lookism: Experiment

After ending the fourth affiliate, Michael finally had time to enjoy some peace. A month passed, but tranquility didn't last long. It was now time to infiltrate the third affiliate, ViVi Club.

Michael pondered how to approach the mission, but he decided to wait until Daniel made his first move. As he mulled over his options, nighttime came, and Michael found himself walking alone down the street.

---

At night

Michael stopped by a grocery store, expecting to see small Daniel. Instead, an old man greeted him. Sighing, Michael moved forward. On the way, he picked up some flowers from a nearby shop. Tonight, he planned to confess his feelings to Crystal.

He arrived at the agreed meeting place but found it deserted. Hours passed, and Crystal didn't show up. Disheartened and angry, Michael crushed the flowers in his hands and stormed away.

To vent his frustration, he went to a bar and drank until his thoughts blurred. Dizzy and weary, he began his walk home. On the way, a group of thugs stopped him, demanding his money. Michael, his patience spent, lunged at them without hesitation. A flurry of strikes left the thugs sprawled on the ground, groaning with broken bones and bleeding wounds.

Michael left them behind, heading back to his apartment. But something felt off. The door lock was open. Remembering Eli was safely with hostel, Michael entered cautiously.

He stepped into the center of the apartment and called out, "Come out. I know you're here."

Six men in black emerged from the shadows, each holding a knife. Michael smirked, "Let me guess, the person who sent you was—"

Before he could finish, two men lunged at him simultaneously. One aimed for his back while the other swung at his front. Michael ducked, evading both attacks. He kicked the man in front of him and twisted the wrist of the one behind, wrenching the knife from his hand. Without hesitation, he slashed the man's throat.

Darkness engulfed the room as Michael hurled the knife at the overhead light. The assassins, trained professionals, spread out and heightened their senses, but Michael's movements were too elusive.

In the shadows, Michael struck silently. One by one, the assassins fell. Blood pooled on the floor as Michael stood amid the carnage, his eyes glowing red. His phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was Zack.

"Michael, come to ViVi hotel. Daniel's in danger."

Michael sighed and muttered, "What a long night."

---

Hotel

Riding his bike, Michael sped to ViVi Club. Outside the building, he found Eli, Vasco, and Zack waiting. They were ready to storm in, but their way was blocked by Johan.

Zack insisted on fighting Johan alone. Michael respected his determination, leaving him behind as he, Vasco, and Eli entered the building.

To access the top floor, they needed a badge. Vasco and Eli split up to search while Michael, already possessing a black badge from Father Gabriel, headed straight to the top floor.

At the top, Michael was met with resistance. Many people with burnt faces looking like a zombie in metal bars blocked his path. With a single punch, he broke through the bars and decimated these zombies, each falling unconscious in one blow. His path cleared, Michael entered the room to find Samuel Seo and Jake Kim locked in a heated brawl.

---

Michael vs. Daniel

As Samuel and Jake scrambled to safety, Daniel and Michael stood still, their auras suffocating the air in the room. Without warning, Daniel struck first, executing a spinning roundhouse kick—a move honed from Taekwondo. The speed and precision were impeccable, but Michael caught Daniel's leg mid-air with one hand, his crimson eyes narrowing.

"Is this all you've got?" Michael taunted, twisting Daniel's leg and flinging him across the room. Daniel flipped mid-air, landing on his feet like a cat. He retaliated instantly with a low sweeping kick aimed at Michael's legs, followed by a quick jab targeting his ribs—a blend of Muay Thai and Karate.

Michael sidestepped the sweep and blocked the jab with his forearm. He countered with a thunderous straight punch, aiming for Daniel's face. Daniel ducked under it and launched an Aikido wrist grab, twisting Michael's arm to throw him off balance. But Michael planted his feet firmly, resisting the throw.

Daniel transitioned, driving his elbow into Michael's chest with Muay Thai precision. The force was enough to send most men flying, but Michael barely flinched. Instead, he grabbed Daniel's arm and yanked him forward, delivering a brutal knee strike to Daniel's gut. The impact made Daniel gasp, but he retaliated with an upward elbow strike to Michael's chin, momentarily staggering him.

Using the opening, Daniel spun into a reverse crescent kick aimed at Michael's temple. This time, the strike connected, sending Michael's head snapping to the side. Michael stumbled back, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. His grin widened.

"Impressive," Michael admitted, "but you're still too slow."

Michael rushed forward with inhuman speed, driving a shoulder into Daniel's torso and slamming him into the wall. Cracks spider-webbed across the surface as Daniel groaned. Michael pulled back his fist for a finishing blow, but Daniel twisted his body, escaping the wall and countering with a flying knee strike to Michael's chest.

Michael slid back slightly, absorbing the impact. Daniel pressed the attack, throwing a rapid series of Muay Thai clinch knees and elbow strikes. Michael blocked most of them, but a sharp elbow grazed his jaw. Annoyed, Michael grabbed Daniel's leg mid-knee and swung him like a rag doll, slamming him into the floor.

Before Daniel could recover, Michael pounced, attempting to pin him. Daniel used Aikido's joint manipulation to escape the grapple, flipping Michael over and rolling back to his feet. He unleashed a barrage of Karate punches, each aiming for vital points. Michael deflected most of the strikes but took a solid hit to his ribs.

Then Daniel charged with a Taekwondo tornado kick, spinning faster than the eye could follow. Michael ducked just in time, grabbed Daniel mid-spin, and slammed him into the floor. This time, the impact left the floor beneath them cracked and Daniel groaning in pain.

Michael loomed over Daniel, his eyes glowing red. "Stay down."

But Daniel wouldn't give up. He pushed himself to his feet, only to be met with a devastating punch from Michael that finally knocked him out cold.

Goo vs Michael

As Michael surveyed the aftermath, a cry drew his attention. A girl knelt beside a bloodied man, tears streaming down her face. Before Michael could react, a man in a yellow shirt and black pants entered the room. Goo.

"I'll be taking the girl," Goo said casually.

Michael stepped between them. "Leave her."

Goo's laid-back demeanor vanished as he drew his weapon—a sleek black cane that transformed into a razor-sharp blade with a flick. "I'm not leaving empty-handed."

Goo lunged, swinging his blade with precision. Michael barely dodged, the blade slicing through the air inches from his face. Goo's strikes were relentless, each one aiming for a kill. Michael blocked with his forearms, the force of the blade scraping against his hardened skin, leaving shallow cuts.

Goo smirked. "Fast reflexes. Let's see how long you can keep up."

Michael grabbed a broken pipe from the rubble and wielded it like a sword. Goo's attacks came in swift, calculated arcs—a deadly dance of slashes and thrusts. Michael parried with brute strength, each clash sending sparks flying.

Goo swung in a wide horizontal arc, aiming for Michael's midsection. Michael ducked under the blade and countered with an upward strike, narrowly missing Goo's chin. Goo flipped backward, landing gracefully, and immediately retaliated with a spinning slash.

Michael blocked the attack but felt the force reverberate through his arm. Goo didn't let up, using his agility to stay out of Michael's reach. He spun his blade in a circular motion, creating a whirlwind of slashes. One cut grazed Michael's shoulder, drawing blood.

Michael growled, tightening his grip on the pipe. "You talk too much."

Michael charged, overwhelming Goo with raw power. He swung the pipe with such force that Goo was forced to go on the defensive. Each clash of their weapons echoed through the room. Goo's blade nicked Michael's side, but Michael retaliated with a crushing blow to Goo's ribs, sending him skidding back.

Goo coughed, wiping blood from his lips. "Not bad. Let's see if you can handle this."

Goo switched to a more aggressive style, combining swordplay with spinning kicks and acrobatics. He leaped into the air, slashing downward. Michael sidestepped and countered with a horizontal swing, but Goo flipped over it, landing behind him and slashing at his back. Michael twisted just in time, blocking the attack and delivering a brutal elbow to Goo's face.

Goo stumbled but quickly recovered. He spun his blade, feinting a strike to Michael's right before delivering a real attack to his left. Michael anticipated the move and blocked with his pipe, twisting it to lock Goo's blade. With a grunt, Michael shattered the blade with sheer force.

Goo stared at the broken weapon in disbelief, then grinned. "Haven't had this much fun in years."

Michael didn't let him recover. He lunged, delivering a series of devastating strikes with his pipe. Goo tried to dodge, but Michael's speed and strength were too much. A final swing sent Goo flying into the wall, blood dripping from his mouth.

Michael stood over him, his pipe raised for the finishing blow. Goo coughed, laughing weakly. "You win. For now."

Michael lowered the pipe, his eyes narrowing. "Stay down."

---

As Goo lay motionless, Zack, Vasco, and Eli arrived. Together, they retrieved Daniel and left ViVi Club, leaving behind a battlefield of destruction.

Michael glanced back at the crumbled building, knowing this was only the beginning. The battles ahead would be tougher, but for now, they had survived.