Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Break
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Superpowers remain shrouded in mystery. All humanity knows about them are a few self-evident truths.
One, superpowers manifest as unique abilities tailored to an individual's lifestyle or very life itself.
Two, no one can predict when they will manifest, or in whom.
Three, superpowers manifest almost exclusively in women. With exactly one exception.
"…Damn."
And that exception was Crow.
Regardless of race or nationality, superpowers appeared with vanishingly low probability, and only around two thousand people worldwide possessed them.
"Ah, no. It's not gone. It just looks like it's temporarily disappeared."
Orca could easily infer that the current situation was turning highly unfavorable for her.
The world's sole male superpower holder loses his ability and reverts to an ordinary citizen? And not just any holder, but the most famous one on the planet?
On top of that, what gave Orca an even bigger headache was,
that her prison could only house criminals who possessed superpowers.
"…No injection needed today, so please go back. Don't come to the prison until I contact you separately."
Those without superpowers were sent to regular prisons. If that happened, Orca would no longer be able to see Crow...
"B-but first, we need to properly assess your condition..."
"I said it's fine! Superpowers disappearing? I've never heard of such a thing."
Orca's words were true. No one had ever heard of superpowers disappearing, and there were no reported cases.
Still, since these new laws of superpowers had only emerged a little over a decade ago, variables could always arise.
No superpower holder had ever endured such relentless agony in such a short time, like Crow had.
"…B-birth control pills... leave them here."
Perhaps, really,
in extreme situations, superpowers might regress once more.
"Damn, damn...!"
Orca hurriedly carried Crow on her back to her office, sat him on the sofa, and checked his reactions.
He was still breathing, but his consciousness was unclear. Only reflexive responses from parts of his body emerged.
"You're joking, right? Th-this can't be happening. Stop pretending to be weak and get up already...!"
She grabbed his collar and shook him hard, but
his consciousness didn't return easily.
Crow, who had never once gone into shock no matter how grave his wounds or even if his limbs were severed, now took dozens of minutes just to regain awareness.
Without exaggeration,
he wouldn't die even if he fell from a flying helicopter. It would be the same if he were dangling from one as it exploded.
"…Kehk-"
But today, he looked so frail and delicate. Crow, who would grind his body to dust in pursuit of his target...
"Guh, keh-"
Blood caught in his throat, making him retch and convulse. He lacked even the strength to cough or vomit properly, unable to expel the bloody froth.
"Y-you're awake. That's it, spit it out!"
Orca turned Crow face-down and pounded his back. Thanks to that, he vomited everything inside, spitting up blood as well.
But after ruining the sofa like that, he collapsed forward again in exhaustion. His physical condition was far from normal.
"What... the hell..."
This couldn't be happening.
No matter how many drugs they'd injected, it was just a few aphrodisiacs and birth control pills. The rest were only the mandatory prison drugs that suppressed physical abilities and a handful of experimental ones.
With her mind gone blank, Orca hurriedly cleaned up what Crow had vomited.
"F-for now, just lie there like that."
She froze the sofa cover and vomit solid, then tore that section off and threw it in the trash. With cleaning done, it was time to check on Crow again.
"Eek! What...?"
His body was burning up. This man, who had never so much as coughed once, now suffered a fever so intense it startled Orca's cold hands.
"Wait...! First, we need to bring down the fever...!"
Orca quickly pulled out her handkerchief, chilled it, and placed it on his forehead. She had to lower the fever at least a little and let him rest.
"Wait, hold on..."
What time was it now?
The clock read 5:11 PM.
It was almost time to send Crow back.
Orca couldn't keep an inmate out for too long. At the very least, she had to return him to Wing C before dinner service.
Or maybe send him to solitary? Watch his condition there? Yeah, that might be better. If other inmates saw him, his state could worsen.
But putting him in solitary required special justification... Plus, the warden was pressuring her to keep Crow in Wing C, so solitary would inevitably trigger an audit...
"Fuck, fuuuck..."
Orca uttered vulgar curses for the first time in her life. At a loss, with tears welling up, she focused solely on reducing Crow's fever.
No one else could find out about this. She had to act as naturally as possible.
She couldn't send Crow anywhere else. He was hers, after all...
If he had truly lost his superpower,
if that was really the case...
"N-no. No! No way..."
Orca tried to suppress her own anxiety as she nursed Crow. Ironically, the woman who had beaten and tormented him until now was doing her utmost to aid his recovery.
"Don't pretend to be weak...! You're Crow! Y-yeah, even as a villain, you're still that Crow..."
Even as she said it, her heart wasn't at ease. Had she been too harsh on him? No, but she never imagined it would come to this.
"Crow, look at me! Look at me! Y-you're fine. You'll be fine. Got it...?"
But with his consciousness returned, Crow only groaned and gestured at the air. Thinking he wanted her to hold his hand, Orca gripped it tightly with both of hers, but...
"Hey, the drugs..."
Completely different words came from Crow's mouth.
"Why... why didn't you... inject them... Hurry..."
In his half-delirious state, he demanded the drugs. Already severely addicted, withdrawal was more agonizing and unbearable than anything.
Crow's body trembled violently, craving the drugs, radiating heat. But Orca could inject no more.
"Damn it...! Drugs my ass! Get a grip first! If, if you die like this, I won't let that Lily bitch get away with it either. Remember that...!"
She yelled at him to recover quickly, mentioning Lily's name once more. The familiar name kept Crow from even dying in peace, but now he was too exhausted to rise again.
"Fuuu, ck... Hey, drugs. Drugs, please... Hurry..."
He was truly desperate. Without them right now, he felt like he'd lose his mind.
The drugs were insanely addictive, and missing the usual dose would drive anyone mad.
"Agh...! Fuuuck! Y-you fucking bitch. Why the sudden bullshit, bullshit...!"
He rolled off the sofa and grabbed Orca's collar. He needed drugs right now.
Skipping even a day was impossible. He needed them now. Without the pleasure enveloping his body, he had no way to endure the all-consuming pain.
"C-calm... calm down, Crow. Calm down!"
"Heuk, kehuk, eheuk-"
Unable to even breathe properly, Crow dry-heaved. Saliva dripped to the floor and froze solid.
"P-please... I'm sorry. I'm sorry, so sorry... Y-you always gave them at this time... Fuck! You shitty bastard, just bring them...!"
Betrayal and rage toward Orca,
and an intense craving for the drugs,
all choked his throat, screaming for her to fetch them now. He had no means left to manage his severe addiction symptoms. He needed the drugs immediately.
"Please, Orca, please... Sorry, sorry for the cursing... Sh-should I suck you off...? I'll do it, yeah...? Orca, Orca! Please...!"
With his recovery ability completely gone, his drug dependency was worse than ever today. Everything his power had sustained was crumbling in real time.
Watching this ordinary man fall apart before her eyes, Orca trembled for the first time, at a complete loss and on the verge of tears.
Anything else was fine, but
she couldn't send Crow away.
"Ah, heuk... Fuuuck fuuuck... L-let's just fuck then... I really feel like I'm dying... Please..."
Steeped in aphrodisiacs and narcotics, Crow was in no state to sit still for treatment.
He needed pleasure, fast, somehow. Otherwise, the brain- and mind-eating withdrawal symptoms would whip him mercilessly.
"Sh-should I move? Yeah? Want that...?"
But ironically,
Orca couldn't undress.
The anxiety of possibly losing Crow
was starting to restrict her actions.