Los Angeles, 2024, Thursday

It had been a year since y/n and Tomas had arrived in Los Angeles,  they made sure to keep a low profile when getting off the boat and into the city.

When they were in the clear they new the first order of business, getting a roof over their heads,  Y/n and Tomas went around the city looking for odd jobs to do, doing dishes, picking up trash, delivery boys etc, they had to deal with sleeping outside but they payed it no mind, they had to sleep under much worse conditions when out on missions.

They had soon pooled enough money to rent an apartment, it wasn't exactly cheap but since they were both working and they didn't require much in regards to food, it was easy enough to pay rent on time, soon things would get better as one day , Y/n  and Tomas had helped a middle age man  after he fell and dropped bags of goods he was carrying, appreciating their respect for an elder he asked if he would like to work at his restaurant,   They were unsure at first as
Y/n and  Tomas had never worked in the restaurant industry  but  they would make it work as Y/n was a very good cook and Tomas's extroverted personality went a long way with customers.

So now they were working under Li Pings Jade Palace,  It was a blessing for the two brothers, the two brothers were able to pool enough money to get access to things they couldn't before, Tomas was even able to move out to his own apartment, though he was only about a kilometer away as It wasn't advisable to be so far away from each other,  this way if one or the other ever needs help they can get to each other in good time.

Steady Income, Safety, and away from the lin-kueis reach , they had no complaints.

We Now Enter The Jade Palace, A 2 Michelin star restaurant, bringing  with culture and wonderful food, thanks to Y/n who was currently preparing a plate of Dumplings and Ribs.

"And...done." Y/n said as he finished preparing the plates of Dumplings and Ribs.

He expertly carried the plates over to the  window, where food gets taken by the waiters.

"Dumplings and Ribs, Table 4." Y/n said loud enough as to let any available waiter know, but not enough to startle them.

Soon a familiar white haired man quickly came to pick up the orders.

"Man is it busy today." Tomas said as placed a paper down. " got an order of rice and sesame chicken for Table 6 y/n." He said as he picked up both plates.

Y/n nodded. " will do." He said he took the paper.

"Oh and Y/n, i know you don't care either way but table 6 said, be quick about it."  Tomas said passing on the message to y/n.

Y/n rolled his eyes, just another impatient customer who felt entitled enough to rush the cook.

"As always Tomas,it's ready when it's ready." Y/n said a particular phrase whenever anybody tried to rush him. " Stay sharp if they try anything." Y/n  advising tomas.

Tomas nodded with a smile. " of course, besides they are nothing we can't handle." Tomas said confidently, even a rookie lin- kuei could handle the triads.

"Hēi, méi shíjiān shuōhuàle, wǒmen yǒu jī'è de gùkè!(Hey, no time for conversation we got customers!) A coworker said as  picked up some plates to deliver.

"Duìbùqǐ" (Sorry) Both Y/n and tomas said got back to work.

Y/n soon got back to the kitchen, and began handling the new order, it was strange, y/n had never cooked back at the temple, his meals were handled by others and if he ever had to fend for himself  he could hunt when out on a mission , but now that he did it himself, he found it quite enjoyable,  there was art to it,  how to cut it, season it, the right temperature, the presentation,  it reminded him of the kata demonstration back home, every detail mattered.

It also gave him a strange realization in his time here, he had devoted so much time to the lin kuei, he didn't  really get to do much  in his spare time, in his year here, he found out he loved watching Tv, Combat sports, cooking and got to read books alot more frequently, luxuries he didn't have given his position in the clan as the free time he did have was mostly reserved for training., the same goes for Tomas who was quite the gamer now.

Y/n missed home, he missed having a purpose but he would be lying that his time here was going alot better than he was expecting,  and that let him know that this decision was for the best.

Y/n pushed those thoughts aside as he finished preparing the rice and sesame chicken.

Y/n smirked with pride at his worked and picked up the plate.

This was a big change for him indeed, but he could live with it.

Mexico

After Jennifer had  gone on a rampage, Bruce didn't waste any time in deleting camera footage at the hospital and  taking the unconscious Jennifer with him,  knowing the dangers of risking another transformation  he went with his plan of taking Jen to his hideout in Mexico.

Inside a a wooden home,  Jennifer can be seen laying in a bedroom ,  still in her hospital gown.

Jennifer began to shift awake, her eyes took a moment to open as they were adjusting to the sun that was peaking through the window, when she could open her eyes the first thing running through her mind was confusion.

"Where am I?" She thought looking around the unfamiliar bedroom she laid in, she then looked at her now looser hospital gown, as if it had been stretched out. "What happened to me?...."

She tried to recall what had happened when was still conscious but it was blurry, she remembers the gangsters coming in, suffocating, feeling like she was gonna die then...rage, it was all blank after that.

Jen then saw that there was folded clothes placed for her, thankful as she didn't want to be in the gown anymore.

Jen soon walked out over bed room and was greeted to the sight of wooden furniture, the kind you would see at a tropical resort, and the sight of the beautiful beach.

"Am I in Hawaii?" Jen said to herself curiously, she then saw what looked like a damaged Iron Man Helmet,  she thought it was just an odd prop but when she felt the cracked metal she could only assume it was legit. " someone's a big fan.." Jen said not really sure what to make of it.

She then heard faint music, Mexican music if the instruments and rhythm were anything to go by, " hello?" Jen asked aloud wondering who else  was at the house.

Jen  walked  around for a  bit and noticed a wooden door slightly open, letting curiosity get  the better of her she slowly opened it and walked in. " hello?" Jen asked once again as she slowly walked down the stairs of this basement.

Jen  keep walking and when she hit the last set of stairs she was greeted by the sight of what appeared  to be a lab, and a rather large green figure wearing glasses working on something.

"Bruce?" Jen asked as he was the only person she knew could take on such a form.

Bruce looked up from his desk and gained a relieved look " good morning." He said and  turned off the radio playing the music. " good to see you back and your feet, how are you feeling.?"  Bruce said  as he walked over to her.

Jen smiled. "A slight head ache but other than that I feel fine." He looked over Bruce once more. " I see your big and green again." Jen said addressing his new form.

Bruce tipped his glasses up. "Smart hulk at your service."

Jen could help but raise an eyebrow with a slight smile.

Bruce then looked sheepish. " yeah I know, it wasn't my idea , you never get  a choice with these names."

Jen then got a bit serious. " well.. where are we?" She asked as it looked like they were at he coast of Hawaii.

" Mexico, a private location to be specific." Bruce explained.

Jen's eyes widened. " what? You took me all the way to Mexico?" Jen then began panicking a bit. " oh my god i didn't call mom and dad." She said as she mad a habit of doing that everyday.

" don't worry, I called your parents they know you're here and safe." Bruce said motioning for here to relax.

Jen sighed in relief. " ok..good." Jen then  took a look around. " so..why the tiny beach house lab?"

" Tony had it  built for me a a few years ago, this is where I spent time fixing my body after the blip." Bruce said, the infinity snap had done a number on him that day. " heh, he used to joke that it was a loaner  and that one day he would swing by and take it back, hehe.." Bruce smiled  then gained a somber look.

Jen caught the emotion on his face. " miss him?" Jen asked feeling bad for his cousin.

Bruce sighed a bit. "He was one of the few who understood me...hard not too."Bruce said, wishing he could talk science with his friend one more time.

Jen nodded,  then began looking over the large lab equipment in thought.

Bruce noticed her pensive state. " something wrong?"

Jen then began feeling her lower back,  it no longer her hurt but she couldn't help  feel like there was an injury there before. "We..we were shot at right?." Jen said picking up some pieces from the day before.

Bruce nodded. " yeah, black car rolled up and opened fire, you count two round to your back and they sped off, had to rush you to the hospital after." Bruce said, then awaited more questions  to fill in the blanks for her.

Jen nodded. " yeah I remember the hospital, doctor said you were away and I needed rest... then these guys came in." Jen began to flinch a bit at the dark memory. " held me down and started suffocate me and it's blurry ..." Jen tried to think harder but still nothing was to clear but she remembered.. expanding..roaring. " I..changed" Jen said looking at Bruce.

Bruce nodded at her confirming that's what happened.

Jen was now worried. " what happened to me?" She asked almost desperately.

Bruce then leaned against his desk and gave her a sad look. " I'm sorry... you were bleeding severely... the ambulance wasn't going to make it in time to save you so I had to make a judgement call.. I had to give you a blood transfusion otherwise  you would have died.." Bruce said grimly, wishing things didn't turn out this way.

Died, that frightened Jen and he saved her, with his blood ,so that meant... " am I ..a hulk?." Jen asked  unsure how to feel emotionally.

Bruce nodded.

Jen couldn't understand that. " but your blood has radiation...how?" Jen asked confused.

Bruce then motioned her over to a digital diagram. " look here, you and I share a rare combination of genetic factors that allow us to synthesize gamma radiation, I've been analyzing your blood, the way it synthesized gamma allowed me to heal my arm." Bruce said motioning to his arm making her realize he no longer had it in a sling.

Jen gave him a  smile. " look at me having special blood, no need to thank me." She said teasingly.

Bruce shook his head but smiled, she was taking this well. " more than  my arm,  I am now able to be my fully integrated self again, so yeah thanks."

Jen chuckled but then lost her smile,  she was grateful to be alive but her being a hulk, no , she couldn't. " Bruce thank you for saving me, really , if our family found out  or are friends found out I..." her voiced cracked a bit, she did not want to put that pain on anyone.

Bruce place a hand gently on her shoulder as to not accidentally hurt her. " Jen cmon, your family, I know you'd do the same for me ." He said giving a gentle smile to his cousin

Jen  smiled and held his hand , then she asked an important question. "you can fix this right? Get me back to normal?" She asked in a hopeful tone.

Bruce then became saddened by her hopeful question, here came the hard part. " Jen... this... this isn't going away."

Jen's eyes widened, she didn't believe what she wa hearing. "No... No!" Jen began thinking herself. " wh-what about that little device on your arm, that kept you human?" Jen quickly suggested.

Bruce shook his head. " that device was a prototype, imperfect and calibrated to me."

Jen was loosing hope desperately hoping Bruce could help her. " th-then make me a prototype, Calibrate it to me." She said hoping he could do something.

" I can't do it Jen." Bruce said  remorselessly

" yes you can, your the smartest person ever Bruce please." Jen begged, beginning to tear up.

"Jen you have to understand, I've been dealing with this for years, the best I could do was merge my two halves." Bruce then held her shoulders gently. " given enough time in the lab we can do the same for you."

Jen just shook her head and walking out of his hands. " No!.. I can't be a hulk.. I can't." Jen began to pace. " stuff is going really well, I just got my own office I-i have buisness cards,  good friends.." Jen said her voice breaking , it felt like she finally had a grip on life and now it was getting flipped upside down.

Bruce walked in front of her to stop her from breaking down. " jen I'm sorry , but there is no going back to who you were before." He said firmly, she had to understand.

Jen just looked  at Bruce then began to tremble, tears shed a bit but she just couldn't speak.

Bruce heart broke and didn't wish for her to be in this state. " talk to me jen what do you need?" He said gently.

" I..I-need." Jen struggled to get her words out, she couldn't speak, then she felt her stomach growling a bit. "..f-food." Jen as she held her stomach.

Bruce smiled a bit, he could help with that. " you want pancakes?" He asked placing his hand on her shoulder again.

Jen just shook her head up and down, not stable enough to speak.

Bruce was reminded of when they were children, when she wished for help but was shy in asking. "Cmon fuzz ball let's get you some pancakes." He said gently patting her back and taking her to the kitchen.

10 minutes later.

Jen was now seated at the kitchen table , eating a bunch of mini pancakes , now longer on the verge of breaking down as the  fluffy food gave her a bit of comfort.

" feeling better?" Bruce asked as he put a skillet in the dishwasher.

Jen just shrugged unsure if she really was,  stuffing another mini-pancake  in her mouth.

Bruce then took a seat in front of her. " I know this hard to hear but, you're gonna have to make changes to the way you live now, avoiding stressful situation, keep away from people..." he started listing off.

Jen stopped mid cut of her pancake. " I can't stay away from people Bruce, I'm a lawyer, how am I supposed to work?." Jen asked confused.

Bruce shook his head. " you can't go back to your job."

Jen didn't even know how to respond to that and just ante another pancake.

" you have to stay here until you figure out how to control your hulk self." Bruce said telling her the next course of action.

" good question.." Bruce said as he went reached down to the floor and place a rather large binder on the table.

"Wow." Jen said, never having seen such a large binder.

" this.. is a multi year journey you are about to embark on, I traced every step of my evolution, I never thought it would end up being a syllabus but here were are." Bruce  joked and then  began flipping every page. "Now with my help, your progress will go a bit faster than mine."

Jen was intimidated by the amount of pages but something made her raise an eye brow. " wait.. you said multi year?" Wondering if she heard that right.

" yes about... 15 years, give or take." He said with a sheepish look.

Jen dropped her fork and knife . " 15 years!?" She asked in shock.

" our top priority is to control when you turn." Bruce said giving her the first order of buisness.

Jen just stuffed another pancake her mouth, concerned over what's to come.

Back in the lab.

Jen was now within a container with a helmet that was wired to the roof. "So you want me to transform?" She asked unsurely to Bruce who was outside of the container. , she thought the point was to not transform

"These transformations are triggered by distressed emotional states, so we need to know the exact threshold that causes it for you." Bruce explained.

Jen eyes widened brightly as she thought about how to do that. "Ooh! Put on a Pixar movie." She said excitedly

Bruce raised his eyebrows.

" when bing bong jumped out of the wagon in inside out." Jen said with a smile remembering the scene.

"No, No, that  would only cause sadness." Bruce said shooting down the idea.

"Boo." Jen said poutingly, she loved that movie.

"The triggers we are looking for are anger and fear." Bruce said clarifying .

Jen began to think, she didn't exactly get angry, sure she got frustrated but not angry, fear...

Jen's eyes close tightly , pushing down the memory. "O-Ok"

Bruce nodded. "Alright... getting started in 3..2..1" Bruce then pushed a button on a panel he was facing.

"RING!..RING!..RING!"

Jen was hearing a red alarm going off in the container,  she then heard something shifting behind her, she looked to see it, ...saw blades

"Bruce?" Jen asked nervously.  The saws came  to life wall began moving towards her. " Bruce stop, stop! This isn't funny !" Jen desperately tried to look for some kind of exit to no avail. " please just let me out!" She begged signs frightened look on her face."

"Just hold it out jen." Bruce said patiently waiting for her hulk side to come out."

Jen took off the helmet  and began banging on the glass" IM GONNA DIE LET ME OUT! " she said terrified now as the blades were much closer now.

" uh oh." Bruce said concerned, he needed the helmet to see the threshold of her transformation.

Jen pressed her self again the glass as she was seconds away from getting torn to shreds. "Stop! STOOOOOP!!!" Jen screamed out trying to shield herself.

Then the feeling she felt back at the hospital.

She felt herself grow taller, bigger, stronger, wanting nothing more than to protect herself.

She stopped the Saw-Wall dead in its tracks and then shoved it back , causing it to break when it landed back to its original position.

Bruce now stood at the door cheering her on. "Yes! Thats the way."bruce said giving her two big thumbs up.

Jen then looked at him and glared, walking about to the door and beginning to rip it off its hinges.

"No No No No No No" bruce said as he stepped back and watch her rip the door off.

Jen walked out. "RAAH!!" Jen bellowed as she throw the door against some nearby equipment.

"Easy! Calm Down!" Bruce said trying to bring down her anger.

"RAAAAAH!!" Jen roared, as if trying to scream the anger she felt out of her system, she then began walking elsewhere.

"Whoa Whoa!" Bruce quickly got infront of her. " Easy..Settle down ..." bruce said as if trying to calm down an agitated horse.

"Quit doing that bruce im not a horse." Jen said with an annoyed look.

"Jen?" Bruce asked confused. " you're still...you?" He asked, she wasn't supposed to be conscious in this form.

"Yeah." Jen said no longer angry. " Im not mad anymore, im thinking clearly actually." Jen said with a smile, this was much different from before.

Bruce couldn't believe it. " Thats Amazing....but how do you feel ? Do you only hear your own thoughts ? Does it feel like somebody else trying to take the wheel?" Bruce asked making sure this wasn't an alter ego.

Jen shook her head. " Nope i feel great actually." Jen said looking at her hands and just breathing, this state she was in, it felt so different. " "My heart beat, this sensation going through my body, it feels like someone lit a fire in me.." Jen then walked towards a nearby mirror to see her reflection, her eyes widened, not only was she taller but she looked good, really good

"And I look like a full-course meal!" She said flexing and striking a pose in her reflection.

Bruce was still trying to comprehend this. "Jen this is huge....you don't have another guy to wrestle with for 10 years!" Bruce said in shock.

Jen just smiled brightly . " Guess i got lucky." She said putting her hands on her hips.

Bruce just chuckled. "Bruh...you know i was really expecting you to start freaking out." He said, he expected more screaming.

" I mean what is there to freak out about." She said as she twirled. "Im gorgeous, i was expecting to be more bulky, like a wwe wrestler but this i can work with." She said really appreciating the new look.

"And how is this transformation different for you then the one you had at the hospital." Bruce said wishing to gather a bit more data.

Jen began to think. "Well the first time was..really intense, i remember just thinking that i wanted to stay alive. " Jen then looked over the broken container. " this was similar but now that I'm out of the danger..i think it just mellowed out." Jen shrugged with a smile.

"Hmm.." Bruce sounded as he picked up his binder. " i guess we can just..." RIIIP!! "Skip all that then." He said as he thrown a torn section of the binder away.

Jen leaned on the lab table and giggled"hmhm, well i transformed into a big beautiful gal, the ole noggin is straight , i think we're done here." Jen said happily.

"Ah ah, not so fast, you still can't control When you transform." Bruce said, he still needed to guide her through this.

Jen nodded. " Ok so how do i turn back ? What did you do?" She asked curiously.

"Well it depends, sometimes i had  to let the Hulks anger run its course and just wake up in some random place , a strong blow to the head also got me back to my senses, and natasha would sing me a lullaby, as a way to calm me down and slowly ease me back to banner." Bruce said breaking down the various ways he could turn back.

Jen nodded in understanding. "Well i see that a common thread is that you have to be unconscious." She said noticing the pattern of every way he turned back.

"Yes but other things can play a factor,  after the battle with ultron i blacked out, next thing  i know im stuck as the hulk for 2 years." Bruce said rubbing his hands.

Jen widened her eyes in shock.

"In space." Bruce said remembering that was important detail.

Jen slowly nodded. "Okay we can circle back to that another day, but bruce seriously i feel fine, i really 
don't think we need to worry about this now." Jen said, believing the worst to be behind her now

Brucr shook his head. " Jen its not that simple, there is so much you have to learn about being a hulk, im happy your taking this well but i dont think you have thought about how dangerous this level of power is." Bruce explained firmly.

Jen crossed her arms but listened.

"There is so much damage you can cause now, one mistake, one freak out is literally life or death." Bruce  warned.

Jen then got a grim look but let him continue.

" you can't be emotional, Nevermind hulk-rage, just one bad day, is all takes to ensure death and destruction not just to you but everyone around you. and I'm telling you, when people start seeing you as a monster..." bruce clenched his hand in frustration. "That Never goes away." Bruce expressed firmly, looking jen in the eyes hoping she got through to her.

Jen was silent,  taking in everything he said, she knew will of the the pain Bruce must have gone through in his life, to isolate himself, away from his friends and family to protect them, she couldn't imagine it,  so she understood why he thought so strongly of this, and why she knew it was in he best interest to listen.

Jen lifted her hands up in surrender. " Ok bruce..Ok." Jen looked at Bruce with determination. " Want to teach me how to hulk? then lets get to it." She said with a smile.

Bruce smiled in relief, she was starting to take this serious, and he had never seen that look on her before,  it was fierce , confident,  quite unlike her.

Bruce nodded with a smile and clapped his hands. " Good, Good, Now first order of business,  getting you back to Regular Jen."

Jen didn't know why but she didn't feel very enthusiastic about it. "Ok, Any Ideas?"

Bruce pondered a bit. " Try to relax your body, clear your mind, focus on your breathing, like your meditating." Bruce suggested

Jen shrugged, not like she had any better ideas, so she closed her eyes,  took a deep breath in...and out.. no thoughts, just letting her mind wander aimlessly.

Soon she felt herself changing, loosing the tightness in her muscles, feeling herself  get smaller.

Jen opened her eyes, the room was taller again, she  looked at her pale hands, green skin gone. " well...back to plain old jane." She said jokingly but it honestly rang a bit hollow to her.

Bruce smiled. " Progress, cmon, theres more ground to cover." Bruce said motioning her to follow.

Jen did so, curious to see what was in store for her, as a hulk.

Jen then stopped at the stairs and  turned towards the audience. " you guys were probably expecting the  training montage and all that, sorry not just yet." Jen said with a sheepish smile.

"Jen!" Bruce yelled from upstairs.

"Coming!" Jen said walking up the stairs faster.

Back With Y/N

Y/n was currently finishing cleaning up some dishes, one final task before clocking outz

Tomas had come into the kitchen. " well I'm all set, ready to go?" Tomas asked, ready to head home.

"Just one sec...there." Y/n said as he cleaned the last plate and shook his hands. " let's go." Y/n said, following his brother out of the kitchen to leave.

"See You Mr.Ping." Tomas said waving at his boss.

"Don't work to hard mister ping." Y/n said as he did a quick bow to his elder.

Mr.Ping Smiled. " Drive home safe you kids." He said  to his best employees.

Y/n and Tomas then walked out of the  restaurant. "So,   How were tips today?." Y/n asked, tomas got tips frequently thanks to his politeness and manners.

Tomas then pulled out about 400$ dollars from his pocket. " Great actually, the old couple at table 8 deserve most of the thanks for this." He said as the old couple had given him 200$ dollars.

Y/n smiled and patted Tomas on his back. "  Give yourself a little credit, not many can  have a smile as long as you do in this line of work." Y/n said thinking about the less than nice waiters they have encountered in other restaurants.

Tomas just smiled proudly. " I just enjoy engaging with the customer, I don't see that as work." Tomas said simply.

Y/n chuckled. " you are better than me brother, If i was in your position im sure i would have frozen several people for their poor manners." Y/n said thinking back to the rude customers they have had to deal with.

They soon arrived to  Tomas's vehicle, a Toyota Camry

" you just have to remember they could have been having a bad day and come to them from a place of understanding." Tomas said providing wisdom and unlocking his car.

"Yeah but a bad day doesn't mean you demand  a new plate of food because one piece of chicken is bigger than the other." Y/n said  with a raised eyebrow, as he entered the passenger seat.

Tomas just held his hands up. " Never said all of them. could be understood." Tomas said jokingly, as he entered the driver seat.

Tomas put the car turned on the car and soon they were off.

"So.. you gonna be free this weekend?" Tomas said in a hopeful tone, they didn't have to work the weekend.

Y/n just chuckled. " Probably just gonna stay home, stay on top of training."  He said simply.

Tomas Groaned. " ugh, its always training with you, like you don't train every other day."

Y/n rolled his eyes "its not the only thing i do, i read too."

" yes but thats the extent of it, you really cant take a break from training?" Tomas asked as he stopped at a red light.

"Father said it is crucial to train, to be prepared when your enemy least expect it." Y/n said, repeating the wisdom he had imparted to them.

"Father also said overtraining is detrimental to the body and mind, and balance must be maintained." Tomas said firing back.

"Yes well he also said that he didn't have all the answers." Y/n countered.

Tomas just gave him a really look from the side. " you know as well as i that isn't exactly true."

Y/n groaned, tomas wasn't wrong, sure nobody was right about everything but father was wise beyond his years, so if he was wrong it wasn't exactly frequently.

"Look all im saying is it would be good for you to get out of the house, get some drinks , actually meet other people" Tomas said with a hopeful smile, then smirked . " maybe talking to a woman finally." He said slyly.

Y/n just chuckled and shook his head. " dating? Nevermind the baggage but kinda hard with the shiner i got." Y/n said gesturing to his faint but still noticeable scar.

Tomas just rolled his eyes a bit. " oh please i know theres crumby people out there quick to judge but ive seen plenty of woman eye you up like a tiger would their pray." He jokes

Y/n just couldn't help but chuckle sheepishly.

"Oh don't remind me.." y/n said as the amount of numbers tomas had passed along to him at the restaurant was something else, some where even from men.

Tomas looked at y/n with an almost pleading look " Look dating isn't even the main point of this, i just want you to have fun,a whole year and outside of cooking and reading you've doing the same thing you would be doing back at the temple." Tomas expressed as he slowed to a halt right infront of y/ns apartment complex. " just give it some thought?" Tomas expressed in a hopeful tone.

Y/n sighed a bit, he wasn't like tomas, he really wasn't much for going out, he just didn't see the point, but he could see this was important to tomas so the leader he could do was mull it over in his head. " No promises but i will think about it." Y/n said to his brother.

Tomas smiled. " thats all i ask." Tomas then reached into his pocket and pulled out 200 dollars. " here's your share"

Y/n shook his head " Tomas know you earned that money."

Tomas just placed the money in his chest "Whats mine is yours, us living in different apartments doesn't change that, besides your apartment still feels empty , you gotta put up some posters or something." Tomas teased.

Y/n just chuckled "Ha Ha." He pocketed the money . " Thanks tomas, il catch you later ." Y/n said offered him a modified fist bump.

Tomas nodded with a smile. " remember, just give it some thought it benefits you the most." As he fist bumped him back.

"Heh i will." Y/n said as he exited the car. " try not to stay up all night playing rainbow six again." Y/n warned as he held the door.

Tomas groaned jokingly. " That was one time"

Y/n just shook his head with smile as he closed the car door, waving to Tomas as he drove off.

Y/n would soon get inside his apartment, it wasn't much in regards decorations but it was comfortable and he had everything he needed.

Y/n would remove his work attire and take a shower, and get into some more comfortable clothes, he then went his fridge and got a bottle of cranberry grape juice, y/n then took a seat in the recliner Tomas recommended he buy and picked up the remote to his tv, deciding to see what was up in the news.

Several channels didn't talk about much that interested him, just a robbery here,a celebrity DUI there, but the something caught his interest and he turned ho the volume.

"I am here in front of what used to be a Drug House presumed to be owned by crime lord Nicholas Trask, The Police busted down the doors and instead of finding and arresting various criminals inside police were treated by a truly gruesome sight." The Reporter Spoke

Y/n listened intently.

A Cop had now begun speaking. "It was straight out of a horror movie, these injuries, limbs and heads, chopped off like knife to butter, some bodies burnt to a crisp, in all my years on the force i have never seen anything like this.

Y/n now grew concerned, those wounds, there weren't many who were capable of such a thing, he grabbed his phone and began calling Tomas, who soon picked up.

"Didn't think you would give it some thought that fast" Tomas joked

"I haven't" Tomas said as he looked at the tv. " have you caught the news?"

" i caught a bit as i was channel surfing, something about a drug house, why?" Tomas asked curiously over the phone.

" i watched the broadcast, police went to the drug house to find everybody dead, but its the manor those inside died that concerns me, chopped limbs with no sign of resistance, burned alive, and more they couldn't get into, that isn't normal." Y/n said gravelly.

"You're right, it isn't...but why the concern over this? Tomas asked, concerned now.

Y/ns mind began to wonder, about who could have been capable of such a thing. "Tomas...could it be possible the tengu are here?... or any other remnants of the rival clans we faced?"

"It's possible but we can't think that far ahead, we have to remember LA is home to many gangs, Yakuza and Triads included, Their methods have been known to be brutal." Tomas explained over this phone.

"But this brutal?" Y/n asked as he had never seen a triad act so violently.

"Well We know torture is out of the question for them so their enemies must have given them a reason to retaliate so gruesomely." Tomas explained.

Y/n could see that though he still wasn't sure.

"Well, i suppose that is the best possible explanation, i just truly hope we haven't dragged are problems to LA, especially a lin kuei one." y/n said worried, as even though Bi-Han was dead, he wasn't sure if his plans died with him.

"I get how you feel man, but trust me we are fine, this is just the mean streets of LA again, besides id like to think lin-kuei would be much more discreet than this." Tomas spoke trying to reassure y/n

Y/n sighed but nodded, tomas brought up a valid point, the lin kuei could be brutal but they valued speed and efficiency, there was no speed in burning someone alive.

"Yeah , you make a valid point, sorry tomas, perhaps y let paranoia get the best of me." Y/n said beginning to think he overreacted.

"Don't worry, it happens to all of us, and in a situation like ours a little paranoia is valid, just try not to think that far head, we're good man." Tomas said supportingly.

"Hm, right, you're right, thank you Tomas." Y/n said gratefully as he bid his brother farewell and hung up the phone.

Y/n looked at the TV one more time. " i pray your words are true brother, truly." Y/n thought as he sighed and turned off the TV, decided to meditate to clear his mind.

——-

Boom!

Always feels good to put something out.

You may have noticed Jen is behaving differently, in regards to personality and how shes handling her new form well thats because im modeling her after the comics and animated series.

She is described as a shy introvert in the comics so im surprised she was extroverted from the get-go in the show, i really want to truly channel how she shined in the comics so and take a more believable approach to her new transformation.

i hope you guys like the change :)

I can't wait to get to the action and the romance

Let me know what you think!