Chapter 15:Lester...you're not that guy!

Grim, after a brief deliberation, decided to revisit a significant part of his past.

After Informing Felicia of his departure, he closed the door of her house behind him and set off towards the lower east end of Manhattan.

His destination was clear in his mind: his old apartment building. As he moved quickly through the streets, the familiar sights of the neighbourhood evoked a sense of nostalgia.

Reaching the building in less than an hour, he entered and began ascending the stairs.

Unbeknownst to him, Valerie had just exited his old apartment, locking the door behind her.

The two were mere moments away from a potential encounter, but fate had other plans.

Their paths did not cross, as Valerie, assuming Grim's steps were those of a neighbour, continued on her way.

...

Grim, reaching the top floor, approached the last door in the hallway, marked with the number 83.

He knocked three times, a sense of something building within him. After a short wait, the door opened a crack, revealing an elderly woman peering out suspiciously.

"Yes, can I help you?" She asked cautiously as she noticed a man standing at her door with his hood up.

"It's nice to see you again. Miss Xuãn." Grim said taking off his hood, and Xuãn gasped.

Upon seeing Grim, her expression transformed from suspicion to shock and then to joy. "Grim, is that really you, my boy?"

Miss Xuãn exclaimed, opening the door fully and stepping forward to touch his face, a gesture filled with affection.

Grim entered the modest apartment, the familiar surroundings bringing back memories. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Xuãn," he replied with more warmth than he had anyone before.

Miss Xuãn, still in disbelief, invited him in. "I'm sorry about the mess. Oh, you just missed Fang Mou, he left not too long ago," she mentioned casually.

Grim's expression shifted slightly. "I've already seen Cheng. I met him a week ago," he revealed, causing Miss Xuãn to react with surprise and a hint of annoyance at her son's lack of communication.

"What..." She exclaimed," You've been back for over a week and Cheng didn't tell me, I swear when that boy comes back."

Mis Xuãn didn't seem too happy about it and Grim looked at her in confusion." What do you mean by coming back Miss Xuãn?"

"Huh, Cheng told me that you got a job opportunity to teach martial arts on the other side of the world, and that there was no technology or reception there so I didn't know if I was able to get in contact with you...but I'm happy you came back."

Miss xuãn said meanwhile Grim went into a thinking pose, why would Cheng lie to his mother about what had happened to him?

He tried to think of a reason but decided it was too much for his brain, and thought whatever the reason, it didn't even matter anymore.

As they conversed, Miss Xuãn shared her life with him and informed him of everything that he may have missed while away.

Including her son's behaviour problems and how she thinks he's hanging around not-so-good people...

Oh, how little she knew...

...

Meanwhile, in midtown, Felicia was busy typing away in her office.

After dealing with the aftermath of the previous night's events, she was now engrossed in a new task.

A knock at her office door interrupted her focus. "Come in," she called out.

Two men entered, one wiry and bespectacled, the other middle-aged and strikingly handsome. The former handed her a file. "Here's the file you requested, Boss," he said.

Felicia nodded in acknowledgement and thanked him. The file in her hands could hold vital information for a new investigation she's going to be working

Felicia focused on her work, and acknowledged her colleagues' contributions to the ongoing investigations.

"Thanks for that, Henry," she said, receiving the file. Lester, a more seasoned detective, then placed his report on her desk, outlining details on the Say-So Case and a potential guns exchange at the harbour.

"Good work, Lester. Keep it discreet, and let's have some surveillance on the harbour," Felicia instructed, her mind already strategizing the next steps.

"You got it boss...so I was wondering." Before Lester could even voice his question Felicia looked at him like he was an idiot and replied.

"Never gonna happen, I would rather drop dead." She replied while continuing to type at her desk.

"Ouch...this is the third rejection this week. But I feel like I'm wearing you down." He tried flirting but all he got was a shooing gesture from Felicia.

"Sigh, I'll get you to go on a date with one of these days boss."

Lester's persistence was met with indifference, leaving him to retreat with his colleague, Henry, who questioned his futile efforts.

"Why are you still going after the boss, didn't the 50 rejection tell you she wasn't interested."

"Sigh, Henry, Henry, Henry, you still haven't been with a woman so you might not know this, but just because they say no the first time doesn't mean they mean no entirely."

"Women don't like men who give up easily, it's like a game of cat and mouse to them, whoever runs out of stamina first loses, trust me, she wants me, she's just playing hard to get. How about a bet then...say $500 that by the end of the month I'll have secured a date with the boss."

Henry raised a brow but thought, this was the easiest 500 bucks of his life.

"Deal!!" He said with a bright smile.

....

Outside her office, unbeknownst to Lester and Henry, Felicia had overheard their conversation through a hidden microphone.

She rolled her eyes at Lester's remarks, her attention quickly returning to the file Henry had given her.

Opening the folder, Felicia's eyes narrowed as she saw Grim's profile picture and autopsy report.

The details were meticulous, describing the injuries sustained – a hole in his chest, a head injury, and a gash on the corner of his lips. The report corroborated Grim's account of his resurrection, adding another layer of intrigue to his already mysterious existence.

Felicia pondered the possibilities. Was Grim's revival a result of some mutant ability, or was there a more mystical explanation? She made a mental note to inquire further when Grim returned.

As she delved deeper into the report, another knock on her office door pulled her from her thoughts.

A woman informed her of an incoming call from a young man claiming to know her. Curiosity piqued, and Felicia instructed her to patch the call through.

Picking up the phone, Felicia's expression shifted from curiosity to shock as the caller revealed himself. "You did what?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of disbelief and concern.

On the other end of the line, Grim's voice, weary and resigned, responded, "Sigh... it's a long story."