The socially awkward villain's furry superpower

Kevin was enjoying his time, in a way that time should be enjoyed. Today he was in a hotel, not one of those run-down motels. It was one of the few hotels in O'Clair, just a few blocks from the larger college or something like that. Right now, if anyone asked him who he was…

In reality, he couldn't remember the name on the stolen ID card. The key point was that he was just a college student who had booked a nice hotel room with cash.

He was lying on a spacious, comfortable bed, without pants on, watching a large-screen TV, and enjoying a few bottles of beer he'd pilfered from the mini-fridge in the next room. He wasn't going to spend that money to buy the stuff from his own mini-fridge; the prices were practically robbery.

Kevin reached under his shirt, rubbed his stomach, and then yawned. He had done nothing all day, yet felt inexplicably tired.

Of course, he couldn't stay away like this forever. Eventually, he'd run out of cash and have to leave. And lingering there too long wouldn't be wise. The unfortunate guy who stole his ID might notice something amiss, or the hotel might become suspicious.

He had his doubts. At this time of year, the hotel seemed to be deserted, so it was short-staffed, but there was still a chance that some bored person might want to find out more about Kevin, which would be troublesome.

But that's for later.

If you're a villain and can't even relax occasionally, what's the point? This should be a lifestyle, not a nine-to-five job.

He shifted slightly on the bed, and the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain. He had a long, dark bruise on his calf, with yellowish edges and a slight greenish tinge. The bruise had been slowly fading over the past few days, but it still hurt whenever he moved.

This is another reason why he chose to stay indoors.

Kevin didn't possess any magical healing abilities. However, he did have a few tricks up his sleeve. He reached out and touched his leg, and his entire hand began to tremble, then vibrated like a cell phone. The vibration traveled to his leg, and he could feel all his muscles and bones trembling.

The sensation was quite pleasant, much like a massage. However, most people probably wouldn't like it. The frequency of the vibrations, if applied to someone else's legs, would likely have ripped the flesh apart, but for him, it was different. For him, it was extremely soothing, like applying a hot compress to sore muscles.

His injury itself infuriated him.

Auclair should have been an easy place to take. It was just an obscure little town with nothing of significance. For him, it should have been a piece of cake to simply walk in, deal with the local heroes, and then rule this small place.

If he had to choose between being the king of the slums and a lackey of a powerful force, he would definitely choose to be the king.

But at this moment, he was wearing only his underwear, holed up in a hotel watching cartoons. Not even a single follower was to be seen.

After a moment's thought, he concluded that it was all the fault of the "boss" woman—Sienna.

She appeared out of nowhere. A completely new, heroic "good Samaritan," always meddling in other people's business. And she brought her bunch of brats with her.

Kevin tossed an empty can across the room, it clattering to the floor. He picked up another, hissing as he pulled the tab. He should have had a super cool base by now. Maybe a bunker, or a decent club. Yes, a club, with a DJ, flashing lights, and maybe a few hot shills who'd do his bidding.

He muttered a few more words, then reached for the remote. Cartoons had become annoying commercials, and he didn't want to watch them. He quickly changed the channel, skipping over boring sitcoms, repetitive old movies, and news—

Kevin stopped, then switched back a few channels to the news channel.

This is a boringly positive news story about a local hospital in Eau Claire. It's a cell phone video filmed in a parking lot. The footage shows several Heroic Response Force (HRF) vans and a larger recreational vehicle parked in front of the hospital.

His attention was mainly focused on one person. Sienna was standing outside, surrounded by a group of goblins, talking to what looked like a cobbled-together hero.

The news anchor was talking about some large-scale visit, fundraising for charity and a children's foundation. He wasn't paying much attention.

She was there. She looked beautiful and smug, completely oblivious to the fact that she was in his city.

That's not fair. He won the last fight. Admittedly, he beat them up and then left, but he's still the victor.

He watched as Sienna's blurry, pixelated image flickered on the screen. The person holding the camera was clearly unprofessional. She looked happy.

The remote control suddenly exploded in his hand. Kevin cursed and shook off the plastic shards. He'd forgotten to control his superpowers, and the remote shattered like glass. Kevin shook his hand, then realized the television was now stuck on the news channel.

“Damn it,” he cursed. The news then went on to report some economic news that he had no interest in.

He stood up, took another big gulp of beer, and stood there for a while. He wasn't sure what to do next. He really wanted to rush into the hospital and wreak havoc, but… well, he was a villain, not a monster. Besides, vandalizing a hospital's children's ward wasn't like robbing a bank; that would get him way too much trouble.

Kevin scoffed dismissively. “Enjoy your time, boss,” he muttered. “Let’s see if this city still loves you when it’s reduced to ruins.”

He didn't finish his beer; instead, he threw it in the trash, put on a pair of sweatpants, and left. He realized that O'Clair wasn't for him. He was robbing those laxly secured banks, making a small fortune, but his dream of becoming a supervillain was nowhere in sight.

Worse still, he became increasingly obese, lazy, and complacent. The hotel room felt increasingly cramped and oppressive, so he left and headed to the hotel gym.

The gym was almost empty. There was a guy lifting dumbbells, working out leisurely, but he was in a corner, and Kevin decided to ignore him. Kevin wasn't good at exercising. He only kept at it a little, because he had to, but that was all.

Some of the gangs he joined were extremely enthusiastic about building muscle and doing cardio. Kevin preferred to rely on his superpowers to defeat others rather than his fists.

But if he wants to rule this place, he needs to lose the fat on his belly.

He stepped onto the treadmill and started sweating. Throughout the entire process, he kept his eyes fixed on the ground. It felt a little better to imagine himself chasing after that stupid woman and her brats, rushing over and beating them to a pulp.

Kevin pounded his way across the treadmill, each step carrying a heavy weight of frustration. Sweat beaded on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks, and he quickened his pace. The meaningless rhythm, the machine's mechanical hum, seemed to reflect the turmoil within him. Sienna's smug face, surrounded by her "kids," kept flashing through his mind, further solidifying his resolve.

He was fed up with playing minor villains. Auclair was supposed to be a stop along his path to greatness. Instead, he felt stuck there.

There's only one way to deal with this: intensify our efforts. Let this city see just how powerful he really is.

Kevin cursed under his breath. It would feel great to wreak havoc. But that would attract too much attention… He knew he was powerful, very strong. But he couldn't take on the entire Hero Response Force. If he started collapsing the whole street, they would definitely come out in full force against him.

An hour later, he staggered off the treadmill. The feeling of sweating was certainly nice, but the feeling inside was still terrible. He was still angry, still frustrated.

He walked over to the dumbbells and began to lift them. He could easily imagine himself crushing the entire city, but even with that thought, he knew it wasn't a good idea.

He needs a plan. He needs a concrete idea of ​​what to do next.

The first step in this plan is to eliminate the competitors.