
A sharp slam on the desk jolted Leon up,He has dozed off at work again.
“Vargas!” His boss yelled.
“You awake, or are you planning to sleep through your paycheck?”
Leon rubbed his eyes, trying to look alert.
"No,i..i..i wasn't sleep,just resting my head"He quickly added.
His boss who was standing over him now, holding a stack of files that looked like more work for Leon.
“Here,” his boss growled, shoving the papers toward him. “I need all of this done. Bugs, reports, revisions everything. Don’t screw it up.”
Leon nodded, and got to work,he didn't oppose or question the order cause people like him are not allowed to.
At twenty-seven,Leon was a computer science graduate with a resume that would make most recruiters drool if nepotism and corruption didn't exist in Gotham city.But instead he is stuck working at kiddies buddies,a company that develop games for children.
By 7pm the office was mostly empty already. A few cleaning staff moved silently in the background with their vacuum humming slowly.
After getting the last work done Leon stretched himself and looked out the window.
From his seat, Leon could see the skyscrapers stacked like bones, their windows glowing with the money he’d never have.Every block had its own story of evil,politicians in black cars, businessmen laundering their crimes through charities.
Gotham wasn’t just broken. It was programmed to be this way.
The rain hadn’t started yet when Leon left,but it was looming in the clouds.
He unlocked the door to his apartment,The light flickered once when he stepped inside. Mira was on the couch, scrolling through her phone, legs crossed, a bored expression on her face.
“You’re late,” she said, not looking up.
Leon dropped his bag near the door. “Had to fix a crash in one of the games. Everyone else left hours ago.”
“Of course they did,” she muttered, tapping on her screen. “And you? Still the only idi*t who stays back for free.”
He ignored the jab and opened the fridge,empty except for a jar of cheap coffee and yesterday’s takeout box. He sighed, shut it. “I’ll get groceries tomorrow.”
Mira let out a mocking laugh. “With what money, Leon?”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The silence told her everything.
“You know what?” she said, standing up, phone still in her hand. “I’m tired of this,this... nothing. You go to work, you come home, you eat whatever scraps we can afford, and then you sleep like an idi*t. When do you plan on living?”
Leon looked at her, dark circles under his eyes. “I’m trying, Mira. You think I like living like this?”
She scoffed. “You call this trying? You’re wasting your life in that stupid company that pays you peanuts. My friends go on trips, wear real clothes, eat real food. You can’t even buy me a decent bag without crying about rent!”
He clenched his jaw,saying nothing.
“I didn’t sign up to live like a beggar!” she added, voice rising. “You’re smart, Leon! You have a degree in computer science, for God’s sake! Why are you stuck making kiddie games for peanuts?”
He rubbed his temples. “Because Gotham doesn’t hire people like me unless your daddy owns a company or your last name’s on a building.”
“That’s an excuse,” she said coldly. “People make it here all the time.”
“Yeah,” he snapped, finally looking at her. “People with money, Mira. People born with the system on their side. You think talent matters here? It doesn’t. You’re either born in the right circle, or you drown.”
She stared at him for a moment, then smirked. “Maybe I’m tired of drowning.”
Leon’s stomach twisted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I want more than this,” she said. “I’m twenty-four, Leon. I want nice things. I want to go out without worrying about bills. I want a future, not... pity.”
He looked down. “I can’t give you those things right now.”
Her voice went cold. “Then what’s the point of staying?”
Leon looked up at her, heart pounding. “Because I love you.”
She shook her head and went to the bedroom.
When she came back, she was dragging a small suitcase. “I found someone who actually knows how to take care of me.”
Leon’s breath caught. “You’re kidding.”
She looked him dead in the eye. “You’ll thank me someday. Maybe this will finally make you wake up.”
He stepped forward, voice breaking. “Mira,please.”
She didn’t answer. She just brushed past him, opened the door, and left. The hallway light buzzed as the door swung shut behind her.
Leon stood there in silence, staring at the door, Then his phone buzzed on the counter.
Incoming call: St. Mary’s Hospital.
He froze. His stomach sank. He picked up.
“Mr. Vargas?” a voice said on the other end. “We need you to come immediately. It’s about your mother.”
By the time he reached the hospital, it was raining.
Leon pushed through the glass doors, dripping wet, his shoes squeaking against the white tile. The fluorescent lights were too bright and too fake for the things that happened here.
A nurse at the front desk looked up as he approached. “Mr. Vargas?”
He nodded, breathing still uneven from running.
She motioned on him to sit. “You should sit down.”
“Where’s my mother?” he asked, ignoring the chair beside him. “Room 209, right?”
The nurse hesitated before adding. “I’m sorry, Mr. Vargas… she passed away earlier tonight.”
For a second, he didn’t process it. The world just,stopped.
“What?” His voice cracked.
“She… she’d been without medication for three days,” the nurse said quietly. “We tried to get approval to continue treatment, but your mother’s account had an outstanding balance. The hospital board wouldn’t authorize more supplies.”
Leon’s heartbeat rised. “You stopped treating her because I didn’t pay?”
The nurse’s voice trembled. “It wasn’t my decision. We’re understaffed, underfunded”
He slammed his fist against the counter, startling her. “She was getting better! You let her die over money?”
Security turned their heads, but no one moved. This was Gotham. People died every day for less.
Leon stumbled back with a heavy heart and a blurring vision. “I’ll… I’ll file a complaint,” he muttered. “I’ll”
The nurse shook her head."Mr. Vargas. I’m sorry.”
He barely remembered leaving the building. he stepped into the storm. Rain drenching his face, mixing with tears.
He walked without direction, through alleys, past drunks, past beggars.
By the time he reached the intersection, he was soaked to the bone.
Leon stepped into the middle of the road and stopped.
His hands were shaking, his breath coming out in broken gasps. He tilted his head back, staring at the sky.
“You win!” he shouted into the storm. “You win, you rotten city!”
His voice cracked into a sob. “You took everything i cared about! my mother, my girl and for what? For people like me to stay at the bottom while your rich b*stards laugh in their towers?”
It poured heavily,and a thunder was heard.
Leon fell to his knees in the middle of the road, water soaking his jeans. “I’m tired,” he whispered. “I’m so damn tired of living like this.”
He laughed bitterly through the tears. “Maybe it’s better if I just… died”
A horn blared.
Leon turned just in time to see a blinding pair of headlights.
The impact threw him backward, his body hitting the wet pavement with a heavy thud. His ears rang, his vision blurd.
But before he passed out,he heard a voice ,not human,vibrating through his skull like electric current.
“Host detected.” “Correction Protocol initializing…”

Latest Chapter
an old friend
Rey’s stomach dropped the moment the System notification vanished.Forty minutes.Forty minutes to destroy Pembroke Industries.How the hell was he supposed to blow up a billion-dollar paint empire in forty minutes? He wasn’t some action movie villain. He didn’t even have a plan, let alone a bomb.Before he could process anything, the taxi jolted violently.“Damn it!” the driver cursed, slamming the brakes. The car wheezed, sputtered, then died with a final clunk.Leon blinked, disbelief flashing across his face. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”“Looks like the engine’s fried,” the driver said, stepping out with a sigh. “Everybody out.”The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air cold. Gwen climbed out first, brushing her hair from her face. Leon followed, every nerve in his body buzzing.Time was ticking. 00:38:42He clenched his fists, trying to think. No weapons. No plan. No backup. Just a suicidal mission and a digital timer burning into his brain.“Where exactly are we?” he asked
Too close
“Leon Vergas, You’re under arrest for the possible murder of Rey Pembroke.You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"Ethan read,as one of the officers cuffs Leon.Leon’s brain blanked for half a second.“Wait, what?” “Okay, okay, listen,this has gotta be some kind of mistake.”Ethan just stared at him. As he is been led out of the house.***********The room was tense,a single metal table, two chairs, one light above.Leon sat back, arms crossed, tapping his foot against the floor. Across from him were Detective Ethan Black and Officer Hughes, both with the same tired “let’s get this over with” look.Leon sighed. “Okay, wait,let me get this straight. I was suspected and arrested because I was one of Rey Pembroke’s enemies?”Officer Hughes flipped a page in his not
Detective Ethan black
It was Rey’s girlfriend.She saw Leon ,the body, and the mark.Next thing a loud scream mire like a shriek tore out of her.Leon moved before the guards arrived.He had rehearsed escape routes in his head a thousand times; he did not need to map them now. He slipped away,before help arrived.He did not look back.Leon arrived home that night, exhausted but alive. He dropped his mask and knife on the table, his pulse still racing from the chaos.Then, the glowing blue interface flickered in front of him.MISSION COMPLETE Target: Rey Pembroke Status: Eliminated Experience: +800 XPReward:5,000,000.Points:20Leon blinked, stunned. 5,000,000. His jaw dropped. That was new,the system has never gift him millions.He stared at the floating numbers in disbelief. His first million.A shaky laugh escaped his lips. “Guess saving the world finally pays,” he muttered, collapsing onto his bed. The adrenaline began to fade, replaced by exhaustion.his eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep.*******
Rey Pembroke
Twenty-four hours. That’s all the System had given him.Rey Pembroke lived like a god. Leon had watched the mansion from every angle,white marble pillars and tall walls, thirty armed security guards, and ten surveillance cameras with three men watching the feeds like hawks.He exhaled slowly, fingers drumming against the table. “Thirty guards… ten cameras… three watchers. Piece of cake,” he muttered, half mocking himself.He needed strategic planning, but first, he needed a costume.“I guess I need a suit,” Leon said to himself, scanning the mess of materials on his bed.And within some minutes he created one.The suit was black, and right in the center, there was a bold stitch of the letter L.He smirked. “Looks good enough.”A small screen glowed faintly on the left side of his gloves, feeding him live data. When he pulled the eye mask on, it was no longer Leon but L.And all his saw was his target Rey Pembroke.He looked at his reflection in the mirror. “Alright, L…. Don’t die.”Le
Class A missions
(LEVEL UP: Class B - Class A Enforcer)Leon blinked. “Wait, already?”The system shimmered again. New Features Unlocked:InventoryWeapon AccessAdvanced Mission Tier (Class A)Inside his new Inventory, a single item showed up a rope,Then inside his weapon access a single item also showed up a dagger.Leon frowned. “A dagger? What am I supposed to do with that?". He waving the screen away. “Yeah, no thanks. I’ll stick to my keyboard.”The blue light chimed again.(New Mission Available)Mission Type: Class A - High ThreatTarget: Pembroke IndustriesOwner: Rey PembrokeOffense: Illegal toxic waste dumping into Gotham waterways.Secondary Crimes: Bribery, intimidation, and homicide of activists attempting to expose operations.Objective: Bring Pembroke to justice.Time Limit: 24 Hours.Leon exhaled slowly. “Alright, Rey Pembroke. Let’s see what secrets you’ve been hiding.”He sat at his desk,turning on his monitors. Then he bypassed firewalls, infiltrated databases, and pulled up years
Who is "L"
Leon kept staring at his account balance. It was real. The $5,000,00.sitting there was actually real.He blinked a few times, half-expecting it to disappear.While he was still in shock, his phone rang. “Hello?”Leon answered.“Hello, Mr. Vergas,” a woman’s voice said politely. “This is St. Mary’s Hospital calling. I’m calling to remind you about your mother’s body. It needs to be cremated.”Leon rubbed his temples. “Oh… right. I almost forgot about that. How much did you say it was again?”“It’s $2,000 for the cremation,” the nurse replied gently, “and her outstanding medical fees is $2,000. The total comes to $4,000.”“Okay,” Leon said quietly. “I’ll send the money now.”“Thank you, sir.”He hung up before she could say more. A few taps later, $4,000 was gone from his account."One problem solved"Leon muttered as he packed up for the day.He got back to his apartment only to find his things scattered outside the building. Clothes, boxes, and a cracked monitor lay in a sad pile.Turns
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