Re:Monster - Re:Vival

Day Zero

I died. Not that such a thing was unexpected, mind you. Living as a Mercenary was always going to be a dangerous job. I just hadn't expected to die so soon. I'll admit, I got arrogant. In a world with enhanced humans and extremely rare individuals born with esper powers, I thought mine was at the top of the food chain. [Essence Extraction]. I could extract the "essence" from any non-living thing and gain abilities from it. It was pretty cool when I was a kid. [Photosynthesis] from some plants, [Lightweight] from a few feathers, the looks of awe and jealousy I got from everyone else made me feel special.

Then it happened. A bird flew into the window, killed itself instantly. When I went to check on it, I noticed that I could extract its essence. I was a little reluctant at first but when I did... what a rush. I mean, the skills were pretty useless. [Wing Control], [Flight Stability] and [Regurgitate] were what I got but that didn't matter. That was the moment I realised that I was at the top of the food chain. That I could gain abilities from the recently deceased.

I was excited, sure, but it wasn't like the chance to test it again would come around anytime soon. That incident happened when I was 12. The next time I'd get to test it was on my 15th birthday. My grandfather, a rough, former gang member and enhanced human, was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was visiting us so we found him pretty quickly. I was shocked and sad at first but then I got it. [Poison Immunity], his esper ability. I found out a few years later that he'd used it to become a nightmare to his enemies. Walk into a room, lock the door and release a poisonous gas. Apparently he liked the personal touch. That didn't matter in that moment though. I found out I could take esper abilities. Thinking back, that was the moment my path was set.

My grandfather was a former gangster, so naturally, no one gave a rats ass about his death. Most people said he deserved it. They were more interested in the "bigger picture". Gang violence, gun violence, etc. That didn't stop a lot of them from saying they were glad it was my grandfather who died and not some poor, innocent person.

Yeah, my grandfather wasn't a good person, but he was a great gramps. I spent the next 2 years tracking down the people responsible. Dropped out of school to do it. What time I didn't spend on looking for the bastards, was spent improving my ability. My parents? Well, they supported me. They wanted the sons of bitches just as bad as I did. Unfortunately the esper gene had skipped a generation so they knew they weren't much help in a fight.

After the two years were up, I found him. The guy who killed my grandfather. He was a hitman. Taking him down was surprisingly easy. I didn't kill him though. I wanted the people who hired him. This guy was nothing more than a tool. The people who pulled the trigger were the real target. It was honestly amazing how fierce he was in regards to not giving up his employer. Took about 4 months of torture to do it.

The people who did it? Was it an enemy gang? Rivals from his old gang? Cops? Nope. Nothing of the sort. It was the daughter of one of my grandfather's victims. A woman born with a silver spoon in her mouth that would've had a real easy life if my grandfather hadn't messed it all up killing her dad so that the gang's supporter could take over the company. What an idiot.

She spent every cent she had on hiring that crappy hitman to kill my grandfather while the people giving the orders kept on living the good life. She was living in a cardboard box, my life had been turned upside-down, and the people at the top kept sitting at the top.

When I met her, I asked if she knew who I was. Naturally, with hunger eating away at her, she couldn't answer. So, I bought her some food and let her regain her strength. She actually thanked me. When I asked her the same question again, she took a good look but I could tell she couldn't. When I told her who's grandson I was, she froze. Then she started laughing. She lamented over how scum like my grandfather could have a nice life with their family while she was stuck on the streets. She said I deserved to know what it was like to lose family just like she did.