Herocom - Loli's dressing room
"Did he disappear?" Little Johnny
asked, jumping up from the couch in surprise.
"He should be waiting in his dressing room, but he's not there, and we haven't found him backstage either." The staff member said with a worried look on his face.
Luo Li sighed in response as she took in the situation.
"It was obvious he wouldn't get along with this place… but to just disappear like that?" Luo Li said as she stood up with Big Johnny in her arms. "Let's go."
"Huh?" Little Johnny blurted out, not quite understanding what she meant.
"Let's go find him; he must still be at HeroCom."
"I actually just wanted to ask you to call him..." the staff member said, hoping to resolve this quickly.
"I don't have his number, and it's better if you let heroes handle other heroes." Luo Li said, smiling slightly as she left the room, with Little Johnny following close behind.
"Uh—okay, but please be quick; your presentation is in 30 minutes!" the employee said quickly, worried that things would get worse.
"You..." Little Johnny began to speak after they had walked a short distance away. "Actually, you want to check out HeroCom a little more too, don't you?" he asked, smiling playfully.
"It's an opportunity," Luo Li returned the same kind of smile, confirming his question.
HEROCOM - Behind the Scenes - Lucky Cyan
Cyan was walking absentmindedly, taking in all the different heroes and cosplayers around her.
"Hey, Lin Ling..." she reached back to get the attention of the person walking beside her. "Doesn't that guy over there look like—" As she turned around, she froze visibly when she realized he wasn't with her.
.
.
.
.
.
"I did it again…" Cyan let her shoulders slump, disappointed in herself. "I better find him before—" As she started walking again, she ended up bumping into someone.
"Sorry."
"Oh, what a beautiful cosplay..." It was a person dressed as a purple rabbit with a childlike appearance. "It's like I'm looking at the real Lucky Cyan." The rabbit said calmly, but at the same time he seemed skeptical as he leaned forward, looking intently at Cyan.
"T-thank you. A friend helped me with this cosplay..." Cyan replied awkwardly; the rabbit's silly face, paired with a smile of the same style, didn't seem so friendly when he spoke like that.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Suddenly, an angry-looking man appeared, hitting the purple rabbit on the head with a clipboard.
"The kids' show starts in 5 minutes—you should already be on stage with the others!"
"You shouldn't go around hitting people like that..." the rabbit said, holding his head.
"I wouldn't do something like that if you'd at least do your job." The man clearly didn't care what the rabbit meant.
"I see… trash…" the rabbit muttered to himself as he started walking toward where the man wanted him to be.
The man soon followed him, visibly huffing. Cyan just watched in silence as they walked away.
"Hey, watch out!"
Right after that, near her, a pair of employees carrying speakers bumped into an elderly-looking man who dropped his belongings on the floor.
A tall, thin old man, he has thick, wavy blond hair with two long strands framing his face and blue eyes; he's wearing a yellow suit with black trim and a blue bow tie, and he had a camera slung over his shoulder.
"S-sorry…" the old man said as he bent down to pick up his items—they were some photos.
The employees kept walking without looking at the old man.
"Let me help you." Cyan approached and began helping the old man.
"Thank you." He smiled gratefully at her gesture.
Cyan couldn't help but smile back. She soon noticed something strange about the photos—they were horribly blurry and even taken in a way that made no sense in terms of what they seemed to be trying to capture.
"Horrible, aren't they?" the old man asked, noticing how she was looking at them.
"No! I just..." Cyan quickly tried to respond positively, but it seemed too late for that.
The old man chuckled softly in response as he picked up the rest of the photos.
"It's okay… I'm not good with technology; I'm actually incredibly bad with it."
"I'm sure you can take a good photo," Cyan said as she handed him the last photos and they both stood up from the floor.
"I'm glad to hear that; it's always nice to hear something optimistic from others." The old man then allowed himself to glance briefly at the photos. "I'm just here doing a favor for a young man I once mentored. Unfortunately, because of his work, he couldn't make it here—he loves heroes."
"I can see why," Cyan said, remembering how so many people in her life view heroes.
"So you're here to see these heroes?" the old man asked, catching Cyan off guard.
"Huh...? Well, yes, I was with a friend too, but I ended up losing track of him..." Cyan said dejectedly, knowing that Lin Ling must be looking for her right now.
"Oh, that's too bad. Do you want me to help you find him?"
"Thanks. It's nice to have people who care about helping those in need," Cyan said, knowing how people like that had helped her in the past.
"I agree..." the old man said, smiling in a way that made him seem proud of her words. He then went to put the photos in his suit pocket, but then he noticed something important.
Cyan saw him looking around, searching for something.
"Did you lose something?"
"Yes... a notebook."
Cyan started looking around too, wanting to help, until she saw a small notebook lying a few feet away from them. She walked over to pick it up, but then something caught her attention again once she had it in her hands—the notebook had fallen open, and something she knew very well was written inside.
"A song…" she said to herself, unable to resist reading it.
"Did you find it?" the old man asked right behind her, making Cyan jump in surprise.
"Oh... yes, here it is." Cyan handed the notebook back, smiling awkwardly after realizing what she was doing.
"Thank you... and what did you think?" the old man asked, looking curiously at Cyan.
Cyan wanted to say something else, but she couldn't lie about this.
"It's a beautiful song; I'd love to hear it someday."
"It's not finished yet, but hearing that from a Lucky Cyan fan certainly means a lot."
"Yeah… she'd definitely love to hear that song someday," Cyan said, not realizing she was smiling.
And then, holding the notebook in one hand, the old man held it out to her.
"Actually, I'd like you to keep this," the old man said softly, and Cyan's eyes widened in response.
"What!?" Cyan exclaimed, unable to hide her shock.
"I want you to keep this; I have a feeling you can finish it in the best way possible." The old man wore a slight smile on his face, amused by her reaction.
"I can't! And you shouldn't hand over important things like this to someone you've just met." Cyan said awkwardly, hoping he'd understand what she meant.
But in response, the old man just laughed at her reply.
"It's not the first time I've heard that." The old man took on a more melancholic smile, though it seemed he hadn't given up on handing the notebook to Cyan.
A few seconds of silence passed before Cyan asked a question.
"Why?"
"This is the last time I'll be here; I'm already very old. I'm here only on a whim to help the young man who changed my life, who was a hero to me. This song is a representation of what he did for me and for many others." The old man spoke with nostalgia, as if he could never forget everything that had changed in his own life at a certain point. "In my life, I thought I could do anything, but I wasn't even enough for myself. I learned that we must leave what hasn't yet been accomplished to those who are capable of continuing it. That means trusting that everyone can do something better than you, and I trust that you can carry on with what I have in my hands."
Cyan took in those words with astonishment; he really wanted to leave something like this with her.
"All right..." Cyan then accepted the notebook. "I promise to do my best."
"I know you will—"
*Phone call... is here!*
*Phone call... is here!*
The old man's cell phone began to ring, announcing quite directly what it was.
"Oh... sorry." The old man laughed nervously as he picked up the phone.
It's a unique ringtone...
Cyan thought amusedly after witnessing this.
"Yes, hello?... You're here!?... Why didn't you tell me sooner? That way I could've met you at the entrance... okay, I'll meet you there."
The old man hung up and looked back at Cyan, a little awkwardly.
"Sorry, they arrived earlier than expected."
"You better go meet them."
"Don't you want me to help you find your friend first?"
"Don't worry, I'm lucky when it comes to these things." Cyan said, laughing slightly because she couldn't help but say that.
"All right, thanks again, and I hope you find your friend and manage to finish that song for everyone." The old man then began to walk away, and Cyan waved goodbye as he disappeared into the crowd.
HEROCOM - Treeman Area
NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE!
In front of the Treeman stage, a huge crowd of fans screamed eagerly, waiting for the perfect hero to appear.
"Xiao Yueqing."
Lin Ling couldn't hide the surprise in his voice, and he really hadn't expected to find his heroine like this.
"Hm?" Moon looked at him as if he were crazy. "Of course it's me. And what happened to your voice?" She then narrowed her eyes, looking directly at Lin Ling.
Lin Ling instantly brought a hand to his mouth, distressed by the situation.
'This is bad! If Xiao Yueqing finds out they're swapping boyfriends, she definitely won't take it well.'
Lin Ling then imagined Xiao Yueqing's reaction—a mix of shock and anger that would worry him just as much as any other fan.
But should I lie to her…?
Lin Ling pondered this possibility; there were so many things he wanted to talk to her about, but lying had never been one of them.
NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE!
Lin Ling finally paid attention to the screams of the fans on the other side of the curtain; they wanted to see the perfect hero, and now he was in that role.
Chaos could break out if they find out Nice isn't here...
Lin Ling looked once more at Xiao Yueqing; he didn't want to be the reason she had to deal with a situation like this. She had helped him so many times; it was time to repay her in some way.
Calmly, Lin Ling took a deep breath and then gave a small smile as he bowed and extended a hand to Xiao Yueqing.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting…" Lin Ling said, imitating as best he could the hero's voice he'd heard so many times a day. "I had a problem on the way here, but now that I'm here with you, everything will be okay."
Xiao Yueqing shifted her gaze from Lin Ling's hand to his face; she seemed to be thinking something.
Did she notice!?
Lin Ling thought, alarmed, thinking he had already ruined everything.
"Let's get started!" A voice in the background shouted, alerting them both, and in response, Xiao Yueqing gently took Lin Ling's hand.
"Let's just get this over with." She said as she turned toward the stage.
Lin Ling nodded in agreement with her words.
I just need to be the perfect hero for a little while; I can be Nice.
And then the curtain opened, and both were greeted by a huge, cheering crowd.
NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE!
"Boss..." At the back of the stage, a henchman said to Miss J as the group watched the whole scene from afar. "Everyone is already in the crowd."
"Perfect," Miss J said, unable to hide her pleased smile.
With all those people mingling in the crowd, Nice will pick out the right fans and answer the scripted questions perfectly, and his girlfriend will support him just the right amount.
Miss J's glasses sparkled as she already felt happy that everything was going well.
NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE!
"You guys are so thoughtful!" Moon said aloud to the crowd, smiling and waving at everyone.
"Thank you all for being here! Thanks to you, I am the hero you trust." Lin Ling said aloud, smiling in the style of the perfect hero.
"NICE, I LOVE YOU!"
"NICE, YOU'RE THE BEST!"
"THANK YOU FOR EXISTING, NICE!"
NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE!
Compared to Moon, the crowd reacted more intensely after Nice spoke.
Lin Ling briefly noticed his own eyes sparkle in response to receiving this kind of affection from so many people.
I think I'm doing well...
A few seconds passed with the crowd's cheers until they began to calm down.
"Thank you once again for all of you being here to support me..." Lin Ling turned to look at Moon. "And Xiao Yueqing makes all of this even more special." A sincere smile was visible on his face, which caused Xiao Yueqing to look at him in confusion, but she quickly composed herself before anyone noticed.
Huh? We didn't plan this performance… well, the fans liked it, and that's what matters.
Miss J thought, pleased with Nice's improvisation.
"Hey…" one of the henchmen whispered to another standing beside him.
"What is it?" The other replied, whispering back.
"Is it just me, or is Nice acting weird?"
"Honestly, to me he's always been weird."
"No! I mean weird beyond his usual self."
"I think you're overreacting."
"...Yeah, you're probably right."
The reason they're here...
"The Q&A session with Nice"
Lin Ling remembered why the Nice fans he had met earlier were in such a hurry.
They want to ask Nice questions...
"You must all be anxious, so let's not delay any longer." Lin Ling said aloud, and the crowd responded with every fan raising their hand enthusiastically, wanting to ask the perfect hero a question.
Lin Ling began by looking around the crowd, each fan shouting hopefully that they would be the one chosen.
"NICE! NICE!"
"PLEASE, ME!"
"HERE, HERE!"
"You." Lin Ling finished by pointing to a young man in the corner of the crowd.
Moon looked on in surprise at seeing him do this.
WHY ISN'T HE FOLLOWING THE PLAN!?
Miss J thought, perplexed by what Nice was doing.
"Nice, what's the secret to your hair being so perfect?" the young man asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"It's a perfect routine combining proper care and the right products to achieve a flawless result like this." Lin Ling said, running a hand through his hair to highlight its shine.
The crowd cheered in enthusiastic response, loving the hero's answer.
I'm glad I did that commercial for Nice's hair gel
Lin Ling thought to himself, relieved with the outcome of his answer.
Moon, who was standing beside him, resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the scene she witnessed.
Lin Ling then chose a young woman wearing a costume modeled after the Perfect Hero's outfit.
"Is it true that your favorite food is Běijīng kǎoyā?"
"Běijīng kǎoyā is a personal favorite of mine, though I also can't help but enjoy Dòngpō ròu."
Several fans murmured among themselves after receiving this confirmation from the hero.
Thank goodness I didn't forget Nice's special ad for that food festival.
Lin Ling thought, holding back a sigh of relief; he hoped the rest of the questions would be like this.
Lin Ling looked back intently at the crowd and then spotted a little boy weakly raising his hand; he was about to call on the boy, but someone stepped in front of him, cutting him off.
"Your last battle against your arch-enemy was incredible, but how long are you going to let him keep going after your girlfriend like this?" Lin Ling immediately sensed the malice in the person's voice; he clearly had ulterior motives with that question.
Moon clicked her tongue, already disliking this person.
These vultures...
Miss J didn't like this type of person either.
This is exactly the kind of person we were trying to avoid.
Upon hearing this question, Lin Ling furrowed his brow slightly.
"I have to admit he's strong. As long as he's willing to engage in this kind of confrontation that threatens people, I'll be ready to face him..." Lin Ling spoke calmly and in a serious voice, causing the fans to fall silent as they listened to him.
"Doesn't that worry you? After all, fighting someone strong while protecting someone like that certainly isn't advantageous for you, even if you're perfect." The man now made less of an effort to hide the malice in his question, clearly wanting to attack Moon's image.
In response, Moon clenched her fists in anger; this kind of insinuation had been following her for a long time, but something else caught her attention—the expression on Nice's face; he also seemed irritated.
"I don't worry because I have someone I can always trust by my side..." Lin Ling looked once more gratefully at Xiao Yueqing, who jumped slightly in surprise at being brought into the conversation like that. "Xiao Yueqing is an incredible heroine. I'm grateful for all the times she supported me when I needed it, so I'll always fight for her and anyone who needs a hero." Lin Ling said the last part aloud, drawing applause from the crowd.
"Boss! The audience is loving every answer from Nice!" One of the henchmen said as he scrolled through the comments while everything was being streamed on Fomo.
"Really!? Miss J, who was already nearly pulling her hair out in worry, couldn't help but gasp in surprise at this information.
If Nice keeps this up, the result might be better than expected.
"That's not what I meant—could you answer me properly—"
"I've answered enough. Now, excuse me, there's someone else behind you I want to hear from." Lin Ling cut off the vulture, tired of listening to him, which made some fans laugh as the vulture walked away from the crowd, unsatisfied with the outcome.
"Hey, you..." Moon decided to take the initiative, already knowing who Nice wanted. "Do you have any questions you'd like to ask?"
"I..." the boy said, his voice faltering; he seemed unsure until Nice came back over and stood beside Moon, smiling warmly at the boy.
"I… CAN I BE A HERO TOO?" the boy said aloud without realizing it, causing a silence to fall over everyone. "I'd like to be a hero… but I don't know if I could be like you guys…"
"Of course…" Lin Ling said calmly, taking the boy by surprise.
"Really...?"
"Yes, in a world like this where trust creates heroes, anyone can be a hero, and I trust that you can be one."
The boy's eyes sparkled upon hearing a hero say that to him.
Moon watched this interaction in silence, not wanting to reveal what she was thinking.
But before anyone could continue, the curtains suddenly closed, causing the perfect couple to once again disappear from the fans' view.
"Just a moment, dear fans. Nice and Moon are taking a short break before we continue."
A voice called out to all the fans, and they groaned in disappointment that the interaction had lasted so briefly.
"What are you thinking, Nice?" Miss J asked seriously as she approached the couple.
"What?" Lin Ling asked, confused; everything had been going well as far as she could tell.
"There's no such thing as 'anyone can be a hero'; if there were, you wouldn't be special enough to be a hero either."
"But—"
"Enough. It was perfect enough for now. That last part was cheesy, but some fans might still appreciate it."
Lin Ling fell silent upon hearing those words; he couldn't see those words as cheesy.
I have to find Cyan.
"Now it's time to go back and follow the script—"
"LOOK! IT'S X!" Lin Ling pointed in another direction, causing everyone to look over curiously.
"There's no one there." One of the henchmen said, a little disappointed not to see the so-called hero there.
"Nice, what's your problem today—" Miss J was about to start another lecture until she noticed that Nice was no longer in the same spot. "Nice!? Where is he!?" Miss J asked, looking directly at Moon, who just shrugged in response.
"Go find him!"
"YES!"
HEROCOM—LUO LI AND THE JOHNNIES
"You know... the one thing I can't deny is how this place attracts so many fans to all kinds of heroes," Little Johnny remarked as he and Luo Li walked through yet another area of Herocom where various heroes were showing off to fans in an effort to grab their attention.
Little Johnny was now wearing his hood while his son hid close to him; Luo Li was wearing only a cap and a pink Fomo bunny-themed shirt to better hide her armor.
"This edition is the most crowded one yet; the tournament's postponement opened the door for many more heroes to vie for a spot in the top 10," Luo Li said as the two dodged a small demonstration by a hero using flames shooting from a tank-like device on his back, connected to gauntlets on his hands.
"Speaking of which, you're close, aren't you? You're the current favorite to make the top."
"Yes, but I can't let myself relax. I have to use every moment I have to prepare so I'm at my best for the tournament, so I can knock out all the teeth of that fake, perfect little hero—"
NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE! NICE!
Luo Li felt a slight pang of disappointment run through her body upon hearing that name.
Fans are gathered near broadcast screens installed in specific areas of Fomo so fans can follow the main events of Herocom even if they aren't nearby.
"Speaking of that not-so-cool hero…" Little Johnny said dryly as they approached the screen.
Nice and Moon were waving and greeting fans on the Treeman stage, and the fans were sparing no effort in shouting the hero's name.
"I wonder what Moon saw in him?" Luo Li asked, not expecting any good answer.
"I think it's best to assume that anyone would want a perfect partner…" Little Johnny replied, showing no interest in looking at the screen anymore.
Luo Li grimaced slightly as she imagined the disappointment Moon must have felt upon getting to know the perfect hero better.
Actually, he must be able to keep up the act even around her—
Luo Li interrupted that thought when she noticed something in the broadcast of the perfect couple.
"What is it?" Little Johnny asked, noticing she was staring more intently.
"He…" Luo Li said as she looked at Nice's smiling expression while he answered fans. "He looks different."
"Different?" Little Johnny tilted his head upon hearing this, his son following suit because he had the same question.
"Arghhh…" Luo Li brought a hand to her face, feeling crazy. "Forget it. I haven't been sleeping well; this is definitely affecting me."
"Well, let's just say he's a good actor."
"Excuse me!"
Their attention was drawn when they heard a small commotion coming from nearby.
"Security?"
Several event security guards were running in the same direction.
"They're heading for the exit," Luo Li said as she grabbed her phone.
"Is something happening?" Little Johnny asked, looking curiously at what she was doing.
"Let's find out..." Luo Li said as a live feed of the scene outside appeared on her phone.
"Did you just—"
"Hack the drones? Yeah, it's not that complicated; their system isn't exactly up to date." Luo Li said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I shouldn't be surprised coming from you," Little Johnny said with a slight chuckle.
"Looks like a crowd is trying to force their way in," Luo Li said as she zoomed in on the screen.
"Wait, they aren't—"
HEROCOM - ENTRANCE - OUTSIDE
"PLEASE STEP BACK!"
"THIS CHAOS WON'T SOLVE ANYTHING!
"LET US THROUGH!"
"WE NEED AN ANSWER!"
"WHERE IS LUCKY CYAN!? WE NEED AN ANSWER FROM HER AND HER TEAM!"
The crowd causing chaos at the entrance, forcing many security guards to intervene, and the group of Lucky Cyan fans protesting.
"GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS, YOU CAN'T ENTER THE EVENT LIKE THIS!
"STEP BACK!"
"LUCKY CYAN! LUCKY CYAN! LUCKY CYAN! LUCKY CYAN! LUCKY CYAN!"
The crowd began shouting nonstop, determined to continue what they had come to do.
"Everyone calm down, we don't want to use force."
In response, the HAC support and security team approached and began to surround the crowd to help resolve the conflict before it escalated.
"WE JUST WANT ANSWERS!"
"YOU CAN'T HIDE THIS FROM US LIKE THIS!"
"Hm, what a bunch of disrespectful people. They should seek the truth in a way that doesn't harm any innocents," a hero said as he watched the scene from afar.
"Isn't that the guy who got kicked out for causing trouble with other fans?" someone nearby whispered to the person next to them.
"Isn't he a hero too? Rank 250—"
"I AM 249!"
Back with Luo Li and The Johnnies
"They really showed up..." Luo Li muttered as she continued to watch the scene.
"Damn... honestly, I'm feeling just like them." Little Johnny said dejectedly, remembering that not even he had answers about Cyan.
"Yeah, it'd be nice if they'd just spill the beans already." Luo Li said as she stopped watching the drone feed; the HAC security team was handling the crowd without any trouble.
"I just hope she's okay." Little Johnny said with a weary sigh, thinking about this case with no clear answers.
Luo Li was about to reply when her phone vibrated.
"Shit…" she let slip without realizing it.
"What?"
"Time's running out; we have to find Ghostblade," Luo Li said as she put her phone away, remembering the main reason they were walking through Herocom.
"Right, let's get this sorted out."
"The problem is, he's definitely not where we are right now. He's the quiet type who also likes silence around him," Luo Li said as Little Johnny nodded in agreement. "Can Big Johnny track him?"
In response, Big Johnny turned his face away, refusing to do so.
"Sorry, he's not very friendly with Ghostblade yet," Little Johnny said, laughing awkwardly at his son's behavior.
'The dressing room wasn't quiet enough for him—what other place would be quieter…'
Luo Li thought as she looked around until her eyes landed on a specific door.
Authorized personnel only
Days before HeroCom
Ghostblade was sitting at a two-person table outside a café. He was wearing his usual casual clothes along with a mask covering his mouth and nose. Even with the cozy, quiet atmosphere of the place, he seemed more restless than usual.
"Were you really serious about that?"
He jumped slightly upon hearing the voice of the person he was waiting for.
A beautiful woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a distinctive black turtleneck sweater and two accessory necklaces—this is Zhang Lan, NuoNuo's mother and his ex-wife.
Ghostblade merely nodded faintly, acknowledging her words.
Zhang Lan held her breath before sitting down in the seat across from him at the table.
"Excuse me." A waiter approached without delay and placed a slice of cake in front of her.
"I didn't order anything."
"He did." The waiter said with a slight smile as he looked at Ghostblade, who turned his face away from the attention.
Zhang Lan sighed as the waiter walked away.
"Thank you, but I'm not here for that…" Zhang Lan said calmly as she pushed the piece of cake aside. "What's so important that you need to show me in person?"
Ghostblade remained in his characteristic silence until he picked up his own cell phone and began typing on it.
"I just want you to see something before anyone else."
Zhang Lan picked up her own phone and glanced disinterestedly at the message.
I'm already right here...
"What is it?"
Ghostblade then slid a small notebook toward her.
Zhang Lan looked at it curiously for a second but was still unsure what he could possibly want now.
Taking the notebook, she opened it to the marked page, and her eyes widened slightly at what she saw.
'Is this a song?'
"So even you got involved in this?"
"It wasn't my idea, but NuoNuo's friend said something important: the song can reach even someone I don't know how close I am to."
Zhang Lan read the message without showing any strong reaction.
You don't know how close you are...
Zhang Lan then began reading the lyrics in silence while Ghostblade tried to figure out what she was thinking during that time.
When Zhang Lan finished reading, she closed the notebook and left it on the table while thinking deeply.
"She's always shown a fondness for music; Lucky Cyan's songs are an example of how feelings, emotions, and promises can be expressed in this way—that's what she said made her love music."
"Tell me, is this your attempt to communicate with her?"
Ghostblade was about to type on his phone again when he set it aside, removed his mask, and brought a hand to his throat as he tried to respond, but no sound—or rather, no words—came out of his mouth.
Back to the Present - HEROCOM - Internal Hallways
At that moment, the hero Ghostblade was wandering aimlessly through the building's internal hallways while looking at a photo of his daughter in his notebook; he seemed to be deep in thought.
Am I really going to be able to do this?-
"I can't believe I got lost."
Ghostblade's attention was drawn as the silence was broken by a voice ahead of him in the hallway.
You!
Ghostblade closed the notebook with visible anger in his eyes upon seeing who was in front of him.
I came in here to outwit them, but I didn't expect to get lost like this. I should have said goodbye to Xiao, too…
Lin Ling walked distractedly and dejectedly while still trying to find a door to get back to the main part of HeroCom.
"Hm?" He finally noticed the person a few meters ahead of him.
It's Ghostblade!
Lin Ling felt a little excited to run into a hero like him.
He really seems cool, even more so in person. I wonder if I can get an autograph—
Lin Ling was then surprised when, in a split second, Ghostblade vanished from his sight, and the next moment he was thrown against the wall by the hero, who held a knife close to his throat.
W-WHAT!?
Shock and fear were instantly etched on his face as he was met by the hero's hateful glare.
You...
For Ghostblade, memories of the day he found NuoNuo in a coma came flooding back as he fought the urge to take advantage of this opportunity.
IF YOU HADN'T BEEN THERE!
"Ah... argh-"
Lin Ling was trying to say something, but the knife just inches from his throat wasn't helping, and so Lin Ling and Ghostblade locked eyes and an agonizing silence hung between them, until Ghostblade's eyes widened.
"Stop."
A hand gripped his arm tightly—the one holding the knife—and the two looked at that person.
"It's not worth it, not like this."
It was Luo Li, with The Johnnies right behind her. She kept her head down, preventing them from seeing the expression on her face, but her tone was emotionless.
Ghostblade slowly stepped back as Luo Li released his arm, and Nice took a deep breath while bringing his hands to his throat.
Lin Ling was about to ask why this had happened, but he froze when he saw the expressions the other heroes were giving him—they were anything but friendly.
What's going on…?
Big Johnny, who had been growling at him, suddenly froze as if he'd noticed something; he then jumped off his father's shoulder, taking everyone by surprise.
"Huh!? Son!?"
Big Johnny landed on Lin Ling's head, who in response cringed in alarm at what this alien cat/dog was trying to do. He then settled on Lin Ling's shoulder and began sniffing him; as a result, he took on a cheerful expression and started rubbing his own head against Lin Ling's in a sign of affection.
Huh?
If Lin Ling hadn't understood the situation before, now he was even more confused, while the other heroes also watched the scene in disbelief.
"Get away from him!" Little Johnny reacted and quickly snatched his son away from Nice, not wanting him to stay near this hero.
Big Johnny began to squirm in protest, but his father wasn't going to let him go this time.
Now an awkward silence hung between them all, until Luo Li decided to put an end to it.
"Let's go; we have more important things to do."
Little Johnny and Ghostblade nodded in agreement that it was the best course of action.
The three were walking away when Luo Li stopped and began to speak.
"I hope you make it into the Top 10…" she glanced sideways at Lin Ling, her eyes shining with determination and a noticeable anger. "That way I'll be able to crush you once and for all."
The heroes disappeared down the hallways, leaving Lin Ling to process everything that had happened in that brief moment.
To them, I'm Nice.
The looks the heroes had given him were still fresh in his memory.
"What did Nice do?"
"It seems you're not in the best mood to smile."
Lin Ling then jumped in surprise upon hearing that voice, a very familiar voice; turning around, he found the person he had already imagined.
"Hero... Smile?"
HEROCOM - outside - the back of the building.
A young event security guard was fighting off sleep as he stood by the back door of the building.
"How many times are you going to show up like this?"
The young man jumped in surprise at the sound of someone speaking.
"S-sorry!"
It was another event security guard, though clearly older; he was holding cups of coffee in his hands.
"If the bosses catch you, it won't end well." The man handed one of the cups to the young man while maintaining a serious expression.
"Sorry... juggling this job and college hasn't been a great idea." The young man replied as he gratefully accepted the coffee; this would definitely help him get through the rest of the day.
"You're still young. Just don't overdo it," the man said as he leaned against the wall next to the young man.
"I know, but it's just not the best choice for me to quit now."
"You said earlier that you were having trouble paying the bills..." the man remarked as he took a sip of his own coffee.
"My mom finally got her store up and running, and my sister is about to start college too—I can't slow down." The young man said as he savored his own coffee with a sigh of satisfaction.
"How inspiring. Have you ever thought about being a hero?" The man asked, smiling amusedly.
"Who hasn't? But honestly, I don't see myself handling the pressure of being a hero."
"Given how you live now, I'd trust you."
"Oh... thanks." The young man was taken by surprise by that; his trust level wasn't low enough to prevent him from living normally, but it's still always a surprise to hear something like that.
"My wife and daughter are in there. My little girl kept saying she'd love to meet the Queen, and she's certainly not the only one with all the people in there." The older man said, laughing as he recalled the brief moment he'd entered the building and seen some young people arguing about which hero was the strongest.
Honestly, there are some heroes I'd like to meet too.
The young man thought, a slight blush spreading across his face as he considered that desire.
"Hm? Who's that?" the man asked, looking ahead with a raised eyebrow.
The young man looked in the same direction and saw a woman in a suit walking toward them.
"Did they say anyone would be coming in here at this time?" the young man asked doubtfully.
"I haven't heard anything about that," the man said, suspicious of the situation. "Didn't the drones spot her?"
"They were all assigned to the entrance because of the commotion a little while ago."
"Of course they were," the man said as he began walking toward the woman; he had wanted to enjoy his coffee a little longer before dealing with anything. "Ask the monitoring center if they spotted anything else."
"Right," the young man said as he picked up a walkie-talkie.
"Ma'am! I'm sorry, but you can't enter this way." The man said loudly as the woman stopped a few meters in front of him. She was wearing sunglasses that made it hard for him to see her expression, but something else caught his attention—she was wearing a metal necklace with a purple gemstone that shone brightly.
Is that in style?
"No response?" Meanwhile, the young man received no reply over the walkie-talkie.
"Could you identify yourself—"
Slash!
Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air, and the man fell to the ground as the coffee he'd been holding spilled beside his body.
"W-what!?"
The young man exclaimed in utter shock; blood was flowing from the man's body while the woman remained motionless, but now she had a small smile on her face.
She then looked directly at the young man and began walking toward him.
"S-STOP!" He drew a taser as everything else he was holding fell to the ground.
The woman continued walking toward him, unconcerned.
"I- I'M WARNING YOU! STOP—"
CLANK!
Suddenly, chains fastened themselves around his arms and neck, rendering him unable to do anything.
The woman stopped in front of him and took off her sunglasses; the young man's eyes widened in terror as black eyes with bright red irises stared back at him.
"Don't worry." The woman's smile seemed scarier than ever.
"Today is an unforgettable day for everyone."