Chapter 22: Unlikely Collaboration

My name is Ivory, and what I had just witnessed was quite the spectacle. From the moment the confrontation began, I observed every move, every attack, and every display of power. It was a vivid reminder of how unpredictable irregulars could be—wild cards that could change the game in an instant.

I slowly began to levitate, hovering just a few feet from Heartstopper, who still held his partner in a tender embrace. The casual intimacy between them was a stark contrast to the brutality they had just unleashed.

"I must say," I began, my voice calm yet carrying a weight of authority, "I am impressed."

Heartstopper's gaze met mine, unflinching, while his partner—Steph, if I recalled correctly—turned her head slightly, acknowledging my presence with a curious smile.

It was a curious sight for villains to casually address another with a civilian name. It spoke either their confidence or arrogance. It wasn’t beyond me to think though that ‘Steph’ was merely an alias.

"Greetings~," I continued, letting a hint of amusement color my tone, "so, Mr. Heartstopper and Mrs. Heartstopper."

The redhead’s smile widened at the title. "Mrs.? I like the sound of that."

Heartstopper glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "You have your supervillain name now, sweetheart."

The air was thick with tension, yet beneath it, there was a certain playfulness between them. It was clear that they were a formidable team, their bond only strengthening their dangerous capabilities. However, as the new director of the KCU, I knew that understanding the dynamic between such powerful individuals could be the key to dealing with them—whether it was through confrontation or something more subtle.

“Oh my,” Steph's words hung in the air, almost taunting in their casual brutality. "Opportunities are rare, you know? To show my more violent side is such a rare affair because my hubby here kills them too early… such a bother…" she groaned, her tone light but laced with a sinister undertone that would have sent a shiver down a normal person’s spine.

I nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. "I see…" I murmured, more to myself than to them. It hadn’t been long since I’d taken the role of KCU director, and already, the weight of my responsibilities was pressing down on me. I wanted to do good, to be a force for change, but the world I’d stepped into was far more complex—and far more corrupt—than I’d ever imagined.

The World Order, with all its power, seemed more interested in maintaining control than in protecting its people. I had always been loyal, never questioning their motives. But something had shifted in me since I lost my memories. The world felt off, like a puzzle with pieces that didn’t quite fit together anymore. Why were they allowing criminals like Heartstopper and Steph to run free when they had the power to stop them? Was it really to keep the masses downtrodden, to spark more superhuman awakenings? The thought made my stomach churn.

"Why so quiet? Are we just gonna stare at each other like some old cowboy movie?" Heartstopper’s voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and impatient.

I blinked, focusing back on the two of them. They were dangerous and unpredictable, and yet, here I was, floating in front of them like some lost soul. I needed to stay sharp, to remember who I was—what I stood for—even if everything else seemed to be crumbling around me.

I straightened up, forcing a small smile. "No, Mr. Heartstopper," I replied, meeting his gaze. "I’m just considering my options."

I hadn’t done much recently… except pick fights with the Devil Fish Clan and the Masters of Steel. The Kane Chaplaincy and Dead Whore were a slimy bunch, notorious for their underhanded dealings and relentless pursuit of power. And now, here I was, face to face with the suspected boss of Dead Whore himself.

“How about we cut to the chase?” I suggested, my voice cold and steady.

Without waiting for a response, I reached out with my telekinesis, attempting to lock onto the Heartstoppers. But they were faster than I anticipated, moving with a synchronicity that was almost eerie. As if they were two magnets with the same charge, they repelled each other, their movements swift and fluid nearly flying. Mr. Heartstopper bolted toward the steel pillar that had been designed to interfere with their powers.

With one swift motion, he destroyed the pillar with a single punch, the metal crumpling under the force of his attack. I raced after him, my telekinetic flight propelling me forward, but he outmaneuvered me with ease. In an instant, he flew back to where Steph was waiting, their bodies drawn together like magnets with opposing charges.

This was the first time I had seen Heartstopper display such an ability. It wasn’t just raw power—they were working together, their abilities complementing each other in a way that was both efficient and terrifying.

“You’re among the best the Union has to offer, advertisements and all… so we aren’t gonna hold back,” Mr. Heartstopper taunted, his voice filled with a mixture of confidence and disdain. “Kane City doesn’t see much of your kind here, so you’re an unwelcome presence in my soon-to-be empire.”

"My kind?" I echoed, the phrase lingering in the air like a challenge. It was a curious choice of words, one that carried more weight than I expected.

“Don’t play coy now,” Heartstopper said, crossing his arms with a look that could almost be mistaken for pity. “Champions of the realms, an Order of Heroes, Conquerors of the Stars… Such a sham. I am not most sheep, unlike the rest of Planet Mol. I know things. Thousands of stars being oppressed, resource worlds being abused, and so much more.”

His words caught me off guard, and I couldn’t hide my confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re more insane than I thought,” he continued, his voice laced with a bitter edge. “Almost a thousand years of conquest, and the Order wouldn’t just stop. I will break off from this cage, race to the stars, and one day I shall find my own freedom.”

Again, I asked, “What are you talking about?”

Heartstopper laughed, but it wasn’t the sound of someone amused—it was the laugh of a man who had seen too much. “For a big hero like you from the main branch, you sure are clueless. This is almost an impossibility.”

“What are you talking about?” I repeated, my voice echoing like a broken record. Each time I asked, it felt like I was trying to grasp something that was just out of reach. The gaps in my memories loomed like a hidden conspiracy, shadowing every thought. And then there was my psychosis—how I teetered on the edge whenever I saw red, how the bloodthirst would surge through me like a wave. No. I couldn’t lose myself. Superpower psychosis was normal for powerful supers, wasn’t it?

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“What are you talking about?” I asked again, more desperately this time.

“There is something wrong with you,” Heartstopper said, his tone shifting from disdain to something almost resembling concern. “Get a hold of yourself. I don’t want to deal with broken powers in my city, because it tends to be messy.”

“What are you talking about?” The words came out of me automatically, like a reflex.

“At least I wasn’t as far gone as you. Was the rest of the Order’s irregulars as broken as you?”

And then something snapped in my head. It was as if a dam had burst, releasing a flood of emotions and confusion that I could no longer contain. I have been doing so much good for the past few days… saving cats from high trees, stopping crimes at large, attacking villains in droves, and so much more.

“Tell me, are you part of this? Where is it? Where are my missing memories? Do you know? Do you know? You have to know. You must know. What is happening to me? What are you talking about?” My voice rose with each question, the desperation in my heart seeping into every word. I needed answers—no, I demanded them. The world felt like it was spinning out of control, and I was grasping for anything to anchor me back to reality.

"And then I smiled," I said, feeling the curve of my lips stretch into something both unsettling and familiar. "I just have to do what I’m good at."

At that moment, I imbued more telekinetic power into my limbs and flickered, reappearing behind Heartstopper with a speed that left no time for hesitation. I struck with a jab, aiming directly at his spine. Heartstopper raised one hand in defense, but my fist tore through his block with a force that could shatter steel. Yet, before I could make contact, he fled—his body yanked at a perfect ninety-degree angle as if an invisible string had pulled him to safety.

Before I could process the move, Steph lashed out with a kick charged with electric shocks. The impact sent a jolt through me, but I endured, grounding myself with my telekinesis. With one palm, I pushed, flinging Steph away as if she were weightless.

In that brief exchange, I had finished my analysis of Heartstopper’s powers. The truth was clear now, and it sickened me. Mrs. Heartstopper was nothing more than a puppet—a lifeless corpse resurrected and controlled through his twisted abilities. The realization turned my stomach, but I pushed the revulsion aside.

My five senses were hyper-aware of everything, thanks to the extension of my telekinesis. It allowed me to perceive the world in ways that went beyond ordinary sight or touch. I could see Heartstopper and his puppet perfectly in three dimensions, every movement, and every twitch, like they were laid bare before me. This hyper-awareness enabled me to dodge the rain of lightning that cascaded from both Heartstopper and his grotesque creation.

I clenched my fists, focusing my power until I could almost feel the sharpness of a thousand needles at my fingertips. With a burst of energy, I unleashed a barrage of those telekinetic needles, each one aimed at Heartstopper as he fled farther and farther away. My attack barely missed him, the needles slicing through the air just behind him. He was fast, and it was clear he had some level of hyper-awareness, though the exact mechanism behind it remained a mystery to me.

I pursued him relentlessly, closing the distance between us, when suddenly a prison of lightning erupted around me. The crackling energy surged, forming a cage of raw power that threatened to incinerate anything within.

I had been in Kane City for three years, and in all that time, I had rarely engaged villains in a true life-and-death battle. My direct superiors had made it clear that I was to avoid such confrontations, keep the peace, and maintain order without resorting to lethal force. And in all those years, Heartstopper had never displayed abilities like this—puppeteering, or the ability to share his power with others. It was clear he had been hiding his true capabilities.

"You’ve been hiding your powers, huh?" I muttered, my gaze fixed on Heartstopper as he stood calmly in the middle of the highway, seemingly unfazed by the chaos around him.

The lightning prison pressed in on me, the searing energy threatening to tear through my defenses. I gritted my teeth and reinforced my telekinetic barrier, reshaping it into a sphere that could withstand the relentless assault. As I did, I noticed the lightning branching out, connecting to various people who were slowly emerging from houses, buildings, and even vehicles. Their bodies glowed with a blue light, the telltale sign of Heartstopper’s influence. These people were most likely his thralls, each one now capable of wielding a portion of his electrokinesis.

Heartstopper’s voice cut through the crackling of the lightning. "I am sorely disappointed. The local Union branch was content not to mess with me, happy to maintain the status quo as long as I paid tribute. But you just had to ruin it."

His tone was almost mournful as if he regretted the need to reveal his hand. But I could see the underlying fury in his eyes, the frustration at having been forced into this position.

It was clear now that this wasn’t just a battle—it was a test, a reckoning. Heartstopper had played his cards close to his chest for years, and now, faced with the threat I posed, he was finally showing what he was truly capable of.

Yeah, my relentless pursuit of the gangs was pretty much against protocol. The Masters of Steel felt so cornered they started attacking Dead Whore, which, of course, prompted Heartstopper to retaliate with this brutal display of power. And now, here I was, face to face with the man himself.

I could feel the blood trickling along my lips, not from the electricity or the lightning prison, but from the sheer strain of using my powers at an output I could barely maintain. The pressure was exhilarating, intoxicating even, and I couldn’t help but grin. My smile grew wider and wider at the thought of just obliterating everything in my path.

“At least your other thralls aren’t dead meat puppets like that doll of yours,” I taunted, my voice dripping with venom.

“Take that back,” Heartstopper growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Suddenly, the already bright, sunny sky took on a shade of crimson. I glanced up, and there it was—a meteor, massive and looming, big enough to obliterate Kane City and perhaps three to five more city-states with it. It was a sight to behold, a testament to the sheer magnitude of power I was toying with.

“You are crazy,” Heartstopper remarked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was a deep, unrestrained laugh, echoing across the battlefield. The thrill of the moment, the sheer audacity of what I was about to do, sent a shiver down my spine. For a brief, glorious moment, nothing else mattered.

“I am the master of my own power, and it shall be so as I willed it.”

I was sure I had a manic grin right at that moment. The meteor crumbled into smaller debris and I directed them in small clusters at Heartstopper. They looked like small curving orange lasers as I inputted my telekinesis on them, creating a concentrated fire aimed to destroy my foe.

“I’d like to see you bleed red, but this is fine too.”

How exactly did I bring a meteor here? The principle was quite simple: I marked it with the help of a telescope some nights ago. I had a habit of marking ‘asteroids’ as a form of trump cards… Though I could only use them once, they were destructive enough that holding back was quite a pain.

“I am going to awaken this City! I am of the World Order, thus it is my responsibility to awaken them of their wrongdoings! I will start with this small planet, and then the Order shall hear my voice. This is my crusade against evil and to wage good to the world! But first, you have to die!”

Heartstopper desperately tried to dodge, while I persistently endured. The thralls began to fall one by one as my supply of meteor shards continued to lessen.

“LET’S DESTROY EACH OTHER! AND START FROM A CLEAN SLATE!” I roared, the thrill of battle surging through every fiber of my being. I knew I was losing it, but damn, it was so much fun!

Heartstopper didn’t seem fazed. Instead, he chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with condescension. “Not so fast, sweetie.”

Before I could react, a pillar of blue light shot up from the ground, streaking toward the meteor I had summoned. The sheer force of the energy disintegrated the massive rock into dust, scattering it across the sky like a forgotten dream. It was like a heavenly pillar of punishment, made of pure, superheated lightning. I quickly calculated where the lightning had originated from and realized it must have come from Steph.

Heartstopper’s smug voice cut through the crackling air. “You aren’t the only one with a trump card, sweetie.”

He then hurled his thralls at me, their bodies moving with the mindless obedience of puppets. But they were no match for me. With just a thought, I exploded their heads, watching dispassionately as their lifeless bodies crumpled to the ground.

As I stood amidst the carnage, I simply watched as Heartstopper fled, his form growing smaller and smaller in the distance. I knew exactly what I was doing: letting a criminal run away. It was an unforgivable act, one that should have gone against everything I stood for. But since I had lost my memories, the lines between right and wrong had blurred, and the idea of rebellion had started to take root in my mind. And what better place to start than by finding talents among the criminals?

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought. This world was full of possibilities, and I intended to explore every last one of them.