Prologue
15 Years Earlier: 3:07 PM - Metro City High School Courtyard
"Ouch!" the boy hissed, as his impatient girlfriend knit her brow. "Could you press down any harder?"
"Trust me, you don't want to feel any more pain than you're already in," she grumbled in response as she treated a messy gash near his abdomen. "I've got to stop the bleeding here…"
The school bells in the distance finally stopped their incessant clanging as the rest of the Metro City High student body dismissed, the sound of the excitable crowd diminishing by the second.
Jessica Haggar was one of the very first students out of the building that day - only beat by her boyfriend, Cody Travers, who was suspended about a half-hour earlier.
As the first student out of the building, she darted immediately to "their spot" around the corner of the school between the fences that separated the building and the playground to meet up with him without trying to draw too much attention to their secret area.
Being resilient city kids, they knew they needed a spot just for themselves for whenever they needed a moment alone from the daily chaos. The both of them picked that corner if she ever needed to dodge the crowds that generally surrounded her legendary, superstar wrestler father, Mike "Macho" Haggar, whenever he had the chance to pick her up early (but just had to sign autographs if anyone asked—they always asked).
Thank goodness this was not one of those days - the teenaged girl was not ready to explain this one to her dad.
Jessica was working with a miniature first aid kit in her backpack - she kept one handy as Cody tended to need retouches more often than not. She saved her allowance to get a new kit small enough that could fit into her backpack without weighing it down, but equipped enough to handle his needs. She barely had it for a week and it was almost empty.
"I'm—ow!—sorry for bein' so pissy about it," Cody groaned. "I swear, gettin' suspended from school was not on my list today. Not that it matters anyway…we're graduatin' soon, ain't we?"
"First off - it does matter - and secondly, I really think you should see the nurse," Jessica shook her head as she reached for one of the last few bandages in the diminishing first aid kit. "You know, just to make sure nothing's broken, you don't get infected, or there's no internal damage…"
She was annoyed that he managed to get in trouble - twice in one week! It was hard enough to convince her dad that her boyfriend was actually the sweetest guy ever when all her dad ever heard were stories about him getting in trouble at school for one reason or another - particularly for fighting.
If she pushed too early, Cody would start to downplay the severity of his situation, so instead, she focused on tending to his wounds…perhaps a little less delicately than usual.
"Meh, I'll be fine," the boy winced as she finished cleaning another wound on his arm. "You should see the other guy!"
"Cody…"
He sighed. She was unamused. "Yeah, yeah, I know…"
"Don't you 'yeah, yeah' me, mister!" she huffed, as he winced from her firm prod. "Here - apply pressure right there." He knew the routine…
He's a troublemaker, and I don't like you hanging out with him anymore, her concerned father's gruff voice would echo in her head whenever she wanted to tell him about how her best friend since elementary school became her boyfriend just a few weeks ago.
Though the early stages of their budding courtship were as flowery and bubbly as she expected it to be, it was well-known that her boyfriend also had quite the knack for fighting and was damn good at it. She bit down on her lip in concern as she finished cleaning his third wound before moving on to bandage it.
Her father was always a fighter. Her boyfriend's dream was to become a fighter. She grew up around wrestling tours all of her life. Fighting was a way of life in her world, so she believed she understood its draw and what came with it.
It was exactly why she didn't understand her father's resistance. She couldn't understand why her father couldn't relate to the love of her life instead! If anything, she figured her father would have been thrilled that she fell for someone who understood the chaotic life of being a warrior's daughter.
Even though Cody and Jessica had known each other since they were children, her father refused to let go of the notion of his "ruffian tendencies." The two of them met at recess when an eight-year-old Cody mercilessly beat up a group of bullies who were pulling a bit too hard on Jessica's hair, the classic playground tale.
What dear old dad didn't know yet was that Cody was transferred to her third-grade class mid-year at the time, when his own abusive, alcoholic father became a widower given his mother's passing from a sudden illness.
Cody never wanted anyone's pity just because he had a hard life. He fought hard to survive his many ordeals, and he had plans to reign as living proof of his strength and endurance. It would take much more than life to take him down. Metro City was not easy to live in, after all.
He and his younger brother, Kyle, were regularly touted between foster homes in their youth, oftentimes separated because many households had no interest in caring for a pair of children at a time. The few times they ended up together at the foster care agency downtown was because no one wanted them. Days that sometimes turned into weeks were spent left behind at precincts, shelters, or alleys.
The boys experienced loss and exposure to violence and crime regularly - all before reaching middle school. Right before his eighth-grade graduation, his father passed by way of alcohol poisoning, and they officially became wards of the court.
To Cody, it was a release, but he was a frequent returner to the agency after…his file read, "at risk: anger mgmt - psych eval req'd."
His one constant was when he was enrolled in a martial arts class by one of his social workers.
His other constant was Jessica.
Nobody wanted to play with the brooding new kid back in the third grade, but Jessica refused to believe he deserved that sort of treatment for something that was never his fault. She made sure to be with him at recess and lunch every day since. She wanted to ensure he had someone to talk to given all the transitions and inconsistencies in his life. He rarely made the gory details privy to her except in the few moments he had no choice but to let her in too close to his sort of life, especially at her insistence.
Jessica insisted that she would always be there for him, no matter how bad it got. She couldn't fathom how painful it was to lose one's mother at a young age, without ever knowing she'd endure a similar hardship herself just a few years later.
The more she got to know the "mean kid," the more she learned that he in fact turned out to be quite the opposite - he had hopes and dreams to make the world a better place for everyone with a gentle sort of idealism. He had a way about him that captivated her, so much more different than other boys - he stayed true to himself despite the odds, and she could see him growing stronger day by day.
Sure, he wasn't a model student (his teachers insisted he was brilliant, but just needed to apply himself), but he made it just enough to make sure they never left each other behind.
They promised each other they'd do their best in everything they did for each others' sake…in Cody's case, one of his talents were, in fact, fighting.
Thankfully, Jessica regularly exceeded expectations in school, so there were plenty of other things to talk about with her father there as she managed to avoid the topic of their rapidly developing relationship. She did so well in fact, her teachers often gave her a glowing recommendation when she expressed the desire to take time off of school to accompany her father on his biggest wrestling tours. As much as school was her haven, more recently, she had other priorities…
She didn't want to keep their dating under wraps for too long - keeping things from her old man was quite unlike her. She loved and deeply respected her father, who raised her on his own since her own mother's sudden passing due to the acts of violence that plagued the city day in and day out. She figured outside of the danger that was Metro City, that was why he was significantly more overprotective than she could bear…he wouldn't dare let any unsavory characters engage with his only daughter.
It was Jessica who convinced him to stay at Metro City instead of moving up north where it was quieter because "no one was pushing us out of our home."
She also insisted that she couldn't bear to leave Cody like everyone had done to him, time and time again.
Cody and Jessica spent plenty of time with each other over the years as friends, so it was no surprise to her father who she spent most of her time with outside of school. It was only in recent months that things started to change for the both of them.
It was much more difficult not to notice each other in a different light than they always had. Their bodies, hopes and dreams were changing, and fell more into alignment than they both were recognizing, especially since their initial realizations were rife with denial.
She was maturing into a responsible, ambitious young woman as he was defining himself mentally and physically day by day in the art of fighting. It prompted them to start thinking about what their futures could really look like, after surviving Metro City their entire rough childhoods.
Seeing how their relationship had blossomed with an ease neither of them anticipated, things felt different and exhilarating now, like they were unstoppable. It was them against the world, and no one could crush their joy. Not even the naysayers at school.
But, perhaps there was still a bit of growing up to do…
"You've really gotta relax on letting your fists do all the talking, my love - your words can be just as powerful, y'know," she mused, grabbing another cotton ball to apply the last bit of antiseptic to the wound she was tending to. "There."
"And you really gotta stop worryin' so much about me," he retorted playfully. She started preparing the smallest bandage in her kit. No way he could conceal the cut under his eye. She'd have to space out their next homework session to give him time to heal before her dad questioned him…again…not that Cody would have homework to do after being suspended for the next week. The school nurse had to call an ambulance for the other student.
"Now why would I go and do that?" she pulled back, hand on her hip. Oh, she was so adorable when she pouted…
"For the same reason you're here with me now," he grinned that charming, lopsided grin of his. "Because you love me." Why did he have to be so cute? She wasn't going to let up that easily, even though all she wanted to do was kiss him right there.
They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, and Cody couldn't be more grateful to have such a sweet girl fawn over him, even when she didn't have to. He considered himself beyond fortunate that he and Jessica decided to take the leap. It felt like they were living in a movie, or a dream - a fantasy.
They'd considered each other best friends for so long, but dating turned out to be a welcome and pleasant surprise that completely transformed his outlook on what life could be; something different than he'd always known. He figured that's what the "greener grass" was all about - not that there was much grass in the city. It frightened and exhilarated him all at once.
"I do love you," she said as she leaned over to wipe off the last of the blood under his eye before applying the antibiotic ointment, then his little bandage. "And that's exactly why I want you to be alive by the time we graduate from high school."
The idea of dating exclusively hadn't even crossed their minds until they shared their first kiss with one another just a few weeks prior.
A few months prior to that revelation, during one of their "homework sessions," they ended up sneaking out to catch a sighting of what they thought was just the most anticipated new action movie at the fancy pop-up drive-through the other day (no vehicle required if they sat on the edge of the venue!). It was a great deal for them since they didn't need to slip into the theaters for the good stuff anymore! Little did they know, there was a smidge more action than they signed up for, and it opened what seemed like a Pandora's box of surprising and complicated emotions for the both of them.
It seemed silly that such a movie catalyzed how they saw each other after ten years of friendship. What they had was a gem in this hellhole of a city - and they did not want to lose it. They soon realized they were smitten, and it was getting harder and harder to hide that from themselves and each other as the days passed.
What her dad refused to acknowledge was that Cody had plenty of honor and justice to spare - he just had a rather reckless way of showing it.
The young couple paused for another moment, appreciating the last few minutes they had with each other before she had to get home. With finals coming up, graduation on the horizon, his training intensifying, and her dad's final tour about to kick off, it'd been a hectic year for the both of them.
Surviving high school in Metro City could earn anyone a badge of honor in itself - especially so if you were also the daughter of a popular wrestler who was on the brink of retirement.
Despite that reality, her father was already preparing for his next great endeavor - he was a man who insisted he had to stay busy, and expressed his desire to run for office once he retired from his wrestling career. He was going to clean up this city he loved and no one was going to stop him.
Jessica started to wonder just how much of that energy and ambition she inherited from her father because she found herself desperately craving some downtime. Her father was like a train when it came to pursuing his goals, but Jessica had been so focused on her newfound puppy love, she may have missed a few details of his endeavors…she was grateful that Cody's insatiable energy would keep her afloat, and that he probably understood her father in that regard more than she did at times. She felt fortunate to have those two in her life. There was no shortage of support from the both of them.
The blond-haired boy, captivated by what seemed like her infinite beauty, lifted his hand to stroke his girlfriend's face, wincing from the effort. Her eyes darted to his injured wrist.
"My goodness, Cody! Can you even move your hand?"
He strained at the attempt but smiled excruciatingly through the movement. "You know what they say!" he grimaced through gritted teeth. "No pain, no gain."
"You've got it all wrong," she scolded as she shook her head, taking his hand into hers. She knew that he had a rough life, but the last thing she wanted was for him to rely on his capacity for destruction as a means to all ends.
His soul burned with potential, yet somehow, she didn't really want him to be anyone other than himself. The depths of his tenacity were one of the million reasons why she fell so hard for him, no matter how anyone else perceived him.
She just knew him, just like he knew her.
"Listen to me, Cody," she started as she massaged his bruised wrist with a feathery touch. "I know you don't like it when people tell you what to do. But you could have gotten expelled from school a few ago! I don't want you to rob your tomorrow because of something ridiculous you did today," she said, the words of her departed mother suddenly spilling out of her mouth.
Cody tended to deflect from his feelings whenever they'd get too raw, but when Jessica put hers on the line, he felt had to take it seriously.
"We're growin' up now, and almost outta school. Promise me you'll take it easy from now on. No more getting into fights unless you absolutely have to. You don't have to respond to every single invitation. You can use all that energy to focus on your training instead!" Jessica swallowed as she looked down, an idea coming to mind. "In fact, I actually met someone about our age who just came here to Metro City all the way from Japan to do exactly that!" Jessica pleaded. "I can introduce you two after school sometime once I get a hold of him. Please."
"Japan, huh? Like a ninja?" he joked.
"Yes, actually!" she beamed.
"Oh," he replied - not quite what he expected. "Uh, you sure meet some interestin' folks on your tours," Cody raised a brow. "A literal ninja…?"
"Cody…I'm being serious!" Jessica pouted, the whine in her cry much heavier than she expected it to be. She always wanted to do her best to let him live life on his terms as he always had, but she also wanted to him be able to at least be alive to do so. Something had to give.
He felt the sincerity in her voice yet noted that she seemed to be downplaying her concern, probably because she knew he'd just poke fun at her worrying about someone who fully intended to get into fights for a living.
He was training to be a martial artist after all - but she was right. In principle, you were never supposed to throw the first punch; but nothing could squash his determination to throw the last one. He knew Jessica cared about him as a human being and succumbed to her teary eyes.
"All right, I'm sorry…you're right. I get it - I promise," he sighed and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Jess. I won't let you down."
They embraced, and she nestled her head onto his broad chest, her favorite spot in the world despite being well-traveled. She always felt safest from the harsh reality of life when she was in his arms. She smiled, forgetting for a minute that underneath his brawny exterior, he really was as sweet as can be.
Jessica felt like the luckiest girl on the planet and if it were solely up to her, she would stay like this with him forever.
All they ever needed was a minute in each others' arms and everything was right again.
Now that they were dating, they were more inseparable than they already were, much to her father's chagrin.
"Well…I guess it's time for me to go," she pulled back hesitantly, unable to let go of his hands. "Don't want dad to pop up because I'm two seconds late," she rolled her eyes. Cody was looking at her with pure adoration as her butterflies felt like they were going to lift her into the sky.
"All right…I'll catch up with ya tomorrow. I'm gonna grab Kyle from school and somehow try to explain all these cuts without compromisin' my 'best role model award'," he smirked. "But I've gotta say…I'm intrigued 'bout this ninja guy." Jessica pecked him on the lips. Wait 'til he learned his name.
"Get home safe, my love. And for the record, the only reason I'm not all the way mad at you is 'cause that jackass deserved it," Jessica shook her head as Cody laughed. She wasn't wrong.
"How did I get so lucky?" he chuckled, unable to let go of her petite hands enveloped in his strong ones.
"That's funny…I was just thinkin' the same thing," she squeezed back gently, rubbing her delicate fingers on his calloused palms.
"Thank you for always bein' there for me even when I end up doin' stupid stuff, Jess," Cody pressed his forehead against hers. "I mean it. You're everythin' to me."
Chapter 1: Metro City's New Mayor
𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚖𝚎. 𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚘 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢.
"Mayor Travers!"
SLAM.
The folder being slammed on his desk right before him jolted him out of his thoughts, but the fact that she called him by his last name was just frightening.
"Wh—jeez, Miss Marlowe!"
"Don't you Miss Marlowe me!" the redhead huffed, adjusting her glasses. How dare he make her resort to her last tactic of slamming paperwork to warrant his attention. Enough was enough. "Where were you just now? I'm getting tired of you not listening to a word I say," Marlowe chided as Cody rubbed his temples.
He had a massive migraine forming as the inevitable lecture about responsibility loomed. He didn't mean to zone out all the time.
"…And to be frank, it's beyond frustrating. Infuriating, actually."
"I'm sorry, Miss Marlowe," Cody sighed as he responded with sincerity for the first time that day, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I guess I've been feelin' a bit overwhelmed these days, you know, bein' a recent convict and all," he blurted, instantly regretting the sarcastic drip as soon as it escaped his lips. He just had to put a spin on everything when it came to his feelings, didn't he? Even though he wasn't exaggerating in this case…
"This is the precise attitude I'm talking about!" Marlowe groaned as she leaned over to point her finger in his direction. "You don't have to be so flippant about everything that comes your way - enough letting your past haunt you! Mayor Cody - you've been a free man for about a year already, so I'm asking that you take things much more seriously now!" Marlowe sighed as she turned her back for a second. She was not going to lose her cool, not after all their predecessor, Mayor Mike Haggar had done for her, for him, and for all of Metro City. She cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses. "Perhaps I should just look elsewhere for employment."
"Don't freak out on me now, Maisie," Cody pleaded, the thought of working with a complete stranger shocking him back to full attention. He knew there was no way he could run the city without Maisie Marlowe's skill, support, and expertise. She had her stuff together, unlike him. If he knew any better, he merely served as a face while she did all the legwork.
She seemed to enjoy being behind the scenes - except for the moments he got into his own head…which happened a bit more frequently than the both of them liked. He was only responsible for 120,000 folks' lives at once! The gravitas made his heart sink into his stomach. "I know what my job is. I'm just figurin' it out myself…really. I'll do better."
"Well, I'm not going to give you so many more passes considering you don't need to do it all by yourself," Marlowe sighed as she turned back to face him, realizing just what Haggar meant by him being a tough nut to crack.
The glint in her eye faded as she lowered her shoulders, empathy getting the better of her. The new mayor was skilled at maintaining a cool exterior, but she knew he had many struggles to overcome. The transition from his near decade-long incarceration was one thing, but he was also working with zero political experience, after all. The odds were stacked against this guy, but if the Metro City legends were to be believed, that wouldn't stop him from achieving great things.
"Get it together, Mayor Cody. So many people are rooting for you here. Your story inspires people. You make us believe in the impossible. Metro City wants to see you succeed because…you're a good person, sir," she said stifling tears of frustration.
There was no crying in baseball. She understood that the transition would pose difficult for him, but goodness - he didn't have to drag it. "Is that truly so hard for you to believe?"
For the first time in a long time, Cody felt the sting of vulnerability he worked so hard to protect himself against. Having folks trust and believe in him was one burden he had no idea how to carry. The weight of his responsibility repeatedly hit him over the head day by day. He always knew how to take care of himself, but when it came to others…
No. He had to remain steadfast. He was determined. He was going to do this. If he were a man of his word…to guarantee every citizen's bright future…
"I really do appreciate you, Maisie…so much so that I want you to take off for the night," his somber demeanor shifted suddenly as he got up to lead the way out of his office. "Don't let me ruin your weekend 'cause I'm such a downer," he chuckled. "I mean it. I'll see you on Monday," the hulking man urged, practically pushing her out the door.
"Oh, uh - OK! Wait—"
"Good night, Miss Marlowe," he said in a sing-song tone, closing the door. "Seriously – go ahead and enjoy your weekend! I'll wrap up here!"
"That's nice and all, but—"
Phew…he strode over to his chair, and his forehead met his desk. He was really in over his head. How did he manage to get convinced by Haggar of all people that he could run Metro City? He wasn't built for this! His fist twitched with nervous energy - today was a particularly heavy deskwork day, yet he was more wiped than he'd ever been. Just looking at the stacks of paper that piled up alone today made him want to crawl right into bed…
When he thought back to the most tired he had ever been before this evening, it was nearly a decade ago when he joined his partners in breaking the night with the former Mayor Haggar alongside his ninjutsu-in-training sparring partner and confidant, Guy.
They fought together on the streets to wipe out the dangerous and corrupt Mad Gear gang to rescue his then-girlfriend, Jessica. They put their lives at extreme risk through hundreds of fights all day long, with no sleep overnight and well into the next day to find her.
The trio was lauded as heroes of Metro City for a long while after that, but nothing had been the same for Cody since. A taxing ordeal - physically, mentally, and emotionally. A wild fury was unleashed that hadn't abated until he claimed everything they took back - and this continued on his own accord, even after things started to become peaceful for the first time. So much so, that the very justice he sought to fight for with his relentless vigilantism flipped right back and put him in and out of jail for nearly a decade.
He started to wonder if perhaps the office was just a mere cover for an asylum. There were some days he was bored to tears, signing, reading, signing away…yet no matter what, there always had to be something to remind him of that fateful day, so many years ago. Metro City never let him forget it. Guy and Haggar never let him forget it – so much so he had to distance himself or he was certain he would spiral. Not that it mattered – the entirety of Metro City's streets knew the story well, and he almost felt…typecast to it.
Cody clicked his pen as he sighed. He was sure his mind was turning to mush given how rough his week was. Endless meetings, two press conferences, and deskwork for days…
At least when he was in prison, he had plenty of time to focus on working out to maintain his muscular physique, and he didn't have to drift too much into the depths of his rattled mind given that survival stayed front and center. He managed to stay on the surface, soul locked down, as protecting himself came so easy.
Sure, he wasn't your average politician…being able to destroy brick walls, crush entire vehicles with his bare hands, and knock doors down with a single punch or kick was impressive to most - and just a way of life for him.
Why the idea of something significantly less life-threatening like constant deskwork drove him to near madness was beyond him.
What a drag, man…
Not wanting to dive further into the recesses of his mind, Cody spun around in his chair to get the view of Uptown from his 27th floor. When you feel yourself slipping, remind yourself what you're fighting for and you'll be right as rain, his predecessor's voice echoed in his head.
The formerly crime-ridden city really had changed since his exoneration, with plenty of thanks to Haggar's efforts as the Mad Gear and Skull Cross gangs were out of commission.
While many construction projects were in the works, the air was cleaner, the roads were repaired, business was booming, tourism was at an all-time high, parks and schools were funded, healthcare was accessible, and best of all - people felt safe…he hardly recognized his own neighborhood. Growing up, this hardly seemed like a reality for Metro City, but it was happening in real-time. Sure, downtown was still a little rough, but even there retained that old city swagger.
Was all of this what he was fighting for? Metro City was always his home, and it watched him grow, fall, and rise from the ashes with zero judgment. He almost felt like he owed it, grew with it, transformed with it…
He inherited the work of a man who bailed him from his rut, yet he couldn't stand to do the paperwork and the politics to see it all through, despite his clear knack for it. He noticed a new development starting over by the Bay Area and - wait a minute - did they even have a permit?
The postcard-worthy view of Metro City never failed to reground him, and he was grateful for having a peaceful moment to himself whenever he felt the darkness taking over. As much as he felt that prison was his home, being here beat that by a long shot. He was struggling with accepting it as he was someone who preferred to earn his wins through literal blood, sweat, and tears. This felt as if it were handed to him, just because. It didn't quite feel like his own yet. He was grateful, nonetheless, recognizing his privilege, but still…
"Ah, what do I know about bein' 'good'?" Cody groaned out loud to no one in particular, spinning around to lean back and swing his legs onto the desk in one motion. Heaving a sigh with the weight of the last decade, he raised his arms above his head to yawn and leaned back further in his new car-smell leather chair. It sure was comfortable, and a luxurious upgrade from the prison cot he adjusted to. It did his back wonders. So did having the benefits that came with running the city…
He chuckled dryly, shaking his head as he still couldn't fathom his hell of a leap in career change despite sitting in THE chair of the city. It had already been about three months since he was elected into office, and what a ride it was.
His vigilante days had been over for a long time, and now his assistant extraordinaire wouldn't let him slip back into bad habits, even if he wanted to. She refused to lower her expectations for him, and perhaps that was exactly what he needed. The antics from his youth were part of what repeatedly landed and strained his relationships to begin with…but perhaps he was just externalizing. He could still do things his own way. He was just so…tired…
"Closin' my eyes for just a sec…" he convinced himself as another yawn escaped him. Before he knew it, he leaned all the way back in his seat, its comfort calling to him.
I just…want folks to have a better life than I did…
Marlowe gingerly pushed open the mayor's office door; its quality allowed her silent entrance. Thank goodness she located the spare set of keys.
"…Mayor Cody?"
The view she walked in upon confirmed her suspicions. He was already leaning back in his chair, knocked out. He wasn't snoring yet which meant he probably just fell asleep. She glanced over at the sight of Cody's face covered with a magazine.
He always joked about how comfortable his chair was he could sleep in it all night if he wanted to, but she got the sense he wasn't kidding. She didn't have the heart to wake him, as she knew the phone alarm she set before the building closed would get him up and ready. This was a usual occurrence. It was a hard day after all.
"All we can do is our best…" she smiled and shook her head as she grabbed her pocketbook out of the office.
Despite her frustration with him, she was proud of their work together. He was improving daily - much as he pretended not to care, it was so evident in his priorities that he really did. She knew in her heart that this unconventional gentleman would ultimately be what was best for this city for the time being.
If an honorable, self-respecting man such as Mike Haggar believed in him, so did she. The job was complicated, but her faith didn't have to be.
If only his successor could just focus and minimize quite literally taking matters into his own hands…
quick author's note: writing this story saved my life and the people that came into my life because of it made it all the sweeter - thank you so much for reading! this fic is crossposted from Ao3 - if you want to read this with accompanying artwork, feel free to head on over there! Final Fight forever!