It's Alright Now

"This outfit's pretty nice."

"Honestly, the original owner's wardrobe doesn't even have a decent set of clothes—just battle suits after battle suits."

"Maybe I need to get myself some proper attire."

In the 5th-floor ready-to-wear section, Azu casually grabbed a few suits and tracksuits, holding them up in front of a full-length mirror to compare.

Just then, Maeve's voice came through his earpiece: "I'm in position. I can take out the sniper anytime."

"Have you found the bomb?"

Azu set down a white suit. "I'm scanning. Damn, this place is huge. It'll take me a bit."

Maeve said, "You'd better hurry. The negotiations outside don't look good—one hostage is already dead."

"Got it."

Azu picked up a yellow tracksuit with black stripes, held it up for a look, then mimicked Bruce Lee's nose-wipe gesture.

After that, he tossed the clothes aside, clasped his hands behind his back, and strolled out of the ready-to-wear section like he was out for a walk, casually scanning his surroundings with the x-ray vision that came with his Laser Eyes.

Walking down a corridor, he spotted a girl hiding in a storage room. Remembering the mission requirement to rescue hostages, he walked over and pushed the door open.

Azu lowered his voice: "Anyone in here? It's me."

"Shh."

A girl emerged from behind a utility area. "Keep your voice down, sir. The place is crawling with thugs."

Azu took a look—she was an Asian girl, with classic features and plain clothes.

She wore sunglasses and held a blind person's cane, using it to feel out the ground around her.

Azu waved a hand in front of her eyes. She didn't react at all. Definitely blind.

"Miss, I'm—"

Just as Azu was about to introduce himself, the girl grabbed his hand. "Sir, don't talk."

"Quick, follow me. Let's hide. It's safe here—the bad guys won't find us."

"Don't be scared. I believe Homelander will come to save us."

Azu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Still, being 'protected' by a blind girl was a novel experience.

It was something he'd never felt since crossing over.

After a moment's thought, he decided not to reveal his identity and instead asked, "Miss, what's your name?"

"Lin Aida." The girl smiled. "But my friends call me Xiao Lin."

"Xiao Lin."

Azu said, "I'm John."

"Mr. John, hello." Xiao Lin pulled him into the utility area.

Azu asked curiously, "Aren't you worried I might be a bad guy?"

"Not at all. When you came in, I could smell you."

"Your scent is very fresh, like hay in the sunlight."

"From my experience, people with that kind of smell are always helpful gentlemen. So I'm sure you're not a bad guy."

Xiao Lin covered her mouth. "We'd better not talk anymore, in case someone finds us."

Azu smiled, then said, "Actually, I know a secret passage."

"Really?" Xiao Lin sounded skeptical.

Azu said, "I'm a pipe cleaner. I'm really good at unclogging pipes."

"I'm in charge of all the pipe cleaning in this mall. If you trust me, I'll get you out of here."

Xiao Lin thought it over, then nodded. "I trust you, Mr. John."

"Good. If you don't mind, I'll carry you. It'll be faster."

Xiao Lin nodded and climbed onto Azu's back.

He hoisted her up, then his eyes glowed red as he fired two beams of Laser Eyes, blasting an opening in the storage room wall.

He then floated up gently, drifted out through the gap, and landed on the ground with Lin Aida on his back.

Just like that, he carried the Asian girl all the way to the mall's parking lot before setting her down.

"We're in the parking lot."

Lin Aida gasped. "That fast?"

"Of course. I told you, it's a secret passage—a shortcut only I know." Azu led her to the tactile paving for the blind. "We'll part ways here. Can you take care of yourself?"

"Of course."

Lin Aida took Azu's hand. "Thank you, Mr. John."

"Oh, right."

"Can I have your phone number? If there's a chance, I'd like to treat you to a meal."

The girl pulled out her phone.

Azu smiled, entered his number, and the name 'John'.

Lin Aida took the phone, used voice assist to dial Azu's number.

When she heard Azu's phone ring, she hung up, said goodbye, and left.

Azu turned, floated up into the air, and flew back to the mall.

That's when he saw the massive ventilation ducts lining the mall's exterior wall.

"Maeve, where do you think a bomb would need to detonate to reach every corner of the mall fastest?"

Azu looked at one of the vents and smiled.

A moment later.

He stood inside a ventilation duct, staring at a briefcase on the floor. Without opening it, he could see inside: a precision device and a poison gas bomb.

"Found it."

*

*

*

"This is the second hostage!"

On the fifth floor of the mall, a man in a black trench coat and Rabbit mask grabbed a woman by the hair and yanked her to the window.

He stayed cautiously behind the hostage, shielding himself from police snipers.

"See this? This is your fault!"

"If you don't release our comrades, there'll be a third, a fourth!"

With that, he shoved the hostage out the window.

The white woman, under thirty and fairly pretty, screamed as she fell.

The ground grew larger in her eyes. Just as she was about to hit the hard pavement, she suddenly found herself stopping midair.

Then she saw a red-gloved hand around her waist, and a reassuring voice rang out: "Are you alright, ma'am?"

The woman looked up and saw a handsome face with a sunny smile.

Golden hair neatly combed back, blue battle suit symbolizing hope. Even without the Stars and Stripes cape, she recognized him at once.

"Homelander!"

Azu held her, flew toward the entrance, landed among the police, set the lady down, and looked at the officers: "The bomb's been disarmed. It's over."

"Leave the rest to me and my partner."

The crowd went silent.

Then thunderous applause.

"Homelander!"

"Homelander!"

"Homelander!"

Amid the cheers, Azu rose slowly, facing the mall, looking at the fifth floor.

"Listen up in there. If you release the hostages voluntarily, I can put in a good word with the judge for lighter sentences."

The mall's broadcast crackled to life: "Go to hell, Homelander. Every hostage's life is on your head."

"Detonate the bomb!"

At that, the police flinched, instinctively ducking behind their cruisers.

But after a moment, not a sound came from the mall.

Then the extremist's furious voice blared over the speakers: "Where's the bomb? Why isn't it working?"

The police erupted in cheers again, giving Azu thumbs-up.

Azu smiled, then—whoosh—dragged a streak of blue light as he crashed into the fifth floor.

Boom!

The windows from the third to fifth floors shattered at once, fragments flying, catching the sunlight like a brilliant fireworks display.