Wet Chicken

Nathan kept up his routine for a couple of days, substituting food with the abundant sunlight. It didn't work very well since he wasn't a plant. But he could somewhat suppress his hunger and focus on the task he assigned himself until he had almost a finger's worth of the dragon alloy.

He had left just as deep a scratch on the Triangle. It wasn't enough to pierce the thing. But it was enough to get a better feel for the type of power inside the Triangle. It definitely wasn't something alive, at least not in the usual meaning. It was too consistent and uniform to be a living being.

It also wasn't ominous like contagions or explosives could be.

Unfortunately, Nathan still couldn't tell what exactly it was.

Moreover, he wasn't making as much progress as before. It wasn't because the Triangle got harder the deeper he scratched. If anything, it started getting softer, albeit marginally.

However, he was losing energy since he hadn't eaten anything, even after his body suffered through the Sky Piercer Force several times. It took energy to heal from the injuries he caused himself.

Nathan turned his gaze to the roof of the Triangle's skyscraper. It was slightly below the Triangle in altitude. But it was surprisingly far away. Fortunately, he could use the beams connecting the Triangle's underside to the skyscraper's side to climb over.

Then, he could scale the building and break in through the roof or a window by using Sky Piercer Force.

He knew how to get down.

The problem was the security inside the building.

It was a tall building. Even if there wasn't anyone strong enough to detain him, it would take him long enough to descend for powerful heroes to arrive and secure the maniac who broke into Avalio's signature landmark.

"You're still here?"

Nathan turned to look at the source of the voice that suddenly appeared at the edge of the Triangle.

"You rude brat. My only way down is a one-way trip."

"Whatever. You look like a mess. Do you need a ride down?"

"...You forgot about me, didn't you?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes as he stood up and subtly pocketed the lump of dragon alloy he scraped off the Triangle when Hopper avoided looking at him.

"No. Do you want to get down or not?"

Nathan shrugged.

"Sure. But you're getting me a beer after this."

"A beer? Are you even old enough to drink?"

"...Ah. Fine. Just continue shuttling me up and down for a while and we're even."

"Ugh, seriously? Can you go on a diet first?"

Hopper complained, but she still stepped up in the air and grabbed Nathan's wrists, carrying him like a bird of prey.

"Are you still harping on that? Maybe it's you who needs to work out a little more. I know a decent gym if you need a recommendation."

"Wait a moment. Did you find a way in?"

"No."

Hopper sighed in apparent relief.

"Thought so."

"I'm making one."

"What the fuck."

Hopper looked down at Nathan hanging on to her hands below her.

"Can you repeat that?"

"It seems like you need to train your ears, too. I'm making a way inside the Triangle."

"How?"

"By asking kindly, obviously."

"Fuck off. If you want me to help you get up there again, you better tell me."

Nathan shrugged. It was a little awkward due to how he had his arms above his head, but Hopper understood.

"By using force. I'm opening up a hole."

"How?"

"Do you want to dissect me while you're at it?"

"I mean…"

Nathan puffed out a light gust of air.

"Just set me down over there. Do you have a telephone?"

Hopper let go of Nathan in a secluded corner of the city. She stood in front of Nathan and pointed at her tracksuit.

"What do you think…?"

"Good. Gimme your number."

"Are you seriously going to treat me like a taxi?"

Hopper frowned. She couldn't believe that in this situation where it looked like she was being hit on in a shady alley by an even shadier guy who was someone who seemed completely uninterested in her.

"No."

Hopper raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised at Nathan's answer. She didn't have time to be pleasantly surprised before Nathan continued.

"I would pay for a taxi. I'm not going to pay you."

"...This fucking guy…!"

Nathan returned Hopper's glare with a collected smile as he waited for her number with an outstretched phone. Hopper was tempted to just smash the phone to the ground and take off.

If she didn't want to, she wouldn't have to see Nathan ever again.

"Damn it…!"

Unfortunately, she couldn't let go of Nathan. The last couple of days, she had kept an extra eye out for the guys Nathan had mentioned. She had only seen them a couple of times. But they were ridiculously suspicious. Even after beating up the owner of a local business, they got off scot-free. The owner, on the other hand, got his business seized by the city.

Hopper lost track of the owner afterward, but they disappeared. She had a feeling it wasn't on a peaceful vacation.

Nathan also spoke like he was making progress in entering the Triangle and discovering what was inside. If even a quarter of what Nathan had said was believable, Hopper couldn't just ignore it.

Everything aside, Avalio was her home. She wasn't going to let a mysterious Triangle or a criminal organization take it away from her.

With an expression like she had just eaten an unripe grape, Hopper gave Nathan her number.

Nathan smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Great! Don't follow me. I don't want you knowing where I live."

Nathan turned around and left, ignoring the sour expression on the antisocial but good-hearted hero, who was starting to wonder if she should change her number.

Nathan returned home with a spring in his step. He couldn't decide whether to eat or shower first, so he ended up eating fried chicken in the shower.