"All right, Kiddo. Pay very close attention. The Remnant is much more complicated than you think, so it will take some time to explain." Michael floated around Greg while scanning the city's surroundings. "Maybe we should find a better place. We might attract unwanted attention here, not to mention the fact that you're going to look like someone talking to an imaginary friend. That won't give you a good reputation. So, it would be great if you have a place where we can have privacy."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Greg had an idea, but he wasn't really sure.

"You're the only one who can see me since I'm somehow linked to you. So to others, you'll look like someone talking to an imaginary friend. That won't give you a good reputation. So, it would be great if you have a place where we can have privacy."

Greg furrowed his brow. "Well, that will be a problem. A really annoying one. My transformation in my body was very obvious, so people would suspect that I had a Trigger Event. And even if we deny it, they'll probably lock us up in Master/Stranger protocol with the excuse that it's for our safety. Not to mention there's the risk that my mother will be scared by what happened to me."

"That's messed up, but hey, this could be worse." Michael gave a nervously amused smile. "At least you're not a freaking stinking corpse, probably having to avoid the damn happily ignorant society while trying to dodge the damn police or the government trying to capture you for experimentation. So, in a way, it's a win in my books." Michael looked him up and down while squinting his eyes. "Also, if the issue is your appearance, I think I might have a solution to that."

Greg tilted his head as he pondered the possibilities. "Wait... don't tell me you can revert my body, my old body, and my body in perfect condition at will... oh even better, we affect people's brains and make them believe I have the old body, but in reality, I always have my perfect body. Like a Stranger effect."

Michael looked at him in surprise before shaking his head in amused exasperation. "If I'm being honest, I didn't think you'd come close to getting it right, so color me impressed Kiddo." Michael smiled at him as he put his arms behind his head and slowly floated backward. "The solution to your problems is illusionary discs. A very advanced technology that can cause illusions or hallucinations by producing some high-pitched sound waves."

Greg looks at him in amazement before smiling excitedly. "That's amazing. If I have the right materials then I can build one of the disks so that it produces a rhythmic pattern of five sound waves with different frequencies that coordinate and then de-coordinate repeatedly creating a predictable frequency" Greg exclaimed as the ideas came to his brain as if he had always known all this from the beginning. "If I create the right rhythm and the right frequencies then it can alter people's perception and even to any security camera or any recording electronics." Then he frowned "Although I'm not sure if it would affect the technology modified by another Tinker."

Michael looked at him with childlike amazement and scientific interest. "That's really how a parahuman power based on Tinker should work; this is truly incredible. I'm a bit envious; that power would have been very useful instead of wasting decades studying robotics and technology." Michael shook his head, still incredulous about what happened, but he had seen many strange things in his life, so accepting another one wouldn't be a problem for him. "Right now, this is very useful. It means you don't have to waste time studying what I have studied, and I don't think we have to worry right now about Tinker technology. The only problem with this plan is that we have nothing to build an illusionary disc."

Michael pointed with a furrowed brow.

Greg nervously bit his lips as he thought carefully about the plan that was slowly coming to him. Despite the potential dangers and how foolish it was to expose himself so openly to that place, it was the only thing he saw as the better option.

"I think I have some money so we can buy basic materials for construction at a store. I just hope it's not too expensive." Greg sighed as he began to check his pants for his wallet. "The rest of the materials, we can get at the Docks or Boat Graveyard. The only problem is that the place is monitored by all the city's gangs and even the PTR. From what I understand, it's a place where Tinkers frequent to find materials."

"I see, that complicates things. I know this place is a dump. The amount of Remnant I feel scattered in the city isn't normal. Honestly, it's quite disturbing that I can feel the excess of Remnant saturating the city, and the authorities haven't done anything." Michael looked at the city with narrowed eyes.

Greg shook his head with annoyance. "The police can't do anything because they don't get involved with parahumans and only act against people without powers. Not to mention, the police are useless against parahumans even if they get involved. And the PTR is like a special police to stop parahumans, but they're incompetent, and all they achieve is maintaining the status quo and being publicity toys."

"Uh... are they really that incompetent at what they do?" Michael asked incredulously.

Greg furrowed his brow. "Yes. Many people think it's because villains outnumber them four to one, but if they were really competent, then the villains they capture wouldn't escape their surveillance."

"Do all these villain capes captured by this PTR escape from their prison cell?" Michael didn't like that piece of information. How hard is it to keep a prisoner in their cells?

"Well, no one has escaped surveillance within the cells of the PTR building, but when they transfer villains to a better prison or the Birdcage, they are always released and set free. Although that only happens in Brockton Bay, in other cities, it's strange for them to escape. At least, as far as I know."

The look Michael gave scared Greg a bit. His pupils had contracted to a small, intimidating point, and the dead look accompanying it sent shivers down his spine. Michael sighed, trying to relax when he saw he was unsettling Kiddo. Instead, he focused on a more important fact. "Setting aside the level of incompetence shown by the authorities, there's something else that worries me. You mentioned gangs in the plural, not singular. Or did I just hear wrong?"

Greg furrowed his brow. "Shouldn't you know all this?"

Michael rolled his eyes before giving him an expressionless look. "I've been dead for a long time, Kiddo, and even though I've gained some knowledge due to our connection, I don't exactly know what's going on with the world during my absence. The last time I checked, parahumans didn't exist. What year is it, anyway?" Michael looked at Greg with curiosity.

Greg looked surprised before nodding; what Michael said made sense. "So, you must be from a time before parahumans. We're in the year 2011. When I passed out, it was specifically February 5th. If a full week has passed, it should be February 12th or 13th."

"2011." Michael looked at him with surprise; his "eyes" dilated, making his pupils larger before returning to normal. "That doesn't..." He shook his head in disbelief. "No matter, it's not important right now. Anyway, back to the gangs."

Greg gave Michael a strange, thoughtful look before shrugging. "There are the Azn Bad Boys or ABB, mostly an Asian gang, and even though they have only two capes in their gang, they're equally dangerous as the Empire because of the strength of Lung and Oni Lee. The Empire is a Nazi gang."

That took Michael by surprise. "Are you saying those damn Nazis still exist?" Disbelief was evident in his voice. "How haven't the authorities done anything? Please tell me they don't have a powered-up Hitler."

Greg blinked in confusion, tilting his head. "Hitler?"

The palpable relief in Michael confused Greg, but Michael didn't explain why. Instead, he said, "Don't worry about that, Kiddo. Keep going. You were talking about the damn Nazis."

"So, the Empire doesn't have capes as strong as Lung, maybe the idiot Purity, but honestly, I'm not sure who would win in a showdown. Although most likely, one of the two will back down regardless of the damage they cause in the city or the deaths they may cause." Greg commented with a furrowed brow before giving an audible sigh. "The Empire also doesn't have a cape as versatile as Oni Lee, but what the Empire lacks, it makes up for in numbers. They have many capes, some more dangerous than others."

Michael looked thoughtful as he waited for Greg to continue.

"There are also the Merchants, low-life gang members, and the majority of them are drugged because they pose a minor threat to capes, but the average citizen can still die or be mugged by these idiots. Even their leader Skidmark is taken as a literal joke. And the PTR doesn't even consider them a threat compared to the other gangs."

Greg then snorted with a hint of mockery before continuing. "I think there's also a minor villain named Coil, but not much is known about him. The Undersiders are a small group of criminals who usually engage in robbery, so it's unlikely that they'll bother us. The Faultline Crew is a group of mercenaries formed by Case 53. Unless we attack them, they won't be a problem. Then there are the clowns Uber and Leet, but it's unlikely that we'll encounter them. There are other capes, but they're either Rogues like Parian or independents like Sere."

"That's a lot of capes for one city, has the PTR ever thought that maybe their level of incompetence is due to a leak or a spy? I mean compared to other PTR branches and their quality, I want to believe that there is a possibility that there is sabotage in this city's branch, otherwise, this would be just unfortunate, sad, and disappointing."

Greg blinked before nodding. "It's possible, but I generally believe that all this is a government conspiracy to make more money and then take over the world or at least the city while controlling the gangs in the shadows."

Michael gave him an expressionless look before snorting and rolling his eyes. "You're watching too many novels, Kiddo. Stop mixing fantasy with reality."

"Hey. This can be a very real possibility that we can't dismiss." Greg, seeing that Michael just gave him a mocking and amused smile, pouted before sighing. "Fine, but when my theory is true, then I'll tell you. I told you so."

Michael just sighed as he looked at him with a nostalgic and amused smile mixed with sadness. "Sure, Kiddo, but when it's not true, then I'll tell you. I told you so." Then he smiled playfully before looking at Greg seriously. "Anyway, don't worry about these low-life criminals. No matter how strong they are, I'm sure we can easily defeat them." Michael Afton made a dismissive gesture, not caring about the capes, even if they had powers. They wouldn't be rivals for them since both are spirits and unless one of them controls fire, then it simply won't matter who they face; they'll always win as long as they can touch the cape.

"Am I really that strong?" Greg exclaimed excitedly. "Wait... you don't even know the powers of the capes in Brockton Bay. How do I know you're not overestimating my... our cape powers?"

"An excellent question. We are immortal, we can recover from any damage over time. My regeneration was slower, but yours seems to be quite fast. We can heal from any injury, even the most severe or lethal ones. The only way to die is by fire, and that's only if the flames have a high temperature." Michael gave a smug smile.

"But having regenerative ability doesn't equate to victory. We also have to consider other factors. Can we fall unconscious? What if they immobilize us with a parahuman power? Can we be affected by Masters or any power that affects the brain? Do we have anything other than super regeneration?"

Michael tilted his head before sighing. "We can't fall unconscious from a blunt force hit, not even if they tear our heads off our shoulders. We only fall unconscious if we use too much Remnant from our body, not to mention, that we have to replenish the Remnant reserves we spend. I don't think sleeping or eating is necessary, although considering your body, I think you can do both, but I'm not so sure."

Michael then frowned. "Yes they can immobilize us, but let's try not to let that happen, as it would be quite embarrassing. Also, I don't think we can be affected by a master, but I have my doubts, but most likely the Remnant will react negatively and respond violently to the mental attack."

Greg nodded, paying attention, trying not to be distracted by the ideas flooding his mind. Being a cape noctis with no need to eat saved him hours in his life as a Tinker—a highly appreciated advantage considering his powers.

"We don't have anything grandiose like super flight or laser beams, but we can disable any kind of technology. Very similar to a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP), this is generally due to our intense, usually negative, emotions manifesting from the paranormal plane to the mortal plane. I don't know what emotion triggers it for you, Kiddo, but once you figure it out, you'll need to control that emotion," Michael explained seriously. "We can also disrupt electricity to some extent. For example, we can cause a small blackout, although not for long. And we can also manipulate communication forms, for instance, interrupting a news broadcast to send a message, although that's very complicated, and I generally wouldn't recommend it because it's too creepy," Michael shuddered. "Believe me, no one wants to receive a message tampered with by the Remnant."

"That's..." Greg didn't know what to say; he was uncomfortable for a moment before speaking. "I've tried to ignore it because, despite the studies people have done on parahumans, no one really knows how they manifest beyond an extra organ in the parahuman's brain. But something about you bothers me." Greg looked at him nervously. "You've been talking as if my powers were very different from those of a parahuman. I've tried to ignore it, but the way you narrate the abilities is as if you've used them before or at least experienced this same power. What is this Remnant really? Have I really experienced a Trigger Event, or are my powers something different from parahuman abilities?"

Michael looked at Greg, letting out an audible sigh. "It's not like they wanted to hide it, but I would have preferred to explain it to you in a safe place for you to assimilate it thoughtfully and calmly. Since we could take hours while I explain it to you, and honestly, it's a miracle that no one has found you while you were explaining gangs to me." Michael then smiled slightly amused. "Although it would have been fun to see the looks on the faces of the people who caught you talking to yourself."

Greg rolled his eyes before pointing at him. "Fine. We'll find a place first, but once we find a place where we can talk privately, you'll explain what Remnant is."

Michael raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. Relax, I promise to explain everything thoroughly, but in a summary. Remnant is a part of the soul of a murdered person. Think of the soul as liquid paint compressed into a protective plastic bag; when you're murdered, it breaks, and the soul, or paint, stains the place. So, the soul is the paint, and you are the protective bag. When you're murdered, you stain the world with your paint, so to speak."

Greg looked puzzled before speaking. "So, you're saying I have your Remnant inside my body. I mean, your soul. Does that mean I have two souls inside my body?"

Instead of nodding, Michael shook his head. "Not entirely. You have my Remnant, yes, but it's in the physical plane. This means that my Remnant is part of the protective bag covering your soul. If you want to make an analogy, let's use a phone; the phone has the motherboard, in this case, your soul, and the phone's casing is your body. Then my Remnant would be the phone protector that reduces damage to the casing."

Greg shook his head in confusion; this seemed much more complicated than parahuman powers. Fortunately, the analogy made him understand much more easily what was happening with his body. "So are you saying that Remnant will reduce any damage caused to my body?"

Michael shook his head before smiling ironically. "Oh, no. You will always receive the same damage as any other human being; what the Remnant will do is restore any damage done to your body, since the Remnant does not surround your body like a protective shield, but permeates your entire circulatory system, pumping it through every part of your body. Obtaining a function almost similar to a blood".

Greg's sweat drops fell from him. "So, doesn't that make the previous analogy useless?"

Michael made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Eh, details. Repairing the body or protecting it, no matter how you look at it, will protect you, and in that way, you won't die. Now, you're immortal." Then Michael gave him a mocking and amused smile. "By the way, that means you'll have this age forever, for the rest of eternity, or at least until someone kills you again this time permanently."

Greg certainly didn't expect that. Most people would be scared of being stuck in adolescence, but for him, it was different. Greg looked at himself in the mirror. Whatever Michael's soul did to his body, it made him look much older than he was, so now Greg looked like a teenager entering adulthood. Which was pretty cool, and he had to admit he now looked quite sexy.

He was going to attract a lot of girls with this body. Although now that he thought about it he looked into his purple eyes before looking at Michael's "eyes" out of the corner of his eye. A doubt began to plague the teenager's mind that gained maturity.

If Remnant restores the host's body, it means it has memory capacity just as the immune system does to fight viruses and bacteria. But I got Mike's Remnant after my death, so Mike's Remnant inside my body couldn't remember what my appearance was before my death. So, if it didn't remember my appearance, the form of my new appearance had to come from somewhere.

Greg looked at Michael. His stomach tightened, really hoping the conclusion he came to wasn't true, but Michael's indifferent demeanor about what was happening to him and the knowledge he had about Remnant told Greg that he was right.

His appearance was not due to the Remnant being adapted to his body to emulate the physical peak of the human body. But because it was exactly the same physical form that Michael Afton had before his death.

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Author Note: This chapter tries to get the reader to grasp Greg's natural intelligence while maintaining some habits before Greg dies. The old Greg at least in this story, could never think in detail because he was always distracted by new ideas before moving on to another. Now that the Remnant has granted him a level of maturity and his mind is much calmer, he can now think carefully before he speaks before he would talk and then think about the shit his mouth had spit out.

He also briefly showed Greg and Michael's personalities and how the dynamic between them will be more or less. Along with a little explanation about soul juice and what that soul juice can do.