Black Robe Inspection Team Spin-off · Prologue_8

Milk shook his head and said, "No, you killed Storm Woman. They all have tracking devices left by the Vought Corporation inside them, they'll find you soon enough..."

Having said that, Milk came to a realization himself. Logically, the moment Storm Woman was killed, Vought should have sent a small army to this mental institution, but looking at the state of Storm Woman's body, it didn't seem like she had just died, and yet after all this time, the Super Seven hadn't shown up yet.

Milk quickly looked up and asked, "Do you have a method to obstruct the tracking devices? Can you tell us?"

"Like I said, let's have a talk first."

Shiller knocked on the table and said, "I can only treat one patient at a time, so you stay. The other two will have to wait in the room next door."

Before Franci could refuse, Milk stepped forward, started pushing him out and whispered, "You should listen to him. Besides, Kimeko's state seems a little unstable. You should stay with her."

After seeing the two off, Milk sat across from Shiller, looked into his eyes and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Of course, your most interested topic."

"My most interested topic, what is it?"

"Superheroes."

"No, don't use that word!" Milk took a deep breath, his voice suppressing uncontrollable anger, "This not only insults these words, but also insults this language."

Yet Shiller shook his head and said, "You misunderstood, I'm not talking about the dumb pack Vought Corporation puts out."

Milk kept staring at Shiller's eyes. He saw a calm and deep ocean in them. Infected by such a gaze, he gradually calmed down, and Shiller said,

"I'm talking about the real superheroes I've met."

Milk didn't quite understand his meaning, he shook his head slightly, but Shiller explained patiently, "I know, in your life, you've hardly encountered any good. Most people who come to this hospital do, too. Some of them are wicked, incurable, but everybody knows that it's not their fault."

"But I'm different from you. Fortunately, I've met many who can truly be called superheroes."

Shiller's somewhat nostalgic tone successfully attracted Milk, who stared into Shiller's eyes, asking, "…what are they like?"

"Just like you."

This was a completely unexpected answer for Milk; he didn't hear words like radiant, great, or heroic from Shiller. Milk lowered his head and laughed at himself sarcastically, "Stop joking, like me…"

Letting out a tremor from his nose, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world, Shiller, however, serious, told him, "I am not joking, they are like you and your companions."

"A bunch of ordinary people, needing food and sleep, having their own jobs, some are still in school."

Milk seemed to have heard a myth, he said, "How is it possible? Shouldn't all superheroes... "

He paused for a while, seemingly unable to find the right adjective, only using some hollow words to describe at last: "They're those type who wear cloaks and uniforms, standing under the flashing lights, and then go around shaking hands with people…"

"You're talking about the Super Seven, aren't you?"

Milk choked at this, eventually saying helplessly, "Okay, I don't really have any concept about them."

"How do you understand these three words: 'ordinary people,' 'good people,' and 'superheroes'?"

Milk hesitated for a moment, moving his lips then saying, "Ordinary people are like us, without any superpowers, good people… perhaps they exist, but I haven't really seen any, superheroes…"

He shook his head, seemingly averse to bringing up this word, then Shiller said, "To me, they are synonymous."

"Those people I know, they're all ordinary people, each living their own lives, getting tired, feeling annoyed, occasionally causing trouble."

"But they're good people as well, their blood and injuries wouldn't stop them from sticking to their justice. Some people's characters can even be described as noble."

"And 'superhero'... " Shiller also shook his head and said, "There aren't 'superheroes' in this world, only ordinary people who are trying to be good."

Milk coughed a bit, not aware of why, but he looked away, avoiding Shiller's gaze. He felt his own eyes sour a little, his mouth trembling slightly. Clearly, the statement reminded him of many people, including his father.

Milk's emotions finally couldn't be controlled anymore, even the sound of his breathing trembled. He said,

"Maybe you don't know it, but my father... he actually, he… he was just an ordinary man, but he… he fought a lawsuit against Vought Corporation, for those mothers who were affected by Vought's drugs, demanding justice for them…"

Milk wiped his face and said, "Eventually… he died of exhaustion, not ironically…"

"He didn't have any super physical power, Self Healing Power, he wasn't a superhero, he couldn't live without sleep, without food, so, eventually, he died."

Milk covered his mouth with both hands, biting his teeth and saying, "But now, that term 'Hero' is monopolized by a group of fraudulent devils, now whenever I see the word, I feel disgusted…"

"Then why not take it back?"

"We are doing it, but…"

"I know you're sad, but did you ever consider that your father's experiences have served as a wakeup call? This method doesn't work."

Shiller locked eyes with Milk, and Milk saw in the calm ocean of the doctor's eyes suddenly burst into an endless black tide. He heard Shiller say,

"They are a group of criminals."

"And the only ones who can deal with criminals are other criminals."

Milk repeated quietly, "Only criminals can deal with criminals?"

"Who are you?"

"Who are we?"

"You are revenge."

"We are revenge?...Yes, we are revenge, we are…"

"...the Black Robe Inspection Team."