American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

174. Have You Heard of Eric?

It was a late night, and the sky was overcast and dull. Young Eric had climbed into his small bed early. Before going to sleep, he drank a cup of hot milk that his mother had specially prepared for him. Because they were moving, Eric's parents were going to sell their cow the next day.

Eric had grown up in Iowa. His parents had told him that it used to be a very peaceful place. Though making money was not easy, it was just enough to make ends meet. Later, some mutants settled here. Although there was no direct conflict, life was not easy.

In these chaotic times, no place is absolutely safe, but Eric's parents, who had lived through the old days, knew that to protect Eric's safety, it was better to stay away from these 'superhumans.'

Even though society was somewhat stable now, there was no telling if those freaks might cause trouble again.

Eric's family lived in a slum. His parents were dentists, a profession that might have earned them a decent income in the past. But in this era, it was not easy for them to make ends meet. To pay the protection fees, Eric's parents had to fork out a large sum of money every month.

Eric's father was the first to propose moving. The reason was that during a house call, he had witnessed a mutant clashing with local gang members. In a matter of seconds, those burly gang members were torn to shreds, which left him horrified.

Although gangs would demand money from every household and even resort to robbery and extortion, they rarely killed. They were only after money, and killing would reduce their earnings, a losing proposition. But mutants were different. They seemed to consider themselves separate from humanity, and those who offended them almost always faced death.

Eric's father was a kind-hearted man, naturally submissive. He felt he wouldn't offend mutants, but he worried about his family's safety. Whenever these superpowered individuals appeared, there were always countless 'collateral victims'—Eric's grandparents were among them. So, for the sake of his family's safety, Eric's father wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Eric lay in bed, feeling enveloped in warmth. It was the most comfortable and safe place he knew. Whenever he was bullied by other kids, he would hide under his blanket, and this feeling made him feel secure.

His parents had promised him that if he went to bed early, they would buy him a Daredevil toy, which he had always wanted, when they moved the next day. This made Eric very happy, and he closed his eyes early, hoping for the next day to come quickly.

But.

In the middle of the night, Eric was awoken by his parents' screams.

His eyes were filled with terror. Although Eric was more mature than most children his age, he had never experienced anything like this. Quickly getting out of bed, Eric, barefoot, made his way to the bedroom door. He didn't know what was happening outside, but he heard his father's desperate screams and his mother's cries. This filled his young heart with immense fear.

He slowly cracked open the door, trembling as he looked outside.

The sounds came from downstairs, where his parents usually stayed. The second floor only had Eric's room and a small attic storage. Using the light from the first floor, Eric cautiously made his way to the stairs. He didn't know where his courage came from. The door was only two meters from the stairs. Eric didn't even know how long he walked; he only knew that his ears were filled with wails, and his body was no longer under his control.

At the top of the stairs, Eric didn't dare to go down directly. Instead, he crouched and peeked his head out.

What Eric saw next became a nightmare that haunted him for life.

A monstrous creature covered in long fur was pinning his father down, its razor-sharp fangs tearing at his father's flesh. Eric's mother lay nearby, her right arm torn off, clearly not long for this world.

In that moment, Eric forgot to breathe. His eyes misted over, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Fear filled his heart completely. He forgot how he returned to his room and how long he cried under his blanket.

He only knew that, after what seemed like a hundred years, local police officers found him and took him from his bed.

The police officers felt sorry for the child, but in this era, no one was absolutely safe. Eric's situation, in a sense, was quite common. Due to the presence of supernatural beings, the case could not be solved. The police officers didn't want to make trouble for themselves, so they chose to close the case hastily. But Eric was somewhat lucky. An elderly police officer about to retire agreed to adopt him.

Eric did not remember what exactly happened that day. He only remembered that the old police officer, when taking him home, pulled out a blood-stained Daredevil toy. It turned out that his parents had prepared the gift long ago.

Since that day, Eric seemed to become a different person. He no longer interacted with anyone or showed any smiles. He shut himself off emotionally, engaging in intense training every day—revenge became his reason to live.

From the old police officer, Eric learned about the brutal killer of his parents—a werewolf, one of the filthiest dark creatures. It was said that heroes had eliminated them, but everyone knew that such creatures were never truly eradicated.

These monsters came from pure dark magic. Although their previous forms were unknown, they could no longer be considered 'human.'

These creatures possessed superhuman strength, speed, and endurance. Their teeth were incredibly sharp, and their claws could shred metal. Ordinary people were no match for them, and even the police were reluctant to provoke them. But Eric didn't care. He had only one goal—to avenge his parents.

The old, weak, scared, ignorant, and crying Eric had died.

He died that day, that night.

The old police officer, a skilled fighter in his youth, knew that Eric was destined to walk the path of revenge. To prevent Eric from sending himself to his death and to give him some self-defense skills, he began to train and teach Eric combat techniques.

During this time, Eric also learned about the old police officer's past, such as his daughter, who had died in the battle between heroes and villains. Both had lost their families, and perhaps for this reason, the old police officer had taken him in and taught him to fight.

Time passed quickly.

Nineteen-year-old Eric was now a robust young man. Over the years, he had continuously honed his combat skills, and he dreamed of personally severing the heads of those dark monsters. Eric crafted his own black suit, inspired by Blade, and he hung a Daredevil figurine on his belt, vowing revenge on all dark creatures in the wasteland.

That day was the old ranger's funeral. Perhaps knowing that his time was almost up, the old ranger called Eric to his side a day earlier.

He told Eric that he could no longer remember his age, that he had lived long enough, and now it was time for him to reunite with his daughter. The road ahead would be difficult, but he believed Eric would overcome everything.

After speaking, the old ranger fell asleep with a smile on his face, but this time, he never woke up again. On that day, Eric once again experienced the pain of losing a loved one.

He silently stood in front of the old ranger's grave for a long time. When the sun was about to sink below the horizon, he finally moved. He packed his bag, put on his mask, and Eric disappeared into the darkness. From today on, Eric no longer existed; only Kick-Ass, born for revenge, remained!

Wandering the wasteland, Eric left his hometown for the first time. He knew the road ahead would be full of difficulties and thorns, but he was fearless, resolutely stepping onto the path of revenge.

His first kill was in a small town in the west. He heard from a drunken mercenary that a lone werewolf had appeared here. Every night, in this desolate, sandy land, the eerie howl of a wolf could be heard.

The local rangers and mercenaries had organized hunts for the werewolf, but it seemed to be highly vigilant, escaping every time despite the large numbers hunting it. Over time, they could do nothing about it.

Upon hearing this rumor, Eric's long-calm heart couldn't help but stir. After all, his parents had been devoured by a lone wolf. If he could find his parents' killer here, it would be perfect.

After half a month of investigation and staking out, Eric finally figured out the lone wolf's movements. To increase his chances of success in this battle, Eric even brought along a powerful firearm. But even so, Eric realized he had underestimated these dark creatures. The werewolf's regeneration was terrifying; bullets could only pause its movements, not harm it.

Left with no choice, Eric engaged the werewolf in hand-to-hand combat, but how could a human body compare to a werewolf's? Eric quickly found himself at a disadvantage.

However, whether it was the blessing of Lady Luck or something else, when the werewolf was about to bite Eric to death, it accidentally swallowed a concentrated explosive. The violent explosion shredded the werewolf's body into pieces, with blood and fur flying everywhere.

Covered in blood, Eric lay powerless on the ground, his vision filled with endless crimson. He knew he had succeeded; he had taken an important step on the road to revenge.

At the same time, he realized his shortcomings. Although his physical strength and combat skills were strong for a human, compared to dark creatures, he was still too weak. To kill those powerful beings, he needed to gain more knowledge and find their weaknesses. Only then could his actions become more efficient.

But achieving this wasn't easy. After Red Skull burned all the magical artifacts, learning about these mystical things became extremely difficult. Eric had no way to steal sorcery books from Doctor Doom, so he could only take one step at a time.

After spending several years, Eric compiled a notebook based on his experiences, recording in detail the dark creatures and monsters he had personally killed over the years. Eric not only summarized their behaviors and habits but also described in detail how to deal with them and their weaknesses. All of this was the result of his insights gained between life and death.

At the same time, due to his continuous slaughter in the wasteland, Kick-Ass's name became increasingly famous. People began to sing the praises of this monster-slaying hero. Many bloodthirsty mercenaries became well-acquainted with him because, for them, they only faced employers and targets, but Eric faced terrifying monsters.

In dark times, the strong are always respected, and this was undoubtedly true for Eric.

With his growing reputation, Eric also found love.

It happened after a ghoul-hunting mission. Eric, exhausted, dragged his body to the Rasya Tavern, a place that catered to mercenaries. Eric was a regular there.

As soon as he walked in, he was greeted with cheers from everyone in the tavern. Eric took the drink handed to him by the tavern owner and quickly joined the lively crowd. It was on that day that he saw a red-haired woman among the mercenaries.

Eric had always thought he lived only for revenge, believing that someone like him was not worthy of love. But he had to admit that when he saw that woman, his heart skipped a beat.

He had fallen in love with her.

The woman's name was Veya, the leader of a small mercenary group. Although she had only recently arrived, she had heard of Eric's bravery and, in turn, had fallen for the hero who slaughtered evil. But the awkward Eric didn't know how to handle this relationship. He had never been with a woman, let alone developed feelings for anyone. So, in the face of Veya's love, Eric could only bury his feelings deep in his heart.

Everyone knew that when a woman falls in love, she can be relentless.

Eric didn't dare to casually accept such a heavy love, nor did he dare to make any promises to Veya. Afterward, he even avoided appearing in front of Veya. It's hard to imagine that a hero who had killed countless monsters and demons would be 'afraid' of a woman.

Eric and Veya's story became the mercenaries' favorite topic of conversation over drinks. They enjoyed seeing Eric's expression turn red when discussing Veya, and they loved watching Veya throw drunken tantrums in the tavern when she couldn't find Eric. For them, these moments were the highlights of their days.

Some close friends advised Eric that avoiding the issue wouldn't solve anything. To clarify things, he needed to face the relationship head-on. Eric understood this as well. He decided to resolve the matter at hand and then have a serious talk with Veya.

Osborne City, the last rays of the setting sun slowly cast their light. The shadow of the wall gradually shifted, passing over one tall, slender pole after another. Eric faced the direction of the setting sun.

Dead but not at peace.

...…..

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