Of Heroes and Villains

The Chapter With the Not-So-Regular Job

"Then could you tell us what people your brother has fallen in with?"

The woman nervously looked around, as though there was the chance someone might be listening. "He started working for Boss Gerald."

Don turned toward Lan. "You know the guy?"

Eve nodded. "Yeah, the guys at that bank situation were probably originally his men. One of the two big fish scumbags of this city. I think I know who the men threatening her are."

A small glimmer of hope shined in the woman's eyes. "Please, do something about it. Threatening them, or kill them, or whatever it is you people do-"

"You people?" Lan all but growled, and Don couldn't help thinking things were gonna get ugly. The girl stood up, then started walking toward the door. "We'll help you out with these men, but for every day it takes us, the fee increases. Understood?"

The woman, now clearly terrified, started nodding. "T-Thank you."

The two espers then left the house, neither feeling better than before.

"You okay?" asked Don, but Lan held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't bother. I'm not a child. Let's just go send a message."

She started walking, and Don figured he might as well let her take the reigns. She seemed like the type who liked being in control.

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"Straight to their base."

"Won't they have guns and stuff?"

"You've seen too many movies. Guns are as hard for them to get as they are for the rest of us. Good riddance, I say."

"How many of them are there, exactly?"

Lan gave him a look. "Are you afraid, Dellinger?"

"You can just call me Don."

"Answer my question, Dellinger."

"I'm not exactly scared; I just don't want to rush into things like I did back with Val. There could be innocent people there, you know."

Lan started playing with her bangs. "Their only line of defense is this one esper. They completely rely on him for defense. All we gotta do is team up, and they're history. Beat him, and the rest will run away. There aren't gonna be any innocents there, genius. Just being there means you're no longer innocent.

"Harsh," Don commented.

'But likely true.'

"So, uh, what do you know about this esper? What's his vapor like?"

Lan had a frown on her face. "Just let me deal with him. A chat has been in making for a while now."

Realizing that it's personal, Don backed off.

The two casually strolled over to the city limits, then walked up to a warehouse that looked like it had been abandoned for months.

"How very inconspicuous," Don commented. "So, what's the game plan?"

Lan simply knocked on the door.

They could hear shuffling inside, and then a well-dressed man opened the door. "Who the hell are you?"

Lan just waved her hand in his face, and the man fell down, unconscious. "Why don't you make this easier and come out?"

She took Don by the hand and dragged him away as more men started coming out of the warehouse. The last one who came out only had one eye, and was clearly the esper in question. He had short black hair, and looked an awful lot like Lan.

"Are you two related?" asked Don.

Lan nodded. "That's Liu, my cousin. We're currently living together."

'And you didn't think to report his crimes!?'

"Ah, that's good to know. So do I just, like, distract the others?"

"Be my guest."

Liu stepped forward, his single eye looking directly at Lan. "I told you I'm not gonna stop; We need this income."

Lan shook her head. "You're just doing that to satisfy your own ego. Cut this out, or I'll cut you down."

"Finally found the pair to do something about it, eh?" Liu grinned, and red mist started leaving his eye. "Let's get on with it, then."

Lan stood her ground, and activated her own vapor.

One of the men ran straight for Don, but he simply sidestepped and hit him in the back, sending the guy to the ground. "You're all just low-level grunts, right? You should just sit back and watch. I don't wanna mess up my hair."

The guy got up and swung his fast. Don caught him by the wrist, then twisted him around and slammed him to the ground again.

"You're really bad at listening. You guys can't beat me. You see, my vapor lets me predict everything you do. I've already seen our victory."

One of the other men started walking backward. "That's bullshit! No one can do that!"

"You did just see me anticipate what this idiot here could do, right?"

'Of course, that was just because none of them have had any training.'

Red mist started leaving Don's body as he adjusted his appearance in a manner too small for the human eye to tell. "All I have to do is this, and you're all powerless to stop me! Back off and let them handle this, and I might show mercy!" He grinned, then touched the cheek of the guy he had pinned down. "Of course, I can always just eat you all. Human flesh is like fuel for my vapor, and I wouldn't mind a refill."

"N-No." The guy under him started kicking, but Don just twisted his arm some more. "Please don't! I'll do anything! I don't wanna die!"

'Criminals just aren't what movies have made them out to be. I can't believe these morons fell for that.'

Lan and Liu kept standing there, not breaking eye contact.

'Their fight is probably a whole lot more interesting.'