Chapter 101

Unsung Heroes 7

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10 minutes later

Vermilion City Underways

Theo wasted no time

With his bloodlust going from 0 to over 9000 in a few minutes, patience was a virtue that was very hard to maintain.

The moment he stepped out of the hospital and made sure that there were no witnesses, he made a beeline to the scene of the ambush.

And while cold rage dominated his heart, he was still not beyond having a bit of fun on the side.

His mode of transportation was the most bad ass way to travel…. Grappling guns!

Theo’s figure could barely be seen under the shimmering lights of Vermilion City’s permanently luminous metropolis as he swung from building to building.

With one grappling gun at each hand, Theo felt like a spider in every sense of the word.

However, not all was fun and games with this particular adventure of his.

His heart rate was off the roof as the height and the speed of his swings scared the shit out of him.

He may be a self proclaimed adrenaline junky, there’s no way he wouldn't feel fear when the only thing that separated him from the pavement below was his grappling gun and his grip.

While the power armor hidden underneath his clothes amplified his strength to impressive heights, accidents could happen and the result would be a very big bloody smudge in the pavement.

Despite his misgivings, the grappling gun allowed Theo to bypass the many congested streets of the maze-like Vermilion City.

What normally resulted in a 45 minute drive was reduced to 10 minutes of swinging and parkouring.

Not bad… though it still scared the daylights out of him.

Eventually he reached the area where the ambush occured.

It was a normal intersection in a not-so-good neighborhood you find everywhere in any city with an overpass just above it.

He spotted the first black van that got hit by a dump truck on its side. It and the dump truck was partially inside a now decimated coffee shop.

This was a simple yet effective means of blocking the entire road and eliminate part of the enemy force in one go.

Just behind where the first van was supposed to be was surprisingly good looking wreck of a limousine. It’s entire left side was shriveled up by repeated hits from multiple RPGs.

Gotta love those super VIP made cars. The protection was top notch.

However, no matter how good the protection was, it won't survive long against weapons specifically designed to punch through tank armor.

How the hell did Alial Milza survive such an onslaught unscratched?

Easy. He was never inside the limo in the first place.

The limo was a decoy filled with Mary and the members of the 81st SWAT division. This was just in case that they had potential kidnappers for enemies.

Alial was in the black van that followed the limo with his personal guard.

The moment shit hit the fan, Alial’s guard sprung into action and countered the unexpected onslaught while saving the survivors of the 81st.

Some of the corpses of Alial’s men were looted clean by the locals and were deposited in a large trash dumpster in the alley.

Not a good way to go, that’s for sure.

But here’s the real question: Why has an attack of this magnitude not picked up by the media?

A food for thought.

Theo walked into the alley and spotted a bunch of homeless people. A few of them had shoes, pants, ties and belts that matched the ones Alial’s men were wearing in the hospital.

It looked like these were the looters.

While he didn't really care what they do with Alial’s men, he did need them to leave so that he could investigate the area in peace.

After a little though, he decided on a little intimidation tactic.

Theo walked into the alley, and the moment the looters noticed him, one of them approached Theo.

“Hey kid, can you spare a couple of Rooks for a man down on his luck?” asked the looter.

Theo responded with his left arm grabbing the man by the shirt and threw him into the wall 5 meters away. This feat was impossible for a normal human to perform, thus instantly instilling fear into the looters hearts.

Theo grabbed a part of an empty dumpster and ripped a portion to create a makeshift sword out of it.

“I’m in a bad mood you see. I was hoping some criminals would attack me so that I can use the ‘self defense’ excuse to kill them. A bunch of looters such as yourself will have to do.” said Theo in a deep and intimidating voice. “Here’s the game. You guys run while I walk after you. Anyone I catch will be cut in half. I’ll even give you a choice if you want it horizontal, vertical or diagonal…. Now then, let the games begin.”

Scared out of their wits, the looters ran like their life depended on it.

Theo walked forward, though he no longer cared about the looters.

He activated his left eye and began observing the alley for anything out of the ordinary.

A few seconds later, he found something that may or may not be a clue.

He found a bunch of boot prints that were impossible to spot with a normal human eye. The boot prints were made up of some mud-like substance.

But what set Theo off was the fact that they were gathered in this one specific area. It was as if they were some sort of firing squad.

Annoying enough, not a single shell casing on sight.

Theo followed the boot prints, but it only led him to a nearby dumpster that seemed to be on fire just a few hours ago.

“They burned all of their clothings huh. Good move. Pretty much everything was carbonized. Even my midas alchemy won't be able to read anything from that.”

Theo returned to where the boot prints were concentrated and used his midas alchemy to find out the composition of what this mud-like substance was.

Much to his surprise, it was a substance he was very familiar with.

“Sewage slime…. Shit…. Of all the places to hide.”

It wasn't like Theo was against going into the sewers… well, actually he was against it.

No one in their right mind would want to go into a literal shithole.

While stench and the unsanitariness of the sewers wouldn't stop Theo from chasing his prey, there were some people down there that he didn't want to meet at all costs.

However, the situation was forcing Theo to a confrontation he wish he would never have.

“*sigh*... This sucks.” said Theo “Wouldn't you agree, Crow?”

Behind Theo was a woman draped in darkness. Her high tech armor was shaped in the animal that shared her name.

This was Crow.

One of the few S ranked superhero that had absolutely no super power and, in Theo’s opinion, the ideal Superhero.

“I’m surprised you know I was here Theodore.” replied Crow with a heavily scrambled voice.

“We learned from the same master, Miss Evangelica Testarossa. I think it goes without saying that I know a lot of your tactics. ” replied Theo causing Crow to flinch

Evangelica Testarossa was the young owner and heiress of the Rouge Beauty Inc., the world's largest cosmetic company.

From simple facial powder to the cutting edge plastic surgery, they had it all.

But most importantly, they branched out into other ventures such as pharmaceutics, construction, etc.

Calling the Rouge Beauty Inc a mega corporation was no exageration.

“I see…. Ms. Samantha told you about me” said Crow.

Theo simply shrugged in response.

In truth, Ms Samantha didn't tell him anything.

He figured it out on his own.

How?

There’s a reason why Dorothy Boreal’s identity as Vulture was kept secret to her fellow students in HAA.

It was because there was a very clear connection between Dorothy and Crow, and that was Dorothy’s scholarship.

Unlike Theo who received a partial scholarship due to his rare Midas Alchemy power, Dorothy had no special power whatsoever, thus was not qualified for anything.

Prior to Augustine Boreal’s employment under Theo, the only way she could afford the steep fees of the HAA education was to have a 100% scholarship.

The rest was a simple ‘connect the dot’ event.

The only identity he didn't know in the Crow trio was Sparrow.

But it was only a matter of time till the veil around her would be lifted as well.

Naturally, Theo wasn't going to tell Crow the truth. It was better for him that way.

“Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your identity…. For now at least” said Theo with a not so veiled threat.

If Crow had any reaction to it, Theo saw nothing.

As expected of a more experienced version of himself.

“So, why are you here?” asked Crow

“You 3 have been following me since I left the hospital. No way you dont know why I’m here.” replied Theo

He then looked straight up and blew a kiss at Dorothy who was at the top of the building.

Theo has always made a habit of setting up at least 2 spy drones to observe his every move from a distance. Thanks to this, he was practically immune to tracking and sneak attacks…. At least in areas with large open spaces.

Naturally, no one needs to know that.

“Miss Samantha taught you well.” said Crow as she approached Theo in a relaxed manner. “So, what have you learned Theodore?”

Good strategy. It was a subtle means of emotional manipulation.

Acting like they were in equal status was one of the best methods to foster ‘friendship’.

The first name basis was a nice touch.

However, this wont work on someone that knows the technique.

“You know I’m not going to answer that.” replied Theo in a cold manner, causing Crow to stop her approach.

However, she looked like she expected that strategy to fail.

“I understand the rage you’re experiencing right now. I’ve been through the same thing.” said Crow. “Our goals are the same in this situation. Allow me to help you.”

“And what exactly is ‘our goal’?” asked Theo.

“Justice for your sister-in-law and those of the 81st SWAT division. We will make those criminals atone for their crimes”

Theo turned to Crow, but his face was not that she expected.

It was as cold as an iron mask, but his eyes was filled with silent rage.

Hatred, disappointment and annoyance could barely be seen underneath the calm facade.

And how could he not be pissed off?

‘Atone for their crimes’ in superhero lingo meant prison where they can spend their time being fed at taxpayer’s expense.

Eventually, they will go free because OF COURSE THEY WILL!

Theo could wait to make his move after they get out of prison. This was the same strategy he was using on the Priestess of the Black Bible incident.

However, this incident hit way too below the belt for Theo’s taste.

As such, patience was no longer his virtue.

“Tell Dorothy that she’s always welcome in my bed.”

Theo turned around and started walking away.

“Theodore, you know I will have to stop you, right? I don't want to fight you. Please don't do this.” said Crow in a serious voice.

“Goodbye Miss Testarossa.” replied Theo.

Either Theo finds his prey and gutt them in the most brutal way possible or Crow’s group get to them first and send them to prison.

And thus, the race was on.