Crete Hollow.
Jane Doe let her hands dangle from the strap-loops at her chest, idly swinging her tail as she sauntered toward the open clearing ahead.
Apart from her, the only one moving alongside her was a single small Bangboo.
Its external casing was rather worn, the model one of the most common, outdated versions on the market — but it made up for that with a very lively expression, lending its otherwise plain look a touch of dashing charm.
"I'm telling you — do we really have to do it this way?"
"Of course. Our man is quite the cautious sort. He specifically insisted I come alone — and a 'Bangboo,' of course, doesn't count as a person, now does it~"
Jane Doe regarded the Bangboo-shaped Geno with an expression of immense amusement.
Were it not for the intel she'd received from her superiors, she truly would have had no idea that this big-name celebrity had a trick like this up his sleeve.
"Is Public Security's intelligence network really that formidable? Are there any secrets left between me and you people at all…"
When Geno first heard Jane Doe wanted him to transform into a Bangboo, his very first reaction had been to wonder if his Ethereal identity had been exposed.
But seeing the way she looked — curious, yes, but not especially afraid — he got the feeling that probably wasn't it either.
"My intelligence network is hardly limited to just Public Security. And I don't recall ever saying I was on the same team as Public Security, did I?"
Jane Doe's tone was flippant, with the air of someone enjoying a successful prank — but Geno didn't get the sense she was the type who loved cracking jokes.
"If you're not on the same team as Public Security, then why help them apprehend criminals?"
"There's a kind of relationship called cooperation — just like the relationship between you and me right now. I do this simply because cooperating with Public Security makes it easier to accomplish what I want to accomplish."
Jane Doe shrugged, as though she didn't place much importance on such questions.
And it wasn't just her — even within Public Security itself, the view was much the same. After all, the number of people who even knew her identity wasn't large, let alone any so-called sense of camaraderie.
Still, that wasn't to say there were no exceptions.
Jane Doe thought of a certain dashing, gallant overtime-work maniac, and that goof-off puppet of indeterminate seniority.
One of those two was too upright, the other too seasoned. They could see through her disguises with ease, every time — and yet neither had ever looked at her with that other kind of gaze.
Could a mouse skilled in disguise really become a companion to cats who walked in the open light?
Jane Doe didn't know. But for the time being, she was perfectly willing to put her faith in those two cats.
Her train of thought came to a halt as the two of them quickly arrived at the location their target had designated.
After that, Geno began glancing around in every direction, searching for any trace of the other party.
He very much wanted to know exactly what kind of character was pulling the strings behind all of this.
"You're punctual. Uncle here just loves a good, punctual little girl."
A somewhat sleazy voice came drifting out of the shadows. Geno turned to look, and saw a figure dressed in rebel attire slowly emerge from a corner.
"You're 'Mole'?"
Mole?!
The moment Geno heard the name, he perked right up.
He had heard this name before — from Number 11 and the others.
It was a name that had come up in the comms back when they were inside the Hollow.
Going by that, this guy was very likely the key player in this whole affair.
"The very same. I must say, I wasn't expecting the customer looking to buy goods from me to be such a beautiful lady as yourself~"
Mole's tone was utterly sleazy. Even without being able to see his face, Geno could readily imagine the matching wretched countenance to go with that voice.
"Thank you for the compliment. So — how are my goods coming along?"
Jane Doe's expression hadn't shifted in the slightest in response to his frivolous attitude. As a seasoned undercover agent, provocation of this caliber wasn't enough to ruffle her emotions.
"Heh. A tough nut, this one."
Mole let out two soft snorts, as though he didn't quite buy Jane Doe's disguise.
Then he took two more steps toward her position, and only after confirming something did he continue speaking.
"So then — what is it you're planning to do with this batch of goods?"
"As a merchant, probing your customer's background doesn't exactly seem in line with professional ethics, now does it?"
Jane Doe narrowed her eyes. The other party's attitude was a touch off — he didn't seem like someone here to do business. He seemed more… mocking?
"Aiyaa, this is just me looking out for my own safety, you understand. After all, if someone took my goods and then turned right around and sold me out to the cops, my little neck would be in quite a bit of trouble."
When Mole said the word "cops," Geno's body stiffened on reflex.
Thankfully he was currently in Bangboo form, so it didn't draw the other party's attention.
Jane Doe's performance, on the other hand, was far better than his.
She extended her hand with perfect naturalness, putting on an air of profound, embittered grievance.
"What I want this batch of goods for is — naturally — power. Only with power can one survive in this dog-eat-dog world. Isn't that right?"
That expression, a tangled mix of desire and fear, conveyed in vivid detail the mindset of someone who wanted to survive, yet refused to resign herself to being just a bit player.
If Geno hadn't already known what sort of person Jane Doe really was, he himself might very well have been taken in by it.
"Good!! Such spirit!! I never imagined you'd be a real iron lady. In all my life, this Mole's deepest admiration has always been for people like you!"
Mole's behavior was theatrical. His mouth was full of admiration for Jane Doe — but in terms of any actual concrete action, there was none.
"Since that's the case, then next we'll—"
Once Mole settled down, just as Geno thought the next step would surely be the man producing that batch of arms…
…what he saw instead was the pitch-black muzzle of a gun, leveled squarely at Jane Doe's position.
Bang!
The pitch-black muzzle spat out wicked flames as a small bullet streaked straight toward Jane Doe's chest.
Without intervention, a scene of tragic demise was about to unfold in short order.
Ping!
A streak of cold light flashed past, and for some reason, the bullet was deflected away, embedding itself into the already crumbling, decrepit wall and kicking up layer upon layer of dust and debris.
"Mr. Mole, what is the meaning of this?"
"Heh — the meaning of this? You, the little mouse from Public Security, are asking me what the meaning of this is?"
With those words from Mole, the polite pretense between the two of them was torn savagely away.
Hearing this, a flicker of change finally appeared on Jane Doe's face.
"Heh, are you still waiting on your reinforcements? Let me tell you the truth — your reinforcements aren't coming. My people cut off your distress signal long ago. As of right now, you're already a fish in this Lord Mole's net."
At Mole's command, several more mecha-soldiers emerged from the corners all around them. The count this time was far greater than the number Geno had dealt with previously.
Faced with this scene, although Jane Doe was somewhat caught off guard, she still made the most correct move available.
She launched herself off the ground in a sudden burst, charging straight toward Mole's position, intent on seizing him and holding him hostage.
As long as she could turn him into a hostage, she still had a chance of escape.
____
👻🔥+40 ch: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Homelander: Founding the Hero Association
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