CHAPTER 252: CHARACTER PROBLEMS

Scott’s eyes flew open, and the first thing he saw was the living room. The couch was still wrecked, the coffee table was lying on its side, and the walls still had those ugly cracks and gouges from his fight with Grave.

That confirmed it.

This wasn’t some terrible nightmare.

"It really did happen..."

A hopeless sigh escaped him.

He was already half-sitting when a hand landed on his shoulder from behind.

Instinct was faster than thought—Scott whipped his arm back to throw the intruder off. BLAM.

The body hit the floor. Jake.

"Oof—! You got me, goo—"

Jake wheezed, then stopped as Scott’s grip snapped to his throat like a stress ball.

Scott’s fingers dug into warm flesh.

Jake’s eyes bugged out as his voice choked into one long and painful wheeze.

"SCO— SCOTT!! DUDE PLEASE... YOU’RE—!"

He tried to scream, but the sound turned gummy as Scott squeezed harder.

Those deadly fingers crushed his Adam’s apple slowly.

They were like claws trying to crack open a clam.

Jake’s face twisted purple as thick saliva spat from his lips while his legs flailed.

For one quick second Scott’s mind was blank.

"SCOTT!!"

Jake’s last scream was thin, half-sob, half-plea.

Something in the sound snapped him back.

With a yank Scott ripped his hand away and stumbled like a creature who’d been yanked out of a dream.

Jake flopped onto his back as his hands clawed at his throat while coughed painfully.

His eyes were wide and wet.

"Oh my God—"

Scott’s voice was full of shock.

He didn’t mean it. He never would.

It hit him in a sick, hot wave.

He recoiled like he’d seen a ghost of himself.

Jake forced a shaky laugh, fingers rubbing his neck.

"Bro, what the hell was that about?"

His grin was brittle.

This was him trying hard to make light of things.

"I... I was just playin’ around, man. And you tried to snap my friggin’ windpipe."

He swallowed, still coughing.

"I—"

Scott’s words got lost.

He shoved his palms into his hair as he ran them through in frustrated, angry circles.

"I was just... on edge. A lot happened today."

He dropped onto the ruined couch like it could catch him.

"I don’t even know how to feel right now."

Jake’s face softened.

He could tell Scott wasn’t lying—something had snapped inside him. He moved to sit closer, like he always did when Scott shut down.

"You sure you’re okay, bro?"

His voice was a small, cautious one.

Then, he reached out like an offering.

Scott slapped the hand away hard.

"DON’T—!"

Jake froze with his palm mid-air.

There was visible hurt on his face.

"S—sorry... bro."

His apology came out brittle, hurt.

"I... I’m sure you’re going through a lot."

He sunk back down beside Scott and watched him with a vulnerable, guilty look—like he had broken something fragile by existing.

Scott chewed his lip.

"Look, I’m sorry. It’s just... Grave. Everything—"

He let out a long, ragged breath.

"They took them. Emma, Gwen, Brigid. He—he said what he’ll do to them."

Jake was beyond shocked.

"WAIT. WHAT—!?"

That was when Scott’s phone screamed to life.

BRAAAANG!

He snatched it up.

"Hell—"

"Hello, Nightwatch—"

Grave’s voice sliced through like ice.

He sounded almost uninterested.

Jake leaned forward, curious but also a bit scared.

『Ah jeez...』

This was the sort of thing he’d see in movies.

Not in real life.

"Where are they?"

Scott demanded with a stern voice.

Even Jake who was seated near him scooched a few inches away when he saw how mad he was.

Naturally, Grave didn’t bother with small talk.

"I’m not interested in dragging this out, friend. You were one of the few I wanted to savor breaking... but it seems the plan has changed. Someone’s put a target on your head... and my job is to deliver."

He chuckled like he was being entertained.

Jake’s brows drew together.

Scott’s mouth tightened to a grim line.

"If anything happens to them I swear—"

Veins started popping out of his temples.

"Shhh~"

Grave cut him off in a mockingly gentle tone.

"You don’t have to act so feral. Ahaha, you’re not an animal after all. Where’s your level-headed self, hm? Did he die with your courage?"

The words pressed like hands against Scott’s chest.

Scott felt something inside him harden into a stone.

His hands had folded into tight fists.

But Grave didn’t stop.

"I assure you nothing will happen to them... well, not until I have you in my hands. I’ll make sure you watch every person you love receive undeserved torture until they die from it. Because you chose to wear that mask."

The sentence came out slow and deliberate.

Sort of like someone drawing a sword just to admire how it gleamed.

Scott’s teeth ground together so hard his jaw ached.

Grave continued in his usual soft tone.

"I’m really glad to see the blonde one again... I’m sure her screams will be a delight by the time I start plucking off her fingernails like thorns. Mmm, how fun—"

That was the last straw.

"GRAAAAAVE!!"

Scott screamed like a raging animal and smashed the phone at the wall.

Jake lunged to stop him.

"Are you insane?! We could’ve traced the—"

He froze as Scott faced him with a furious look.

"SHUT UP."

Scott’s finger pressed against Jake’s chest.

"DO YOU NOT KNOW ANYTHING—!?"

Then, he shoved Jake back.

"GRAVE ISN’T STUPID!"

Jake sat back down and swallowed his argument.

"I’m sorry..."

He said quietly, voice vulnerable and small.

It was the kind of apology that was so genuine it actually felt sad to watch.

It was the first time Scott had ever talked to him like that, and it hurt so much he almost wanted to cry. His eyes were already starting to water, but he knew that if he actually did cry, it’d probably just make Scott even angrier.

"I didn’t even do anything wrong..."

He wasn’t lying. When he showed up, he had no clue what was going on—then found out that almost everyone Scott knew had been kidnapped by his worst enemy. The same person who’d gotten away with hurting Gwen the last time Scott ran into them.

Now Jake just felt awful.

He was trying to mess around when Scott was going through something so terrible.

"Maybe I should apologize..."

Jake mumbled.

But by then, Scott wasn’t in the living room anymore.

･･･

Jake looked around the house as his footsteps echoed faintly against the marble floor.

"Scott?"

Only silence answered him back.

The next place he saw his friend was through the front window — Scott was already outside and heading into his Lamborghini Huracán with a stern face.

"Wait, what...?"

Jake blinked, tilted his head, then waved his hands.

"BRO!"

He sprinted out of the mansion as he waved at Scott.

Scott opened the car door again and stepped out slowly with a blank expression.

"What?"

His voice carried no warmth.

Jake stopped short, chuckling awkwardly while scratching his cheek.

"Well, I was thinking I’d come with you, yunno? I’m your guy in the chair, your wingman, your—"

"No."

Jake froze. "Huh?"

Scott crossed his arms and leaned against the car.

"Just stay here. I’m going to ask around for info on Grave. I don’t need you complicating things."

His tone sharpened as his eyes narrowed.

Jake blinked, taken aback.

"Dude... I’m just tryna help. You’re my—"

"I really don’t want to talk more about this."

Scott raised a hand, stopping him cold.

"You know what to do, so do it. Sure, I use you as the guy in the chair when I’m not dealing with anything serious... but that’s just to make you feel like you’re doing something so you don’t bother me. I’m dealing with one of the world’s most wanted assassins. I can’t make mistakes ."

He got back in, shutting the door.

"Scott, wait! Bro! Bro, please—!"

Jake banged his hands against the hood.

He looked so desperate to be heard.

The next thing he heard was the loud growl of the car’s engine as the tires screeched against the ground. The car sped off down the driveway, leaving behind nothing but a cloud of dust... and a heavy feeling of disappointment.

Jake coughed and waved the dust away.

"Cough—cough! What is wrong with you...?"

He muttered as the tail lights vanished into the evening.

･･･

Minutes later, Scott drove through the dark streets.

His phone was at his ear.

"She’s not picking up..."

He sighed, glancing at the display.

Just then, the line clicked.

"Oh, hello sweetie~"

Adira’s voice was smooth and tempting.

It always felt dirty too for some reason.

She could say the most innocent thing to a lot of men and they’d still find a way to get turned on by it.

『That’s gotta be some kind of superpower (ー_ー゛)』

He’d already zoned out again.

Luckily, Adira was there.

"Honey ❤️ are you there?"

Scott could just tell she was having a blast trying to use that teasing voice on him.

One habit she was trying to make was using this voice when he was around any of his girlfriends.

Clearly, she just wanted to cause trouble.

Scott rolled his eyes.

"Didn’t think you’d actually answer."

He reached for the gum pack in the side compartment, tore it open, and tossed a piece into his mouth.

"I need your help."

"Mmm~ does your cherry need popping?"

Scott’s brow furrowed.

"No, I— I..."

He dragged a hand down his face.

Adira burst into laughter.

She got him this time.

He frowned.

"Not funny."

His tone was flat, but Adira only laughed harder.

"Oh my—fuhahaha! How can a man with so many women around him still sound so... sexless?"

Then her voice softened again, back to sexy mode.

"I’m kidding. Besides, I wouldn’t want to say anything too inappropriate to a young man like you. You’re around my son’s age."

Her voice dimmed.

"Well... my late son."

Scott’s grip on the wheel tightened slightly.

When she said that, Scott quietly lowered his head.

It wasn’t like he and Adira were on good terms.

Sure, she liked to tease him and never had trouble talking to him, but he’d said a lot of harsh things to her the first time they met.

"About your son, and all those things I said before..."

He took a deep breath.

"I’m so—"

Adira cut him off smoothly.

"Oh my~ I was talking about how an older woman like me might distract you, darling. Fufufu~ You don’t have to apologize for that."

Her tone was light and teasing again.

Scott chuckled quietly.

"Right."

He did a smirk and a side-eye like she was actually sitting in the car with him.

"So... do I take a raincheck on the cherry-popping? I heard married women are great in bed."

He turned the wheel sharply at the next junction.

Adira hummed seductively.

"Careful, my husband might get... jealous."

There was so much honey in her tone.

"Alright, back to business."

His tone shifted, cold and serious now.

"Something happened. I need to ask you a few things."

"Huh? ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : )"

Adira’s voice dropped.

"What’s this about?"

"I don’t know if you’ve been keeping tabs on me..."

Scott’s eyes narrowed at the road.

"But something’s off. And I need to know if you’ve noticed it too."

Adira’s nervous laugh faltered.

"O-, Oh, uh, I’ve been a good girl, you know~ I haven’t done anything worth hiding."

"This isn’t a joke."

Scott cut her short in an instant

Adira sighed faintly.

"Alright, alright. You’re no fun sometimes. If you really need to talk, come to the Woodhull Event Center. There’s a tech event here with my husband."

"Great..."

Scott muttered, and hit the accelerator.

The call cut.

･･･

A few minutes later, the Huracán purred to a stop outside the Woodhull Event Center.

Scott adjusted his hair in the rearview mirror.

"Alright."

He stepped out, adjusting his tie.

A few wealthy guests sipping champagne turned their heads to stare at him.

"Uhm... is my hair bad?"

He smoothed it down nervously.

But the looks didn’t stop. If anything, they multiplied.

He glanced down at his tux.

"I’m wearing a six-thousand-dollar tux, so I don’t think I look that cheap..."

The whispers followed him as he walked past.

"Who is he?"

"Look at his jawline..."

"Look at how snug those pants look on his ass. Mmm, his ass looks better than my face."

"Those shoulders—goodness, I bet he’s hiding quite the body under that suit..."

"He’s tasty~ ❤️"

Scott blinked as one woman bit the edge of her glass and hummed hungrily at him.

Another giggled and whispered something to her friend while giving him side-eyes.

The middle-aged men nearby frowned.

"I used to be just as handsome when I was his age."

"Look at that face, fuck him... (≖､≖╬)"

"Tch, that incredibly handsome bastard probably has it easy with any woman."

"Yeah, and I have to pay these FansOnly girls thirty thousand dollars to go on vacation with me."

They looked so hopelessly jealous.

Maybe because a lot of the older women wouldn’t stop talking about him. Or maybe it was because some of those men were married to the same women who couldn’t seem to stop staring at Scott like they wanted to eat him up.

Since when were their wives cougars?

It felt shameful.

"He’s probably some gigolo!"

"Yeah, fuck him. His kind always cozy up to rich widows for easy cash. Get him a Ferrari and he’ll probably let any of these women, young or old, ram him in the ass!"

These women just ignored their husbands’ jealousy.

After all, the "food" was still around.

"What kind of cars do young men like these days? I wouldn’t mind getting one for him if it meant I could get him in my bed. I just know he’d move my weak old hips around like they were nothing."

"Mmm ❤️ my legs are weak already."

Scott sighed and rubbed his temple.

"I’ll just... head in. (￣_￣)・・・"

As he walked toward the entrance, a hostess intercepted him with a dazzling smile.

"I’ll take those, sir."

She slipped the car key from his hand as her fingers brushed against his palm.

"Is there anything else you’d like, sir?"

She was already blushing as she showed off her white teeth in a smile. She was a beautiful Iranian woman, dressed neatly in her hostess uniform that perfectly showed off her elegant curves.

Scott looked at the curly-haired woman.

She leaned in slightly.

Her perfume was faintly sweet.

Her small, perfectly round breasts pressed against his chest in a soft and deliberate way.

"There’s no service I can’t offer you~"

"Ahaha... no, no. I’m fine."

His laugh was awkward and dry.

"Busy day. (´-﹏-;)` kinda..."

He gently freed his hand from her grip.

"Jeez..."

He mumbled as he stepped inside.

"I can’t look that good in a tux..."

The security at the door didn’t even check his name.

That worked for him at least.

But the peace didn’t last.

"Hey—wait, you’re that model! Scott McQueen!"

In seconds, a group of beautiful young women swarmed him with their phones.

"Come take a picture with me! (￣▽￣)"

"No, me!"

"Ugh, you’re so much taller than I imagined—"

There was so much perfume in his eyes and all their soft and slender hands wouldn’t stop touching him.

"HEY, NOT THERE—!"

Even in inappropriate places.

The other young men at the event frowned.

These girls were probably the daughters of rich investors and scientists who had come for the event. The men felt ashamed that a nobody model was getting more attention from the women than they were.

Scott raised both hands.

"Ladies... maybe not now? (눈_눈)"

But his polite rejection only made them squeal more.

Then suddenly—

"Enough, ladies."

A calm, feminine voice sliced through the noise.

It was soft, but carried authority.

The crowd parted instantly as a woman stepped forward and took Scott’s wrist to gently pull him free.

Scott blinked. "Wait... it’s you..."

A curly-haired, fox-eared woman with sleek amber eyes looked back at him.

That pretty face. That foxy smile.

The way her soft breasts perked out like they were being held up by pillars.

Or that fluffy tail wedge between her supple ass cheeks.

"Been a while, handsome~"

Beca Morgan, Vixen.

Scott blinked once and his breath hooked for just a second before his face hardened again.

"You’ve gotta be kidding me."

Beca tilted her head as her tail flicked behind her.

"Miss me? (

Scott sighed. "Like I miss tax season."

"Still charming, I see. (⇀‸↼‶)"

The sexy superhero [Vixen] was now in a fancy dress.

For Scott, there was no escaping these women.