Guardians of The Damned-Chapter 19: Went Horrible

It took us more than half an hour to reach the black market. Hakku parked the car and handed us a black watch.

"Disguise your battle suits and blend in with the crowd," he instructed. "Goo Han and I will stay in position in case Vie fails."

I slipped the watch on. My robe shifted to black, the shirt deepened to blood red, while the pants remained unchanged.

Eve's jacket turned blue, her tank top faded into jet black, and even her hair darkened to a soft brown.

I pulled up my phone and flipped to the front camera. My hair was now gray—originally black with streaks of white.

I glanced over to Hakku and Goo Han. Goo Han wore a cream shirt with white pants; Hakku went for a gray sweater under a brown jacket, paired with gray jeans.

We stepped out of the Jeep. Hakku and Goo Han headed off to prepare. Eve adjusted her jacket, eyes scanning the area as we moved out of the parking lot, staying alert.

"There's a lot of people here," Eve noted. "Is there an event?"

"There's a weekly night market. You should try the food—it's all really good."

"Oh?" Her curiosity piqued. "What do you recommend?"

"You like sweets, right? There's this cupcake stall I've tried a few times. Come on, follow me."

I took her hand—gently. The crowd was thick, and I didn't want her getting lost. She didn't react, just followed quietly.

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We reached the stall quickly.

"Mister, two cupcakes, please." I raised two fingers.

The stall owner looked between us with a friendly smile. "She's beautiful. Your girlfriend?"

"Yes, of course," I said at the same time Eve replied, "No, we're not."

Our voices overlapped. Mine came out muffled under hers.

"...Yes, we're not," I corrected, clearing my throat.

The man laughed. "Aren't you a funny lad. Here—one extra for the beautiful lady."

He handed Eve two chocolate cupcakes and gave me a vanilla one.

"Thank you," Eve said with a small nod.

I paid, and we moved along. She took a small bite, and her eyes lit up.

"This is good!"

"Told you." I bit into mine as well. We walked through the night market, sharing food and enjoying the brief peace.

* * *

"What's the situation?" Len asked over comms.

"All good," Vie replied through the headset.

He strolled through the market and stopped in front of an old, seemingly abandoned pizza shop. The place had clearly been closed for a long time.

He knocked on the door in a rhythmic pattern. A few seconds later, it creaked open just enough to reveal a man's face.

"Your name?"

"Doggy Woo."

"You may enter."

The door opened a bit more—enough for someone to slip through, but not enough to give outsiders a full view.

Inside, the contrast was stark. Lively, warm, almost buzzing—so unlike the cold quiet of the street.

Vie made his way to the basement. A man greeted him with open arms.

"Ey, Vie, my man! Been waiting for you!" He pulled him into a friendly hug with a few hearty pats on the back.

"Hey, Paul. Good to see you."

"What brings you here?" Paul grinned, hands resting on his hips.

"I want to see Riness. I texted her, but no reply."

"She's here," Paul said, expression shifting. "But she doesn't want visitors. I can relay your message."

"Can't you make an exception? For old time's sake?" Vie gave him a hopeful smile.

Paul sighed. "Sorry, man. She made it clear—no visitors."

"That's too bad." Vie turned as if to leave. "Alright then. Thanks."

"No problem. Take care."

But as Vie reached the door, he hesitated. Then, slowly, he turned the lock.

Paul's gut twisted. Something was off. He spun around just in time to see Vie finish locking the door.

"Vie... whatever you're planning, it won't work. You're just one guy."

Paul pulled a pistol. The others, sensing the shift, stopped what they were doing and followed suit—guns raised.

"Paul, I just want to talk to an old friend."

"And she's not available. Come back tomorrow."

"Can't do that. I need to see her. *Now.*"

In a blink, gravity vanished.

But they'd already pulled the triggers.

Bullets slammed into Vie. His face twisted in disbelief as blood seeped through his clothes.

He let go of his powers.

Everyone crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud.

Vie collapsed, a warm pool of blood forming beneath him.

He thought his blood felt hot. Then his eyes slowly closed.

* * *

Later, Eve and I sat on a bench after exploring the night market.

"That was fun," she said, stretching her arms over her head.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I smiled.

"Yeah... thanks. I wish the others could've been here too."

"We'll bring them once the mission's over."

"Right." She nodded, standing up. "Now then—"

"Back to work," I said, rising beside her.

"I saw approximately fifteen Honors," Eve reported.

"I spotted three. Moose is at the bar with his subordinates."

We hadn't just been strolling. It was recon—and it paid off. The Honors weren't even trying to hide. My powers made them easy to find, but I wasn't foolish enough to assume that was all of them.

"Eve, be prepared for any we didn't detect," I warned.

"Yeah, don't worry." She turned to leave. "I'm off."

"Be careful."

She gave a quick wave before vanishing into the crowd.