Hero Bank Heist (Part 2)
"Kyaaaaah!"
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"Oh my God..."
The people who had come to the Hero Bank on errands stared blankly outside. Just seconds ago, the street had been peaceful, but now it was engulfed in flames.
It has begun!
A few onlookers watching the street burn lit up with excitement. Among them was the superpowered terrorist Vinden.
Vinden and another man sneaked up behind the resident heroes and unleashed their powers.
"Gahk!"
"What the—urk!"
The heroes, distracted by the chaos outside, paid a heavy price. One lost his life, while the other was pierced through the gut by Vinden's sharp thorns.
"Kyaaaaah!"
The crowd screamed in terror at the gruesome sight unfolding before them.
Bang bang bang!
"Everyone shut the fuck up! Anyone who moves or makes a sound gets killed!"
"Mmph!"
The ear-piercing gunshots sent everyone diving to the floor in panic. They clamped their hands over their mouths, terrified that even the slightest noise might draw the smoking barrels their way.
"Heh heh heh... Where the fuck do you get off pulling that shit?"
Bang!
"Kyaaaaah!"
"I said no screaming!"
Bang bang bang!
"....."
A teller who tried to hit the direct line emergency button to the Hero Association was spotted by a terrorist. A bullet punched through her skull. A woman startled by the sight screamed—and ended up with a matching hole in her head.
The room fell deathly silent.
"Hand over your phones! You know what happens if we catch you hiding one. If that one precious life matters to you, do as you're told!"
"Pack the cash, fast!"
"Branch manager! Where's the fucking branch manager!"
The terrorists, drilled endlessly for this day, moved with ruthless efficiency. One kept his gun trained on the crowd to cut off any outside contact and tied up the barely breathing hero. Another forced the bank staff to load the money bags. They hunted for the manager while planting bombs throughout the bank.
Bang!
"Guh! Pl-please, spare me!"
"Shut up and pack the money!"
"Y-yes! Yes, yes! S-sob...!"
Any hint of slowness earned an instant bullet. The staff crammed cash into the terrorists' bags just to survive.
"Guhk! Sp-spare me, sir!"
"Where's the vault? Take us there!"
The branch manager, who had been hiding in his office, was dragged out by one terrorist like trash. His face was already a battered mess from the beatings.
"Move it! You wanna die?!"
"Guhk! S-sorry! Th-this way, please..."
Vinden activated his power, his skin turning bark-like as sharp thorns sprouted from his fingers and forearms. He prodded the manager with them, who trembled and led them toward the underground vault.
You bastards... I won't let you get away with this...!
The manager ground his teeth inwardly. Instead of the vault, he guided them to the security room—where another hero waited with the guards. As a B-rank hero himself, he believed he could at least take down these two.
But...
"I commend my soul to the Lord. Have my comrades arrived?"
"Hiiik!"
The door swung open to reveal the hero the manager had trusted. His face was splattered with blood from who-knows-what kills. Through the cracked door, corpses of guards were visible.
The hero who slaughtered the guards was another terrorist. Like the ones planted in South Prison, he was a product of the terror organization's long-term project.
"You've done well, comrade."
Vinden hugged him joyfully, then glared at the manager who had led them astray.
"This filthy infidel dares..."
"Hik! I-I'm sorry! Pl-please, just once—!"
The manager groveled desperately. But the terrorists showed no mercy.
"We just need the manager's eyes and fingerprints to open the vault anyway."
"Is that so?"
Vinden smirked bitterly at the words of the terrorist who had long infiltrated as a resident hero.
"N-no! Uwaaaaaah!"
"Jenki! Jenki! Goddamn it!"
"....."
I glanced at Deputy Manager Hwang as the radio blared with screams. It was his first time dealing with something like this; his eyes were wide with panic.
Terrorists? If it's terrorists... like those guys I saw back then?
The word "terrorists" dragged my mind back to my first day in this world. That lunatic ranting about gods and infidels had tried to kill my mom. She'd said he was a terrorist.
But why the hell are terrorists showing up here?
The unexpected intrusion made my neck stiffen. I was supposed to go on a date with Yuna soon—now this bullshit.
Fucking terrorists!
Stealing a bank? Something even I hadn't tried yet, and these terrorist fucks beat me to it? In my bank, no less?!
Ugh... Cutting in line like that! I'm pissed... so pissed! Grrr... Bad mood MAX!!!!!!!
The pinnacle of villainy? Bank robbery, hands down. Blast away with guns, take civilians and staff hostage, steal the cash. Then standoff with cops, tug at heartstrings to win sympathy, turn 'em to your side for a clean getaway.
Classic bank heist playbook. And now I'd lost my shot—thanks to these sneaky-ass terrorists cutting in line!
Sure, I hadn't planned to rob it today, and I could always hit one later. But that missed the point. The point was my bank—the one I was visiting—was getting robbed by terrorists!
They'd clean out every last bill! Including the gold bars I was depositing! Not leaving a single coin!
In other words, terrorists were thieves and robbers stealing my money.
Thieves! Robbers!
Thieves! Robbers! I can't forgive scum like that! But I can't kill them either! Activate No-Kill Rule!
No-Kill Rule ON
[Why... guh! Sh... heh heh heh heh! Cackle cackle!]
Batman bro was outraged, Joker bro burst into manic laughter, and Thanos bro...
[I am inevitable.]
He stared at me, dispensing wisdom. Yeah, Thanos bro is inevitable. And I'm his inevitable little bro! So I'm inevitable too!
"I..."
I channeled my resolve, gazing at Thanos bro.
"Am..."
Thanos bro nodded, as if that was exactly it.
"Steel Armor (Steal Armor)."
Today, I wasn't Steel Armor. I was Steal Armor.
"I'll steal your money, you fuckers."
Today, I was the righteous bank robber stealing from terrorist bank robbers.
*****
"Guess we don't need this anymore."
The three terrorists, having stuffed their bags with the massive piles of cash from the Hero Bank vault, headed to the special storage room next.
Vinden, having bypassed all security, tossed the manager's severed head and hand to the floor like garbage.
"Let's go in, comrades."
"Right you are, comrade."
"Heh heh heh... With this, Alqaeda will rise."
Alqaeda was the name of Vinden's terrorist group. Nodding to his two comrades, Vinden opened the door and stepped into the special storage room.
Rob this place clean, wait for the tunnel comrades to arrive, then slip away through the hole.
"...Huh?"
"Wh-what the...!"
"It's gone?!"
The three terrorists froze in shock. The special storage room was empty. No vaults, no artworks—nothing. It was so barren, they wondered if they'd entered the wrong room.
"Ov-over there!"
One terrorist pointed straight ahead.
"That guy's..."
"Gasp?! Wh-why is he here?!"
Vinden's eyes bulged at what his comrade pointed to.
"All three of you finally showed? Took you long enough. I was bored as hell waiting."
Steel Armor sat on a table, legs splayed wide. He tossed and caught a 1kg gold bar like a baseball.
"....."
Deputy Manager Hwang lay unconscious at his feet.
"Steel Armor!"
"Why the hell are you here?!"
"...Impossible."
Vinden and the terrorists gaped at the nonchalant Steel Armor. The infiltrator hero muttered in disbelief.
The security room had CCTV feeds of the bank interior—he'd seen Steel Armor enter. But he figured it was a fake. No one freaked out or ran. Hell, the guy even took a number ticket!
What lunatic villain pulls a number at a Hero Bank and waits an hour?!
"Ha... Never seen a psycho like that."
But it was Steel Armor. Realizing that, the terrorist couldn't hide his absurdity.
"Oh! You brought that for me? Aw, thanks a bunch. Saved me the trouble."
Steel Armor eyed the bags behind the three terrorists and stood.
The gold bar in his hand vanished like a magic trick.
"Where'd you hide all this stuff?"
"Beats me? Come find it. Find it, and I'll gift you this."
He waved his hand, and the gold bar reappeared in his grip. The terrorists gnashed their teeth.
Should I bolt?
Well, one of them anyway. Vinden, who had history getting decked by Steel Armor, was eyeing an escape route.
Lord, forgive me! I'll martyr gloriously for you next time! Sorry!
"No matter how strong you are, you can't break my faith in the Lord!"
"I'll kill you here and reclaim the divine treasures you stole!"
"What bullshit. You assholes cut in line first."
Steel Armor responded flatly to the two terrorists' shouts.
"Cut in line?"
"Yeah, you line-cutting fuckers. Worst thing in the world is someone cutting in front of me, fuck!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Steel Armor charged the three terrorists, who roared back at him.
Oh, by the way—Vinden bolted the opposite way. The other two, fixated on Steel Armor, didn't notice.
"Neck Slice!"
Slash!
"C-comrade!"
Steel Armor sharpened his hand like a blade and swung. One terrorist's head flew into the air.
Steel Armor snatched it mid-flight.
"Righteous Steel Armor (Steal Armor) has stolen your head."
Crunch!
He crushed it in his fist. The head burst like a watermelon, splattering the floor.
"Die, infidel!"
The remaining terrorist lunged, wrapping around Steel Armor's waist. He activated his power—and his limbs stretched impossibly, coiling around Steel Armor like ropes.
"I'll squeeze you to death!"
Having bound him, the terrorist strained with all his might.
"Ugh! Gross! Get the fuck off me! Shoo! Get off!"
Steel Armor freaked, trying to shake him loose. He yanked the head—it stretched like rubber. Steel Armor recoiled in horror.
"Hiiiik! G-g-g-ghost! Eight-foot ghost! Kyaaaaaaaah!"
Convinced ghosts were real, Steel Armor screamed and slammed the stretched head into the wall. Then he rained merciless punches on the nape.
"Guhk! Kack! W-wait...!"
"Kyaaaaaaaah! Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! Kkkiyoooooooot!!!!!!!!"
Lost in frenzy, Steel Armor hammered the same spot at 10 punches per second. Even rubber snaps if you stab the same weak point endlessly.
The terrorist's head finally burst. His power faded; the body reverted and slumped limply.
Two headless corpses now.
Steel Armor finally exhaled in relief.
"Hing. Ghosts are too scary."
You're the scary one.