Chapter 1

It was a rainy night, and a drug deal was taking place in a small, garage-like building. The men inside were armed with knives and swords, and they appeared to be members of the Yakuza, the notorious Japanese organized crime syndicate, operating in the United States?

One of the men boasted, "This is the purest cocaine you can find in the whole country." He used a knife to cut the bag of cocaine and then licked the knife, savoring the potent substance.

Another man, while smoking a cigarette and keeping watch, said, "Alright, just put it in the truck and load up. The boss will give us hell if something goes wrong, that damned foreigner."

As the men finished loading the truck, they hit the button to raise the garage door. However, the door suddenly stopped and started closing again. The man in the driver's seat exclaimed, "What the hell?" He turned to another man, who nodded and opened his door.

"Hey! What's wrong with the door?" the driver asked the other men who weren't in the truck. They shrugged, not knowing what he was talking about.

The second man closed the door and said, "Just try again." The man in the driver's seat groaned and clicked the button again, but the door only went up halfway before going back down. <"Fuck! >" The man in the passenger seat cussed and got out of the vehicle, walking towards the garage door and pried it up which caused the door to creek and stay open.

He signaled for the driver to start driving but behind him he heard a 'psst' whisper. That caused him to signal to the driver to stop. He then turned around to see just darkness. As he continued to look around he then saw a black Hannya in a bush. This sent shivers down his spine and he reached for the knife in his pocket.

A loud honk came from the truck which made the man jump. <"Hurry up what's taking so long?!"> The driver yelled in anger. The man sighed then turned back to the bush but there wasn't a mask anymore. This made his heart drop to his stomach.

He turned to look at the truck again and the driver, and the other yakuza who were inside the garage looked at him in horror but they weren't looking at him but rather behind him? His breathing became heavy as he turned around and saw a tall ebony man with a zip up windbreaker standing in front of him with the black Hannya mask. "I heard the Japanese were scared of these things, so I decided to make an entrance." I said while smiling under the mask.

The man in the garage froze in terror, his hand still clutching the knife. The rain poured down on him, blending with his sweat as fear coursed through his veins. He tried to steady his trembling hand, but it proved to be futile. The mysterious figure in the Hannya mask stood there, unmoving, his presence sending chills down the man's spine.

I put a finger over his mouth. "Dah, Dah, Dah. See I like to whoop ass then ask questions later." I chuckled then sent the man flying back into the garage with a back kick.

As the man crashed into the garage, his body collided with a stack of crates, causing them to topple over with a loud crash. The remaining Yakuza members inside the garage scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.

I walked towards them, my steps deliberate and filled with a quiet confidence. The rain continued to pour down, drenching us all in its relentless fury. The darkness of the night seemed to amplify the tension in the air, as if the world itself held its breath, waiting for the impending clash.

The Yakuza members brandished their weapons, their hands shaking, their faces etched with terror. But I remained calm, my gaze fixed upon them through the haunting eyes of the Hannya mask.

"You think you can come into our territory and disrupt our operations?" one of the Yakuza members shouted, his voice quivering with a mixture of anger and fear. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Ooh la la I'm so scared." I said while walking up to them. "Get him!" He shouted which made 5 different members rush at me with knives and swords. This kinda got me nervous as I didn't have any weapons.

As the Yakuza members lunged towards me, their blades glinting in the dim light of the garage, I quickly assessed the situation. With no weapons at my disposal, I relied on my agility and quick thinking to evade their attacks.

A sword was swung, nearly missing my face and I countered with a kick but due to my wet shoes I slipped and fell. "Shit!" I muttered and one of the men stood over me. <"Maybe I'll start off with his arm!"> He cackled and swung the sword at my left arm, but instead of blood sputtering out from it there was nothing, the sword just collided with the concrete.

<"What?!" > He said in surprise which gave me the opportunity to back fist him using my right hand and I stood up. "Aww man, you found out, I hope you don't look down on me." I sighed and removed my windbreaker revealing my missing left arm.

I picked up the sword and looked at it. "I don't really like using katanas since you need two arms to use them." I said and looked at them. The men all froze in fear as they saw me holding the sword. "A-are you gonna kill us?!" One of them said while trembling. "Hmm, nah I can't, you definitely deserve it though. But who am I to judge?" I dropped the sword.

With that, I launched into action, using my speed and agility to outmaneuver the Yakuza members. Despite their coordinated efforts, they struggled to keep up with my movements. I countered their attacks with precision, incapacitating them one by one.

As the last of the Yakuza members fell to the ground, defeated and broken, I stood amidst the remnants of the chaotic encounter. The rain continued to pour, washing away the blood and sweat, cleansing the world of its sins.

"Oh right I forgot," I pulled out a badge and showed it to them. "I'm LAPD, you're all under arrest." I said with a cocky grin as I removed my mask.

The next morning I walked into the police station and went up to the lady at the front desk. She was on the phone and rolled her eyes at me and signaled for me to go away. I scoffed and took the phone. "Natalie will be right back." I put the phone down on the receiver.

"What the hell, 9!? I was on a very important call." She said angrily and slammed her fist on the desk. I chuckled and sat on the desk. "Any info on those yakuza members?" I asked and took a candy from the bowl next to her.

Natalie glared at me, her eyes shooting daggers. "You can't just barge in here and disrupt my work, 9," she snapped, snatching the candy from my hand. "And yes, we've got some information on those Yakuza members. They're part of the Kurotaka clan, one of the most dangerous syndicates operating in the US."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Kurotaka, huh? That's interesting." I said, leaning back on the desk. "And what about their boss? The foreigner they were talking about?"

Natalie sighed, flipping through a stack of papers on her desk. "We're still working on that. But we've got a lead. Apparently, he's a British national, goes by the name of 'The Viper'. He's been linked to several high-profile crimes across Europe and Asia."

I whistled, impressed. "The Viper, huh? Sounds like a real piece of work." I said, standing up from the desk. "Well, I guess it's time to pay this Viper a visit."

Natalie sighed and tugged at my shirt. "Actually, we already put someone on that operation." She said nervously and gulped. I shrugged her off. "You gave someone else my operation, Why?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

"I didn't do anything! But, the chief wants to see you. He seems pissed." She responded softly and picked up the phone. I looked at the chief's office and looked down. "Yeah, so am I." I muttered and walked towards the office and on my way I heard snickers, laughs and giggles which pissed me off even more.

As I got to his door and was about to knock I heard. "It's open." The chief said in a kind of grumpy tone. I opened the door to see him with his head down and a cigarette in his hand. He picked his head up and sighed. "You're off the force." He said while rubbing his temples.

My heart sank and I couldn't believe what I heard. "W-what do you mean?" I asked and clenched my fist. "What? Do you have too much wax in your ears? I said you're fired. The higher ups don't want a disabled working for the force!" The chief spat angrily.

I walked up closer. "B-but you said that doesn't matter, nobody would care if I'm disabled. I'm only 19, I'm the youngest on the team and I do more than half the assholes here!" I yelled.

The chief sighed, taking a long drag from his cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray on his desk. "I know, 9. I know," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "But it's not up to me. The higher-ups have made their decision, and there's nothing I can do about it."

I felt a surge of anger, my fists clenching at my sides. "So that's it, then?" I spat, my voice shaking with rage. "After everything I've done for this department, for this city, they're just going to throw me away like I'm nothing? You took me off the streets, taught me how to fight, how to shoot, you're the one who put me in this place and you're just letting them kick me out?!" I yelled and he gave me an envelope.

"This is the money for the drug bust last night and the pay for the last few months, 17,000 dollars. Use this and go be a normal person, live life or something." He said and I snatched the envelope from him and walked out the door.

I walked back to the front of the station and left out of the door. Tears began streaming down from my eyes. I stuck the envelope in my pocket and wiped the tears. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

**6 months later**

I laid down on a beach chair in Venice Beach with earphones on. "My life, my life , my life, into sunshine." I sang while pretending to strum a guitar. "Everybody loves the sunshine." I continued to pretend to strum. My happiness was soon interrupted when I felt a kick at my chair.

"Now, I'm not the smartest man in the world but I'm not dumb enough to kick somebody else's chair." I said as I sat up and removed my sunglasses to see: the chief, Natalie and 4 men in suits behind them. I then looked around and noticed I was the only person at the beach.

I sighed and put my glasses back on my face, stretched and lied back down. "I'm too retired for this shit." I sighed and continued playing the music.

The chief stepped forward, clearing his throat. "9, we need your help."

I cracked one eye open, peering at them through my sunglasses. "Oh really? And why should I help you, after you kicked me out of the force?" I asked, my voice dripping with bitterness.

Natalie stepped up next to the chief, her expression serious. "Look, 9, we know we messed up. But this is bigger than all of us. There's been multiple reports of missing students at Silver-Wood University."

I sat up, intrigued despite my better judgment. "Silver-wood, huh?." I said, arching an eyebrow.

The men in suits stepped forward, and one of them spoke up. "We need you to go undercover at the University." He said handing me a file of my undercover role.

I opened the file and examined it. "A professor? Heh, no." I threw the file in the sand and lied back down. "Why you!" The man growled and attempted to rush at me but was held back.

I smirked, enjoying the sight of the man struggling against his colleagues' grip. "You think I'm just going to jump at every opportunity you throw my way? I don't owe you anything," I said, my voice laced with defiance.

The chief, his face a mix of frustration and desperation, stepped forward. "9, please. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't important. These missing students, they're connected to something much bigger than any of us could have imagined."

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "And what exactly is this 'something' you're talking about?"

The chief hesitated for a moment, then sighed heavily. "There have been rumors, whispers of a secret society operating within the university. They call themselves 'The Serpents.' They're involved in illegal activities, manipulation, and even worse, there are rumors of human experimentation."

I felt a chill run down my spine, my anger momentarily forgotten. The chief's words struck a nerve, reminding me of why I had joined the force in the first place - to protect the innocent. "Pass," as I said this their jaws dropped. "First you kick me out on my ass, even though I stopped the biggest drug bust that it took a year for even the FBI to stop? Nah, I'm just a disabled with one arm, remember, no way I could stop human experimentation?" I stood up and walked away to my car.

"What a stubborn kid." One of the men said to the chief. "Well, he is my son. Well adopted son. He was a troubled kid when I found him on the streets, and got into many fights due to his disability." the chief replied, his voice filled with a mix of pride and sadness.

Natalie stepped forward, her eyes pleading. "Chief, we can't let him walk away. He's the best chance we have at stopping The Serpents and finding those missing students."

The chief sighed, his gaze fixed on my retreating figure. "I know, Natalie. But he's been through so much already. I don't want to push him into something he's not ready for."

Natalie's expression softened, her voice filled with determination. "Chief, I've seen what he's capable of. He's strong, both physically and mentally. And deep down, I think he still wants to make a difference. We can't just let him disappear."

The chief sighed and shook his head. "He'll come around, trust me; he'll come around."

1 hour later

I sat on the floor, my back against the bed as I drank. I pondered to myself about the situation. "Am I really gonna be this petty? No, I'm not the petty one, there's plenty of double armed cops on the force, they don't need me." I said as I stood up.

I went to the door and walked out of my house. I walked the streets to clear my head. "I have to be a college professor? If I did the job what would I teach? Maybe criminology or self defense. Wait, is that even a major?" As I pondered I looked to the side and saw a man being mugged. "Help!" The man (who looked to be in his early twenties) yelled as he was being punched and pushed against the wall.

One of the men grabbed his shirt and punched the smaller man in the stomach. "Just give up the money, asshole" The younger man spat blood. "Why? Why do people like you get to be so proud? You get to bully people just because you're stronger than them, you privileged asshole." He spat his blood on the man's face and chuckled.

The second man in the back laughed at this which made the first man angrier. "Bastard!" The first man yelled and threw a punch at the smaller man. Out of nowhere I ran and threw a jumping kick at the man, which snapped his head back and sent him flying back.

The man stumbled back, his grip on the victim's shirt loosening. I stood between them, my eyes locked on the assailant. "Who are you supposed to be? His knight in shining armor?" The second man chuckled and gripped his metal bat. "Nah, this kid was just so corny I had to stop it. I probably would've kicked him, but you two were also pissing me off." I said with a chuckle as I ruffled my hair.

The man with the bat chuckled and in an instant he swung it at my head, nearly missing it. "Ahh!" I yelled as I ducked under it. I quickly used my right arm to deliver a half-moon kick sending him crashing into a wall. I stood up and panted heavily and they ran off. "Shit, it's only been 6 months and I'm this rusty?" I said and then turned to the man who wiped the blood off his face.

He smacked his teeth at me and rolled his eyes. "What the hell are you looking at?" He spat and adjusted his shirt. "Heh?" I asked and tilted my head. "Don't you know who I am? I'm in the slave unit of the Serpent gang." He yelled and showed the tattoo of a serpent on his wrist but instead of the tattoo it was scarred into his skin.

I rubbed my temples and sighed. "You do realize what you just said right? Also why are there gangs in college, isn't it usually high schools?" I asked but then had a realization. "Wait, did you say the Serpent gang? As in Silver-Wood University?" I asked as I grabbed his wrist. "Hey grab my phone from my pocket and take a picture of your wrist please?" I asked excitedly as I gripped his wrist.

He winced and he was gonna refuse but felt that he couldn't get away. The man reluctantly took my phone from my pocket and snapped a picture of his scarred wrist, the serpent symbol clearly visible. I released my grip on him and quickly examined the photo on my phone. It was undeniable—the tattoo matched the emblem of The Serpents.

A surge of determination coursed through me, overshadowing any doubts I had earlier. "Okay, listen I'm a professor at Silver-Wood University, my name's Drake Williams." I explained and sent the picture to the chief and Natalie. "Professor? That's bullshit, what do you teach?" He asked while folding his arms.

"Don't worry about that right now." I then dialed a number on his phone and put it up to his ear. "Natalie," I paused and looked at the man who had begun running. I used my shoulder to hold the phone up to my ear. I then picked up the bat and swung it around a bit. "I'd like to take you up on that offer." I said and flung the bat at the man's back and knocked him down.

The man groaned as he hit the ground, the bat clattering away from him. I walked over and picked up the bat, twirling it in my hand. "You know, you really should be more careful with your toys," I said, a smirk playing on my lips.