"Where is Mandy?" Sean asked as he finally gathered his wits. A coldness still ran bone-deep from whatever desperate attempt the dagger had made at the end.
"She- I flew her out of harm's way." Blonde Blazer answered as she landed next to him. Her eyes were filled with concern as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know you're tough, but are you alright?"
"I think so. I'm just so cold." As if to prove a point, he started shivering.
Zap
The guy in the trench coat appeared in front of them. "Don't worry, it's just a side effect from having suddenly severed the connection between you and the dagger. You'll be fine after a good night's rest. Can you tell me where you found it?" The guy had a British accent with a smoker's lung. For some reason, he felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place his face.
As he thought about answering, his mind raced for an answer. He couldn't tell them the entire story. It would be difficult if one day Ghost Spider's identity was connected to Stacy. Her hero career would take a hit before it even started. "A vigilante brought it to my attention. Since she doesn't belong to an organization, she figured I could help with it through SDN. Somehow, I forgot about reporting it in on the way back."
The guy nodded as if he expected the answer. "Not surprising. There is some magic embedded to mess with the dagger's holder. Feeds off of life force and suppressed desires. It compels you to act on some of your darker thoughts and desires, something that is usually kept in check by your morals and ideals…"
"Fortunately, I figured something was wrong quickly."
"How did you figure it out?"
"I… noticed that I became weaker. It was feeding off of my Ki, which was something that it couldn't seem to make me forget." He wouldn't admit that this information came after trying to sleep with his coworkers, but that shouldn't be relevant information, right?
"Indeed, though the dagger seemed to have been enamored with you." The guy chuckled as if privy to something only he knew. "Did that vigilante mention anything else?"
"Not really. Just that it could kill constructs."
"Hm. That is not its primary function, but it could be used that way…" The guy fell into deep thoughts, while his partner had documented everything and locked the dagger into some form of bandage box with sigils on its outer wall. "That vigilante, do you have her contact details?"
"Nope, just met her that day."
"Well, if you remember anything more, whether it's about the vigilante or the dagger, do contact us." A card appeared between his fingers, which Sean easily accepted.
"The magic on you will quickly lessen over the next few days, and with it you'll be able to remember anything that the dagger might have made you forget." The witch said.
"The magic on me? It's still affecting me?" After having the connection severed, he had figured that would be the end of it.
"Indeed." The guy said as a lit cigarette appeared between his lips, puffing twice before continuing. "Nothing as bad as it had been just now. Not even half as bad, so you'll be able to handle it. If you do find yourself with unusual thoughts of murder or anything else nefarious, take a cold shower." Wasn't that a bit too careless?
"I'm an individual with superpowers, and that's all the advice you have? This doesn't seem appropriately vigilant of you. It would be better to observe me for a while before being confident enough to let me out. What if I hurt some civilian?!" The words came out harsher than he intended, and for some reason it made the duo smile as if they had expected this.
"Spoken like a true hero." The witch chuckled bemusedly, while the guy smiled. Their nonchalance ticked him off. This wasn't something to take lightly. He was a Saiyan with immense strength. Just a casual swipe of his hand and he could casually erase a city block.
"John, you sure this is fine?" Blonde Blazer interjected, but John just shrugged.
"Relax. We just provoked a reaction, and if the residual magic just makes him reprimand others for not taking a danger seriously enough, you don't have to worry about much. You'll be good to go, especially after having a night's rest." The guy admitted, pulling his glowing arm out of his trench coat's pocket. "Besides, Blonde Blazer, you can keep him under close monitor for the next few days. If he acts up, just shoot him with your light." With a wink and without waiting for their response, they blinked away.
"That went surprisingly well." Blonde Blazer sounded genuinely surprised.
"I'm not sure if that counts as going well." Sean glanced around at the busted window and the crater made into what used to be a stone bench. "Let me guess, magic stuff usually ends up in disasters?" Magic wasn't something he knew how to deal with. Ki could offset a lot of stuff, but he wasn't sure how it held up against magic. At least, this one seemed to perfectly counter him.
"Kind of. Everything involved with it is usually needlessly complex, and the consequences potentially far-reaching." Her hand swept up a wild strand of hair behind her ear. For some reason, he couldn't help but admire her form. She looked soft while also looking strong. His gaze wandered down to her long legs. The contours of her legs could be seen through her suit.
Forcing himself, he shut his eyes, knowing that this was probably the aftereffects of that magic. He wasn't going to leer at his boss after almost causing a huge disaster. That would be just asking to be fired. He wasn't some kind of damsel in distress to be enamored after being saved once.
"Are you truly alright?" Her soft and worried tone made him blank for a moment. She did sound quite similar to Mandy.
With that thought, he opened his eyes to look at her. "Should we check on Mandy? I'm sure she must have been frightened."
"N-no!" Her response felt hasty. "She is alright. There was that thing she was going to, so she didn't have time…"
"Oh…"
"…You sound disappointed." A happy smile blossomed on her face. "Were you hoping to spend some time with her?" Her tone was teasing, but he wasn't going to deny her question. It was obvious that the two were close, and he wasn't going to mess this up by trying to seem like he didn't enjoy Mandy's presence.
"I was. She had been the highlight of my past few days." Her eyes widened in shock before her face started to flush. "It's nice to talk to someone who isn't an active part of all of this, you know?"
"Y-yeah." Her reaction was a bit subdued, though the smile lingered as she averted her gaze from him. "That's why we are that close. It's good to be- with Mandy, have some normalcy."
"Exactly." They exchanged a smile before Sean glanced at his watch. "I should probably heed their advice, go to sleep off that magic residue or whatever."
"Yes, good idea. Then see you tomorrow."
With that, they parted ways. Having learned how to fly, Sean took off toward his home. On the way, he remembered that he had gotten a text from Stacy. After landing and putting his prepped meal into the microwave, he picked up his phone and looked at the multiple messages Stacy had sent him. They described how she had picked it up after roughing up a thug. It had a strange pull on her, and then a figure in a coat and a red mask appeared.
She explained he looked quite menacing, but after he explained its ability to kill constructs, she didn't really pay attention to him anymore and also didn't ask for a name. The guy left silently shortly afterward. She wasn't sure what he was there for or why he informed her of this, as her mind was too occupied with what the dagger could do.
"A guy in a coat and a red mask. Is Red Skull also part of this universe?" He wasn't sure what to do with that information. Maybe he should look through the database for anyone matching that description, but that getup could very well be something that the guy just picked for the occasion.
Without any more leads, he continued his meal in deep thought, then remembered something important. He quickly picked up his phone again and called Stacy. It didn't take long until she picked up, and it was only then that he realized he had accidentally video-called her. The layout of this world's apps and symbols was still something he needed to get used to.
However, since she already picked up, he just propped up his phone while continuing to eat. She was sitting at a desk in a dim office. "Right, you said you had the night shift." He almost forgot that she mentioned that. "Do you have a moment?"
She said something that wasn't picked up by her phone. It was obvious that she was muted. Then she took off her headset, picked up her phone, and walked somewhere. Probably some meeting room, where she had some privacy. "Sorry about that." She apologized as she sat down and finally turned her attention to her phone. Her eyes widened as she looked at him through the screen. "Y-you're naked!"
He snorted at that. "I just don't have a shirt on, relax."
"Right, yeah, obviously. S-so why are you calling? I don't really know more about that guy." She tapped on her phone a couple of times as she said that.
"I just wanted to inform you about that dagger. It's a magical artifact that influences the mind of the holder. It feeds off of life force and apparently compels you to give in to your suppressed desires. You might have noticed something."
She nodded. "Now that you said it, I felt a cold shiver down my back a while ago. I thought I was getting sick… Suppressed desires, huh? So, that's why I'm…"
"I'm calling because despite having destroyed its magic, there will be some residue that might continue to influence you."
"Oh, I see. So, you were worried." She responded with a nod.
"Of course. Just keep it in mind if you find yourself with strong impulses. They said the residue will be gone in a few days."
"It might be a good idea not to visit you then." Her eyes flickered up and down.
"Indeed. It might be for the best." He nodded again. It would certainly not be great for her mental state if she decided to visit Torrance again and ended up thinking about revenge again. "I'm in a similar situation. Since it was able to feed off a lot of my life force, it had affected me quite a bit." Revealing this wasn't without reason. There was no need to suffer without having anyone to talk to. Perhaps they could tell the others about some triggers. "So, if you need someone to call and talk about it. I can probably relate." He winked before slurping the rest of the soup.
"I see… that's good to know." Her voice trailed off. When he looked at the screen again, he saw her staring intently at the screen. "I-I'll need to get back and dispatch. Let's talk another time, alright?"
He nodded. "Sure, see you around." With that, he closed the call. It was getting late, and he wanted that sleep. Without further ado, he prepared for bed. Even when he lay in bed, his thoughts were cycling around certain attractive assets. The sensations, the smells, the view…
It was rather hard, but in the end, he managed to fall asleep. Perhaps this time he would have a nicer dream.
...
His mind took a moment to catch up. A profound sadness lingered from his dreams. He wiped away the tears and tried to steady his breathing before deciding to sit at the edge of his bed. A glance around the room was all he needed to orient himself again. Then he laid his face in his hands and sat there like this for a few moments.
It wasn't until five or ten minutes later, when his alarm clock rang, that he shut it off and prepared for the day. Getting dressed, packed his bags, and had his breakfast before he was out the door and headed for the dojo.
This was going to be the last day at the dojo for the foreseeable future. It was a great place to regulate his strength, but he had already absorbed all the lessons they could teach him. His skill had already surpassed theirs, and with his strength increasing, the advantage he held was too massive to have any meaningful exchanges. What remaining techniques they could teach him didn't apply to people in his strength bracket.
It was better to use that time to control his Ki, figure out more techniques, and internalize them, or even to just image train instead. Of course, he could visit if he decided he would need some sparring partners to hold back against, but even that could be done against his team instead. Although they were tougher than most humans, it would give him a good estimation of how far he should hold back.
With a bit of a sour mood, he headed there. Changed and went through the lesson with familiarity, confirming once again that the lessons were meaningless to him now. Afterward, he announced it to the group. Although they weren't the bestest of friends, they had grown used to his presence, and he did to theirs. At least, with those that were there almost daily.
After briefly explaining that he wouldn't be visiting anymore, Coach Arun didn't seem surprised. In fact, most of them didn't. Aleks, who had been challenging him every time since he beat him, also scoffed before saying it was about time.
Apparently, they had been waiting for him to announce it. "You're monster." Aleks began. "You have to fight monsters, not play with us. Hahaha." He slapped Sean across his back, something that would have made most people wince, but Sean didn't even budge. Matthew joked about not having to get his ass handed to him anymore.
"We expect great things from you. I've seen you a couple of times in the news. One can see the influence of our style when you move." Coach Arun finished their exchange. With a wide grin and his chest high, he looked extremely satisfied. "A superhero from our dojo. Make sure to advertise us from time to time."
"You sure? Anyone with bad blood might come knocking at your door." His warning seemed to awaken him from his fantasies as he visibly shivered.
"Anyone having a bone to pick with you and going through it will probably be more than we can handle." His chuckle turned nervous.
"Don't worry, I'll only advertise you to other heroes." With a wink, he left the building while waving them goodbye. It was doubtful whether he would ever see them again. They had only played a starting role and an introduction to his strength in this world. Having spent only a few weeks training with them shouldn't make this goodbye feel this melodramatic, but his mood had been in the gutter since that recurring nightmare, making it somehow feel heavier than it should be.
The few kilometers he ran to the building were hardly worth mentioning. Running a marathon wasn't something that winded him anymore. He could be faster, but he wasn't going to risk it. Sprinting without suppressing his Ki would leave windows shattered and the ground torn up. A light jog and he was still the fastest thing the streets were witnessing, arriving at SDN in record time.
As he headed toward the changing room, someone called out to him. "Here!" Stephen, a receptionist who usually worked in the medical wing. "You have a package from the equipment department. They dropped it there." He pointed at the corner where a larger box was sitting. "Think you can move it on your own? It's quite heavy."
"Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Stephen!" He said before he picked it up. On the box, it said that it weighed just above 176 pounds. With it, he went to the changing room and opened it up. Just looking at the main piece staring at him put a smile on his face. Something he had ordered through SDN a week ago and only just arrived.
Commercially, there weren't many weighted clothing items he could order, but who said it had to be clothing? He took out the tungsten boots and slipped in. Tungsten was the heaviest option he could order his armor for. Well, at least the option he could afford. Expectedly, they felt a bit stiff and clunky since they were designed to weigh a lot. Anyone else wearing them would probably not be able to walk easily. Taking them for a walk, it took some effort to move in them, but mostly because he was not familiar with them and not because of the actual weight.
His new fingerless gloves were also mostly tungsten. Like most of the new hero suit, it was designed to be heavy first, and everything else was an afterthought. Even moving his wrist was only barely achievable, to not completely restrict his movements. His new armor was the classic Saiyan armor with those ridiculous shoulder pads and thigh protectors, mostly to have more weight to distribute across his frame, while keeping at least most of his mobility.
Except for its yellow and black colors, it looked like Raditz's armor, though he wore something long underneath. Everything together weighed about 80 kg or 176 pounds. Even that amount of weight would hardly give him too much trouble, but every bit of stimulus was welcome. After putting it on, it felt difficult to move in.
Thud Thud
His steps felt and sounded heavy. Just hearing that, he had the illusion that every step of his would crack the floor beneath him. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. Even with that ridiculous armor, he didn't weigh more than Golem, and he was moving about the building fine enough. It felt a bit ridiculous to move so stiffly and strenuously while keeping his Ki suppressed. As he loosened his suppression, his steps turned smoother and less strenuous, as though the armor suddenly became lighter.
As the thought went through his mind, he almost dismissed it. Ki enhanced his body. Of course, the weight would feel lighter. However, there was something strange he noticed as he stretched a bit to get a feel for the range of movements. Just walking around, his steps became quieter, like he wasn't wearing any heavy armor.
Of course, given the material, the sound it made was quite distinguishable from before, but compared to when he was suppressing his Ki, it was a world of difference. Was that something noteworthy? Without holding back, his body control would inevitably be better. His movement turned softer because he had leeway to not slam his feet onto the ground. However, there was his nagging intuition, telling him that there was more to it.
Curiosity got the better of him. His gaze locked onto the scale in the corner of the changing room. As he stepped onto it, he watched the needle spin toward and stay at around 100kg. The words 'stay around', were deliberately chosen, as the needle jumped to 110 kg, but never below 75ish kg. When he suppressed his Ki, it started to rise to 155, which he imagined was his actual total weight, but even when he exerted himself, it didn't go below 75kg.
Just looking at that made him realize that Ki wasn't just enhancing his body. It was actually counteracting any excess weight. Images of characters transforming flashed through his mind. Their Ki leaked outward, lifting and scattering rocks around them. He himself had done the same, but his weight didn't truly decrease.
Thinking about it, he manipulated his Ki as if he was about to fly off. His weight decreased as he consciously exerted himself, going below 80, then 70. A light bulb lit up. It should have been obvious!
When flying, he obviously wasn't making himself lighter than air. He was moving where his will directed his body, with gravity, momentum, and whatever physical force continuing to act upon him. This was obviously something similar. His body was subconsciously regulating the weight acting upon him.
His mind wandered a bit at that, and when he focused back on the scale, it was at around 95kg. He watched it for a moment, and it continued to fluctuate. Never remaining at one number, but also never went to where his actual weight with that armor should be. Just seeing that, he focused inward and observed his Ki flowing throughout his body, how it felt, what it did in his body, and where it leaked.
"Does this mean…" His mind trailed off as he came to a realization. He focused on it. Slowly but surely, his weight continued downward to approach 75, while the upward fluctuations decreased. No wonder their power levels increased when they took off their weighted clothes. Their energy was equalizing the weight of their clothes, and without the extra weight, more energy was available for them.
"Bro, how long do you want to stare at the scale? It won't change because you stare at it long enough." Some hero in his boxers suddenly complained behind him.
'It kind of does,' Sean thought ironically before he chuckled awkwardly. He hadn't paid attention to the world around him and probably stood on that weight for 10 minutes already, looking at it like a maniac. "Sorry about that."
He stepped off of it and decided to head for Royd's laboratory while trying to direct his Ki to counteract his new weight. There were already some people present. The normal shift was starting soon, but he still had enough time to check on Royd's progress, and technically this was part of his job too. Without a dispatcher, it wasn't like anyone had missions for him out of the gate, so he had no one who expected his deployment this early.
When the door opened into Royd's domain, he could be seen sitting at his desk, typing away on a holographic keyboard. Royd looked up and lightened up. "Great timing, bruddah. The chamba' is optimized to handle all your mana. Go, go! Let's try it." Always enthusiastic. Dealing with converting his Ki into usable energy and then powering a newly assembled gravity chamber seemed to have brought a lot of joy to the big guy. It was an infectious mood.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Excitement built up as he wondered how well the chamber would hold up. Just having a steady pressure of 10G would already help him a ton, even more than the newly added 80 kg he was now wearing. Mastering that level of gravity could give him a better assessment of where his power level would be.
Without further ado, he entered the safety room and recognized what looked like a diving chamber as the new prototype of the gravity chamber. There was a big pillar connecting the ground with the ceiling, though it was still big enough to move around the chamber. For a moment, he glanced around, though he didn't find the handles he usually grabbed to transfer his Ki.
"Hahaha, I knew you would look dumbfounded." Royd was obviously amused, his voice coming through some speakers hidden inside the chamber. "You wanted to move around, right bruddah? Can't do dat if you need to hold on to some handle in the wall. Take your shoes off." He did as the scientist asked of him and placed his new boots just outside of the chamber.
He was already guessing something. "You can just direct your mana into the ground." There it was.
"Is it the entire ground? What about the walls?"
"Eh, just the ground… Do you want to walk on the walls?"
He shook his head, figuring Royd had installed some cameras as well. "No, this is plenty enough." So, he found some way to turn the ground into something that could direct the Ki before converting it into usable energy that powered the artificial gravity. He wasn't even going to pretend he knew how difficult something like that would be.
His Ki flooded into the ground, and he could sense it flow into what appeared to be a web before converging into a single point in the middle of that pillar. Then he felt it. The gravity increased. Maybe it was because he had just experimented with the weights. His Ki not only flooded into the machine but also started to counteract the increasing gravity.
The gravity reached 10G, and he had to exert himself quite a bit. The strain had already grown to the point that he was starting to sweat, just standing there.
"Are you alright?"
"Don't increase it! Keep it at 10G."
"Bruddah, I wasn't going to." Sean took a tentative step forward. It was supposed to be a simple movement, but the strain turned unimaginably higher. "You need me to decrease it?" His muscles were screaming as the gravity pressed onto his bones while, simultaneously, he was squeezing out more Ki simply to keep himself upright. Not only did he have to keep up the energy output to power the damn thing, but he kind of had to have enough strength to actually survive the gravity.
For a few minutes, he just stood there, focusing on keeping his output steady. As of now, he could just exert himself as much as possible to remain in this place. He imagined that once his strength increased, he could actually regulate how much Ki went into negating the gravity and how much his body was doing the work. Prior to having experienced it, he had thought that the gravity chamber would just be purely physical.
Of course, in a way it was still physical since his body and Ki were essentially the same thing. However, the benefits he reaped would be so much more. Higher gravity was a Ki control exercise as well, to actually release enough energy to survive the gravity, but also to not needlessly waste any of it. No wonder Vegeta didn't need higher and higher gravity. He could make the same gravity more demanding by simply lowering the amount of Ki he used to counteract it and just bear it physically, or generally be more efficient with his Ki to survive the load.
The realization made him laugh almost manically. A true bang-for-the-buck, physical training plus Ki control in one.
"Bruddah, I'm excited too, but I think you lost de plot..."