Yung Lee: Chapter V

Yung Lee fights with other heroes against Jimmy Kash and Anti-Lee. A turning point for YL.

Created by: Gio Aranda
Written by: Gio Aranda
Edited by: Gio Aranda

Yung Lee: Chapter V | Fall

Li Santo’s journal. Tuesday, July sixth, 2026, 6:11 p.m.. My time at the hospital was pretty sad. I didn’t like to see grandma the way she was and I didn’t like wondering if Autumn was alive or not. It turned out she was. After we got released we talked at her apartment. I didn’t bother telling her I’m Yung Lee, she told me she figured it out. But I’m not Yung Lee anymore. I might never be again. There was still one last thing I needed to do. I went to the San Diego Union-Tribune in my Yung Lee suit. Everyone began recording me. I said what I needed to say.
 “I’m Yung Lee. Local hero in San Diego. If you’re watching this and you’re located outside of San Diego, you might not know me, or you might, I don’t know. This message is to The Outstanding Team: I need your help. I can’t explain why right now, but I can’t do this myself, only one of you can. If The Outstanding Team sees this and takes me seriously, then meet me at the top of the San Diego Union-Tribune building at 3:45 a.m..”
 The entire team didn’t meet me at the rooftop, only one member did. The Roadrunner. The dawn of superhero. I was starstruck, practically squealing like a little girl. I quickly told him what I needed help with. I needed him to wipe Autumn’s memory. It took more convincing than ever, but in the end, he knew he had to agree, so that she doesn’t suffer anymore. By the next morning, she forgot about the limo fight, the school fight, or our conversation after we got out of the hospital. She no longer knew that I was Yung Lee. Her memory was successfully erased. Anti-Lee found me that night when I was on my way back home. He told me Kash is preoccupied right now, and has been with bigger things. He said Kash never really cared for me, which is why he hasn’t cared that Anti-Lee and his other goons have taken a long and unsuccessful time in capturing me. He said Kash ordered him to stop the pursuit in Yung Lee and that I was nothing more than an annoying little bug on the windshield for him. Anti-Lee told me to enjoy my life until Kash orders him to come after me again. He said it in a threatening tone.

Li Santo’s journal, Saturday, October 10th, 2026, 11:12 p.m.. Just got home from a date with Autumn. Life is looking up. I’ll never forget what Roadrunner did for me. For her. With Kash laying off and Autumn’s memory of Yung Lee wiped, life is finally steady, finally… good. I’m in love with Autumn. Our relationship is near perfect.

Li Santo’s journal, Tuesday, October 20th, 2026, 12:34 a.m.. Snuck out of my house late last night and went to Autumn’s house. After I left, I began making my way to Frankie’s Pizza. Sometimes he works very late and we have slices and talk all night long. On my way there, I heard a scream and some thuds. I naturally ran to it. I couldn’t ignore it. I wasn’t wearing my Lee suit or anything, I’m not Yung Lee anymore. Never will be, but I can’t ignore something if I can help it. I ran towards the noise and saw a man murdering multiple others. The Tiger. We met at last… I might not have journaled about it, but ever since I gave up the mask I’ve been spending my time investigating the Tiger. I can’t sleep and I have nothing better to do, at least doing this makes me feel like I’m at least doing something. I know who he is and why he does what he does. I yelled at him.
 “Hey!” I screamed.
 He walked towards me fearlessly. Not even afraid to kill what looked like a random civilian. He stood before me and looked at me blankly.
 “Get out of my way.” He said.
 “Yeah I know who you are. The Tiger. I’m not afraid of you.” I replied.
 “You will be. I’m giving you one last chance.”
 He tried to walk but I shoved him back. He charged. We fought for over a minute. He is by far the most skilled fighter I have ever gone up against. Better than Jack. Better than Anti-Lee. I stood while he was on his hands and knees.
 “Atticus Kash. Son of Jimmy Kash. The Tiger.” I said.
 He stood up.
 “What are you saying?!”
 “Are you damned crazy? You really think I wouldn’t investigate the Tiger, the only other crime fighter in this city?”
 “What are you talking about-”
 “Shut the fuck up. You already know.”
 He was quiet for a moment. He’s smart too, like me.
         “You're him… you’re Yung Lee.”
 “Yeah, well, not anymore… I could still use your help.”
 “Doesn’t look like it.”
 “Well I do. There’s a war coming. Your father is only growing stronger and he wants me. I was able to fend off his goons for some time and they’re leaving me alone now, but they're coming back. One day, they’ll come for me, and when that day comes I hope I’m not alone, and if I need help from a psychopathic killer then fine, I need whatever help I can get.”
 “You watch your damn mouth, I ain’t no psychopath. I do this because it NEEDS TO BE DONE! I ain’t no emotional pussy bitch that can’t do what’s necessary!”
 I stayed quiet for a while, just looking at him, then I nodded.
         “Sure thing, Atticus” I stayed quiet for a moment while looking down. Then I looked up at him again, “Will you help me?”
         “Yes.”
         I left and continued my way to Frankie’s. I got free pizza and we talked all night long. I am grateful for my friends Connor and Frankie. Autumn is also amazing. There is only one piece of the puzzle missing: Mark. I miss him.

Li Santo’s journal. Tuesday, October 27th, 2026, 3:29 p.m.. Tomorrow is homecoming. I am very excited. I love fall and I love being with Autumn. Autumn in the fall is more beautiful than you can imagine. All I think about is her. She is my life now. I traded Yung Lee for Autumn in return, and it was worth it.

 Homecoming day came. Li went with Autumn to homecoming. He was handsome and she was beautiful. They were at the school gym for the homecoming. They were dancing and he was holding her, she would sing along to the songs and grab his face while singing, he had his hands on her hips. He couldn’t imagine a better feeling than being with her, and knowing that she loved him. Looking into her eyes and seeing warmth and comfort, a place where he could be free and cared for. Autumn and Li were near perfect. After dancing, they got some fruit punch. When they were drinking their punch and laughing and talking and kissing, Anti-Lee exploded through the ballroom.
 “Playtime!” The madman screamed with bombs in his hands.
 He threw them as they exploded and turned high school students into human stew. Li ran away with Autumn as he tried to get as many people out of there. Even if Li beat him, there was no way he could win. Anti-Lee killed many, Li already lost. When they were outside he told Autumn to run. She screamed and tugged at him to stay and not go in, claiming it was far too dangerous and that she needed him. He ran back inside. He ran to his locker and grabbed his Yung Lee suit. He had kept it in his locker to avoid being tempted to put it on at home and go out. He put on the suit and for the first time in months, Yung Lee was back. He ran to Anti-Lee and immediately tried to stop him. It was different, he was vigorous, rageful, psychotic, scary. He was armed with daggers, nunchucks, escrima sticks, ninja stars, grenades, and bombs. Lee was no match for him. Lee was on the ground, and Anti-Lee ran out. Lee got up and chased after him.
         Anti-Lee found Autumn outside and began chasing after her, Lee ran with all his strength as his wounds bled out and his bruises pulsed. Autumn ran to the back of a building parking lot and saw scaffolding. She immediately climbed up it, because simply running from Anti-Lee wasn’t going to do anything. Lee caught up to Anti-Lee and took him down. They were tugging and wrestling, Lee was fighting with all his might and life until Anti-Lee stabbed him again with a dagger. Deep in his shoulder. He abandoned his utility belt and weapons to be faster, and he climbed up the scaffolding, hunting Autumn. She was at the top, curled in a ball and crying while Lee was chasing after Anti-Lee. Anti-Lee made it to the top and was about to grab Autumn before Lee caught him. They kept fighting and tussling as Autumn tried to avoid them. Lee was armed with the dagger that Anti-Lee had stabbed him with. Anti-Lee was able to take the dagger from Lee and stab his leg. Lee fell.
         Anti-Lee quickly pushed Autumn off the scaffolding. Lee screamed and jumped off to grab her. Seconds felt like minutes. She was falling, reaching out her arm to him and he was reaching out his arm to her. While falling, he immediately grabbed a bar of the scaffolding with his left arm as he tried to grab her hand with his right. He was a half a millimeter too short. She landed with a thud and a crack.
         He immediately jumped down and held her in his arms, weeping and pleading with her to stay alive as Anti-Lee laid on top of the scaffolding looking down, cackling and laughing with ultimate joy.
         Anti-Lee began running. Lee chased after him. He was going to kill him. He chased him until they arrived in front of Lee’s house. He didn’t even realize it. Grandma was outside watering flowers. Then, Anti-Lee pulled out a small device from his pocket and pressed a button. Lee’s house exploded. Somehow, Anti-Lee found out Lee’s identity, and now he was going after the ones he loved. Lee was distracted by the explosion and looked to realize it was his own house. He could see grandma bloody and unconscious on the front lawn. In a moment of pure pain and shock, Lee was frozen. He was hit by a car and passed out. A man walked out of the car. Jimmy Kash. He took Lee and Grandma Martha in the car. They drove to Kash’s building.

         At Kash’s building, they took care of grandma Martha and Li. They healed their wounds. Grandma Martha was in a coma, kept in a room on a bed, hooked up to medical devices. Kash had everything in his building. State of the art, and still, he kept Li in a small cage.

         It wasn’t hard for The Tiger to find out Yung Lee was Li Santo after their fight. When he saw the news about the attack at school and Li’s house exploding, he thought Li died.

         Li woke up the next day in the cage. He saw Kash.
         “Where am I?” Li asked, thinking everything was a nightmare. “Where’s Autumn?”
         “Hello Lee. So nice to finally meet you.” Kash replied.
         “Who are you?”
         “You know…”
         “Kash.”
         Kash smiled. He was 5’8” or 5’9”, bald, brown skin, a bit of a tubby physique, skinny legs. He didn’t look like much, but he was far more than Li could’ve imagined. He picked up Li’s cage with him in it and with one hand, he threw it across the room, having fun. Then he opened the cage and grabbed Lee with one hand. Only Lee’s head was barely sticking out of his hand as Kash held him by the throat. He pummeled Li and threw him around like a fly. Like nothing. When Lee was bleeding and broken and wheezing and laid out on the floor, he tore Lee’s clothes off, leaving him naked. Then he grabbed chains that were attached to the ceiling and floor and tied up Lee, making him look like a floating crucifixion. He kept him there, naked, bloody, and on the verge of death.

         The next day Kash called Nathan Gerads. They were making a business deal.
         “How much are we talking, Kash?” Gerads asked.
         “Oh, I’m not going to pay you with money.” Kash replied.
         “Am I missing something here?”
         “What I have for you is better than money.”
         Kash took out a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. A platform from the ceiling slowly came down. It was Yung Lee. Tied up with chains, floating in the air. Starved, beaten, broken, bloody, and naked. He was barely alive, you could barely hear him breathing. He was no longer human nor alive, just present. Pain like this does something irreversible to someone.
         “What’s that?” Nathan asked.
         “Yung Lee” Kash replied.
         Nathan was starstruck.
         “You can have him… on one condition…”
         Kash explained what he wanted Nathan to do. Nathan turned down the offer. What Kash was asking him to do wasn’t worth it for him, not even to keep Yung Lee as a trophy. After all, it didn’t bother Kash, he kinda liked keeping this trophy.

         Later that week, the Tiger decided he had enough. He was done trying to stop Kash on his own, as he had been all these years, as he had been since 2023. He had enough and stopped trying to prove a point to his father, instead he used his resources. He went to the San Diego Union-Tribune. He pulled the same stunt Lee pulled months ago and asked for help from The Outstanding Team. He exposed Jimmy Kash completely. He told the Team to meet him at the rooftop of the Union-Tribune at 4 four a.m.. Only one Outstanding Team member arrived. The Fighter. In his super-suit, he was untouchable. Almost nothing could harm him. The Fighter agreed to help the Tiger.

April, 2027

         Many months went by. Kash used his money to cover everything up. On paper, Li Santo and Martha Smith moved to Los Angeles. In reality, it was months of Lee being starved and chained up and his grandma laying in a coma. Kash would beat him and carve him with blades for fun. Lee was his favorite trophy. Lee had almost never said a word the entire time. His eyes were blank. His brain was going. He was practically gone. Inhuman. Dead. The Fighter and The Tiger finally piled enough evidence together to bring down Kash. They found where Kash’s building is located. Kash owned most of the police, so Atticus and Mark found police that weren’t owned by Kash. They gave all the evidence, and the Tiger and The Fighter infiltrated Kash’s building, taking down his men one by one. Kash was nothing for the Fighter in his super-suit. Police apprehended all the men, well, all the ones that the Tiger didn’t kill. Police took Kash. Jimmy Kash was defeated, all thanks to the Tiger, The Fighter, and the one who made all the sacrifices, Yung Lee. The Fighter and the Tiger were shocked when they found Lee. Tiger didn’t recognize him at first, he thought he had died months ago. They took Lee and Grandma Martha. She was still in a coma and carefully transported to The Outstanding Team’s facility, where they had the best hospital in the entire world. They kept Lee there too, until he healed.

July, 2027

         Kash is in prison. Grandma Martha awoke from her coma. The Outstanding Team bought Li and Grandma a house in San Diego and created falsified forms to show that Lee attended and passed his classes during his senior year even though he didn't. They enrolled Li in community college, he’ll be going in a month. They wiped Grandma’s memory and instilled fake ones to make her believe their new house was always the house they lived in. They offered to wipe Li’s memory and instill him with fake ones, good ones, but he refused. The strong animal of a human being denied and chose to live with everything, every single agonizing experience. Autumn is dead and has been. The Tiger continues fighting crime in San Diego while The Fighter fights with The Outstanding Team. It is no longer fall, it’s summer. Li still wishes it was fall. He still wishes it was autumn. Some day it will be again, maybe it’s not today or tomorrow, but someday the air will be fresh and the birds will chirp. Leaves will fall instead of the ones he loves. Someday, Li will be whole again.










Yung Lee will be reborn.