The socially awkward villain's furry superpower

“You did a good job just now,” Handshaw said.

Sienna looked at the back of his head. They returned to the hotel parking lot and were walking in the direction of...not the car from the "handshake" incident?

“I mean, there wasn’t much noise just now, but you did your part,” he said, stopping next to a small van at the back of the parking lot.

The older man bent down, groped around under the car for a while, and then pulled out a bunch of keys. The keys jingled, and he seemed quite pleased. "Get in the car."

"Why don't we use your other car?" Teddy asked as he jumped into the back seat.

"Car bombs, honey. And then there's the issue of trackers; it's easier to track a known car, and things like that."

This might seem a bit suspicious, but it's actually not that complicated in practice. Both cars are rented anyway, and of course, they're using aliases.

“Oh, of course,” Sienna said, jumping into the passenger seat. She sat on something, then quickly sat up; it was an envelope with the word “Boss” written on it.

"That's for you. Two thousand yuan. I know we agreed on three thousand before, but that was before I knew you brought an assistant."

Oh, and there's a key and the address of a safe house. It's not a very comfortable place, but it's in a remote location and very safe.

He shifted in the driver's seat and put the key into the ignition. The truck roared to life. "Do you want me to take you back to where I picked you up?" he asked.

“Okay, sure,” Sienna said.

"Alright! By the way, you can use that changing area as you please. But once I stop using a certain area, I feel it's no longer safe."

Of course, if you're a bit suspicious, you can skip that.

Sienna nodded. She wasn't even sure if she agreed with what she said, but nodding was at least a response.

She opened the envelope and stared at the twenty neatly folded banknotes. This money… though the denomination wasn't small, it looked pitifully little, considering it represented a considerable sum.

She wondered if she had ever held so much money at once before.

This money will come in handy. The girls can buy some new clothes and other things, and she also has to consider their education.

She figured they probably couldn't go to school, but maybe she could get them some school supplies and teach them at home? Or maybe she could come up with some home-based education methods.

She imagined how difficult it would be to get Teddy to sit down and study; she figured it wouldn't be easy. Athena probably wasn't that difficult.

“Boss?” Handshaw said.

Sienna was startled. "Oh? I'm sorry, I was just...excuse me."

“It’s nothing. I just asked you if you would be willing to tell me about the ‘conspiracy group’ that you know about. That’s all.”

Sienna rubbed her hands together, then stopped. She didn't want to appear nervous, even though it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she wasn't sure about the situation.

“I… I was near the guy who fell down when we caught him, the guy called ‘Little Package,’ and then he mentioned the ‘conspiracy group.’”

I guess that was my first clue. Then… a friend came to hide with me. He was invited to join the ‘conspiracy,’ but his superpowers told him it wasn’t a good idea.”

"His superpowers?" "Handshake" asked.

“Well, I think if we’re going to talk about this, it’s worth more than just two favors,” Sienna said.

"Wow, you've only been in this business for a short time, but you already know quite a few interesting people. Most people outside of hero organizations don't have the right to boast about knowing so many people with superpowers."

“The boss has a lot of connections,” Teddy said.

“Thai—Ursa Minor! Don’t say that,” Sienna said.

The bear-like girl in the back seat blinked blankly at her. She didn't understand the double meaning behind her words. Sienna didn't want to blame her, but it was indeed a bit awkward.

"I'll explain later." I'll explain it much, much later.

"So, are you satisfied with the payment?" "Shake Hands" said. "I will certainly make sure to prepare the remaining money for you as soon as possible."

We can arrange a secret meeting point, or I can deliver the money to your designated address. Perhaps a P.O. Box? But if someone doesn't know any better, it's easy to track down.

"That's fine, thank you." Sienna said, taking the banknotes out of the envelope and putting them away.

“You’re welcome,” said “Shake Hands.” He smiled at her, but she wasn’t sure if that smile was any more genuine than the ones he usually wore. “So that’s all there is to your involvement with the ‘conspiracy group’?”

“Yes, that’s about it,” Sienna said. “I asked other people about them, but they told me to mind my own business.”

"Hmm. If the other party knows the situation, they will either accidentally reveal that you know something you shouldn't know, or they will oppose the 'conspiracy group', or they will remain neutral and may keep the fact that you asked about it a secret."

Sienna hoped it would be the last possibility. Meraton seemed alright... well, generally okay.

They drove into the alley where Handshaw had picked them up earlier, and the man parked the car and pulled the handbrake. "Before you leave."

Sienna, who had her hand on the car door handle preparing to get out, stopped upon hearing this. "What's wrong?"

"If I ever need your help again in a similar situation, are you available? I might have more jobs suitable for you and all your... companions, no matter how many of you there are."

She suppressed the urge to swallow, not wanting to give herself away. "I...maybe," she said. "I think we could stay in touch?"

Handshaw nodded to her. "Great! In that case, I'll text you about a day or so and tell you where the rest of the money I owe you is. Have a good night, you three."

Sienna got out of the car and watched as "Shake Hands" awkwardly backed the truck out of the alley, into traffic, and then drove away.

She let out a long sigh of relief. "It's finally over," she said.

“This is kind of boring,” Teddy said.

“Yes,” Athena chimed in, “but they all seem to be quite important. So it’s not too bad, right?”

“I think so too,” Sienna said. “Who wants to change first?” she asked.

"Are we going home?" Teddy asked. "I can take a nap."

"I think we can go buy some food first. Let's have fast food."

“I can have some snacks too,” Teddy changed his mind. “I’ll go change my clothes first!” Bear Girl rushed into the small changing room under the fire escape, leaving Sienna and Athena alone.

Athena put her hands in her pockets and leaned against the nearest wall.

If she were a little taller than Sienna's shoulders, this pose might actually look pretty cool. "How are we going to deal with those guys who start with 'C'?" Athena asked.

"The best-case scenario is to do nothing."

Teddy opened the dressing room door, half of him still in his costume, holding Sienna's phone in his hand. "Hey, boss, the phone's ringing."

Sienna's heart sank. She took the phone and looked at the unfamiliar number. She pressed the answer button, "Hello?"

“Oh, oh, thank goodness,” came Aleya Ekta’s voice. “I need help. I desperately need help.”

She considered hanging up the phone and pretending nothing had happened. But after glancing at the companion she had summoned, she changed her mind.

This was not only a sign of cowardice, but also a sign of cowardice in front of two people who were beginning to genuinely care about her opinions.

She cared about these two people's opinions far more than she cared about the opinions of people she barely knew. Looking back now, perhaps she shouldn't have cared so much about what others thought.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

“Hey, don’t take it out on me,” Jacob said.

"Tell me what happened quickly."

“I’m being chased. It’s a heroine, a show-off girl I’ve never met before. I think a ‘conspiracy’ tipped her off. I desperately need help.”

Sienna felt she would regret it if she didn't go. "Tell me where you are."