"What!"
"Boom!"
Almost at the exact moment Locke grabbed Gwen and turned to run, a corpse plummeted from the sky. With a thunderous roar, it slammed down like an intercontinental missile, striking with pinpoint accuracy directly onto the Audi R8 that Locke had purchased less than seven hours ago.
Instantly.
Boom!
The roof of the Audi R8 buckled and flattened in a heartbeat.
Then...
With a loud bang, all four windows of the car shattered instantly, sending shards of glass flying in every direction like the shockwave from a grenade explosion.
"Get down!"
Seeing the shock on Gwen's face, Locke gave her a sharp tug. With a thud, he pulled her down and shielded her with his body as they hit the pavement.
Puff!
Puff puff!
Inside the house, George Stacy, suddenly hearing a sound like a grenade detonating, grabbed his service weapon and rushed out.
And then...
George saw the two of them lying on the side of the road.
Gwen was on the bottom.
Locke was on top.
And then...
WTF?
Ten minutes later.
Waaa-ooo, waaa-ooo.
Police cars.
Ambulances.
The entire road was packed with emergency vehicles.
In the back of an ambulance.
Gwen looked nervously at Locke, who was receiving treatment and disinfection for a wound on his forehead. She looked at the medic. "Doctor, how is he? Is Locke okay?"
Locke waved a hand. "I'm fine, just a scratch!"
A minor injury like this wasn't going to kill him.
Captain George Stacy was currently standing with his colleagues, focusing their gaze on a mangled limb resting on the roof of the Audi R8—which now looked like a piece of scrap metal ready for the junkyard.
No one would likely believe that this car had been brand new seven hours ago.
Son of a bitch!
My brand new car, bought less than seven hours ago.
"Sss!"
Locke snapped back to reality and straightened his back, furrowing his brows.
The paramedic pulling glass shards from his back noticed. "Do you want some morphine?"
"No."
Locke rejected the offer immediately. "I can take it."
Drug abuse in the US was way too rampant.
Who knew if he'd suddenly end up with a morphine addiction?
After all...
Locke couldn't even quit his craving for booze.
Besides.
He had the Resilience talent.
Level 3 Resilience was enough to ensure that as long as he didn't suffer a fatal wound, he could return to full health.
In truth...
If Locke had been alone, the shockwave from the explosion wouldn't have hurt him at all.
But Gwen was there.
To protect her, Locke's back now looked a bit like a pincushion of glass. Fortunately, the quality of Locke's casual blazer was solid; it had blocked most of the fragments.
Otherwise, Locke might have had to change his name to Back-Stab-Ke!
"This is all my fault!"
"It's fine."
Locke waved it off, but Gwen was consumed by guilt. If Locke hadn't been protecting her, he wouldn't have become a human target for glass.
Calling him a pincushion was a bit of an exaggeration.
However.
His blazer and the shirt underneath were completely ruined. Even if they weren't, Locke wouldn't have wanted to wear them.
Let's just say...
There were bits of flesh on them!
"Alright, move around and see how it feels."
"Mm."
Locke nodded and stood up. Since he was currently bare-chested, his eight-pack abs were on full display.
He was projecting the powerful charm without even trying!
Gwen blinked as she stared at Locke's abs.
Was his physique... really this good?
Helen had come out of the apartment by now, and seeing Locke's body, she was also taken aback.
A sixteen-year-old kid with this kind of build...
That's practically a violation of the rules.
Helen thought as much, tapped Gwen on the head to snap her out of it, and then handed a shirt to Locke. "Here, see if this fits."
Locke paused for a second, stretched his limbs, and looked at Helen. "Thank you, but I can just go home and change."
Helen didn't say a word; she simply unfolded the shirt, looking like she was ready to help him put it on herself.
Locke quickly took it and pulled it over his shoulders.
Wearing George's shirt was one thing, but letting Helen help him dress? Good grief, Locke felt like that would be walking a very dangerous line.
It fit fairly well, though.
Locke sized it up. Aside from the sleeves being slightly long and the size being a bit large, there was nothing wrong with it.
"Contact Aviation. I want to know about every aircraft that flew over this area in the last half hour."
"Understood."
Not far away, George finished giving orders to his deputy and walked over. Seeing Locke wearing his shirt, he didn't say anything negative. Instead, he patted Locke on the shoulder. "Good job. Thank you!"
Clearly.
George was thanking Locke for shielding Gwen at the critical moment.
The way George looked at Locke now was significantly better than before.
In fact...
There was even a hint of admiration!
After all, Locke's behavior just now perfectly aligned with George's personal values.
The paramedic seemed to know George. He pulled down his mask and said, "No major issues. Just some abrasions. Everything has been treated. He just needs a few days to recover."
He was fine.
But everyone else...
Had a problem!
Seriously.
If it weren't for Locke's naturally sharp sixth sense, or if he hadn't been talking to Gwen just then, what if he had already gotten in the car when the body fell from the sky?
That's murder.
Blatant murder.
Locke looked at his wretched new car. Even if it could be repaired, he wouldn't dare use it again. "Have you identified the body yet, Mr. Stacy?"
"Not yet."
George shook his head, then looked at Locke. "But don't worry. We will pursue this investigation to the very end."
There was no way to identify it at the scene.
It was literally pulverized.
How were they supposed to check?
So far, they hadn't even found a single usable fingerprint among the remains.
Locke glanced at the scene. He didn't expect immediate news anyway. He nodded. "Alright. In that case, Mr. Stacy, can I head back now?"
George looked at the paramedic.
In matters like this, it was best to listen to a professional.
The paramedic spoke up. "There are no major issues. They weren't hit by the direct shockwave. It just looked a bit gruesome, but in reality, they're just abrasions. Two days of rest will do it."
George looked at Locke. "Do you need me to write you a note for school?"
Locke chuckled. "I don't think I'll need a note. But I might have to trouble you, Mr. Stacy, to have an officer drive me back. After all, you know..."
As he spoke.
Locke pointed at his Audi R8, which had been picked up only seven hours ago and had already fulfilled its destiny by heading to the scrap yard!
Son of a bitch!
Don't let me find out who you are!
『Ding!』
『Quest Generating!』
『Quest: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth (1/2)』
『Quest Completion Reward: 1000 Achievement Points, 1000 Potential Points, 90% Off Rare Treasure Refresh Coupon x1』
『Quest Description: "It's not about the car!!!"』