Supervillain Idol System: My Sidekick Is A Yandere

Chapter 703: Shadows of Sponsorship & Endorsement (Part 7)

Static crackled through the communicator for several long seconds.The handler frowned as he listened carefully, trying to separate the sounds bleeding through the interference.

Yelling. Gunfire. Someone screaming.

Then a tremendous explosion that momentarily overwhelmed the channel before dissolving back into harsh white noise.

He couldn't piece together what was happening, and somehow that uncertainty felt worse than hearing bad news outright.

His eyes darted toward the old wristwatch strapped beneath his sleeve.

He clicked his tongue.

"Two minute..."

That was all they had left.

He quickly raised the binoculars again and looked beyond the excavation site. The cloud of dust he'd spotted earlier had grown considerably larger, the convoy now close enough that he could make out multiple vehicles racing over the uneven terrain.

His expression darkened.

"Brother..." he spoke into the comm. "If you hear me... we need leave now."

No response.

"...Dammit."

He lowered the binoculars and slid them carefully into his worn bag before slinging it over one shoulder.

If Don failed to appear within the next minute, he'd have no choice but to abandon the position.

Just as he took his first step away—

The communicator crackled.

"I'm leaving the site now," Don's calm voice came through. "Heading back to the vantage point."

The handler froze.

A long breath escaped him.

"Thank God..." he muttered, shoulders visibly relaxing. "Thought... thought you already gone, brother."

He immediately pulled the binoculars back out and searched across the desert.

It didn't take long. Even from this distance Don stood out.

The young man covered the rocky terrain with frightening speed, every stride throwing dust behind him as he bounded across uneven ground almost effortlessly.

The handler smiled.

"Alright... I see you. Come down rock formation. I wait below."

It took Don less than a minute.

By the time he reached the base of the formation, the handler was already climbing into the pickup truck.

Neither wasted another second. The engine roared to life.

Gravel scattered beneath the tires as the vehicle accelerated away from the excavation site without its headlights, disappearing into the desert darkness just as the first reinforcement vehicles reached the ruins behind them.

———

Only after several kilometers had passed did the handler finally allow himself to breathe normally.

He loosened his grip on the steering wheel and let out a tired sigh.

"...That close."

Don sat quietly in the passenger seat, still looking through the windshield.

"They had a superhuman in their ranks," he said. "That's why I was delayed."

The handler's head snapped toward him before immediately returning to the road.

"Seriously?" His eyebrows rose.

"You kill him?"

Don shook his head once. "He's still alive."

The handler nodded slowly."...Probably best."

He pressed the accelerator slightly harder while keeping the headlights switched off.

"If man like that die..." he murmured, "...many people die after. They not let something like that go."

Silence lingered for several moments before he spoke again.

"They steal children," he said quietly. "Small village... town... even grown people sometimes. They promise family money... or simply take them."

His jaw tightened. "They use black market superhuman serum. Many die." He shook his head bitterly. "Fools think they making strong soldiers."

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "They only testing... for Rassians."

The bitterness faded almost as quickly as it appeared.

He reached over and switched on the stereo.

Soft Persian music gradually filled the cabin, replacing the lingering silence as the truck sped toward the distant lights of the city.

Neither man spoke much after that.

The mission was over. For now.

———

The pickup eventually rolled into the underground parking garage beneath the hotel.

Rather than stopping in their previous location, the handler chose a darker corner well away from the security cameras overlooking the main entrances.

The engine shut off.

He immediately reached into the center console and retrieved a cheap burner phone.

After entering a memorized number, he held it to his ear.

It rang twice. Then connected.

"Yes?"

Madam Raven's voice flowed through the speaker with perfect composure, carrying the unmistakable tone of someone interrupted during important business rather than surprised by the late hour.

The handler straightened instinctively.

"Madam, I—"

"Code," she interrupted crisply. "Must I remind you every time?"

He winced slightly. "...No, ma'am."

He cleared his throat. "Identification... Black Falcon Seven... Crescent Twenty-One... Night Sparrow."

A brief pause followed. "Confirmed," Madam Raven replied. "Proceed."

The handler relaxed slightly. "Mission... mostly success, ma'am."

"What is the status of your mission?" she asked.

Rather than answering himself, he simply extended the phone toward Don.

Don accepted it. "Everything except the crown was recovered," he said. "The coffin was empty."

"Sarcophagus," Madam Raven corrected without missing a second. "I believe that is the word you intended."

Don blinked once. "...Right."

"I see." There was no disappointment in her voice. "If that is the case, then good work."

She continued in the same composed manner.

"You may hand the recovered artifacts to your handler. Once their authenticity has been confirmed, payment shall be transferred accordingly."

A brief pause followed.

"I would also appreciate a written report detailing everything that transpired. Resistance encountered, confirmed enemy casualties, any unusual discoveries, and any additional artifacts you may have acquired. The latter, however, remains entirely at your discretion."

Don thought it over for a moment."Alright."

"Wonderful."

He returned the phone to the handler.

Before the call ended, Madam Raven spoke once more.

"I shall expect that report before payment is released."

Don sighed softly. "...Of course, Madam."

The line disconnected.

For several seconds neither of them spoke.Then Don rubbed the back of his neck.

"She reminds me of my grandmother..." He shook his head. "...Strangely enough."

The handler chuckled under his breath.

Don reached down and lifted the bag resting between his legs before setting it across the dashboard.

He unfastened it.

Jewels spilled onto the seat.

Gold necklaces.

Silver ornaments.

Ancient gemstones.

Several old coins rolled across the dashboard before settling near the windshield alongside an ornate bracelet that caught the dim parking lights.

Not everything.

The extra pieces he'd deliberately taken remained inside the bag.

He nudged the scattered valuables toward the handler.

"You can keep whatever isn't required."

The handler stared."...Really?"

His eyes widened noticeably before a broad smile spread across his face.

"Haha!" He laughed warmly. "God bless you, brother!"

Don merely nodded.

He removed the folded thobe from the bag before changing beside the truck, replacing the dust-covered clothing from the mission and stuffing the dirty garments back inside.

Once finished, he closed the bag, stepped around the vehicle and extended a hand.

The handler shook it firmly.

"Thanks."

"You rest well too, brother."

Don released his hand. The pickup quietly rolled away moments later.

Standing alone beneath the dim garage lights, Don slung the bag over his shoulder and adjusted his aviator sunglasses before walking toward the elevators.

'That wasn't so bad.'

Compared to everything he'd endured over the past several weeks...

Tonight had almost felt routine.

———

Given the late hour, Don fully expected the suite to be quiet.

Miss Claire usually retired early whenever business allowed, so he wasn't surprised when the bedroom lights had already been dimmed upon entering.

He quietly closed the suite door behind him.

The bed, however, was empty.

His attention shifted toward the adjoining bathroom.

Beyond the partially closed door came the gentle sound of moving water accompanied by the occasional soft clink of glass.

Don walked over and knocked lightly.

"I'm back."

There was a brief pause.

Then her voice answered."Come in."

He raised an eyebrow before pushing the door open.

The bathroom was nearly the size of a small apartment.

Persian-inspired architecture dominated the space, elegant marble columns supporting shallow decorative arches while intricate blue-and-gold mosaics covered portions of the walls and floor.

Soft recessed lighting reflected warmly across polished stone, highlighting an expansive walk-in shower opposite a large freestanding bathtub carved from pale marble.

Nearest the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the glittering city rested a raised jacuzzi surrounded by polished stone seating built into the platform itself.

Steam drifted lazily upward.

Light bubbles gently rolled across the surface of the water.

Miss Claire sat comfortably within it, a thick book resting in one hand while a half-filled wine glass waited on the surrounding ledge beside an open bottle.

The water reached just beneath her shoulders, concealing most of her figure while revealing only the graceful line of her neck and the faintest suggestion of cleavage above the surface.

Her damp hair rested loosely against one shoulder as city lights shimmered beyond the glass behind her.

She closed the book over one finger to keep her place before looking toward him."How did it go?"

"Not bad," Don replied as he walked toward one of the counters and unshouldered the bag. "Though I couldn't find the crown."

He began removing the dust-covered clothing from inside.

Miss Claire leaned one arm comfortably along the edge of the jacuzzi.

"Did you happen to acquire anything for yourself?"

Rather than answer verbally, Don simply walked over.

He turned the bag upside down over the broad stone platform beside her wine.

Coins spilled out first.

Then several bracelets.

Necklaces.

Loose gemstones.

Ancient jewelry clattered softly across the polished surface before finally coming to rest.

Miss Claire's eyebrow lifted.

"Oh my..." A faint smile touched her lips. "Quite the catch."

She reached toward one of the gold coins, lifting it delicately between two fingers before examining the worn markings stamped across its surface.

Without looking away from it, she spoke again.

"Why don't you rinse off all that dust and join me? I'd very much like to hear what transpired... and perhaps what the tomb itself looked like."

Don blinked.'Join her?'

'...In the jacuzzi?'

His thoughts stalled just long enough for Miss Claire to glance back toward him.

"Is something the matter? I wish to help you with your report."

He quickly shook his head.

"No."

"...Nothing at all."

Turning away before his expression gave away his surprise, Don began removing the outer thobe he'd worn back from the mission while Miss Claire continued rotating the ancient coin beneath the warm bathroom lights, quietly admiring the craftsmanship of a civilization that had disappeared thousands of years ago.