Chapter Text
Lin Ling started being dispatched to more hotspot locations where villains showed up the moment he hit top 10.
It was during times like these that he wished he retained the power of flight from Nice. Since his side effect of being a regular person made it hard to indulge in luxuries more than a certain amount of times each month, Lin Ling had to resort to getting there by either public transport or those ride-hailing vehicles, both of which turned out disastrous when he would be recognised immediately and fawned over. That then left the option of travelling on foot. Miss J would as a result only give him status reports in a reasonable area once she confirmed where he was at.
Lin Ling glanced at his phone for a brief moment, observing the live map of X city. It wasn't a popular route, but if he took a detour here... he'd probably get to the venue which needed help faster.
He made a beeline into the dark labyrinth, and was just about to speed past the different paths when he heard a snap from a route leading into a dead end.
Lin Ling faltered, pausing behind the wall. He managed the slightest peek to see a civilian back-facing him, his hands poised near his head. With another snap, his clothes flourished into pure white, and Lin Ling was taken aback by the sudden transformation.
X?
The top hero easily maneuvered an object the villain thrown at him into a sword, countering his attacks with an air of nonchalant grace that Lin Ling barely saw in his own fights. Outside of that one encounter with his ex-boss when he was still Nice, Lin Ling always played the unpredictable card based on whatever he thought could help him win in the battle itself. In fact, a fair share of footage online was of him kicking, snarling and biting his enemies or grabbing them by their shirt, hair and legs to yank them back, anything to get an inch of advantage. Though this had largely toned down with Miss J's advice that it would do well for him to maintain a better image. Watching X rather smoothly glide through the villain's attacks was definitely not something which he thought he would see happen live, but Lin Ling relished in it all the same.
In a single move, X threw his leg up to kick away the villain's weapon, the dagger flying into the air and clattering to the ground. He then backed the villain to the wall with a slam, the sword pressed rather threateningly against his neck as X stared down at him with a cold look.
Lin Ling abruptly noticed how he was staring with slightly widened eyes and his jaw dropped for the past few minutes. He rearranged his expression as X knocked out the villain and snapped himself back to his civilian self like nothing even remotely happened in the alleyway.
What should he do? Lin Ling had to walk past this path to continue to his destination. But X would surely see him if he did.
He didn't know enough to predict whether X would be friendly towards other heroes. But surely he couldn't be that bad as the top hero?
He somehow had a bad feeling about revealing himself though. Didn't Miss J say something about nobody knowing X's real identity? To be fair, he didn't exactly see much since X wasn't facing him. If anything, all he got was a glimpse of his back.
As if noticing something, X abruptly turned his head to glance in Lin Ling's general direction, and Lin Ling ducked instinctively to better hide himself. His phone blared in alarm just as he thought he was safe. Miss J was calling, undoubtedly due to his absence at the scene, and Lin Ling felt panic creep in as he swiped left on his phone to silence it. But she called again because she was persistent, and Lin Ling bit the bullet, taking the chance to dash through the pathway.
If he was seen, so be it.
Surprisingly, X didn't come after him. In fact, he didn't show up to confront Lin Ling at all, and Lin Ling eventually got to the villain without being intercepted.