Nemo returned to his rented apartment at midnight, carrying his gear bag. He initially planned to rest directly at the safe house, but then he had a second thought and decided to make a surprise check on Tolya to see if he was home.
After hearing Michael's story, Nemo occasionally felt a bit anxious, worried that KS man’s movements and identity might be under suspicion—especially with that damn old news about the chef taking on three robbers single-handedly and the surveillance footage. Looking back, even he found it suspicious, particularly the close connection between this chef and Matthew Grimm.
Currently, Nemo’s cover story was still that he was undergoing bodyguard training at the Grimm Group, but if you replaced "bodyguard" with "superhero," the sense of discord took a right hook.
To verify his suspicions, the shortest route was to interrogate his Russian roommate, Tolya.
The living room light was on, and the electric fan, which had been in constant use by the Russian, started making strange noises. It was still running, though barely hanging on.
Nemo had already sensed that his roommate was lying on the couch before entering the apartment, but he still lightened his footsteps and waited until he unlocked the door to make some noise.
"Wow, look who’s back before dawn. Bad sales performance?" Tolya was a regular night owl who hung out at bars—if he said he was adjusting his schedule, there was no way he’d actually be that well-behaved.
Nemo wasn’t his father, so there was no point in getting involved in such small details. Anyway, the remark had been made, and how much Tolya would take it seriously was up to him.
"I exceeded the target. Hope your homework went well, too."
The Russian let out a groan, as if dying.
Nemo, who had recently switched to being a superhero, walked into the bedroom.
Tolya heard the sound of the bag hitting the floor and Nemo entering the bathroom with a towel in hand.
The sound of the shower followed, and it ended slowly. Nemo came out with his wet hair slicked back, only wrapped in the towel.
Tolya couldn’t help but glance at him again—not because he was a pervert, but to check how well Nemo had developed his muscles and whether he was in one piece. After all, this guy had a history of concealing a gunshot wound to his left chest, always managing to hide injuries and illnesses like a wild animal.
"Nemo, are you hurt?" Tolya noticed that Nemo had two areas of swelling on his shoulder and under his ribs, which would soon turn into bruises the size of half a palm.
"It’s just a minor wound. Those punches weren’t as hard as yours. I’ll go to the Grimm Group headquarters later to get treated. It’ll be fine soon. I didn’t want to attract attention from those troublemakers, so I didn’t use much of my powers to fight back," Nemo explained. But he wasn’t foolish enough not to use his abilities to dodge. Taking a few hits was also to test his opponent’s strength and gauge his own endurance.
It had to be said that superhero gear was important, and Nemo finally felt the benefits of high-end custom-made gear.
Normally, there was no need to hide small things from his roommate, so Nemo didn’t bother with details.
"What gang was it?"
"The other side didn’t bother hiding it—the two are from the Kingdom. They’re directly patrolling the sectors of Lone Star City, and it looks like the area I entered is a highly efficient collaboration between a powered individual and an elite bodyguard. You can advise your countrymen not to go near that area lately, as they might attack proactively. Some areas have quiet observers, while others have agitators causing chaos." Nemo pointed at a map of Lone Star City on the wall, drawing a red circle. "Since I can’t avoid them, and I don’t want to deal with gang issues for now, it’s interesting to observe how this organization works."
"You don’t hate the Kingdom invading our Lone Star City?" Tolya asked in surprise.
"Matthew said the people in the Kingdom range from lawful good to chaotic evil. The common thread is anarchism, so it’ll take some time to observe how things develop. One thing is certain—Lone Star City, already plagued by giant mosquitoes, the Sea Giant, and Greens, can’t rely solely on the city government and police department. It’s not a bad thing to have more capable people around. When a major disaster happens, they’ll have to act to protect themselves. Plus, they collect protection fees, and they can’t just take money without doing anything, right? I won’t interfere with the Kingdom's hard work! The Grimm Group has bigger goals, so don’t expect Matthew to keep pouring resources into fostering good relations. Even if he wants to, I think that’s not ideal."
If an entire business group has to carry the responsibility for a city’s security, that means neither the local nor federal government can handle it. Furthermore, Matthew had already bled financially several times to secure a public new headquarters and private territory. Nemo’s principle as KS man was to help in emergencies but not to fix long-term poverty problems.
Tolya wanted to complain a little, but in the end, he scratched his blonde hair and didn't say anything. After all, what Nemo said was indeed true.
"I’m waiting to see how the Kingdom deals with the next wave of monster invasions, or maybe they’ll produce their own monsters. In that case, you won’t need to worry anymore. Other powerful superheroes and the U.S. government will come and clean up. With the Grimm Group covering Lone Star City, no matter how much trouble the Kingdom causes, they won’t cross the line into gang territory for now."
"After they attacked you, you still say they won’t cross the line?"
"Big trees have withered branches, you know! The person who attacked me was just an ordinary human. Fortunately, the other one with powers was reasonable—he's Japanese, though he might be pretending to be from another nationality. We agreed to act like we’d never met. There has to be a certain level of tolerance when dealing with people." Nemo briefly explained that the Japanese youth’s ability was something like a transparent shield, which helped Tolya understand a bit more.
Understanding the difference between friend and foe was also important education. Nemo didn’t want his roommate to be confused. If something did go wrong, at least he’d know to consult Nemo.
"Your instincts aren’t that off, are they? What do you think about that Japanese guy—what faction would you say he belongs to?"
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"Lawful evil? He doesn’t seem good at attacking, but he’s definitely killed someone before. That’s why I’m warning you. Don’t get all excited and involved just because of what I shared. They know about KS and understand that KS isn’t just one person, but they don’t know you. I don’t want some killer to notice you. That’s another type of human monster. It wouldn’t take much for them to turn you into an unnamed corpse—being close is enough."
"You’re making it sound like I can’t handle a serial killer. Not all superpowered people are good at fighting." Tolya tilted his head, dissatisfied.
"Superpowered people don’t need to fight you." Nemo sneered. "They can just control the bar owner or slip drugs into your beer from afar. That’s just one of the basic tricks. And you think serial killers don’t have a record of assaulting men? The difference is whether they rape before killing or kill before raping."
"You’re trying to scare me away from bars! If we keep talking like this, no one will ever leave the house!" Tolya, like all typical straight men, was especially sensitive about threats to his backside. No matter how stubborn he was on the outside, deep down, he’d be shaking in fear.
"I’m just telling you about the objective risks. If you go to the bar just to relax, fine, but if you’re going there to observe for KS or get involved with people from the Kingdom, people who know the business will be able to tell. The real danger isn’t the Kingdom’s secret operations—it’s the lack of unity within this large organization. It’s like they don’t have a leader. Small-time bosses are doing their own thing."
"When did you learn so much about the Kingdom?" Tolya asked, surprised.
"This organization calls itself the Kingdom, but today I met a partner who called their superior 'Boss,' not 'My King.' According to logic, if they were trying to assert their authority in new territory, they should be showing their highest symbol, especially when dealing with superheroes." Nemo’s instincts told him this wasn’t fake, but he had too little information about the Kingdom to draw conclusions. He could only keep it to himself for now.
There were already several circles marked on the map in different colors. Nemo had put the power map of Lone Star City on display in the living room for a reason—he wanted Tolya to feel involved and, at the very least, understand how to avoid danger. Not saying anything would only lead to wild guesses. But Nemo couldn’t tell an ordinary person too much about the high-risk underworld information.
Information was like a drug—it could be traded, and it was easier to get addicted to. At least by giving Tolya some pure, filtered info, Nemo could stop him from seeking out "dirty" knowledge elsewhere. That was how Nemo thought about it.
"That superpowered one was actually pretty friendly to me. I guess next time we run into each other, we could even have coffee together in the park or something," Nemo added.
His previous team, the Nightmare Squad, wasn't so innocent either. Nemo also believed that the "Kingdom" still needed to integrate its internal factions. Large, messy organizations wouldn’t be without issues. At least, until he confirmed they were truly enemies, Nemo didn’t see the guy he met today, named "Hako," as a foe. The leather-jacketed goon, however, was another story.
Maybe next time Nemo meets Hako, he should just ask straight out. If they were really going to be friends, would Hako mind if Nemo beat the leather-jacket guy half to death when he attacked again? After all, friendships usually came with a price.
Of course, if Hako could control his people, even better. A person’s ability to handle relationships could directly influence Nemo’s opinions about them. For example, Nemo didn’t like Tolya’s country friends, and Tolya wouldn’t force him to get involved with his circle. Before Nemo became a superhero and needed more gray-area intelligence, Tolya had even actively shielded him from gang-related information. But Tolya still cared about the Russian mafia that everyone else avoided, because they shared a special connection.
The main reason was that Nemo wouldn’t befriend someone trying to test him. Tolya and the boss couple had unconditionally accepted him from the start. Matthew, though approaching with purpose, didn’t test whether Nemo deserved to stand by him. Instead, the billionaire had cared for and flattered him without any restrictions.
"Was the other person who beat you a man or a woman?" Tolya suddenly asked.
"A man. Why are you asking?"
"Oh, I feel sorry for you."
"If you really need sympathy, I can provide physical assistance."
"Just kidding. Don’t be so serious," Tolya immediately clenched his thighs together.
"If they’re cleaning up trash as well, I have no objections. If the Kingdom happens to have its own trash that I just so happen to target, I don’t mind either. In fact, they should be thanking me for helping to clear out their organizational waste," Nemo said.
"That’s a pretty bold statement."
"Allies exist to be used. There's no need to suffer in silence. If they’re getting in the way of me doing personal tasks, let them come; were they to wish to engage in an organizational conflict, I am fully prepared." If the Grimm Group couldn’t handle the Kingdom’s branch in Lone Star City, that’d be a huge joke. The fact that KS man is being watched is all Matthew’s fault for secretly forcing Nemo into the superhero business.
Would Matthew Grimm comply? The Russian quickly had an answer: That shameless billionaire really would listen to Nemo—if Nemo said "war," then it was war!
Tolya took out the first aid kit. Why did their pain-relieving gel and muscle patch run out so quickly?
"By the way, dry your hair! How are you going to put on the medicine if it’s still dripping?"
"I ran out of clean towels. The weather’s hot, it’ll dry quickly." This also reminded Nemo that he needed to go home. His laundry basket was full. He hadn’t been avoiding washing clothes, but when it rained, he couldn’t hang the wet laundry, so he’d just been storing it up, planning to go to a laundromat when he had the time.
"Use mine for now! Remember, you owe me one!" Tolya returned to his room and threw a dry towel at Nemo.
Nemo mumbled a thanks and roughly rubbed his curly hair with the towel.
"From what you’re describing, the Kingdom’s actions to expand their influence are mostly hurting the gangs for now." The Russian added, supplementing the information he had gotten from his childhood friend in Moscow. "The Kingdom’s representative in our area is an old Polish man who runs a bookstore. Not sure if he’s a superpowered person, but he seems quite refined. He even managed to convince Veronika to take a happy photo with him! The Polish old man and Veronika had tea together, and Veronika agreed to cooperate—at least she has a wealthy father who can afford the protection fees."
"For now, things are peaceful. When you join a gang, you have to be prepared to deal with even more powerful organizations. If the Kingdom wants to run arms smuggling and mercenaries, Ms. Gromova is a good choice. She’s definitely stronger than local punks without international connections," Nemo commented.
"I also advise her to just rent an umbrella of superpowers. The Kingdom reportedly has a lot of superpowered people backing them. After all, if a giant sea monster lands, whether you’re in a gang or not doesn’t matter. You’d just have to run like everyone else," Tolya was always practical when it came to survival.
"Ms. Gromova doesn’t collect protection fees from ordinary people in her territory. That’s pretty unusual," Nemo remarked. Though, he suspected the daughter of the former Wagner Group members chose this area as her gang base because of Tolya’s presence.
"Because by her standards, there’s no profit in it. Her pocket money in Russia was never just this little; it’d be a bit embarrassing to make a show of force with such small change. Besides, she didn’t come to Lone Star City for that. Her goal is to help her father observe the environment, build connections, and make bigger moves. Although, now that the port is unexpectedly blocked, she’s not sure what to do." Tolya’s answer was just as practical.
"Does she plan to move her base? I’ve heard some gangs are preparing to move to New Orleans."
"After running a territory for over a year, Veronika needs to think it through. Besides, it’s still uncertain how the Kingdom’s influence will develop in New Orleans, and it’s closer to the Green tribe! If moving there doesn’t offer better prospects than Lone Star City, then what’s the point? Wagner’s group is in big trouble, and Veronika can only hold on to the resources she has at the moment. But she’ll have to obey her father’s orders. The key is that her father hasn’t made a decision yet."
For Nemo and Tolya, even if the Russian mafia just moved to a neighboring state, it was still a positive development—it meant Tolya’s new life would be simpler, at least he wouldn’t keep running into familiar faces at the same bar.
With the gang influence that had been beneficial to the Westlake Restaurant disappearing, it was clear that the new gang taking over wouldn’t be any better.
In the end, Nemo reluctantly agreed that going with the flow was the best solution and continued to pray that superheroes who didn’t like gangs would hurry up and come to set up in Lone Star City.