In this world, not every hero had a heroic purpose of their own… but every villain did. Some were driven by personal agendas, some acted on their beliefs, while others were simply born that way. However, the villains of Central City fit none of these categories. They were simply forced to play the roles life assigned them, living as objects of hate in the eyes of others.
But what if you gave a villain a reason to change? A chance to be better? Would they take it?
No. Because the problem with this world is that it is easy to be evil, but almost impossible to be good. They might change for a while, but eventually, they would return to their roots when given the opportunity.
That was what I was trying to do with the Smith brothers. This wasn't about redemption—it was a pre-revised act, a necessary step rather than an invitation to a different path.
"Try not to knock him unconscious. Just hold his mouth open," I instructed, handing a pill bottle to Elmond. "This melts as soon as it touches saliva, so you can throw it in from a distance, and it will still work. Just use one for now. I don't know how many it'll take for him to snap out of it, so it's best to proceed with caution."
Elmond nodded while Darius grew even more impatient. I understood his frustration, but this had to be done—we all knew that.
What are the chances it fails, and they attack us? Moriarty asked.
Even if it fails, I doubt they'll attack an S-rank while being just A-ranks. I replied.
...You still don't understand humans. The things they'll do just to save a single person… you'd be surprised. Moriarty smirked lightly.
GRRRHHHAAAKK
Dante snarled as Elmond approached. Zephyr stepped forward to restrain him, but Darius blocked him with his left arm.
"Prepare to fight if it fails," Darius whispered to Zephyr.
"What about the kid?" Zephyr asked nervously.
"Elmond won't let him get hurt. Call Thomas before you transform," Darius replied hesitantly, finally allowing Zephyr to assist.
Zephyr leaped over Elmond, landing on Dante's nape, and pulled back his upper jaw to keep his mouth open. But Dante's razor-sharp teeth made it difficult for Zephyr to hold on for long.
"Would you please hurry up?!" Zephyr shouted as Dante thrashed, trying to bite his arms off.
Elmond remained silent, swiftly pulling a pill from the bottle and tossing it into Dante's mouth before surging forward to kick his lower jaw shut.
The kick didn't knock him out, but it did force him to swallow the pill. Zephyr released his grip on Dante's upper jaw at the same time, ensuring the pill traveled smoothly down his throat.
"Did it work?" Zephyr asked, panting.
"I think we'll find out in five…" I replied.
"Five hours?" Darius asked.
"Five minutes?" Elmond added.
GRRRUUUHHHNN…
A deep, reverberating roar echoed through the warehouse as Dante's eyes snapped open—still red, still bloodthirsty.
"Did it fail..?" Darius asked, his voice calm, but his anger barely contained.
"I don't think so," I said, stepping closer. Dante no longer seemed to be in pain. There was no rage in his eyes, no uncontrolled fury.
"Ray, stay back," Elmond warned, blocking my path. "His eyes are still red."
"But he isn't reacting. This might be better than I expected," I argued, stepping past him. "Don't you see? He's in control. His eyes are red, and he's in control. Do you know what that means?"
"It worked?" Darius asked, still unsure.
"It worked wonders," I confirmed, excitement creeping into my voice. "He has the fully functioning brain of a human and the physical capabilities of a metahuman in a bloodlust state. This is mind-blowing! Dante could probably take down a normal S-rank with ease in his current state!"
I paused, taking a breath. "I am… honestly impressed with my own work. Ahem. Sorry, I'm just excited. You all understand, right?"
Darius, however, was too overwhelmed to respond. He had spent years believing his brother could never live a normal life, and now, that future was suddenly possible. Zephyr was just as stunned but made a quiet note to himself—this kind of help needed to be repaid, even if it came through an experiment.
Elmond, on the other hand, felt something deeper—relief. Hope. Maybe he had chosen the right path after all.
"Seriously? Nothing? Not even a thank you?" I huffed. "I'm being brilliant here, and I don't even get a reaction?"
"...I don't know how to thank you for this, Ray Allen," Darius finally said, stepping forward. "Truthfully, I never thought I'd live to see a day like this. I am grateful for your kindness… even if it was unintentional."
He hesitated before continuing, his tone serious. "And… I know I'm being selfish to ask, but could you give us three more of those? If you do, my brothers and I will carry out any task you assign us."
"No. I won't do that."
Darius stiffened, but before he could react, I added, "Unless you want your payment in advance. That, I might be able to arrange."
"What?"
"Darius Smith, I'm offering you and your brothers a position on the new security team I'm forming. That is, if you're willing."
Darius turned to Zephyr, who nodded in agreement, then bowed lightly.
"...It would be an honor to serve under you, young master," he said.
"Good! Then this is a happy occasion! But… why did you say three?" I asked, tilting my head. "I already gave Dante a pill, so you and Zephyr would only need two. Why three, Darius?"
Zephyr opened his mouth, but Darius raised a hand, stopping him.
"It's better if we show you," Darius said. "Please, follow me, young master."
Elmond moved behind me, still cautious of our new allies as Darius led us to a separate section of the warehouse.
"Is this your sleeping quarters?" I asked.
"It's more comfortable than it looks," Darius replied, stepping into a small room where a curled-up ball of fur lay motionless.
The creature was small—no more than three feet tall, two feet wide. As I stepped closer, I could hear a faint sound. A heartbeat.
"Is that a werewolf?" I asked, crouching. "I've never seen one before. Is it sleeping while transformed? Wait… how did you even capture it?"
"It's dying," Elmond spoke up for the first time in a while. His voice was grim. "How long have you kept him like this? The child is half-dead."
"We found him in a food barrel," Zephyr admitted. "We think he got separated from his pack. At first, he was extremely malnourished, but even after eating much of our rations, his condition only worsened. There's no doctor down here to check on him. We thought it was some werewolf disease and…"
"You assumed he'd get better on his own because werewolves don't usually stay sick for long," I finished.
I poked the fur, inspecting it more closely. "He was hit by wolfsbane," I explained. "He just needs a new heart."
"Just needs a new heart?" Elmond repeated. "Where the heck are we supposed to find a fresh heart? Moreover, there aren't many doctors who can operate on a werewolf."
"Who said it had to be biological?" I smirked. "There's nothing wrong with a functional mechanical heart. Give me a day, and he won't even need a doctor."
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End of Prologue