Chapter 224: Masked Lady Chronicles
Emma casually strolled through the open glass double doors into one of the many grand halls, her hands in her pockets, white surgical mask covering half her face.
Her black tracksuit blended into the crowd well enough.
If you didn't know better, you'd just think she was another overworked assistant… not a CEO.
All around her were non-professional heroes buzzing with excitement—some tweaking their homemade suits, others giving advice, comparing hero names, arguing about color palettes, and demonstrating dramatic poses.
Emma smiled a little under her mask.
It was a small, nostalgic smile—the kind that sneaks in when your brain pulls a memory you didn't know you missed.
"It's been a while since I've been to an SMPE…"
She muttered softly.
"Ehe… ehehe… not my best memory… ( ̄▽ ̄*)ゞ"
She scratched the back of her head and sighed.
"Last time I showed up for one of these was during my rookie season… ugh. I still remember how Isaac used to wake me up at 5 a.m. to jog, eat fruits, and force-feed me those damn Accutane pills for my acne."
She visibly shivered.
"Yeesh~ my poor innocent face used to flake off just from smiling too much…"
She groaned, hiding her face behind her hands.
"Can you imagine if my debut was scheduled to happen when I had that face…?"
Suddenly something on the ground caught her eye.
She looked down, bent over, and picked up a brochure.
[SMPE Convention '45]
The cover read in bold chrome letters.
She flipped through it with mild curiosity.
"Ooh… buffet, fun rides, bouncy castles… they're going all out this year. Probably 'cause of the mayoral elections… gotta make Meteor City look hero-friendly, right?"
Then she flipped to a section showcasing this year's top rookie contenders.
One glossy image immediately caught her eye.
"… Oh?"
Irina Golovin.
It was a full-page feature.
Sleek pose. Styled white hair. Sultry half-smile.
The Russian beauty.
"Looks like she's this year's favorite to outshine everyone—including Brigid…"
Emma muttered as she squinted at the small print.
"Then again… Brigid only has Scott backing her, and Scott knows jack about superhero marketing."
She shrugged disappointedly.
She stared at Irina's suit again.
Then tilted her head.
"Wait a sec… (.-ω-)"
She leaned in closer.
"That super suit kinda looks like what I wore back in my earlier days…"
There was a pause.
"Ehh, nah. Coincidence."
She waved her hands dismissively.
"Irina's too proud to take an outfit inspo from MegaCorp's 'sex symbol' (.-ω-) mmm…"
A tired sigh left her lips.
"My contract with them's almost up anyway. She'd be a better pick… good for her."
Even though her face was hidden, the slight sour shift in her expression could still be felt.
She crumpled the brochure into a ball and tossed it in a nearby bin.
Then, she flexed an arm like a pumped-up gym bro.
"Alright! I came here to get my ID verified!"
She pumped both fists in the air and yelled—
"LETS GOOOOO!!! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧"
Heads turned.
A few rookie heroes looked at her like she was some runaway mental patient.
Emma winced slightly.
"Maybe too loud… (>﹏<)"
━ ━ ━ ━
Inside a high-end dressing room flooded with ring lights and vanity mirrors, Irina stood in front of a full-body mirror, hands on her hips, one leg slightly posed forward.
Her iconic snow-white hair was now tousled and perfectly messy—the kind that takes two hours of effort to make it look like it took none. Her light makeup added soft color to her pale, flawless skin.
"Is that all?" she asked without looking back.
Her assistant Sarah, the makeup artists, and the costume stylists all nodded in sync.
Irina smiled and took a step back to admire herself.
"Hmm…"
Her super suit was a form-fitting, futuristic bodysuit in a sleek blue tone with white accents, including high white collar and gloves. The suit didn't fail to bring out the abundance of her chest and the soft curves of her shapely body.
Her gloves and boots were white with metallic and padded details to complete her high-tech, superhero look.
She twirled slightly, getting a view from every angle.
But then—
Her brows furrowed.
"Hrrrrmmm…! (-"-怒)"
Sarah noticed immediately.
『Uh-oh.』
That scrunchy face never meant anything good.
The entire glam team paused in horror. They all shared that universal look that stylists have when they're absolutely not doing a full redo five minutes before showtime.
Sarah dared to ask, "… Is everything alright?"
Irina turned around dramatically, cupping her boobs through the front of her tight suit with a small pout on her lips.
"The suit's too compressed… (。ŏ﹏ŏ)"
She gently nudged her breasts with both hands.
*BOING!* *BOING!!*
They were barely bouncing.
"I KNEW IT! (╥﹏╥)💢 It makes my tits look small. These are nothing like Miss Mercury's. Have you seen her debut outfit? She looked so sexy."
The makeup team blinked.
"… E-, Eh?"
That… was her complaint?
Sarah recovered first as she placed a thoughtful hand under her chin.
"I see where you're going with this. The compression makes the suit look too high-tech. We modeled it after Miss Mercury's like you asked, but… it might be a little too minimalist. It doesn't play up your assets."
Irina's eyes lit up.
"BINGO! I knew you'd get it, Sarah! ( ̄ω ̄)"
She twirled again with a dramatic spin, then struck a flexy pose.
"I love the suit, but next time I want something that'll carve my beauty into history! Something even better than Miss Mercury's!"
She raised a fist like a shounen protagonist.
The makeup artists clapped like she just delivered an Oscar speech.
Then—Irina flinched.
"Uuuuu…! (>﹏<)"
She slid her fingers down and tugged gently at the snug fabric pressing against her crotch. The suit was so tight, it hugged every curve—every fold—showing off the clear shape of her camel toe. As she pulled the material away, it loosened bit by bit, letting a cool breath of air slip in against her heated skin.
"Haaah~ I thought I was gonna melt… ngh… so tight down there, but now it's all… aaah~♡"
The relief made her shiver—it felt so good.
"Okay, yeah—ouch. Too tight."
She tugged harder.
Her fingers hooked into the edge of the crotch, then pulled it away slightly.
"I should've worn a blouse or thinner panties…"
She worriedly placed her hands on her cheeks.
"What if I have to pee… (´• ω •`;)??"
Sarah chuckled nervously as she gently pushed Irina toward the exit.
"Haha, yeah, yeah, I'm sure everyone out there would love to see what a super camel toe looks like! Totally on brand for the crowd!"
The makeup artists nodded aggressively and followed with thumbs up.
As Sarah guided Irina through the hallway, she noticed something shift in her posture.
A slight sadness.
Sarah gave a small hand signal.
The makeup team stopped following them and peeled off down another corridor.
Now alone with her, Sarah asked softly—
"You're thinking about Brigid, aren't you?"
Silence.
Sarah sighed. "… Irina."
"Yeah, yeah."
Irina muttered, waving her hand lazily.
"Just a little."
She looked down, her voice quieter now.
"I don't regret what I said to her… but I don't want it to get in her head. I wanna beat her fair and square—show her it's better to be a corporate sellout than some wannabe solo heroine…"
Sarah smiled gently and massaged her shoulders.
They kept walking.
At the other end of the hall…
Emma scanned the hallway, hands on her hips.
"Where is it? He said 'near Hall Four' right?"
She turned a corner—and froze.
Irina.
Irina turned slightly and saw the masked lady.
『Huh…?』
Her gaze sharpened.
Emma's instincts screamed. She adjusted her surgical mask higher and looked away, walking faster.
Irina squinted.
"… You."
Emma stiffened.
『No way she recognizes me…! (☉д⊙)』
She turned sharply to bolt.
But—
Her legs wouldn't move.
"WAIT!!" Irina's voice rang out.
Emma looked down.
Irina was suddenly crouched right behind her, hands gripping her thighs like a detective examining rare items.
"Not too fat, but not too small. How does your ass look so good in a friggin' tracksuit—?!"
Irina shouted, eyes wide.
"Are you a model? Secret butt pills? Is it custom stitched?! NO—! There's more to it! RIGHT?!"
Emma stared, trembling.
"Eh…? (・_・?)"
Sarah stood a few steps away.
This was too much embarrassment to handle—if her soul could leave her body it would.
Irina kept going, hands still on Emma's thighs.
"Come onnnn~ please tell me your secret!! I swear I won't tell anyone!! (ノ≧∇≦)ノ"
Emma gulped hard as her eyes twitched.
"… Uhm…"
Irina's eyes sparkled with desperate curiosity.
"SORRY!!"
WHOOSH!!! 💨💨
Emma vanished in a blur of speed, sending a gust of wind flying down the hall.
Irina blinked.
She was now crouched alone, still holding empty air.
She clicked her tongue.
"She has pretty eyes too… (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)✧"
━ ━ ━ ━
Willow stood with one finger to her chin like a cute little detective as her smooth brows pinched in full-blown confusion. She looked between Scott, who looked painfully nervous, and Nadia, who looked like she was two seconds away from breathing fire through her nose.
"So let me get this straight…"
Willow began slowly, pointing from one to the other.
"You guys already know each other…?"
Scott adjusted his glasses awkwardly, pushing them up with a finger.
"Uhh… yeah. She's, uh… really close friends with my girlfriend."
That's when Nadia's head whipped to the side, giving Scott the deadliest side-eye known to humankind. Her slender arms crossed with flair, head tilted high like a noblewoman, and she let out a loud, annoyed—
"HMPH! (。•ˇ‸ˇ•。)"
She pouted dramatically.
"I mean, yeah… I'm just a friend of a friend. That's all I'm good for these days, right? Someone to come to for advice, help, more help, and guess what? More help!"
Her voice rose with each word, eyes drilling into the side of Scott's skull.
"And you know what?!"
The energy she let out could've melted steel.
Scott tried to give a nervous laugh—
"Ehe… what?"
Nadia snapped her head away with a frown so bitter even Jake, who was watching through Scott's glasses, winced in pain on his end.
"Never mind! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ No point talking to a perverted, parasitic, betraying—ugh!!"
She desperately tried to form a new insult, scrunching her face and wiggling her little nose in the most adorably irritated way possible.
It was like a puppy trying to bark like a lion.
Willow blinked. "Uh—" ( ̄ω ̄)
Scott quickly cut in.
"Oh come on, don't be like that! I've been trying to call you for days since Emma found out about the whole… thing we had!"
Nadia's eye twitched.
She gave him a sharp side-glare and hissed—
"Ohh, so now it's something we had, not something we have? What am I now, Evelyn?! A nobody?!"
Scott blinked.
"… Wait, did you just use my middle name…?"
Nadia lifted a brow.
"Oh? That's what you're bothered about?"
Scott stumbled back slightly.
"Wait, wait—do you want us to have something? Or are you trying to be difficult? (;一_一) I didn't want to make things weird between you and Emma and—"
But before he could finish, Nadia theatrically flung her hands to her hips.
"We don't have anything, okay?!"
Her voice cracked a little.
"You've always had a problem with making me a priority. But then you were sooooooo ready to date a second girlfriend—the same second girlfriend that nearly ended things with Emma!"
She practically shouted that part.
"And guess who had to help you fix it? Oh yeah, IT WAS ME you… you… Hmph! (.-`ω´-)✧"
She turned away, nose in the air.
Scott opened his mouth, raised a finger… then stopped.
"Fair enough…" he muttered in defeat.
A heavy silence passed.
Willow tilted her head. "… Haaah?"
She looked so lost. Then pointed at Scott again.
"Wait—so you really do have two girlfriends?! And Princess Nadia's like… what? A situationship??"
Nadia answered before Scott could.
Her arms were folded again and she stared at Willow with half-lidded eyes.
"Actually, it's better to say we're just friends. Friends who don't help when you're going through a rough patch. Friends who go from licking smoothies and chili fries off your fingers to barely replying to your messages."
HMPH!
Scott sighed into his hand.
Through the tiny comms in his glasses, Jake said—
[Damn… I've never seen Nadia this dramatic before. I swear you bring out the worst in people, bro. Like… I wouldn't even be fat if we weren't friends. And now—]
Scott cut him off, low and sharp.
"Shut. Up."
[Yes sir. 🫡✨]
Behind one of the many fat marble pillars…
Peeking like a raccoon with beef, Emma was watching the whole thing unfold.
Her eyes were narrowed like sniper scopes.
"Why is he with Nadia…?!"
She clenched her fists behind the pillar.
Nadia looked stunning, her curves on full display, shouting and bantering with her boyfriend.
"Ugh… first she ghosts me after the whole 'thing' with Scott, and now she's out here trying to seduce him with that banging Arab bod?!"
Emma looked at her own outfit—her black tracksuit.
She groaned defeatedly.
"Kyuu… (╥﹏╥) No way I can go drag words with her like this… her royal guards might be watching, and I look like a serial killer from a K-drama."
Her fists trembled with pure hater energy.
She hissed and peeked again.
Back at the food area, Scott had his face in his palm.
"Okay, seriously, you didn't need to bring up the finger thing. It's a little unnecess—"
"What?"
Nadia snapped.
"You ashamed of it now? (¬_¬)"
Scott flailed a bit, "No! I just—!"
"Ohhh, so you liked it? Tch. Horndog. (-"-怒)"
Scott's head rolled back in frustration.
"STOP PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH!"
Nadia gave a smug little smirk.
"That's not the only thing you've put in your mouth. I'm sure you'll be fine."
HMPH. 💅🏽
Willow blinked again.
"Sooooo confused right now…"
She made sure to whisper that.
Luckily, the surrounding crowd was too busy chatting about hero exhibits and selfie booths to care.
Willow then tapped Scott on the arm again.
"Okay, wait. You said you have two girlfriends, right?"
"…Yeah."
She tilted her head.
"And Princess Nadia isn't one of them?"
"Nope."
"Is this… like… an American thing?"
Before Scott could respond, Nadia scoffed loudly.
"Hah. It's a Scott thing."
He glared at her.
Willow then said innocently—
"Well, if that's the case, can't you just make Princess Nadia your third girlfri—?"
CRASH!
A soft thud interrupted her.
Something bumped into Willow from the side.
They all turned.
It was a masked lady pushing a food cart.
"Ohhh~ sorry about that…" she said sweetly.
Scott blinked.
『She looks kinda familiar…』
He narrowed his eyes.
Just as his glasses began to initiate a scan—
CLANG!!
She rammed the cart right into his foot.
"OWWWW—! MY FOOT!!" Scott yelled, stumbling.
Nadia crossed her arms and smirked.
"Serves you ri—"
CRUNCH.
The masked woman elegantly wheeled the cart forward and casually crushed Nadia's toes as she passed.
"…"
Nadia's lips curled into a painful smile as tears formed in her eyes. But she kept that tight expression like a warrior suppressing a death cry.
If she screamed, Scott would surely laugh.
The cart lady disappeared into the crowd.
But not for long.
Back in her zone, Emma adjusted her mask, glanced back at the trio, and growled.
"That's not enough to break them up."
She narrowed her eyes.
Then without a second thought—
SPLAT!!
A perfect handful of spaghetti launched across the air and exploded on Scott's sweatshirt.
"OH COME ON!!"
He yelled, looking down at his messed up shirt.
He looked up at the masked woman walking away.
"I KNOW IT'S YOU, MASKED BITCH—!"
SPLAT!!!
Another handful. Square to the face.
So fast no one even saw it coming.
Scott stood frozen as tomato sauce hilariously dripped down his glasses.
Nadia snorted into her palm, giggling softly.
Willow held in a laugh, then gently placed both hands on Scott's shoulders.
"Tee-hee~ Come on…"
She spoke very sweetly.
"Let's uhm… get you a change of clothes. Something more… proper."
Scott sighed. "You don't have to—"
Willow caressed his shoulders, leaned in close, then softly whispered near his ear with a smirk.
"I insist~"
She giggled as she led him away.
Behind the crowd, Emma scowled.
"Fuck you, universe. (╬ Ò﹏Ó)"