Awakening

Just like the lyrics said, the scariest thing was when the air suddenly went quiet.

It was so awkward. They'd just finished stealing from someone's home, only to run straight into the owner. Could anything be more miserable?

After a moment of silence, Claw Woman came to her senses. Her gaze landed on the case of vials in Marvin's arms, and her pupils instantly contracted.

Their target was Compound V!

That stuff was strictly forbidden from circulation. If Vought International found out, her life would be over!

"Put it down!"

Claw Woman was incredibly strong. In her agitation, she stomped through the floorboards.

Her foot left a deep dent in the wood. Like a cheetah, she lunged at the three people inside the doorway.

Fortunately, Butcher reacted quickly and slammed the door shut.

Bam!

The apartment door was four or five centimeters thick, but a bone spike still pierced straight through it.

A mere door couldn't stop a rampaging supe. The cement around the doorframe shuddered with loud cracks, and it looked ready to give way.

"What the fuck are you two standing there for?!" Butcher hurriedly shoved a nearby cabinet over to block the door, hoping to buy them some time. He turned and shouted at the two stunned men, "Quick, out the window! Jump! If we're any slower, we're all dead!"

The wooden door behind them had already been smashed open, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Claw Woman squeezed through the gap, the veins bulging across her face as she watched the three men jump out the window.

The apartment she rented was on the third floor, nearly six meters above the ground, with nothing nearby to break their fall. If they jumped, they'd definitely get hurt!

There was still a chance! She still had a chance!

As Claw Woman considered her options, her body erupted with astonishing strength, tearing through the last barrier.

But when she raced to the window and leaned out, she saw that the three men had landed right on top of a black van.

Though they'd taken quite a tumble, the three of them still managed to climb into the van. Claw Woman could only watch as it drove away with them, leaving her behind to roar in frustration.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Marvin sat in the van, spewing curses as he wished Butcher's family all the best.

He angrily grabbed Butcher by the collar and slammed him against the van door, his eyes bloodshot. "I should never have agreed to this, Butcher! What do we do now?"

"Hey, buddy, calm down!"

Butcher kept his tone as even as he could, careful not to rile Marvin up. "It's not that serious. We all got out, didn't we? It's fine, trust me!"

"Trust you, my ass! Fuck you and your whole family, Butcher!"

Marvin was still furious. He seized Butcher by the collar and roared, spittle spraying all over his face. "That woman saw our faces. Vought International will find us in no time!"

"No, you're wrong, Marvin."

Butcher wiped the spit off his face and replied calmly, "Vought International won't find out about this. I bet that bitch won't dare tell them."

"Why?"

Marvin had calmed down a little, but he was still suspicious.

"Compound V is Vought's top secret."

Butcher pried Marvin's fingers off him and calmly straightened his rumpled collar. "Her Compound V didn't exactly come by honest means. Remember? She's Locomotive's secret girlfriend. He must've stolen those vials and given them to her to look after. So do you think she'll tell Vought?"

Watching Marvin gradually calm down, Butcher smiled. "No, she won't tell Vought. Otherwise, I guarantee she'll be dead before we are!"

That was why he hadn't been afraid to let her see his face.

Compound V's origins were always murky. Nobody involved had clean hands.

If the whole thing came to light, how would Claw Woman explain herself to Vought? Where would she say she got her Compound V?

Some things seem insignificant when you don't weigh them, but once you put them on the scales, they're impossible to dismiss. It was as simple as that.

"What about Locomotive?" Marvin frowned, still uneasy. "He'll definitely track us down over the missing Compound V. What do we do then?"

"I'll find a way to handle it."

Though Butcher said he'd take care of it, he wasn't actually sure how. But if he admitted that, Marvin would punch him.

A few seconds later, he added, "By the way, you'd better have your families lie low for a while, until this is all settled."

"What about you?"

Marvin and Frenchie glared at the despicable bastard through gritted teeth.

He kept saying it was fine, then turned around and told them to hide their families. They should never have agreed to help this bastard in the first place!

"I'm going to find someone who can help sort this out."

Butcher tossed out the words, then tapped Hughie, who was driving. "Pull over. I'm getting out."

"Butcher, you'd better sort this out," Marvin snarled, glaring at him. "Or I swear I'll shove a steel pipe up your ass!"

Butcher had already ducked into an alley and disappeared.

Marvin was still fuming. He turned to look at Hughie, who sat there dazed, and grew more annoyed by the second. "Drive, fuck! You idiot, do you want them to catch up with us?"

Alvin drove to the location in the message: a factory that had been abandoned for a long time.

A place like this wouldn't attract attention, and hardly anyone ever came by. It was perfect for a deal.

He felt the Deflection Field Generator in his pocket and made sure it was activated before finally relaxing. Then he strode into the abandoned factory.

Butcher sat on the factory steps, struggling to keep his emotions in check. His eyes held a trace of excitement, mixed with a hint of icy menace.

"Stop! Stay right there, and don't move!" The moment he saw Alvin, Butcher immediately shouted.

"Fine. I'll stay right here."

Alvin stood calmly at the factory entrance, about fifty meters from Butcher.

"The Compound V you wanted is right here." Butcher opened the case. Six blue vials lay inside. "Now it's your turn. Tell me where Rebecca is!"

"I need to check it first, Mr. Butcher."

Alvin smiled faintly. "I can only tell you about your wife once I've confirmed it's Compound V. Isn't that right?"

Butcher hesitated for half a second, then took a vial from the case and carefully rolled it over.

"Mutual trust is a good start." When the vial rolled to his feet, Alvin smiled and bent down to pick it up. He examined it for half a second.

It looked much like it had in the story. A sea-blue liquid flowed inside the vial, as if it were radiating an invisible allure.

[Item detected: Compound V (temporary)]

[Product of genetic engineering. Can alter inherited human gene sequences and induce superpowers, but after dilution, its effects last only 24 hours.]

[Energy provided: 0 units]

"Can you confirm now?" Butcher asked anxiously.

"No, not quite."

Alvin pressed the bottom of the vial, and a syringe popped out from the other end.

As Butcher watched in horror, Alvin smiled and plunged the syringe straight into his skin. Air pressure forced the liquid inside into his body.

"Oh, no, you son-of-a-bitch!"

Butcher's face was filled with shock. He tried to stop Alvin, but it was too late.

Almost without thinking, he copied Alvin, taking a vial from the case and pressing the bottom to pop out the syringe.

But just as Butcher was about to inject himself, an invisible force abruptly stopped him!

The temperature in the entire factory seemed to drop to freezing in an instant.

A thin layer of frost covered the factory floor and even the abandoned equipment. The air seemed to echo with a chilling wail, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up!

The fingers gripping the syringe were pried open by an invisible force!

Butcher was powerless to resist. Under the force's control, he could only watch as the syringe slowly floated toward Alvin.

Around Alvin, faintly visible, were cold flames flickering with a deep blue glow, along with blinding flashes of lightning that burst from thin air!

"Mr. Butcher, I told you there was no need to rush."

Brilliant colors seemed to shimmer in Alvin's dark brown eyes. He reached out lightly and caught the vial. "I'm not a bad person, and I won't break my word. I'm only doing this to test whether the Compound V is genuine. I'm sure you can understand, right?"

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