The East District was already bustling with activity when Vincent Crowe stepped off the bus the following morning.
Delivery trucks occupied the loading bays of commercial buildings, street vendors arranged their merchandise beneath colorful awnings, and hundreds of pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks toward their respective destinations.
Above the crowded streets, enormous digital billboards advertised everything from luxury automobiles to the latest the household appliances.
One particularly prominent advertisement featured a smiling A-Rank Hero promoting an expensive energy drink, accompanied by the slogan promising consumers the strength to conquer their everyday challenges.
Vincent glanced at the advertisement and shook his head. Apparently, even the most powerful Heroes weren’t above selling beverages for a paycheck.
He checked his phone before turning toward the intersection ahead.
Julian had sent him the location of the warehouse complex mentioned by his contact, along with several nearby businesses worth investigating.
Unfortunately, the information was far from conclusive. A witness had supposedly spotted someone resembling Felix Granger two nights earlier, but there was no guarantee that the man was actually Slipstream.
Vincent opened his messaging application and typed a quick update.
Julian responded almost immediately.
Julian: Already there? Look at you, taking this Hero business seriously. I almost feel proud.
Vincent smiled before replying.
Vincent: Some of us actually work instead of following married women into hotels.
Julian: That’s called investigative journalism, you uncultured bastard. Also, don’t forget to check the delivery companies near the warehouses. Someone might remember seeing Felix.
Vincent pocketed his phone and continued walking.
Although he had lived in the city for years, he rarely visited this particular part of the East District.
The neighborhood was a mixture of residential apartments, aging commercial properties, small manufacturing businesses, and warehouses that had gradually become surrounded by newer developments.
Ordinary people went about their daily routines, seemingly unconcerned by the possibility that wanted Villains might be hiding somewhere nearby.
A group of construction workers gathered outside a roadside restaurant, laughing over breakfast while a delivery driver argued with a parking enforcement officer.
Across the street, two children wearing school uniforms excitedly discussed a recent Hero battle they had watched online.
Vincent found himself smiling faintly. For all the extraordinary changes humanity had experienced since the arrival of Flux Energy, everyday life remained remarkably ordinary.
He eventually reached the warehouse complex Julian had identified.
Several large buildings stood behind metal fences, their loading entrances occupied by trucks and workers moving heavy containers.
Some warehouses appeared recently renovated, while others showed signs of years of neglect.
Vincent stopped outside a small convenience store overlooking the main entrance and purchased a bottle of water.
The middle-aged shopkeeper glanced at him while processing the payment. "You aren’t from around here, are you?" the man asked casually.
Vincent smiled politely. "Not really. I’m looking for someone who might have been working around these warehouses recently."
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "That doesn’t narrow things down much, young man. Hundreds of people come through here every day."
Vincent retrieved his phone and displayed Felix Granger’s photograph from the publicly accessible Villain profile. "Have you seen this man? He’s wanted by the Hero Association."
The shopkeeper examined the photograph before shaking his head. "Can’t say I recognize him. Although if he’s wanted, I’d rather he stayed away from my store."
"Fair enough," Vincent replied, returning the phone to his pocket. "Thanks anyway."
He left the store and continued toward the warehouses, quickly discovering that locating a criminal was considerably more frustrating than he had imagined.
Over the next hour, Vincent spoke with delivery drivers, warehouse employees, and several nearby shopkeepers. Some examined Felix’s photograph carefully before admitting they didn’t recognize him.
Others barely glanced at the screen, explaining that they were too busy to help.
One elderly woman confidently insisted she had seen the man the previous evening, only to reveal moments later that she was referring to a television advertisement featuring an entirely different Superhuman.
By the time Vincent finished speaking with her, he was beginning to understand why Julian had emphasized the importance of proper investigation.
Finding someone in a crowded district was nothing like locating an opponent inside an assessment arena.
Vincent answered the call. "Julian, please tell me you’ve discovered something useful."
Julian’s laughter immediately came through the speaker. "Good morning to you too, sunshine. How’s the investigation going? Captured our dangerous criminal mastermind yet?"
Vincent sighed. "I’ve questioned about fifteen people, walked through three streets, and met an old woman who apparently thinks every man with dark hair is the same person."
Julian laughed harder. "Welcome to investigative work, my friend. It’s ninety percent asking questions, eight percent waiting around, and two percent discovering that somebody lied to your face."
"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" Vincent asked irritably.
"Immensely," Julian admitted cheerfully. "But I actually called because I’ve got another lead. Remember the delivery vehicle robbery mentioned in Felix’s profile? I checked the public incident report and found the name of the company involved. Their distribution office is about four streets from your current location."
Vincent immediately became interested. "You think someone there might have seen him?"
"Possibly," Julian replied. "The report mentioned that the driver encountered Felix at close range. If the company is willing to cooperate, you might get a better description of his behavior or the direction he escaped."
Vincent checked the address Julian forwarded. "All right. I’ll head there now."
"And Vincent," Julian added, his voice becoming slightly more serious, "remember that you’re looking for a wanted Superhuman. Don’t start a fight in the middle of a crowded street if you can avoid it."
Vincent smiled faintly. "Since when did you become my mother?"
"Since my best friend decided getting punched by criminals was a reasonable career choice," Julian retorted. "Now go do your job."
The call ended, leaving Vincent shaking his head in amusement.
Twenty minutes later, he arrived at a modest distribution office occupying the ground floor of a commercial building.
After introducing himself as a licensed Hero and explaining his investigation, he was directed toward the company’s operations supervisor, a tired-looking man in his forties.
The supervisor examined Vincent’s digital Hero License before nodding.
"Felix Granger? Yes, I remember that name," he said, rubbing his forehead. "That bastard attacked one of our delivery vehicles last week. Stole several packages and injured the driver when he tried to stop him."
"Was the driver able to identify him?" Vincent asked.
"Not immediately," the supervisor explained. "Everything happened too quickly. One moment, the truck was stopped at an intersection. The next, some lunatic came rushing toward it like a motorcycle. Our driver said the man moved so fast he barely saw his face."
Vincent frowned thoughtfully. "Did he notice anything unusual about the attack?"
The supervisor considered the question. "Actually, yes. The driver mentioned that the thief seemed familiar with the delivery route. He approached the truck at a location where it usually stops because of traffic. Could’ve been coincidence, but I doubt it."
Vincent thanked the supervisor and obtained permission to contact the driver if necessary.
Although the information didn’t reveal Felix’s whereabouts, it suggested that the Villain might have spent time observing his targets before committing robberies.
That made him considerably more troublesome than an ordinary criminal acting on impulse.
Vincent left the office and spent another hour examining the surrounding streets. He paid particular attention to narrow passages between buildings, service entrances, and locations offering convenient escape routes.
Eventually, he reached an older commercial neighborhood where the atmosphere differed noticeably from the busy warehouse district.
Several buildings had boarded-up windows, and faded signs advertised businesses that appeared to have closed years earlier.
A narrow gambling establishment occupied the ground floor of one building, its entrance guarded by two muscular men who watched passing pedestrians with unfriendly expressions.
Farther down the street, a pawnshop displayed expensive electronic equipment behind reinforced glass, while a small bar had already attracted several customers despite the early afternoon hour.
Vincent glanced toward the gambling establishment but continued walking. He wasn’t there to investigate every suspicious business in the district.
His immediate priority was finding Slipstream.
As he passed a narrow alley beside an old electronics repair shop, a familiar face caught his attention.
A young man wearing a dark jacket and baseball cap had just emerged from a side entrance, carrying a small black bag. He moved quickly toward the main street, occasionally glancing over his shoulder.
Vincent slowed.
The man’s face was partially concealed beneath the cap, but his sharp features and narrow jawline looked remarkably similar to the photograph displayed in the Hero App.
Felix Granger.
There was little doubt. His pulse quickened as he looked up, only to discover that the man had already crossed the street.
Vincent immediately followed, maintaining enough distance to avoid attracting attention.
Felix moved through the crowd with practiced familiarity, slipping between pedestrians and turning into a narrow shopping street. Vincent followed carefully, keeping his eyes fixed on the dark jacket ahead.
For several minutes, the pursuit continued without incident.
Then Felix suddenly stopped.
Vincent immediately slowed beside a newspaper stand, pretending to examine the displayed headlines.
Across the street, Felix turned his head and scanned the surrounding pedestrians.
His expression had changed. The casual indifference he’d displayed earlier was gone, replaced by unmistakable suspicion.
Vincent remained still, watching from the corner of his eye.
After several seconds, Felix resumed walking.
Vincent waited briefly before following. However, the moment he entered the next street, Felix abruptly accelerated.
His figure blurred as he shot forward, weaving between pedestrians with astonishing speed. Several people cried out in surprise as a sudden gust of wind swept past them.
Vincent’s eyes widened.
"So that’s Kinetic Acceleration," he muttered, immediately activating Physical Reinforcement.
Flux Energy circulated through his body, strengthening his muscles as he launched himself forward.
He moved considerably faster than an ordinary human, but Felix was already disappearing around a distant corner.
Vincent gritted his teeth and increased his pace.
The difference in mobility was immediately apparent.
Even with Physical Reinforcement enhancing his speed, he couldn’t match Felix’s explosive acceleration.
Worse, the crowded streets made reckless pursuit dangerous. Vincent was forced to slow repeatedly to avoid colliding with pedestrians, while Felix seemed accustomed to slipping through narrow openings without losing momentum.
By the time Vincent rounded the corner, the Villain had vanished.
"Damn it!" Vincent muttered, scanning the street.
He hurried forward, searching for any sign of the dark jacket. Then he noticed a narrow passage between two buildings.
A discarded newspaper lay near its entrance, still fluttering from a recent disturbance.
Vincent approached cautiously. The passage opened into a deserted service courtyard surrounded by aging brick buildings and overflowing garbage containers.
He had barely taken three steps inside when a voice sounded behind him.
"You’re pretty persistent, aren’t you?"
Vincent turned.
Felix Granger stood near the passage entrance, his hands tucked casually into his jacket pockets. The black bag rested beside his feet, and an irritated expression covered his face.
"Been following me for quite a while," Felix continued, studying Vincent suspiciously. "So tell me, pal. Are you another idiot trying to collect the bounty on my head?"
Vincent straightened, keeping his attention fixed on the wanted Villain.
"Vincent Crowe," he introduced himself calmly, raising his phone to display his official Hero License. "F-Rank Hero, registered with the Hero Association."
Felix glanced at the screen before releasing a contemptuous chuckle.
Vincent lowered his phone and met the man’s gaze. "Felix Granger, also known as Slipstream, you’re wanted for armed robbery, assault, and evading arrest. I’m here to take you into custody."
Felix slowly removed his hands from his pockets, a mocking grin spreading across his face.
"An F-Rank Hero?" Felix repeated, shaking his head in disbelief. "You’ve got to be kidding me."