Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 323 FAT VS FIT

It was evening by the time I was ready. Leaving my parent’s apartment for the first time in weeks, my mother was still in her room. Apparently seeing Hancock had given her a shock to the system. 

Instead of taking a ride across town I decided to run. After a mile I was beyond exhausted. Moving into Kame Mode my body healed slightly and I ran another half mile. Forcing myself to jog half mile after half mile it took a long time to get to Hancock’s place. More than a few people jeering or ogling me as I ran by. It was sad to see how much people judged overweight people trying to get back into shape. I felt better knowing that though fat, I could still kick every one of their asses. 

I had power systems at my command. Chakra, Nen, Haki, all could strengthen me. But my body was weak. It had been years since I’d been so weak. My Naruto World body had been stronger when I first got it. And that body was only 12. I had to start from the ground up. Where once I could hold 500 pounds easily on each limb, this body couldn’t hold its own weight up. I had a long process to go. 

When I got to Hancock’s high-rise apartment I was stopped by her doorman. “I don’t know you,” he said. A tall man about 6 foot 4 inches tall he had an ex-military or police feel about him. In a suit and tie his muscles bulged under the suit he wore. 

“You do not. I am here for Byuen Hancock,” I said. It was still weird to say the last name first, but I had mostly gotten used to it. 

“And will she be expecting you?” 

“Yes,” I said, holding in my anger. The man walked into the main lobby, but instead of him escorting me in, Hancock came out of the elevator and ran over to me. 

“Finally,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward. “I’ve been waiting.”

“Sorry, been running,” I said, pointing down to my sweat covered clothes.

She walked us over to the main desk. “This is my husband. He is allowed full access to my apartment,” she said to the shocked doorman and receptionist. There were more than a few double takes between the both of us. A true beauty and the beast story I couldn’t blame their stares. Hancock didn’t seem to care or notice their reaction. Dragging me to the elevator she let her annoyance leak out. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“I tried to quit being a model, it didn’t go well,” Hancock admitted. 

“Quit? Already? I told you it could be a while until we figure out how to get to the Tower,” I said. 

“Yes, but my mother sprang a trip to Beijing on me. It was a shoot for this sleazeball she has been trying to get me to date for months,” she said.

“Well can’t argue with that,” I said. “You’re mine.”

“Exactly,” she shook her head. “My mother threatened to get my father involved.”

“And that’s bad…?” 

“He has a few thugs under his employ. I might have let news about you slip,” she said.

“You’re very open you know,” I said as the elevator stopped on her floor. “I’m surprised you’re so…accepting of this.”

“Of what?” 

“This,” I admitted, pointing at my body. My past and current memories were ashamed of how much I had let myself go. Next to a perfect 10, every one of my memories said this wasn’t real. Some of the old me’s attitude was getting to me. 

“No, I see you, husband,” she said, locking eyes with me. “You are still the man I married. I feel safe with you.” She leaned her head into my shoulder as we walked down the hall. She had to bend down quite a bit to do it since she was her normal 6 foot 3 height. 

“Good,” I said, letting out a sigh. 

I wasn’t exactly sure how things would play with Hancock and I. I hadn’t given up on wanting more women. But for now I would focus on her. Granted it helped that I couldn’t remember any beautiful women in the Second Life Ranker World, but that was besides the point. I could fix the part of our relationship that had been hurt by my lies and half-truths. Hopefully come back stronger than we were before. Since we had only spent a few months together it would be good to see how we were in the long term when I didn’t have a million things going on. 

We walked into her apartment and it was about what I expected. Hard wood floors, white paint, furniture, countertops, everything was immaculate. A large TV mounted on the wall one of her K-dramas was playing on it. 

“Darling, why does it look like you were snuggled up in a blanket and watching TV?” I asked, noting the open bag of Cheetos by the blanket. 

“I don’t have to watch my weight anymore,” she said cutely. “I have no idea when I last had junk food. My original body never had it. And this model version of me has been on a restricted diet for years.”

“Oh no, you’ve become modernized,” I said, looking up to the ceiling as if I was blaming god. 

“True, I’ve never actually had junk food before. The sweetest thing I ever had in my world was some chocolate. This food is so much better,” she said, grabbing the cheetos and stuffing a handful in her mouth. “You get skinnier, I’ll get fatter, and we can meet in the middle.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Brilliant. How did you get so smart, dear?”

“School,” she said, dropping the bag. “Which, my lord, they let you get away with a lot of skipping if you’re pretty. On Amazon Lily I would be hit with a switch if I skipped classes, but this me just batted her eyes and people let her off with a warning.” 

“Money and beauty,” I said. “They run the world. Since I don’t have beauty we need to work on the other. You ready to rob some banks?” 

“Yes, I was thinking, we should probably focus on some people here too,” she said. 

“Where?” 

“The apartment building. There is this old man that I am fairly certain has been trying to peep on me. He is loaded. He always has a stack of-” Hancock stopped as the door to her room was opened. We watched as 2 men in suits unlocked the door and stepped in. Walking around the room they looked through doors, sweeping the place like the president was about to make an appearance.

Hancock and I moved closer to one another as a much deadlier man came in. Dark hair, he had a smile on his face but I could feel the bloodlust leaking off of him. The man in front of me had killed a lot of people. He was a killer, plain and simple. 

“That’s Mr. Kim,” Hancock whispered. “My dad’s fixer.” The man stopped a few paces from us. His attention on me. I gave him my best bored look. 

As he sized me up Hancock’s parents walked. The father was an older man with gray hair that had a $500 haircut. Italian suit, Rolex on his wrist, he appeared to be rather bored as he stopped behind Mr. Kim. Hancock’s mother following, she was older, but still gorgeous. Pitch black hair, makeup done up, wearing a dress that showed more than a little cleavage. I wasn’t too surprised to see how gorgeous Hancock would turn out when she was much older. 

“Father, mother,” Hancock said, annoyance clear in her voice. “What brings you by?”

“Your mother says you are running away,” her dad said. Mr. Kim hadn’t moved. I could feel he was ready to strike me at any time. But I was ready to do the same to him. 

“I said I was quitting being a model,” Hancock said. 

“Same thing,” her mother said. “And what is this I hear about you being married?” The woman hadn’t bothered to look at me yet. Too high and mighty I really didn’t blame her. Hancock was leagues above current me. 

“Yes, this is my…fiance, Weston,” Hancock said. The room quieted, the parents looking at me for the first time.

“You have to be joking,” her father said.

“Nope,” I said. “Hancock is pregnant with my child.”

“What?!” Her mother roared. 

“Weston,” Hancock said, slapping my shoulder. “No, but someday. I am done with this whole modeling business. Weston and I will be leaving on a trip. How long will it be anyway?” 

“I can’t remember,” I admitted. “Month or 2 at least.”

“See, we have bigger things going on than stupid modeling.”

“She’s being blackmailed or mind controlled or something,” her mother said. Her eyes filled with rage as she glared at me. “Mr. Kim please get rid of this…man.” The woman said the words like I was hardly worthy of being called a bug. 

“Of course,” Mr. Kim said. 

“Do the thing,” Hancock said, stopping the killer. 

“What thing?” I asked. 

“The thing with the necklace.”

“I don’t have my necklace,” I said.

“What? Why don’t you have your necklace?”

“Because I don’t,” I said. Cracking my knuckles I stepped to Mr. Kim. The man erected his fingers like he was going to karate chop me. I drew my arm back and he extended his hand out to meet my fist. Before my fist and his fingertips collided I sent a focused wave of Tremor through my fist. 

I had practiced all of my skills during my run to her apartment. I didn’t have as much available chakra, but I still had years of training. Even a little was far more potent than when I first started using these powers. Haki, I had about the same range of Observation since it was sensing other Haki, not using my own. All of my others skills felt weaker but I was comfortable with them. It was time to show I actually knew my skills, and didn’t need my full strength to survive. 

When I hit Mr. Kim the hyper-focused tremor shot into his arm instantly. Blood spurt out of a new tear in his skin at the wrist. The man didn’t cry out as the bones in his fingers broke. Drawing my leg back I pushed chakra into it, kicking him hard he blocked it with his uninjured arm but was still thrown back into Hancock’s parents. 

The other 2 guards waking up, they ran for Hancock but when they got close to me she used her Devil Fruit. A pink heart ray shooting from her it hit the 2 men. They were petrified instantly. Their bodies freezing in place, the now gray stone men fell to the ground. 

“Still doesn’t work on you,” Hancock noted with a smile. 

“I just think about the smell of your puke,” I said, reflecting her look. 

“Ha!” She said walking up with me to her parents and Mr. Kim. 

“Now, my wife is going to come with me,” I said to her mother. “Chase us if you want. Send who you want. But it will end up like this every time.”

“I love you 2, but Weston is my future,” Hancock said. “I will stop by if I have time. But don’t expect me for a while.” 

Mr. Kim tried to kick me, but I lifted my leg and broke his with a crunch. He cried out that time. Grabbing his other leg I threw him over to his stoned lackeys. “You care if I rob your dad?” I asked. 

Hancock thought about it. “Nah, they have enough money.” I nodded and took the sputtering man’s Rolex. 

“Shall we, my dear?” I asked. Hancock took my hand and we headed to the door. “Wait no.” Turning around I ran to the beat up Mr. Kim. “You seem like the type to know an information broker. I need one badly. You want to tell me? Or do I need to break a few more bones?” My chubby fingers made a fist, cracking knuckles. The man was easy to convince after that and I felt like we had a pretty good lead. 

“Not gonna regret that later?” I asked. 

“Ha! No,” Hancock said. “This is my family’s love language. Last year they kidnapped my Aunt and threw her in rehab when she got 1 too many DUIs.”

“Jeez, what am I marrying into?” I asked. 

“You’re already married into it,” Hancock reminded. “Now walk me through what skills you do and don’t have. I can’t see your screen.” 

“True. So I’m not sure I ever told you but I have a skill called Fertility Control, that makes it so I don’t make kids if I don’t want to.” 

“Seriously?” She asked, annoyed. “I thought for sure we were making more kids last time.”

“Nope, let’s plan the next ones.”

She gave me a nod and kiss on the cheek. “Deal,” she said. Leaning her head on my shoulder we went down the elevator as I told her about what other skills I had. That was when we both got the quest.