~A deserted factory in the remote suburbs~
Two figures... one large, one small, stood facing each other across the empty grounds.
A middle-aged man in a brown jacket and glasses held a pistol while speaking to a golden-haired little girl some distance away.
"Daddy, I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, Mindy. You're a big girl now, there's nothing to fear."
The breeze ruffled the man's thinning hair as he comforted the little girl in a gentle tone, as if what was about to happen was completely insignificant and not worth being afraid of at all.
"Will it hurt?" the adorable little girl named Mindy asked.
"Sweetheart, it'll only last a second. A bullet travels over 800 meters per second... So at this distance, of course you'll be knocked down, but it won't hurt more than taking a punch to the chest!"
The middle-aged man spoke matter-of-factly as he loaded the magazine, raised the pistol, and aimed it at the golden-haired little girl standing thirty meters away.
"I hate getting punched in the chest..." Mindy muttered, scrunching up her little face.
"You'll be fine, sweetie."
*BANG!*
The gunshot echoed as wisps of smoke dissipated.
The little girl in the pink down jacket fell backward, a cloud of plumose down bursting from the impact like scattered snowflakes.
*Cough...* *Cough...*
After a few seconds, the little girl recovered from the violent impact to her chest. She opened her pink jacket and pried a metal bullet from the bulletproof vest underneath.
"So? Not bad, right? Wasn't that fun? Now you know what it feels like. If some junkie ever pulls a gun on you, you won't be scared anymore..."
The middle-aged man walked over to his daughter and instructed her like a teacher... Though completely oblivious to how dangerous and twisted his parenting methods were.
This ordinary-looking man was Damon Macready.
[Images Here...]
Once the police department's rising star with a bright future ahead, he had set his sights on West Coast drug lord, Frank D'Amico, only to be framed as a dirty cop colluding with drug dealers.
This landed him in prison, but that was just the beginning of the tragedy. His pregnant wife, unable to cope with the pressure, committed suicide by overdosing while he was incarcerated.
The only silver lining was that their child survived...
This was the tragic story behind the middle-aged man. Once a respected police officer, he became a disgraced ex-con...
After five years in prison, he emerged determined to take revenge on his enemies. He trained his daughter with near-insane methods, transforming the once-innocent golden-haired girl into a lethal weapon skilled in firearms and combat, all to destroy Frank D'Amico's drug empire and avenge his dead wife.
"Those junkies don't scare me at all," Mindy said indignantly.
"That's my girl. Get up... two more rounds, then we'll go home." The man pulled his daughter up from the ground.
"Again?" Mindy widened her eyes before making demands, "Fine, but afterward I want to go to the bowling alley on our way back! And a chocolate sundae!"
The man smiled and agreed to all his daughter's requests.
Recently, someone else seemed to be targeting Frank D'Amico, always acting just ahead of him. This former cop decided to accelerate his plans to send the West Coast drug lord who destroyed his family straight to hell as soon as possible...
.....
~Bowling Alley~
"Harry, why did you want to come to the West Coast for vacation?" Peter held a bowling ball, looking puzzled.
He didn't understand why his friend had suddenly decided to road-trip from New York on the East Coast and brought Mary Jane and Sean along to form a small travel group.
"I just felt like traveling, Peter. We finally graduated high school and are about to start college, that deserves celebration... As for why the West Coast? That was Sean's suggestion." Harry enthusiastically threw a bowling ball, knocking over a cluster of pins.
Sean who was sitting nearby smiled without comment. Of course he knew the Osborn heir's real motive was a romantic getaway with his new girlfriend Mary Jane... he and Peter were just along for the ride.
As for coming to the West Coast? That had indeed been his subtle suggestion. Cakes should be eaten one bite at a time, and enemies dealt with one by one...
Since he'd promised to personally visit Mr. Frank D'Amico, he wasn't about to go back on his word.
Thinking about his high school years coming to an end and stepping into a new college life made Sean feel a faint thrill.
This meant greater freedom going forward. It also meant more plausible cover for his future achievements.
After all, this country wasn't lacking in so-called geniuses. Take the playboy billionaire Tony Stark constantly featured in the media, reportedly a prodigious scientist who made breakthroughs during his college years.
"Sean, aren't you going to play a few rounds?" Harry waved over his seated friend.
He'd initially thought Sean was some socially awkward weirdo, but after getting to know him, he discovered the guy was actually quite interesting.
Compared to the bookish and quiet Peter, Sean was far wittier and more perceptive, somehow always knowing exactly what Harry was thinking, which the lonely heir found refreshing.
"You guys go ahead." Sean declined, his attention caught by a father-daughter pair nearby.
A little girl eating a chocolate sundae and a middle-aged man munching fries and a burger seemed ordinary enough, but their conversation, which Sean accidentally overheard, intrigued him.
"Have you thought about what you want for your birthday?" the father-figure asked.
"Can I get a puppy? A cute fluffy one! And a Paula Doll like the movie stars have." The little girl stirred her sundae, then laughed at her father's horrified expression, "Just kidding Dad! What I really want is a handmade Model 42 butterfly knife."
"You always joke around sweetheart... I'll get you two Philippine butterfly knives as your birthday present."
[Image Here...]
What a bizarre father-daughter pair.
What kind of father gives his daughter dangerous butterfly knives as a birthday gift? And that golden-haired girl who looked no older than seven or eight actually seemed delighted by the idea... utterly unbelievable.
Exiting the bowling alley, Sean watched Harry and Mary Jane walking ahead laughing and chatting, with the nearly invisible Peter trailing behind.
He exhaled deeply... 'This is going to be a busy night...'
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
[email protected]/MayaMatengele01