Chapter 4: First customer
Kael paced the gray-tiled floor of The Haven, the off-white walls catching the flicker of a single bulb overhead. Three days had passed since his deal with Liss—three days of waiting, of checking thet's blue sheet, of running his fingers along the desk's edge. His savings were a dwindling shadow in his mind, but the silence broke with a sharp knock at the door.
He opened it to Liss, her A-rank suit glinting faintly in the dusk. Behind her, bound in superstrength belts—thick, black straps that hummed withntainment tech—stood a figure,llared and gagged. The villain's wild crimson hair streaked with ash spilled over her shoulders, her lean frame jerking against the restraints. A superpower-suppressingllar gleamed dull around her neck, muting whatever fire once burned there.
Liss shoved the captive forward, stepping inside. Her electric blue eyes swept the room—the sparse desk, the gray partitions, thet—and she let out a low whistle. "Damn, Kael. You've actually made something out of this dump. Props for trying to polish trash like her into anything worthwhile."
Kael's gaze flicked to the villain. He knew that hair, those burn scars snaking across her pale arms and throat. Flame-Warden—B-rank, rising fast. The villain directory had her pegged as a pyrokinetic loose cannon, last seen meditating in a volcano to juice up her flames. Posters warned of her heat, her rage. Now, she glared through the gag, amber eyes blazing at Liss.
Liss caught the look and sneered. "What? Still mad I roasted your ass?" She turned to Kael, a greedy glint in her grin as he handed over a thick wad of cash—seven grand, crisp and heavy. She thumbed through it, smirking. "Caught her fresh off her little volcano retreat. Thought she'd be hot shit after all that meditating, but she's still weak. Trash-tier, honestly."
Flame-Warden thrashed in her belts, a muffled snarl vibrating through the gag. Her wiry frame strained, musclesiling, but the straps held tight. Liss stepped closer, her hand cracking across the villain's cheek—a sharp, stinging slap that echoed off the walls. Flame-Warden's head snapped to the side, but her eyes stayed locked on Liss, molten with fury.
"Keep squirming, you little arsonist," Liss spat, venom dripping from every word. "You torched half a district, killed who knows how many, and for what? You're nothing. A spark I snuffed out in ten snds flat." She slapped her again, harder, and Flame-Warden jerked upright, chest heaving, amber eyes promising murder if thellar ever came off.
Liss turned back to Kael, brushing her hands like she'd touched filth. "Good luck with this one. Don't die before I bring you the next pile of garbage, yeah?" She pocketed the cash, gave a mock salute, and strode out, the door clicking shut behind her. The room fell silent, save for the villain's ragged breaths.
Kael studied her for a moment—tall, lean, all sharp edges and defiance. Then he grabbed her arm, dragging her deeper into The Haven. She stumbled, belts creaking, but he steered her to a chair by his desk. He sat her down, her bound hips pressing against the edge, and settled across from her. With a slow tug, he pulled the gag free, letting it dangle around her neck.