Villain's Rising

"Because, unlike Starsuper, I was actually doing my job!"

After listening to that, Eve wanted to retort but he kept his silence. He knew his friend was going through a tough time.

The pain of losing someone you love, Eve was very familiar with that kind of pain.

He knew that losing Rose had taken a toll on EagleClaw that's why Eve played along with him.

"Okay, let's say what you're claiming is correct. A Villian is really stupid enough to step foot in the Heart of the Hero Association, why would they risk initiating a war?"

That was a valid point.

Although Academy City is very thorough with its background check on people who wish to enter it. Sometimes criminals and Villains succeed in breaking through their security.

But never in the history of Academy City did they ever perform any villainy after stepping through the gates of this City.

Usually, the Villains and Criminals who manage to get past Academy City's background check either get here to give themselves a new head start and turn over their life or they get here to spy on Heroes.

But none of them dare to commit a crime here.

The reason is simple. Villains can't risk starting a full-fledged war with Heroes.

Academy City is the 'Heart of the Hero Association', but with a good plan and perfect timing along with some real powerful Supervillains fighting on the frontlines, it's not that difficult to hit Academy City with an attack they can't defend.

However, the real battle will come afterward. When Heroes all around the world will start hunting Villains for bringing harm to the Academy City.

And that's precisely what they are discussing all around the world. After the attacks in the past few months, the Heroes have started discussing this matter.

Yes, all around the world Heroes are addressing this matter and demanding to start a war.

Because in their eyes, they think that the Villain responsible for the attacks in the past few months is backed by the Villain Association.

They don't know that it was just an 18-year-old boy dealing with his love life and some really irritating people.

And although Starsuper had already announced that it was the Progenitor who was behind the attack, people in the council have a conflicted opinion about it.

Some of them don't believe that the Progenitor has returned and the rest of them only believe because they trust Starsuper's judgment.

And outside the Hero Council, almost no one knows about that matter.

That was one of the reasons Starsuper has gone to confirm his speculation. And if his fear turns out to be true then Starsuper will reveal the news to the world.

Eve, who although not in the council still got this news beforehand because of his influence, doesn't believe that Progenitor has returned.

And that would be any sane person's reaction too. What if you were told that Hitler has returned? Would you believe it?

So Eve believes that it was a Villain backed up by the Villain Association who committed these crimes in the Academy City.

And that's why he asked EagleClaw for his opinion. However, it looked like even EagleClaw had no idea regarding this matter either.

"I don't know," EagleClaw said. "But I do know it's someone from the first year of Warrior class!"

After the continuous claims from his childhood friend, Eve finally decided to ask for validation.

"Okay, why do you think it's a first-year student who's behind these crimes? And do you really think a first-year student, who must be 18 years or less, can have this kind of power? I mean he murdered Rose, and she had the [Phasing] ability!" Eve said.

"Yes! I know! And still, I believe it's someone from the first year. And as for my evidence, Rose started behaving strangely after the entrance test!" EagleClaw replied with certainty.

Seeing his confidence, Eve decided to ask further.

"Strangely? What do you mean by that?" Eve questioned with an intrigued face.

"She was the invigilator in the entrance exam. After that day she started behaving strangely. She would not answer my messages and not pick up my calls. And even when I tried to meet up with her, she would just make some excuses…"

No matter how hard he tried to conceal it, Eve could tell by the trembling voice of EagleClaw that he was on the verge of breaking down.

However, Eve had to ask the question he had in his mind.

"Are you sure… that she wasn't just in an affair?" Eve asked hesitatingly.

"NO! SHE WOULD NEVER!" It didn't even take a single second for EagleClaw to deny the accusations against his lover.

But no matter how hard he tried, he was just a man grieving his lover's death. A single accusation like that was enough to break him.

Tears started coursing down his eyes. EagleClaw took off his mask and revealed his face because a hero shouldn't cry.

He wasn't EagleClaw right now, he was Raven.

He had disheveled black hair and brown eyes. And under those brown were dark circles, indicating that he hadn't got a good night's sleep for days if not weeks.

"I'm sorry Raven… I shouldn't have said something like that." Sighing, Eve apologized.

Facepalming Raven tried to calm himself down. After a while, he shook his head and stood up.

"I came here to ask for your help," he said while standing up. "But it seems like you aren't interested in helping me anyway."

"No! It's not like I don't want to help you Raven but Starsuper has strictly forbidden anyone from investigating this case any further!" Eve tried to justify while standing up himself.

"AGAIN WITH THAT BASTARD!" Kicking the center table of the living room, Raven shouted. "He doesn't even care about us! If he cared, he would be here with us!"

Without waiting for Eve to reply to that comment, Raven took his eagle mask and headed to the main exit of the mansion.

"Wait!" Eve tried to stop him from behind. "Tell me, who are you suspecting to be the culprit?!"

"Why do you care?!" Without even bothering to turn around, Raven walked through the living room to exit the mansion.

Left alone, Eve couldn't help but sigh again. He was really worried about his childhood friend.

He could just hope that Raven would be wise enough to not do anything stupid.

Even though Eve didn't really believe that the Progenitor had returned, even Eve had to admit that the Villain who had been causing uproar in the Academy City was dangerous.

Killing someone who can't be touched physically like Rose Bluespring was a feat not many could achieve.

"Just please be safe Raven…"

However, unknown to Eve, EagleClaw was already planning to do something he shouldn't.

He was planning to investigate the person he had in mind to be the culprit behind all the villainy happening these days in Academy City.

*

"Are we going back?" Rick asked the man in the cape beside him.

"Yes," Starsuper replied. "Let's go back."

Currently, they were in the deepest part of the dungeon.

Even after Starsuper confirmed his speculation, they kept going deeper to find anything that could be useful in the coming days.

"But before we go back, let's visit an old friend."

At those words from Starsuper, a frown formed on Rick's face.

"A friend of yours? Who's that?" Rick asked.

"She's a… fortune teller," Starsuper said with a little hesitation.

"Fortune Teller? Didn't take you for a superstitious person, do you believe in astronomy too? Haha!" Rick joked as he laughed.

Starsuper only rolled his eyes before explaining.

"It's not superstition," He said in order to defend himself. "She can see the future."

"Another one with an ability to see the future?" Rick questioned with a distrustful voice. "I think it's been established that no one can completely determine the future."

"I know, the future is not set and it's always changing. But if anyone can be said to be an exception to that rule then it's her."

After saying that much, Starsuper turned around and started walking toward the exit.

Although Rick wanted to retort, he just followed Starsuper without making a fuss.

Starsuper was Rick's childhood Hero, and although Rick didn't believe in Fortune Telling abilities, he believed in Starsuper.

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Information Available On:

[Precognition/Fortune Telling]

•The power to perceive future events. Sub-power of Chrono Vision and Extrasensory Perception. Variation of Psionics.

Opposite to Retrocognition. Not the same thing as Event Experiencing and Clairvoyance.

•Users can foresee possible futures and observe what may happen. As knowledge of the future invariably causes that future to change, visions of the future are subject to frequent shifting.

While not being able to select futures or travel through time, these visions may assist in possible courses of action.

•As mentioned in the aforementioned point, the future's not set. Time is like a river and free will can change the future.

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