Chapter 145: Headlines
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Eric soared high above the city, watching the bustling crowds below. His expression was complex as he let out a quiet sigh before descending swiftly toward the bank.
This wasn't the first time he had done something like this, yet he still wasn't used to it.
The Black Queen's people had recently gone silent, making it impossible for Eric to track them down. But he had a simple, albeit crude, plan.
Cause a scene—and make them come to him.
The Hellfire Club had been actively recruiting mutants. If he displayed overwhelming power and even feigned hatred toward humans while subtly expressing approval of the Black Queen's ideology, he was certain they wouldn't ignore someone as strong as him.
Under the eyes of countless onlookers, Eric descended from the sky, drawing gasps of shock from the crowd.
He paid no mind to their reactions and strode purposefully toward the bank.
A security guard, watching him land, mustered his courage and stepped forward. "Sir, what are you—"
Before he could finish, Eric tilted his head slightly. An unseen force yanked the guard off his feet and sent him crashing into the wall, knocking him unconscious.
The other security personnel inside the bank reacted immediately, drawing their weapons, while the customers erupted into chaos.
Eric raised a hand. Instantly, their firearms twisted into knots of metal and, along with their owners, were flung backward.
The alarm blared. Eric remained unfazed, continuing his slow and deliberate walk toward the counter.
Screams echoed as people scrambled to escape.
With a flick of his fingers, one of the guards was lifted by the metal on his uniform and dragged toward him.
Eric studied the man's terrified face, then smiled faintly. "Where's the vault?"
The guard trembled violently, his voice barely coherent. "O-Over there!"
He shakily pointed in the direction of the vault.
Eric gently set him down, even adjusting the man's cap. "Thanks."
With that, he strode toward the vault without hesitation.
Just then, the sharp wail of police sirens filled the air outside.
Eric paused mid-step and turned toward the entrance. A squad of officers had stormed in, weapons raised and aimed directly at him.
He let out a cold chuckle, lazily wagging a finger. "Pointing guns at me? That makes me nervous."
With a mere flick of his hand, the officers' weapons wrenched free from their grips and turned on their former owners.
Eric smirked. "See? Now you're nervous too."
"What… What do you want?" the squad captain asked, forcing himself to remain composed.
Eric scoffed before continuing toward the vault. "Just following the Black Queen's example—doing some good deeds."
As he spoke, he casually waved a hand.
The stolen weapons slammed into their owners, sending them flying out of the bank. Then, with a simple clench of his fist, the police cars parked outside were crushed into twisted metal and hurled against the entrance, sealing it shut.
Eric moved unhurriedly toward the vault, his mind already working on how to turn today's events into tomorrow's biggest headline—how to make this spectacle truly unforgettable.
Then, an idea struck him.
His eyes gleamed.
Perfect.
Stretching out his hand, he felt the structure of the vault. His lips curled into a smirk.
Steel reinforced with concrete—his favorite kind.
The vault wasn't particularly large, covering about 200 square meters.
Eric extended his hand and clenched his fist.
Boom! Boom!
The ground trembled as the entire vault was yanked free, as effortlessly as pulling out a drawer.
The bank staff could only stare in horror as the massive structure was ripped from its place.
Without hesitation, Eric slowly lifted off the ground, floating toward the entrance.
With a casual wave, he tore a hole through the police cars blocking the doors and shot into the sky—leaving behind chaos, fear, and a spectacle bound to dominate the headlines.
As Eric soared out of the bank, a hail of sniper bullets fired from the surrounding rooftops.
But to him, they were nothing more than harmless projectiles. The bullets veered off course mid-flight, scattering in all directions before they could even come close.
Floating high above the crowd, Eric wore a cocky grin. "Are you all ready for the party?"
With a backward pull of his hand, the massive vault he had extracted trembled violently inside the bank. Then, under a chorus of terrified screams, it smashed through the front doors and emerged onto the street.
Gasps of disbelief rippled through the crowd as the vault lifted into the air, hovering beneath Eric's feet.
"What… what the hell is he trying to do?"
A police officer, staring in horror, let his gun slip from his grasp. He was already considering quitting on the spot.
What kind of joke was this? How were they supposed to deal with this with their tiny little guns?
Where the hell were those special task forces?
As he watched the vault ascend higher and higher alongside Eric, he muttered under his breath, "Just go… Just take it and go!"
"You think… he might drop that thing back down?"
Another officer beside him spoke up, voice tight with unease.
A chill ran down the first officer's spine as if something had clamped around his head. The thought alone was terrifying.
But in truth, Eric had no such plans.
He wasn't a mass murderer—just someone who wanted to put on a spectacle, to make headlines.
His real goal was…
CRACK!
With a flick of his wrist, one of the vault's thick steel walls was torn open.
Then, with another casual wave of his hand, the heavy safes packed with money were wrenched free and flung outward.
A wide grin spread across Eric's face.
And then—
It rained money.
"Hahaha!"
As his wild laughter echoed through the streets, cash poured from the sky like a storm.
People looked up, eyes filled with disbelief.
Then—madness.
The world seemed to freeze for just a moment, capturing a single frame of chaos—of bills fluttering in the wind, of outstretched hands, of an entire city plunging into absolute frenzy.
---
New York Police Department Headquarters
SLAM!
A newspaper was thrown onto the desk with force.
The police chief glared at the front page.
There was no doubt who dominated the headlines.
Below the bold, screaming title were the images—
Money raining down like confetti.
A mob of crazed citizens scrambling for cash.
And above them all, Eric, floating smugly with an entire vault beneath him.
It was pure mockery.
The chief's breath came in ragged, furious bursts. He turned his seething gaze onto the officers in the room.
"Look at this! Just look at this!" He slammed his fist onto the table. "What the hell is this mess? What were you all doing? Who is this guy?! What the hell does he want?! Somebody give me an answer!"
Silence.
His men exchanged glances but kept their heads down.
They didn't know shit.
"This mutant is out of control! Too out of control!"
Even with all his years dealing with criminals, the chief had never seen someone this brazen.
But what frustrated him even more—what terrified him—was the sheer power displayed in those photos.
A mutant who could rip a vault out of a building, fly through the air, and toy with entire police forces like they were nothing?
How the hell were they supposed to handle that?
A heavy silence filled the room.
Finally, the chief inhaled deeply and exhaled through gritted teeth.
"Stay sharp. Next time this mutant shows up, I want immediate action. We take him down."
"Sir… shouldn't we contact S.H.I.E.L.D. for assistance?"
The moment the words were spoken, the officer regretted them.
Because in the next instant—
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?!"
The chief grabbed the officer by the collar, his face livid.
"You think our department doesn't look useless enough already?! You want S.H.I.E.L.D. to clean up our mess too?!"
The officer gave a sheepish, awkward smile.
With a scowl, the chief shoved him away and glared at the rest of the room.
"Get the hell out of my sight!"
(End of Chapter)