Side Story: Nadia (1)

Four days after the BtP masqurade party

In another place, Nadia, the girl rescued by Jaime, seemed to be tirelessly searching for her savior. For days, she tried to identify him by his body shape and voice but found no clue about the man who stole her first kiss.

"Nad, there are hundreds of people who could potentially be your savior," Gris rolled her eyes, "Not to mention those who aren't in the BtP Headquarters and are working at the BtP branch office downtown. All BtP members, both senior and junior, were at the masquerade last night. You might as well stop looking," Gris paused and continued, "Besides, he's a scoundrel, a womanizer." She recalled how the masked man had kissed her hand and flirted with her in the elevator.

Nadia was having her lunch of a sandwich at the BtP Headquarters cafeteria, joined by her close friends Griselda and Angelina. Griselda, affectionately known as Gris, had an athletic build. She was very sporty, slightly tomboyish, and always radiated energy. She was a superhuman who could visualize the actions of anyone, anywhere.

All she needed was to know their name and have spent enough time with them to record their energy to track them. Their other friend, Angelina, was shy with fair skin and beautiful curly eyelashes. She looked just like a real-life princess, always delicate and gentle. Angelina had the power to heal both external and internal mild wounds, making her ideal for first aid. Nadia, however, was on another level - she was a "copier" and had earned the nickname "The Perfect Copier".

While being a copier—a superhuman ability that allowed the person to learn other superhuman powers—was common, it was also among the three most sought-after skills by BtP. If a superhuman controlling fire was likened to a painting, then a copier was the blank canvas ready to be painted upon, even imitating any desired masterpiece.

However, copiers had limitations. Typically, they could only mimic a fraction of the original superhuman's abilities and it took them between six months to a couple of years to learn a power. They could also usually handle only two to three abilities without it adversely affecting them. Hence, most copiers were backup or supporters for different divisions. Nadia's title of "Perfect Copier" was due to her ability to mimic other superhuman powers with 100% accuracy, a rare feat among copiers.

"Have you fallen for him?" Gris asked Nadia, "Dreaming about him?"

Nadia choked on her soda, coughing vehemently. Angelina, concerned, gently patted her back. "Gris, how many times do I have to say I just want to thank him?" Nadia glared at Gris, though her mind wandered to that enchanting first kiss that had haunted her dreams lately.

Gris shrugged, "Didn't you thank him already? Wasn't that enough?" Nadia remained silent, not daring to admit her ulterior motives. "Or are you curious to meet him in person, see his handsome face, or has he truly made you fall for him? Hehe, maybe he's in his 50s, married with a wrinkled face, and has a ton of grandchildren, right, Gel?" Gris looked to Angelina for support.

Nadia's face grimaced at the thought that she might have been kissed by someone old enough to be her grandfather, and potentially with a family. That night, she wondered what had possessed her to be so vulnerable and enchanted by that man's advances. Was it just his charm, or from the moment she saw him, did her heart race uncontrollably? His tender yet firm hands, his captivating voice, the aura of calm surrounding him, and the warm vibrations she felt whenever she was close to him.

Everything felt dreamlike, as if her stomach was fluttering with dozens of delightful butterflies.

In another location, Angelina cast a quick glance at Gris and then to Nadia, who was obviously awaiting her response. Calmly, she sipped her drink and shook her head, not choosing sides. "You should be telling Nadia to stop daydreaming," Gris said, knowing that Angelina was a shy person who rarely expressed her opinions outright.

"Gris, can't you sketch him?" Nadia tried to change the subject, "Didn't you see him?"

"Do you have his name?" Gris countered. Nadia sighed, she hadn't gotten his name, "What about Michelle? That man introduced me to a friend named Michelle and maybe Alec, though I doubt Alec would know him?" Gris chuckled, "Nadia, there are many people named Michelle. Unless I personally know her, I wouldn't be able to sketch her for you."

"Such an impractical ability," murmured Nadia, feeling utterly defeated. She had spent a considerable amount of time looking for the man, or even a shadow of Michelle, but neither had been spotted. "Michelle the Coyote?" Angelina suddenly interjected. Nadia quickly looked at her, as if grasping at a ray of hope, "You know her?"

"I heard about her from my senior," Angelina began, "There's a woman in the Intelligence Division known as 'Michelle The Coyote Ugly', though she was originally called 'Michelle The Mimic'. But now, most refer to her as Michelle The Coyote," Angelina paused before adding, "You know, the infamous story about senior Andreas running around naked."

"Of course, I heard he lost a bet with Michelle," Gris quickly added. "Is that the Michelle you meant?" Gris asked Nadia.

Nadia frowned, uncertain, and could only reply, "Maybe."

Gris tapped the table rhythmically, "Nad, the Intelligence Division is off-limits. Especially for us juniors. One wrong move and we could end up in big trouble," Gris playfully stuck out her tongue. Angelina chimed in, "From what I've heard, Michelle constantly changes her appearance everywhere she goes, including in the BtP headquarters. Only her name remains unchanged. If you met her at the masquerade last night, it's highly likely she was in disguise and has already altered her appearance by now."

Nadia sank into her chair, hope draining from her face. Gris saw her reaction and smiled wryly at Angelina. Angelina's eyes widened, "I'm sorry, Nad, I didn't mean to…"

Nadia quickly responded, "No, don't apologize, I'm fine. It's just a small thing. I just wanted to thank him for helping me, and well..." Nadia blushed slightly, "Maybe just to see him again… That's all. Nothing special."

Gris sighed in exasperation, "Is it true that charmer defeated senior Jess and Daniel in an instant?" Angelina looked at Nadia. Even though she had heard the story before, she wanted to hear it again.

"Yes."

"Wow... He must be superhuman," Gris exclaimed, "Senior Jess and Daniel are two of the strongest from the Security Division. If the masked man truly defeated them both in an instant, he must belong to a special division, or at least the Intelligence Division."

Angelina nodded in agreement. She was familiar with the tales of those two "monsters" causing an increase in patients in her division just to show off. "Defeating those two monsters in a snap, he must be an even bigger monster," Angelina remarked as she sipped her drink.

"Yeah, a real monster," Gris joked.

"Come on, he's clearly not a monster, and you both are not helping. He's most likely from the Intelligence Division," Nadia grumbled. They were back to square one, with no leads. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results," Gris quipped, tapping her spoon on her plate, enjoying being the center of attention.

"What do you mean?"

"We should try visiting places we've never been to before, and maybe we can find him there."

"That's true," Nadia immediately responded, "So where are we going?"

"The Eve Cafe in the evening," answered Gris.

"What?" Exclaimed Nadia and Angelina in unison.

Nadia and Angelina had known for a long time that Gris wanted to take them to that cafe, but they both refused because Gris wanted to try the cocktails there. The problem was that they were too young for that. "No," said Nadia, "Let's go to the Eve Cafe during the day. If not, let's find another place."

"Oh, that's no fun!" Gris exclaimed.

***

The next day, the three of them tried to enjoy lunch at the Eve Cafe, which was bustling. Angelina had to cling to Nadia to avoid the people coming and going. Gris, who first opened the cafe door, immediately decided he loved it. The cafe wasn't like typical sentimental cafes.

This one felt more like a cowboy bar where rough men enjoy their lunches, guzzle their drinks aggressively, and engage in gunfights over trivial matters. While this analogy might not be entirely accurate, this is roughly how the main and back sections of the cafe felt, especially where smoking was allowed. Tough seniors from BtP, like Jess and Daniel, often spoke loudly and acted as they pleased there, as if it was their own den.

Gris liked the lively atmosphere of the cafe, while Angelina didn't at all. She nearly fainted at the wild stares from people inside. As soon as they entered, several men gave them leering looks, and someone even whistled rudely at them.

Angelina quickly looked for a seat near the entrance. The front of the Eve Cafe was a non-smoking area. It was separated by a glass wall from the middle section where smoking was allowed. The middle section had exhaust fans. They quickly took their seats, opened the menu, and seriously considered their choices. Nadia wasn't too interested in choosing; she was still stunned to see their seniors Jess and Daniel there. Clearly, they didn't recognize her since she was wearing a mask during the incident, and it seemed no one else knew about it either, except for Angelina and Gris.

Gris was eager to order a cocktail in broad daylight and asked Susan, who approached to take their orders, if they served them. "I'm sorry, but our cocktails are only available after 5 pm. However, if you want to order ice cream or pudding, we're offering larger servings today," said Susan, who was instructed to clear out the ice cream and pudding stock because Madame had ordered too much.

Angelina's eyes lit up while Gris's dimmed. He settled for a sandwich and coffee served with a dash of whiskey. After glancing around and not finding anyone resembling the masked man, Nadia simply ordered a light snack – cake with fruit juice.

"This place seems interesting," Gris remarked, glancing at Nadia and Angelina.

Nadia seemed to have lost interest in her surroundings, while Angelina was eagerly awaiting her special ice cream with a few small cakes. Jaime was likely working the night shift.

Ever since Gris and Angelina first visited the cafe, they always tried to come back. Nadia didn't need the bait of meeting her mysterious helper; she had known them long enough to know Gris always enjoyed the cafe's lively atmosphere, while Angelina was addicted to the Eve Cafe's ice cream, pudding, and cakes. For Angelina, wherever there was something that could delight her stomach, she'd be drawn to it. So she was simply swept along with them.

Three days passed since their first visit to the Eve Cafe. The cafe surroundings looked bright, with butterflies fluttering around the garden next to the cafe and birds chirping from the trees behind the master's house and the Eve Cafe. It was a bright day that refreshed everyone. Suddenly, a very beautiful and sexy woman entered, enchanting all the men in the cafe. She went straight to the Master, who was reading a newspaper.

"Master, is Jaime here?"

Master raised his eyebrow and tried to get a clearer look at the woman asking about Jaime.

"You? What do you want with Jaime?" Master playfully showed his little finger and smirked.

"Uncle!" The girl responded in a teasing manner.

Master feigned surprise, "Oh Michelle…" Instantly the whole room was buzzing again. The men who had been eyeing the beautiful girl now discreetly ignored her upon hearing the name Michelle. Some men who had begun approaching Michelle immediately pretended not to notice and passed her by. However, this did not escape Nadia; she clearly caught the conversation. Gris and Angelina looked at her meaningfully.