[Warning: Three hostile entities detected.
Threat Evaluation: Level 0
Would you like to initiate countermeasures?]
'You being serious right now?' Dante sighed internally. 'I can handle this much alone.'
Fishing for thugs might be one of the easiest jobs in this world, and the best part is that the same tricks work every time. One only has to walk into a secluded part of an unfamiliar neighborhood and, like wolves who caught the scent of a juicy lamb, they would appear out of nowhere.
"Hey buddy, got a sec?"
When the voice called from behind, Dante turned around and acted confused.
"Hm? You need something?"
The three weren't anything special. They wore simple tracksuits or sweatpants, and though one of them had a tattoo on his neck, nothing showed that any of them had bionic enhancements besides the basic NIM and OAM.
In typical thug fashion, one of the three approached him from the front while the other circled around him, blocking his escape route.
"Haven't seen you around before. You new here?"
The first one was tall and had some muscle on him, though he didn't pay much attention to his posture, standing with his back hunched, both hands in his pockets.
Dante kept his eyes on him, not looking away.
"Yeah, never been to this place." He said. "I'm looking for someone."
"Looking for someone, eh? Maybe we can help." The first thug grinned and his friends chuckled. "There is a nice diner nearby. Why don't we talk details ove-"
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"
Things were progressing as expected until someone shouted, drawing all their eyes to the alleyway's entrance. A young girl stood there with her arms folded, an angry look painting her face. Just by looking at her, Dante's expression soured.
The situation just took a turn in the worst possible direction, or so he thought until she suddenly dashed toward them. Watching her cross the distance between them in an instant, Dante's impression of her immediately changed.
~[ ]~
The 02:00 train arrived at the Factory Town station and passengers descended one after the other. Once the rush was over, Liliana stepped out of the carriage at the very back.
"Ugh… it's worse than I thought…"
Her nostrils flared the moment she got a whiff of the polluted air. The rumors had reached her before she decided to depart yet she refused to believe that a place where humans live would be that bad. Turns out those rumors were true all along.
"Maybe I should just wear my mask…"
With a handkerchief held to her nose, she walked to the exit. The thought of going back crossed her mind. As she tried to fight it, a familiar scene played a short distance from where she stood.
A young man walked into a narrow alleyway while three others tailed after him. They looked like troublemakers if she had seen any before. That made it easy to guess what was about to happen.
"Not on my watch!"
Fueled by her sense of justice, Liliana overcame her discomfort and rushed toward the side alley. The young man was already surrounded by the time she arrived, and judging by the sneers the other three directed at him, there was no doubt that they were planning something sinister.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"
She shouted to draw their attention then kicked the ground. She was fast. Too fast. The thugs were stunned still as they watched her cross the distance between them, jump, and kick the first one in the head. Landing just as he slammed into the nearby wall, she wasted no time lunging at the second thug and planted her fist into his stomach. The third one staggered backward, but before he could snap back to his senses her fist came swinging up toward his chin.
In less than five seconds, the troublemakers fell to the ground, all three of them unconscious. From a crouching position, Liliana slowly rose and straightened herself, flicking her shoulder-length crimson hair back.
"Have no fear, citizen." She said, her thin lips involuntarily curving into a confident smile. "These hooligans will no-"
She turned to face the young man whom she had just rescued, ready to bask in his gratitude, but the second their eyes met her expression froze. Far from being happy or grateful, the young man appeared utterly disgusted as he gazed at her.
Usually, when she interferes in such situations, the victim would feel relieved by her presence and shower her with words of gratitude and admiration. Some even fell for her in those moments, going on to become dedicated fans.
This time it was the exact opposite. The young man didn't even seem surprised by her speed. He just looked at her with a mix of displeasure and annoyance, as if she had just messed up royally.
"Um… are you… Are you hurt?"
The young man had bright red hair as well and appeared to be around her age. He was of an average build and only slightly taller. The clothes he wore were clean but shabby, which showed he didn't have much wealth to speak of. Everything pointed to him being someone she didn't have to worry about, yet under his scrutinizing gaze, Liliana felt her confidence evaporate.
"... are you lost?"
When she heard the question, Liliana realized her eyes had wandered down at some point. Looking up, she saw that the young man's expression had softened, though he still appeared a bit annoyed. Her reply came a second too late as he asked another question.
"Did you get on the wrong train or something?"
"I…" Feeling her face heat up, Liliana snapped back to her senses and quickly cleared her throat. "No, I'm not lost. Thank you for your concern."
She had just stepped up to save him yet for some reason he was worried about her. Was he not impressed by the show of speed and strength she displayed? Were her abilities so lacking that the only thing they induced was concern?
'Could it be…' holding his gaze, Liliana made a speculation. 'Is he used to stuff like this?'