He'd lost.
He'd lost and he'd have to be subjected to one of Teiai's dangerous experiments.
He'd lost, he'd put his life in danger once again, he broke his promise to Ishida.
The experiment, whatever the hell it was, went over surprisingly quickly, with minimal pain-it could hardly even be called pain, compared to what he experienced when he cut his ear off hours ago-and at most he experienced symptoms of drowsiness. He couldn't relax now, however; not when the chairman was chuckling at his sluggish, groggy movements.
Indeed, the worst had yet to come. He felt something like a sharp jab in his stomach and fell to the floor, hearing the chairman's laughter ring out as his body writhed in the pain that was spreading throughout it. He was sweating and feverish and what the hell did they just put in him? Kaiji's mind went blank, and it wasn't long before he blacked out entirely.
"Right now he's the biggest fly in Teiai's ointment. They're supposing he might have actually been one of the 'successful' experiments they accidentally discarded as a failure." Endou took a long drag of his cigarette, leaning back in his chair as he continued to examine the-remarkably clear-photograph of a gangly figure in a thrown-together costume, punching out one of the Teiai workers to allow some debtor being dragged off to one of their experiments, underground work, or possibly worse, to escape.
"Can't be sure if the kid is doing more harm than good in letting these people go on the lamb when they're knee-deep in debt. What I'm most curious about, however," Endou said as he put the photo down amongst the collection of other photos documenting the costumed crusader's actions, "Is how the hell you're able to get such clean shots of this guy."
Kaiji fell uncomfortably silent, hoping Endou wouldn't notice the forming bruise under his right eye. "I needed the money..." he murmured, trying to sound firm in his words, "And you said getting these pictures could be a way. I needed to take them at whatever cost."
"Could be. They don't tell us much more about this guy, I'm not sure what the company would take for them." Endou took another drag, staring up at the ceiling and puffing a ring before meeting Kaiji's eyes once more. "I'll tell you what. I'll give you this much for now, if you can get more some more incriminating or telling photos, I'll-"
"G-great! Thanks, Endou-san!" Kaiji sputtered as he grabbed the cash and headed swiftly out the door. Even as Endou changed the subject, he had a sinking feeling the loan shark was growing suspicious of him-hell, he probably figured it out already. If that was the case, he wasn't sure what Endou was playing at, but, well, he thought, as he planted his hands on the wall of a building, he'd at least be physically prepared for it.
He climbed-crawled-up the wall effortlessly, reaching the rooftop he'd spend his nights on, looking over the city. It gave him a clear view of the Starside Hotel in the distance; a painful, stomach-churning reminder of the night he'd never forget...and Ishida. Ishida's final act of kindness and words to him still rang clearly in his head to this day.
"Ishida-san..." he whispered to himself, looking down at his hands, "Once I've raised the money for your family...I don't think I'll stop at what I'm doing. Whatever those Teiai bastards did to me, I want to use against them, and...I want to use it in the best way I can. I'll keep making money, and I'll give it to those in debt...those in need of it...those trampled by this cruel world we live in...those who've lost hope. I'll show them. I'll give them a miracle. And I won't stop until Teiai is gone."
Kaiji's thoughts were interrupted as his eyes flashed open and he heard someone yell for help below. He only took a moment to look at the civilian being hunted down by a gang of thugs before he pulled his mask on and shot out a rope of webbing.
