"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
The red-haired craned his neck back and filled the underground room with his laughter. Watching him from the side, Henry and his henchman were struck with fear and confusion.
"Did he… did he lose it?" The thug asked.
His boss didn't answer; his hairy face twisted in a deep frown. The laughter died down soon after, but the redhead didn't seem to return to his senses just yet. His shoulder trembled as he hung his head, faint chuckles escaping him now and then. Just when Henry was starting to get tired of him, he heaved a long sigh.
"Say, do you really not know?" He asked.
Sensing the mockery in his tone, Henry didn't answer.
"C'mon, that can't be it." He chuckled. "You kidnapped when you don't even know who I work for? You don't even know why he's coming after you?"
Henry's face twitched, and his grip on the pliers twitched.
"Man, did I really lose five fingers just for this? You've got to be kidding ."
"Keep talking like that, and the next finger you'll lose won't be on your hand." Said Henry.
His henchman let out a cackle, but a single glare shut him up.
"Alright, alright, I will answer your questions." Said the redhead. "Just so you know, I'm a grower. Don't let it trick you." Cackling so more, he heaved another sigh. "Let's see, why you are being targeted… well, there is this guy I know. He wants your boss dead, but I suggested we crush the entire gang instead."
"... what?" The henchman blurted, but he was ignored.
"What did you do?" Said the redhead. "Nothing, really. As for what I want from you, you could say I just wanted to make so money, that's all."
As they continued to listen, Henry felt that sothing was off. It should have been obvious enough for him to figure it out already, but his mind refused to form the conclusion. As he struggled with his thoughts, the red-haired youth turned to look at him. A bloodied grin took over his face.
"Say, I got a question for you." He said. "What's the last thing Ghost did that you heard of?"
The question stirred Henry's thoughts, and a certain piece of news floated to the forefront of his mories. A sudden chill washed over him, and his entire body went cold.
"Here is another one." The youth cackled. "What made you think kidnapping was a good idea?"
What made you think kidnapping was a good idea?
The question stabbed into Henry like a long spear, banishing the chaos in his thoughts, allowing the realization to form.
"The hell are y-"
A shadow fell on the henchman, and a loud bang silenced him. Henry whipped his head in the thug's direction just in ti to see a massive armored truck fall over his head, crushing him in an instant.
An armored truck. Where did it co from? His gaze shifted to the ceiling, but there were no holes.
As he turned to face the red-haired prisoner, his thoughts thrown into chaos by the question of where the vehicle fell from, he froze at the sight of two strange figures. They wore black clocks that covered their bodies from head to toe, but from what he could see, they didn't look exactly human. Each one held a blue energy blade extending from their hands, and using them, they cut the restraints on the chairs.
"You know, you have my respect." Said the red-haired man, rubbing his left wrist with his remaining hand. He held the left one up, and one of the cloaked figures walked over and held the energy blades, burning the wounds and stopping the bleeding. "I thought I was being careful. I made sure all my tracks are covered. What made you co after , anyway? Don't tell you've been planning it since that ti at the restaurant?"
It took Henry a mont before he realized the question was directed at him.
"The restaurant…" he said. "Yes. My suspicion started there."
He hadn't paid much attention to the red-haired youth at the ti. His concern was with the young boy accompanying him. That didn't change after Luke and Garm, the two he sent to follow the boy, vanished without a trace.
It was only later, when another one of his subordinates ca to him with a strange video, that he made progress in his investigation. In that video, a red-haired kid defeated a dozen ard thugs with his bare hands. That sa kid was then spotted snooping around their territory just as the trouble with Black Skull began.
When he saw that he had an MLP, Henry assud that he was the powerful Diver who had been ssing with their systems. He had assud that the redhead was doing the scouting work, paving the ground for whoever Ghost was to do what he did.
The truth turned out to be much simpler, however.
"The video, huh? I really ssed up that ti." Ignoring him entirely, the redhead walked to the armored car. Raising his right hand, he turned to look at him. "One minute."
"... What?"
"A head start. I will give you one minute." The redhead went on. "You showed that I have been lacking, so you deserve at least that much. If you manage to disappear before I catch you, well… you'll get to live."
The threat didn't register at first. What could this little punk do? So what if he managed to free himself?
Henry's mind quickly brought up the conclusion he had arrived at before, and with it ca one of the questions the redhead had asked.
What was the last thing Ghost did that he heard of?
At first, nothing ca to mind, but then that recent incident. Only a week had passed, so even their sources at the NVPD couldn't leak any information.
Still, there was one obvious suspect. A villain whose appearance coincides with the deaths of several heroes and the arrival of the most powerful among them at Neo-Vatra.
"Ready?" The redhead said, lowering his hand to the car. "Go!"
And just like that, Henry took off running.
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