Russell replaced his old beginner template with Translucent's, and in an instant, he felt his body change, his skin had become something else entirely.
Now wasn't the time to test it.
After handling Translucent, Russell turned without hesitation and walked away.
"Th-Thank you…"
Hughie struggled to his feet, trying to express his gratitude.
But Russell didn't even look at him, he just walked past, pushed open the door, and disappeared into the night.
"Uh…"
Hughie stood there, arm half-raised, frozen in awkward silence.
Not long after, Billy Butcher returned, feeling guilty for using Hughie and then leaving him behind. He had come back to check in, make sure the kid wasn't falling apart.
Instead, he was greeted with a shocking sight.
The video store was trashed.Translucent lay unconscious on the floor, smoke rising from his body and the faint smell of burnt flesh in the air.
"Oi... Huey. You do this?"
"What?! Butcher, no!" Hughie stammered, panicking as he looked down at the smoking body on the floor. The strange man was already gone, and he had no idea what to do next.
...
Russell had no time to waste on conversation.More important things awaited him tonight.
Outside, he hailed a taxi and gave the address of Claw Girl, the girlfriend of A-Train, also known as Locomotive.
In this world, superheroes were more like celebrities.
Claw Girl was a washed-up C-list hero, no longer in her prime, but still recognizable. It wasn't hard to track her down.
Through the window, the light from the TV illuminated her figure.
She sat barefoot on the couch in yoga pants and a beige tank top, munching chips and watching a trashy soap opera. Her short hair framed a face dotted with freckles.
Russell observed from afar. There was no sign of A-Train.
He frowned.
After the recent scandal, killing a civilian in public due to Compound V overdose, A-Train had been busy with PR and avoiding the spotlight. It was possible he was laying low.
That was bad.
Getting Translucent's ability was just the first step.
Without A-Train's super speed and raw strength, there was no way Russell could reach the Guardians of the Globe headquarters in time to collect the corpses after the massacre.
"No choice. Time for Plan B."
Under the streetlamp, Russell pulled up his hood and crossed the street toward the apartment.
He'd have to lure A-Train out.
Claw Girl wasn't completely powerless. She could extend thick bone-like claws from her arms and might have some degree of regeneration.
Normally, Russell wouldn't dare fight her head-on.
But things were different now.
As he crossed the street, he raised his arm and watched it turn invisible under the dim glow.
A grin crept onto his face.
...
Knock, knock.
Inside, Claw Girl didn't even turn around from her TV show.
"Who is it?"
"Cable TV maintenance," Russell said calmly.
"Maintenance? I didn't schedule anything."
She slipped on her slippers and approached the door, confused. After all, there were no villains in this world, just superheroes. She had no reason to be wary.
The moment she opened the door, a fist filled her vision.
BANG!
Like getting hit with a sledgehammer, blood sprayed from her nose and she stumbled back, catching herself just in time.
Her eyes flared with rage. Bone spurs shot from her arms with a sharp crack.
"Who the hell are you? Breaking into homes now? What are you, some punk trying to rob me?" she snapped. "You messed with the wrong person. Do you even know who I am?"
Russell, face mostly hidden beneath his hood, gave a cold smile.
"A washed-up third-rate hero."
He closed the door behind him.
She was stunned. He knew her identity. Was he here for something else?
She launched an attack, stabbing toward his gut.
Russell let her strike, on purpose.
The bone spurs pierced through his hoodie… but hit something unnaturally hard.
Not flesh. Not bone.It felt like ramming a toothpick into steel.
Her expression twisted in disbelief.
At that moment, Russell's fist crashed into her face.
Thud!She flew backward and landed beside the couch, blood running down her face.
She looked up, terrified, then down at her claw, then at Russell's stomach, where only torn fabric remained.
"You… You're a superhuman?"
Even military-grade weapons couldn't pierce Translucent's carbon-fiber skin. Her claws never stood a chance.
Russell didn't answer. He simply charged.
"Help! Someone, mmph!"
She tried to scream but was tackled, restrained, and tied up in moments. Bedsheets became makeshift ropes. One of her own socks gagged her.
Russell picked up her unlocked phone. The screen's glow lit up his cold expression.
Meanwhile...
In a luxury apartment at Vought Tower, A-Train was just out of the shower, humming to himself and checking his phone.
His mood was oddly good.
Huey had signed the hush agreement, Vought's PR team was spinning the story, and VP Madelyn Stillwell had only told him to lay low for now. Nothing serious.
To avoid being photographed with Claw Girl, he hadn't visited her lately.
Ding! A message popped up on his phone.
"I'm pregnant, A-Train. What should I do?"
"What?!"
His eyes widened.
"Pregnant?! It's gotta be from two weeks ago… Damn it!"
One problem solved, another one appears.
No time to think. He changed clothes at supersonic speed and bolted toward her apartment.
Along the way, he rehearsed excuses and tried to think of how to convince her to quietly end the pregnancy.
When he reached her building, he found the door slightly open—left ajar.
Light spilled out from inside.
He frowned but forced on a concerned expression, taking a deep breath.
"Baby, I"
He walked in, voice trembling, playing the worried boyfriend role perfectly…
…until a crowbar swung down from the shadows.
CRACK!
"AHHH, my leg!"
One of A-Train's legs shattered from the impact. He screamed and hit the floor.
CRACK!The second blow broke his other leg.
"Y-You!"
A-Train finally saw the hooded attacker. Cold, focused eyes stared back at him.
The crowbar rose again. Desperate, A-Train pushed himself back with his arms and vanished in a blur, escaping to the next room with what little speed he had left.
There, he saw her.
Claw Girl was tied to the bed, eyes wide with horror.
When she saw A-Train crawling in with both legs broken, her soul collapsed.
(End of Chapter 3)