Starfield Chaos (3)

Crusher had half-destroyed the terrace. Whether I jumped off recklessly or bolted down the stairs like a madman, I had to escape from Seo Ha-yoon and Ida-in somehow. I was a villain, after all. It wasn't like I'd suddenly bond with them over ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taking down Crusher and wrap things up on a heartwarming note.

'We're comrades who beat a tough enemy together, so I'll let it slide this time (wink).'

'I'll let you go for now, but next time you're the enemy, okay? No choice. Hehe.'

No way they'd let me off with lines like that. Not unless I took a bullet to the head. Both of them were brimming with heroic duty. See? Flash and Ida-in had confirmed Crusher was subdued and were now coming for me.

"Blank. Surrender quietly. I have a lot of questions for you."

"Come with us for now."

They'd developed a bit of camaraderie, so their tones were softer than before, but they closed in without a single opening.

How the hell do I escape from here?

Should I just leap off the terrace? If I channeled the shockwave through my legs and jumped to the building across...

Crack.

A seriously ominous sound came from my ankle. Then came the chilling pain creeping up from there.

Ah. It's busted.

Crusher's gravity field had warped every bone in my body. If I tried firing a shockwave through my legs to fly, my ankle would snap for sure.

This was the absolute nadir of Blank's villain career.

"Blank. You..."

Seo Ha-yoon gazed at me with distant eyes for a moment, then turned her legs into beams of light.

Vrrrrm.

Ida-in tried erecting a barrier wall along the terrace railing. If that railing got fully enclosed, escape was impossible.

I was about to vault over it in desperation when—

BOOM!!!

An explosion rang out, making all three of us on the terrace flinch. Were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there stragglers from Crusher's crew? Did one of them fire a grenade or something? But there was no damage.

Hiss...

Thick fog blanketed the entire terrace.

Smoke bomb?

Someone had lobbed a smoke grenade. Beyond the spreading smoke on the terrace, on the adjacent building, stood a man in a leather jacket holding a launcher at a 45-degree angle.

One of Yeomra's guys...

I recognized him by the mask shaped like blazing flames. Was Yeomra's crew helping me out?

Hiss—!!!

Smoke gas spread below too, turning the whole city into a foggy haze.

"P-Poison gas?!"

"Just smoke! Contact—"

"Electronics are down!"

"It's smoke that blocks electromagnetic waves!"

The cops below panicked hard.

That's when something soft wrapped around my arm.

"Honey. Let's go."

I knew who it was from the voice. Snake.

"Snake..."

"Hehe. What else could I do when my honey was in trouble? Had to come rescue you."

Snake smiled brightly and led me toward the outdoor stairwell off the terrace.

"Wait! Blank...!! Stop!!"

A beam shot through the smoke. Zwip—! It was a warning shot, low power, but it grazed past my temple warm and close—enough to freak me out.

"Ugh. Can't see a thing!"

Ida-in's frustrated voice echoed from beyond the smoke. I couldn't see her face, but I could picture her pouty expression.

Leaving the blinded Seo Ha-yoon and Ida-in behind, Snake and I sprinted down Starfield's empty corridors.

"Honey. Hop on."

Down on the first floor, Snake seemed prepared for escape. In a corner of the parking lot sat a pink motorbike. The design was so garish it hurt my eyes. Over-the-top flashy, like something from an otaku event display.

Snake hopped on, fired it up. No helmet? Villains don't sweat traffic laws. Not when they commit way worse crimes.

"What're you waiting for, honey? Grab on."

Snake glanced back with a smile, her legs sleek and alluring astride the bike. Hug on like this? No seatbelt or anything—had to.

I wrapped my arms tight around Snake's waist.

Nice smell...

And her body was so soft. Men's and women's bodies felt worlds apart in texture.

"Kyaa. So intense."

Snake let out a weird moan as I held her back, making me even more embarrassed.

Vroooom!!

Then she gunned it out of the parking lot.

"Th-there! A villain!!"

"Cough! Get 'em!!"

Cops blocked the exit, but the smoke blinded them too. Snake's glowing arms extended bundles of optical fibers across the ground like thin tentacles, scanning beyond the fog—enemy positions, terrain, everything. No way she'd mess up driving.

Vroom.

She weaved gracefully around people and obstacles, tearing down the road. A few heroes gave chase late, but Snake was fully prepped for my getaway. Yeomra goons hid in alleys, firing more smoke grenades. A trail of fog followed our path, stalling the pursuit.

In the end, Snake and I made it safely to the slums in District 23. Cops and heroes don't dare enter here. Perfect escape.

"Whew. Heard through the darknet you caused a huge scene... but didn't expect wounds this bad. Blank, you were lucky not to die. If those broken ribs pierced your organs, even I couldn't have helped."

Doctor Sugar started emergency treatment on me in the bed. Healing powers were no joke—I felt it again. Fractured bones knit back. Internal bleeding fully stanched. Top-tier work; I'd vouch for it.

"Phew..."

Big operation—he wiped sweat and grease from his shiny forehead. Still looked like a plump toad.

Lying there, unable to move much, I checked the darknet via Snake's phone as she sat bedside.

Starfield and Blank topped the concept threads. Crusher—who'd fought hard against two promising heroes and one villain—got buried. The world remembers winners. He was just a reckless punk now.

True to villain comms form, the hot topic was Snake helping me.

Yeomra ties were the big buzz, huh.

What a pain.

Linked to a major crime org I never wanted. Not great, honestly. But gotta do what I gotta.

"Kyaa. They called me a beauty. Hehe. Says my honey hit the jackpot?"

Snake giggled at the phone, so time for thanks.

"Uh... thanks, Snake."

Without ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her, I'd be locked up.

"...Huh."

Snake looked surprised, like she hadn't expected straight thanks.

"Hehe. Good you get it. Pay me back with a date later. Make it fun, honey."

She chuckled slyly, tracing a finger over my bandaged chest. Classic her—the sultry villainess, the series’ designated eye candy. A stunner who’d somehow still find a way to get rejected at a blind date.

Checked other threads too.

Close-up of me and Flash facing off, talking.

Aw, hell. These villains shipping me and Flash as lovers now. Imagining skinhead tattooed thugs puffing cigs while typing this shit gave me goosebumps all over.

Sudden ship bait veered weird. Forced pairings everywhere, whatever.

"Hmph. Boring."

Snake, scanning the phone with optical fibers, suddenly soured and snatched it back.

"...You were loving it a sec ago?"

Her vibe was sky-high before. What gives?

Meanwhile, Seo Ha-yoon shuddered while cleaning up the Starfield aftermath, browsing darknet.

Bl-Blank and me... secret lovers...? Th-that's ridiculous...!!!

She got rattled by the baseless ship bait.

Report this crap quick... Oh. Darknet.

No laws, total anarchy—no Hero Association reports.

Ridiculous...

Trembling with injustice, Flash Seo Ha-yoon kept flipping pages, devouring the Blank pairings. Fingers moved on their own, against her will.