Heroes Fall into Evil's Scheme (2)
The Advisor's intentions were unclear, as were Villain No. 13's motives for assigning her this task. What on earth was he thinking, proposing something like this? But the Advisor's beaming smile carried an odd pressure that forbade questions, and even if asked, she probably wouldn't answer. Above all, there was no downside for Club. With that, Club decided to accept the proposal for now.
Rrring... rrring... The ringtone echoed from the smartphone's speaker. The phone was placed on the desk, switched to speaker mode so the Advisor could hear everything.
It was only natural.
[Yes, this is 7th Squad Captain Rahe. I've taken the call.]
The familiar voice of her captain rang out. The tone and inflection were unmistakable. To be honest, Club had thought it was some kind of joke meant to mock her.
But it was real. The promise to connect her with Captain Rahe.
How did they even get the captain's number...? No, no, this wasn't the time to worry about that.
"Excuse me, Captain Rahe. This is Club."
And so, in this highly suspicious atmosphere and situation, Club explained the current circumstances and the full story to Rahe.
The day before, No. 13 had made her "a certain proposal." He wanted her to lend her power to the villain organization Abyss—as a temporary ally, or rather, a mercenary.
Of course, Club had no desire to comply, and under normal circumstances, she never would have considered it.
But surprisingly, she had replied that she'd "think about it."
Lending her strength to villains was distasteful, but she couldn't afford to stay trapped here and die. She didn't want to die. If following along could extend her life even a little, she had no choice.
And more than that, she might find a way to escape while biding her time.
Still, she had held off on a firm answer because there was a slim chance the 7th Squad might track down and rescue their kidnapped member in the meantime. She'd wait for rescue, and if it didn't come within a week... then she'd accept his offer and escape on her own.
...That had been the plan, surely.
For some reason, an uneasy feeling nagged at her, though she couldn't pinpoint why.
"...That's the story, Captain Rahe."
Club explained everything she'd been through (omitting, of course, her intimate encounters with No. 13), the current situation, and his proposal.
The Advisor sat directly in front of her but didn't interrupt the explanation. Perhaps she saw no issue with it.
Rahe on the other end of the smartphone listened silently, as if pondering.
Finally, she broke the silence.
[I've heard your story, Club. First off, I'm relieved to hear you're unharmed and safe.]
[I was truly, truly worried about you.]
Club felt her chest tighten a bit. Shame washed over her. She'd defied orders, acted on her own, gotten captured, and now made her respected captain worry.
Yet that worry itself stirred a touching warmth in her heart.
As Club sank into those mixed emotions, Rahe's words continued.
[My concern is genuine. The 7th Squad's search is still ongoing.]
[But Abyss's operations were too thorough; we can't find any traces. We're planning to request outside help, but even so, rescuing you quickly seems... difficult.]
Rahe's voice started laced with sincere worry but gradually turned cool and measured—the tone of 7th Squad Captain Rahe.
[Club, listen carefully to what I say next. It might hurt, but you have to understand it's unavoidable.]
Though she couldn't see, Club nodded and murmured, "Yes."
[First, Club, the 7th Squad doesn't have the resources to focus solely on searching for you. Even with outside help, it's uncertain.]
[Right now, the 7th Squad—and other hero units too—is tracking a different villain group of concern, separate from Abyss.]
Club knew that. It had come up in meetings several times, with more dispatches and investigations related to it. Apparently, it had escalated dramatically during the days she'd been kidnapped and unconscious.
In a situation demanding full-scale war preparations, they couldn't spare many personnel for a kidnapped hero—especially a low-ranking one.
[Normally, even if it meant defying orders, I'd devote everything to finding you.]
[But from what you've told me, there's no immediate threat to your life or risk of torture, right?]
Yes, Club replied. That was the truth.
[So, as 7th Squad Captain, I've considered the situation, made my judgment, and now issue this order.]
[Club, accept the proposal they've given you.]
[Work for them. Obey their commands and instructions.]
[Until we put out this urgent fire and resume searching for you, survive by any means necessary.]
[That's an order from your captain.]
It was a solemn command. Her captain's command. Club had no reason—and no right—to refuse.
Without hesitation, she replied firmly, "Understood."
As if grateful for her response, an even gentler voice flowed from the smartphone, urging her once more.
[Thank you for that answer, Club.]
[As I said, live there for a while and follow their instructions.]
[They might make embarrassing demands. You might hear unpleasant orders. You might get instructions that go against your hero's principles.]
[But it's a captain's order. Follow them without fail. Don't resist, don't rebel—obey meekly.]
[Your safety comes first. This is my judgment for that purpose, so please heed it.]
[Don't let anyone there get hurt. Retaliation could follow.]
[Once more: obey their commands.]
[Especially Villain No. 13's orders. Treat them as my own.]
[...That's all. Stay safe, and we'll meet again, Club.]
Club replied once more, "Yes."
With that, the call between Club and Captain Rahe ended.
Captain Rahe asked to speak with the Advisor at the end, requesting regular updates on Club's status.
The Advisor accepted gladly.
And that was it. Prolonged conversation risked leaking hero-side intel to Abyss, so ending it quickly was wise.
As the Advisor picked up the now-silent smartphone, she turned back to Club.
"Well then, Miss Club. I'd like to hear your answer to our proposal once more."
"What do you say? Will you accept No. 13's offer from last night?"
It was mischievous to ask again when she already knew. But Club's answer was set.
No one else, but she could never defy Captain Rahe's command.
Thus, Club accepted the villain organization Abyss's proposal...
"...That should do it, No. 13?"
At that moment, somewhere else in the Abyss hideout, Dorothy set down her smartphone with an annoyed expression.
Until just moments ago, it had been connected to Club's phone.
"Wow, you really pulled it off. What gives, Dorothy? Why are you so good at acting? You could've gone pro in that field."
"No big deal. I had plenty of reference data to work with. Anyone not a total idiot couldn't mess it up."
No. 13 had witnessed Dorothy's performance firsthand and found it hard to agree, but if she said so, he'd let it slide.
The person Club had been speaking to wasn't Captain Rahe—it was Dorothy, her voice modulated by a program.
They had Rahe's voice data from Apple, allowing for highly precise alteration. With ample samples for training, it even replicated Rahe's speech patterns, tone, and personality convincingly.
Plus, they'd preemptively brainwashed Club to recognize the voice as Rahe's during the call.
No way she could've noticed.
"I tried applying hypnotic sound waves during the call, but the effect wasn't as strong as hoped. Usable, but needs refinement for real combat..."
Dorothy muttered to herself and dove back into her research.
No. 13 left her to it and slipped out quietly. Once she got like that, she wouldn't hear a word from anyone nearby.