Chapter 132 Escape.

Chapter 132: 132 Escape.

"Are you... are you seriously quoting yourself out loud?" I asked, genuinely baffled.

The hero jolted in surprise. "The Hawk was shocked!" he growled, his grip tightening on the electric baton. "He had heard Polaris had powerful magnetic abilities, but he did not know the villain could also read minds! A lesser hero would have balked at taking on such an Iron foe, but not The Hawk!"

...Alright, looked like we had a bit more crazy than the usual going on here. Stupid, too, seeing as he then tried to lunge at me with the crackling weapon.

"Ha!" he shouted, swinging the baton at my head.

With a lazy flick of my wrist, the heavy metal baton violently wrenched itself out of his grip, flew through the air, and magnetically clamped itself to the ceiling, twenty feet above us.

The Hawk watched his weapon vanish, then looked at me. "The Hawk was not surprised the villain had such skill," he growled, reaching into his tactical belt. "But a Hawk prepares for any circumstances when stalking his prey. For he always has a plan!"

"Did it involve these?" I asked, jerking my hand to manipulate the magnetism around his belt.

It wasn’t even hard. His utility belt was so loaded with cheap, heavy metal gadgets that it ripped right off his waist, flew through the air, and slapped into my waiting hand.

"So," I said, casually tossing his belt over my shoulder where it clattered into a trash can. "What was plan B?"

The Hawk scowled and tensed, bringing up his fists. "No matter!" he barked. "The Hawk will not be deterred merely by that. For the Hawk is also a master in hand-to-hand combat!"

I tilted my head, sensing the distinct hum of circuitry in his cowl. "That earpiece in your hood send calls?" I asked.

The Hawk scowled. "What?"

"Of course it does," I said, and closed my fist.

His body armor began to hum violently. The Hawk looked down in surprise as he felt the metal plates in his vest vibrate.

He must have realized something was happening because he desperately reached for his chest to try and pull his Kevlar suit off, but man, it was way too late for that.

Hawk yelped as he was suddenly yanked backward across the lobby, his boots sliding wildly over the tiles before he slammed back-first into a massive, steel structural pillar.

The metal in his bodysuit, the talons in his gloves, and the spikes on his boots instantly magnetized to the steel beam, completely immobilizing him.

There we go.

I dusted off my hands in satisfaction. "I suggest you call for help with that earpiece of yours," I said, stepping past him. "Hopefully they’ll be able to pry you off before you start getting dehydrated."

"B-bastard!" the Hawk shouted, wriggling helplessly against the pillar like a pinned bug. "Though inconvenienced, the Hawk will see justice done!"

"Yeah, okay. Have fun with that," I muttered.

I glanced over at the main fight. Looked like Glacia was just about done putting on her show.

The reporters had gotten all the photos they needed, Ms Fire was looking appropriately heroic, and it was time for the grand finale.

Leaving the Hawk to bang his head against the pillar, I quickly slipped out a side exit, taking off the wig as there was no need for that anymore, civilian clothes as I jogged around to the loading dock where I’d parked my crown.

I swept my powers over the car, giving it a quick check and confirming there weren’t any sudden trackers or bombs attached to the chassis, then I threw open the driver’s side door and got in.

Right on time, I heard a loud, theatrical voice echo from the lobby. "Next time, you will learn the bitter chill of the Winter Queen!"

A massive, sudden blast of frosty air burst from the doors and windows of the Annex, blanketing the entire street in an utter whiteout. Perfect.

A second later, the backdoor of the loading dock flew open, and Glacia bounded out of it.

Her pale face was flushed with adrenaline, and her normally schooled, aristocratic features were split into a bright, girlish smile.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I reached over and popped the passenger side door. She jumped in beside me, bringing a wave of cold air with her, and slammed the door shut.

I immediately stepped on the gas, the Crown jerking into motion down the alleyway and seamlessly merging into regular traffic, slowing down to the speed limit as soon as we had.

I sincerely doubted Ms Fire would try following us. It wasn’t part of the contract.

Plus, escaping in the confusion of a localized blizzard was a classic trope; getting caught in a Toyota Crown three blocks away would have severely undercut the victory.

We were meant to be thwarted convincingly, after all, and it looked like we’d managed that perfectly. (And Steve would just be awkwardly left in his cell, having "failed" to be rescued, which was fine by me).

He’d be out by the end of the week anyway, probably have to call Lacey just to make sure she wouldn’t forget it.

Panting, Glacia turned my way, beaming with excitement. "Did I do well, sir?" she asked.

"Fantastic," I said honestly. "You killed in there! Not literally, of course," I quickly added.

Being a villain for hire was already skirting the law, but actually killing a civilian or the hero you were paid to fight was a guaranteed way to end up in a real super-max. "Did you make sure to block the rubber bullets so they didn’t ricochet into the press pool?"

"I believe so, sir," she said, nodding eagerly. "As you instructed, I formed the ice walls at a specific angle to catch the projectiles. And I believe the accountant... ah, Steve, played his part adequately, though his shouting was a bit unrefined."

I snorted. "Yeah, well, he’s a minion, not a performer. But with all the cameras in there, I’m sure they got some great shots of you. And your escape worked flawlessly," I added. "The whiteout was perfect. Although we may need to look into your disguise a bit going forward."

"Disguise, sir?"

"For when you escape," I explained, keeping my eyes on the road. "We can’t have you dropping into the sewer or flying away in full regalia each time. Someone is bound to track you. And your costume, as it is, is pretty eye-catching."