Chapter 3 Broadcast

Some time later, Hiyaru finally made it home. The door to his hideout shut behind him with a dull metallic click.

…I swear if my legs had feelings, they’d file a complaint.

He stumbled inside, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed face-first onto the couch. His body still ached from the previous day’s fight, and he had no intention of doing anything remotely productive for the rest of the evening.

Ugh…I’m beat, sweet home at last…

He rolled onto his back, grabbed the remote, and turned on the television while booting up his console. Then he shoved a chocolate into his mouth and picked up the controller, his eyes already fixed on the screen.

“Okay… one match. Just one.”

A few rounds later, the television volume suddenly spiked.

“—and now to today’s major development in ability-related crime.”

Hiyaru paused his game and glanced towards the television.

“The Anti Ability Corps, also known as AAC, continues to lead the fight against dangerous ability users.”

Bold letters flashed across the screen.

ANTI ABILITY CORPS (AAC)

…Oh yeah. These guys Kyoko mentioned…

The broadcast switched to a live interview. Two figures sat before the interviewer, both representing the organization in white uniforms and black ties.

The first was a young man in a wheelchair. He had a serious expression that suited someone in a position of authority, though a polite smile softened his features. His hair was grey, and his pale eyes seemed to hold a faint light despite their almost colourless appearance.

Beside him stood a girl with long bangs nearly covering her eyes, while the rest of her hair reached her neck at the sides and was tied together at the back. Her expression was completely blank. Her eyes were pitch black, and she looked as though nothing in the world could hold her interest.

“With us today are Chief Director Rei Kanzaki and AAC’s second-in-command known by her enforcer alias Rivery and real name Enamo Minaya. It is really an honor to sit with you around one table.”

Hiyaru leaned back into the couch.

Huh… She looks kinda scary…Also kinda pretty. Still don't get why Kyoko likes her that much.

The interviewer reached out to shake Rei's hand. The director accepted the gesture, while Rivery ignored it and took a sip of coffee.

“Do not mind her please, my subordinate is quite shy, you see. Thank you for having us,” Rei said politely.

The camera zoomed in slightly on Rivery.

She neither smiled nor reacted. She simply sat there in silence, holding her coffee.

“A-Ahh I see, well then we have several questions submitted by the public. So I will dive straight into the interview so I do not take your time.”

Rei smiled.

“Mhm go ahead please.”

The interviewer cleared his throat and glanced at his notes.

“Um so Rivery, many civilians are asking, can they truly feel safe with AAC protection?”

“Yes.”

Her answer came without the slightest hesitation.

“We respond faster than standard police, or army and neutralize threats before they escalate.”

Hiyaru raised an eyebrow.

Damn I wonder where they were yesterday if they are so fast pff…

The interviewer continued.

“How many criminals with abilities have you apprehended this week?”

“Twelve detained.”

Rivery took another sip of coffee. Her tone remained unchanged.

Hiyaru stared at the screen.

…She really said that like she was listing homework.

“Earlier today, there was a subway incident. A police officer reported encountering an unidentified masked ability user with unusual regenerative abilities. What are your thoughts? Did AAC find this terrorist or vigilante?”

Hiyaru started to cough on his water.

COUGH COUGHBLULU COUGH.

“TERRORIST??? I saved those people like wowww…”

On the screen, Rivery remained perfectly composed.

“All I can say, anyone operating outside the law is a potential threat. AAC will investigate, find them and respond accordingly, be it terrorist or wanna be hero.”

Hiyaru slowly lowered his glass.

Yeah… For sureeeeeeeee-

Rei leaned towards his microphone and cleared his throat.

“Our priority is to make sure that citizens are safe, and capture those who disrupt the order and endanger society in any kind of way. We have already captured some of the ability users who hurt others or cannot control it, while AAC may be small in numbers, we promise to keep you all safe.”

He turned towards Rivery with a smile.

“Isn’t that right, Riv Riv?”

Rei reached for his coffee and took a sip.

Unfortunately, he misjudged the distance between the cup and his mouth. Coffee spilled across his clothes and microphone.

“OUCHH”

Rivery ignored him. A faint smile appeared on her face.

“Are you okay Chief Rei?!” the interviewer asked.

“Ahahah, that's alright; I'm used to it, this is the seventh one today. I am quite unlucky hahah…”

The interviewer hesitated, unsure how to respond.

“Ah, um okay… Then let us proceed with the interview…”

Hiyaru burst out laughing.

Wow. Who would’ve guessed the head of the AAC is such a klutz. Not like something similar happened to me seconds ago or anythin...

The interviewer glanced at his notes again.

“Back to Rivery, your popularity has surged recently. We even received a fan-voted question, it's a bit personal, so feel free to skip. But… are you currently seeing anyone? Dating, maybe?”

While the interviewer spoke, a staff member approached Rei and refilled his coffee.

“Oh why thank you.”

Rei accepted the fresh cup with a grateful smile and took a sip.

Rivery remained perfectly still, her expression unreadable. Then she placed a hand over her chest.

“I do have someone I love.”

For the first time during the interview, a little colour appeared on her face. She blushed for a brief moment, and a small smile touched her lips.

Rei immediately spat out his coffee again.

“OUCH, WHAT YOU DO? HOW?”

He froze. The cameras were still rolling.

Rei quickly straightened himself and coughed, trying to recover his composure.

Hiyaru stopped halfway through taking another bite of his snack. He blinked at the screen.

…Huh. Even… a cold looking person like her… I wonder why I’m still single.

Rivery lowered her hand. Her voice remained calm, though there was a quiet confidence behind her words.

“That is all that matters,” she sighed.

For the briefest moment, Hiyaru thought he saw a smile on her face.

He leaned back into his chair and muttered under his breath.

…Weird. She looked like a statue the whole time…

“That concludes today’s AAC interview,” the interviewer announced.

The broadcast faded out.

Hiyaru lowered the television volume and stared at the screen for a moment.

“AAC seems strong… no doubt, well nothing compared to me. But that girl…Reevery or whatever… I can’t tell what’s going on in her head at all nor that Chief Re- hmm Kanzaki was it? Can'tsucky or whatever his name was.”

He scratched his head, then shrugged.

“She’s… pretty. But creepy. Definitely creepy.”

With that settled, he unpaused his game.

“Alright. Back to important matters. Winning after that sixth loss, gotta change it to winstreak.”

The television continued playing in the background while Hiyaru remained glued to his game.

Eventually, the console shut off.

Hiyaru stared at the screen.

“Man… today was long. And I even managed to extend it to a twelve game losing streak ...just amazing”

He stretched his arms above his head and groaned.

As he was yawning he heard the sound of an engine outside.

Three black cars pulled up before his house.

Suddenly his phone started to buzz like crazy.

He glanced down at the display.

Incoming call — Neki.

“Huh, what could she want at this hour?” He picked it up.

“Yeah Neki?? You miss me already, hmm?”

She started to speak in a panicked tone.

“Hiyaru, hide quickly! Signals—a-PpRo-aCh...” Call disconnects as static noise swallows the rest of her warning.

Hiyaru stopped moving for a moment.

“Neki??? You okay?? Weird, I can't call her back, but she said something about signals so someone is close by and definitely not a friend, considering someone just used a jammer on me…plus I don’t have any friends but that is a minor detail heh…”

He grabbed his mask, suit, and weapon before slowly approaching the door to go find out what was happening.

When he was about to touch the door handle there was a noise that caught his attention.

A faint sizzling sound…just like a firework…it was the sound of a lit fuse.

However he had barely enough time to process what he was hearing when the entrance suddenly exploded.

The blast tore through the door and wall, sending pieces of bricks and wood across the hideout.

Hiyaru was thrown backwards and slammed into the far end of the hallway, right into the living room and falling behind the couch.

For a moment, everything rang in his ears and his head was spinning.

“What the..f-fuck..was ugh this…” he whispered to himself.

Hiyaru struggled to move, the smoke and dust making his vision blurry.

Before he managed to get it together, a cold commanding voice came from outside.

“Remember, shoot on sight. If you find the man who stole it alive, eliminate him.”

A tall masked man stepped through the ruined entrance. It was Jack Newer, his men began spreading out behind him.

“Secure the perimeter and cover me, obtain the vial.”