The streetlights hummed.
Not bright enough to chase the dark away — just enough to make the rod seen.
Damon walked, hands in his pockets, his steps steady but heavy. He didn't look back at the alley where the fight had ended — just forward.
"You can come out now," he said without turning his head.
Two shadows moved from behind a parked truck.
Daiki scratched his head. "Man, how'd you even know we were here?"
Damon glanced at him. "This area's a no-cat zone. But your meow was pretty decent."
Daiki blinked. "Wait… what?"
"Never mind."
Natsuki stayed quiet, eyes down.
"So," Daiki said, nudging Damon. "You're Cipher now? What's that, your superhero alias or something?"
Damon sighed. "It's just a name."
Daiki grinned. "Since when did you know how to fight like that? Last year, you couldn't even pass the vertical jump test — joined the music club, remember?"
Damon didn't answer right away.
He looked at the sky — the streetlight's glow cutting thin lines across his face.
He told them everything.
About the ring. The generator. The fight. The explosion.
Daiki's face dropped halfway through.
"My dad's entire research… gone."
"I'm sorry," Damon said. "It wasn't my fault. It was the ring's."
"Yeah, about that," Daiki said, "where is the ring?"
"Blew up when I fought," Damon replied simply.
"You're the reason I came to Japan." Daiki groaned "We were having a nice holiday!"
"Great. I get blamed for international disasters now." Damon said reluctantly
"Why are you saying it like coming to Japan was the worst thing ever?"
"Because I had plans Damon!"
Damon raised his eyebrow
"What plans?"
Damon groaned "I was supposed to shadow a team of robotics in California and hit Button Mash so I can beat my cousin at Tekken. Now I'm shadowing a gang leader who dodges bullets"
Damon smirked "Sounds like an upgrade to me"
"Upgrade my ass!"
"Okay fine jeez...I'm sorry, what else do you want me to say"
"You owe me one Damon, I'm not forgetting it"
He turned to Natsuki. "You're awfully quiet."
Natsuki's voice was soft, but her eyes weren't.
"Damon… you're a gang leader now. Why didn't you just run? Why become one of them?"
He took a slow step toward her. "If I ran, they'd just find someone I cared about and—"
"They're gangsters, Damon," she cut in. "They're not that smart."
His tone sharpened, low but edged. "I can't take that chance."
For a moment, they just stared at each other — the air between them heavy, crackling.
Then he looked away. "Besides, I've got a plan. I'm gonna change them."
Natsuki frowned. "Change them? They're criminals."
"Exactly," Damon said. "They'll clean up the city every night for three hours. They think it's punishment — it's redemption."
Daiki laughed. "You sound like a motivational speaker with anger issues."
"Shut up," they both said at once.
He snorted. "You two sound like a couple."
"Who's a couple?" Natsuki yelled, glaring.
They both lunged at him, chasing him down the sidewalk as he dodged between lamp posts, laughing.
By the time they slowed, the streets were quieter, the night softer.
They walked Natsuki home.
"You do realise that I don't need your protection," she said, crossing her arms.
Damon and Daiki looked at each other — hands on their heads, leaning sideways like idiots.
"Oh yeah, totally," Daiki said trying to hide his laugh.
"Strongest girl in Japan," Damon added.
She punched both of them in the gut.
They bent over in sync, groaning.
"Why are you on the basketball team again?" Daiki wheezed.
"Should've joined the judo club," Damon added.
They all laughed.
For a brief second — the world didn't feel so heavy.
Then Daiki's tone dropped.
"You're lucky the cops weren't around when you fought that guy."
"Yeah," Damon said quietly. "I got lucky."
Daiki looked at him. "Any other secrets you wanna drop on us?"
Damon's expression shifted — the kind of calm that hurt to look at.
"My mom," he said. " Before she passed she said some things"
"What things?" Daiki asked.
"She said she never wanted me, and her death was my fault which is kinda true"
"What do you mean kinda true?" Natsuki asked.
Damon looked down. "Remember Mr. Karuizawa's biology class?"
Daiki groaned. "The one who kept calling mitochondria 'power beans'?"
"Yeah. He told us about fetal microchimerism."
Natsuki blinked. "That thing where cells from a baby stay inside the mother's body?"
Damon nodded. "Even after birth. Even after death."
A pause.
"She said she could feel me — even when she didn't want to." His voice cracked slightly.
"And when she got sick… she blamed me."
No one spoke.
Natsuki's breath caught. Daiki's grin vanished.
Just the hum of the streetlights. Just the weight of that truth.
"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked.
Damon smiled faintly. "Didn't seem important."
"That's not something small," Natsuki said, her voice breaking. "If I knew—"
She remembered what she'd said then — "Kinda used to your crappy apologies." It was a joke. But now, it didn't feel funny. She wished she hadn't said it. Even if they were just teasing. Even if he'd laughed. Because now, after everything he'd told them… It felt cruel. And she hated that it came from her.
"It's fine," he said. "You were right anyway."
Neither of them spoke.
When they reached her house, Natsuki hesitated at the door.
Her eyes met Damon's — searching for something he wouldn't show.
"Goodnight," she said softly.
"Yeah," he answered.
The door closed.
Daiki stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So... school tomorrow?"
Damon looked at him sideways. "You forgot? We're on holidays in Japan."
"Oh yeah. You graduated in America, huh?"
"Something like that."
They parted ways at the intersection.
Damon walked on.
Street quiet. Air cold.
"I'm gonna have to change the gang's name"
"I'm in charge of these men now. I've never had responsibilities like this before."
"What if I fail them?"
"Should I have just let them kill me?"
"Dad would've been thrilled."
"Mom… she'd be glad to see me in hell."
"But Natsuki — I can't bear the thought of her tears."
"When she cries, it's painfully beautiful. Like looking at the sun with bare eyes."
"Daiki would be broken too."
"They'd both fall — even if just for a while."
"I don't want that. Not now."
"So yeah… I guess I made the best choice."
"I think I'll call them—"
The wind shifted. Something felt off.
Then—
A kid stepped out from an alley, strange clothes, eyes sharp.
"Yo," Damon said, "It's not hallo—"
The punch came fast — right to the gut.
"Damn," he thought, "I'm getting hit there too much today—"
The kid raised his leg — kick aimed at Damon's head. Damon ducked, the ground cracked behind him.
"What's up with you—"
Another hit. Blocked.
Enough. Damon moved — fast — spinning kick to the kid's face.
The boy fell, rolled, got up again like it was nothing.
Then Damon felt it — presence behind him.
Another one.
Two of them. Same outfits.
"What the hell…" he muttered, just before the first charged.
The fight broke loose — two on one. Damon held his own, barely.
One hit the ground.
Damon focussed on the other kid. "Damn, these kids are too strong for 5 year olds"
"We're not 5" said the kid Damon was strangling.
"How...did you just read my mind? Did Kuroshi send you?"
The other woke up. Jumped from behind — a blur.
A flash.
Impact.
Darkness.
"Target Acquired. Mission complete," one said.
A circle of light — no, a portal — opened above them.
The air shimmered — like reality itself was folding.
And just like that, Damon vanished.