A blue Toyota parked diagonally opposite a black Ford, inside of which were the biggest prey of this operation and the driver, Steel Fist. He had dispersed his subordinates to nearby areas for lookout and surveillance. The Japanese had changed back into his usual attire of a shirt and trousers, standing next to the black Ford with a backpack containing the superhero gear.

  Nemo was carrying the red-haired woman, walking down the street with the young Asian girl gripping the hem of his clothes. The Japanese noticed his daughter’s once-beautiful long black hair had been cut and dyed messily. His brow furrowed involuntarily. However, seeing that she was still able to walk alongside KS man, Hako seemed to relax.

  "Where did you land the crucial strike? Bookstore Owner was screaming pretty badly." KS man’s tone sounded somewhat smug.

  "I borrowed your Ryukyu Sai to stab him in the chest. He seemed to be really afraid of that move. When he reached out to block the weapon, I took the chance to crush his right palm from a different angle, then gave him a shield bash to the back of his head." Hako said casually.

  By then, Bookstore Owner had been overwhelmed with excruciating pain and dizziness, unable to focus enough to continue fighting. Steel Fist had thoroughly searched him, confiscating all his dangerous items.

  At first glance, it seemed unnecessary to swap identities. Hako could directly attack Bookstore Owner under the relentless pressure from his subordinates. However, as the father of a little girl, Hako understood KS man’s intentions the best. The core of all the strategies was to go to any lengths to divert Bookstore Owner’s attention away from Red Plume.

  The danger of superpowers lies in their ability to target a defenseless young child. Even from across a ceiling or walls, any object can become an unexpectedly lethal weapon, capable of easily forcing Hako to halt his actions, or at least posing an effective threat.

  "We've already taken the accomplice." KS man said.

  "I injected Bookstore Owner with a sufficient dose of tranquilizer to ensure he couldn’t fake being unconscious." Hako let out a cold laugh. "Red Plume, why haven’t you come over to your father yet?"

  The little girl didn’t say anything and continued to grip Nemo’s clothes tightly.

  "Is this the ‘aunt Joyce’ you mentioned?" Hako looked at the red-haired woman. "KS, explain."

  "Red Plume has received a blood transfusion and consumed blood from a superpowered individual, confirming that she’s already been affected by healing abilities. I need to take her along with this woman, Joyce, back to the Grimm Group for examination. Hako, I promise I will do everything I can to return Red Plume to you in good health. But you need to follow me now. I can’t guarantee that the Grimm Group won’t notify the government and send a special forces team to arrest you. If that happens, Red Plume will truly lose her father. Please think carefully." Nemo said.

  "What if I insist on taking Red Plume directly?" The Japanese’s gaze darkened.

  "You are her guardian, and I also have a dying victim here, so I'm not competing with you. Answer me one question: do you want your daughter to inherit this woman's healing-type superpowers? I suspect that the Bookstore Owner transfused blood into Red Plume to experiment with whether he could infect her, making himself a better source of the universal cure. They recently formed a strong mental bond, and this woman named Joyce wants Red Plume to survive. If she dies now, her Fragment and superpowers might transfer to Red Plume." Nemo analyzed based on the superpower knowledge he received from Matthew and his current intuition.

  Hako looked at the little girl still standing beside KS man, her eyes locked on the dying red-haired woman, without any intention of walking back to her father.

  "How can we sever that bond?" Hako asked solemnly, seemingly knowledgeable about the phenomenon of superpowers transferring or disappearing, not immediately dismissing KS man’s speculation.

  "It’s just my guess, but if she sees Joyce recover and undergoes a physical examination and tracking for a while to ensure that the superpower influence has been completely metabolized in her body, without any lingering side effects, it should be fine." Nemo recalled how Michael, seeing the dying previous version of Nemo, let regret and obsession unconsciously trigger his Fragment, ultimately creating the now indifferent archangel. He also thought of how Angie had trained herself to overcome the influence of the sea giant’s blood. These ideas naturally emerged from his mind.

  "I believe you. Let’s do it your way." The Japanese gritted his teeth.

  Hako may not hesitate to kill, but he was undeniably a father who carefully considered everything for his daughter. He was willing to lower his guard to unite opposing victim families, personally stepping into the battle, giving up the chance for his daughter to become a container for rare superpowers, simply because of the obvious tragic fate. His actions surpassed countless "normal" parents who might never break the law but treated their children with malicious, evil intentions.

  If one day Hako ends up on the electric chair for committing multiple murders, Nemo would have no sympathy for him. However, if the Japanese man made a request, Nemo would be willing to look after his daughter a little more than the originally planned long-term care conditions, and that was a simple decision.

  "I’ll put Joyce in the car first. You and Red Plume should say your goodbyes now. Also, ask her to cooperate with me temporarily. I won’t restrict her right to call home every day." Nemo believed he still had the right to ask Matthew to ensure the father and daughter remained in contact.

  Nemo, holding the semi-conscious red-haired woman, passed by Steel Fist's vehicle, noticing the outline of a person on the backseat covered by a blanket. It was clear that Bookstore Owner had been subdued.

  Steel Fist casually called out to him, "Looks like the spare key won't be needed. I'll give it back to you."

  Nemo walked up to the driver's side window, still holding the semi-conscious woman in a princess carry, and extended his hand. The man in the leather jacket shoved the key into his palm. Nemo noticed the strong scent of blood on him.

  "Is that blood yours, or someone else's?" Nemo asked.

  "Both."

  "Be careful with bloodborne diseases, remember to get checked afterward. Don't ignore it."

  The man in the leather jacket immediately scowled. KS man’s concern seemed as strange as his driving, appearing normal but with an unsettling, almost invisible curse hanging in the air.

  After settling the red-haired woman in the back of the black Ford, Nemo walked over to the Japanese father and daughter.

  Hako crouched down as the little girl leaned in to whisper something in her father's ear. It should have been Hako calming his kidnapped daughter, but instead, it looked like Red Plume was assuring her father that she'd be safe at the Grimm Group and would return unharmed. The two whispered closely together.

  Then, the little girl reached out her arms to the hooded superhero.

  "My daughter has never asked anyone for a hug, you’re the first," Hako said with mixed emotions.

  "Even without the uniform, she recognized who I was. Well-deserved, Hako," Nemo said, as he gently picked up the little girl with one arm and grabbed the neatly packed gear bag with the other, heading towards the black Ford.

  Suddenly, Nemo dropped the bag and pressed the little girl protectively to his chest.

  Almost simultaneously, Hako sensed the sudden increase in tension and alertness from the superhero beside him, just as a projectile rapidly closed in. The Japanese man quickly raised all his transparent shields to protect KS, especially layering two more shields where the projectile was headed.

  The transparent shields were shattered within a second. Judging from the Japanese 's astonished expression, he hadn’t expected his powers to be so fragile. Nevertheless, the shattered double shields still bought Nemo some time to twist and dodge, as the bullet, heated with searing intensity, struck his side from behind, originally aimed at his spine.

  He got shot again. Damn, he was going to hear about this for ages! An unfortunate future flickered in Nemo's mind.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "Shit! This is worse than a penetrating wound!" Nemo felt the armor-piercing bullet shatter the throwing weapon in his bulletproof vest, embedding itself in his side. He cursed inwardly. He’d never experienced being "dug out" by a bullet before.

  Last time, Tolya had laughed at him for his shallow gunshot wound on the chest, saying Nemo was lucky and maliciously commenting that the real joy was in bullet removal. From the two old bullet scars on Tolya’s body, it was clear he was the one who usually did the "digging."

  Kneeling, Nemo gently set the little girl down, but Red Plume clung tightly to his neck.

  Steel Fist was about to get out to assist, but Nemo raised his hand in a stopping gesture. "Take Bookstore Owner, as planned. Continue with the mission."

  "You're still being chased. Does that mean my daughter has to risk her life too?" Hako said coldly.

  "Just one armor-piercing shot earlier. If they had fired more, I'd definitely be a goner. Probably one of my old enemies. One shot—it’s their signature," Nemo secretly speculated that the assassin probably didn’t want the amnesiac KS to die without knowing the truth, yet couldn’t stand seeing him grow stronger in blissful ignorance. Maybe one day, the other party would initiate a face-to-face death match—but not today.

  "Red Plume, the situation has changed. I can't protect both you and Joyce. You can go back to your father," Nemo said as he pulled out a mini syringe pre-filled with the right dose of medicine, injecting it through the hole in his bulletproof vest, and immediately the excruciating pain faded. The wonders of medical technology for superheroes—truly a companion for traveling and emergency situations.

  "What did you just inject yourself with?" Hako asked, noticing the sudden action.

  "A local anesthetic," Nemo replied, surprised at how calmly he had reacted. When did he become the kind of person who could inject himself after being shot without a blink? Maybe everything just felt too much like an online game—when his health bar was drastically reduced, it was second nature to deal with it and move on.

  Nemo wasn’t afraid of pain, but he couldn’t afford for it to slow his focus and reaction speed until he was completely out of danger.

  "Are you okay? Are you going to die? Dad’s a doctor, he can help you," the little girl insisted, not letting him stand up and leave.

  "Thanks to your dad's timely support, I avoided hitting any vital spots. Superheroes have specialized medical teams. I’m also taking Joyce back for emergency treatment, so she can be treated too," Nemo reassured her as he patted the little girl’s back.

  "Red Plume, go to the car," Hako ordered.

  "No," the little girl glared at Steel Fist, who made a face at her.

  "It’s KS’s car. I’ll drive you to the Grimm Group," Hako said, wiping his face in resignation.

  The man in the leather jacket whistled, looking amused.

  The little girl quickly grabbed a bottle of saline solution and hopped into the backseat of the black Ford.

  "And you? Front seat or back?" the Japanese asked the injured hooded superhero.

  The spacious backseat was already occupied by the little girl and the red-haired woman, and adding one more slim superhero would be no problem.

  "Front seat. I’ll keep watch and stay ready for combat. Just focus on driving," Nemo said, picking up the gear bag and heading toward the black Ford. Hako gave a look to his partner, and the blue Toyota smoothly drove off with the captive.

  After that, no other complications occurred. Lone Star City was filled with Grimm Group's spies and ambushers. Nemo directed Hako according to the evacuation route marked on the goggles, reminding him to follow traffic rules to avoid drawing public attention. The little girl, following Nemo's earlier instructions, let the red-haired woman rest her head on her lap and carefully dripped saline solution into the woman's mouth.

  Aside from the unusually frequent green lights along the way, the Japanese safely drove the black Ford into the Grimm Group's underground parking lot and parked in the space indicated by Nemo.

  A tall figure suddenly leaned against the driver's side door, pressing one arm against the car roof in a menacing posture.

  The Japanese rolled down the window. "Grimm Group's leader, nice to meet you."

  "Considering the courage you showed by returning my man, I won’t notify the relevant government departments today. You can take that Mitsubishi Zinger parked nearby. 'North District Compression Killer,'" said the man with golden eyes.

  "You’ve got quite the guts speaking so close to me," Hako remarked. Witnessing the world’s richest man and playboy act so recklessly, Hako was still a bit shocked.

  "Because your passenger already has a kunai in hand. If he gets serious, he could pierce through your shield and the back of your head without trouble. But none of us wants to make the child sad." Matthew Grimm stepped back, making space for the Japanese, opening the rear door, and carrying the red-haired woman out, signaling for Nemo and the little girl to follow him.

  "Red Plume is my daughter, I want her to be safe," Hako said.

  "I guarantee she’ll be safer in the Grimm Group than with you, but you’ll still have to take her back and raise her yourself afterward," Matthew said, then carried the red-haired woman toward the president's exclusive elevator.

  "Heh, an interesting day," Hako murmured. Without lingering, he left. After all, the Grimm Group wasn’t to be underestimated.

  Nemo left his gear backpack in the car. As usual, any borrowed gear, the seat with his blood on it, and vehicles that had carried other superpowered individuals had to be thoroughly inspected and disinfected. Therefore, the car was taken away for professional handling, and Nemo let the little girl hold his hand with his right, while he pressed his left hand against his wound to prevent blood from dripping along the way.

  Upon entering the experimental zone, a medical team immediately brought a stretcher, administering oxygen to the red-haired woman and sending her to the treatment room. Matthew also learned from the helmet’s monitoring system why Nemo had brought the little girl to the Grimm Group and agreed to let her observe the emergency process.

  Then, Nemo was taken to another operating room by Matthew.

  "I’ll personally treat you," Matthew Grimm said as he removed Nemo’s goggles and helmet, pressing a hand to Nemo's sweaty forehead, smoothing his bangs, and gazing seriously into the curly-haired youth's eyes.

  "Is this the special case study for the KS man?" Nemo asked.

  "Of course," Matthew replied, then commented discontentedly, "Second time now, that assassin chose to ambush you while you were busy protecting others. Can't stand seeing you as a hero? Do you remember who it might be? Maybe I should ask Michael if you had any teammates who liked greeting with bullets?"

  Nemo had been standing in the street at the time, and the assassin could have shot him in the head but instead chose to target his lower spine. Matthew couldn’t help but suspect that the assassin might be someone from Nemo’s past before his memory loss, especially since the second attack occurred while Nemo was operating under the KS man name.

  The Meteor Shower Event had changed everything. The benefits, hatred, betrayal, and unpredictable reasons brought by superpowers, as well as the many examples of friends and family turning into enemies, made it hard to predict who could be involved.

  "No clue. Definitely not my favorite type," Nemo replied. He still had no memory of his previous group, the "Nightmare Squad," and didn’t even feel any attachment or aversion to it. If it was another enemy, he wasn’t expecting his body to remember.

  It might be the shared sensation from the same body, but neither Nemo nor his previous self was bothered by past issues already dealt with. The enemies were certainly numerous, and anyone could have made the KS man die if given the chance, so there was no point in being particularly cautious about any one of them.

  Nemo only felt a fiery sense of mission from his previous self. He had no curiosity about the people from that group, and he never felt regret for the near-death experiences his body had gone through. Perhaps his previous self had survived for about ten years as a backup killer in the Nightmare Squad because he was mysterious and distant, making it hard for anyone to drag him down?

  "You're probably the type who wouldn’t notice whether someone loves you to death or hates you to death!" Matthew’s hands were quick and precise—digging out bullets was an easy task for him. However, personally observing Nemo’s injury response during his superpower awakening and ongoing development was also valuable data. "To quote something you netizens often say, 'totally single by sheer skill'?"

  "Why do you love talking nonsense so much? Hurry up and stitch the wound, it hurts like hell! That little bit of anesthesia isn’t enough!" Nemo complained. He had no interest in playing the tough guy. Life was already complicated and fantastical enough—couldn't he have a little bit of normal comfort?

  "I’m trying to distract you, and it’s you who won’t let me give you more anesthesia," Matthew said with a smirk.

  "Before Salamander and the others finish their mission, I want to stay awake, and there's also the matter of Joyce's life and death," Nemo insisted. Who could sleep at a time like this?

  "You can’t interfere. Whether you’re awake or asleep doesn’t matter to them. Besides, you’ve already used your superpowers, and you got shot by accident. You should sleep first," Matthew reasoned.

  "I just want to watch everything happen, not hear the results from someone else. How could that be the same?" Nemo replaced his groans with heavy breathing.

  When movie characters get injured, the scene cuts, and hours or even days seem to pass. But the reality of being shot is that every single second is filled with pain, and even sleeping or taking a shower becomes difficult.

  This time, Matthew finally stitched up a proper gunshot wound, but the injury was much deeper. After an X-ray, it was confirmed that the bullet was hard enough not to have fractured, and it was an armor-piercing round enhanced by a superpowered person.

  Providentially, Nemo was also a superpowered individual, and his internal energy provided protective effects, offsetting much of the bullet's kinetic energy, thus reducing the extent of the injury.

  Matthew regretfully announced that Nemo would need to stay hospitalized for at least seven days, with further observation to determine the exact discharge date.

  "Once you're sure my condition is stable, transfer me to the room that Tolya stayed in! I can't just stay in that office lounge while I'm like this," Nemo said, unwillingly.

  "It’s safest here," Matthew replied.

  "It’s not safe for my mental health," Nemo was already calculating how to innocently complain enough to avoid being lectured too much by Tolya and Angie. He could also get his Russian roommate to help cover for him with boss Liu and Sunny Jie about the need for him to stay in the hospital for a while.

  "We’ll discuss it after this mission is completely over and we see how your injury progresses. After all, the bullet that hit you was enhanced by another superpowered individual, and we don’t know if it’ll cause any internal energy disruption. Sometimes, such effects can occur later," the billionaire said, adopting an expert tone.

  "Does Michael know I was shot?" Nemo asked again.

  "It’s hard not to know. His perception spans globally, and you’re someone he keeps particularly close attention to."

  "I've lost my memory. Will he be nagging?" With only the second-ranked superhero, Nemo couldn't come up with a strategy due to the lack of information. However, at least Nemo was sure that Michael had the laid-back personality to let go of his comrade Leviathan.

  "I’d like to know that too. If Michael starts crying in front of you, let’s see if you still dare to casually lend your superhero uniform to anyone," Matthew teased.

  "Go away!"