Jet Stream (2)
"What in the world..."
"What the hell is going on?"
The hotel that served as Jet Stream's hideout sat right in the heart of District 95's bustling commercial district, drawing an absolute crowd of onlookers. Hundreds of armed criminals packing guns and grenades? Didn't matter—they were all there gawking.
"Humans, man. No superpowers, and yet they've got zero fear."
Zero fear was putting it mildly. Did they seriously believe they wouldn't get swept up in this mess? Or were they banking on heroes and cops to protect them? Whatever it was, it was reckless as hell.
"Boss. Should we attack?"
With the standoff dragging on, Blood Shot asked me.
"What, you itching to fight already?"
"..."
The stoic Blood Shot just stared at me without a word. Too damn quiet—guy had no sense of humor, no fun to mess with.
"It's not like I'm taking on Jet Stream solo. Why should we be the only ones bleeding? Gotta share the pain."
"Pardon? You don't mean..."
Oh, by the way, I hadn't told my subordinates about the secret alliance with Don Quixote. Had to keep info leaks to a minimum.
Jet Stream, the S-rank villain who'd ruled over twenty-plus districts for years, was shitting bricks in real-time now that his intel had leaked to me. No reason I couldn't do the same to him.
How much longer did we wait? "B-Boss!"
My panicked underlings shouted. Looking where they pointed, I saw a blood-soaked crew marching toward us. Don Quixote and his allies.
[Cultist], [Fallen Angel], [Vibavia], and [Don Quixote].
All villains packing level 8+ superpowers. Even they looked roughed up from their brutal fights—no one unscathed.
"Good work out there, Don Quixote. But why just four? I heard your alliance had five. One still fighting?"
"..."
His face hardened at my question. The others looked grim too.
"Hm? What's up?"
"...Dead."
"What? Damn. My condolences. How'd it happen?"
"..."
Don Quixote stayed silent, just eyeing me warily.
He suspects something... but no hard proof, so he can't push it. Heh heh heh! Ji-na did great.
Ji-na had agreed to help just for this Jet Stream op, and I'd thrown her into the fray. But she wasn't here now.
So where the hell was Ji-na?
*****
Flash back to the day before, right after sealing the secret alliance with Don Quixote.
I'd thought: "Do I really need to bring Ji-na in?"
Originally, I'd pulled her in to patch my A-rank shortage. But allying with Don Quixote fixed that.
No need to play my joker card out in the open. Still, since she'd offered help—and I'd revealed my identity—felt like a waste not to use her.
Idea hit: Use her to check Don Quixote's alliance.
Ji-na could handle any A-rank villain easy. Her powers had already taken out one of Jet Stream's lieutenants.
"Ji-na, tomorrow head to District 84 and take out a guy named [Jenga]. Just him. Easy peasy, right?"
"...You're kidding?! That sounds anything but easy!"
She griped like it was impossible, but she assassinated [Jenga] without a hitch.
Oh, and that [Jenga] guy? One of Don Quixote's five-man alliance.
Jet Stream dying by my hand was a done deal anyway. Better think ahead to what came next.
Who'd be my opponent after? Obviously, Don Quixote's crew. We were allied against a common enemy now, but that could snap any second.
So why not keep them in check early?
Brilliant! I'm totally Zhuge Liang's bloodline! Not some horny dude—I'm Zhuge the Horny Strategist!
Even Zhuge Liang himself would slap his balls in awe and yell, "You're the true crouching dragon!"
Study up more, Zhuge!
*****
"Anyway, everyone's here. Time to kick this off."
With the meat shields arrived, no point dragging it out. Onlookers were piling up—and so were heroes and cops.
"Today, we erase Jet Stream from District 95! Charge!"
Rooooar—!
My crew and the meat-shield alliance stormed the hotel.
Bang bang bang—Boom!
Guns and grenades flew. Zzzing—Kablooey!
Superpowers clashed, out for blood.
"Arghhh!"
"Help!"
"Die!"
Blood and guts sprayed as madness took hold.
Smack in the warzone, I felt eyes on me and glanced up.
Top of Stream Hotel.
"..."
"..."
Locked eyes with Jet Stream, glaring down.
A lion.
First impression: A lion. Savage, brutal like the king of the plains. Dignified too.
Middle-aged, nearing old, but built like a prime athlete.
Level 10.
Just looking at him churned my gut like I might puke. True to the empire-builder, a level 10 powerhouse.
Stay put up there.
Flashed him a grin, then strode toward the hotel.
Could've used Gravity Dominator to yank him down or floated up myself. But where's the fun in that?
Floor by floor. Crush his goons, then rooftop showdown.
*****
"Tch. Such a pain."
Power out—elevator dead. Stairs it was to Jet Stream.
"There he is!"
"Kill him! Boss promised a lieutenant spot!"
Powerless punks charged like rabid dogs.
Not just ambition—
"Kekekeke!"
"Heh... must've sucked down a ton of that junk."
They cackled maniacally. Drugs killing their fear.
"Not bad?"
Solid tactic, really. Fear cripples humans at 100%. Drugs wipe it out?
Full power unlocked.
"Kyahahaha!"
"Sure, IQ tanks."
Good workaround if no powers on their side—or low-level. But my side? Powerhouses galore, numbers close enough.
"You druggie fuck!"
"Ki hahaha!"
"Jeez, how much crap did you shove in?"
"Kohohoho!"
Even after I smashed them—broken legs, arms, ribs—they kept laughing.
"Grrrrr!"
"Man or dog?"
One latched onto my leg, gnawing. Wanna be a dog? Booze or drugs'll do it.
Shook him off, kept climbing. Roach-like goons with tools popped up each floor.
"Boss! We'll hold 'em!"
"Go on up!"
"Eh... no need, really?"
"Boss! Reach the top! Ooooh!"
"We'll be your stepping stones! Raaah!"
"..."
On floor 10, my B-rankers Taser Gun and Titan Pipe shoved through Jet Stream's mooks, clearing the way. Pointless against powerless trash, but whatever.
Taser Gun zapped 'em out cold. Titan Pipe swung a bat-sized pipe, dropping bodies. One-man armies.
"You two aren't sticking here 'cause you think A-ranks are upstairs, are ya?"
Flinch! Flinch!
"Uwoooo!"
"Hya aaa!"
Guilty as charged—they roared louder, powers blazing.
"Fine, do you."
Shook my head, headed up with Karinbia, Succubus, Blood Shot, and Don Quixote's crew.
FYI: Karinbia's guy Red Gorilla and Light Head were tangling with enemy power-users downstairs.
Hit floor 15—two blocked my path: a guy and a girl.
"[Armadillo], [Witch]..."
Succubus muttered. Eyes lit up at the woman—Witch.
"Lieutenants?"
"Yes."
"Hm... You hate her?"
"...Yes."
Spot on.
They glared at me and Succubus, fuming.
"Steel Armor..!"
"You filthy whore! Knew you'd betray the boss someday!"
"Hm."
Me or the crew? As I pondered, Succubus and a villain spoke up.
"Let me handle Witch myself."
"Steel Armor. I'll take Armadillo."
The Armadillo guy was Vibavia from Don Quixote's alliance.
"Sure. You got it."
Boss vs. boss, grunts vs. grunts—fitting.
Nodded and climbed on.
"Not so fast!"
"You die here!"
They powered up to stop me. Armadillo's back sprouted hard shell—full armadillo mode.
Witch oozed black, ominous aura from her hands.
"Armadillo! Finally gonna rip you apart!"
"You bitch! Because of you, my siblings...! I'll kill you!"
Before they hit me, Succubus and Vibavia lunged, engaging them. Pushed back hard.
Path clear.
"Let's go."
Up we went, toward the rooftop where Jet Stream waited.
*****
The higher we climbed, the thinner my escorts got. Rooftop: just me.
Crash! Thud! Rumble!
Building shaking—Don Quixote vs. Jet Stream's guy [Ogre].
"Man, blow this now and we'd kill a ton."
Hotel packed: me, Jet Stream, Don Quixote's crew. Three factions. Missiles would wreck 'em all.
"Kinda tense now."
Shrugged, flung open the roof door.
Then—
"..."
—a man's back. Black-and-white streaked hair whipping in the wind.
"You made it, Steel Armor."
"Yeah. Guess this is our first face-to-face, huh? Jet Stream."
The man—Jet Stream—turned to me.