He snapped out of confusion, contorting into annoyance.
"What just… how did—?" The glow in his right eye faded.
"Since these normies weren't up to par, I thought you would like to fight another enhanced human for once. But it didn't take much to knock down the Black Cat of Ruin." She teased as she got off him.
"… How did you… what did you?" He huffed.
"… There's a reason why I'm an Elite Agent, y'know?"
"Right, the Venom Vanguard…" He huffed, getting back on his feet, "You didn't lace my coffee with poison, did you?"
"We all have our experiences. The world is an ocean, and I'm the biggest fish there is." She brazenly boasted.
"I've been trained by the best of them. I don't think a lack of experience was all there is to it." His eye twitched.
She reached out her hand and lifted Felix up, "Tell that to Harbinger."
"That was… different."
"Sure, it was."
Pride wounded, he scowled deeper.
"Yeah, I'm not letting that slide." He grabbed her shoulder, "We're having a rematch."
"The result will be the—" As soon as they made contact, she grabbed his wrist. But before she could anything, he swept her leg and flipped her over.
"Eh?" Her eyes widened as her back hit the mat, still gripping his wrist while he pressed it against her throat.
"What was that about Harbinger?" He asked.
Pinned, she looked down as he kneeled over her, only for him to place his lowered knee above her thigh.
"No dirty shots." His face obscured by the light, his left eye glowing a cold blue.
Flat on the floor, beads of sweat rolled down her face, "I thought you were afraid my wounds would reopen?" She smiled nervously.
His expression tightened, feeling a tinge of guilt as he gulped.
Letting her go, he stammered, "The way you… you shouldn't be able to… A stage one shouldn't… Forget it."
"Didn't expect you to be a sore loser." She sat up with a sly grin.
"Shut it."
Scratching her head, she asked, "Tell me, when you fought Harbinger, you went on all fours, and started fighting him like a wild animal. Why is that?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't remember? Does it have anything to do with you being called Black Cat? Gonna have to investigate." She placed her hand on her chin.
His eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head.
She pointing two fingers toward his eyes, "Anyways, good to know you're learning Blue Mode."
Maria's words made him remember the warm touch of the red-eyed girl.
Felix got back on his feet, stretching out his hand.
She took her hand, and swung upwards as he pulled her.
"Does… do my eyes look like a flower to you?"
Confused, she let go, "Try not to sound so self-absorbed."
"Ugh, it's something that white-haired girl… never mind."
Verbally defeated, he sighed and looked into her eyes, the flowery-like light was gone.
"Hmm? Do you like her or something?"
Felix paused, placing his hand on his chin. Her eyes narrowed, puffing her cheeks.
"No. No, I don't."
"Of course, not." Her expression softened, smirking as she got up, "You don't know how to flirt with a girl, do you?" Stretching out her arms, Maria walked towards the exit — only to stagger.
"Marie?" Worried, he reached for her.
"Don't worry, I'm steady…" She gestured for him to stop, and he placed hand against thumb against his mouth, looking at the floor.
As long as she's by my side, it's likely that my powers will…
"What's with that look?" Her eyes narrowed.
"Nothing, just… Don't you think Venom Vanguard's a little long?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah… that name's just…"
"How about V.V?" He suggested.
Maria raised her eyebrows, "What's this about?"
"Between Blue Mode and Blue Phantom, I thought it'd be fair?" Felix scratched his cheek.
"Hmm, V.V, huh? If that's what you want, then…" She answered with a smug smile.
The training room doors opened, and an agent with old gray hair and a black suit entered with a clipboard in hand, "Sir Felix, the chief wanted to—"
Before the man could finish, Felix let go of Maria's hand, pointing his finger towards the agent's feet.
"No shoes in the training ground, Murphy."
Maria almost toppled over, but caught herself just before she fell, stomping her foot.
"I apologize, sir. I simply came to hand you your next assignment." Murphy awkwardly responded as he took off his shoes and placed them at the side of the entrance.
"A mission?" Felix muttered as he went over the documents.
"Indeed, sir. You are to leave shortly."
"Welp, my mood's ruined. Looks like we'll have to settle this another time." Maria shrugged.
"This isn't over. We're gonna have a rematch when you've fully recovered." Felix declared before following after her.
"Sure."
With the spar cut short, the two agents were set out for their next mission.
*
In a cramped, moist room with dimly lit red lights sat two figures. Rust and decay permeated the air.
Above them hung a meshwork of leaking pipes and staring rats that skittered through the shadows. Beneath them was the stained concrete floor full of dark puddles that echoed with every drop.
"So, which card is it gonna be this time?" Asked a young man with orange hair wearing a brown, fur-collared jacket. His voice sounded giddy with excitement as he held up a card from the deck he was holding.
"Eight of Clubs." Answered the older, sharply dressed blond, who wore sunglasses that reflected light from the smartphone in his hand.
"How do you keep doing that? You weren't even looking!"
"Don't you get tired of—"
"How about now!?" The orange-haired young man thrust another card forward.
"Queen of Hearts."
"You wouldn't happen to be cheating, would you?" His voice dripped with distrust.
"Of course, I am." The blond man sighed, his expression was cold behind his sunglasses, "You'll just never figure it out."
"Ah, that so…" The orange-haired man's expression soured, and he started to shuffle the cards, the sound of cardboard slapping together filled the damp room, "So Julius, has Harbinger answered yet?"
"It's been a week since I last heard from him. It's possible that he's been compromised." The blond man, Julius, said dismissively, placing the phone on the table, "Here I thought he was one of the stronger ones."
"Maybe someone stronger was in the way… or maybe I didn't fill him up with enough juice?" The orange-haired young man mused, his voice dripping with hostile glee.
"You gave him every steroid and drug enhancement you had. Any more and would've turned into a vegetable."
"This stinks… I even used that government super serum on him. What a waste." The young man sank into the old leather couch, making himself comfortable on the grime, "So, what now?"
"We continue moving forward. I'll have to find someone new. In the meantime, would you get rid of the freeloaders?" The older man said with a hint of exasperation.
"Right." The orange-haired young man walked over to the room behind him, one that was not lit, and was in near total darkness.
"Try not to leave a mess."
"Please… don't hurt me…" A woman with dark hair pleaded, her body shivered while her heart raced.
"Sorry, miss. Unfortunately, rent is due…" The young man cocked the gun, "And your husband, Harbinger, skipped town."
"Wait, please! I'll do anything you want!" She cried out.
"Okay then! I'll spare your life, if you answer this one question." He smiled brightly and pulled out a deck from his back pocket, and picked out a card, "Which card is this?"
"K-King of Hearts?" Tears blurred her vision, almost begging for compassion.
"Wrong answer." He flipped the card, and a red joker stared back. "There are no hearts here."
An unfortunate pop echoed in the dark room.
He then looked at the rest of the cards and added, "Well, you wouldn't have gotten it anyway." All the cards in his hands were red jokers.