BLACK DRAGON CONTRACT

Tonight, the New York sky seemed to spit upon Marco Rossi’s fate. The Port of New York and New Jersey: a vast harbor area around the mouth of the Hudson River, managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). Heavy rain poured down on Pier 4, mixing the salty fish smell of the sea with the stench of rusty iron and the metallic tang of blood. What went wrong with his dream? He only wanted to be a responsible head of the family, to enjoy simple happiness with Maria and Sofia, even though his profession was merely that of a rough dockworker. Until that incident came.

CRASH!

Marco's body was sent flying, smashing into the shipping containers lined up in the corner of the harbor. Fresh blood streamed from his temple due to the violent impact.

"I'm sorry, Boss… I don't have the money yet," Marco pleaded, "My wages are still tied up. Give me more time, Boss," he begged, trying to withstand the searing pain in his temple.

"Hey, moron, you can't just expect things to go your way! Do you think only your family needs to eat, huhh!" Rizyo roared, "Do you think my Boss is some kind of philanthropist? My Boss is a loan shark, idiot!"

"Stop running your mouth! Give him an inch and he'll take a mile!" Tony yelled, "It's been too long, let’s beat this loser up, Zyo!"

THWACK! CRACK! BAMMM!

"Arrrgh...!"

Marco stumbled, his mouth hitting the concrete asphalt. His body was soaked in puddles of rainwater mixed with his flowing blood.

"Enough!"

Rizyo and Tony turned toward the command from the dominant voice.

"Drag him! Don't let him die yet, you fools! I want him to be conscious when the salt water enters his lungs!"

The voice sounded threatening, heavy, hoarse, and full of dissatisfaction—it belonged to Vinnie "The Shark," the loan shark boss who controlled the harbor territory.

Marco felt his back burn agonizingly as he was dragged across the coarse concrete of the dock. His cheap white shirt was shapeless, ripped here and there, soaked in a mixture of rainwater, mud, and his own dripping blood.

"Uugghh..." Marco tried to groan, but only bloody foam came out of his mouth. His jaw felt loose, perhaps fractured. One of his eyes was completely swollen shut, leaving only a blurry view from his barely open left eye.

"Stop!" Vinnie commanded.

The grip on Marco's collar released. His body was simply dumped into a puddle of dirty water.

"Get up! You bastard," another voice chimed in. Tony, Vinnie's right-hand man who had a penchant for knives, "Boss said get up!!"

A fierce kick landed on Marco's ribs.

CRACK!

"ARRGGHH!" Marco coughed, spitting fresh blood onto Tony's expensive leather shoes.

"Dog! My shoes, you son of a bitch!" Tony screamed, ready to deliver a second kick, but Vinnie raised a hand.

Vinnie approached, crouching down in front of Marco. His greasy face was illuminated by the dim harbor floodlights. He smiled, showing his disgusting gold teeth.

"Look at your condition now, Marco," Vinnie said softly, as if speaking to an old friend. He grabbed Marco’s hair, forcing him to look up, "A lowlife dockworker. A failed husband. A pathetic father. Do you want to know why you ended up like this?!"

Marco spat, "Ptuuih!" a mix of saliva and blood landing squarely on Vinnie’s cheek.

Silence fell momentarily. Only the sound of the rain battering the steel containers could be heard.

Vinnie’s men held their breath.

Vinnie wasn't angry. Instead, he laughed. A dry, horrifying laugh. He wiped the spittle away with a silk handkerchief, then...

BAMMM!!

A straight punch slammed into Marco’s nose. The sound of breaking bones echoed loudly, "Aarrgghh...!"

"Because you're an idiot!!" Vinnie hissed right into Marco’s ringing ear, "You borrowed money from me... to pay off your moron brother's gambling debt. fifty thousand dollars, Marco. And now? It's been a week past the deadline, idiot!"

"I... I will pay..." Marco forced the words out from his swollen throat, "Give... me time..."

"Time?! One week wasn't enough, huhh?!" Vinnie stood up, gesturing toward the dark sea at the end of the pier, "Your time ran out since sundown, buddy. And you know the rules, don't you?" He paused, then finished, "Okay. Tony, Rizyo, lift this damned trash!"

Two pairs of muscular hands grabbed Marco's arms. He was forcibly dragged toward the edge of the pier. His legs trailed uselessly behind him.

"Don't... Vinnie, please," Marco begged, not for his own life, but the faces of Maria and Sofia flashed through his mind. If he died here, who would protect them? The debt would fall to his wife and child, "My wife... my daughter..."

"Oh, don't worry about Maria," Vinnie gave an obscene smirk, "A young widow, beautiful, still tight. I'm sure many men will want to help her pay off your debt. Maybe I'll be stopping by often myself! Ha… ha… ha…"

The thugs' laughter exploded in the rain.

Marco's blood boiled instantly. Unbearable rage surged in his chest, but his body was already ruined. He tried to fight back, but Tony simply twisted his fractured arm. Marco suppressed a scream.

They reached the edge of the pier. Below, the black seawater churned, freezing cold. New York in the winter was no place for a swim. Hypothermia would kill him before he could even drown.

"Any last words?" Vinnie asked, lighting a cigarette and shielding the flame from the raindrops with his hand, "Or do you want to just check out immediately?!"

Marco stared at Vinnie with his one remaining eye. A look of pure hatred. But his body was powerless.

"Go to hell... you bastard!" Marco whispered.

Vinnie shrugged, "Okay! Toss him in!!"

Tony and Rizyo swung Marco's body.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three! Bye, Loser!"

WHUUUSSSSHHHH.

Marco's body soared...

Marco saw the dark sky. He felt gravity pulling him toward death. Forgive me, Maria… Forgive your father, Sofia… for not being the best husband and father. I’m sorry I never had the chance to make you happy.

Marco was battered, beaten half to death. Who would have thought that a problem created by his younger brother would lead to this terrible fate? He only intended to help his brother resolve his situation.

Borrowing money from the wrong people, to pay off a gambling debt… a futile endeavor. Truly, no one knows a person's fate.

Marco closed his eyes, hoping it was all just a dream. But this was the cruel reality of the world. The strong survive, the strong win. Marco was just a loser; he was helpless. Shattered and hopeless, even though he had tried.

Time seemed to slow down; the falling rain felt suspended in the air.

Cold...

It wasn't the cold of the sea water. It was an odd, unfamiliar coldness.

Suddenly, in front of his damaged retina, a blue light flared. Bright, sharp, and digital. A transparent screen floated in the air, following his falling gaze.

[SYSTEM DETECTED]

[HOST CONDITION: CRITICAL (LIFE EXPECTANCY: 2%)]

[PHYSICAL DAMAGE: MULTIPLE FRACTURES, INTERNAL BLEEDING]

Marco thought he had gone insane. What is this?! Is this my dying brain hallucinating?

The text on the screen changed rapidly.

[YOU WILL DIE IN 0.5 SECONDS UPON WATER IMPACT.]

[DO YOU WISH TO LIVE?]

[Y / N]

Marco didn't understand. He didn't care if this was magic, technology, or the devil himself. Vinnie was still laughing up there. Maria is in danger, and Sofia still needs a father, the thought raced through Marco's mind.

Marco did not want to die. And he couldn't die.

In his mind, Marco screamed as loud as he could: YES!

His hand, floating in the air, reflexively tried to reach for the glowing "Y" button.

His fractured index finger touched the blue light. 

Click.

[CONFIRMATION RECEIVED.]

[ACTIVATING PROTOCOL: LIFE MODE.]

[WARNING: THE MERGING PROCESS WILL BE EXTREMELY PAINFUL.]

SPLASH!

Marco’s body hit the surface of the icy water.

Darkness.

Bone-chilling cold.

Salt water rushed into his nose and mouth. Marco sank...

***