Chapter 5: Crimson Rage

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Midnight. A time where most people would be asleep. In an area that holds nothing but the worst and the outcasts of society, midnight is a time of activity. A time where deals are made and broken, where thugs roam the street with quirks on full display, where a young, white haired boy with stolen, blood covered clothing wanders, lost. He had escaped that hell hole and now finds himself wandering the streets of Japan in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, though to him, anything other than that room, that chair, that glass tank, is unfamiliar. Looking around, he notices so many new, strange things that catch his eyes.

After a while of wandering the unknown, dark streets, he finds himself gazing into an alleyway. The smell of rats and rotten food radiates from the nearby dumpster, the trash littered on the ground blows in the wind like tumbleweed and the group of men continue beating an elderly homeless man without a care in the world. The boy stands there, watching, wondering why they inflicted such pain on their own kind. "Hey, look." One of the men tap their friend's shoulder, pointing the boy out to the group. "Hey, kid, get lost! You didn't see nuthin'!" The boy ignores him, continuing to stare.

One of the other men nervously tap the one who appears to be their leader of sorts. "Uh, is that kid...covered in blood?" "What? He probably just spilled sauce on himself or got beaten by his daddy." The leader walks up to the boy, getting in his face. "Is that it, kid? Did your daddy hit you? Poor kid." The sarcasm lacing his voice doesn't go unnoticed and neither does his laughter afterwards. The others watch on as their leader attempts to bully the twelve year old boy. "You think your tough? Walking the streets alone like this? Or is it that you ran away from home, looking for a new mommy and daddy?" The man snickers, unable to come up with an insult that isn't a basic question. "Tell you what kiddo, why don't you join us? Beating these old guys is pretty fun when you get down to it." The man attempts to place his hand on the boy's shoulder, receiving a shock that sends him flying back past his friends, slamming into a chain link fence.

His friends stand bewildered for a moment before snapping out of their stupor. "Get him!" One of the men shouts as he aims his palms out towards the boy, shooting out a form of spider thread. The boy catches the thread and sends a red shock down the line, zapping the man into submission. The man falls to his knees, already unconscious. The other three men go for a hit, having reached melee range with the boy. He avoids the first blow before twisting his body to entrap the second blow in the sticky thread. The boy ducks under the third punch, making his way behind the first attacker and places both hands on the man's back. The man lets out a short "Huh?" Before the boy launches him with an electric shockwave that slams him into the third attacker.

The second attacker, still trying to escape from the spider thread, looks over to the boy, finally making eye contact. The man starts to sweat, seeing no mercy in those cold, crimson eyes. The boy's hand sparks with red electricity as he points it towards the man, letting loose a powerful surge that sends him flying back into the chain link fence, further electrocuting him. The second attacker makes his way behind the distracted boy, having managed to stand back up after being knocked down by his flying comrade. His arm morphs, gaining spines reminiscent of a porcupine. The spines shoot towards the boy, piercing his back and successfully drawing blood.

As the man is about to celebrate his victory, the boy slowly turns around with his gaze firmly centred on the porcupine man. Electricity sparks around the boy's legs before he rushes towards the man. He leaps up, superman punching the porcupine man in the face. The man stumbles backwards, unable to regain his balance in time to prevent himself from being knocked off his feet by a sweeping kick. He falls back, landing on his behind as the boy mounts him, charging his fists with electricity. The boy begins laying into the man with a flurry of sparking blows. "Kid, Stop!" An unfamiliar voice calls out to him, successfully bringing a halt to his fury.

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