Chapter 18: Songbird
May 2, 2023 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"Did you notice? I think Songbird just glanced at me again."
*To be precise, she was probably looking at both of us.*
Colin said to himself, looking at the excited cameraman beside him.
He felt he had underestimated Smith; the man's interests were far broader than he had imagined.
Songbird had long, pink-and-white hair and wore a black-and-white, form-fitting suit with a white emblem on her chest. Judging by the scream she let out upon her arrival, she seemed to possess some kind of sonic powers... oh, and the power of flight.
Thinking of the wings beating behind Songbird when she appeared, Colin mentally added.
"Colin, hurry up! Don't miss the interview with the Thunderbolts. This is a rare opportunity..."
Ever since Songbird appeared, Smith had been keeping a close eye on the Thunderbolts' movements. Seeing signs that they were about to leave, he hurriedly urged Colin on.
"...Do you want to spend your whole life reporting on sleazy gossip?"
*You seem even more eager than I am,* Colin thought.
Though he complained silently, Colin's actions weren't slow.
While he didn't share Smith's fanatical admiration for the Thunderbolts, he wouldn't easily pass up the chance to interact with them for the sake of collecting [Time Shards]. After all, that was one of the main reasons he came here.
Intercepting the members of the Thunderbolts, Colin held out a microphone with The Daily Bugle's logo to them. Turning to look at the camera in Smith's hands, he put on the air of a reporter and asked, "Could we ask you a few questions?"
They stopped. Natasha and the others exchanged a silent glance after looking at the camera in front of Colin, then Songbird responded with a smile.
"Of course, no problem."
As a superhero team operating under the Superhuman Registration Act, the Thunderbolts also had a quasi-official status. Therefore, when facing the media, they naturally had to be cooperative to maintain their public image.
"Regarding the massive explosion that just occurred, what was the cause? Was this another crime involving superpowers?"
"Obviously, we are superheroes. Our purpose here is naturally to fight criminals. As for who the criminal is, that's not our primary concern... Our duty is to protect the lives and safety of the public, and that is the founding principle of the Thunderbolts..."
Facing Colin's question, Songbird appeared well-practiced. She shrugged, seeming to say a lot while revealing nothing at all.
[Contact with a Twisted Time Node, a small amount of Time Shard ×1 collected]
[Black Iron Mark (8/10)]
It was a vague, perfunctory answer from Songbird. Any other reporter would not have given up the pursuit so easily.
In fact, even Songbird herself was prepared for Colin to press on with relentless questions.
However, unexpectedly...
After hearing her answer, this reporter actually nodded in satisfaction and then moved the microphone over to Mister Hyde.
"So, Mister Hyde, what are your thoughts on this explosion?"
Songbird: "..."
Mister Hyde: "..."
Colin's move not only caught Songbird off guard, but even Mister Hyde, the one being questioned, was somewhat stunned.
On camera, the cold-faced, middle-aged man stared blankly for a few seconds before shaking his head and saying hoarsely, "I have no thoughts on it."
[Contact with a Twisted Time Node, a small amount of Time Shard ×1 collected]
[Black Iron Mark (9/10)]
"Alright, thank you for that brilliant commentary, Mister Hyde."
Mister Hyde: "?"
...
"Colin, that interview performance of yours was just terrible..."
Watching the members of the Thunderbolts leave, Smith lowered the camera from his shoulder and muttered, "It was a complete disaster. Can you imagine Mister Hyde's expression on camera? I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for you..."
[Black Iron Mark (9/10)]
*Just one more piece to go.*
"I was just having an off day..."
Pulling his gaze away from the text prompt in front of him, Colin heard the cameraman's complaint and explained with a smile, "After all, this is my first time interviewing members of the Thunderbolts. It's natural to be a little nervous."
"That's true."
Convinced by Colin's excuse, Smith nodded, though he glanced at the camera in his hands with some regret. "It's just a shame. We finally ran into members of the Thunderbolts, but we didn't get much usable footage."
Colin's 'off day' had made the entire interview subpar, resulting in very little useful footage.
"Look at it another way. This was an unexpected bonus. According to our original schedule, our next job was just to stake out the Hilton Hotel, waiting for a Kardashian to come out or someone else to go in. Or we'd be sent somewhere else to camp out for more gossip..."
Reaching out, Colin patted the cameraman's shoulder and offered a casual word of comfort.
"Makes sense."
The consolation worked. A look of realization dawned on Smith's face as he spoke.
...
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Colin."
The cameraman climbed into his old automobile, rolled down the window, and waved at Colin.
"See you tomorrow, Smith."
Waving goodbye to the cameraman, Colin turned to glance at the devastated street behind him.
And at the police, firefighters, and paramedics who had appeared at some point and were now bustling about.
With the Thunderbolts gone, the police took over the cleanup. Large numbers of people who had been hiding emerged from the damaged buildings, crying out for help.
In the distance, reporters from various outlets were arriving, scrambling to report on the explosion, striking impassioned poses for their cameras.
He shook his head, pulling his gaze away from the surrounding crowd.
Compared to these colleagues who were a step behind, not only had Colin and his partner gotten a firsthand scoop on the explosion, but he had also obtained his main objective for this trip—[Time Shards].
His gaze swept over the [Time Shards] marked with names.
[Time Shard (Black Widow)] ×3
[Time Shard (Songbird)] ×1
[Time Shard (Mister Hyde)] ×1
On the surface of the fractured [Time Shards], the flickering figures of Natasha, Songbird, and Mister Hyde were faintly visible. On the shard representing Mister Hyde, one could even vaguely see an image of him drinking a serum and transforming. Recalling his earlier conversation with Natasha, Colin began to form a guess about the method behind Mister Hyde's transformation.
(end of chapter)