Chapter 1: The Aswang

  800 years ago, after the war against Beatle Saint King, Morningstar expanded her world from the Original Universe, Earth-0, reaching billions of other worlds.

  Many variants of Beatle emerged, one of which was the Space Wizard Prometheus.

  Prometheus, however, had one main difference from Beatle. He worked for Morningstar.

  Another variant was the Fire Wizard, the Reaper, a deadly, brutal vigilante and lieutenant of Prometheus raised to dispatch Aswangs.

  One day, Prometheus and his ally variant, the Reaper rebelled against Morningstar, adopting a young Aswang baby he meant to dispatch: Yet again his own variant, yet another Miguel.

  This baby grew up as his adoptive son and gained his powers at the very late age of 15.

  Soon, that 15th year, he came out to the world as the Superhero known as the Aswang.

  Recently, while his parents were away in a cosmic war, he defeated and had arrested President Dingdong Narciso under the grounds that he had violated several treaties and war crimes during the War on Illegal Splooge Trade.

  And very, very recently, as recently as it could be, he was just stabbed by the supervillain Undying… and is quite literally bleeding in a dumpster…

  Miguel opens his eyes, wheezing and bleeding inside a dumpster in the streets of Tondo. Blood is shown dripping from his nose and mouth. He looks up with his glowing blue eyes. He picks up a couple of eskrima sticks and places them in his scabbard. He stood up, only to fall down on the ground, shaking in pain. He wanted to scream, but he knew he couldn’t. He must do this quietly.

  He slowly stands up but stumbles and falls face-first. He begins grunting, his fists on the ground as he growls and begins regenerating. He whispers to himself. “No, no, no, no! I don’t wanna-!” He turns into an Aswangs and writhes in pain, screeching and ticking his bat-like wings, waving his dog-like head, and waving his monkey-like tail. His dark blue fur was unusually bloody. Oh, right. He’s bleeding, even puking out flames from his throat.

  “FUUU-!!! AAAA-!!!”

  “Over there,” spoke a man on top of the building, as a frozen icicle is shot next to his face.

  He gasps and adrenaline entered every inch of his body, and he began to run, leaving a trail of bloody footprints.

  Miguel grunts and coughs, limping away into the night…

  A knock on the window.

  A young woman, aged 16, turns to the window.

  She opens it and is horrified. She backs away, grabs a bat from her closet, and prepares to strike.

  Miguel mutters. “Did you know… Overheating knocks out Ogre-type Infected?” he said, drunkenly.

  The Aswang falls into the room from the window, shaking in pain.

  “What the fucking shit is a bleeding criminal doing in my room, h-huh?” asked the young woman.

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  “Anna…” said the Aswang.

  “Oh my God…“ she gasped. He takes off his mask, revealing his face.

  “Miguel?” asked Anna, who caught him before he tripped and fell over. “What the fuck, man!?”

  “I dunno…” he avoided eye contact, blushing upon the touch of her sweaty skin. He gulped. “Mmm. Mmm. Mm…” He tapped his fingers alternatively, each to both thumbs. He rocked forward and backward. “Mm mmm mmm…” He hummed in patterns. He darted his eye around her apartment, seeing that it’s completely furnished. “You… live alone…?”

  “Parents are in another country. I don’t… talk to them as much. Working student. Also, why are you bleeding on my carpet!?”

  Miguel coughs. “I don’t know… I am an Aswang… I shouldn’t be able to-...” Miguel tries standing up only to stumble and be caught by Anna. “Bleed… very long…”

  Laying him on the couch, she strips him naked, blushing upon seeing his physique. She then felt sorry for him, seeing multiple wounds and scars. “So you really are the Aswang. Thought you were moonlighting as him, knowing who you are…”

  Miguel coughs up and drools some blood. “I’m only trying to help people, Anna…”

  Miguel sniffs the air. “Someone’s downstairs…”

  “What?” asked Anna. “How do you know?“

  “I’m an Aswang. He’s looking door to door… Smells familiar. He must be the guy who shot me…” he wheezed.

  “With what? I heard on the news that you’re invincible or some crap!”

  “Fake news. I get shot. I just heal quickly…” he shivered. “He’s here.”

  “Dude, even though you’re some kind of monster doesn’t mean-...”

  A knock is heard on her door.

  Miguel gives a soft smirk.

  She turns, terrified. She mouths the words, “What do I do!?”

  Miguel shrugs.

  She turns to the door, approaching it and sees a heavily rugged and sweaty young man wearing a suit.

  “Yo,” smiled the man. “Brad! You see a guy that came out here? My badge, Ma’am…” he smiled, showing her his badge. “NBI.”

  “Um… No. Haven’t seen anyone, why?” she smiled.

  He nods as she closed the door. Suddenly, the lights go out.

  “What’s happening!?” asked Anna,

  The man walks in and is struck in the head with Miguel’s eskrima stick, knocking him several flights down.

  “He didn’t believe ya…” he grunted.

  Miguel listens intently. “He’s alive. I hear his pulse…” He teleports away and teleports back. Miguel coughs. “Cuffed him… in front of the cop’s precinct.”

  “Sorry, what are you, Miguel? If you’ve been… this the entire time?“

  “I’m an Aswang,” smiled Miguel. “The variants who raised me told me that Aswangs are these… dangerous world conquerors from another planet. Colonized the Philippines long before Humans came after losing their world. Then the Humans came and slaughtered my people. Because we look and act… odd…” he gulped.

  Miguel grunts and limps back to the couch.

  “Why don’t we go to your home?” asked Anna. “Your place is way bigger than mine.“

  “Compromised… My house has been… captured by the cops.”

  “Your Dad variants?”

  “They’re… away…” Miguel wheezed. His bumpy skin and wheezing makes him seem like he’s having an allergic reaction.

  Anna realizes something is inside his wound.

  Miguel feels… hurt… as a clove of garlic is pulled out.

  Miguel began regenerating. “Why… is SPICE MY WEAKNESS!??!” roared Miguel.

  “I don’t know!? WHY ARE YOU MAD AT ME FOR IT!!??” asked Anna.

  “I AM NOT ANGRY AT YOU FOR IT!!! I AM ANGRY AT… I DUNNO!!! GOD OR THE MULTIVERSE FOR IT!!!”

  “With what!?”

  “FUCKING GARLIC IS MY WEAKNESS, dude! GARLIC!!!” Miguel huffed.

  “Yeah… As with the legends. BT Dubs about that, do you guys eat babies in the womb LIKE in the LEGENDS?”

  “NO! THAT’S DISGUSTING, DUDE!!! Why…? Is this what the internet talks about when I’m apparently the topic!?”

  “You’re the last Aswang. I’m not surprised. I mean, we all know Aswangs, right? Child eater. Fetus eater. Monster who creeps like a boogeyman and eats people like a psycho.”

  “Yeah… I know. Wanna watch Dragon Ball Super’s latest episode?” he smiled.

  “Miguel. Not now-... Oh, shit! Moro Arc!” smiled Anna.