Zain stepped into the Hero Association building with his usual swagger.
His eyes scanned the area, looking for that familiar flame-colored hair.
"Where is she—?"
Before he could finish the thought, a blur of red rushed toward him.
BAM!
He was slammed back against the wall.
A forearm pressed against his chest, keeping him pinned.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"What the—?!"
It was Savra.
But this wasn't the usual playful, teasing Savra.
Her face was dead serious, eyes narrowed with an intensity he hadn't seen before.
Her voice was low, sharp.
"Zain… what the hell did you do yesterday?"
Zain blinked, momentarily stunned.
"You're gonna have to be a little more specific."
He smirked despite being pinned.
"Is this your way of saying good morning? Because I'm flattered."
She didn't smile. Her grip tightened slightly.
"Don't play dumb with me. Two C-Rank enforcers from the Rust Rats are suddenly gone without a trace."
Her voice lowered.
"And you're the only one I told about them. You expect me to believe someone else just happened to wipe them out?"
Zain smirked, unfazed by her glare.
"So what if I was? They were villains, weren't they?"
There was a pause. Then, slowly, Savra relaxed.
Her hand dropped from his chest, and a smirk appeared on her lips.
"Yeah… they were villains. So if they ended up dead, well, they brought it on themselves."
She turned and crossed her arms, leaning casually against the wall now.
"But thanks to what you did, the Rust Rats are restless. A little too restless."
She looked at him sideways.
"They've already lashed out. Some D-Rank heroes were attacked."
"Civilians got caught in the crossfire. You stirred a hornet's nest, Zain."
Zain's grin didn't fade.
"So you're saying I should go and finish the job?"
Savra raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"You're seriously not worried at all?"
Zain shrugged, his smirk widening.
"The better my enemies, the stronger I become. That's how this game works, right?"
Savra chuckled, shaking her head.
"You're dangerous. The confident kind of dangerous. I like that."
She pushed off the wall and looked at him with more curiosity.
"Alright, then. Why are you here? Just to report in?"
Zain stepped closer, grinning.
"I'm just here to see you, Savra."
Savra blinked—then let out a laugh, brushing her red hair back.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that. C-Rank and already flirting."
Zain winked.
"I like strong women who give useful intel. You just happen to be both."
She smirked again, turning toward the hallway.
"Then let's talk, smartass. I've got something you might want to hear."
Zain grinned as he followed her back into her room, knowing full well what the next conversation would be.
---
Inside Savra's office, the atmosphere was much calmer than their heated hallway exchange.
Zain leaned back in the chair across from her desk, grinning.
"So, tell me—what kind of problem are you facing?"
He was a bit curious about it.
"You wouldn't pin me to the wall if this was something small."
Savra sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk.
"Before, I told you the Rust Rats had quite a few C-Rank enforcers, remember?"
Zain nodded.
"Yeah. You said there were multiple… nothing out of the ordinary for a mid-tier gang."
Savra's lips tightened.
"That was only half the truth."
Zain raised his eyebrow.
She continued, "Most of those so-called 'C-Rank' enforcers were barely stronger than D-Ranks."
"They only got the title because they're a bit tougher than average. But the ones you killed—"
She looked him in the eyes.
"Ruckle and Burnshot—they were the real threats. Real C-Rank. Stable abilities. Combat tested. Loyal to the core."
Zain leaned forward now, his interest piqued.
"I see. So they weren't just random thugs with powers. They were the backbone."
Savra nodded.
"The Rust Rats had seven true C-Rank combat enforcers. Now, thanks to you… they're down to five."
She tapped the desk with two fingers.
"And the boss himself is one of them. Meaning the gang's losing control—and they know it."
Zain smirked.
"No wonder they're restless. Makes sense now why they're lashing out at random. It's panic."
"Exactly." Savra leaned back, arms crossed.
"You shook their power balance. And now every eye in CB-2 is watching to see who moves first."
Zain's grin widened.
"Good. Let them watch. The next five are just more points for me to farm."
Savra sighed with a tired smile.
"You're insane, you know that?"
"Normal heroes climb the ranks, build a team, take support."
"You? You walk into gang territory alone and take down enforcers like it's a hobby."
Zain leaned back, stretching slightly.
"I'm not insane, Savra. I'm just... efficient."
He gave her a wink.
"Why waste time when I can break them before they realize I'm serious?"
Savra rolled her eyes, reaching into her drawer and pulling out a slim folder.
She slid it across the desk toward him.
"Here. You want efficiency? Then stop hunting blind."
Zain raised his eyebrow and picked up the folder.
"What's this?"
Savra folded her arms, smiling.
"Information on the next two Rust Rat enforcers, Flicker and Skritch."
Zain flipped the file open.
Inside were photos, crude reports, and scattered details about them.
Savra continued, "They're the ones causing trouble since Ruckle and Burnshot were taken out."
"We've gotten multiple reports of property damage and injured patrollers. They're not hiding. They're looking for payback."
Zain smirked as he looked over the first page.
"Flicker, huh? That freak with exploding body parts and a tag bomb ability? Sounds annoying."
"He's unstable. Moves like a crackling wire. Gets in close, uses Peel Shot, and plants Impact Tags while you're busy dodging."
Zain flipped to the next page.
"And Skritch… ah, the kicker. Spinning Kick, Hard Kick, Quick Step… seems like a one-man demolition team."
Savra nodded. "He's fast, relentless, and his legs hit like steel hammers."
"Don't let him build momentum—he'll sweep your stance and break bones before you can blink."
Zain closed the file and stood up.
"Got it. One's a psycho who blows people up with finger tricks. The other's a brawler with steel boots."
Savra looked up at him, eyes narrowing slightly.
"You planning to go after them right away?"
Zain smirked.
"You handed me the map. Be rude not to follow it."
"Zain—" Savra called after him as he turned.
He stopped, looking back.
"Just… be careful. They're not like the others. These two work together. Watch your openings."
Zain gave her a thumbs-up.
"Careful's my middle name. See you soon, Savra."
And with that, he walked out, eyes already scanning the folder for where to strike next.