The Triangle
With Hopper's speed, it didn't take long for them to bound through the sky to the grand Triangle at the top of the city. Nathan could tell it had been right to investigate the Triangle as soon as they got closer.
Better technology than the one in the bunker tried to hide the presence of powerful energy from within the Triangle. But whatever it was inside the Triangle was significantly more powerful than the Demon of Dusk Street and the other presences in the bunker had been.
However, the Triangle was so airtight that Nathan couldn't get close to an approximate of how powerful or even what it was. It didn't feel like a person, whether singular or plural. But that didn't mean much in a world with skills or afflictions that affected people's presences.
Hopper let go of Nathan when he was a meter above the Triangle. She had no trouble with the landing, but it was unnecessarily rude.
"Paah!"
Hopper set down and broke out in a pant with her hands on her knees.
"Damn, you're heavy! Do you eat lead for breakfast or something?"
Hopper turned to Nathan and questioned between heavy breaths.
Nathan raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
"Well, you're no feather yourself."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hopper glared at Nathan. For some reason, that was a scathing remark for someone who had no reason to utter it.
Nathan shrugged.
"Whatever."
Nathan turned away and knelt to touch the smooth black surface of the Triangle. It was like Hopper had said. It didn't feel like ordinary steel or carbon fiber. But it was a metal.
Nathan frowned.
He didn't recognize the specific alloy. But it was a mix of different standard metals like iron, copper, and titanium. Possibly some aluminum, too, since it was lightweight.
But that was only half of it. The second half was made of materials that only appeared after Pandora's Opening, whether it be from beings who evolved or came into existence afterward or minerals that grew in the ground.
Depending on the mix, origin, combination, and grade of materials, the alloy could become anything from something like rubber to a substance harder than diamond.
Hopper sat down and looked as Nathan rapped his knuckles against the Triangle with a thoughtful frown. She sighed.
"Well?"
"It does not look like they'll open up and invite us in."
"They? No. Scratch that. Continue from before. What's this deal with the city being in danger?"
Nathan glanced at Hopper for a second before returning to his inspection.
"Hello…?"
"You spend a lot of time watching the city, right?"
Since Hopper had been at the scene of Julian's brother's attempted kidnapping almost as soon as it happened, she should have been in a position to see it as soon as it happened. She also had a record of appearing out of nowhere and catching people falling from buildings, constructions, and trees.
With her skill, it was also easy for her to stay high up and watch over the city like a valiant protector.
"Maybe. What's that got to do with anything?"
"Haven't you seen…I am not sure how to put it, but strange people wearing leather jackets with a flame-like symbol? They do suspicious things, rarely get caught, and when they do get caught, they never get in trouble."
Hopper frowned.
"Sounds like a conspiracy theory. Are aliens next?"
"Actually—"
Hopper held up a hand and stopped Nathan before he said anything she really couldn't believe.
"Forget I said that last part. It sounds like a conspiracy theory. Unfortunately, I can't say I don't believe you."
Hopper sighed again and looked at the starry sky.
"I've only caught a few glimpses, but that's even more suspicious. As far as I can tell, it's a criminal organization, and if what you said about them never getting caught, they're lining the police's pockets. But they aren't the first to try something like that. The other heroes have dealt with them before. They'll deal with them again."
"You said it yourself. You've only caught a few glimpses of them. They're too big for that. If it were something like an ordinary criminal organization, they would have already been seen through and routed."
"What's your point?"
"The Vijang Syndicate. They're going to bring down the city."
Hopper rolled her eyes.
"And they're hiding in here? Scary."
"Nope. They're hiding in a massive bunker underground. What they want is in here."
Nathan tapped the Triangle again. Hopper didn't say anything as she rested her chin on her palm and just looked at Nathan continue to prod the Triangle's surface.
Eventually, after a couple of minutes, Nathan mumbled something that was enough to make Hopper react.
"I think they might have put some dragon in here."
Hopper's eyes widened.
"Aaand, I think that's my cue to leave. Since you're spouting nonsensical bullshit after nonsensical bullshit, I'm not going to entertain you anymore. I'll at least bring you down with me but only if we go now."
Nathan turned to look at Hopper, slightly surprised.
"You don't like dragons? Who doesn't like dragons?"
"Of course, I don't like dragons. They're incarnations of disaster that humanity can't resist. But that's not the issue here, Crazy. There's no way there's a dragon in here. Since you're full of shit, there's no need to listen to you. And I've got better things to do than sit around up here all day."
"Ah. I didn't mean there's a dragon inside the Triangle. There are dragon parts in this alloy. It's not much, though. Maybe a scale or something. Half a scale, perhaps."
Hopper shook her head.
"I don't know why I keep trying. Do you honestly think someone used dragon material to create the Triangle?"
"I know they did."
"Whatever. I'm leaving. Do you need a ride, or are you staying here?"
"I'm staying. Be a dear and don't tell anyone suspicious about what we've discussed."
Hopper snorted and jumped away from the Triangle, quickly disappearing into the city.
Nathan turned an excited gaze to the Triangle's surface. Something that required a dragon alloy to protect or contain it could explain why the Vijang Syndicate wanted to bring down the city.
Depending on the grade of the alloy, the Triangle itself could be worth more than the entire city.