"I submitted the capture through the Hero App," Vincent explained. "Facial recognition confirmed his identity, and the Association awarded me one hundred Merit. Apparently, they’re sending a containment team to collect him."
"One hundred Merit on your first mission?" Julian exclaimed, his irritation immediately giving way to excitement. "Not bad! At this rate, you’ll be climbing the Hero rankings before I finish my current divorce investigation."
Vincent grinned. "Speaking of which, how’s your millionaire client doing? Has he discovered that his wife and personal trainer are still enjoying their private workout sessions?"
Julian burst into laughter. "Don’t even remind me. The idiot called me this morning asking whether I could recommend a different fitness trainer. Apparently, he doesn’t trust the profession anymore."
Vincent laughed again, shaking his head.
Their conversation continued for several minutes before the distant rumble of an approaching engine caught Vincent’s attention.
He looked toward the courtyard entrance.
A large black armored vehicle turned into the narrow service road and slowly approached his position. Its reinforced body resembled a military tactical transport, with heavy-duty tires, tinted windows, and protective plating covering its doors.
The Hero Association’s official emblem was displayed prominently on both sides, accompanied by three bold white letters.
VCD
Beneath the abbreviation were the words:
VILLAIN CONTAINMENT DIVISION
"Looks like my ride’s here," Vincent remarked, standing carefully.
"Your ride?" Julian repeated in confusion.
"The Association’s containment team," Vincent clarified. "I’ll call you later."
"All right, but don’t disappear again," Julian replied. "And Vincent? Seriously, congratulations. First mission completed. That’s worth celebrating."
Vincent smiled. "Thanks, man. Talk later."He ended the call as the armored vehicle came to a stop.
Two uniformed men stepped out of the front compartment. Both wore black tactical uniforms bearing the Hero Association emblem, with protective vests, reinforced boots, and communication devices attached to their shoulders.
Their equipment was practical rather than decorative, and neither appeared particularly surprised to find an unconscious criminal lying near the wall.
The older officer approached Vincent and gave a professional nod. "Hero Vincent Crowe?" he asked, glancing at the identification displayed on his handheld terminal.
Vincent nodded and presented his digital Hero License. "That’s me. Felix Granger is over there. He’s unconscious but breathing."
The officer examined the license before looking toward Felix. "Excellent work, Hero Crowe. I’mOfficer Bennett, Villain Containment Division. We’ll take custody of the suspect from here." New chapters come out on g.com first.
His partner immediately approached Felix and conducted another identity check using a compact handheld scanner. After confirming the match, he retrieved a pair of reinforced restraints from his equipment belt and secured the Villain’s wrists.
Officer Bennett examined the surrounding courtyard, noticing the shattered wooden pallets, damaged dumpster, and bloodstains scattered across the concrete.
"Looks like he gave you some trouble," Bennett observed, glancing at Vincent’s bruised face.
Vincent smiled awkwardly. "You could say that."
Bennett chuckled. "Slipstream’s been avoiding capture for a while. He’s fast enough to make ordinary pursuit difficult, and he’s caused problems for more than a few officers. Not bad for your first assignment."
"Thanks," Vincent replied, feeling a small sense of satisfaction.
While the officers prepared Felix for transportation, Bennett asked Vincent several routine questions concerning the confrontation. Vincent explained where he had located Felix, how the pursuit had developed, and the circumstances surrounding the fight.
He carefully avoided mentioning the Villain Assimilation System, describing only the abilities he had visibly used during combat.
As the second officer inspected Felix’s belongings, he opened the black bag and discovered several electronic devices, a bundle of cash, and a folded delivery receipt.
"More stolen property, probably," the officer remarked, showing the contents to Bennett.
Bennett examined the receipt briefly before placing it inside an evidence pouch. "We’ll have the evidence team review everything. Could be connected to one of his outstanding robbery cases."
Vincent happened to notice a handwritten number on the back of the receipt, accompanied by what appeared to be an abbreviated business name.
Before he could examine it more closely, Bennett sealed the evidence pouch and handed it to his partner.
The detail was minor, and Vincent had no reason to believe it was particularly important.
Still, he made a mental note of it.
A few minutes later, the officers loaded Felix into the secure rear compartment of the armored vehicle.
Bennett turned toward Vincent and offered another appreciative nod. "Your capture has already been registered, Hero Crowe. The Merit should be reflected in your account, and any additional processing notifications will come through the App. Thanks for your cooperation."
Vincent nodded. "No problem. Have a good day, officers."
"You too," Bennett replied, climbing into the vehicle.
The armored transport departed shortly afterward, leaving Vincent alone in the damaged courtyard.
He watched it disappear around the corner before retrieving his phone and opening his Hero profile once more.
Hero Name: Vincent Crowe
Hero Rank: F
Hero Merit: 100
Completed Missions: 1
Vincent stared at the information with a satisfied expression.
His first official mission was complete.
And somewhere within his private System, a fourth supernatural ability was waiting to be mastered.
What Vincent didn’t know, however, was that his confrontation with Slipstream hadn’t gone entirely unnoticed.
Several kilometers away, inside a bedroom cluttered with electronic components, circuit boards, miniature motors, and partially assembled drones, a fourteen-year-old boy sat cross-legged in an expensive gaming chair.
He leaned toward his computer monitor, his eyes shining with excitement.
Displayed across the screen was a recording of Vincent’s battle against Felix Granger, captured from above by a small surveillance drone that had remained unnoticed throughout the confrontation.
He adjusted the playback speed and watched Vincent endure several accelerated strikes before finally catching Slipstream and delivering a devastating counterattack.
"Whoa!" Nico exclaimed, grinning as he replayed the moment. "That was awesome!"
He leaned closer, examining the sequence frame by frame.
"Wait a second," He murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Was that Physical Reinforcement? But that last punch looked way stronger than the others."
He rewound the footage again.
Then again. A delighted smile gradually spread across his face.
"Now this is interesting," the boy whispered, opening his video-editing software. "Who the heck are you, Vincent Crowe?"