The car came to a slow stop in a dark alleyway. The dim glow of a flickering streetlight barely reached this part of the city, casting long shadows against the brick walls. Hence, it was the perfect place to enact a scene of kidnapping.
But not everyone was onboard with the plan. Hari leaned back against the seat, arms crossed, and gave Ren a side glance.
"You sure about this?" he asked. "There are other ways to fool that girlfriend of yours."
"I know her better than anyone. If we don't do this, she won't stop bugging me about my disappearance." Ren shrugged. "Don't worry and hit me. I'm stronger now."
Ren smirked and rolled his shoulders. He was stronger than before, at least according to the system. He wanted to test a lot of things, but for now, checking his defense and strength was enough.
"You're overestimating the upgrades, you know. They're not as good as you think." Hari sighed and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by Ren's overconfidence.
However, his worry disappeared as he grinned.
"But hey, I won't miss a chance like this."
Before Ren could react, Hari's fist shot forward, slamming into Ren's stomach with brutal force.
A sharp gasp escaped Ren's lips as his body folded in half. His vision blurred, pain exploding through his gut. He crumpled to the ground, one knee hitting the pavement hard as he clutched his stomach.
"I told you. The upgrades take time to turn effective."
Hari crouched, looking down at him.
"You good?"
Ren didn't bother looking up. He was too busy trying to breathe. His entire abdomen felt like it had been crushed. He raised one shaky hand and gave a weak thumbs-up, then waved his hand toward Hari, telling him to get lost.
Hari chuckled and patted Ren's shoulder before standing.
"Take care, yeah?"
Without another word, he walked to the car and drove off, disappearing into the night.
Ren stayed on the ground for a few more seconds, his fingers pressing against his stomach. He clenched his teeth as he sat against the wall.
"Damn that old bastard Garaki… this doesn't feel any different at all."
The so-called enhancements weren't doing much if Hari could still drop him like that. Well, at least he knew his new limits. He would have passed out from the hit before, but not this time.
With one test over, he had to get to Mirko for the next test. Well… he had to get her or some other woman. He planned on having a great time that night.
With a grunt, Ren slowly pushed himself up, using the wall for support. His breathing grew steady, and soon, the pain was dulling into a manageable ache.
Still, he forced himself to stagger as he moved forward. He had to sell the act. If someone was watching, they needed to see a battered, weakened Ren, not someone who disappeared and then reappeared with no injuries.
While he was thinking all that, a shadow loomed over him. He looked up and saw a flash of red.
Before Ren could react, someone landed right in front of him. A powerful gust of wind followed, almost knocking him down. Just then, a strong arm wrapped around his side, holding him close before he could fall.
Ren's dazed eyes trailed up to the person holding him.
"Osprey…?"
It was her.
Her long blonde hair was messy, with strands sticking to her face in sweat. There were a few scratches and bruises marked her skin, probably from fighting the Synth earlier.
Despite all that, she still looked like a total knocker.
She wore a tight white crop top, exposing her toned stomach and just a glimpse of her cleavage from the bottom. The sight would've been distracting if Ren wasn't still catching his breath.
As soon as she heard his voice, Osprey tightened her grip around him and pulled him into a crushing hug. Before he knew it, Ren's face was buried against her chest.
"Oof—!"
His muffled protest didn't reach her ears as she squeezed him tighter.
"Where the hell have you been?!" Osprey yelled. "Do you even know how worried we were?! Mirko and I—!"
Her voice cracked, but she held on, arms locked around his back as if she was afraid he would disappear again.
Ren tried to answer, but with his face pressed between her cleavage, talking wasn't exactly an option. Not that he was complaining.
It wasn't until he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face even deeper into her chest that she finally relaxed. The tension in her muscles loosened, and she exhaled deeply, pulling back just enough to look at him.
Ren sucked in air the moment he was free.
"You're strong as hell, you know that?" he muttered, rubbing his sore ribs.
Osprey glared at him, regaining some of her haughty demeanor.
"And you're an idiot. Where were you?!"
Ren hesitated, then sighed.
"I… don't remember much."
He looked down at himself, making sure to keep his expression neutral.
"When I woke up, I was in some alleyway," he said. "My clothes were torn, and I had no idea what happened."
Osprey frowned, scanning him from head to toe. His tattered clothes, his unsteady posture. Everything about his current appearance screamed 'injured survivor.' It was to be expected after he got hit by the Synth. Hell, she was surprised he was walking and not crawling.
She let out a frustrated sigh.
"Of course you don't remember," she muttered, then clicked her tongue. "Forget it. You're coming with me."
Before Ren could ask what she meant, she bent down, hooked an arm under his legs, and—
"Wait, wait—!"
With zero effort, Osprey lifted him into a princess carry.
Ren barely had time to grab onto her before the ground vanished beneath them.
A rush of wind hit his face as they soared into the sky.
Ren's stomach flipped. The buildings shrank below them, and for a split second, he forgot to breathe.
"You better hold on tight," Osprey warned, her grip firm around his back. "Because if you fall, I'm not catching you."
Ren didn't need to be told twice. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, securing himself.
Despite the situation, despite everything, a small grin tugged at his lips.
Perhaps, he wouldn't have to wait to get to Mirko to test his abilities.