Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
*****
Gwen held a steamed bun in her hand, kneading it as she organized her thoughts.
"They must be in some kind of trouble. If they were just moving out normally, Luke would definitely have told me where they were going. Uncle John would've told you too."
"Good point. What else?"
Gwen tilted her head and said, "It just felt really sudden, you know? There weren't any signs at all."
After a pause, she looked at Mike expectantly and said, "So? Was I right?"
Mike chuckled and replied, "More or less."
"Awesome!"
Gwen cheered and looked at Mike with hopeful eyes. "So, Dad, can you help them?"
She believed her father was amazing.
Her older brother Charles was the principal of a school for mutants and had powerful abilities.
A billionaire genius scientist who often appeared on TV called her father "uncle."
On top of all that, her dad was the one who saved her and defeated that criminal. She had never seen him run into any trouble.
To her young heart, Mike was already an all-powerful hero.
So, she believed her father could help John and his son.
She looked at Mike, and when he didn't immediately answer, her excitement faded quickly. Still, she forced a bright smile and said, "If it's too hard for you, Dad…"
Mike smiled and tapped Gwen lightly on the forehead. "Don't worry. I'll help them."
"Yay!" Gwen shouted joyfully. "Dad, you're the best!"
Hard? Not a chance.
This kind of thing didn't even qualify as difficult.
John and his son were good neighbors, and the two families got along well. Helping them out was nothing more than a small favor for Mike. Still, before stepping in, he needed to find out exactly what kind of trouble they were in.
"Alright, finish your breakfast and then go find Luke. Ask him what's going on."
Gwen opened her mouth wide and shoved half the steamed bun in, puffing out her cheeks. She chewed with difficulty, took two big gulps of porridge, let out a long breath, and ran toward the door. "I'm going now!"
"Hey!" Mike called out, stopping her. "Do you even know what you're supposed to do?"
"I'm going to ask Luke what kind of trouble they're in!"
"Go on, then."
Mike waved his hand and smiled.
Gwen rushed to the neighbor's house and pressed the doorbell.
The bell rang for a long time. Just as Gwen was starting to think Luke and his father weren't home, the door finally opened.
"Uncle John!"
Gwen smiled at the man who opened the door, but then stared at his face in surprise. "What happened to your face?"
"It's nothing," John replied with an awkward smile. "I got drunk a couple of days ago and fell."
"Is something wrong, Gwen?"
Gwen glanced inside, feeling a bit curious. "Where's Luke? Can I play with him?"
John patted Gwen on the head with gentle eyes. "He went to visit his grandparents. I'll bring him over to your place when he gets back."
"Oh."
Gwen looked a little disappointed. "Then I'll head back home, Uncle."
She waved goodbye and ran off as John watched her leave.
John sighed as he looked at the neighbor's house across the street.
Such good neighbors… he didn't know if he'd ever meet people like them again.
But regardless, he couldn't wait any longer.
He had to rescue his wife… from prison.
He had tried. Over the past two years, he had done everything he could to find evidence to overturn his wife's murder conviction, but he'd failed.
He was close to falling apart. But even more broken than he was, was his wife, locked away in that prison.
Not long ago, she had attempted suicide. Fortunately, she was discovered in time and taken to the hospital.
But John knew his wife well. Once someone tries to take their own life, they're likely to do it again. If he didn't want to lose her, he had no choice but to break her out—even if it meant committing a crime.
So, he began planning an escape, learning everything that might help.
But accidents always move faster than plans.
He had just received the notice—his wife was going to be transferred to another prison in three days.
It completely disrupted his plan, but he had no choice now. He had to act ahead of schedule.
Today was the first day. In just two more, she would be moved. Once that happened, there would be no hope left.
He shut the door and returned to his bedroom. Staring at the maps and documents taped to the wall, he began running through the entire plan in his mind over and over again.
At the same time, back at home, Mike glanced at the things on John's wall, then shifted his gaze away.
With just one look, he had figured out what John was planning.
A prison break.
He was going to rescue his wife.
What kind of situation would push a decent man to make such a desperate decision?
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Mike looked up with a smile just as Gwen came back home and stood in front of him.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Luke's not home. He went to his grandparents' place. What should we do now?"
Gwen looked a bit worried and said, "They must really be in trouble. Uncle John even has injuries on his face."
"I see."
Mike gently patted Gwen's head. "Don't worry. Your friend and Uncle John will be just fine."
"Dad, what are you going to do?" Gwen asked eagerly. "Are you going to use your fists and beat up the bad guys?"
She threw a couple of playful punches as she said this.
Flicking her lightly on the forehead, Mike chuckled. "Don't go learning how to fight. You'll turn into a wild little girl."
"I won't! Heehee!"
Gwen put on an innocent look, then suddenly yelped, "Ah! I totally forgot—I have combat class today!"
She'd spent the whole morning worrying about Luke and completely forgot about class. But now that her dad had promised to help, she felt relieved. Mike's reminder had brought it all back.
Mike stood up. "Hurry up, then."
"I'll grab my stuff!"
Gwen shot upstairs like a gust of wind.
Watching her rush off, Mike suddenly remembered something important.
Gwen had only met Charles. She knew Charles had powers, but she didn't know that he had them too—or that her two older brothers, whom she hadn't met yet, also had them.
What kind of expression would she make when she found out?
Mike thought about it and couldn't help but smile.
A moment later, Gwen ran back down, clutching her protective gear. "Let's go!"
Without waiting for Mike to respond, she darted out of the room.
"This girl… such a little whirlwind," Mike said fondly.
With a smile, he put on his jacket and followed her outside. By the time he stepped through the door, Gwen was already standing impatiently by the car, stomping her feet.
"Dad, hurry up!"
The moment the door opened, she hopped into the car like a little bunny.
Mike got in and started the engine. "You guys starting combat practice today?"
"Yep!"
"Then how about I stay and watch?"
"Okay!"
(End of Chapter)