[Episode 21] #5 What’s in that drink (1)

"… … "I thought I was going to die."

The hideout of the villain organization [Abyss]. In the middle of the lounge space.

Number 13 sat down on the floor, hugging Dorothy, and let out a sighing voice.

The two people were confronting the hero in the underground parking lot of the shopping mall just a moment ago, but they have now jumped through space and arrived at the hideout safely.

All of this is thanks to the staff member who is sitting leisurely on the sofa in front of me, drinking a cup of tea.

"It could have been a real disaster. "My heart was pounding and I thought I was going to die."

"With that topic in mind, are you leisurely drinking tea?"

The staff tipped the teacup to his mouth and smiled.

Number 13 unconsciously turned his head at the sparkling silver hair and elegant movements that somehow exuded femininity.

Ugh… Ugh… Ugh… !

"Oh, Dorothy."

"Puh... ! Hey, hey! What if I hug you so hard... ! I thought I was suffocating to death... !"

Dorothy, who was pounding her fists in No. 13's arms, pushed No. 13 away and fell.

He must have really been out of breath, as his face turned bright red and he was gasping for air.

Of course, it's not just because I'm out of breath... .

"… But what? "What happened to us?"

"I returned with the skills of a general staff member."

"I think I know roughly that."

It was transferred through 『Shadow』, using the staff's ability.

However, this ability can only be transferred using a pre-registered shadow, and only about two people can register it.

Currently, only two people, No. 13 and Violet, the boss, were registered.

The reason I had instructed Dorothy to hold on tightly and not fall off a little while ago was to prevent No. 13 from being the only one left alone.

"More than that, how did the staff know about the situation?"

Dorothy also knew the staff's abilities, but what she was curious about now was not 'how they got there' but 'how the staff knew'.

Their smartphones were either lost or broken, and there was no other communication device, so there was no way to contact the staff.

How on earth did the staff know everything that happened several kilometers away?

Aside from that, I was also concerned that the club discovered Dorothy's secretly hidden gun but failed to notice the flashbang grenade that No. 13 had boldly prepared.

"It's thanks to No. 13's belt. "It contains a listening device."

"… Come to think of it, Chief of Staff, you asked me to make one for you... ."

"Did you make that, Dorothy?"

anyway.

The staff was able to detect the situation using a listening device attached to No. 13's belt, and conveyed her thoughts through No. 13's registered shadow.

No. 13 also used a wiretapping device to simply designate a brief situation and the timing for carrying out the 'transfer' to the staff.

Because it was transmitted through shadows, Dorothy and the club would not have been able to hear it.

Dorothy felt strangely discouraged by the trick, which was not as big of a deal as she thought.

Anyway, I'm glad.

I was in danger of having my limbs shredded by the hero and being dragged into a mess, but fortunately I was able to return safely with my limbs still intact.

Is there anything more funny than going to eat dessert without even thinking about it and end up like this?

"… … "No. 13?"

"huh? Wow!"

However, the relief was short-lived when Dorothy, who sensed something strange in No. 13's behavior, attacked No. 13 and pulled up his top.

Underneath the removed top, there were large bruises on No. 13's sides and back.

As you can see, his shoulders are slightly raised and his condition is strange in many ways.

I know when my side was hit, but my back is... .

"You got hit once when you transferred."

"Ah~. "I was embarrassed and didn't want to get caught."

Although she said it sarcastically, Dorothy's heart was heavy.

Just before transferring, No. 13 hugged Dorothy in an unnatural way.

The position where No. 13 was hit right now was exactly where Dorothy's head would have been, considering her previous posture.

Even though it was simple, the skill of aiming for Dorothy's head without shaking even when a flashbang exploded at close range was amazing...

As expected, that hero has a bad personality.

'I can't forgive you.'

"… Come to the infirmary right away. "I will treat you."

"Uh, Dorothy, are you mad?"

"It didn't work! … "I'm just a little annoyed."

Dorothy lifted No. 13 up by his collar and dragged him to the infirmary.

To be honest, whether it's No. 13 or the staff, I always think it's good no matter what.

As a scientist and doctor of this organization, Dorothy, who came face to face with the two people's wounds, couldn't help but feel something dark clouding her heart.

As a result, No. 13 was diagnosed with no broken bones, but only slightly distorted skeleton, internal bleeding, and minor cracks in the bones.

They say you can get better in about a week without any problems because there are Dorothy's special body activators and treatments.

The plan to raid the club, which was originally scheduled to be carried out within three days, had no choice but to be postponed.

However, there is a fortunate thing in the meantime.

"It's okay, No. 13."

"Because the measures have already been taken."

"… "I really can't forgive that woman."

He hand-fed porridge to No. 13, who couldn't raise his arms properly because he was in pain.

This is because the staff confidently said that there was no need to worry.

* * *

"Then please excuse me."

Squeak, squeak――

percussion

Hero Association, the 7th Division.

The club that encountered the villain at the shopping mall just finished a detailed report on the situation and came out of the captain's office.

The word "fuck" escaped my lips without me even realizing it. I sigh, feeling dissatisfied in many ways.

'I missed the villain, but I didn't even get to taste the dessert.'

The club encountered the villain even though it was off-duty, and in the end, they wasted all of their precious off-duty break time looking for traces of the villain without even having time to enjoy dessert.

I was thinking of just packing it up, but the store was in a situation where you never know...

For example, if a villain had planted a bomb, we closed the door and everyone went home to prepare for that.

Although it was thoroughly investigated and found to be safe,

Anyway, it was very unfortunate that I couldn't eat the dessert I was so looking forward to this time.

'it's annoying! This is so fucking fucking awesome!'

In the end, it was unclear why No. 13 and the woman who appeared to be his colleague were there or for what reason they appeared.

I think about it over and over again, but it is definitely not the case that the villains showed up because they wanted to eat seasonal limited-edition desserts directly at the store.

It was frustrating not to know his true intentions, but the fact that he had lost sight of not only his subordinates but also his superiors further fueled the club's displeasure.

I can't believe I missed it.

And that too right before your eyes! The moment you get it all!

It's damaging my career!

Thanks to this, the rift between the villain organization [Abyss] and the hero club deepened even further.

So much so that I swear deep in my heart that the next time I see it, I will make it so horrible without any mercy.

In addition, even though the woman who was nearby did not know it, she also confirmed that "Purge Permission" had been clearly granted for Villain No. 13.

This time, I had no choice but to just neutralize the opponent, but next time, there really is no point.

'… … But it doesn't mean there are no results at all.'

The smartphone that No. 13 dropped.

There must be something useful inside.

'Because he found me and immediately tried to call someone.'

'Besides that, there's information about the hideout... A photo or something... I'm not sure, but I'm sure there's some information.'

'If anything, there will be something.'

However, the club itself was not familiar with computer equipment or anything like that, so it was left to Apple.

In the end, I had no choice but to wait endlessly for the results to come out, but I decided deep in my heart that I would never miss it next time...

For now, I decided to let go of the rush and wait leisurely.

* * *

Fortunately, it did not take long for the club to see the results they were hoping for.

The day after the incident and entrusted Apple with the investigation, the club visited her room as requested by Apple.

I wondered why it was my room, but I was able to understand after hearing the explanation that the room contained some equipment related to Apple's capabilities.

--smart

"Mr. Apple? It's a club. may I come in?"

In this 7th Division, Club, which is a combat division, and Apple, which is an administrative division, are in charge of different departments, so their titles and manner of speaking are unified to the extent that they just treat each other with firm respect.

However, Spade, who is in the same fighting world, has hero experience and other elements, so I call him my senior.

In fact, this is also a custom that only existed on the island where the club was located, and on the mainland… Especially in large cities where the 7th Division is located, they often don't go that far.

In addition, depending on the nature of each department, titles, speech patterns, and even uniform regulations vary greatly.

Since most heroes are unique, the rules are loosely set so that each person can do whatever they want.

anyway.

When I knocked on the door and revealed myself, it didn't take long before I heard a soft voice from beyond the door saying, "Please wait~".

Apple's voice. The club was amazed by the clear and beautiful tone that made people feel tired just by hearing it clearly, even when they heard it through the door.

And after a while,

The door opened with a clanging sound.

"Hello, Mr. Club. "Can you please come inside?"

Apple's room should be said to suit her or not.

There was almost nothing particularly feminine about the interior.

Instead, it was difficult to feel empty because the large bookcase that filled one wall from bottom to ceiling, and the group of books tightly packed inside, were immediately visible.

Across from the bookshelf was an expensive-looking computer and various other devices. Next to it, various parts were neatly lined up on a low table that looked like a workbench.

Apple is said to be in the administrative department, but in reality, it is in charge of not only filing documents, but also communications, computer processing, etc.

I always think about it, but I think it's a special trait that doesn't match Apple's usual appearance or her appearance.

What can I say, I feel like men are good at handling machines and things like that.

It's hard to imagine Apple's face, with black grease and soot on her cheeks and hands.

"The reason I called Mr. Club was none other than the smartphone you asked me to investigate."

"Did something come out? What about their hideout? Any clues?"

When the club asked with a face full of excited anticipation, Apple looked embarrassed.

"… First of all, let me say I'm sorry."

But unfortunately, betraying the club's expectations, Apple said so.

A small table next to the bed. He put down a cushion to sit in front of him for a while, and Apple took out a drink from the refrigerator in the corner of the room, poured it into a cup, and served it to him.

The colorful drink, complete with ice, looked refreshing and sweet just by looking at it.

When I drank it a little, it felt spicy... Although it was a little bit, it seemed like there was alcohol in it as well.

Alcohol while talking about work may be a bit of a problem... If it's this strong, it'll be okay.

Club tilted the cup in his hand and sipped, waiting for Apple's explanation.