The socially awkward villain's furry superpower

The "Dark Cup" looks like a coffee shop.

Sienna herself didn't understand why she was so surprised.

It doesn't portray itself as some kind of morally questionable place.

The signboard and decorations clearly indicate that this is a "family-run shop," without needing any further explanation.

Sienna grew up watching animated films about her favorite heroes and also saw movies where the "masked man" (whose acting was rather poor) occasionally came in real life.

In those works, the villains always hide in dark, dirty places like warehouses, and the environment is quite fitting for their evil deeds.

The "Dark Cup" didn't fit into those scenes at all, but for some reason, it made her more nervous than walking into a store with posters supporting kicking puppies and stealing baby candy.

"Honey, do you need any help?" the female clerk behind the counter asked.

She was a girl in her mid-twenties, with her hair covered by a net, wearing ordinary clothes and an apron.

“Hmm,” Sienna began the conversation as usual, “I, I, uh. Yes.”

The shop assistant looked up from her notebook, raised one eyebrow, and said, "You can sit anywhere."

Sienna shook her head, took a small step closer to the counter, and pulled Teddy along with her.

"No need. I'm here... to find someone, uh, someone who calls himself a mysterious stranger?"

A hint of doubt flashed in the female shop assistant's eyes at first, then she showed a knowing look.

She looked Sienna up and down, then glanced at Teddy. "Come with me."

Sienna held Teddy's hand tightly until Teddy returned the grip.

Knowing she wasn't alone made her feel a little better. But only a little.

Her only helper was a girl who looked five years younger than her, and her superpowers...

Sienna has never really investigated it.

Maybe Teddy's superpower is being able to sleep for more than fourteen hours straight.

They were led to the back of the shop.

The restaurant is shaped like a capital "L", so the back seats are in the corner and lead to the restrooms, and the customers in front can't see them going into the staff room.

"Next time, just come in from the back," the female clerk said as she led them through a small cleaning supplies room.

We came to a corridor with a door that probably led to the backyard, and an old wooden staircase leading to another door at the bottom.

"Down there. Good luck."

“Th-thank you,” Sienna said.

The female clerk waved to them, then walked past them and went back into the coffee shop.

The door behind me clicked shut.

Sienna took a deep breath and smelled dish soap and a wet mop.

She hesitated and didn't continue.

"Boss, are you alright?" Teddy asked. "You look like you haven't eaten in a while."

"I'm fine," Sienna lied.

She was wondering if it was too late to go back to her dorm or home now.

She was certain that her mother would accept Teddy, and that her father would come to like her after a while.

She thought coming here was a terrible idea.

Sienna took her phone out of her handbag and checked the time.

She'll be late in ten minutes.

The first step underfoot creaked.

The door stood tall before her; it was a thick, old door covered with hammered tin sheets and had a large, worn-out handle.

She tapped the door three times quickly and nervously with her knuckles, in a brisk rhythm.

Sienna was about to turn and leave when the doorknob wobbled, something made a clanging sound from the other side of the door, and then the door creaked open.

The first thing you smell is a faint scent of cigarettes.

That smell that lingers on clothes—oh no, that means she has to shower as soon as she gets back to her dorm.

What she noticed next was the size of the area in front of her.

She had expected a narrow corridor or a terrifying basement, but the room in front of her was more like a bar or pub.

The room had no windows, and every few meters there was a steel column rising from the ground to support the ceiling, but there were tables and sofas placed along the walls.

There was a bar at the far end, and the TV above the bar was playing a 24-hour news channel.

"welcome."

Sienna turned around abruptly and saw the back of a young man walking toward a table near the center of the room.

There were two laptops on the table, and several other laptops were stacked next to them.

There were even two empty cups next to him, as if he had been working there for a while.

After sliding onto the sofa next to the table and settling behind the computer, the man turned his face.

He was younger than she had expected, wore thick-rimmed square glasses, and had a bit of a beard.

"Sit down," he said, gesturing to the seat opposite him.

Sienna looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else in this strange bar, but it was just the two of them.

"Okay, I'll go first..."

“You’ve come to the right place,” he said in a fairly friendly tone. “My name is Handshake.”

I work here most of the time, and I'm showing up now because what I'm doing isn't illegal.

This is a neutral place. Do you know what that means?

Sienna shook her head.

“This means,” he continued in a soft, gentle voice.

The voice reminded Sienna of a pediatrician or a nurse.

“Here, the misuse of superpowers is very unwelcome. Come on, sit down, I won’t hurt you.”

Sienna walked to the only seat facing Handshaw, let go of Teddy's hand, and went over.

“Who is this young lady?” Handshaw asked.

She glanced at Teddy, who was busy dragging a seat over, and then quickly made a decision. "This is my sister, Teddy."

“Ah, how lovely.” Hendershaw’s tone remained unchanged. “Very good. Miss Isabelle, do you know why you’re here?”

"I have no idea?"

Handshaw nodded. "It's alright. Here's the thing, I'm an information broker."

I buy and sell information, which means I hire people to keep an eye on all sorts of things in this wonderful city.

Your search a few days ago triggered something, so we sent a preliminary message, and that's how you came.

Sienna nodded slowly.

“Don’t worry, this meeting is just to confirm some things about you, about your goals,” Handshaw said.

His gaze shifted from her to his laptop. "Judging from your search history, it seems you recently gained superpowers, and your initial plan... wasn't to become a hero?"

“You mean, he wasn’t a hero to begin with?” she asked.

Handshaw made a sound in his throat, as if in agreement. "That's right, don't worry too much about it. Generally speaking, your initial moral inclinations are what the superpowers deem best suited for you."

Many people start out as anti-heroes, walking on the edge of darkness.

I was a scoundrel at the beginning, and I still am.

Sienna nodded, the tension in her shoulders easing. "So, there aren't any villains here?" she asked.

He chuckled softly. "No, I'm afraid not."

There are a few hotheads in Eau Claire, though.

However, there haven't been any particularly notorious villains for many years.

“Okay,” Sienna said. She was a little downcast. “Hmm. So you said you wouldn’t hurt me?”

"Of course not. Judging from your search history, you seem to be trying to become a hero."

He leaned back on the sofa, his smile unchanged. "Imagine if you became a hero and still kept in touch with me?"

I have several partners with whom I have a very pleasant working relationship, and the partnerships are quite profitable for both parties.

"Then why did you contact me?" Sienna asked.

"I did more than just contact you. I also covered your tracks, and those corporate hero teams will pressure you to join them."

You're a very attractive young woman, and I'm sure they'd be happy to have you dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and parade you around to sell... Coke or something else equally mundane.

Sienna shook her head. That wasn't what she wanted, not at all.

"Can you tell me how to become a hero?"

“There has to be a condition,” Handshaw paused, “a condition that is suitable for both of us.”

By the way, this is my superpower, which is why I have this name.

She shrank back a little. "What kind of conditions?"

Handshaw shrugged casually. "It all depends on what you can offer me, and more importantly, on what you want to know."