A-Class Villain Cybers
Valkyrie had arrived at the mansion of SCP Group CEO Kim Kwanmo well ahead of the time written on Kid G’s crime notice, grinding her teeth the entire way.
Kid G… Back in Myeongdong it really did seem like he’d been framed, and he even helped me, so I went and pulled the treatment medicine for him—and this is how he pays me back? I was an idiot for thinking he might be even a little different from the other villains! And as if Kid G alone isn’t enough of a headache, now there’s Cybers too! I’ll catch both of them with my own hands, no matter what!
Cybers was an A-class villain, yet Valkyrie, a B-class hero, never once entertained the thought that she might lose.
Not flinching even a fraction before a villain—no matter how high their rank—was one of her greatest strengths, even if she sometimes faltered in front of her senior heroes.
On top of that, she had prepared multiple countermeasures specifically for capturing Kid G this time.
From the day the notice appeared she had requested the Union install traps throughout Kim Kwanmo’s mansion with zero blind spots, ensuring that no matter which direction Kid G opened a door from, a trap would trigger. Having learned he used clone abilities, she had relayed the information to every unit inside the mansion; wary of radio interception, she had written every code phrase by hand and circulated only those, keeping only personnel whose identities had been thoroughly verified. She had even mounted a detection radar on the roof that covered several kilometers around the estate so that even if Kid G attempted a diversion with clones, they could at least pin down the direction. Broadcasters and media outlets had been completely barred from entering the radar range. All that remained was to wait for Kid G and Cybers to force their way in.
Because this was an official operation, Han Juyeon from headquarters had taken the operator’s seat to support Valkyrie, easing the hero’s tension with light conversation before Kid G showed himself.
Our Valkyrie, you look way more wound up than usual. Don’t tense up so hard—how about a deep breath?
“I can’t help it, unnie. How many times have I already let Kid G slip away? If I lose him again here after all the big talk I’ve given the Union people, I won’t be able to face them… And now this Cybers guy is mixed up in it too. I have to perform.”
Don’t bury yourself in that. The Union Leader already acknowledged it—Kid G’s ability is completely specialized for thievery, so catching him is no ordinary job. You don’t have to blame yourself even if he gets away.
“But I couldn’t even stop him from stealing the goods…”
Our Valkyrie’s great in every way except she’s way too hard on herself. Me and everyone else trusts you—we’re not docking your evaluation over something like that—so cut it out. Unnie’s getting mad, okay?
“Haha… All right, Juyeon unnie. Thanks.”
Anyway, once you’re back I’m going to give you a proper talking-to… Huh? Valkyrie! Radar contact!
At Han Juyeon’s signal that the operation had begun, Valkyrie snapped fully alert and settled into combat stance. Angel wings unfurled from her back and beat once; she immediately demanded a briefing through the tiny earpiece microphone.
“Location?”
Northeast, 3.5 kilometers and closing fast! Insanely fast—this is Cybers!
“He got here before Kid G? Tch…”
Valkyrie shot northeast without hesitation and came face-to-face with Cybers, who was blazing with such gaudy light he clearly had no intention of hiding. Seeing him for the first time, she muttered in sheer disbelief.
“What the hell is that…?”
The suit Cybers wore strobed in gaming-LED colors designed to snatch every eye in the vicinity.
“Internet?”
Wherever the LEDs flared, cascading panes that looked exactly like browser windows flickered past at impossible speed. At a glance the whole getup was ridiculous, yet Han Juyeon’s voice turned deadly serious.
Valkyrie, careful. He looks weird but he’s the real deal. He’s even escaped from our S-class heroes before—do not underestimate him.
Having never met Cybers, Valkyrie asked for a rapid briefing.
“What’s his ability?”
Exact details unknown, but he seemed to completely read and predict our heroes’ every move. Strong in both close and long range—watch yourself! I’ll analyze whatever that power is in real time!
“Understood. Engaging now!”
The moment Valkyrie closed the distance, Cybers—oily hair slicked into a perfect 2:8 side part—spread both arms wide, gaming LEDs flashing, and greeted her in a greasy, theatrical drawl.
“Haaah-hahaha! If it isn’t the Union’s rising star, the famous Valkyrie herself! As a rival for this Cybers who will become the name of an era you’re a touch insufficient, but at least your rank isn’t completely bottom-tier!”
“Shut your mouth! What’s your goal? What are you trying to do here?!”
“My goal is the righteous judgment of Kid G, the thief who stole my fame, my popularity, my attention! Hmm? Come to think of it, the bastard’s nowhere in sight…”
He scanned the area, then his expression deflated.
“Did I arrive too early? This won’t do. Wait—Valkyrie! Before we fight each other, how about teaming up first to judge Kid G together? You catch him, I finish him—mutual win-win, no?”
“I don’t negotiate with villains.”
With that she rocketed forward and drove a fist straight at him.
Whoosh—!
Cybers slipped past the blow as though he had read the motion before it began, leisurely and complete. No villain had ever dodged her speed attacks so cleanly; Valkyrie was thrown off-balance.
“Big-data type who leads with the fist, Valkyrie! But your whole combat style is painfully predictable!”
“You—!”
She launched a flurry, yet Cybers weaved through every strike with the same easy grace and planted a kick square in her midsection. For a B-class her physical stats and stamina were exceptional among ability users, so the damage was light—but the fact that she had struck first and still taken a clean counter left her rattled.
“Hup…!”
“First a right straight! Then a left upper! If those fail, roundhouse into a diagonal hook from the right!”
Every time the gaming LED suit strobed, Cybers seemed to read her next move in real time, mocking her while he avoided every attack. From that moment Valkyrie knew something was wrong.
My attack patterns…
“That face says ‘How do you know them all?’, doesn’t it, Valkyrie!”
Now Cybers went on the offensive. Valkyrie blocked and countered, yet every one of her counters sailed wide.
“This is my power! Now you understand the chasm between me and the likes of Kid G! An ability that doesn’t yield even to S-classes!”
“H-how…? Kuh…! Even A-class villains can’t dodge every single one of my strikes…!”
Va-Valkyrie! I got it! Cybers’s ability!
Sensing the anomaly, Han Juyeon slammed into full operator mode.
Traffic! Internet traffic across the entire region is spiking abnormally! The data’s syncing straight into that suit—he’s reading every scrap of information currently on the internet and feeding it into his own actions!
“B-based on internet data…?”
“Ohhh? You figured out my ability? Seems you’ve got someone rather competent on your side!”
Cybers flared his LEDs, soared higher, and declared with theatrical grandeur.
“Exactly so! My power is to take every piece of data that exists on the worldwide internet and make it my own actions and thoughts! The more famous the opponent—like you, Valkyrie—the easier they become! How many combat videos of you do you think are floating around out there?”
“Damn it… this bastard…!”
“A person’s habits never change easily! That’s why I can read your tens of millions of video data points and dodge every attack—just like this! Hu! Hu! Ha!”
Matching each of Valkyrie’s punches, Cybers bobbed and weaved with mocking groove, singing out “Hu! Hu! Ha!” as the fists sailed past.
Fuck… He’s way more troublesome than expected. Valkyrie! Head-on fighting is pointless! Fall back and coordinate a joint assault with the support units!
Valkyrie immediately prepared to shift the battlefield, but Cybers read the intent and sealed her escape route.
“Oh my, thinking of running? Even if you’re not my hated enemy Kid G, you’re still a worthwhile opponent in your own right! I can’t let you slip away! Look—can you see all those cameras gathered outside? You’re going to get smashed by my hands right here and become the sacrifice that elevates my fame once more!”
His LEDs strobed in a blinding cascade as he ingested data at blinding speed and completely reversed the flow of battle.
“Come on! Come on! How’s that feel? You can’t win, can you? You can’t even dodge! This is the power of Cybers—the one who will soon stand at the apex of every villain on earth! The power of the superstar who will monopolize the world’s attention! The internet is infinite and eternal! I grow stronger by every single piece of information that exists upon it!”
Bang—!
“Guhk!!!”
A gunshot cracked from the ground behind him; a bullet punched into the back of Cybers’s skull. As an ability user he survived, yet the sudden ambush shattered his posture. Valkyrie seized the opening and drove a perfect straight into the suit’s abdomen.
“Keuhk!!!”
Cybers plummeted in a diagonal arc and slammed into the earth with a thunderous impact.
Bewildered by the unexpected aid, Valkyrie finally spotted the figure standing on the ground—a man dressed entirely in white: white tuxedo, white cape, white mask.
“Guess that fancy internet data of yours didn’t include how to dodge bullets? Then again, data’s worthless if you can’t dodge even when you see it coming. Am I right?”
“Kid G!”