Hero Chasers

Issue 32 - World War Super Part 1

A mixture of rain and snow battled it out as a thin slush covered the town square. The sun was covered in a thick haze as the city came to life. I slumped against a wall, flipping around my Hero Chaser ID, sticking earbuds in and changing the music. Turning on the screen, I glanced at the time, which was one minute to eight.

I watched as the clock struck the hour. I pressed play and walked to the side of a moonbuck, knocking on the drive-thru window. One of the many Adas opened up, dazed by my appearance. "Yeah, ugh, can I get a ugh? Umm, I'll get ugh... Is there a Hero Chaser discount?"

"What is the meaning of this!?" Ada snapped, dumbfounded.

"I'll take a hot chocolate with two sugars, almond milk, cocoa powder and whipped cream with extra marshmallows and salted camarel sauce. All that with a dash of love, please dear, ta."

Ada left the window as I placed my hands in my pockets, smirking. "And here we go."

****

"Wait, you want Dauoi here to be bait?" Frigg questioned with the foulest look imaginable. "I just spent the last six months working on breaking him out, and now you want him back?"

"Exactly, the way I see it, Ada is borderline obsessed with Dauoi; she's made it her life goal to recruit him for her crusade against evil, so Dauoi is going to say yes," Rita explains, sitting upside down now, playing on her Steam Deck. "Look, any of us wouldn't work as well as bait as Dauoi. She'll send everything they've got at him. The likelihood of making direct contact with the OG Ada is quite impossible. I have a higher chance of getting a triple five star in Honkai Star Rail than Ada showing up."

"So we go to her instead?" I respond, debating our choices. "I'm not sure I like this plan, but we have a lot riding on the fact that Ada will bring me in."

"Oh, I do not doubt that psycho Deity won't. But if we cannot reach Dauoi, we lose him again."

"Look, this is like a raid night; we're planning our roles. And well, Dauoi is just best as ad clear, cause mayhem, get their attention. Think you can do that?"

****

The window opened as Ada handed me the drink I asked for; I smirked, taking the drink and gulping the whole thing down. "You're a fool if you think you can waltz back into my life and make a mockery of my plan. You are nothing; you hear me nothing. I will crush you beneath my boot and pave a new world with your bones."

"Ahh, honey, what's with the hostility? Admit it, I'm stuck in your head; you need me more than you know. Speaking of." I taunt, seeing a horde of Adas approaching, swarming the streets. More were watching from the apartments above. Taking the last sip, I threw my drink into the bin, wiping my mouth. "That hit the spot; who wants to go first?"

The first two Adas rushed at me, forcing me back. Stomping the ground with my right foot, the manhole I was standing on came off and flew in front of me. Raising my foot, I kicked it with full force, taking out the two attackers in an instant. 

No one else waited as the horde attacked. Elbowing the window, I smashed the glass, diving through into the fast food joint. Crawling back, the horde began pouring through. Jumping on the counter, I twirled my arm around shadows bursting from my arm, sweeping dozens off their feet. Flipping forward, my shadow grabbed at me, holding me against the ceiling and avoiding a dogpile. Holding my arms up, I crashed down, blowing the area around me apart, Ada flying in the air. Rising to my feet, three more tackled me into the wall, strangling me. Struggling to move, my arm was pinned to the grill.

Ada glanced at it with a smug look. "Maybe you'll appreciate more if we heat our relationship."

"I couldn't... Agree more." I croak, fizzling into the wall and coming out the other side. Curling my fist back, I punched a hole through, knocking one Ada onto the grill; she screamed in pain, falling to the ground. Making a finger gun with my left hand, I spun around, firing off bursts of my shadow at the incoming villains, knocking them all down and the bodies piling up. Blowing the tip of my finger, I smirked. "Quad feed."