Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Clash at the Rest Area (2)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Alright! We've arrived at the rest area. Everyone, get out!"
The vehicle pulled up in one corner of the rest area's parking lot,
and Do-hwa's voice announced that a brief break and some free time were now in order.
"Groooan...! Oof."
"Nyaat...? Have we arrived?"
While Chae-ryeong and Si-yoon stirred from their short nap and stretched their backs.
"Cola! Walnut pastries! Waffles! Hotteok skewers! Kyaaa!"
Ji-woo's eyes sparkled with excitement at the sight of the rest area's sign.
The snack time she'd been eagerly awaiting had finally arrived.
"Hold on! There's something we need to settle before heading out."
Si-yoon grabbed Ji-woo's wrist as she tried to bolt and spoke up.
"As you all know... aside from me, everyone else needs to move carefully.
You're both active heroes, and Chae-ryeong's got a warrant out from the Union."
"Yeah... I suppose so."
Ji-woo had put in for leave with the Union, but she was still officially registered as an A-Rank Hero,
and Do-hwa was still operating as a hero whenever she got called up for joint ops with Lu-mi.
Of course, if they ran into Union staff, they could probably talk their way out of it for these two.
But Chae-ryeong was currently the Union's top-priority wanted suspect.
In a place this packed with people, crossing paths with Union agents or heroes
could lead to some serious trouble.
"Need the bathroom or anything else?"
"Nyaang? Bathroom's fine! Though my stomach's rumbling a bit..."
Chae-ryeong rubbed her cheeks cat-like with balled-up paws,
while her other hand gently massaged her tummy, looking peckish.
"Then we'll just grab some snacks for Chae-ryeong.
We'll go one at a time. I'll take the last slot."
"Kyaaa! Walnut pastries! Cola! Hotteok skewers! Tornado potatoes!"
At the one-by-one instruction, Ji-woo clutched her card,
yelled out snack names, and kicked open the car door before dashing off.
"Ji-woo! Ji-woo! I need the bathroom bad! Hey!!"
Do-hwa urgently called after her, seatbelt still fastened,
but her shouts couldn't reach Ji-woo, already far away.
"Doesn't look like she can hear. She's all the way over there already."
"Sigh... She's such a kid sometimes."
"She seems thrilled, though. Probably her first outing in ages."
Do-hwa unbuckled with a deep sigh,
but the image of Ji-woo bounding away brought a chuckle to her lips.
- Ding ring—
Just then, as they waited for Ji-woo to return,
an alert chimed from the hero terminal in Do-hwa's pants pocket.
"What's that?"
"A message from Hero Ice Queen.
She's asking if you can come out now..."
"To head back to S City, we'd need to drive there.
Probably best to say it's not doable right this second?"
It should've been a simple matter of sorting out timing or location,
but Do-hwa looked flustered, her face clouding over like it was major trouble.
"That's not the issue... Ice Queen wants you to come here, to this rest area."
Si-yoon instantly got why she'd made that face upon hearing Do-hwa.
"Not a Chae-ryeong problem, then... Sounds like another exec is nearby."
"Hmmm..."
Another executive nearby meant other heroes—including Ice Queen Seol Lu-mi—would show up soon.
Just as he'd feared, they could get busted for having Chae-ryeong with them.
Of course, it'd be ideal if the heroes took out the Dark Knights exec
and they slipped in to contact Leader Kaiser first in the meantime.
But if Chae-ryeong's intel and the Union's files were accurate,
even a team of A-Rank heroes wouldn't subdue him easily.
"Gotta grab Ji-woo quick. Wait here."
As Si-yoon reached for the door to fetch her, Do-hwa urgently grabbed his arm.
"You sure... it'll be okay?"
"Be right back."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Somewhere in the rest area's parking lot where Si-yoon's group vehicle sat parked.
'C'mon, reply already...'
A-Rank Hero 'Ice Queen' Seol Lu-mi had arrived with Union agents in tow.
Dressed in familiar casual clothes, she stood by the Union vehicle, awaiting Do-hwa's response.
- Ding ring—
"Yes, Ice Queen speaking. Ah... Got it. Understood."
She took a terminal report from someone,
furrowed her brow briefly, lost in thought.
'Need Ignition's reply soon to decide... Why's it taking so damn long?'
An agent's tip-off: Villain 'Executioner' sighted near the rest area.
Lu-mi, already cruising the nearby highway for another op, took custody
and was calling in other heroes for backup.
"Tch..."
But all nearby quick-response heroes were tied up on other missions,
and Do-hwa's reply was dragging its feet.
'No helping it...?'
Fresh intel painted Villain 'Executioner' disguised as a civilian,
likely taking a breather here before linking up with other execs or the Leader.
Having botched grabbing Chae-ryeong once before,
she paced anxiously—far from her usual cool, rational self.
'Spotted three minutes ago near the men's restroom parking...
Probably in the restroom or food court now.'
Unable to wait any longer for Do-hwa,
Lu-mi resolved to head straight for Executioner's last known spot.
She locked the car, pocketed the keys,
slipped her mask under her chin, tugged her hat low, and set off searching.
'Hasn't left the area yet... Where the hell is he?'
Scanning carefully without drawing eyes,
but Executioner was nowhere in sight.
Finding one specific face in the rest area's swarm wasn't easy, sure.
But Executioner's look stood out even in the crowd,
so Lu-mi kept her eyes peeled wide, darting quick.
"Ah!"
Long, black hair swaying like wet seaweed.
A tall man with corpse-pale skin pinged her radar.
Lu-mi hustled after him toward the men's restroom,
but he vanished inside before she closed the gap.
'Wait till he comes out...?'
No way a woman like her could waltz into the men's room.
She leaned against the wall beside it, waiting patiently.
- Tadadadot—
'What sound's that...?'
As she waited against the wall,
urgent dress-shoe footsteps pounded from somewhere.
"He's in there! The bastard went inside!"
Three guys in black suits and shades.
To hero Lu-mi, dead ringers for Hero Union agents.
'What...? I said I was en route...? Another hero maybe?'
The agents jabbed at the men's restroom entrance and yelled,
but no backup hero seemed to be with them.
They bolted to the doorway,
then closed in on Lu-mi against the wall.
"Miss, you see a tall guy go in there?"
They didn't clock her plainclothes as Hero 'Ice Queen'.
"He went inside. And... here."
Lu-mi flashed her terminal,
cluing the agents in that she was a hero.
"Ah! Hero! Ma'am!"
She jumped at the agent's boom, finger to lips in a hush,
but they were fixated on the restroom, missing it.
"Hero can't go in, so we'll take point."
"W-wait just a sec!"
Worse, oblivious that she was lying in wait for Executioner,
they figured they'd cornered him and ignored her, charging ahead.
"We're waiting for Villain Executioner to emerge. Hold up, please."
Lu-mi sidled close, murmuring the why in their ears.
The agents got it, repositioned apart from her, and stood vigil for Executioner.
A beat passed,
and Executioner thudded out after finishing up inside.
- Tadadadak— Pak!
"Uwaaack!"
"Kh."
Someone approaching from dead ahead collided with him—eyes elsewhere—
and tumbled.
"Oof... Sorry. You okay...? Hurt anywhere?"
"...I'm fine."
Executioner hauled him up like it was nothing,
and the guy, unscathed, stood and apologized profusely.
- Tadadadot—
Suddenly, the waiting agents whipped guns from their coats,
leveling them at Executioner as he passed the guy he'd lifted.
'Not now...! Stop!'
- Bang—!
Shocked by the agents' rash move, she waved frantically,
but the muzzle flash came too quick.
No dodge time—bullets from the blind spot slammed home.
Straight into his side and thigh.
"Hmm... tracked me all the way here, huh?"
Pain? What pain. He just sighed heavy,
eyes locking on the shooters.
"Didn't wanna throw down in a crowd... but looks like no choice."
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