Warning!: This chapter contains material that could be potentially triggering. (E.G. violence, mentions of abuse, mentions of ia)

Chapter 4: An Arm and A Leg

Jihoon lulled in and out of consciousness, succumbing slowly to the impending drowsiness which came from staring into the low-light of the monitors, shrouded in silence. He’d been watching security footage for hours now, observing mundanely as Eunha pranced along the ballroom floor, guided and protected by that stubborn bodyguard. He had no doubt in his mind now. Walking into her private dressing-room, conversing so intimately, dancing together? None of this was standard ‘body-guard’ protocol, there was something else there. Jihoon wasn’t sure what exactly he should do with this information, but he supposed any potential dirt he had on the family would be valuable. If his current plan turns out to be a bust, this could be a something to fall back on.

As much as being forced to watch the two ogle over each other was just thrilling, they had been at it the whole goddamn night. Mr. tall, dark, and persistent was a sticky bastard, hanging off of the little ‘miss like a dog on a leash, and leaving zero room for him to squeeze in.

This also meant that Jihoon was left crumpled into a stiff ball, hiding inside this ing statue, until either the bastard in black took a break, or he ended up fed-up enough to blow off the entire plan and jump out there guns-a-blazing.

Unfortunately for the relentless cramping and kinking of his poor, immobile limbs, Jihoon was too cautious for something as stupid as that. He was, as well, sort of exhausted. No matter how many times he slapped himself across the face and pinched at his skin, his eyes continued to betray his will, fluttering closed every now and again.

The time read 7:00pm, he had been here for 7 hours for god’s sake. It was getting to the point where he regretted this whole dumb idea. One more wretched foot cramp, and he was digging himself right out the way he came, and revising the ing plan. Back to the drawing board!

Jihoon sighed, resting his chin against his palm with a half-lidded stare. Eunha and her beloved ‘bodyguard’ had just finished waltzing, and were now making dull conversation with guests. Boring, boring, so ing boring… She pulled at his sleeve, whispering, and then they began to walk together. Where could they be going, he wondered. To the punch table for some more refreshments? To find somewhere with some privacy, so that Jihoon may-along with being forced to observe their flirting the past 7 hours- will also be forced to watch them like mindless dogs? Knowing his luck, that was probably the case… No, it was almost certainly that, as Jihoon quickly realized that the pair was headed towards the bathroom, the very bathroom Jihoon was currently cursing the world from within.

He pulled himself out of exhaustion immediately, pupils blown wide as he followed their approach on the monitor. Whether they were going together to do the dance without pants in the bathroom or not was important, so when shady McSunglasses took post right outside the door, Jihoon made an internal cheer of celebration, holding back the urge to immediately burst free from this porcelain prison. He couldn’t, not quite yet.

He kept an eye on Mr. persistent outside the door while Eunha finished up her business. The last thing he needed was the poor girl pissing herself before the plan even set itself into motion. She walked up to the statue, staring just below the camera into-what Jihoon assumed-was a mirror. His pulse was racing in anticipation, feeling as though time was slowing down as Eunha’s eyes flicked up, staring straight through the camera at Jihoon. She shut her eyes, and Jihoon took a breath, preparing himself.

With a single jolt of the controls, The Vulcan’s arm had cut through the statue, wrapping around Eunha’s petite frame until her limbs were completely immobile, hovering above the air, and staring wide-eyed into the Vulcans emotionless face display with an undignified squeak.

He had to move quickly. Before Eunha could begin screaming her head off like a child, he had blasted through the walls. Marble stone and granite shattered like glass when the Vulcan pushed through it, holding Eunha slightly behind it’s torso to avoid scratching her up with falling shards of tile. No point in injuring her when she was simply a showpiece.

There was one thing he was sure of, and that was that somewhere on the property, among the staff and guests, was Sergeant Spanx. Knowing MANSAE, he likely wasn’t the only super- in here. It was safe to assume Hwang had assigned them to protect him specifically, which was perfect for him. After his research the past few weeks, an interesting discovery had been made. One that nobody else would be able to figure out without Jihoon’s level of observational skill… The subtle signs he’d taken from body language, the way they spoke, their facial expressions, they all led him to one daunting conclusion. And with the help of the little miss, Jihoon was going to tell the world.

Hopefully, before that buns for brains superhero made his move.

He zipped through the walls in a fashion as to throw-off anyone following the noise, utilizing his knowledge of the buildings layout to his advantage as he beamed down corridors, through walls, until finally-

He crouched down in the room, just outside the main ballroom. The girls screaming was wretched, so as he set himself behind the curtain of the stage, he took it upon himself to silence the noise; extending a retractable arm, and stuffing full with the nozzle of a gun. Her body seized, mascara falling down her face in grimy streaks as she stared cross-eyed into the barrel of the weapon. He thumbed the hammer, the click echoing within the hallow of as a warning.

“Stay still, do as I say, and I won’t kill you.” He stated simply, voice coming in a buzzed whisper, low and grainy.

She stared up at him, eyes wide and watery. Under the serious impression of his metal gaze, her struggling had ceased, and quickly, she nodded. Though annoying, at least she seemed to be smart.

He took a breath, shielding the girl with a forearm as he made one final break in the buildings foundation; shooting through the wall and standing tall before the crowd.

Gasping, blood curdling screams, the whites of eyes revealed under the shock of recoiling eyelids. It was a sight Jihoon admired with a smirk, hidden behind his robotic visage. Their fear was something to be expected, seeing as he had just broken through a marble wall, holding a gun against the back of the birthday girl’s throat. Nonetheless, watching them lose composure was undeniably satisfying.

“Quite the party, Mr. Hwang. My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail, I suppose.” His voice box glitched, pitch rising and falling eerily as he spoke.

From among the terrified guests, Mr. Hwang had stepped forward. A bit less horrified than Jihoon had expected him to be, but he supposed considering what he was, he shouldn’t be too shocked.

“Vulcan, why am I not surprised?”

“That’s a very good question, Mr. Hwang.” His arm rose, suspending Eunha higher for all to see, an arm emerging from his lower left to stoke cool metal against her cheek. She shuddered, whining. “Certainly, you haven’t forgotten your promise, yes?”

The crowd looked towards Hwang, who let out an awkward chuckle under the accusation. “I haven’t promised you anything, Vulcan. What’s your game?”

“My game?” He chuckled, low and buzzing from the filter against his throat. He laughed without a shred of amusement, monotone and eerie, so that Hwang understood that Jihoon found no amusement in the situation. “This isn’t a game, Hwang. I don’t play games. It seems as though you’re getting old. Your memory’s a bit blank, huh? Because, I quite clearly remember you saying you would find me. It was all over the news, in fact.” He twisted the gun toyfully, causing Eunha to gag. “Well, here I am. Now what?”

Hwang released a fit of nervous laughter, sweating visibly. “Y-you think that scares me? You can’t lay a finger on me, Vulcan! Just try it.”

He appeared to be confident, but more importantly, he didn’t seem to care at all that the Vulcan was choking his daughter with a gun. Jihoon felt himself growing ill as he peered down at the man. Judging by his disgusting smirk, it would seem he may actually be finding enjoyment in seeing Eunha like this. He pulled back a bit, giving her time to breath. He was certain now.

Jihoon took a quick look around with his uppermost camera. The superhero’s had been ordered to protect Hwang, definetly. Looking around where he stood, there were staff members stationed within a perimeter of him, looking conveniently less terrified than the rest. “Now, why would I want to lay a finger on you? I don’t like to get my hands dirty, hwang.”

“Dirty?” he spat as he spoke, offended.

“Yes, Dirty. Your money, your company, your morals, they’re all filthy. I wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole, let alone with my own two hands. You understand what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Mr. Hwang looked around, nervous under the whispers of his party guests. “What kind of bull are you spewing? You’re a criminal, the worst of the worst! If anyone’s dirty, it’s you, Vulcan Thief.”

“Ha, I suppose you’re right.” He chuckled, warbled beeping sounding as he adjusted his hold on Eunha, allowing her to rest more comfortably in his grip. “I am dirty, and I know a fellow piece filth when I see one.”

Hwang stuttered, forehead sheen with sweat. “Just what are you trying to say? I’m nothing like you!”

“Really? You think so?” The Vulcan pulled the gun from , holding it against Eunha’s temple. The hand that had been brushing her hair stopped. “Would you care to explain this, then?”

His hand lowered from Eunha’s face, gripping gently at the end of her skirt and pulling up. The girl struggled out of embarrassment, shutting her eyes. Confusion settled into gasps of horror as Jihoon revealed dark bruising along her thighs, trailing up. He stopped there, for the sake of her dignity, but Hwang seemed to get the point.

He stuttered, mouth bumbling, and bright red. The camera’s of nosy party-goers had already captured the moment, so he began to struggle for an excuse. “Y-you, What did you do to my dear Eunha! You must have… have beat her!”

The Vulcan looked straight at Hwang as he spoke, explaining matter-of-factly. “These bruises are a yellowish tone, meaning they are approximately a week old, so it couldn’t have been me. I've noticed that Eunha has always worn long skirts, and modest clothing. She’s young, you’d think she’d want to join in on the fashion of todays teens, wouldn’t you? I always knew she was hiding something.”

“That-That’s”

“Not to mention the way you talk about her to the press. You always mention her beauty, never her interests or her achievements. I looked into it, and, your wife is dead.. isn’t she? I can see now that Eunha resembles her very closely. So, tell me Hwang, explain to your guests why you Arent filth.”

Hwang struggle to find his words, the collar of his suit threatening to burst under the anger he’d been building up. After a brief mumbling of nonsense, he snapped, turning every which direction in a desperate plea. “Sergeant! Come out and do your job! Kill this basta-“

In a blink, Hwang was against a wall, wheezing and clutching his stomach. Jihoon blinked curiously. Eunha’s bodyguard?

“Put her down…”

The bodyguard turned to the Vulcan, his fists clenched. Through the tint of his sunglasses, Jihoon could make out starkly, a cool blue glow piercing into him. Jihoon took a step back upon realizing “Don’t tell me… Captain underwear, you’ve been playing bodyguard?... Not that I care, but Isn’t it a bit unprofessional to knock the lungs out of your client?”

He expected the usual retort, some camera-friendly pregame bantering, his academy award winning grin. But, the sergeant was glaring, the black of his hair transforming into it's trademark silver sheen in a flash of light.

“Did you not hear me? I said put her down, before I ing kill you.” He pulled off his sunglasses, tossing them to the floor in anger.

Did this mean... Sergeant Coups was dating Eunha Hwang? What an interesting development. He twirled the barrel of the gun against her skin, appearing unfazed by the threat. “It’s unusual for you to swear, Sergeant Spandex. Did MANSAE loosen your leash? Or have you simply given up on keeping that PG persona?”

Jihoon could see even from afar, how the Sergeants shoulders were trembling. Not from fear, Jihoon knew all too clearly how little his presence affected him. He was angry, so angry that surges of power were beginning to lift strands of his silver hair, reminiscent of a gentle brush of wind. The ground was quaking under his stance, enough that Jihoon could feel patterns of vibration through layers of steel armor.

He stared up into the Vulcan, breaking the tie from his neck with a gesture that appeared to be nothing, a gentle tug, yet the fabric was in pieces by his feet. He continued with the rest of the suit, slowly, never taking his eyes off Jihoon. If not for the very apparent anger, and the bright spandex suit underneath, Jihoon might have been .

He wasn’t, though. He felt chills; a nervous pooling at his gut as he in a daunting realization.

He had never, not once, out of the many times they had fought, seen Sergeant this angry. It was actually… a bit intimidation. Jihoon had a frightening feeling that if he didn’t get out of here soon, he might actually end up with some bruises. He had to think of a plan, quick. Something to distract Coups, long enough that he may escape through the outside exit-route.

“Drop her, Vulcan. I won’t ask you again.” He was practically growling through his words, stepping closer despite Jihoon holding a gun to Eunha’s head. It was very possible that he saw through this empty threat, which left Jihoon feeling rather wary.

Given the circumstance, he supposed he really did have to just… drop everything and run. “Yes, sir.”

In a blink, the Vulcans arms had uncoiled around Eunha in a violent motion, consequently whipping her across the room. The Sergeant moved to catch her immediately, giving Jihoon the chance he needed to book it the out of there. Without another thought, Vulcan had ricocheted off a tiled floor, leaving a crater of shattered platforms as he crashed through an overhead window.

He had to move quickly. In this state, who knows what kind of damage the Sergeant could do. He couldn't stay and fight. He had no money left from the last heist… If the suit gets damaged, he’s beyond screwed.

The Vulcan soared, aiming for the fountain with every ounce of it’s power. He reached forward mid-air, Just brushing the spray of water with eager, metal fingertips, before a hand had caught his leg, launching him in the opposite direction with death-defying velocity.

The blow was hard enough to wind him for a moment, contact to concrete approaching faster than the emergency crash features could activate. By the time the system had stabilized, Sergeant was on top of him, staring down with icy blue eyes with a hand pressing dents into the titanium around the robot’s throat. Jihoon watched the wall’s around his head concave, panicking with controls in an attempt to throw the superhero off.

Despite the nervous thudding of his heart, he managed to snake an arm around the superhero’s wrist, whipping the limb and shooting Sergeant off of his torso. He had to take advantage of every, and any opening he could create. As long as he could throw off Sergeant, even for a second, maybe he cou-

He turned to his hand as the system sent a warning of damaging pressure to the screen. General jockstrap should have been thrown yards away, yet there he was, crushing the robot’s hand with a single fist.

“Not this time, Vulcan. I’m not falling for your gimmicks anymore.” He floated forward, staring straight through the robot’s camera, and into Jihoon. “Today, you’re mine.”

In a motion the arm had been torn off, thrown to the side like a crumpled ball of trash. When he was on him again, Jihoon faced off against him, breathing hard. He needed to focus, calm down and fight properly. As long as he threw his disposable limbs forward, he should be able to buy enough time to figure out a plan. Jihoon threw a punch from his lower-left, hoping to satisfy the superhero’s destructive needs with expendable distractions, knowing well the sergeant would destroy the limb with ease.

Against all that he knew, Sergeant had dodged the attack, moving in such a fashion as to anchor his feet against his torso, with his arm in hand…. His main arm.

“Stop!” Jihoon panicked, screaming through the mic as he fumbled with controls. Despite all efforts, the Sergeant had ripped the arm apart at the seams, twisting the limb into oblivion as he glowered into the camera.

“Stop? I’m just getting started.”

Jihoon bounded away in an attempt to flee, heart thudding as the chamber within the Vulcan began to blare warning messages, alert sounds, glowing an eerie red against his pale skin. Sergeant was on him again before he even had a chance to breath, throwing fists into the armor of his chest mercilessly.

DAMAGE REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS

30% UNTIL SYSTEM FAILURE

Jihoon choked out a cry. Despite the numerous layers of protective metal armor, the Sergeants beating had begun to indent the inner workings of the suit, pushing a frame of metal into Jihoon’s gut painfully. He struggled to hold his own, mind unhinging as the superhero dodged every attack with ease.

, this was not looking good.

23% UNTIL SYSTEM FAILURE

Using the only other good arm he had left, the Vulcan slammed a fore-arm into the hero, knocking him off. Not with enough force to damage him, but at least he had a chance. In a blink he’d launched into the air, whipping the camera around in search of an opportunity. , there was nothing, not within miles of here.

“Enough running away, Vulcan!”

The Sergeant was coming down at him with a piercing expression, grabbing hold of his main right leg and shooting him towards the earth like a boomerang. He crashed facing up, squinting through a wave of dizziness as he realized the leg had been ripped off, held tauntingly by Sergeant Coups as flew down from the skies. Below him, the floor had crumbled, a crater forming against his back.

10% UNTIL SYSTEM FAILURE

Sergeant held the Vulcan down by the shoulders, huffing with a breathless expression as he came down from the high of battle. “There’s nowhere to run, Vulcan. It’s over! If you don’t power down and show yourself, I’ll rip you out myself.”

Despite feeling on the verge of a concussion, Jihoon took a moment to look away from the Sergeant’s cold gaze, paying more attention to the water droplets blurring his view on the camera, and the overhead spray of mist. He had… landed on the fountain? Maybe there really was an angel watching over him.

The sergeant slammed a fist against the stomach of the Vulcan, running tremors of pulsations through it’s core. Jihoon gasped, a dented frame stabbing into his stomach painfully.

6% UNTIL SYSTEM FAILURE

“Answer me, you bastard!”

He had no choice… It was this, or jail... Or death. Using the very last of the Vulcans power, Jihoon began to press buttons in preparation, racing against the clock as the countdown until System failure loomed down on him. He in a breath, pressing one final, red button, encased in glass.

3% UNTIL SYSTEM FAILURE

Upon activation of the emergency exit, Jihoon was booted from the robot through it;s back, blindly tumbling down the steep, dark tunnel he had dug from before. The Vulcan, acting automatically with the remainder of it’s energy, kicked off from the fountain with the only leg it had left, collapsing the entrance to the escape-tunnel, and sending Sergeant Stupid-head far from it.

The hole was steep, enough so that rather than running, Jihoon was left falling down the rabbit hole in a panicked daze. There was no way to stabilize the fall, and after a thorough knock against his skull, Jihoon was out cold.

~

“Enough of this!” Seungcheol threw the robot off of him, taking the dominant stance and holding his fist above its head; fully intent on Killing whatever was inside.

“MAXIMUM DAMAGE LEVELS REACHED. SHUTTING DOWN….”

He froze, watching intently as the lights, sounds, all the signs of living began to fade in the robot, leaving a cold, dead shell beneath him.

Did this mean… he won? Seungcheol’s heart was beating fast under his remaining adrenaline, staring down into empty black eyes with an odd sensation pooling in his gut. Was this what true achievement felt like?

His earpiece beeped, and Seungcheol pressed into the button on the mic, careful not to crush it. “Sergeant Coups reporting. Supervillain status offender, Vulcan Thief, in custody. Requesting backup for detainment.”

In minutes, they were there. All the staff had been watching from around the property anyway, so it was a quick process.

After ensuring the robot was indeed, shut down, the authorities got to work prying it open to retrieve the person within. Today was the day he would stare into the eyes of his mortal enemy.. The man he’d been fighting all this time, hidden behind a cold robotic mask. After their history, of course he was curious. What kind of an ugly, bitter bastard could have caused such chaos for so long?

The staff wedged a mechanical, prying apparatus in what they found to be the entrance of the suit, cranking it open slowly. Seungcheol leaned forward, gulping as the space within was inspected.

“Huh? That’s odd…” The worker scratched his scalp, leaning closer to search within the machine, twisting the flashlight around cautiously.

“What? What is it?”

The worker looked up at Seungcheol, feeling nervous under the desperation in his eyes. “It’s empty, Sergeant.” He moved aside, illuminating a vacant operating seat against the dull glow of his flashlight. “He’s gone.”

~

Jisoo stood beside Seungcheol’s desk with a sympathetic smile, offering a mug. “Your coffee, Seungcheol.”

“Thanks…” He stared into the mug blankly, eyeing the black liquid with a near lifeless expression.

“I know you’re feeling down, but you really shouldn’t… This is the closest we’ve ever gotten to stopping him, thanks to you!” He said nothing, frowning. Jisoo sighed. “Seungcheol, our only loss is that we didn’t catch the Vulcan. We have his suit! That’s huge, and it’s only a matter of time before the research team finds some of his DNA. Plus…. Hwang! You put a e in jail, and saved Eunha’s life! Isn’t that something to celebrate?”

Seungcheol ran a finger along the handle of the mug, feeling his mind haze over with an bitter taste. “I didn’t… I didn’t even know… If anything, it was the Vulcan. That bastard is the real reason Hwang’s in jail.” Seungcheol looked up at Jisoo finally, eyebrows furrowed. “Do I even deserve to call myself a hero? I just work for the people who pay me, carrying out their bidding. Who knows, all my clients could have been criminals! God, I’m just… a fool.”

“Don’t say that, Sergeant… Nobody could have known. But that doesn’t matter, you did the right thing in the end! The whole city is praising your efforts, Seungcheol, see?” He held his phone out, displaying the headline of the news with a smile.

‘Sergeant Coups Serves a Slice of Justice at Corporate Birthday’. Defeating criminals, catching es, what can’t he do? Late last eve-

God, what a load of crap. “Jisoo, I'd like to be alone for a while. You're dismissed for thw day.”

“But Seu-“

“Please…” He pushed a finger against his temple, letting out a breath. “Just go.”

Jisoo  in his pride and left without another word, collecting his papers from the desk and shutting the door behind him. He was Seungcheol’s advisor, not his friend. He had to remind himself that… although, seeing him blame himself for such a thing was difficult to bear silently. Seungcheol had done so much for this city… For the world! Yet he still acted as if it wasn’t enough.

He was too hard on himself, it really made Jisoo want to cross over onto the friend-side of this arrangement and take emotional action. He was a professional, though. He would handle this issue as any good advisor should, by supporting Seungcheol behind the scenes.

Jisoo made his way through the halls, down elevators, entering through the research facility purposefully. He stood before a man in a white lab coat, clearing his throat. “How’s the forensic process coming along?”

He looked up with a frown, eyes large, a gentle brown tone. “Nothing yet, unfortunately. I’ll let you know as soon as I find something though, Mr. Hong.”

Jisoo huffed. “Yes, thank you. I’ll let you work, then.”

The scientist watched him leave with a smile, waiting, until Mr. Hong was out the doors, and out of sight. He stepped into his office quickly, locking the door behind him as he got to work at his desk.

Within a small plastic bag, held a single, short strand of black hair he had picked out from within the Vulcan’s suit. Holding the strand with tweezers, he placed the evidence carefully onto a scanner, watching with a gulp as a beam of green light ran along the hair.

The DNA ran through millions, billions of results from within the computer’s database. If the Vulcan had any kind of registration with the government, that little strand of hair was all he needed to discover his identity.

Within minutes of cross-comparisons with the thousands of similar DNA results, a single name remained on the screen.

He chuckled, amused, as he ran his hand along the profile. Pictured before him was a child, chubby cheeked, and grinning. The idea alone was enough to make him laugh… This cute little guy was the Vulcan? The metal god of death and destruction, feared by all who knew him, was this?

Lee Jihoon, born November 22^nd, 1996, registered as an orphan with Jung Ara, at the age of 3.

He smirked, creating a separate copy of the information for his eyes only, before getting to work with his profile.

It didn’t take much, especially since his file was so outdated. After a series of code had been corrupted by his hand, he was able to cross-out all evidence of it. No matter what DNA they found in the robot, none of it would matter. They can scan hairs and fingernails all they wish.

Because now, Lee Jihoon no longer exists.

A/N: Im sorry about that horrible cliffhanger last chapter :,) It wasn't supposed to be that way, the chapter was just getting too long so I had to cut it in half somewhere lol. Jicheol is coming ur way soon, I don't know why setting up the plot of this story has taken 4 chapters but ehhhhh I'll make up for it with spandex-clad  eventually!