Chapter 2

For the few who ware currently reading this story sorry for the wait. Not going to lie I had trouble figuring out how to move the story forward. That and I been playing the new God of War game and am the type who has to do all the side missions before I put a game down. Anyways here it is hope you all like it and as always leave a review if you like or have a suggestion for the story. I am open ears.

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-November 7 months later Manhattan-

Have you ever one of those moments where you thought you had it all figured it out? Like you thought, you knew how everything was going to go because you watched some movies and were now in a world that seemed to be a lot like it. Only to find out that while yes it was a lot like that movie somewhere along the way some asshole came along step on a fucking bug and changed everything. That was more or less how I felt till about let's say two months ago. I thought I knew everything or at least a good amount of everything that would happen in this world. Then I met a guy who I was a big fan of but really didn't want to see in real life.

"Yo Emilio what up man." I hear the undeniable voice of one Johnny Song AKA Johnny Gat. Yes, that Johnny Gat from the Saints Row video game franchise.

Now when I first met him, I was unsure how to feel about it. After all I was too busy beating the shit out of a bunch of guys who were trying to jump me at the time to care. It wasn't much of a fight to say the least as with my enhanced physical strength beating on them was as easy as crossing the street. The only thing they had going for them was numbers and one had a knife. But even with 10 of them they were nothing I couldn't handle. So really Johnny didn't even have to step in to help me the way he did and honestly, I would have preferred that he didn't. Because if he didn't then who knew maybe I could have lived in the blissful world of ignorance for a while long before I realized now royally fucked, I really was.

"Nothing much Johnny. Just waiting for you to show." I say to him in a nonchalant way.

"Well shit hope you weren't waiting long. Aisha kept me busy know what I mean." Johnny says with a wide smile on his face.

"Don't need to hear about you sex life Johnny. Let's just go Howard is expecting us to show up before noon." I say and stand up and start to walk down the streets of Hell's Kitchen.

-Johnny POV-

"Ya Ya I am coming you up tight son of a bitch." I say to Emilio as we start walking.

Got to say I didn't know what to think of Emilio when I first met him. I mean my first impressions was that he was a pretty bad ass dude. Facing off against ten members of a local small-time gang and beating the living shit out of them. It made for a fucking awesome first impression to be honest. And really, he didn't need me to step in and help him that day. I just did it because I needed something from him in return. Who knew I would end up joining him on his little scam.

At the time it was Aisha's birthday and I had just spent the last 3 months trying to convince the girl to give a broke as Asia boy from Chinatown a shot. So, I couldn't afford to fuck up her birthday right after we started going out. But like I said I was broke at the time and couldn't even find pocket change in the couch cushion if I went looking. That was when I heard from one of the kids, I hanged around with at the time about some Mexican kid in Hell's Kitchen that sold stolen merchandise near the subway station for cheap. And I am not talking like fake watches or DVD's, no from what I was told it was shit like brand new 65'' TV for like 200 bucks.

Now I didn't believe that shit for a moment but even so if this guy was real maybe he had something I could buy with what little money I had. Or if not, perhaps I could convince him to let me join him. After all, if he was moving things like stolen TVs and shit, I figured he could use some help. And not to brag but I was fucking strong myself. If not, then I wasn't sure what I would have done but it's not like it mattered as it never came down to that. Because as soon as I showed up at the subway station, I saw opportunity knocking when some jokers tried to take on Emilio.

What they were trying to accomplish I don't know. Maybe trying to shake him down for some cash or run him off what they probably thought of as their turf. As it sure as hell couldn't have been his merchandise as he didn't even have it on him at time. He was just standing there in the subway station looking like he was minding his own business when those two-bit gang members tried to jump him. Which didn't turn out too well for them as when it was all over most of them were lying in a puddle of their own blood and the one with the knife had his nose broken thanks to yours truly. Earing Emilio's thanks in return for doing so even though he didn't need my help.

Next thing I knew we were at his place surrounded by what I could only call junk. TVs, DVD players, kitchen appliances and a shit ton of other crap that was just laying around busted up. Needless to say, it was a dive and I swear to God I saw a rat in that place. Okay maybe not a rat as it was kind of clean, but you get my point. Anyways, while it was unimpressive that didn't mean he didn't have anything and as a show of thanks he asked me why I came to see him. So, I told him and next thing I know I am walking out of that place with a brand-new fucking Stark HS3. An MP3 player and video player all in one. Made the fucking iPod look like a fucking cd player next to it and cost almost 2 times more. But that was just the price you had to pay for Stark Technology. Or others had to pay seeing as I got that one for free.

It went without saying the moment Aisha opened my gift the girl nearly lost her mind. Her mom and dad may have both had good jobs unlike most in her neighborhood but no way they could afford a 1000-dollar MP3 player. Of course, her old man had some questions on where I got it from, but I didn't care what that old man thought, and Aisha was too busy giving me a gift of my own later that day to ask questions. Lucky for me my girl was no gold digger, however. She was honestly just surprised I got her anything at all, but it's not every day a girl turns 16 so I wasn't about to let her down.

Anyways after that day I went back to that subway to look for Emilio. After all I was thinking if his guy can get his hands on one of Starks new toys what else can he pull off. I saw money raining from the sky, and I went in. And he let me in so long as I accepted, he was quote on quote in charge. Something I wasn't so sure about but hell once I teamed up with him it was straight money. As a week in he showed me a little something that could open a lot of doors for use. Granted I didn't know what the fuck alchemy was but when I saw him repair a busted-up TV set I knew we were in business. There were just a few problems that even I could see.

From what Emilio had told me he had started out in Coney Island. Then had worked his way down to Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island then back to Brooklyn till he ended up here in Manhattan. Selling shit and developing a rep as someone who could get his hands on clean sellable merchandise. Never staying in one place for too long so as to not piss off any of the local gangs and mobs. A smart move and one I wouldn't have thought to do but one that was also limited in how much he could make. Now, however, he was tired of the chump change he was making and wanted to move up in the world. That is where I came in.

While I was thought of as nothing more than a small-time thug, I had developed a reputation for not being shy in getting my hands dirty. A reputation I was quite proud of by the way and one that got me noticed by both the Chinese mafia and the Italians. That is where I met the guy we were going to see now. Howard Saint, a small-time punk like me who liked to think of himself as a member of the Maggia. Like to talk like one to but I knew the truth, he was a nothing. Him and his friend Quentin ran a small-time numbers game from the basement of his old man's house and thought they were big shit because they knew some real members of the Maggia. But knowing wasn't the same as being a part of them which they were not. As was proven, when they were muscle out of their own racket by a real Maggia then tried to pick a fight with us when we went to go see them the same day. A fight they lost badly and ended up on the ground bleeding like several others who had tried to fight us.

No one came to help them, after the fact, no one fucking cared enough to. They were fucking nobodies, and we all knew it. It just stung hard to be reminded of that and that was the reason they picked the fight. Yet strangely it didn't end there as Emilio the next day sought them again. Don't really know why but according to Emilio there was something about Howard that just told him that he was a pretty smart guy. Couldn't be the smart if you asked me seeing as he got his ass kick by us even knowing that we had a rep for being tough guys, but I was like whatever and rolled with it. And now here we were standing outside Howard's place about to talk about moving forward after a month of doing business with them.

-End Johnny's POV-

Fucking John Travolta, okay not John Travolta but a guy who looked a lot like John from Saturday Night Fever with a more mobster personally. I had to say I was less surprised to see Howard Saint from the 2004 Punisher movie than I was in seeing Johnny Gat. Only being taken slightly off balance that he was here in New York and not Tampa Bay like in the movie. But I guess I could just write that up to him either not moving there yet or as this wasn't the MCU I knew, never was going to go there in the first place. Regardless, once I ran into him and along with Johnny beat the hell out of him and Quentin, I made up my mind to talk with him. Thinking there had to be a reason for why he became the most powerful mob boss in Tampa in the Punisher movie.

And low and behold I was right as once we got passed all the hostility, I found he was indeed a very smart guy. At just 18 he already had a good head on his shoulders for business and knew how the underworld worked better than me or Johnny. It was why he was mildly successful in running numbers and the only reason he was put out of business was bad luck. After all he paid the Maggia their cut but when an up and comer came looking to pad his pockets there was nothing Howard could do. Which sent him on a downward spiral that saw him picking a fight he couldn't win. However, things turned out well for him see that if it had been anyone else, he and Quentin most likely would have ended up in worse shape than they did. In other words, most likely dead before he had the chance to become anything at all.

That was why I went to go see him again despite his stupidity. He was down for the count and if he was half as good as I believed him to be then he would make a good ally. Failing that he could be a good business associate for a time. Again, luck played it role here, that or self-preservation as Howard was not so full of himself just yet that he couldn't see how badly he fucked up and even held some respect for me and Johnny after kicking his ass. So, he was willing to listen when I came over to talk and I had to say it was a fruitful talk as I had learned things that didn't quite match up from what I knew about Howard from the movie.

Frist, I learned that this Howard didn't like the Maggia at all. No, he outright hated them with passion as he believed that they had something to do with his father's disappearance years ago. The only reason he paid them at all is that, well, he had little choice in the matter. With his mother sick and in the hospital, bills were piling up. He needed to make money to pay those bills and pay them fast. Which he was doing with his little racket till he was pushed out. Now he was pissed more than ever at them and wanted blood for not only the insult but the jeopardy this put his mom in. However, he was a small fish in a big, big pond. If he picked a fight with the man who muscled him out, he was dead. That was a fact that wouldn't change anytime soon. Well unless he made allies who were not connected to anyone like Johnny and me.

"So let me get this straight you what to go legit." I heard Quentin ask after we talked for a bit about nothing of real importance. Just shooting the breeze so to speak till I changed the subject so to speak.

"That's right." I answer back.

"Why? We are making money just fine as we are." Quentin says and that was true we were making more money than I ever could have hoped on my own.

I didn't have a mind for business, not like Howard did anyways. Once I bought him and Quentin on board the amount of money, we were making made what I was making look like peanuts. After all, unlike me who was trying to hide from the eyes of big brother aka Shield/maybe Hydra they didn't. They could take the stolen goods and yes some of it was stolen and sell them for top dollar on the streets. But even so there was an upward limit in our new racket. As it was just me and Johnny providing the merchandise the only way to make more money was to add more people to our crew. Which in turn would risk exposing ourselves to the same type of people who pushed Howard and Quentin out of their last racket in the first place.

"Because we have reached our limit. We won't be able to bring in more cash without outing ourselves to the Maggia or the Kitchen Irish." Howard says to his best friend before I can answer while taking a sip from his cheap off brand beer.

I just smile at that and say, "That's right. We don't have the muscle to keep either of them at bay or while we could recruit more people let's face it, could we really trust anyone we brought in. Hell, I hardly trust you two not to stab me in the back the moment you get the chance."

It was a brutally honest answer but one we all knew was true. While Howard may have had some respect for me that didn't mean he liked me. After all I was still the guy who beat the living shit out of him. That kind of shit hurt his pride and left a bitter taste in his mouth now that he had to work with me to pay the bills. But that enemy of my enemy of my is my friend bullshit kept him from acting on such petty emotions. As between his dislike of me and his outright hatred of the Maggia he would pick me every time. For now, anyway, as shown by the smile on his face.

"Alright so we don't get the manpower to keep going but why go legit. We could just move our operation somewhere else." Quentin asks not seeing the point of trying to go legitimate. Don't get him wrong, he had nothing against making an honest bulk, but he knew honest small time business owners. Hell, he had an uncle who owned a dry cleaner's and one thing he learned from his uncle was that it was hard to make an honest bulk.

I shrug my shoulders and say, "And go where Quentin. Staten Island, The Bronx? Let's face it, every part of this city is run by someone. Plus, Howard can't go anywhere with his mom sick as she is, and I don't know about anyone else here, but Howard is the brain behind this operation. Leaving you behind Howard would be stupid."

What I just said was blatant flattery and was hardly true. Given the time I could do this by myself, it would take longer but I could. The point of keeping Howard on board was because well he was useful, and I needed a face guy. Someone to stand up front and take all the credit and blame while I chilled in the background till it was time to step forward. And it would come there was little doubt in my mind about that. As I couldn't hide my power forever and fate in a comic book universe was a bitch. Sooner or later, it would come knocking and I would be shoved into the limelight. I just wanted to put that on hold for as long as I could and have enough power to make sure no one could strong arm me into doing what I didn't want to do. Howard, despite his smile knew that. Well known some of that. He and Quentin didn't know about my power yet so they couldn't see the bigger picture.

"Alright so let's say we go legit. How? I don't know if you have been keeping track Emilio, but we are not exactly making a lot of money. Sure, it's enough to get us by, but to open a business, not by a long shot and I just turned 18 last month. No way a bank will give me a loan and even if they would what would we do open a car wash." Howard says, not in a sarcastic way but in one that said he didn't see any way for us to open a legal business.

I nod my head at hearing this and say, "True, but I know something you don't and so does Johnny. So, follow me and all your questions will be answered."

I say to them and get up, leaving the house knowing they would follow. Howard out of curiosity and Quentin because he was loyal to Howard. I had to wonder about that. Was this Quentin like the one in the movie gay and if so, was he in love with Howard. It would explain why the guy followed Howard around like he did. I mean sure they could be just friends and close friends but well he was always around. I hardly saw Howard without Quentin and seeing as Howard really wasn't making any money without me at this point it wouldn't have been uncommon for even the best of friends to go their own way for a time. Well whatever food for thought.

Anyways as we walked and came to a broken-down garage in a back alley that hadn't seen anyone use it in some time I thought about my powers. Like I thought alchemy was no joke and extremely hard to use. While I had been making some progress in repairing things like your basic electronics, I was having a shit load of trouble with more complex things like TV, DVD players and things like that. Even after figuring out that having some knowledge on how things worked help with my alchemy it was still trial and a fuck load of errors. Fun fact I was smarter than I was in my old life. Still stupid next to people like Tony Stark and Reed Richards, but hey it was something.

The point was I wasn't going to be pulling off shit like Roy or Armstrong did and sure as hell won't come close to what Ed did. Then again, I didn't need to, as you be surprised how easy it was to shut down power to a warehouse with alchemy and make a door I could just walk though and take what I needed. That is how I got the MP3 player I gave Johnny. Went to an electronics store warehouse blow the power to the place made a door took somethings and left with no one the wiser. Hell, I could probably do that to a bank if I wanted to, but I wasn't about to risk that.

Not when I had something else in mind anyways. What was the one thing people needed in their day-to-day lives other than food, water and shelter. A means of transportation, in most cases a car and wouldn't you know it, I had spent a lot of time learning how to repair a car. So, once we entered the garage and I clapped my hands together and pressed them against the busted-up car that was inside I was able to repair it to the point it looked brand fucking new. It was kind of funny the way Howard and Quentin jumped back in fear at seeing this. But it was quickly replaced by the smile that now was on Howard's face once he realized what I had done.

Looking at me with a look of both greed and wonder he said, "We have to get cash and fast."

"I know and I think I have a way on how to do that. A way you're like very much by the way." I say with a matching smile.

-A week later 11:00pm-

Sitting in the now repaired car I had fixed last week I looked at the three other guys in the car with me as they checked over the guns, I had stolen for them. Come tomorrow someone was going to be very pissed at the gun store I had stolen them from. But as far as I saw it if the government didn't what me to have a gun, they really shouldn't have made it so easy for guns stores to pop up on every street corner. You know it's funny in my old life I had some serious doubts about the 2nd Amendment but now reborn in a new life and about to commit a violent crime my perspective kind of change. After all, if it wasn't for the easy accessibility of guns, I would have had a much harder time getting a hold of them. Putting my plans on hold till I either learned to make them or found someone to buy them from.

"Emilio are you sure you can cut the power to this place?" I hear Howard ask for the 100th time tonight.

Really the guy needed to learn how to relax. Yes, we were about to rob the man who had not so kindly muscle him out of his racket but it's not like we were able to attack Dr. Doom or something. That I could understand being scared about but not killing and robbing some two-bit criminal that wasn't even a made-man yet. "Howard, I told you before it's all good everything has been set just be ready to do your part. Or Johnny, Quentin and I can do it ourselves."

Looking back at me with a look that could perhaps kill he says, "No I told you he's mine."

"Good lets do this then." I say, before pulling down the mask I had on top my head and looked to open the door only to find it shaking a bit. It seems I am not so ready to do this after all I think to myself as I look at said hand. But then remind myself I would have to get my hands dirty at some point regardless. It might as well be against someone who didn't have powers than someone who did. So, opening the door I got out of the car and walked towards the back of the building the target was using for his business.

Once all three of us were in the back, I found the Transmutation Circle I had put on the junction box a few days earlier. Then place my hand to it and watch my power do its job. It was amazing how easy it was to blow the power in a building. All you had to do was make a formula to boost the power that was running through a building several times over and boom power out. It was so easy, it was kind of scary to be honest, but it worked and who was I to question it.

As soon as the power went off, I went up to another Transmutation Circle I had put on a far wall and pressed it. Again, watching as this time, a simple wooden door is formed in front of us. Reaching over I open the door with a smile and give a mocking bow with my hand making a gesture that says after you. This gets me a small laugh from Johnny but nothing from the other two. Dry fish as they were I guess that was expected. We entered the building and quickly moved forward till we reach our targets. Needless to say, they were not prepared for what forwarded as in the dark confused and standing around with their thumbs up their asses they most likely couldn't even imagine that someone could enter from the back when there was no door there. They didn't see us or the guns that opened up into their backs. They just died or screamed in pain as the bullets ripped through their bodies and when the gun fire died down, I took a moment to look around.

Seeing the bodies lying around in puddles of their own blood I had thought I would feel something. Perhaps a grim sense of satisfaction, or a sickening vomit inducing horror at what I had done. But as I stood there, I felt nothing at the men who were dead or dying. No feelings whatsoever about what I had just helped do to them. It was a strange disturbing feeling and honestly scared me that I could kill without any hesitation. For a brief moment I wondered if I could do this without feeling anything, what else could I do? Shaking off such thoughts I quickly look to the others who are all breathing hard and in their own state of stunned wonder.

What were they thinking I wonder briefly before saying, "Grab the money and make it fast."

Then as if waking up from a spell they quickly got to work while I went around the room putting a bullet in the heads of everyone in the room that wasn't us. I had seen too many movies, TV shows, and news reports about people surviving multiple gunshot wounds to leave anything to chance. Was it cold blooded of me yes, but no more than shooting them in the first place.

Once I was done, I look and see they got the money I say, "Let's go."

Heading back out of the building from where we came, I use my powers to turn the door I created back into a wall. Then go to the car and get in with Howard driving. Taking off the mask as soon as we get on the highway and say nothing. None of us did as I could tell they were also processing what it was that they had just done.

Once we got to the front of the place, I was currently staying at I say, "Alright give me the guns. Then go home and lay low. Howard, you keep the money and call me when everything is set up."

Wordlessly they each put their guns in a bag we had in the car, which I take when I get out and head up to my place. Once inside I put them on a table that had a transmutation circle on it. Placing them on top the table, I clamp my hands together and activate the circle. Then watch as the evidence of our crime turns to metal dust. Good luck to anyone trying to find the weapons used in this crime, I think with a small smile before laying on my bed.

Looking up at the ceiling I say, "So it began. Ha hahah hahahaha."

I start to laugh into the night before drifting off to sleep.