Chapter 10: Metal Villain - Ironclad②

This happened on my way home that day.

By the way, the poison’s all healed. I’m amazing, aren’t I?

With the sheer variety of villains attacking me, at this rate I’m going to end up completing the entire set of possible causes of death.

"Whoa."

There was a villain lying on the street.

At first I thought it was just a lump of black something, but it turned out to be a human, half-charred into coal.

Burn victims are a trauma trigger for me, so just looking made me feel sick. He seemed alive, so I called out.

"What’s this, Inferna get you? You put up a good fight before. Rough day today, Ironclad?"

"…Shut it."

"Oh wow, it talks."

The exoskeleton was gone, but I recognized the man inside.

Ironclad usually covers his whole body in a metallic armor, but his mouth area is exposed.

Guess he’s not a mask guy. I get it—masks can make you feel suffocated. Especially in humid weather, or when you’re sweating, it’s a pain.

I’d never seen his bare face before, but the man in front of me matched what I’d seen of Ironclad’s nose down.

Straight nose, looked like he’d be handsome, which was annoying. And that vertical scar running down his cheek—I remembered thinking, "Bet that goes up to his eye. What a cliché villain scar, hilarious."

Turns out it didn’t reach the eyelid, but it did cut across his left eyebrow. The vertical scar tearing through his brow only made him look more intimidating.

The Metal Villain, Ironclad.

He was the one Raiden was fighting when I first met Raiden. The one Inferna was fighting when I first met her too. A veteran villain.

I’d thought he was a man skilled at choosing when to retreat, with a knack for survival. Maybe I’d have to revise that assessment.

"You look like you’re about to die. Think an ambulance would save you?"

"Heh. Pretty sure no ambulance could carry me."

"I don’t know the weight limit on ambulances, and I definitely don’t know your weight. So you’re basically dying? Want to give me your last words?"

"You’re more irritating than I thought."

"Considering you’ve tried to kill me countless times, I’d say I’m being pretty merciful."

Ironclad’s built and muscular, but not so huge he couldn’t fit in an ambulance. So maybe his bones are metal? Maybe his whole body? If he’s made of metal, no wonder he’s tough and has survived this long. Strong ability.

The charred Ironclad gave a reckless laugh.

"Why don’t you finish me off?"

"Kinda dumb move, asking your enemy that. You’d suffer more staying alive. But I don’t really hate you, so I could do it if you want."

"Some saint you are."

"Gyahaha! Am I shining in your eyes ‘cause you’re dying? Don’t fall for me!"

"You’re unbearable…"

So his opinion of me dropped. Mine of him went up. Turns out he’s actually kind of interesting. Just being able to have a conversation already puts him way ahead of most villains.

He was chatty when fighting Raiden too. Raiden likes to talk, but he doesn’t usually manage real conversations with villains. They’re usually too far gone, everything one-sided.

Kind of like Inferna when she was on the verge of turning villain. When I talked to her at that family restaurant, her thoughts jumped all over the place. When stress maxes out, your processing power crashes—you can’t even structure a story properly.

That’s most villains. Overwhelmed by stress, lashing out like "screw it, I don’t care anymore."

If there were some social security system for mutants, things might be different. But we’re not there yet.

"Can I ask why you’re a villain?"

"To kill Raiden."

He told me straight out. Maybe because he thought he was dying. Or wait—do I give the dying gift? Whatever. Either way, it was unexpected.

"Huh, really. I thought you’d been around before Raiden even showed up. Guess he came first."

"Order doesn’t matter."

"Why do you want him dead?"

He stayed silent. Guess I’ll ask Raiden sometime.

"Funny though, for someone who wants Raiden dead, you were fighting Inferna the other day."

"If she comes at me, I’ll deal with it."

"Ah, so you weren’t trying to kill her. What about me, then? I’ve nearly died a few times thanks to you."

"If you want to kill me, go ahead."

"That whole ‘I’m ready to die, so it’s okay if I kill’ logic doesn’t work. Don’t go forcing people you hurt to shoulder the burden of becoming killers. You know damn well how heavy that is, don’t you?"

Up until now, he’d been tossing answers back right away. Suddenly, silence.

So he’s the type to clam up when I hit the mark. Or when he doesn’t want to answer. Too easy to read. Way too honest for psychological warfare.

So, what, did someone kill someone important to him? And Raiden was responsible? Or maybe an accident? A misunderstanding?

Maybe it’s not something I should be digging into. Better to let the actual people involved sort it out.

But for now, the question I really had to ask Ironclad was this:

"Want to come to my place?"

"…Huh? Why the hell would you say that."

First time I’ve seen him look that dumbfounded.

When Ironclad fights, he always looks severe. His mask leaves his eyes visible, so you can tell.

Villains come with all sorts of faces—some look thrilled to be rampaging, some cry while they lash out, some wear calm faces convinced they’re righteous. But him? He’s different.

He looks like a man who already knows punishment’s coming for him someday.

Feels like there’s some serious backstory there. Honestly, I’ve secretly thought before—he’s got the makings of a dark hero.