Guess who? It's me! Monkey Time ahoy!

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Huge thanks to MentalForge, storybookknight, QAI521 and bookie from the Cauldron server who helped me with this chapter!

So without further ado...

The Monkey King searched diligently for the way of immortality, but he had no chance of meeting it. Going through big cities and visiting small towns, he unwittingly spent eight or nine years on the South Jambūdvīpa Continent before he suddenly came upon the Great Western Ocean. He thought that there would certainly be immortals living beyond the ocean; so, having built himself a raft like the previous one, he once again drifted across the Western Ocean until he reached the West Aparagodānīya Continent. After landing, he searched for a long time, when all at once he came upon a tall and beautiful mountain with thick forests at its base. Since he was afraid neither of wolves and lizards nor of tigers and leopards, he went straight to the top to look around. It was indeed a magnificent mountain…As he was looking about, he suddenly heard the sound of a man speaking deep within the woods. Hurriedly he dashed into the forest and cocked his ear to listen…When the Handsome Monkey King heard this, he was filled with delight, saying, "So the immortals are hiding in this place!"

- Journey to the West, Chapter 1

A visual flashed in the visor, and he wasted no time responding.

"This is Armsmaster."

"Armsmaster, this is PRT Captain Dunlow, incoming report."

"What is it?" he replied, even as he kept tinkering with his halberd.

"Possible parahuman event. We got a call from Brockton P.D. about a few Empire thugs lying on the streets. They were beaten up bad and are at Brockton General right now."

"Are you positive?"

Despite the moment of quiet, he could hear the captain's frown. "If the state they were left in says anything? Yes."

If he was any less focused, Armsmaster would've paused. "Continue."

"All five of them had broken bones, and when I say broken, I mean almost shattered. From what the doc told us, two had their ribs almost caved in. One was found across the street and with a concussion, maybe a skull fracture. We got no eyewitness reports of another gang showing up, and while a couple of the guys think this is infighting, we both know what's likely going on here."

The armored hero placed the halberd down and moved to the gauntlet on his left. He pulled a tiny wire clipper from a nearby drawer and reached into the open armor piece. His tone changed from clipped to calculating. "No reports? We haven't heard of any movements from the Merchants or Oni Lee. What's the location?"

"Downtown, southeast. We asked them how they got beat around like ragdolls, and the only one conscious enough to answer said, and I quote:" A deep inhale sounded from the comms. "Some monkey-faced chink cape pulled out a stick from nowhere and whooped their asses."

Armsmaster pursed his lips as a low hum, akin to a growl, escaped his throat. That description was very familiar. "A monkey-faced cape?"

"That's what he said. When we asked how he knew he was Asian, the gangbanger said, and again I quote: 'He wore pansy-ass robes he'd seen chinks wear in those old cartoons.'"

For the first time in hours, Armsmaster paused his repairs. Rubbing his bearded chin, he contemplated everything the officer told him. "Did they say anything else? Where did the cape go or where did he come from?"

"Nope. They were too busy rolling in pain or sleeping with concussions to notice. They didn't seem cooperative about why they were even there in the first place, but it was no stroll down the road, that's for sure. We collected some knives, a pistol, and a few improv weapons at the site, so I'd bet my salary that it wasn't anything good."

He drew in a breath. Great. "I see…keep an eye out for any sighting of that cape and send any reports to the PRT. If this really is a new cape, we need to nip this in the bud, or worst case, get an idea of who we're dealing with." He paused, then cleared his throat. "And…thank you for the information. Keep me posted on any new developments."

"Yes sir." With that, he disconnected and the visor went dark.

"So soon, and it's barely been a day. Though it's less dramatic than most debuts we've seen."

Armsmaster nodded at the female voice's remark, his bearded jaw chewing on air. "Maybe this one values discretion, it makes no difference. What's important now is finding out everything we can about this new cape and who he's aligned with." He pulled up a map of Brockton onscreen. "First the store at the Docks, now Downtown, against two different gangs. Beats them up fast and disappears from the scene. If the Empire and ABB thugs' accounts are to be believed, then he's male, and based on his clothing, possibly Asian." The second screen flashed with lists and images of reports.

"There was a recent incident - two days ago - with Lung over a brothel. Miss Militia was on the scene along with Assault. Aegis and Stalker provided backup for evacuation and gangster containment. The whole building burnt down and while the fires were stopped from spreading further, there were civilian casualties. There were no reports of any unidentified parahuman activity though."

Armsmaster frowned. God knows why Lung decided to destroy one of his brothels; suspicion of traitors maybe? An insult? He was never one to take one lightly. Regardless, as sad as it was to say, it wouldn't be unlikely for incidents like these to produce a trigger event. He clicked on one of the reports and enlarged it.

"There's one thing that almost confirms that this new cape is the same one from the grocery store," The female voice made him shake his head and refocus. "The gangsters' descriptions of this Parahuman."

"Yes…'monkey-faced'." It was one thing for racist gangsters to call someone that. When two racist gangsters on opposite sides call them the same thing?

"Case-53 scenario?" he asked.

"Likely. Compared to some capes on the database, a monkey isn't an unlikely transformation."

More reports popped up on the screen. "There have been some rumors that Lung is looking to bolster his ranks with Parahumans. According to what little intel we have, some ABB members were seen in Boston, around its Chinatown district."

He sat down and tapped the desk, his mental gears whirring. "And you are absolutely sure he's not one of said new recruits? Their…initiations…" The disgust was obvious, even through the call. Not that he blamed her; he'd been to many aftermaths of those 'initiations'. "Don't rule out hazing by fighting other members."

"It wouldn't be so open and they wouldn't call the police - or let anyone else try to."

He nodded and typed in a command. "I'm opening a file for this new Parahuman. Everything we mentioned just now and any similar reports go there. No name yet, but I'll assign him ratings of Brute and Mover 3. He'll be treated as an independent until we figure out his affiliation or recruit him for the Protectorate. Any equipment, Dragon? The report says he had a staff."

"It also says he pulled it from his ear," Dragon stated.

"Noted. Adding potential Striker and Stranger to the rating."

"Not Tinker?" she asked.

"Tinkers don't usually have secondary powers. And we don't have any mention of additional gear or Tinkertech. It wouldn't make sense, especially if he's a new Case 53. Tinkers need time to produce their tech, and judging from the reports, I'd say he's been in the city for two, three days at most."

"Are you going to inform Director Piggot?"

Armsmaster gazed hard at the screen, his expression obscured behind his helmet's visor. "Only the absolute basics. We've encountered a cape of unknown alignment."

The screen flashed and a woman wearing green armor and long brown hair appeared, bearing a concerned expression. "Colin, if a new Parahuman is on the scene then the last thing you should do is keep this from the director. I know there have been issues-"

"This isn't about that," he interjected, a tad forcefully. "This is a professional matter. We don't have enough intelligence on this cape, not even a picture. Gathering data and determining his modus operandi is the priority here. The last thing we need is to deliver vague or false information."

Dragon frowned, then slowly sighed. "If that's what you think is right," she said. "How are you going to track him?"

Armsmaster scowled, but nonetheless acquiesced. "I'll pull up every street camera from Downtown to the Docks and run through the last 24 hours. I'll forward the intel to the response teams and the Protectorate and notify them to keep an extra eye out during patrols, the Wards too just in case."

"Rules of engagement?"

"Right now, no provocations. For the Wards, if encountered, they are to notify Console immediately and await a Protectorate Hero and a PRT squad. If they can stall him nonviolently until we pitch recruitment, they have permission to do so." He went to his halberd and tinkered with it some more. "If a meeting escalates to violence, restrain and delay until the capture team or a Hero arrives. If a Protectorate Hero encounters him, they are to do the same, but they have full permission to engage directly if hostile. In all cases, containment teams are to be notified. When we have more intel, I'll update."

With that, Armsmaster looked away from the screen, put down his tools, and looked at his weapon. "Are the upgrades all working?" asked Dragon.

"Everything seems in order, nothing's pinging the diagnostic scan." He placed the halberd back down and returned to the computer.

"Maybe he came from overseas…but he wouldn't be able to hide himself easily with his looks."

"Barring any power-related explanations, smuggled or stowaway?"

"Exactly." A map of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans covered with dotted and dashed lines appeared on the screen, each one labeled. Contrary to popular belief, the international shipping trade's decline was not due to the threat of Leviathan attacking ships; if anything, the Endbringer left them alone. No, its main casualties were the port cities where trade was received - along with their respective populations and Parahumans - and the increased risk of international shipping upped insurance rates, which, combined with the former scenario, dealt crippling blows to the industry. But it was far from dead, especially with the new Endbringer disaster protocols; Brockton Bay simply had it rougher than everywhere else.

Like always. Underfunded, crime-inflated, dilapidated, cape-flooded and one breath away from collapsing into total anarchy and pandemonium.

As those dark thoughts began to swim in his mind's eye, Armsmaster took a deep breath. One problem at a time. One way or another, he would fix this city, deal with the gangs, and show the rest of the world that Heroes like him would always stop those walking monsters called Villains. He would tinker and tinker until he had the best tools for the job; right now though, he would settle for looking into this new cape.

Maybe this would be minor stress relief compared to the usual bullshit this town pulled over him.

Sun Wukong was a curious individual.

His friends called him many traits: impulsive, reckless, mischievous, clever and utterly handsome, to name a few. Among all those, curiosity was among the last usually attributed to him. Yet did he not venture into the unknown for nine years in search of immortality? Did he not take the first leap into Water Curtain Cave, where he was crowned as king of his fellow primates? In fact, many of his early deeds were the result of naught but curious fancy.

Case in point, he was perched atop his staff, on the roof of a tall stone building, surveying the strange city of Bù luō kè dùn wān - Brockton Bay. To an observer, he would appear akin to a sailor in the crow's nest of a ship, gazing at the horizon. The sun had passed its noontime mark, beginning a quick descent into the skyline. He silently marveled at the spires of glass and metal, at the wrecked ships along the distant docks. He felt the wind caress his face, the whispers of a winter chill taking the stage from the autumn breeze. Soon enough, the rains and snow would grace the skies and kiss the earth. Faint birdsong tickled his ears, their foreign chirps producing brisk melodies. The growling of the metal carriages, the idle talks of the native mortals, the buzzing of lightning that emanated from every lamp and home - it was all so…different from the cities of Zhōngguó. Even Chang'an, the Tang capital of a million souls, where he visited with his master at the end of his journey, was unlike this one. It was less populated here, for sure, but it had an energy that he'd seen nowhere else. How queer, how exotic, how…foreign.

'And is that such a bad thing?' thought the Monkey King as he twirled around his staff, doing a tiny somersault and landing on its tip. 'Some of those old fools back home would huff at any foreign tales. Hah! So stuck aspiring for the heavens, they failed to see the vastness of the earth around them! Goes to show them that!'

The smug grin on his face however slowly melted into a troubled line. 'Yet…the differences here are stark, both for good and ill. The scent of muck and blood is strong in the air, and the fear I felt earlier seems to shroud this whole city.' He inhaled deeply and grimaced. 'Not just fear…negativity in all of its shades. Those thugs, with the different costumes, are they a symptom or the cause?'

Wukong grasped his staff and leapt over to a taller building. Reaching its roof's edge, he held onto it with his claws and dangled over it, his staff firmly in his free hand. He could see the woodlands creeping along the western hills, hidden behind rows of smaller buildings. Unlike the spire he was on, they were squatted, ugly, and worn. 'Not only that…'

For an instant, the world was awash with gold.

'The qi here is…warped. Tainted even.' The ever-present life force of the universe was abundant in Flower-Fruit Mountain and Master Subodhi's cave. They were auspicious places, blessed by the heavens, and he had cultivated his talent and prowess greatly there. On the long road to the Western lands such places were scarce, but he always felt the soothing ebb and flow of qi. 'Yet here, it is as though it has blended with the filth in the air! Only demonic strongholds or doors to the underworld were foul enough to taint qi in such a manner. True, it proves no issue for me, but I have seen neither hide nor hair of any yaoguai or spirit since awakening.'

He pulled himself up nimbly onto the roof and crouched, staring at the stream of people below. 'This Brockton Bay is hiding something behind these spires and towers. Crime and human degeneracy to be sure, but this mystery goes far deeper.' He scratched his chin and let out a raspy breath. "I should ask Peizhi-xiānshēng about this. As a native of this city, he would surely provide more insight. Maybe I could taste that delicious beef dish again." He nodded. "Yes, a good plan. Though I should examine every district here before-"

"Hey!"

Wukong was startled from his thoughts by a voice to his left. Turning his head, he blinked as he took in the individual who had spoken: a girl in white wearing a dress that only reached her knees, with hair spun like gold adorned with a small, golden crown. Her face was that of the locals, with round blue eyes and soft cheeks. By human standards, she was quite the beauty.

The girl idly floated toward him, her arms crossed and a curious look upon her face. She seemed to lean forward before her eyes widened and she jerked back. "Wow, that is one hell of a mask."

Wukong pointed at his face. "Mask? I wear no mask."

Her eyes widened even further and she leaned back. "Oh shit, for real? Sorry." Her stare returned to its inquisitive state before she flew around him. "I've gotta say, this is the first time I've heard of a cape turning into a monkey, and there are some weird 53s online. You even have a tail!"

While Wukong had no idea what that last phrase meant, he did notice the other thing she said. "Little girl, I am the Handsome Monkey King! Of course I am a monkey!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Handsome Monkey King? Pretentious much?" She bobbed in the air as she kept talking. The ability to fly was far from strange to Wukong - it would be easier to list the people he knew who couldn't fly.

'But I feel no qi gathering around her feet, nor do I sense it enveloping her or granting her wings. All mortal methods of flight use some variation of those. A xiān maybe? No, not with the qi here. Any immortal would heave and flee before willingly subjecting themselves to living with such tainted air.'

"I haven't seen you around before. You new in town?"

Wukong idly twirled his staff as he followed her line of sight. "I recently arrived. I awoke before dawn, had a good meal, and enjoyed the view. If only the company was politer, this would've been perfect."

"Yeah, the sunsets are nice high up - hold up," she stopped and shot him a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

Her eye twitched, but she maintained her movement. "If you wanna make a good first impression, then being a smartass won't help." She then paused at her words before shrugging. "But if it helps you then go ahead. Not like I'm one to talk."

Wukong scoffed at the remark. 'I insulted every god in Heaven and got away with it, xiǎo gūniáng. A few mortals don't scare me.'

"Where did you wake up? I'm assuming it was recent?"

He slowly nodded. "I have. It was quite strange, I recognized almost nothing, but I was fortunate enough to meet a kind countryman who offered me food."

"And those clothes too?" she asked, gesturing to his robes. "Gotta say, pretty outdated."

Wukong snorted. "These are perfectly fine robes! I saw no need to ask for clothing."

Glory Girl blinked. "They were already on you?" She then rubbed her chin and her eyes narrowed. "You said a fellow countryman. Then…you're Asian? Chinese? Japanese?"

"I am from…" he took a moment to let the words translate in his mind and recalled the map Peizhi had shown him. "China, yes."

Whilst her words held simple interest before, now the girl seemed to tense at those words. Odd. Was it something he said?

The Monkey King looked up and down her form once more. Despite her rather…provocative wear and somewhat pale frame, her exposed arms revealed the musculature hidden beneath. Was she royalty? It would make sense, especially with the crown. Most peasants couldn't afford such finery. Then again, he'd barely seen anyone in patches or rags here. Regardless, this girl was a warrior, there was no mistaking that. She was primed to strike should she find sufficient reason.

"So, you decide to go solo or did someone already recruit you?"

Then perhaps…he should give her a sufficient reason.

'Hmm…Master Tang wouldn't have liked this…but I could use the exercise. Those thugs weren't much of a challenge.'

He tossed the staff over his shoulders and grasped it like a yoke, slowly walking in circles. "And why should I tell you any of my business, girl? I do not know you."

She smirked and placed a hand on her hip. Well, since you're new here, let me give you a little intro. The name's Glory Girl, and I'd think who's jumping from building to building would like some help knowing where he's at."

How cute. "'Glory Girl?'" He let out a raspy bark of laughter, "Now who is the pretentious one? What glory have you claimed to earn such a title?"

Glory Girl narrowed her eyes. "I told you to watch being a smartass. You're lucky I'm not a psycho like Hookwolf or Lung. They'd skip past the courtesy and move straight to ripping you in half."

'Odd names, but they have weight to them. Are they figures of renown in these parts?' Wukong thought. He then chuckled and stopped pacing. "Is that arrogance I hear?" He smirked at her as his tail swished. "Careful, you might end up biting the wrong peach."

The flying woman raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean apple?"

"What is an apple?"

"...it's a fruit. You know, big, red, crispy? Seriously, you don't know what an apple is?" she mimed a round shape with her hands after getting over her shock.

"Hmm," he tapped his chin then shook his head. "Haven't heard of it! I'll make sure to try one later." The sight of her confounded almost made him giggle.

Wukong tilted his staff and fiddled with its golden tip, idly tracing the intricate dragon carved along its length. "While I appreciate the offer of help, I think I will manage fine by myself. But you carry yourself like a warrior, and I must admit, I am intrigued." He pointed the staff at her. "So why don't we have a little bout? A test of fist and weapon?"

"'Fist and weapon'? You wanna fight me?" Glory girl asked, her hands on her hips. "Wow, a smartass and a battle-maniac. Why?"

"To see if that title of yours lives up to its name. Your confidence is radiant, and I wish to see if it's true or a mask for arrogance." She narrowed her eyes at him again. "Though judging by the quality of thugs around here, I can see where that might come from."

"You fought gangsters already? Yeah, the rank-and-file don't have much going for them other than being utter wastes of humanity."

"Ah, so they are mere fodder." Wukong let a mischievous smile grow. She seemed a more cautious warrior than he thought. But if there was anything he knew how to do best, it was annoying people.

"Though I must say, you claim to be a hero, but your state of dress says otherwise. Are you sure you're not a harlot with some fancy tricks?"

This time, he got his reaction. The girl's eyes widened as the insult settled in before narrowing like a hawk. She cracked her knuckles and bent her knees. "So warnings go right over your furry head. Good to know. Alright, monkey-man, I'm game. How about last one standing wins? Any time you want to back out, I won't blame you. Unlike some goons, I'm no pushover."

"Ha! That is the best joke I've heard since I woke up!" The Monkey King twirled his staff before pointing it at her. "Then, by all means, Glory Girl, let me see the steel behind your words!"

Yep, it's me!

Not much to say other than first meeting with Glory Girl! Let's see how our Monkey deals with her!

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