Supervillain Idol System: My Sidekick Is A Yandere-Chapter 594: Event Day 1 (Part 9)
The descent didn’t slow.
Don moved first, boots hitting each step of the fire escape in quick succession—
CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—~
The metal frame rattled with every impact, the structure shaking as the rest followed close behind.
Claire kept one hand on the railing, the other locked around Sylvia’s wrist, guiding her down step by step. Sylvia missed one step halfway and slipped—
Claire caught her instantly.
"Careful."
"I—I’m fine..."
They didn’t stop.
Below them, the parking lot came into view.
Empty in places.
Abandoned cars scattered at odd angles, some with doors left open, others still running—
Engines idling.
Don dropped the last few steps, landing hard—
THUD—!
He moved forward immediately, clearing space as the others reached the ground behind him.
The girls closed in without thinking.
Close.
Too close.
As if staying near him meant something.
Charles landed last, a short drop from the final section of the escape. The two pilots came down right after, rifles already raised, scanning the area.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Watching everything.
Don slowed.
Just slightly.
Then stopped.
He pulled his phone out.
The movement was small—
But it drew every eye.
They looked at him.
Waiting.
Expecting.
Don stared at the screen.
Unread messages.
Signals cutting in and out.
For a brief second—
Doubt slipped in.
Above them—
Missiles.
Around them—
Those sprouts.
And below—
Chaos.
Behind him—
One of the pilots stepped toward Charles.
"Sir... by now the chopper would’ve only been several minutes away," he said, voice tight. "It’s not safe to move like this."
Charles didn’t answer immediately.
The thought crossed his mind.
Hovering.
Staying put.
Waiting.
Safer?
Maybe.
The hesitation spread.
Samantha glanced toward the direction of the rooftop.
Summer followed.
Even Amanda’s expression shifted slightly.
Then—
Charles shook his head.
"No."
Firm.
"We got lucky."
He turned slightly toward the pilot.
"If we were in the air and another sprout erupted—what happens?"
The pilot opened his mouth—
Didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Because—
It started.
From every direction—
Screams.
Not one.
Hundreds.
Layered over each other.
High.
Low.
Breaking.
"HELP—!"
"RUN—!"
"GET OUT—!"
Then—
BOOM—!
A building in the distance shook as something slammed into its side.
WHOOOOSH—!
A massive vine tore across the street, ripping through parked cars like paper. One flipped into the air, spinning—
CRASH—!
It landed upside down, glass shattering outward.
Another vine struck downward—
THUD—!
A figure beneath it—
Gone.
Flattened instantly.
The sound—
Wet.
Final.
From where they stood, they could see it clearly.
The same towering stem that had knocked their helicopter out of the sky.
Now fully active.
Its vines lashed out in all directions.
Striking buildings.
Wrapping around structures and pulling—
GRRRR—!
Concrete cracked.
Windows burst outward.
Chunks fell, crashing into the streets below.
People ran.
Not in lines.
Not in order.
Just movement.
Desperate.
Some didn’t make it.
One man stumbled—
A vine snapped across his back—
WHACK—!
His body lifted off the ground and slammed into a wall.
He didn’t move again.
Others fought back.
A man launched upward, fists glowing as he drove into one of the vines—
BOOM—!
The impact pushed it back slightly.
Another figure unleashed a stream of fire, the flames crawling along the surface—
It didn’t stop the movement.
Just slowed it.
Nearby—
A different kind of movement.
A group broke into a shattered storefront, grabbing whatever they could.
Electronics.
Cash drawers.
One shoved another aside—
"Move!"
"Get off me—!"
Even now.
That.
Don saw it.
Didn’t react.
Didn’t comment.
Charles didn’t either.
Their focus stayed upward.
Then outward.
Tracking.
Calculating.
The vines.
The spread.
The sky.
Behind them—
Summer flinched.
Another explosion—
BOOOOM—!
Her shoulders tightened as she instinctively moved closer to Samantha.
Samantha’s jaw clenched, eyes wide as she forced herself to look, not turn away.
Sylvia pressed closer to Claire, her breathing uneven.
Claire kept her steady, but her gaze didn’t soften.
She was watching.
Trying to understand.
Amanda exhaled once.
Then stepped forward.
"What are we waiting for?" she asked, urgency clear now.
Don didn’t look up.
"...she’s here."
Confusion—
Then—
Tires screeching.
From the far end of the parking lot.
Fast.
Too fast.
An engine roared—
VRRRRRR—!
A black Land Cruiser tore into view, swerving hard as it entered the lot.
SKRRRT—!
People scattered out of the way, some shouting as the vehicle cut through the space between abandoned cars.
The pilots reacted instantly.
Rifles up—
CLICK—!
Aimed.
Charles raised a hand.
They stopped.
Lowered.
The Land Cruiser closed the distance in seconds, then—
SKRRRRT—!
It drifted slightly as it came to a stop in front of them, angled outward, already positioned to move again.
Engine still running.
Doors unlocked.
Charles glanced at Don.
"Your android?"
Don nodded once.
"Get in. Let’s go. Hurry."
His eyes were already on the girls.
That was enough.
They moved.
Amanda first, pulling the front passenger door open and sliding in.
"Samantha, Summer—come on!"
They didn’t hesitate.
Both rushed to the back, climbing in quickly.
Claire followed, guiding Sylvia inside, one hand shielding her head as she ducked into the vehicle.
Doors slammed—
THUD—THUD—!
Don and Charles moved to the rear, climbing into the open cargo section, gripping onto the interior frame.
The engine revved slightly.
The vehicle shifted.
Ready.
The pilots didn’t move.
They stood there.
Frozen for a second.
Charles looked at them.
"What’s wrong?"
One of them stepped forward.
"Sir... I need to go home. My wife—"
The other spoke over him.
"My children were at school, I need to—"
He didn’t finish.
Didn’t need to.
Charles held their gaze for a moment.
Then nodded.
"I understand."
No argument.
No order.
Just that.
He turned back toward Don.
"Where do you plan on going?"
Don’s eyes flicked upward once more.
The sky.
Those fragments still moving.
Then back to the road ahead.
"Somewhere safe," he said. "In case the payload those things are carrying..."
He didn’t finish.
Charles understood anyway.
His expression tightened.
He wanted to ask more.
Didn’t.
Not now.
He gave a single nod.
"...let’s go."
Don tapped the roof twice—
THUD—THUD—!
"Move."
The response was immediate.
Winter drove.
The Land Cruiser surged forward—
VRRROOOOM—!
Tires bit into the pavement as it shot out of the parking lot, weaving between abandoned vehicles and debris without slowing.
Behind them—
The chaos didn’t fade.
---
Several minutes later—
The Land Cruiser tore through one of the outer roads.
Not a main route.
Not one of the wide, structured lanes built for heavy traffic.
This one cut between blocks, narrower, lined with low buildings, side shops, and scattered residences.
Even here—
It was chaos.
Cars sped past in both directions, some swerving recklessly to avoid collisions—
HONK—HONK—!
Engines roared, brakes screamed—
SKREEECH—!
A van clipped the side of another vehicle, metal scraping—
KRRRRK—!
Neither stopped.
People filled the spaces between them.
Running.
Not in any order.
Some carried bags stuffed with whatever they could grab.
Others—
People.
A man staggered forward with someone slung over his shoulder, blood soaking through his shirt. Each step looked like it might be his last.
A woman ran with a child in her arms, her face streaked with tears as she pushed forward through the crowd.
"Help—please—!"
Her voice broke.
No one stopped.
Further ahead—
Two men dragged another between them, his leg bent at an angle it shouldn’t be, leaving a smear behind them.
And then—
Children.
Some with adults.
Some without.
One stood in the middle of the road, turning in circles, crying out—
"Mama!?"
No answer.
Another clung to a broken fence, screaming for someone who wasn’t there.
Inside the vehicle—
No one spoke.
Amanda’s hands tightened slightly where they rested against her knees. Her expression shifted—something pulled at it—but she said nothing.
She knew.
They all did.
They couldn’t stop.
They couldn’t help.
Not like this.
In the back—
Sylvia and Summer sat pressed between Samantha and Claire.
Both had their heads lowered.
Eyes shut.
Trying not to hear it.
Trying not to see.
Another scream cut through the air—
Summer flinched, shoulders tightening as she leaned further into Samantha.
Sylvia did the same against Claire, her fingers gripping tightly at her sleeve.
Samantha’s gaze stayed on the window.
Too long.
Her eyes glossed over.
"...can we help them?"
The question slipped out.
Quiet.
Unsteady.
She already knew the answer.
Claire turned toward her immediately, ready to speak—
But another voice came first.
"That won’t be possible."
Winter.
Flat.
Unchanged.
Her eyes stayed forward, hands steady on the wheel as she weaved between vehicles without slowing.
For a moment—
It sounded cold.
But she continued.
"It is normal to feel the need to help others, given what is happening around us," she said. "However, acting on that impulse under current conditions would significantly increase the risk to your lives."
Her tone didn’t shift.
Measured.
Precise.
"Please bear with it for the sake of your safety."
A slight pause.
Then—
"For reference, Don is doing the same."
That drew Samantha’s attention.
Winter continued without hesitation.
"Both he and Charles possess heightened sensory capabilities. They are processing more visual and auditory input than the rest of you."
Her eyes flicked briefly toward the rear-view.
"I estimate the cognitive strain to be considerable."
It wasn’t sympathy.
It was assessment.
But it landed.
Samantha’s head turned.
She looked back.
Toward Don.
And Charles.
Both at the rear.
Both still watching the sky.
Not the people.
Not the chaos.
The sky.
The feeling in her chest shifted.
Not gone—
But redirected.
"...I see," she murmured, quieter now.
Winter spoke again.
"The road ahead is becoming too congested. Switching to off-road."
"Please hold on."
She didn’t wait.
The wheel turned hard—
The Land Cruiser veered off the road—
SKRRRT—!
Tires tore into a patch of grass, dirt kicking up behind them—
FRRRT—!
The vehicle tilted slightly as it hit uneven ground, bouncing as it climbed a mild incline.
Inside—
Bodies shifted with the motion.
Amanda braced herself against the dashboard.
Samantha grabbed onto the seat in front of her.
Claire tightened her hold on Sylvia, keeping her steady as the vehicle jolted again—
THUD—!
They crested the incline—
Then dropped.
The suspension compressed hard as they descended—
WHUMP—!
Then climbed again.
Rocks cracked beneath the tires—
CRUNCH—CRUNCH—!
The vehicle didn’t slow.
It pushed forward, carving its own path through uneven terrain.
