That makes some sense to Victor at least. There were a lot of videos of the fight at Lantern City and most of the videos were edited to show the heroes in the best light. Even the videos with villains were edited to show them as powerful and dangerous. With such favourable editing, no wonder heroes and villains would be more willing to enter the fray. Victor was one of the viewers, which remind him of something.

Victor turned to look at the monsters and frowned. “These spider monsters. I don’t remember seeing them in any of the videos in Lantern City. Do you two remember seeing them?”

At Victor’s question, Night Leopard and Six-shot Samurai looked at the monsters. Samurai answered first.

“I don’t but I was on the way here and hadn’t kept up with the news.”

“The VCPD gave a seminar on the monsters that came out of the Gaps over Lantern City,” Night Leopard said carefully, “but I don’t recall seeing these monsters in any of the files.”

“Why would the VCPD give a seminar on monsters over Lantern City?” Samurai asked but Night Leopard ignored the question. Victor realized that news of the incursion had not been released to the public yet.

“They believe the Gaps in Lantern City were the beginning of a natural incursion.” Samurai hissed at Victor’s answer while Night Leopard was furious.

“How do you know that? That supposed to be top-secret!”

“Oh please. Do you think your higher-ups want to keep things like this a secret? Why else would they give a seminar to the police department if they did not want you to spread the news? How many people were at that seminar? Almost everyone in the underworld knows about this by now.”

Victor shook his head at the heroine naivety while wrestling with a dilemma. Despite his outward bravado, Victor was momentarily stuck on what to do. He wanted to kill more monsters to grab their cores, which means entering the Northern Barrows, but he was worried. These spider monsters were easy enough, but Victor wasn’t foolish enough to believe that these were the most powerful monsters that could come out of the Gap. Some of the monsters that came out of the Gaps in Lantern City were beyond Victor and he had enough sense to know he could not pick a fight with every monster that comes out of the Gaps. He needed backup, and all he had right now were a heroine and a former lover who had every right to shoot him.

Then, a cry echoed through the empty streets. Everyone looked at the direction of the cry. It was a human cry, and it came from the Northern Barrows. In the district they were supposed to give up on.

Victor’s fist clenched as inspiration hits him. Thoughts of going into Northern Barrows on his own became a reality as Victor’s mind swirled. He did not need to worry about his safety because he would not be entering the district alone. The two women were heroes. Victor just needed to appeal to their better instinct.

A rush of energy came over him as the plan formed in his head. Victor’s body trembled as adrenaline filled his body and he took a big chance. Victor took a step towards Northern Barrows.

No word came, and Victor took another step. And another. And one more.

“Sweet Fist, where are you going?”

Victor quietly exhales in relief. He turned and looked at the surprised face of Night Leopard.

“What? Didn’t you hear the scream? There are monsters to kill and civilians to rescue.” Victor asked innocently.

“Our orders are to stay here and set up a perimeter.”

“Is this your first Nexus Accord event?” Victor asked. Night Leopard stayed silent, which surprised Victor. He didn’t think she was that green. “Your orders were to stay here and set up a perimeter. I am a villain. Velocity Tower cannot order me around. I don’t take orders from them.”

“Then who do you listen to?” Night Leopard asked, clearly surprised by this news.

“My boss. Oh wait, I am my own boss. Guess that means I listen to myself.” Victor chuckled as Night Leopard’s mouth opened in shock. Samurai’s face was well covered by the scarf, but Victor could see the mischievous glint of her eyes. Victor continued. “Leopard, when Lady Numbers told you to set up a perimeter, she means you. Not me. This may come as a surprise, but villains go off and do their own thing during Nexus events all the time. It is expected.”

Victor told the young heroine kindly which led Night Leopard to look at Samurai for confirmation. The former heroine reluctantly nodded.

“So, stay here and guard the perimeter like a good little girl.” Victor mocked. “I am going in and do your job for you.”

“Wait a minute, you can’t go in alone. Let me-”

“Stay here and guard the perimeter like you were ordered.” Samurai cut off Night Leopard’s rant with a shout. “I will go with Sweet Fist. You stay here.”

“If you think I am just going to stay here while you two go off on your own, you are crazy.”

“Don’t be a fool.” Samurai said as she looked back at Victor. She was always easy to read and even with the scarf, her eyes told the villain that she was on to him. “Sweet Fist is playing you. Making you do what he wants, and making you think it was your idea.”

Night Leopard’s mouth turned to a ‘O’ as Victor wonder how he should react. Admit it and lose Night Leopard, or deny it and risk getting shot by the Six-shot Samurai?

It was an easy decision.

“You got me. Guilty as charged.” Victor said with a slimy smile. Night Leopard glared while Samurai gave him a questioning look. Victor wished Samurai had not found the scarf. “Well, should we go? We wouldn’t want the monsters to eat more civilians than necessary, right?”

Without waiting for their reply, Victor took off. After about a hundred metres, he glanced back and saw Six-shot Samurai behind him. At least, he got one of them to join him. Victor slowed and let Samurai catch up to him.

“Took you long enough. You are out of practice. Being a civilian has made you slow.” Victor mocked.

“Some of us need to work for a living. We don’t have free food and board in a prison.” Samurai’s words dripped with sarcasm and clutched his heart with his hands.

“Ouch. And here I was thinking we agreed to be friendly with each other.”

Samurai scoffed. “What gave you that idea?”

“You said you were going to put in a good word for me with Takuma.”

“Sweet Fist, I don’t want our son to hate you because of me. There is a world of difference between that and my personal feelings. I still despise you.”

“Just despise?” Victor said. “That’s not bad. It is a step up from what I thought.”

“What did you think my feelings about you were?”

“I thought you would shoot me.”

“That’s still on the table.” Samurai titled her head. “Maybe after Takuma recovered.”

Victor laughed. “You have gotten bitter in your old age, Samurai. Usually, my charm offensive would have worked by now.”

“Victor, you were never charming.”

“I have a book with names of women who would disagree with you.”

“Is my name in this book?”

“... for my personal safety, I shall refuse to answer that question.”