NOVEL WEB Chapter 223: Feminine Troubles
In one of the countless murmuring halls of the convention building, Brigid sat quietly on a long bench pressed against the wall. Her back was stiff, arms resting on her lap, and her head hung just enough to make her bangs cast a soft shadow over her soft face.
Her eyes were fixed—dead center—on the shiny, spotless marble floor beneath her boots.
Her lips didn't move. Her brows didn't twitch.
『What Irina said…』
It hadn't left her mind.
She was completely still.
Sarah stood a few steps away with her arms folded tightly under her chest. Her brow furrowed in concern, but she didn't say a word. Not yet, at least.
It was hard to tell if what Irina had said had truly gotten to Brigid… or if Brigid was just processing everything in that steel-forged head of hers. Sarah hadn't known her long, but in the time she had spent with Brigid, one thing had stood out—she was practically unshakable.
Not arrogant or thick-skinned… just intensely indifferent to anyone who wasn't Nightwatch.
And yet now… this silence felt off.
『Sigh~ I hope she's alright…』
Sarah thought, lowering her gaze.
"HEY, BRIGID!!"
A cheerful voice tore the mood like a cannonball.
Sarah flinched a little and looked up to see Marcus charging toward them like a golden retriever, flashing a wide grin, a camera bouncing on his chest, and two perfect swirls of soft serve ice cream in his hands.
But that wasn't even the shocking part.
"Eh…? (๑•̌.•̑๑)"
Sarah blinked owlishly.
Behind Marcus, three very cute girls trailed after him, chatting and giggling like they'd known him forever.
Marcus. Of all people.
They were clinging onto his every word like crazy schoolgirls following a rock band on tour. He turned around once to say something, and they all laughed like he'd just told the greatest joke in the world.
『Since when does he have… game (;一_一)…』
This was the sort of thing she'd expect from a laid-back chick-magnet like Scott.
When Marcus reached Brigid, he thrust the two cones forward like a proud delivery man.
"TADA! I got you guys some refreshments!"
Before anyone could react, the three girls jumped in front of him, blocking him like cheerful bodyguards as they all waved enthusiastically at Brigid.
"HI, BRIGID! (✿˵♡︎▿♡︎˵)"
"WE'RE LIKE… YOUR BIGGEST FANS!!"
One squealed with a voice full of sugar.
They giggled as they stared at Brigid, waiting.
"Sure… (｡•́︿•̀｡)"
Brigid muttered coldly without even lifting her head.
The awkward silence hit like a rocket.
The girls froze. Their smiles began to crack.
"U-, Uhm… w-, we're not… bothering you… right?"
They all looked nervous.
Marcus quickly stepped in front of them with both arms raised.
"Whoa, whoa, no no no! Definitely not, guys! Brigid's just, uh, chillin'—she's not mad or anything! Look, look—here's what happened…"
He scratched the back of his head, already regretting his pitch.
"Since it's SMPE week and all, these girls turned out to be big fans of yours. So… to help you and Big Bro Scott with exposure, I told them you'd give them an autograph and maybe a few selfies if they let me cut in line for the ice cream queue. Hehe…"
His chuckle was light, but the panic in his eyes said please don't kill me.
Sarah stared at him. Hard.
"… So rather than use your friendship with Brigid to, I don't know, get their numbers or anything remotely wise… you used it to cut in line for ice cream?"
She said, each word harder to believe.
Marcus nodded vigorously. "Mhmm!!"
"Good… for you…"
Sarah gave a tight, painful smile.
『Welp, Emma was right about him being a virgin…』
She snorted softly, covering her mouth.
Just then, one of the girls leaned toward Sarah to whisper with genuine concern.
"Uhm… Miss… is Brigid okay?"
The other two nodded quickly.
Their eyes were wide and shiny with emotion.
Sarah let out a slow breath.
"Kind of. It's just… we ran into someone a while ago."
And over the next few minutes, she and Marcus pieced together the whole Brigid–Irina run-in like two gossipy roommates recapping an episode of a reality show.
When they were done…
"OMG!! BRIGID STARTED DRAMA WITH IRINA GOLOVIN OF ALL PEOPLE—?! (;ﾟДﾟ)"
One of the girls gasped with the volume of a stadium announcer.
"WHOA."
Another one already had her phone out and was typing like her fingers were possessed.
"Gotta be the first to tweet this!"
Meanwhile, Brigid—still sulking—lowered her shoulders more and started nervously twiddling her thumbs as her delicate fingers fidgeted in a loop.
"I… I swear… (｡ŏ﹏ŏ) I-, It's not like I wanted to start any drama with her, yunno…"
She mumbled, eyes shifting.
"I swear… nnnnn… (╥_╥)"
She let out a quiet, muffled groan and pouted.
"I know I said some things to make her mad… but it couldn't have been that bad, right…?"
Her eyes flicked to Sarah, hoping for support.
Clueless, Sarah just raised a fist with a firm nod.
"OF COURSE!"
"R-Really?"
Brigid's voice came out small, fragile—like a little sister asking if it's okay to cry.
All at once, Sarah, Marcus, and the fangirls threw up big thumbs up with goofy grins.
"YOSH!"
Brigid blinked… and slowly, a warm, soft smile spread across her lips.
"AHA! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!"
Marcus shouted, pumping a fist.
Minutes later…
Marcus had his phone against his ear as he paced near a wall.
"Uhm, Big Bro, where are you?"
Scott's voice came through in its usual calmness—
"I'm at the Memorial Hall… or whatever they call it. Could you guys help Brigid get ready for the photoshoot? I know we've got more days, but it's better if we rack up points now with consistency."
Marcus snapped into a salute like a soldier.
"AYE AYE, SIR!! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧"
Scott chuckled on the other end.
"Keep up that good behavior, and I might just give you my GT-R, yunno…"
Marcus's jaw dropped. "WH—"
Click.
Scott ended the call.
Marcus just stood there frozen for a second.
Then he turned, eyes glowing like bonfires.
"GUYS! GUYS!! PHOTOSHOOT! HALL TWO! MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT!!"
He bolted over, fiddling with his camera straps like an overexcited intern.
･･･
Meanwhile…
A luxury black car pulled up to the curb of the convention building.
The engine purred once before falling silent.
From the driver's side, Emma stepped out—dressed far, far differently than usual.
Gone were the heels, pearls, and luxury fur coats.
Now, she wore a black tracksuit and a disposable surgical mask that covered most of her face.
It was casual. Too casual.
Especially for the Founder and CEO of Hermia.
She wasn't here to be seen.
She didn't want reporters.
Or wannabe heroes.
Or snot-nosed upstarts begging her for sponsorships.
She clicked her tongue and muttered—
"I really can't deal with all that right now…"
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She didn't check it.
"Ugh. Gwen again. Can't she take a hint? I'll call her later, for goodness sakes… Isn't she in college? Shouldn't she be doing college stuff?!"
Her words came sharp and fast,
The irritation of a million missed calls from Gwen was finally getting to her.
Emma shoved her hands into her tracksuit pockets and marched toward the convention building.
As she passed, a couple of guys near the entrance took notice.
One of them mumbled dreamily.
"Mmm~ she smells nice…"
The other one nodded.
"And she's got a nice, fat ass too."
"Right—?! Look at 'em in those tights, heh…"
A third guy rolled his eyes.
"I swear, y'all would fuck anything that wore a skirt."
Emma clearly heard them.
But this was better than the traumatizing thirst tweets she had to read on her fan page.
･･･
Inside the Memorial Hall…
Scott stood quietly near a buffet table, twirling a forkful of spaghetti and meatballs.
The hall wasn't grand.
It looked more like a second-rate museum.
Most of the exhibits were dusty memorabilia of C-list heroes from Meteor City's forgotten years.
A better Memorial Hall would be the one at the Green Box Convention Center in Metro City.
After all, Metro City is known as the [City of Heroes] so it's packed with relics and souvenirs from the debut rescues of tons of top-tier heroes—some who started there and others who moved there later.
Plus, that Memorial Hall wouldn't have a buffet or this many people crowding around, since it's filled with way more valuable exhibits that need tighter security.
『Speaking of crowds… (;一_一)』
Scott took a bite, chewed slowly, and scanned the crowd.
He wasn't impressed.
Most of the "heroes" here were just desperate.
He could tell by the way they all hovered near sponsor booths and moneyed execs.
They weren't chasing justice.
They were chasing paychecks.
"Hmph… who am I kidding…"
He muttered with a half-smirk.
"I put Gadget Girl, Rhinoman, and Mr. Sphere on salaries of $300K a month…"
He slurped his spaghetti.
"… There's almost no difference, you know."
Still, a calm warmth tugged at the corners of his lips.
Those three?
『Proper heroes. No doubt about it.』
He stabbed another meatball as his half-lidded eyes kept scanning the crowd.
Scott adjusted the collar of his casual sweatshirt.
Without a word, he slipped one hand into his pocket and pulled out a plain-looking pair of glasses. No lenses, no shine—just something you'd expect a librarian to wear on a Sunday.
He slid them on.
TAP.
BEEP!
A soft pulse shimmered in the lenses as the HUD activated.
Almost immediately, a flurry of face scans and data overlays began flashing in his vision.
Profiles. Backgrounds. Public aliases.
Financial backings. Hero classifications. Threat levels.
All while Scott casually forked another bite of spaghetti into his mouth and chewed like he was just reviewing a grocery list.
Then his brows lifted mid-chew.
"Woah… Jake, you seeing this?"
He mumbled, mouth half-full.
Through the micro-speakers on the frame, Jake's voice buzzed in fast—
[Holy shit—there's a lot of high-profile people here. Must be because all four of the Whatever Prodigies are attending… That's insane… WAIT— I can see THE Prince Adewale Adetokunbo!]
Scott zoomed in with a slow eye twitch and snapped a screenshot mid-slurp.
"Yup… Chairman of the Royal African Technological Consortium."
The HUD flickered more brightly now as the glasses did concurrent zoom-ins and auto-enhanced scans.
Scott's lips pressed into a flat line.
"Actually…"
He tapped the side again.
This activated a multi-frame scan.
"Jake, most of these guys were at that tech summit at Blue Garden Hotel two months ago."
Jake scoffed.
[So? They're all big figures. They'll flock anywhere they smell success.]
Scott slowly chewed another forkful of spaghetti.
"Yeah, yeah… I know. But if all of them are here… then Adira Crowe's probably not far."
Jake blinked through the comm.
[Uh—the CEO of Crowe Enterprises? (๑•̌.•̑๑)]
Scott smirked.
"… And also the woman who was supposed to be Brigid's biggest sponsor. I've got tons of data linking her to Black Mechanica, Division Freakshow, superhuman trafficking, and a hell of a lot of backdoor cruelty."
His tone dropped.
"She's the one I'm trying to protect Brigid from."
His grip tightened around his fork.
He couldn't forget the attack from Red.
It was definitely her.
"Honestly… didn't expect her to show."
Jake fired back immediately.
[Then why haven't you dropped the bomb and put that crazy bitch behind bars?! (ﾉ≧∇≦)ﾉ]
Scott sighed deeply and tapped the side of his glasses again—his own polite way of saying shut up and don't scream in my ear, idiot.
"I gave the data to Commissioner Lisbon. She's been quietly using it to shut down trafficking cells. But beyond that? The evidence is stolen. She says it won't hold up in court, not against Adira's legal connections. She's like… practically untouchable."
Jake sighed back.
[So… dead end for now. (・_・?)]
Scott nodded defeatedly.
"Yeah… fuck politics."
He had been talking so casually with Jake that he hadn't even realized when—
Their eyes met.
Across the hall.
Her heels clicked faintly against the marble.
Adira Crowe.
She stood in all her glory.
Wearing a luxury black coat with a slit that climbed high up her meaty thigh, red wine in hand, and a smile as sweet and smooth as warm honey. Her black lips curled upward, and her vixen eyes locked onto Scott with such intensity it was almost otherworldly.
It was seductive. And… it was working?
Jake whistled without shame.
[… She's so hot tho? How old is she again? Forties? Bro… I'd let her pop my cherry any day.]
Scott blinked once.
"Dude, I've got two girlfriends. Do I look like the kind of guy who's gonna simp for an evil corporate MILF?"
But then—
Adira waved at him.
A delicate, flirtatious wave… and for some reason, Scott's legs nearly buckled.
He felt his body lose strength for just a second.
And across the massive convention space… he could smell her. A soft, sweet scent—like expensive roses dipped in forbidden chocolate.
It crawled into his nostrils and suddenly…
His mouth watered like a hungry dog.
『What's… wrong with me…?』
His placed a hand on his twitching crotch.
Adira didn't say a word.
But her stare said everything.
She licked her lips slowly, whispered something to herself, and gave a very sexy little smile that practically sent choking pheromones across the room.
Scott felt like he was being suffocated by her sexiness.
It made his pants tight.
Was it the way her thick thighs pressed together with every step? Or how her round, juicy butt looked like it was barely contained in those tight shorts? Maybe it was the way her soft cleavage peeked out from her shirt, drawing the eye like it knew exactly what it was doing.
Scott bit his lower lip and—
[Scott?]
Jake's voice echoed in his ears.
[Scott?? Hello?? (๑•̌.•̑๑)]
Scott didn't respond.
He kept staring, his pupils slightly dilated.
[SCOTT!! (ﾉ｀Д´)ﾉ]
Scott jolted, flinching like he'd just been caught watching something very not safe for work.
He blinked rapidly, adjusted his glasses.
"Can you stop doing that—?!"
Jake's voice came smug now.
[While you were shamelessly locked in on our evil corporate MILF AND the wife of Meteor City's mayor… your vitals went weird. Real weird. Heart rate, pupil dilation, even your breathing—hell, I thought you were going into heat. Hope you didn't bust a nut in your pants…]
Scott scoffed, brushing it off.
"Don't be ridiculous."
But across the hall, Adira blinked once.
She was lost.
"It… didn't work on him?"
She took a slow sip of wine and calmly turned away to hide her surprise behind her glass.
Back near the buffet, Scott rubbed the back of his neck and turned away—only to freeze again.
"… No way."
He narrowed his eyes.
There, just a few tables away, seated at a circular booth with flowing silk banners and hero crests—
Nadia.
She looked absolutely stunning.
She had on a cute blue crop top and matching harem pants that hugged her massive hips. Over that, she wore a light, see-through flowing skirt. Her accessories were all gold—a fancy belt, some arm cuffs, and even a delicate blue scarf that looked almost sheer. She had draped the scarf around her neck and head like a hood.
She looked like a proper Arabian princess.
Scott didn't even realize when he started smiling.
But when Nadia looked up… their eyes met.
Panic.
Scott immediately ducked down behind the stack of food trays like a soldier dodging gunfire.
His heart beat like a drum.
He grabbed a clean plate, started piling it high with masala rice like it was a shield.
From her table, Nadia blinked.
Seeing no one there, she turned back to the rambling girl in front of her.
Princess Willow.
"So… what's your Dad like?"
Willow asked softly, tilting her head with that adorable mild smile of hers.
"I heard he's pretty strict and difficult and stuff… uh, no offense though!"
Nadia let out a small sigh, half-hearted.
"Uhh… he's something alright… I wouldn't say strict-strict, but when there's something he wants…"
Her eyes dulled.
"You can't tell him no."
Willow tilted her head more.
"Arranged marriage?"
"W-Wait—how'd you—?!"
Nadia nearly stumbled forward.
Willow just shrugged with a sly grin.
"Ehh~ been there. Once I started obsessing over American actors and screamed about marrying them, my dad threatened me with royal matchmaking."
She laughed, cheeks pink with embarrassment.
But her laugh died slowly.
"But… I'm guessing yours is way more serious than that, huh?"
She asked gently.
It was a delicate situation after all.
"Can I help somehow?"
Nadia smiled faintly and shook her head.
"No. If my family's sponsoring your hero career, it's better you stay on Baba's good side…"
Willow's smile faltered.
But then Nadia reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"… Though if you do know a prince charming that can come to my rescue, that'll really come in handy…"
Willow grinned, but Nadia's voice wavered.
"I've been having problems with the one I… I, uh…"
She trailed off. Her beautiful face dimmed.
"Nevermind."
Willow blinked.
"Uhm, is everything o—?"
Nadia quickly raised a hand, smiling.
Meanwhile…
Jake's voice hummed in the comms again.
[OHH, is that Nadia?! Damn, bro, haven't seen her in forever… She's looking fine in that dress—Middle Eastern women are a blessing, I swear…]
Scott's expression soured as he continued to eat masala rice behind the buffet stack.
"Can you shut up about Nadia already?!"
Jake snorted.
[C'mon bro, don't act like you don't want some of that Middle Eastern cake 😏—Nadia's got a better ass than Emma, right?]
Scott didn't say anything.
Jake chuckled.
[I promise I won't tell Em—]
Scott paused… then said casually.
"…50-50. Emma's got the softer ass, but Nadia's is definitely fuller, if I'm being honest."
Jake laughed like a madman.
[RIGHT?! I KNEW YOU WANTED TO SMASH!!]
Scott held up both hands like a guilty man caught in court as he wore the world's smuggest grin.
"Alright, alright—sure, Nadia looks great in that dress. But you should see her in jeans. I don't even know how her ass fits in those."
Then—
A female voice said behind him, cool and low:
"I buy bigger ones. (￣^￣)"
Scott let out a chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah, cons of a fat ass I gue—"
He froze mid-sentence.
Jake said—
[Wait. Who said that…?]
Scott slowly turned around.
Nadia was standing behind him.
Arms folded beneath her breasts. Hip cocked.
An absolutely furious look on her beautiful face.
Right beside her stood Princess Willow, looking like she'd rather evaporate into the floor.
BEEP.
Jake disconnected the call instantly.
Scott gritted his teeth.
"Son of a bitch… (;一_一)"