Only when their laughter died down did he speak again, "Now, you've got two choices. One... I beat you up, and you crawl away. Two... you beat yourselves up, and then crawl away..."
"...Which one is it gonna be?"
The school entrance fell into dead silence.
Sean's words were clear and firm... not only did the gangsters hear them, but the surrounding high school students did too.
"Looks like you really got knocked stupid!" The gang leader pulled an iron chain from his red motorcycle, slowly wrapping it around his fist.
The thought of being fooled by this kid yesterday, nearly scaring him into fleeing town, made his blood boil. This time, he was going to teach this punk a lesson... 'A high school student daring to talk to me like this?'
Though he was just a low-level thug in the gang, running errands and peddling drugs, even small-time crooks had their pride. Normally, any high schooler who saw him would turn pale with fear, obediently handing over whatever cash they had.
But this Sean? Not only did he refuse to work for them, but he also had the nerve to talk back like this!
"No amount of playing dead will save you today!" The gang leader snarled, swinging his chain-wrapped fist at Sean.
The other thugs closed in, ready to teach this arrogant high schooler a brutal lesson.
Sean remained calm. In the past, he would have cowered in fear and begged for mercy. But the surging power in his body gave him unshakable confidence.
That golden elixir hadn't just transformed his normal physique, it had completely reshaped his mentality.
The fist flying toward his face moved in slow motion in Sean's vision. Golden light flickered in his eyes as he grabbed the gang leader's arm, swiftly pivoted, and executed a flawless shoulder throw, slamming the thug onto the ground.
*Bam!*
Dust kicked up...
Everyone stared in shock. All they saw was the gang leader charging at Sean, then suddenly, he was on the ground. No one had even seen how it happened.
"Agh, beat his–" Before the gang leader could finish, Sean stomped on his face.
A metallic taste flooded the thug's mouth as thick blood mixed with a few hard teeth spilled out.
"This is the gift you gave me yesterday. Now I'm returning it." Sean smiled, then stomped down again.
The gang leader's face instantly turned into a bloody mess, like a painter's palette splattered with red.
The other thugs roared and rushed forward. The guy with the nose ring led the charge.
Without even looking, Sean punched him square in the nose, then kicked him flying. He showed no mercy to the rest, beating them until they were bruised and begging for mercy.
"If I ever see you near Midtown High again, I'll beat you every single time." Hands in his pockets, Sean delivered his 'cool' one-liner, then turned and walked away.
Honestly, the feeling of dropping a sick burn and just leaving? Pure satisfaction...
As for whether teaching these thugs a lesson would bring trouble, Sean didn't care. He had checked before acting, no surveillance cameras nearby, and these gangsters wouldn't dare report to the police...
The only concern was whether the school would expel him for fighting. But given his previous academic record, that wasn't too likely.
Though he had mostly been a loner, his grades were solid. In any world, good students always got a little extra leeway from teachers...
.....
The golden hues of sunset bathed New York as Sean walked down the street, his single-strap bag slung over his shoulder.
In this world, he was alone... his parents had died in an accident, leaving behind a sizable compensation payout.
He was then raised by his uncle, however, he'd lost his last remaining family (uncle) years ago...
The tragedies had shaped the old Sean into a withdrawn and cold person, unwilling to connect with others...
"What a sad guy..." Sean muttered as he strolled through the evening streets.
The city sprawled before him; skyscrapers, bustling traffic, the fading sunlight painting the steel jungle in warm tones. Everything felt so real.
"No matter why I crossed over, a brand-new life is waiting for me..." Memories of his past life were locked deep in his mind.
Sean exhaled, his eyes bright with determination. Since he was here, he would keep moving forward, straight to the end...
.....
Back at his uncle's old apartment, Sean flopped onto the couch... He had been living alone for a long time.
Born in Queens, the largest of New York's five boroughs and the second most populous, the area was a melting pot of races.
Besides Caucasians, there were significant populations of African-American, Asian, and Latino residents. Compared to the wealthy districts, the neighborhood wasn't the safest, with plenty of unemployed loiterers around.
"At least I'm in a community. Otherwise, I'd have to watch out for thieves and robbers every day..." Sean sighed.
He planned to ease into high school life first, at least until he got familiar with this world.
Jumping straight into world domination after transmigrating? That was protagonist-level behavior...
And in a world crawling with genius inventors and superhumans, even the most arrogant 'Gary Stu' type would get humbled fast.
"Stay lowkey in person, aim high in actions, that's the way..." Grabbing a soda from the fridge, Sean chanted his eight-word motto.
Showing off too much was risky... If he accidentally pissed off some cosmic-level entity, it'd be game over...
Turning on the TV, he caught a live debate on mutant rights. Sipping his drink, Sean's interest spiked.
Mutants... a race with all kinds of superhuman abilities... They were a major force in this world. If not for the ideological split between their two foremost leaders, human society wouldn't be enjoying this fragile peace.
<...Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing another stage of human evolution. These mutations often manifest during adolescence, triggered by emotional fluctuations...>
The speaker was a red-haired woman in glasses, radiating the poised elegance of a scholar.
<...Thank you, Ms. Grey. Your input is educational but strays from today's topic... are mutants dangerous?...>
The camera shifted to a middle-aged man, likely a congressman.
<...That's an inappropriate question, Senator. Some people get into car accidents; others don't–... >
<...Hence, we require driver's licenses...>
<...But existence doesn't need a license!>
The redhead fired back without backing down...
<...The reality is, if mutants reveal themselves, it incites panic, hostility, even violence. To spare them this persecution, I urge Congress to repeal the Mutant Registration Act, which forces them to disclose their identities–...>
<...Why should mutants hide?>
The senator interrupted again.
<...They aren't hiding...>
<...I know where they are...>
The senator stood smugly and continued:
<...I have a list of mutants in the U.S. There's a girl who can walk through walls, she could waltz into bank vaults, the White House, even your homes. I've also heard of someone who can read and control 'human' minds, stripping us of free will. How terrifying is that? We have the right to decide if our children should have mutant teachers or classmates, or to keep them away!>
He paused to let his words sink in, then he continued:
<...Ladies and gentlemen, mutants do exist, and they walk among us... We must know who they are, study them thoroughly, understand their abilities!>
The TV erupted in applause... The senator had clearly won over the crowd.
In recent years, the mutant issue had grown increasingly tense. The reason for this debate? Congress had proposed the Mutant Registration Act, sparking massive public controversy.
"Heh. Soon enough, they'll realize mutants are the least of their worries..." Sean turned off the TV, lying back on the couch to stare at the ceiling.
He couldn't wait for the era of superheroes to truly arrive...
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
p@treon.com/MayaMatengele01