my Soul Energy with the other. I have no specific Soul techniques or powers and haven't acquired any yet, so I rely on the limited knowledge from my lineage in the Ghost Clan of the Black Lotus to tap into a bit of that power.
My right hand glowed with a soft yellow light, then shifted to traces of the light element and finally a blue ice element. My left hand glowed with a faint purple hue, and small lotus leaves occasionally appeared around it.
In that moment, I glanced at my points. Despite not yet having any specific abilities, I was interested in purchasing something to start training with a related skill. I thought I might try to use the capacities of my lineage to some degree.
And what I decided to buy was…