The socially awkward villain's furry superpower

Yezebel didn't want to leave his apartment.

She found herself stuck in the doorway. The door was open; she only needed to take one step to get outside.

Her car was parked there, engine running, headlights illuminating a quiet street a few blocks from the college. She lived in a nice area of ​​town, owning a rather nice apartment.

Things weren't always this way, but ever since she gained her superpowers, everything has truly changed. She used to be quite pretty… she didn't even know how to describe herself. She wasn't even considered an oddity in her family. To the rest of the family, she was just someone who existed, living her life as usual.

The Jessbel family wasn't super wealthy, but they were the kind of family that could afford two vacations a year: one in the south during the summer and one in the north for skiing in the winter. They belonged to the more respectable middle class, running several small but reliable businesses that would eventually be taken over by the younger generation.

It's very likely she won't get a chance. She's still young and not the most favored child in the family. Her family did send her to university, but that's all.

But that was all before she became a superheroine and before she gained superpowers.

Her abilities were weak and unremarkable, but they were still superpowers. Her identity as a masked hero was revealed. She brought her family one most valuable thing—something to brag about.

It felt pretty good. A new home, more pocket money, and a car that originally belonged to her uncle—it was practically a gift. That car was less than six years old! The style was a bit…like something someone experiencing a midlife crisis would choose, but she had nothing to complain about.

But at this moment, all this beauty is as tasteless as the dust in my mouth.

She urged her legs to step over the threshold, but her body seemed to have no will to obey.

A soft ticking sound came from behind her. The second hand of the kitchen clock was moving. It was a silent reproach and reminder that she was wasting time.

Her thoughts kept flashing back to the battle with "Rattlesnake." Or more precisely, to the scene of her being brutally beaten by this villain. He knocked her to the ground with seemingly effortless ease. For some reason, the look in his eyes remained unforgettable and would linger in her mind forever.

Even after spending some time in the hospital, she has still managed to pull herself together. Heroes have other things to do besides fighting, and she seizes every opportunity, that's all. This means a lot of volunteer work and time spent on mundane tasks like public relations, but it's the only way she can truly improve herself and her abilities.

During the day, burying fear deep within self-improvement is somewhat effective. But now it's four in the morning, and the situation isn't so optimistic.

"You damned coward," Yezebel cursed himself under his breath.

At this moment, Sienna, the leader, and her gang of kids are off to fight the "Rattlesnake," likely all by themselves.

She forced herself to overcome that mental barrier, and as she did so, a chill ran down her spine. She stepped outside, into the cool night air. It wasn't actually that dark; there were streetlights everywhere. At that moment, all her worries seemed to have been in vain, though she knew in her heart that the door was merely a symbolic obstacle.

She locked the door, then ran to her car and jumped inside. Soon after, she sped off towards the meeting point arranged by Sienna, the leader.

She sped through the city and soon arrived at the place Sienna had asked her to meet her. It was a 24-hour coffee shop called "Im Orton," located at the corner of two streets. There were some parking spaces in the back, making it less noticeable to people on the street.

Yezebel drove in and parked in the back. Only her car was there.

She almost turned back before turning off the engine, but she had already driven this far, and she felt it was unlikely that "Rattlesnake" had fooled Sienna or anything like that.

So she turned off the car, jumped out, and went to the trunk where all her other gear was. At that moment, she was only wearing her main outfit and a pair of comfortable running shoes. She took those off and put on the armored boots from her gear, along with a pair of thick, long gloves made of some kind of cut-resistant material with special features. It wasn't great protective gear, but it was better than nothing. Then she put on her face mask, and then had to fix her hair again, as the mask had made it a mess.

“Nice clothes,” someone said behind her. Yezebel was startled, turned around abruptly, and jumped a good ten feet away.

She assumed an unsteady stance, raising her hands as if to throw a punch, her superpowers almost about to erupt. A man stood there, dressed like a discarded character from a Renaissance festival, holding two cups of coffee.

She blinked. "Wait, you're the villain that the boss used to help. The one with the Latin name. You even asked me out."

“I’m more like a wanderer,” the man said. “And you haven’t agreed yet, but that’s no big deal.” He took a big gulp from one of the coffees and then handed over the other. “This is, uh, a large, double sugar, double milk.”

Yezebel stared at him. "This is my usual order," she said.

He pointed to the coffee shop with another cup of coffee. "I ordered one for myself, but they accidentally gave me this one. The guy at the counter who was so busy gave it to me. I guess I'm just that lucky, you know? Want it? Or I'll give it to one of those kids. Consider it a return favor."

"Repay?"

“Because I was dragged all this way here,” he said. “Look at this shirt? A silk shirt. And I’m not wearing anything underneath. I’m freezing.”

She did feel a bit cold. "And what's the reward?"

"Do you know what effect all that caffeine and sugar will have on the boss's kids? They'll be jumping around the house excitedly. Then, when the effects wear off, they'll start crying and whining again. Getting me out of the house so early is pretty good revenge."

Yezebel took the coffee. "Thank you," she said.

He shrugged. "Anyway, it's free, little Flash."

“My name is Glamour Woman,” she corrected. “You’re… the one whose name has a Latin flair?”

“Aleja Iqta,” he said. “Usually I would start flirting with you, but I’m cold and tired, so can we just pretend I’ve already done my best?”

Yezebel couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't expected this. "Okay, I think it's possible."

“Very good, very good,” he said, holding his coffee cup even tighter. He looked around, then at her, then at the parking lot. “Looks like we’re early,” he said.

“They’ll come,” Yezebel replied. She… had a lot of faith in Sienna. Sure, the girl was a bit… loud and boisterous, but she’d never let her down. She adjusted her mask. “So… it’s been a while since you’ve been a villain?”

“Well, like most people, starting from last year’s Superpower Day,” Aleia Ikta said. “By the way, why are so many heroes and non-heroes here newbies? Is this normal?”

"Most heroes give up in the first three months. It's... kind of like a thankless and poorly paid job."

"No pay?"

“I could earn more serving coffee than that in terms of the time I put in,” she said. “The bonuses are pretty good and the hourly wage is high, but for every hour you work, you have to spend two hours training.”

“Ha,” he said, “what about the non-heroes?”

“Most of them went to jail,” she said.

Aleya Iqta raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "That makes sense."

A van drove into the parking lot, bypassed the drive-thru lane, and stopped next to Yezebel's car. The side door suddenly opened, and a group of children poured out.

There were only six, but it felt like a lot. And Yezebel was pretty sure there weren't enough seatbelts in the van for all of them.

Then the boss walked around from the back of the car, closed the door, and said something to the driver. The van drove away, circled the parking lot, and drove off.

“Hey,” Aleya Iqta said.

"It's that lucky idiot!" the bear girl said as she ran over. "Hey! Long time no see. Is that hot chocolate?"

“Maybe,” he said, sounding wary. “And it’s mine. Get away, kid.”

"I'm a Ursa Minor, you idiot."

“Little Bear, don’t bother Aleia Ikta.” The boss walked over and said, “Glamour Woman Aleia Ikta, it’s nice to see you two.”

“You have to find a way to earn the right to sleep in your train carriage,” Aleja Iqta said.

Yezebel glanced at him, unsure of his meaning. "How's the situation?" she asked instead. This was far more arbitrary than the actions of the HRF (assuming it was a hero organization).

“Someone saw Rattlesnake lurking around,” the leader said. “His target is some underground intelligence dealer, protected by Melatonin. He should still be nearby. I think… we should try to distract him with Melatonin, and then we’ll ambush him. At least that’s the plan for now. I, uh, welcome any suggestions.”