episode_0008

The video Apple showed was completely black. Nothing was visible. It was pitch black. Unable to tell what it was supposed to be, Spade wondered if the wrong video had been played, but when she subtly raised her eyes to question Apple, Apple gestured as if to confirm it was correct and to keep watching.

“You need to concentrate and watch. You’ll see it if you look closely.” Apple’s voice came through the earphones. The noise cancellation on the earphones wasn’t great, so even when she whispered with her mouth close to the earphone, her voice was audible from beyond them. More importantly, it seemed like no sound was coming from the earphones themselves. Did this video even have sound to begin with…? She had expected some kind of conversation….

‘………Huh? I think I hear something…?’ Her ears barely registered something, and she leaned into the mechanical sound from the earphones. It sounded like a faint murmuring. An ambiguous sound, as if there was a wall between them. She tried to increase the volume to hear more clearly but clicked her tongue upon realizing it was already at maximum.

“Spade-nim, please focus on the screen.” Apple’s voice was heard again. …Indeed, something faint was visible in one corner of the screen that had previously seemed to hold nothing. It looked like something flickering, or perhaps…. Though truly faint, the dimly shining object strangely drew her gaze. It was similar to how if you put a dot on a blank canvas, your eyes naturally gravitate towards it… perhaps the same principle applied here.

‘It’s moving….’ The flickering light slowly moved. It wasn’t just moving; it left a faint trail behind it, like a lingering tail. After a while, she vaguely realized that it was drawing some kind of pattern or picture. …Somehow, her head felt hazy.

“Spade-nim, what kind of picture does it look like?” Still… I don’t know…. I need to watch a bit longer…. “Yes, then please watch slowly, slowly.” “Until you can recognize what kind of picture it is.” Okay…. Slowly…. …………… ………… …… Huh…? I have to… arrest Subject 13………… Go…………….

* * *

“…Damn it, one or two shots would’ve been enough, but how many did I fire?” Subject 13 grumbled, leaning against the corridor wall as he returned to the storage room where Apple and Spade were. His legs still trembled from the lingering shock, but he wasn’t seriously injured. Feeling frustrated, he pulled out the bulletproof vest from under his hoodie. Between the rubber bullets and Spade’s kicks, the vest was a mess from enduring everything… but thanks to it, Subject 13 hadn’t broken a single bone, even without armor. However, it hadn’t completely absorbed the impact, so honestly, his legs still felt weak. Even so, by the time he barely managed to reach the storage room, the numbness in his body was slowly fading, and…

‘It seems to have worked out well.’ Seeing Spade frozen near the storage room’s threshold, staring blankly at the smartphone, a pleasant joy overshadowed his pain. “(Subject 13-nim! It worked! ☆!)” Apple, standing next to Spade, whispered excitedly and made a V-sign. Her eyes sparkled, and she genuinely seemed delighted. To be so happy after trapping a fellow hero—she must be out of her mind. Given that she was actually being controlled through brainwashing, it was true that she wasn’t in her right mind.

“Good job, good job.” “Ahaaa~ ☆ Please praise me a lot! ☆ I did really well, didn’t I? Super well?” “Yes, yes. You did incredibly well. Really well.” When Subject 13 lightly stroked the head of Apple, who was nuzzling his cheek like a puppy, Her cheeks flushed, and she smiled sweetly, as if that alone made her incredibly happy. Her expression was truly one of genuine happiness.

* * *

To explain, the trap itself, as you can see, was set up in two layers. Subject 13’s plan was to subdue Spade with brainwashing gas after trapping her in the storage room. However, the one who added various details and proposed specific locations and methods was the tactician. Even the precise timing, set at a precarious moment, and placing a bomb (a toy resembling a bomb) in front of Apple to lure Spade defencelessly into the room, were all part of the tactician’s plan.

“This alone still feels a bit unstable.” However, a true strategist always prepares a second and third move for any situation. In case the gas didn’t work, the tactician even planned to use the brainwashed Apple to manipulate Spade’s actions. It was truly impossible not to call it thorough. Originally, the tactician had told him to leave her in the gas for 30 minutes. But he had worried about her suffocating, wondering if she’d truly be alright, and after various such thoughts, he ended up opening the door in just 10 minutes. This was entirely Subject 13’s trolling. He was deeply reflecting on that point.

‘No, she said herself she could last an hour anyway… She’s not some dolphin.’ Is she a monster? The tactician had even come up with third and fourth moves, like giving Apple an anti-brainwashing drug so she’d be fine in the gas. In addition, he had prepared an escape route, so failure wouldn’t have been an option regardless. In any case, it was a heart-pounding confrontation in many ways.

“So, she’s properly trapped, right?” “Of course! ☆ Please trust this Apple! ☆” “…You look really happy.” “It’s just so, so enjoyable to follow Subject 13-nim’s commands! ☆ A reward… please give me a reward… I’m so excited… ♡” How on earth did Dorothy mess with this woman’s head to turn her into such a chaotic state? She had the demure older sister vibe with braided hair and round glasses, but her speech and voice were like popping star candies, shattering the image in many ways.

‘No, no, Spade comes first before anything else right now.’ He discarded unnecessary thoughts and shifted his focus from Apple to Spade. Spade was currently in a defenceless state, simply standing blankly while listening to the brainwashing video and audio. It would be fine to proceed to the next step like this, but… According to Dorothy’s manual, visual brainwashing tools had a weak effect. To make sure, he needed to drive in another wedge here.

“Subject 13-nim, here! ☆” Just then, Apple, who was standing beside him, offered a bottle of brainwashing drug and a handkerchief with pretty embroidery. He had just been thinking he needed them; she was a quick-witted woman. It was lamentable for her that she was using her quick wits to bring down her own comrade, but… “Oh, thanks.” In any case, appreciating her thoughtful consideration, Subject 13 patted Apple’s head once more and took the brainwashing drug and handkerchief.

Spade was still standing motionless, staring at the smartphone as if to devour it. Her wide-open eyes weren’t even blinking. It was as if she had turned into a wax doll, though the faint rise and fall of her chest with each breath showed that she was a living person. Fearing that covering her vision might make her snap out of her current doll-like state, Subject 13 very carefully covered her mouth and nose with the handkerchief soaked in brainwashing drug. The strength slowly left her eyes, which had been blankly staring at the smartphone screen, at the meaningless video with its haphazardly drawn curves. Soon, Spade’s body collapsed limply into Subject 13’s arms, as if falling into an embrace.

* * *

‘The drug… it worked properly, didn’t it?’ In the chair where Apple had been restrained just moments ago, Spade was now breathing evenly, with her eyes half-closed. Her gaze was empty, and she showed no reaction even when lightly prodded. “…” He examined Spade’s appearance again. A jet-black top with a zipper, revealing her midriff. And shorts that fully exposed her thighs. It was a revealing outfit for a public servant, and the clinging fabric clearly highlighted the curves of her body. Her fair skin peeking out from the minimal combat uniform and her healthy thighs extending below her shorts involuntarily drew his gaze. A hero, far removed from anything dirty, was now sitting defencelessly like this. At the sight, his brain somehow felt a tremble.

“Spade. Spa~de?” He called out, but Spade, under the influence of the drug, showed no response. He placed a hand on Spade’s defenceless thigh. Her healthy elasticity seemed to cling to his palm. Moving his hand from caressing her thigh, he subtly pulled up the hem of Spade’s shorts, revealing the crevice between her legs and a pair of reddish-orange panties that seemed lacking in sex appeal. He removed his hand from Spade’s shorts and, this time, caressed her beautiful face. On her cheek was the Spade emblem, her trademark. Including that emblem, the hero known as Spade had a strange charm that drew the eye. Her usually confident gaze was now hazy, as if clouded by fog. He felt an inexplicable decadent atmosphere from the defenceless appearance of a hero who was always so strong.

After caressing her face for a moment, Subject 13 subtly licked her vividly flushed lips, and then lightly pressed his lips against hers in a kiss. Even after all this, Spade still showed no reaction. This time, he reached out his hand towards her chest, which drew clear curves even over her combat uniform——

“Subject 13-nim. If you take too long, Spade-nim will wake up.” Just before his hand touched her chest, which seemed to beckon him with its presence, he barely snapped back to his senses at Apple’s words. That’s right, the hypnotic state induced by the brainwashing tool only lasted for a short time. “…Understood.” Feeling a slight regret, Subject 13 immediately prepared to implant the brainwashing suggestion into Spade.