— What?!...
"CRASH!"
Almost immediately after Lock and Gwen scrambled away, a body plummeted from the sky with a thunderous roar, striking Lock's recently purchased Audi R8 with incredible precision.
One moment later, and...
That was it!
The roof of the Audi R8 was utterly crushed.
But that wasn't the worst of it...
From the powerful impact, all four side windows of the car, excluding the windshield, shattered outwards with tremendous force.
— Look out!
Lock swiftly shoved Gwen to the ground, shielding her with his own body at the same instant.
"CREAK!"
"THUD!"
George Stacy, who was inside his house and heard a sound akin to a grenade explosion, rushed outside with his pistol.
And there...
George saw two people lying on the road.
Gwen was beneath Lock's body.
What...
"What the hell?"
Ten minutes later.
"WEEEE-OOO-WEEE-OOO"
Police cars.
Ambulances.
Vehicles crowded the entire street.
Inside the ambulance.
Watching Lock, whose forehead wound was being cleaned and sterilized, Gwen turned to the medic with a strained expression: — Doctor, is Lock going to be okay?
Lock waved a dismissive hand before the medic could answer. — Just a scratch.
This minor injury won't kill him.
Officer George Stacy and his colleagues were examining the remains of the body and the car's roof. The brand-new Audi R8 was now only good for scrap metal.
No one would believe that the car had only been purchased that very morning.
— Hiss!
Lock winced and frowned, straightening his back.
The ambulance medic, who was extracting glass shards from Lock's back, noticed this. — Do you want some morphine?
— No need.
Lock vehemently refused. — It doesn't hurt that much.
He didn't want to be injected with drugs, even if they were permissible.
"Who knows, he might suddenly get addicted to morphine."
After all...
Lock couldn't even quit drinking.
Besides.
He possessed a talent for Endurance.
A Level 3 Talent for Endurance was sufficient to ensure he'd survive non-fatal injuries and recover in the shortest possible time.
Honestly...
If Lock had been alone, the shattering glass wouldn't have been able to harm him at all.
But he wasn't alone; Gwen was with him.
So...
To protect Gwen, Lock had covered her with his body, becoming a human pincushion of glass shards instead of quills. Fortunately, the quality of Lock's everyday jacket was excellent, blocking most of the fragments.
Otherwise, Lock might have sued the manufacturer!
— This is my fault!
— Don't sweat it.
Lock waved his hand dismissively, but Gwen truly was to blame: if Lock hadn't tried to protect her, he wouldn't have turned into a human pincushion.
Calling him a 'human pincushion' was a slight exaggeration.
Upon closer inspection.
It was mainly his jacket and shirt that had suffered. Even if they were expensive, the loss wasn't too significant.
Well...
Of course, he'd taken a bit of a hit himself!
— Alright, then. Can you stand up and move around?
— Yes.
Lock nodded and stood, revealing his eight-pack abs for all to see.
Pure masculine charisma radiated from him!
Gwen blinked, staring at Lock's eight-pack.
"He really... has such good abs?"
Helen was also nearby.
She looked at Lock and froze... A sixteen-year-old guy with a physique like that...
It simply didn't compute for her.
Helen quickly snapped out of it and lightly tapped Gwen on the head before handing Lock a shirt. — Here, try this on.
Lock flinched slightly and moved his limbs, glancing back at Helen. — Thanks, but I'd rather put on my own clothes at home.
Helen said nothing, merely unbuttoning the shirt with an expression that suggested she intended to help Lock put it on right then and there.
Lock gave in to the unspoken challenge and took it from the woman's hands himself.
Putting on George's shirt was one thing, but having Helen put it on him... Lock felt he'd be mortified.
Nevertheless, the shirt fit him perfectly.
Lock examined himself. Apart from the slightly long sleeves and a marginally larger size, everything was fine.
— Contact air traffic control. I want to know about any aircraft that flew over here in the last half-hour.
— Yes, sir.
Nearby, George was speaking with his assistant. He then approached Lock, who was wearing his shirt, and without a word, patted Lock on the shoulder. — You did well. Thank you!
Clearly.
George saw that this annoying kid had protected Gwen with his own body.
Now, the officer looked at Lock differently. It was as if he regarded him much more favorably than before.
And surprisingly...
He even thanked Lock!
After all, the behavior Lock had just demonstrated perfectly met George's expectations.
The ambulance medic, who seemed to recognize George, reported the results: — Nothing serious. Just a couple of bruises, all minor. A few days of rest, and he'll be fine.
Lock didn't mind George's improved attitude towards him.
But what if...
What if Lock hadn't been born with an innate sixth sense? What if he hadn't been talking to Gwen at that moment, but had gotten straight into the car instead?
He would have died.
No chance.
Lock looked at his ruined Audi and asked George: — Have you identified him, Mr. Stacy?
— Not yet.
George shook his head, then looked at Lock. — Don't worry, though. We'll do everything in our power.
There was no way to identify him.
There was almost nothing left of the body.
And how could anyone identify a person from that mangled mess?
Even fingerprints couldn't be taken from that pulp.
Lock glanced at his car again. He hadn't expected any quick news, so he simply nodded. — Mr. Stacy, in that case, may I go home?
George looked at the ambulance medic.
On this matter, it was best to defer to the professionals.
The ambulance medic, seeing the glance directed at him, said: — Yes, he can go home. There are no severe injuries, just bruises and contusions. Although the scene looks terrible, they managed to react in time, so everything turned out alright. He just needs to go home and rest for a couple of days.
George looked at Lock: — Do I need to write a statement about your absence before you leave?
— No, no need for that, but it would be good if someone could give me a ride. Well, I'm sure you understand... — Lock chuckled.
The young man pointed to his Audi R8, which he had bought just this morning and was already totaled!
"Heaven help whoever did this!"
"DING!"
[Mission Created.]
[Mission: The Unrighteous Deserve Punishment (1/2).]
[Reward: 1,000 Achievement Points, 1,000 Potential Points, 10% Store Discount Coupon.]
[Note: It's Not About the Car!]
— ...