Marcus's third week back on patrol brought a strange kind of rhythm.
The violent impulse was still there—a constant presence in the back of his mind. But he was learning to work with it instead of just fighting it.
Not eliminating it. Channeling it.
Tuesday night, he stopped a mugging in the Bowery. Two men with knives cornering a college student. Marcus intervened with his usual enhanced speed and combat training.
The violent impulse flared when he had both muggers restrained—that familiar voice suggesting he should hurt them, make them understand what it felt like to be helpless.
But instead of fighting the impulse, Marcus acknowledged it. Let it fuel his intensity without controlling his actions.
"You picked the wrong night," he told the muggers, his voice harder than it used to be. "And the wrong person."
The muggers looked genuinely terrified. Good.
He left them zip-tied for police, but the encounter felt different. More aggressive. More intimidating.
The impulse changes how I present myself. Makes me scarier. That's... actually useful.
He logged it:
DATE: June 27
TOTAL ABILITIES: 248
SITUATION: Mugging intervention, 2 suspects with knives
VIOLENT IMPULSE: 5/10 during confrontation. Managed it by channeling into intimidation instead of violence. Suspects were genuinely scared. Worked.
NOTES: Learning to use the impulse instead of just controlling it. It makes me more intimidating, more aggressive in approach without making me actually violent. That's the balance I need. Not eliminating the darkness—directing it.
Sarah texted back: Be careful with that. "Using" the impulse is a slippery slope. Make sure you're controlling it and it's not controlling you.
I know. But fighting it completely isn't working. This is better.
Wednesday brought a different kind of challenge.
Marcus was in the East End when he heard the screaming. Domestic situation again—second one this month. A man beating his girlfriend in an alley behind a bar.
Marcus intervened quickly. Separated them. Restrained the man.
The violent impulse spiked to 7/10. The man was drunk, aggressive, had been hitting someone weaker than himself. Every part of Marcus wanted to make him hurt.
He deserves it. He was hurting someone helpless. He should know what that feels like.
Marcus's fist was raised, ready to strike, when the woman grabbed his arm.
"Please don't. He's drunk. He'll go to jail. That's enough."
Marcus froze. Looked at his raised fist. Realized how close he'd come to losing control.
Too close. Way too close.
He lowered his hand, called Bullock, left before police arrived.
Three blocks away, he had to stop and catch his breath. His hands were shaking.
I almost did it. Almost hurt someone who was already restrained. The impulse almost won.
He logged it immediately:
VIOLENT IMPULSE INCIDENT: 7/10 spike. Almost lost control. Was about to strike restrained suspect. Victim stopped me. This is dangerous. The impulse is getting stronger or I'm getting worse at managing it. Need to talk to Sarah and I-Ching immediately.
Sarah called within seconds. "You almost lost control?"
"Yeah. Came close. Really close."
"You're coming over. Now. We're addressing this before it gets worse."
At Sarah's apartment, she and Jackson had clearly been researching.
"Okay," Sarah said, pulling up medical journals. "Violent impulses from psychological integration. There's actually literature on this—people who develop aggressive tendencies after trauma."
"I didn't have trauma. I copied someone's psychology."
"Same principle. Your brain has integrated aggressive patterns that weren't there before." She showed him studies. "The key is cognitive behavioral management. Recognizing the impulse, acknowledging it, but not acting on it."
"I've been trying that. It's not enough anymore."
"Then we escalate management techniques." Jackson pulled up more research. "Deeper meditation. Physical outlets for aggression. Structured ways to channel the impulse that don't involve hurting people."
"Like what?"
"Like training harder. Boxing with Ted. Martial arts with I-Ching. Channeling the aggressive energy into structured combat instead of street violence." Jackson looked serious. "The impulse wants violence. We give it violence in controlled environments where no one gets actually hurt."
That made sense. Marcus had noticed the impulse was calmer after hard training sessions. The physical exertion and controlled combat satisfied something.
"So I train more. Channel the aggression there instead of on the streets."
"Exactly. And if you feel the impulse getting too strong during an intervention—if you feel yourself losing control—you leave. Immediately. No arguments." Sarah's tone was firm. "You don't get to hurt restrained suspects. Ever. That's the line. If you cross it, you stop being a vigilante and start being something else."
Marcus knew she was right. That was the line. The difference between stopping criminals and becoming one.
"Okay. More training. Better management. And I leave if control becomes questionable."
"Promise," Sarah demanded.
"I promise."
Thursday evening at I-Ching's dojo, Marcus trained harder than usual.
Full contact sparring with advanced students. Intense physical exertion. Channeling the violent impulse into structured combat.
It helped. By the end of the session, the impulse had faded to background levels.
"You fight with more intensity now," I-Ching observed. "More aggression. But controlled."
"I'm learning to channel it."
"Good. Aggression is a tool. Like any tool, it must be used properly." I-Ching adjusted Marcus's stance. "But remember—tools can become crutches. Don't rely on aggression when wisdom would serve better."
"I'll try to remember that."
"Try harder. Because I sense something in you. Something darker than when you started training." I-Ching's blind eyes seemed to see everything. "You're integrating something that doesn't belong to you. Be careful it doesn't change who you are."
Too late. It's already changing me.
"I'm managing it."
"For now. But darkness has a way of growing if left unchecked." I-Ching placed a hand on Marcus's shoulder. "Come to me if you need guidance. I've seen students lose themselves to their own power before. I'd rather not see it happen to you."
Saturday at Ted Grant's gym brought a breakthrough.
Marcus was sparring with Tommy—the regular he'd befriended weeks ago. Intense three-round session. No holding back.
The violent impulse spiked during the fight. But instead of trying to suppress it, Marcus let it fuel his intensity. Made him more aggressive, more decisive, more willing to push the pace.
He won the spar decisively.
"Damn," Tommy said afterward, breathing hard. "You were brutal today. What's gotten into you?"
"Just letting myself go more. Not holding back."
"Well, it's working. You fight like someone with a point to prove now."
Ted had been watching. After Tommy left, he approached Marcus.
"You're using anger in the ring," Ted said. Not a question. "I can see it. The way you pressure. The way you don't give space. That's not technique—that's aggression."
"Is that bad?"
"Depends. If you control it, aggression makes you dangerous. If it controls you, it makes you sloppy." Ted crossed his arms. "Right now you're on the edge. Could go either way."
"What should I do?"
"Keep training. Keep fighting. Let the ring be where you burn off the anger instead of the streets." Ted's expression softened slightly. "Whatever you're dealing with—whatever's making you more aggressive—this is the safe place to work it out. Use it."
Over the next week, Marcus established a new routine.
Harder training. More intense sparring. Channeling the violent impulse into structured combat environments where it was safe and controlled.
The strategy worked. His ability to manage the impulse improved significantly.
VIOLENT IMPULSE MANAGEMENT LOG:
June 28: Training with I-Ching - hard sparring. Impulse channeled into controlled combat. Intensity: 3/10 afterward (down from 5/10 before)
June 29: Patrol intervention, attempted robbery. Impulse: 4/10. Controlled. Used aggression for intimidation but stayed within bounds.
June 30: Boxing with Ted - intense session. Impulse fully channeled into training. Intensity: 2/10 afterward.
July 1: Two patrol interventions. Impulse: 5/10 and 4/10. Both managed successfully. No loss of control.
July 2: Rest day. Impulse baseline: 4/10. Meditation with I-Ching's techniques.
July 3: Patrol intervention, domestic situation. Impulse: 6/10 but controlled. Left before it could escalate. Protocol working.
July 4: Training at both dojo and gym. Impulse channeled effectively. Baseline: 3/10.
By mid-July, Marcus had found a working balance.
The violent impulse was permanent—he'd accepted that. But it was manageable. The key was giving it safe outlets through intense training and using it strategically during interventions without letting it control his actions.
He logged his assessment:
DATE: July 5
TOTAL ABILITIES: 254 (gained 6 more this week, none problematic)
VIOLENT IMPULSE STATUS: Permanent fixture. Not going away. But manageable through structured training and conscious channeling. Intensity varies 3-6/10 depending on situation. Rarely exceeds 6 now with proper management.
PERSONALITY INTEGRATION: The impulse has changed me. I'm more aggressive, less patient, harder-edged. That's permanent. But I'm still ME. Still Marcus Reid. Just a darker version. The key is accepting the change while maintaining control.
TRAINING IMPACT: Increased training intensity dramatically. Now doing I-Ching's dojo 4x/week, Ted's gym 3x/week, plus hospital volunteering. The physical exertion helps burn off aggressive energy.
OPERATIONAL IMPACT: The impulse makes me more intimidating to criminals. They sense the aggression. That's useful for deterrence. But I have to be careful not to cross the line into actual brutality.
SARAH'S ASSESSMENT: "You're managing it better but you're definitely different. More edge, less mercy. As long as you don't cross the line into unnecessary violence, it's sustainable."
MY ASSESSMENT: This is the new normal. Marcus Reid with a violent impulse integrated into his psychology. Not ideal but functional. The cost of copying from criminals. Won't be the last cost but it's one I can live with.
ABILITY PROGRESS: 254 abilities. Phase 2 well underway. Multiple expert systems integrated. Combat skills reaching high proficiency. Medical knowledge intermediate level. Tactical awareness improving. On track for Phase 3 completion in 6-8 weeks.
Sunday evening, Marcus was on patrol in Crime Alley when he stopped a carjacking.
Standard intervention. Enhanced speed. Combat training. Suspects restrained. Victim safe.
But as he was leaving, the victim called out: "Thank you! What's your name?"
Marcus paused. He'd been avoiding that question for weeks. "Just someone helping."
"People are calling you different things. 'The Hood.' 'Ghost.' 'Night Fighter.'" The victim smiled despite his earlier fear. "You should pick one before the internet does."
Marcus hadn't thought about that. He'd been too focused on operational security to consider that people would want to name him.
A name makes this real. Makes it official. Do I want that?
"I'll think about it," he said, and disappeared into the shadows.
That night, he logged a final note:
RANDOM THOUGHT: People want to name me. Social media is trying different options. None have stuck yet. Do I need a name? Does having one make me more visible or just give me an identity to separate from civilian life?
SARAH'S RESPONSE: "Identity is useful. Lets people know who you are without knowing WHO you are. But choose carefully. Names stick in Gotham."
MY RESPONSE: Not ready to choose yet. Let it happen naturally. When the right name comes, I'll know.
Marcus closed the app and looked out at Gotham's night.
Three months since resurrection. 254 abilities. A violent impulse integrated into his personality. No codename yet but becoming a known presence on Gotham's streets.
Phase 2 progressing. Phase 3 approaching.
And somewhere in Gotham's darkness, people were starting to talk about the vigilante with no name.
Soon they'll call me something. Question is whether I choose it or they do.
But for tonight, he was just Marcus Reid.
Enhanced. Changed. Darker than before.
But still helping people.
That was enough.
Outside, Gotham's eternal chaos continued.