The Monkey Man Vs The Grizzly Bear

"That's all that's been happening." A man with slick blond hair, piercing blue eyes and a crimson suit puffed smoke as his cigarette dimly lit the dark and windy roof he was on.

"How long is left?" Asked a man with a thick British accent and bulky frame. He looked at the city below as he spoke with his companion.

"It's hard to say. I have my men working day and night to make the preparations." Responded the well-dressed man whose answer made the British gentlemen stare at him.

"Don't worry. They're trustworthy. Loyal men from my very branch. Well, what's left of it." He said as a tinge of regret and remorse seeped into his words.

Derek and Colt stood on an empty and cold roof that seemed to not affect them at all. They had finished everything they needed to talk about, yet Derek stood in the same position as if he were waiting for something.

"Are you expecting me to ask about him?" Asked Colt, the smoke he puffed being carried away quickly by the wind.

"Fine, I'll tell you. Stop pestering me." Colt wore a face of dissatisfaction after being forced to engage in chatter.

"I've been teaching Isaac for 2 weeks. He's progressing wonderfully." Said the old man with a large grin.

"Considering how highly you speak of him, I'm assuming he has a good grasp on the footwork and is close to performing it." Said Colt unenthusiastically.

"Haha, footwork? Allow me to educate you, my clueless nephew."

***

A deafening bell could be heard as a boy with black, messy hair and light freckles could be seen flinging his head up, shocked by the sudden loud-pitched noise as he napped.

He quickly came to and wiped the drool off his face, getting up and joining the rest of the kids as they flooded out of the building. As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the searing muscle pain that would strike him every time he moved his body.

He tried his best to limit his movement on the rest of his body so that only his legs would suffer. However, when he felt the pain, he couldn't help but twitch a little, which would bring more pain, which in turn would cause another twitch. He was in a never-ending cycle of torture that he couldn't escape.

The best he could do was strengthen his muscles with Qi, however, he could only do that for so long. He had no choice but to suffer the pain his body brought every once in a while. And now was one of those times.

"I think Grandpa is attempting to end my life. I'm battered and bruised and I can barely walk. Training with him is not easy." Groaned Isaac in the middle of the school corridor. Because of his aching body, he was currently walking at a slow pace, causing him to fall behind the rest of the students. Once again, this didn't stop them from gossiping behind his back.

"Hey look, Scraps looks like he got hit by a truck."

"He probably did. With the amount of crime in Ravenwood, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a few bullet wounds. I'd believe you more if you told me he's shot people himself."

"Didn't you hear, Ravenwood has a Guardian Angel now."

"Oh, please. You believe that crap? Besides, who would be wasting their time on Ravenwood?"

"Hey, where there's a smoke, there's a fire. Besides, they said the same thing about Batman when he first emerged."

"It's true. I've seen the Guardian Angel." A third voice came from behind the two boys as they rambled about their theories and hypotheses.

"He's real. I saw him clear as day, beating the living daylights out of a few gangsters. He used all sorts of powers. He could fly, he was super strong and fast and he even had fire powers that torched the bad guys." Isaac could be seen making gestures in the air as he invaded the random conversation.

"And who asked you, Scraps." Despite being fascinated for a few seconds, the boys remembered to put on their condescending attitude after seeing who was talking to them. As they walked off, they couldn't help but continue to whisper.

"Is that true? Do you think he really saw the Guardian Angel?"

"I don't know. It's a possibility since he lives in the area."

"Wow. That's kinda cool." Whispered the boys, amazed at both the fact that Isaac had seen the Guardian Angel and the abilities of said Guardian.

Isaac walked away as he listened to the boys, smiling at his achievement. As he walked, he noticed a male coming toward him with a scrunched face and glasses that didn't hide his interesting eyes.

Juniper stood still as he stared at Isaac, saying nothing.

"How do you like your new name, Scraps." Asked Juniper, knowing he was behind it. He had very few opportunities to harm Isaac in any way. With the order from Apex and the fact that he knew everything going on in his school, the best he could do was spread rumours about him.

"You had a chance to give me a nickname and you chose 'Scraps'? Jeez, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Your whole bloodline is bad at naming people." After saying this, Juniper stared at Isaac with his usual insane eyes without saying a word.

As if he was in a dream, Juniper stood there silent, until one could see his face scrunch and his fist tighten.

"I'll kill you!" He yelled as he bolted toward Isaac. Meanwhile, Isaac was unfazed as he seamlessly evaded Juniper and placed his foot before the student's feet, causing him to trip and fall to the ground.

"Is there a problem?" A low voice came from down the corridor as it caught the attention of the two.

Maxwell towered over the two as he stared at his companion on the ground.

"I asked a question." He repeated, his voice echoing through the hallway. A few seconds passed as Juniper got off the ground and dusted himself off.

"No problem at all, Maxwell." He said as he walked away, his head slightly lowered and his face covered.

"'No problem'? Why didn't he just rat me out?" Isaac questioned the intentions of Juniper as he stared at him.

"You're walking on thin ice. Don't get too cocky just because Apex decided to forgive you. This is still a school. Any rules you break will be punishable by the current system in place." Lectured the giant of a man as he walked past Isaac.

"Your buddies in the army won't save you forever." He mumbled as he went. Isaac raised an eyebrow at what he said, confused and looking around, wondering who he was talking to.

"Army? Is this guy's brain suffering from expired steroids or something?"

***

The sun started to set as Isaac had his daily interaction with the police barricading Ravenwood. Although not by much, he had started to become closer with a certain officer who didn't mind him too much.

Although she wore a stern exterior, Isaac could tell she was becoming more comfortable around him. Of course, this benefitted him as well. He was now less likely to be bothered by the pigs.

As Isaac walked, he couldn't help but appreciate the new Ravenwood for a second. Although to others it would look the same, to him who had lived there his whole life, he could notice the difference.

No uncomfortable smell, no sign of shady individuals and violence was not happening as much as it used to. Even the hookers had to pack up and leave town because of low sales. It was usually the gangsters and said shady individuals who usually funded them. Despite this, he was happy Cass didn't leave. She was his loyal informant and had become quite a friend of his.

As he soaked in the result of his hard work, he couldn't help but notice a few of the shady individuals he was currently thinking about, driving in a car. Despite how ordinary these two men looked, to Isaac who had been living in Ravenwood his whole life combined with his late-night activities, these two stuck out like a sore thumb.

Isaac quickly pumped Qi into his eyes as he stared at the car. Most of the men's bodies were covered by the vehicle therefore he couldn't get a good look at if they had any weapons or such. However, what he did notice was a slight shaking of the trunk. It constantly vibrated in a way that made Isaac think there was someone in there.

"The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?"

***

Two men could be seen driving a car as they came to an abrupt stop before a worn-down apartment complex. Its withered bricks and shattered windows made it look as if it were abandoned. The two men said nothing to each other as they stepped out of their car and moved to the trunk.

Opening it, they quickly grabbed what looked to be a tarp with something heavy inside. This was evident after they both struggled to carry it to the door. Before they could reach it, the door swung open, revealing a man who was dressed the same way as the two men carrying the heavy object.

No words were spoken as the two men were allowed access to the building. As they moved inside, countless men stood inside the complex, silent as if they were guards. Inside the building would be what one would expect. Missing floorboards, a rotting stench, torn wallpaper, missing doors, and trash littered the hallway as the two men tried their best to watch their surroundings while carrying the object.

After struggling to carry it up the stairs, the two men approached a door that they quickly opened and entered through.

A mysterious figure sat in the corner of the room as the two men finally dropped the object onto the ground with a loud thud. The two men didn't speak a word as they left the room in a hurry, the floor creaking after every step they took.

The mysterious figure stood up as he walked toward the bag, the weak floor threatening to break with every step. Using his large fingers, he pulled the zip of the bag, only to be met with a knife that shot out from inside the tarp, threatening to pierce the man's brain.

However, it suspiciously stopped midair as the mysterious man grabbed the hand holding the knife, squeezing it tight and eventually, breaking the hand, as evidenced by its now peculiar positioning and breaking noise.

A feral scream was heard as a man shot out of the tarp, grasping at his hand as tears formed in his eyes. The man had a large beard as well as sunglasses on his head and a bandana around his neck. However, what was most notable was the leather jacket he wore labelled 'Street Demonz'.

As the man calmed down slightly, trying his best to assess the magnitude of his damage, he heard a nerve-racking voice behind him.

"If you're done with your crying, I'd like to ask you a few questions." Said the voice. The condescension and apathy in the man's voice vexed the gangster as he couldn't help but swing his head toward the owner.

"You son of a…" Before he could finish, his eyes locked on the person who spoke. A goliath of a man whose shiny dark skin and bald head reflected light like a mirror. His bulky physique and aura gave off the same bloodlust that would come from a wild predator.

"W-Who're you?" Asked the gangster, his voice unable to keep a steady tone.

"Tell me everything you know about this Monkey Man." Said the man as he walked toward the gangster and leaned down.

"T-The Monkey Man?" As he said this, a crunch was heard as the gangster once again screamed in pain, holding his now broken finger.

"For every time you make me repeat myself, it'll cost you a finger. Tell me everything you know about the Monkey Man." Repeated the man in his usual apathetic and cold voice.

After the man's screams subsided, he quickly began to tell him the story between the Street Demonz and the Monkey Man. About how he emerged from the shadows one day before they were about to go to war. And how he wiped them all out by himself using no weapons.

"Using only his feet? That's very interesting indeed." Said the man as he stood up, looking out of the window.

"P-Please, if you let me go, I won't say a word." The gangster pleaded as he barely got his words out.

"Oh, I know you won't say a word." As he said this, the gangster was lifted in the air by the throat, his windpipe almost crushed by the sudden force. He could feel the grip tighten around his neck, and with it, he felt his consciousness fading.

However, he was aware enough to notice the door of the room smash to bits with a loud BOOM as the dust of the old room covered the surroundings. The gangster was dropped to the ground as the man found another attraction.

"You ought to get some better security. I heard you were looking for me. Allow me to introduce myself…" As the voice was revealed, one could see a man with a white shirt, black suit pants, sneakers, a tie and a peculiar ape mask. Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the male opposite him.

"No one told me you'd be wearing a mask. Ah, I see. You're trying to insult me. If there's anything I hate, it's a racially motivated insult." The Monkey Man looked on with a face of confusion as he witnessed this smart yet slow man misunderstand his appearance.

"I hear you're trying to claim Ravenwood. So am I. Why don't we settle that right here." As the man said this, he bent over slightly and took a deep breath. In the next second, he flexed every inch of his body as his shirt tore to shreds, leaving nothing but threads. Intricate and defined muscles fashioned his whole body as he was ready to fight.

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Next chapter out in a couple of hours... SO GIMME DEM POWERSTONESSS!!!!

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