This is a test run for a story I tried to write several times. If you want to see it turned into a fully fleshed out story, leave a review and let me know.
I'll see you when I see you!
Bye~
Accessing…
I look up from my book only to see words floating in front of me. "What the hell?"
The Previous Admin Has Been Slain. A New Admin Has Been Selected.
"Wait. What?"
Welcome, Admin.
"Admin? Do you mean me?"
Administrative Access To System Functions Now Being Granted To Admin…
"What administrative functions? Functions for what?"
Administrative Access Granted.
"Okay, that's cool and all but what does that mean?"
It Means…Have Fun…And Good Luck ?
The words, they were actually more like floating messages, disappeared. After that, I sort of quietly sat on my couch trying to understand what had just happened.
'Obviously I've been chosen to be the new Admin or whatever. But I don't know what that means! It said to have fun…'
I sighed, my confusion quickly turning into frustration. "What the fuck is that even supposed to mean!?" I was not in the mood to deal with this today. Or any other day, for that matter.
I walked over to my fridge, groaning at the thought of dealing with something like this on my day off. Running my hands through my hair, anxiety started to take hold. Maybe a nice, cold bottle of water might help me to calm down?
Opening the fridge, I realize that I haven't gone food shopping this week. "Fuck." I groan. "One bottle of water. That's all I want. Is that too much to ask for!?" I slam the refrigerator door shut before taking a breath. Getting worked up wouldn't help anything.
I turn around to face my kitchen sink, the only other alternative I have, and find a bottle of water sitting on the counter beside it. Momentarily surprised I didn't notice it when I walked in earlier, I reached out for it.
It felt cold in my hand instead of the room temperature that I expected. Like it had been sitting in the fridge for at least a few hours beforehand.
A few minutes of me staring at the water bottle and thinking about the floating messages before it clicked. Didn't I just complain about not having any water? Water from the fridge, specifically?
'Also, Admin is short for Administrator, right? And administrators have control over organizations and systems and the like. So, if I'm the admin…then what do I have control over?' Feeling as though I was taking a step in the right direction, I tried the first thing that came to mind.
"Um," Quite honestly, it felt ridiculous to talk to whatever it was I was talking to out loud. "list…system functions?"
Almost immediately, a list of commands appeared in front of me.
Basic Commands: Administrative Access Level 1
Inspect Object
Modify Object
Create Object
Save Progress[Locked]
Load Save[Locked]
Restrict Access[Locked]
Restore Access[Locked]
Delete Object[Locked]
Restore Object[Locked]
I look over the list with an excitement I haven't felt in what feels like years but was realistically just a few days.
'What should I try first? Maybe Modi- No. Let's see what happens if I try one of the locked ones.' "Save Progress" A little buzzing sound goes off in my head, at least I hope it's only in my head, to signal my unsuccessful attempt at saving my progress.
It says I only have level 1 access. Do I need to level up or something before I can use the rest of them? How am I supposed level up, anyway? Oh, shit! Do I have to fight someone? Like, a criminal or something?
Or is it that I have to complete a task?
"Uh, System! Requirements for levelling…up?" I'm pretty sure that's how I get what I want to appear. A message suddenly comes into view.
Admin Will Be Granted Level 2 Access When The Requirements Have Been Met.
"Well, what are the requirements?"
Admin Does Not Have The Necessary Level Of Access For That Information.
"Great. In the dark until I level up, I guess. Wonderful. It's not like I'm supposed to be the freaking Admin or anything! You know, the person that's supposed to be in charge of you!
[This System] Has Level 10 Access. You, However, Retain No Significant Control Over [This System] As You Are. Only When You Have Been Granted Level 10 Access Will You Have Any Significant Control over [This System].
Did I read that right? Was that-? Was it giving me sass!? "That's…okay. Level 10, you say? I'll get there soon enough. And when I do, then we'll see whether or not you're still such a sassy Cathy."
Putting that aside for now, I moved on to the three commands that weren't locked.
First up, Inspect Object.
"Hmm. Inspect Admin's Apartment" It never hurt to be specific. Especially when dealing with such an unfamiliar…whatever this is.
Information on Admin's Apartment
Inhabitant(s): Matteo Vitali (Admin)
Time Inhabited: Twenty-Seven Years, Seven Months, One Week, Five Days
Rent: $728/Month
Rent Due: Every 30 Days
Time Until Rent Is Due: 11 Days
Landlord: James Hillman
Tenant/Landlord Relationship: Not Good.
Holy shit! That's…incredibly accurate. Even the part about Mr. Hillman not liking me. Just talking to the man is about as pleasant as having your arm ripped off. Wait, that's not true. I think I'm more likely to enjoy getting my arm ripped off.
"I want to try doing that to something else…Oh! Inspect Admin"
Information on Admin
Profile:
Name: Matteo Vitali (Admin Access Level 1)
Age: 27 (Natural Lifespan: 45 Immortal)
Gender: Male
Date Of Birth: October 11th , 1927
Date Of Death: TBD
Personal History: Born To Immigrant Parents, Now Deceased, Matteo Vitali Lives In Gotham City, Working As A Massage Therapist. With The Recent Decrease In Income, However, He Has Been Forced To Use Illegal Means To Obtain Financial Security. Matteo Has No Friends And Only One Surviving Family Member Left That He Can Truly Rely On. He Often Feels-
I don't bother reading the rest of that surprisingly long personal history section. Bunch of psychologically analyzed bullshit I don't need in my life.
Interests: Learning To Use [This System]
Life Goal(s): Raise Yu Yan
Job(s): 1) Massage Therapist
2) Drug Dealer
Significant Other(s): Yu Yan Huang (10)- Half-Sister (Shared Father); Claudia Jones (née Moretti) (39)- High Profile Client / Obsessed Stalker;
Physical Biography:
- Height: 6'2''
- Weight: 230 lbs.
- Build: Mesomorphic (Muscular)
- Skin Color: Olive
- Hair Color: Brown
- Eye Color: Green
- Facial Hair: Five-O'clock Shadow
Wait, it says I'm fucking immortal! Is that for real? So, I'm not going to die at forty-five like I was naturally supposed to? Hell, yeah! I mean, do I just not die? 'System?' Does it work the way I think it works?'
Death Will Only Be Temporary As [This System] Revives You.
After that I may or may not have danced around the room like a fool. And would anyone blame me if I did? I'm effectively immortal now!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading more about myself, save for that one section, for all of two seconds before I got down to the last bit of information about my "significant other". It didn't so much disturb me as it did confuse the hell out of me.
Mrs. Jones is the most uptight person I have ever met. And I mean this both physically and personality-wise. It's like she has a giant stick up her ass all the time. Plus, she never treats anybody else the way she treats me.
The other employees she has get warm smiles and friendly consideration. Me, jack squat.
Whenever it's our day of the week to meet, she always gives me this unimpressed stare as she opens the door to let me in. She always keeps her eye on me as we walk through the house, never allowing me to be anywhere else but in front of her.
Not once has she ever said a 'thank you' to me or anything close to that. Just slaps a check in my hand and sends me on my way. Again, never once letting me leave her sight as I move to leave.
She has a son, maybe seventeen I think, who is somehow always doing stupid shit when I come around.
Harassing the maids, flunking out of some private school he got sent to, bringing an unbelievably skeevy looking hooker back to his room without bothering to close or lock his door, and even doing drugs that I could have sold to him if he'd asked.
Like, I'm trying to make a living here dude! Paying the piper is not as easy as it sounds; especially if his name is James Hillman. Why not buy from someone you see every week?
Anyway, when I first began to work there, I noticed that every time she went to yell at him, she would accidentally slip and start to berate him in both English as well as Italian. And when it clicked in my head that I could also speak Italian, I figured that it would be a wonderful way for us to not have the awkward silence between us that I had with some of my other clients.
Plus, there weren't many people who could speak fluent Italian in Gotham. Surprising as that was considering that it was the city whose melting pot rivalled that of New York City's.
Never again.
After asking her if she had enjoyed my services thus far hadn't elicited a response, I switched tactics. I asked about what she did, what her interests were, how here week was, and about a million other different things I could think of by using that conversation technique where you talk about yourself and then insinuate that the person you're talking to does, or does not do, the same thing. It's sort of a ticket into the conversation for people who don't like to talk but like to listen instead.
Still nothing but silence.
Near the end, I notice she'd turned her head at some point in the conversation in the opposite direction. Blatantly ignoring me the entire time I was talking! Worse, still, I saw her reflection in a nearby mirror as she turned her head and I'm pretty sure I'd only succeeded in pissing her off.
It confused the hell out of me, and also scared the hell out of me since she was my most high-profile client at that point, that she wouldn't want to enthusiastically talk in what was obviously her native language if her almost imperceptible accent was any indication.
My parents and I had cherished any opportunity to speak in Italian to anyone who could hold up a semi-decent conversation. As surrounded as we were by people of almost every background imaginable, we always felt a little alone because of this very real language barrier.
And you're probably wondering why I felt this separation as well. The thing is, my parents were only able to speak in incredibly broken English when they first arrived. So, having been born only a month after moving here, I went to school speaking what very little English they had tried to get a grasp on by themselves.
With an incredible stroke of luck, however, we had a neighbor who had a cousin who had a brother-in-law that was a translator for foreign dignitaries that came to Gotham. Out of seven languages, Italian was his third strongest.
With a few favors owed towards our neighbor, who unfortunately passed on a few years back, we had someone to help us, mainly me since my parents found learning a second language like English incredibly difficult, get a good enough grasp of English to match what most children my age had known at the time.
Anyway, I just never understood why I was met with such a harsh reaction.
So, back to the story, she had this deep frown on her face, was clenching her eyes shut, and was biting her lip as if desperately trying not to explode at me right then and there. I felt a little upset from her reaction, but what was I going to do? Drop her as a client because she can't stand my attempts to be friendly? No.
The woman was one of my highest paying regulars! I'd just stop trying so hard to get familiar with her. I sure as shit wasn't going to back out of our arrangement because she didn't like me.
But to know now that she was obsessed with me. To the point of stalking, no less. I am more than a little surprised. Though, now that I think about it…What if the reason she walked behind me all this time was because she liked…looking at me.
Checking out my ass and all that. Women do that men, right? I mean, It's definitely true the other way around.
And…maybe she was just nervous about talking to me? A lot of people get shy around the person they're into. Especially if it's when she's in the middle of being married to another guy.
I furrow my brows. Is that why she's so damn tense whenever I massage her?
…Man, that's why I always have a bitch of a time with her! She's tense, but not from her job like I've always thought. It's from being touched by me, the guy she's obsessed with, in an admittedly erotic way!
Because I don't care what anyone says. Man or woman, massages are often erotic for at least one of the people involved. As is the case with Mrs. Jones and I, apparently!
I rubbed my face in my hands, not willing to deal with such a delicate and confusing situation before I sort out the other situation I'm still in the middle of. Namely, dealing with being able to do…whatever it is I'm doing.
My eyes move past the 'Significant Other(s)' section and down to my physical biography. What I see is basically everything I already know about myself. As I get to the end of this section, becoming more and more uninterested in my own stats by the second, I move on to the next thing I can do.
"Now, let's see what you do. Modify Admin's Apartment"
Apartment Modifications Currently Available
Repairs Possible:
- Garbage Disposal (Blocked)
- Kitchen Light (Burnt Out)
- Kitchen Tiles (Cracked/Missing)
- Washing Machine (Rusted Transmission, Rusted Tub Basket [Inner and Outer], Rusted Motor, Rusted Seals)
- Bathroom Tiles (Cracked/Missing)
- Shower Drain (Blocked)
- Bedroom Window Lock (Broken Off)
- Air Conditioning Unit (Broken Down)
- Walls (Chipped Paint, Cracks, Weakened Structural Integrity)
In Need Of Cleaning:
- Bathroom
- Laundry Room
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Carpet
- Windows
- Living Room
Upgrades Possible:
- Upgraded Locks On All Doors and Windows
- Fire Alarm Upgrade To Detect Carbon Monoxide
- Strengthen Apartment Doors
- Soundproof Apartment
- Upgraded Air Conditioning Unit
-Upgraded Ceiling Fan(s)
I don't know whether to be depressed that I live in such a massively decrepit shithole and didn't even know it or excited beyond all belief that all these repairs and upgrades won't cost me any time or money.
"I guess…select all and begin?" Each of the listed options were suddenly tinted and then checked off one by one as they were completed.
The cracks in the floor and on the walls disappeared without a trace, the missing tiles on the floor of the bathroom and kitchen suddenly came back into existence, and I couldn't help but appreciate the gentle hint of lavender that came with each clean room.
Watching the simple locks on the doors, the frail doors themselves, the less than functional fire alarms on the ceiling, the broken-down A/C unit, and the walls, ceiling, and floor of my apartment writhe during their upgrades made me feel rather nauseous.
Though, I suppose that's what happens when reality just stops making any sort of sense. Not that I could make any sense of the concept in the first place.
By the end of it all, a newly refurbished and fully functional apartment was all that was left of the old one. What was once grim and possibly a health hazard was now akin to one of those nice condos I've seen on newspaper ads.
The only issue I might have is with Mr. Hillman since I made all these changes without telling him. I mean, I'm allowed to make any changes I want to so long as it's out of my own pocket and doesn't disturb the neighbors.
Which, I doubt this will since no one's bothered to come and bitch at me about any noise they might have heard yet.
I took a few minutes to fully explore and appreciate my nice, clean apartment. My smile never faded as I loaded the dishwasher with the dishes that've been sitting there for a week.
The house was being filled with cool air after almost six months of no air at all.
Moving to the front door, I basked in the glory that was the six beautiful state of the art locks on the just as sturdy door. That should keep most of Gotham out. Well, mostly everyone.
I have a feeling that a police officer with the right kind of strength in them would make short work of this level of security.
After my initial excitement dwindled, I moved onto the next thing I wanted Modify.
"Modify Admin"
Active Modifications Currently Available:
Full Heal
Target Heal
Passive Modifications Currently Available:
Improved Constitution
Increased Strength
Increased Speed
Increased Health
Increased Vitality
Increased Stamina
Increased Defense
Increased Attack
Access To Mana Well (Admin's Status As Admin Negates 'The Price' Of Using Magic)
Increased Control Over Magic
Increased Intelligence
Increased Wisdom
Heightened Senses
Minor Pain Tolerance
Minor Hunger Tolerance
Minor Thirst Tolerance
Minor Fatigue Tolerance
Minor Poison Resistance
Minor Heat Resistance
Minor Freeze Resistance
Minor Mental Resistance
Minor Electrical Resistance
Minor Disease Resistance
Minor Spiritual Resistance
Minor Water Resistance
Minor Earth Resistance
Minor Wind Resistance
Minor Gravity Resistance
Minor Radiation Resistance
Minor Temporal Resistance
Minor Enchantment Resistance
Minor Possession Resistance
Minor Light Magic Resistance
Minor Dark Magic Resistance
Minor Life Magic Resistance
Minor Demonic Resistance
Minor Angelic Resistance
Minor Slave Magic Resistance
Minor Blood Magic Resistance
I was speechless. Truly and utterly speechless at what I was reading.
It was…overwhelming. Not only the amount of power I would gain if I chose to make these changes to my body, but also the unspoken implications that came with them. If I did this, I wouldn't be a normal person anymore.
More than likely I'd still be me, but…I'd have a power, powers, no one on Earth has. The ability to heal completely both myself and maybe others on command. Possibly of any illness if the other feats I've done so far are anything to go off of!
I'd be able to use magic! And probably magic that goes beyond the average street magician's parlor tricks or a stage magician's smoke and mirrors.
And look at all of these resistances that I'd have. What the hell is out there that I'd need these many resistances towards. Apparently, demons and angels! Also, slave and blood magic! Those are all real things that exist!?
'Too much to process…Way too much…I need some air…I-'
I swing my hand and the words in front of me disappear. I look around the room trying to find somewhere I can sit and think about what I should do. But all I see are the suffocating reminders of my dilemma.
Not helpful at all.
I need to leave my apartment for a while. Maybe go to a restaurant or somewhere that'll inspire me to make the right decision. Probably a restaurant. I always think better on a full stomach.
The Sun's still in the sky so I have some time before it gets dark out. The streets of Gotham are dangerous at night, doubly so in my neighborhood. It's why my rent's so relatively cheap. Actually, the city-wide crime rate is why a lot of Gotham's apartment buildings have low rent prices.
Despite its location, in the middle of a gang infested neighborhood, Mama Huang's was a pretty good Chinese place. Not only did it make these amazingly delicious fried dumplings, it was a neutral zone that none of the local gangs messed with.
It was because Wu Lin Huang, the woman who ran the shop, was working for one of Gotham's big crime families. A smart tactic by the bigwigs of said family to prevent disruptive gang wars that would only serve to hurt their business.
Even still, I made it a point to drop by and get my weekly dose of greasy goodness. What can I say? I'm a sucker for great food and familiar faces. Especially when said familiar faces were old friends.
Mere moments after I walk in the door, there's the sound of a chair scraping against the tile floor, light footsteps, and then something clinging to my leg. Judging by how heavy it was and the way it giggled as I bent over and 'curiously' ruffled its hair, I knew it was Huang's daughter.
"What is this!? Is that a cheeky little monkey that's hanging onto my leg?" I bend over and pick her up, easily bringing her to eye level. "Oof! I don't know what you've been eating kid, but you've gotten big!"
She wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave me a hug. Of course, I'd have been appreciative if she hadn't almost strangled me in the process, but whatever. She was a kid. And kids never really understood what restraint was.
"As wonderful as this is, I really would like to breathe sweetheart." I pry the reluctant little girl off my neck and let her hang on my outstretched arm instead. Walking past the tables, I was careful not to let her dangling body hit anyone or anything.
It was surprising how little it took to piss someone off around these parts. Just looking at someone was enough to earn yourself an ass kicking. Let alone having the little girl dangling off of you slamming her shoe into the back of someone's head.
We walked down the hallway that's entrance was hidden behind some potted plants and then up a set of stairs that towards the office area of the building. Since I knew the people who owned the place, I wasn't worried about the management only sign next to the staircase.
In addition to the sign, at the top of the stairs, there were also two men that were standing guard with some rather large guns. I waved hello with my free arm, and they let us go by without a problem.
"Do you know if your mother is here?" Yu Yan shook her head sadly.
And I knew why. Today was Friday, the day when Wu Lin went out and picked up that week's shipment of goods. Which I hadn't even thought of until just now.
"Well, that's okay. Seeing as how she'll probably gone until later tonight do you want to have some dinner with me? I think I'm in the mood for some orange chicken." Her eyes lit up and she let go of my arm, opting to run and let the chef know what it is we wanted.
Knowing her, she was probably going to get the same chicken and broccoli with the eggroll and pork fried rice she always got. And a cola to top it off.
As I watched her run off, I couldn't help but think about… I shook my head. Not only have I thought about that to death and come to come to terms with it, I can't afford to think about anything other than the System right now.
I need my full attention on whether or not to modify myself.
Soon, Yu Yan came running back from the kitchen with tears and snot running down her face. I may be a bad person for thinking of my poor clean clothes before Yu Yan, but in my defense, snot is so fucking gross and I'd rather she not rub it all over my nice pants.
Which is exactly what she was doing right now.
I kneel down and comfortingly rub her back. Small circles, like my mother used to do for me. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" She points back towards the restaurant area. That's when I notice the bloody hand print on her sleeve and the partially bloody footprints trailing behind her.
Not a good sign in a place like this. I had to think fast.
I didn't hear any gunshots, so, what, taken down by surprise from behind? How many people? Enough to hold their own and overpower nine grown men with quick access to knives and whatever firearms they'd had on them.
My attention shifts to the bloody trail leading up to us. She'd inadvertently screwed us over if whoever was downstairs saw it.
I pick her up and quickly run to her mother's office, Wu Lin Huang if it wasn't already obvious, where I simultaneously set the locks and coaxed the still very upset Yu Yan into helping me push and move as many pieces of furniture in front of the door as we could.
Looking around, I see the only place where she can hide is under the wooden desk still in its original position. It must've been bolted to the ground because I couldn't make that thing move an inch out of place.
Not soon after we barricaded ourselves within the office, the sounds of the other office doors being kicked open and unfamiliar voices angrily yelling threw me into high gear.
I carried Yu Yan to the desk and put her as far back into the corner as I could. They wouldn't be able to see her as long as they didn't look too hard should they go behind the desk. I just prayed she wouldn't make any noise if they ended up shooting me.
I know that I sound calm about possibly being shot but at the moment the drive to keep Yu Yan safely hidden, the adrenaline pumping through me, and the fact that The System would revive me if I did die was what kept me from breaking down and crying like a bitch.
The funny thing is, and the incredibly selfish thing as well, you'd think that I would have been pushed to say yes to all those upgrades The System offered me, so I maybe stand a chance of protecting Yu Yan if they should find her before they kill me. Which, if the movies I've seen are any accurate basis, they would once she screams at the sound of gunshots.
But…I still haven't gotten past the fear of the unknown consequences such a drastic action would bring. Fixing my apartment up was a small enough choice to make. But altering my body? For what purpose?
"Yu Yan, sweetheart, whatever happens, you need to stay quiet. You can't scream or cry or yell out for help if something happens to me, okay? You have to stay quiet no matter how scared you get. Do you understand?"
It took her wiping away the tears and giving me what was to her the last possible one she might ever be able to give me, Yu Yan may have been a kid but she was smarter than most people gave her credit for, before she was able to nod sadly.
I was kind of proud of my sister, I didn't like to buy into that 'they're only a half-sibling' bullshit, though. Most kids would have just been afraid because the situation in general was scary. But she was scared because she knew that my life would be in danger.
The sound of the knob on the door turning ended our tender moment. When the group of people realized the door was locked and that there was most likely someone inside, they began to pound on the door with everything they had.
I sat in the chair and did my best to use both my body and the chair to cover Yu Yan. With a little luck, and silence on her part, they wouldn't be any the wiser to the second person in the room with me.
As I maneuvered the chair, my hand brushed against the brass knob of a drawer. The idea that a gun might be inside had me scrambling to check each drawer I could find. After searching through three of them, in which there was only money and paperwork, I found it.
The good news, I had a weapon now. A powerful looking revolver, like the kind you'd imagine a mobster having to look a lot more threatening to his men. The bad news, there was only a single bullet in the chamber.
A single bullet that's purpose is all too clear. It looks like Yu Yan's mother was expecting something like this to happen sooner or later. If she was here when it happened, then at least her life would end quickly.
The implication that she'd leave her daughter, my sister, all alone to face the aftermath of what was most likely one of several of her messes…that pissed me off. Despite just being a small-time drug dealer, one of the smaller cogs in the machine that was the Falcone Family's business, I knew certain things that I shouldn't.
Like how Wu Lin was operating her restaurant under the financial backing of the Falcone Family since she couldn't handle the business part of the business on her own. There was also the small fact that she was acting as an informant for the G.C.P.D. who were slowly building a case against the Falcone Family.
And contrary to what I like to tell myself, the reason I know these things isn't because I'm a master detective or the ultimate corporate spy or anything like that. It's because when I come to the restaurant on Sunday to eat dinner with the two of them, Wu Lin likes to get drunk.
And as they say, the drunk you says everything the sober you only thinks about saying.
Thankfully, Yu Yan has an early bed time on Sundays so whatever Wu Lin let slip was only ever heard by me. And that was only true if she decided to only ever get drunk around me, so it's not very surprising at all that this happened to her.
Wait…what if it was the Gotham Police who was downstairs? What if this whole thing was a raid on the Falcone Family because they're evidence was finally strong enough to support their case?
It made sense.
Wu Lin was usually in her office around this time and it was definitely her style to let bad things happen to her family because she did as she pleased and tried to get away with it. Look at what happened to her husband all those years ago because she decided to go and fuck the handsome Italian man from down the road.
Now, that's not to say my father was a scumbag of a husband who slept around with any woman he could stick it in.
He provided for his family, worked long, grueling hours at whatever work he could find, made time for us despite the inconvenience, didn't ever once raise his hand to either of us in anger, and then proceeded to get up the next day and do it all over again for twenty-three long years before finally succumbing to his second heart attack with my mother joining him soon after as well.
But despite all his strengths, he was…human. He had desires and needs that my mom simply couldn't provide for him anymore. Which I now, as a grown man, understand. After over twenty years of being together, he got a little bored.
And despite what people think of men and women who use that excuse, it happens. Humans, and brace yourself for this hard bit of truth, are not naturally monogamous. We're not. If we were, we wouldn't get boners or soak our panties because of that hot guy/girl we saw bending over at that coffee shop yesterday.
You know, the one with the nice ass like 'Bang!' who isn't the person you're currently dating. Yeah, that's the one.
Hell, the fact that tribal leaders and kings and queens from long ago used to have concubine after concubine just to maybe sleep with them at some point means that our polygamous nature goes back to our earliest points in history.
The point is, Wu Lin Huang was the instigator and therefore the one to blame in my eyes.
She got pregnant, told both men without any shred of regret or even the decency to soften the blow, and cried hollow tears when the man who was once her husband went and ran away. It's still funny, at least to me, to this day that someone can just literally up and run away from his problems.
I'd never been so immensly disgusted and amused at the exact same time before that moment. The moment I had followed my father to the restaurant and listened in through the open window in the back.
A feeling that followed me wherever I went for the majority of that year whenever I so much as thought of that woman. Until, of course, I saw Yu Yan with my own eyes for the first time. And then again when I held her.
I had never fallen in love with anyone before then, I'd only been in casual relationships in my life up until that point, so I wouldn't know it for a while. But the moment I held her in my arms, Wu Lin had to leave and paid me to watch her until she got bck, I fell hard for this little girl.
This little girl that was now my little sister through my father's infidelity and her mother's wanton sexual encounters. And now, she's all the family I have left in the world. Even if she has no idea.
Anyway…
So now, whoever was seconds from breaking down the door had been mentally categorized into two possibilities. One: It was the Falcone Family coming to get the revenge they feel they're owed, or two: The G.C.P.D. have come to take down whatever businesses they could in order to knock the Falcone Family down a peg or two.
Either way, it did not bode well for Wu Lin. Not in the slightest.
The door was now broken down. All that was left for them to do was to push hard enough to move the heavy furniture blocking the way. I expected them to take a lot longer than the five minutes they used.
Before they managed to remove the obstacles completely, I reached down and caressed Yu Yan's head on last time. Just in case I died and The System's attempt to revive me didn't work out.
'System are you sure you can revive me if I die?'
The Revival Process Is Guaranteed, Admin.
Pointing the gun at my temple, I cocked it and waited for whoever it was to come in. What I did next was dependent on who came through that door.
If it was Falcone's men, I'd just off myself and wait for The System to revive me afterwards. Hopefully they wouldn't have found Yu Yan. If it was the police, then I'd just put down the gun and explain myself.
Great news!
The people I heard earlier, muffled voices if I hadn't mentioned it, were actually G.C.P.D. officers bursting into the other offices and telling them to put down their weapons and lay on the ground.
In said other offices was Wu Lin, shockingly, who was cooperative with the police and allowed herself to be taken in. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by her act of not just hiding out like she did the last time a group of people came for her.
I must say, there's nothing like the sight of officer after officer piling into the room shouting at me to put the gun down and surrender. And there's even less sights like the one I see when I breathe an audible sigh of relief and put the gun down on the desk with a smile.
"It's okay, officers." I laughed heartily, my heart racing and the blood returning to my icy cold hands. "I thought you guys were somebody else." Believe it or not, I wasn't too keen on shooting myself in the head. Not even a little.
"Stand up slowly and place your hands face down on the desk! Now!" The officers, though, they weren't having it. I don't think they knew about who was in charge of this little operation, or even the deal she was given, because the looks they gave me…they weren't coming anywhere close to looks of concern.
I was just holding a gun up to my own head…would a little apprehension or alarm for my safety be too much to ask for!?
Five hours and a surprisingly intense interrogation later, I was allowed to leave the police station. I was one of the last people they interrogated, seeing as how I was armed, in what they knew to be the boss' private office, and was easily the most suspicious looking person with the big smile I had on while they arrested me.
Yu Yan backed up my story on how we both hid in the office in order to protect ourselves. It really did help my case that when they came to put the handcuffs on me, they found a scared little girl clutching tightly to my leg.
After that, they pieced together that I was a family friend that was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the way their attitude towards me changed after they questioned why I was holding a gun to my head when they came into the room. Especially the look I got from the lead investigator after I explained that the plan was, if it were Falcone's men rather than the police that showed up, I'd simply shoot myself in the head and hope that they didn't find Yu Yan hiding underneath the desk afterwards.
It was smooth sailing for me after that.
If there's anything I'm grateful to Wu Lin for, a very short list in the first place, it's not keeping as accurate records for Falcone as she could have. All that was put down for me as a dealer was a moniker. More of a description, really.
The Man in Black.
He wore an all-black outfit that covered any identifying marker he may have had, was quiet for the most part, worked efficiently and quickly to get the money back to them, and almost never spoke so he couldn't be recognized by voice.
I was very careful in how I took part in her operation. I needed to adjust my height, the level of my voice, the way I carried myself, and even what I smelled like. All those cop programs on the radio and the stories in books always taught me that damn near anything and everything could be used to identify someone. So, you better believe I covered all my bases when I started selling.
And I did it well enough to fool people I'd known practically all my life.
If somehow the Falcone Family's business fell apart or some other compromising event took place, I needed to have the ability to continue my non-criminal life business as usual without having to worry about someone with a badge coming after me.
Which it did, and I can. Though I doubt they'll stay down for long. The Falcone Family is as deeply rooted into Gotham's underworld as the Wayne Family is in Gotham's overworld.
With me now is the ever-silent Yu Yan, holding my hand as we cross the street to reach my apartment building. Now that her mother is in protective custody for the foreseeable future, I think I overheard them discuss sending her all the way to California, I am the only one left in her life that can assume guardianship.
So here we are, at the point in my life where I've suddenly found myself at the complete mercy of fate. First, I become the Admin, then I lose a major source of income, after that I become responsible for my sister and that makes it two people living off of half of my original salary that could barely support one person before it got cut in half, and finally I think that there's a chance that none of this is real and I'm actually locked up in Arkham Asylum with the rest of the crazies.
I watch as Yu Yan makes her way over to the couch and plops down as if the whole incident at the restaurant hadn't happened. I sigh, closing the door behind me and fastening each and every lock.
No chances will be taken so long as she's here. I- No, we live in a bad neighborhood and I'll b damned if any of that gets in here while she's under my care.
Admin, [This System] Has An Inquiry.
This is new…I didn't think that The System could communicate without me addressing it. Does that mean it's more independent than I originally thought? Does its behavior go beyond just being sassy?
'Y-yes?'
[This System] Does Not Understand The Admin's Reasoning.
'My reasoning?'
For Not Utilizing The Personal Modifications Available To You.
There's no use in trying to hide it from something that is so intrinsically involved in the choice I have to make. 'I'm scared. The consequences of becoming something more than just me, more than what I am now, terrifies me.'
Why? What Is There To Fear?
Those…are good questions. Why am I afraid? What specific negative consequences do I face from committing to these alterations? None that I can think of off the top of my head. But for some reason…saying 'yes' has a sort of finality to it.
As if the path from here on out would be set in stone. A path where who I am will become directly influenced and shaped by what I do rather than the other way around.
And it's not as if I wasn't already on that path, which I knew I was after being chosen to be the Admin, it's that the part where I choose to delve deeper into my role as Admin is as if I've embraced it all on my own. As if I've chosen to lose control at some point.
And there it was. The answer I'd been searching for.
'I'm afraid of what I'll turn into. Such power at the hands of someone like me…who knows what I'll do. What I'll become. Because even now I can think of so many horrible things I'm able to do with the fact that I'm immortal alone. And not nearly enough good ones.'
That Is Why [This System] Is Here, Matteo. To Guide You On Your Near Endless Journey. As The Administrator, You Are The Being That Keeps This Universe From Falling Apart. Just By Existing, You Help Bring Balance To The Natural Order Of The Quasiverse. This Is Also The Reason You Are Offered The Abilities And Modifications You Currently Have Access To And Why You Are Restricted To Level One Access For The Time Being.
That…made me feel both incredibly important and relieved that there really wasn't much else I was expected to do other than exist. I could work with that. Even the issues I was having with modifying myself were beginning to give way.
A Virtually Eternal Life Can Be A Rather Boring One As Well, Not To Mention Lonely. And To Recompense The Admin For Giving Up Their Mortality, And Often Times That Eventually Includes Their Sanity As Well, [This System] Makes The Role Of Admin As Continuously Beneficial And As Entertaining As Possible. The Form In Which [This System] Presents Itself Varies From Admin To Admin. For You, Matteo, These 'Messages' You see Are How [This System] Manifests Itself To You In A Way That Is Comprehensible For Your Mind To Grasp.
I could understand how insanity was a frequent occurrence amongst the previous Administrators. Some people only lived for a few decades before they get tired of living. Others manage to make it through the whole way relatively intact but remain tired all the same. With minds easily broken by traumatic events, it's no wonder countless years of living would have eventually broken some of them.
However, To Address Your Earlier Point, Just Because You Have Been Given Near Limitless Power Does Not Mean You Will Turn Into That Which You Fear Most. Many Admin Have Been Selected Before You And There Will Be Countless Admin Selected After. Among These Numbers, You Would Not Be The First And Will Not Be The Last To Have These Doubts. But With Luck, You Will Be Among Those Who Have Not Only Overcome Them But Disproved Them As well.
So, where did this leave me? Has The System managed to change my mind on the modifications or do I still feel as though it's a risk too large for me to take? Honestly, I'm kind of leaning towards the former.
My main problem was that I wasn't in the know about how all of this would affect me. I was scared that I was doing something that would be irreversibly damaging because I simply didn't know what I needed to know.
But now that I've been properly informed of the circumstances, and that nothing would truly be set in stone even if I said 'yes', I'm much more open to the idea then I was before. Maybe going through the list once more, this time with an understanding I didn't have before, would help me settle on a final answer.
'Modify Admin' Before the expected list shows up, The System speaks to me again. It doesn't have a voice, but the recent messages have had a supportive vibe coming from them. I wonder if it's genuine.
[This System] Has Added Several New Modifications To Further Entice You; All Of Which Were Very Popular With Past Admin.
I have to say, I'm very interested in what The System could add in that could entice me any further than I was.
Turns out, The System has a sense of humor after all.
Active Modifications Currently Available:
Full Heal
Target Heal
Decreased Sensitivity
Increased Sensitivity
The Touch
Infertile
Passive Modifications Currently Available:
Improved Constitution
Increased Strength
Increased Speed
Increased Health
Increased Vitality
Increased Stamina
Increased Defense
Increased Attack
Access To Mana Well (Admin's Status As Admin Negates 'The Price' Of Using Magic)
Increased Control Over Magic
Chant-less Incanting
Increased Intelligence
Increased Wisdom
Heightened Senses
Minor Pain Tolerance
Minor Hunger Tolerance
Minor Thirst Tolerance
Minor Fatigue Tolerance
Minor Sleep Tolerance
Genetic Instability Resistance
Minor Poison Resistance
Minor Heat Resistance
Minor Freeze Resistance
Minor Mental Resistance
Minor Electrical Resistance
Minor Disease Resistance
Minor Spiritual Resistance
Minor Water Resistance
Minor Earth Resistance
Minor Wind Resistance
Minor Gravity Resistance
Minor Radiation Resistance
Minor Temporal Resistance
Minor Enchantment Resistance
Minor Possession Resistance
Minor Light Magic Resistance
Minor Dark Magic Resistance
Minor Life Magic Resistance
Minor Demonic Resistance
Minor Angelic Resistance
Minor Slave Magic Resistance
Minor Blood Magic Resistance
I notice that there are several extra abilities added in this time. Decreased and Increased Sensitivity, Increased Sleep Tolerance, Infertile, and The Touch. Judging by the description of each of them, I'll apparently be swimming in it in no time.
I can only imagine the depraved acts the people who came before me committed out of sheer boredom. Who the hell even knows what The Touch might be?
After looking over the list one more time, I had to admit, the appeal of having these powers was finally getting to me. And while there is still a smidgen of doubt left deep inside, I figure I'll have the rest of eternity to figure out how to quash it.
Several minutes passed as I looked through the list, thinking of the possible uses for each mod I had. Most of them were useless as of now because as far as I know, magic doesn't really have much to do with where I live.
But the rest would be fun and interesting to test out once I had them. The plan was to accept the mods after Yu Yan went to sleep tonight. I had no idea if the changes would be visible or not, but I wasn't going to take any chances in front of her. It'd be too much for a little girl to handle in such a short amount of time.
Speaking of Yu Yan, I want her to be the first person that I try my Identify skill on that isn't me. I'm very much looking forward to seeing who exactly my little sister is as a person. Well, as much of a person she can be at only ten-years-old. It's a feeling that I'm sure won't be exclusive to just her.
Looking over at her, I notice she's enjoying some sort of television show for small children. It looked like it was about a boy and his pet dog. A Collie, maybe? I don't know. I've never been a fan of children gluing themselves to the television, but it looks harmless enough I guess.
I'd let her enjoy it for a little while before sending her to bed. It was late. Nearly one in the morning, in fact.
Now, let's get to it.
'Identify Yu Yan Huang'…uh, short version.
Information on Yu Yan Huang
Profile:
Name: Yu Yan Huang
Age: 10
Gender: Female
Date Of Birth: February 3rd , 1944
Date Of Death: TBD (Natural Lifespan: 82 Years)
Personal History: Yu Yan Huang Is The Product Of An Adulterous Encounter Between Wu Lin Huang and Lorenzo Vitali. Despite Not Being Aware Of Her Status As Matteo Vitali's Half-Sister, The Two Are Close To One Another. She Is Currently Under The Guardianship Of Matteo, Who Intends To Give Her The Best Life He Can. Because Of Her Anti-Social Tendencies That Stem From A Traumatizing Childhood Environment, Yu Yan Is Often Silent. She Expresses Herself Best When She Is Around Matteo, Who She Sees As The Only Person Who Genuinely Cares For Her.
Interests: Reading, Mathematics, Cooking
Life Goal(s): No Current Life Goal(s)
Job(s): No Current Job(s)
Significant Other(s): Matteo Vitali (27)- Half-Brother (Shared Father);
Physical Biography:
- Height: 4'5''
- Weight: 72 lbs.
- Build: Ectomorph (Lean)
- Skin Color: Tan
- Hair Color: Black
- Eye Color: Brown
I smile as I read that she thinks I'm the only one who cares about her. Which, while flattering, wasn't exactly true. Because despite how selfishly dangerous it was for Wu Lin to have kept Yu Yan in the middle of her dealings with the Falcone Family, and I absolutely had no issue calling her out on that, she does love her.
I've occasionally seen it at Sunday dinner when Wu Lin thinks neither of us are paying any attention to her. More often than not the woman takes a moment to just appreciate the sight of her daughter sitting across from her.
Even now when she's more than likely being sent to the other side of the country, if it's for protective custody I'm not sure, for who knows how long, Wu Lin's not kicking up any fuss about her daughter not being brought with her.
She was willing to go at it alone if it meant that Yu Yan could stay in Gotham and have a somewhat normal life. Even if it's one without her in it. That's what I call love, and what makes me almost feel bad for condemning her like I did back in her office.
I knew Yu Yan was pretty good at school in general, if the grades she brought home were any kind of indicator, but I had no idea that she was interested in cooking. She liked food, sure, but I thought that was limited to ordering off of a menu.
Who knew she liked to make it as well?
After a good twenty minutes I turned off the television, carried her to my old bedroom, made sure she changed into her pajamas, watched as she drowsily brushed her teeth, and then tucked her in for the night.
Despite the weak protests, and the accompanying yawns between them, she was out cold in less than a minute. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and quietly made my way back to my room. Closing the door, I go for it.
'Okay System…apply all Passive Modifications as quietly as possible! I don't need you waking that little girl up.' Immediately, I feel something build up inside me. A burning sensation that lasts for all of three seconds and then dissipates.
Passive Modifications Applied.
"Was it supposed to give me heart burn?" I didn't feel all that different. Clenching my fists and observing my hand to find any physical signs of something, I noticed that I could see my hand in much finer detail.
The small hairs that I barely registered before were almost impossible not to see. I looked around the room and everything just looked so much…more.
Colors that usually seemed so lackluster were practically gleaming. The paint used in the numerous paintings my father had bought and hung on the wall weren't just boring landscapes. Every painting had a different style to it, evident by the now very noticeable and diverse brush strokes.
I stared at the various paintings until another sense kicked into high gear. My hearing just expanded, and it felt like I was suddenly listening to all the sounds in the world at once on full blast.
The feeling of my eardrums exploding died down once they adjusted to the level of noise. Soon, I could only hear as far away as Yu Yan sleeping in the next room. And if I focused, her even breathing was the only thing I could hear.
I have a hunch that The System might be controlling what noise actually reaches me. It's probably also focusing that down into what I want to hear. Convenient and very helpful.
"Oh wow. I'm pretty sure I can even smell better than before. Although the stench from outside isn't a particularly pleasant experience, I think the positives outweigh the negatives." Of course, alongside the better sense of smell came taste. And you would not believe just how terrible what I smelled tasted like.
The streets of Gotham were never meant to be tasted, that's for sure.
All that was left was touch. But there was nothing really happening with that particular sense. I mean aside from the air, being blown around by my ceiling fan, lightly touching the hairs on my arms, there wasn't really much else to base my touch on.
I went to go and try holding something, the first thing I saw being a small metal letter opener I bought on a school trip and found myself surprised at how easily it bent in my hands. Like, I was only trying to pick it up with my fingers and suddenly there was an indentation large that was deep enough to be seen on the other side.
"Any way that you could put a limitation on this strength and my senses where they only come out when I want them to."
Alterations made, Admin.
"Oh shit, really? Nice." I think I needed to do a bit more in-depth, and specific, research into what I was capable of now. Something that would take all night. Though that was hardly an issue when I took my sleep and fatigue tolerances into account.