I Became a Police Officer in a Superhero Genre

“What, on earth, is going on here?”

Villain Minus felt all the strength drain from his body as he looked at the superpower awakening drugs piled up in front of him.

“Boss. What’s wrong? We moved everything as you said.”

“If this is all real – my goodness. Aren’t we all going to be rich? Isn’t the current market price for awakening drugs in the hundreds per 10 grams?”

“You idiot. Think a little. Would this be the end? As if the boss would be the one who made these. Even the cops are so stupid. Not knowing what kind of person the boss is even when he’s right in front of them.”

North Four gangsters who brought superpower awakening drugs from somewhere and are just spouting nonsense.

Minus wiped away cold sweat with trembling hands and chewed over everything that had happened so far, trying to understand the situation somehow.

After learning about ‘something’ he shouldn’t have known, Minus struggled to survive by pouring manpower, technology, money, etc. into the underworld.

He selected civilian superpower users from poor families, kidnapped their families, strengthened the collapsing North Four, and created forces that would follow his words.

E Corporation’s enormous capital. The force gained by absorbing and growing the North Four, and the backing obtained by feeding money and bribes to others – he thought even the one called ‘that person’ wouldn’t dare touch him.

In the midst of that, Minus felt slightly annoyed when some of his operations were caught and smashed by Detective Lee Mun-su, and what the North Four had done was revealed.

The North Four isn’t the only gangster organization in this country, and since he had already swallowed up all of Seoul, a few North Four remnants and ordinary superpower users falling away wasn’t really a big problem.

In the first place, there’s no physical evidence of a connection between himself and the North Four, and who would dare to stab someone who’s about to take the chairman position of E Corporation?

…Except for Inspector Lee Mun-su. Minus had already thought it would be very annoying if the detective who had chased him to the end and pursued him to the brink of arrest before was chasing him again.

But this time, he decided to think differently. If he used such a persistent and capable detective, it could be of great help in dealing with ‘that person’.

Given that detective’s personality as he saw it, bribes and such wouldn’t work. So let’s frame one of the detectives with a fake crime and draw him in by showing favor by releasing him.

Minus moved, deciding to use one of the methods he usually used to persuade police officers, but Minus realized he had made a mistake only after stabbing Detective Lee Mun-su.

Despite saying that bribes or threats wouldn’t work on detectives like Lee Mun-su, he used the same method he used on other police officers to try to draw in the detective named Lee Mun-su.

How stupid. In his haste, he even revealed himself directly, and tried to persuade him somehow but failed. Afterwards, Minus, expecting Detective Lee Mun-su to chase after him, decided to go into hiding for a while.
He thought he would quietly act as the next chairman candidate, not showing his face in the back, since all those who had detained him were dead.
But suddenly, North Four subordinates appeared at his drug research lab carrying superpower awakening drugs.

Just in terms of weight, it’s at least 100 kilograms. Even if you gathered all the superpower awakening drugs currently circulating in the market, it wouldn’t be this much. Where on earth did these things spring from?

“Where… did you bring these from?”

“Huh? Isn’t this what you had all our guys collect, Boss? You personally marked the coordinates and contacted us to gather everything hidden in warehouses across the country, didn’t you?”

“We had a hard time gathering stuff scattered all over the country too, you know? So, Boss. What are you planning to do with all this? Are you going to expand the business even more? It doesn’t seem like a very good timing since the police are watching us right now – well, I’m sure you have a plan, Boss.”

One of the North Four executive bastards babbles while grinning, completely failing to understand the current situation.

These sons of bitches without even a brain! Minus stabbed a knife into the eyes of the grinning guy out of rising irritation. Coldly looking down at the executive falling while spewing blood, Minus thought.

News comes from one of the straws he planted in the police that the police are now mobilizing on a large scale, having somehow found out about these drugs.

The fact that such drugs rushed into his research lab just before Minus went into hiding, and the police are coming in at the same time, is clearly someone’s scheme, and the only one capable of this is the rumored ‘that person’.

Someone whom even his father and grandfather in the past were afraid to even mention. A monster said to control this country from behind the scenes and have the power to change even the president at will.

Rumor has it that ‘that person’ also made the superpower awakening drug. Someone who’s even rumored to be not human but a demon because it’s not even known if they’re male or female.

Minus recalled the reason why he became interested in the person called ‘that person’. It wasn’t because of that notoriety, nor because they made a drug that even he didn’t know how it was made.

He was simply interested in the fact that even his cruel father and grandfather feared them. A being feared by beasts of money rather than humans?

Out of curiosity about what exactly made them afraid, Minus struggled to chase ‘that person’s’ shadow. Just seeing a fragment of it, Minus fled trembling in fear.

And now ‘that person’ is chasing after him by letting loose the hunting dogs called the police. If he’s caught here, it won’t end with simply being thrown in prison.

The police are just hunting dogs. If he’s caught by the hunting dogs, what will the hunting dogs’ owner do? They certainly won’t be kind. It would be better to die than face that fate.

Minus laughed, grinding his teeth so hard it made a sound. Fine. Do they think he’ll be helplessly caught like this? He rolled his eyes and looked to the side.

Superpower awakening drugs piled up high. He doesn’t know who ‘that person’ is, but did they think he wouldn’t do anything after throwing such a large amount of superpower awakening drugs at him?

Minus started asking ominous questions to the gangsters who were frozen after seeing the executive fall bleeding, smiling like a beast.

“How many North Four people are currently in this research lab?”

“Huh? Uh, about 30 people right now……”

“Is that so? Hmm, including the researchers who were forced to stay, about 50 people. Fewer than expected, but that should be enough.”

Minus leisurely took out a remote control from his suit and pressed it. Then, ominous green smoke started spewing from the fire sprinklers installed in the research lab building.

“Huh? Huh?! Boss?”

“Th-This is?”

“What’s this smoke?!”

The humans inside panic at the green smoke spreading throughout the research lab. Minus smiled as he put on a gas mask from his seat.

“It’s a shame about the researchers. But if this works well, I’ll be able to use them even better than before, so it’s fine. Now, you idiots who may not even have contents in your heads. You’ll become superpower users like me and become my strength. Of course – by becoming puppets that faithfully follow my words.”

“Wh-What?! Boss! Wait a moment! What is thi…?”

Minus smiled as he watched those who inhaled the green smoke lose consciousness. His ability is hypnosis and hallucination.

While his ability has countless ways to be utilized, if he simply uses the ability alone, its effect isn’t that strong. For humans, it can be broken by weak pain at the level of pinching one’s cheek.

But if he uses the special drugs he made and the environment – it’s possible to turn people into slaves that only listen to his words.

The power he finally completed after numerous experiments and trial and error until now. Minus took out a syringe filled with superpower awakening drug while using his ability.

And he muttered as he first injected the contents of the syringe into the North Four executive who had fallen after he stabbed a knife into his eye earlier.

“Yes, if I control this many superpower users as my subordinates, I might be able to kill ‘that person’ and take their place.”

“That person made a mistake too. Kekeke! Using awakening drugs with the intention of bringing in the police, that was a big mistake! I will overcome this crisis. And no matter where in this country that so-called ‘that person’ is hiding! I will definitely find and kill them! I will take that position!! I can do it!!!”

Something that should be called madness begins to dwell in Minus’s voice. And his eyes slowly curved like crescent moons.

“[ Currently, reports have been received of screams and loud noises from E Corporation’s research lab. Local police have been dispatched. ]”

“[ The local police reported that there are multiple superpower users at the scene, numbering at least 20. The superpower users are not leaving the research lab building and are interfering with those trying to enter. ]”

“[ Currently, the personnel dispatched from the local police station have completed isolating the scene, but are unable to enter the interior. The current situation at the scene is classified as Code 0. ]”

News suddenly came from the situation room. I cursed at the notification that reached us as we were heading out to arrest Minus.

The situation was flowing in the worst direction I had imagined.

The Minus bastard now has a large quantity of superpower awakening drugs in his hands, and that bastard is using it to create a large number of superpower users.

In a normal situation, the Minus bastard wouldn’t do this kind of shit just because the police are coming. He would have just abandoned the North Four and fled to protect himself.

Even if the superpower awakening drugs were piled up inside the research lab building, he could claim it was done by the North Four and he knew nothing about it, and while he’d suffer a bit due to the special nature of the superpower awakening drug.

As long as he’s not arrested at the scene, nothing too serious would happen. Because E Corporation has that much power and strong authority.

But that bastard knows about Sai, and knowing that the police coming now are Sai’s hunting dogs, he probably couldn’t escape either. Because he’d know he’d die horribly even if he tried to run.

It’s like the desperate struggle of a cornered rat. That bastard is thinking of spraying superpower awakening drugs to create superpower users and smash the police head-on in order to survive.
And after smashing the police like that, he’d probably try to find Sai while leading the superpower users under him.

It’s not impossible. If he uses drugs and his own ability on ordinary people before they become superpower users, he could probably freely use the superpower users who have just awakened and lost consciousness.

But he’ll fail. That bastard. No matter how many superpower users he gathers, he can’t defeat Sai, and in the first place, Sai won’t even show herself.

This incident will just increase the number of civilian victims a lot, and Minus will end up torn to pieces in some form and scattered on the street.

I don’t care how the Minus bastard dies, but I can’t allow innocent people to die in the process, including myself. I’m a uniformed police officer after all.

I glanced sideways at Sai driving the car next to me and picked up the provided radio.

What I need to do is call a hero. While we police keep the rampaging superpower users occupied, if our hero New Hope smashes Minus, the incident will be over.

This time, it’s fine even if she destroys the entire building and leaves no evidence or anything, for now it’s best if the Minus bastard is taken down.

Then the remaining problem is how to get New Hope to come, but of course I’m not going to do the crazy thing of contacting Mina and then pretending not to know we’re connected while reciting details about the incident.
That’s the last resort to use if it seems like she won’t come even after time has passed since she arrived at the scene.

What I’m thinking of is using the fact that Mina is tapping the radio. It’s embarrassing to pretend this is some kind of method, but isn’t it okay as long as the goal is achieved?

She probably left after hearing the local police station’s radio, but let’s think of it as moving along with the Special Investigation Team’s operation this time.

It’s about conveying words to Mina while pretending to talk to the people dispatched to the scene.

But how should I start? I thought for a moment, then decided to just say whatever comes to mind as I pressed the radio button and opened my mouth.

“Hello. This is Inspector Lee Mun-su in charge of field command. 10 minutes until arrival at the scene. We’ve passed Olympic-daero and are almost there.”

“As you’ve probably heard, a large number of superpower users have reportedly appeared at E Corporation’s research lab. This is the worst-case scenario we anticipated, and the scene is extremely dangerous.”

Oops. Even I think these are words that drastically lower morale. This is what came out as I tried to convey the situation at the scene.

But I’m not the type to be good at field command in the first place, and the people listening to this radio aren’t going to listen to my words favorably anyway, right?

Even if my reputation among the police gets worse, I was originally an outsider among my colleagues, it’s just that I’ve been strangely overrated recently due to Sai’s schemes.

What they commonly call a loner, fuck. So let’s just babble whatever while conveying what needs to be conveyed to New Hope.

“I know many people dislike me. It’s a shitty story that someone without enough years of service is in field command. Some might think this incident wouldn’t have happened if I had properly arrested the Minus bastard before. I understand.”

That’s a lie. Honestly, I don’t care whether there are people who think that or not. This is words with the meaning that New Hope should do well this time.

“So I won’t say much. Here’s how to deal with Minus bastard’s ability. Don’t inhale the drugs he’s sprayed, don’t directly touch his body.”

I think New Hope would have thought of countermeasures since he’s the first supervillain she faced, but you never know with people, right? I additionally talked about our operation.

“…As you know, superpower users who have just awakened have no reason. Those bastards will attack people in front of them first, and while drawing their attention, if we go up and just arrest Minus, this incident will be over.”

Of course, the person arresting is New Hope, and those drawing attention are the police including myself.
I was thinking that, but I wondered if it would be possible to draw attention against over 20 superpower users in the research lab.

If there’s nothing we can do, New Hope might have to go up and fight alone while the police just stand like wallflowers. No, come to think of it, there seems to be no other way but this.

What can ordinary police do against 20 superpower users, fuck. Moreover, that’s just the minimum number.
If all the researchers in the lab were turned into superpower users – that would be truly the worst.

I realized the idea of police drawing attention was a mistake, but I can’t babble over the police line for New Hope to go up and fight alone, can I?

Let’s say this can’t be helped, I wondered if there was anything more to convey but nothing came to mind. Against over 20 irrational superpower users – it seems meaningless to rack my brains.

Ah, there is one thing to say.

“…Take care of yourself. Don’t get hurt, let’s give it a try.”

Whether hero or whatever, she’s just a kid, and if she gets hurt, doesn’t she have to pay her own hospital bills? Thinking that, I hope the kid doesn’t get hurt.

Wait, then am I trash for telling such a kid to fight alone? I was trash anyway. I sighed. And turned off the radio button. And then I felt a gaze.

I looked to the side. Sai, who had been driving, was looking at me. She was looking at me with her eyes wide open like a puppy.

“…What is it?”

Why that gaze? Was what I said so ridiculous? The purpose was also to convey information to Mina who would be eavesdropping, and it’s my first time doing something like a speech anyway, so isn’t this much okay?

As I grumbled like that with my lips pursed, Sai burst out laughing. Haha! Sai, who was laughing with tears in her eyes, said while laughing:

“Deputy Chief is really always the same. How can you really be so consistent? Deputy Chief, I’m your deputy, right?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Then when we go and you draw attention from the superpower users, I’ll go with you. Two is better than one, and they say the shooter and deputy are one body. I’ve left you alone until now, but let’s do this together.”

? Why does the tone sound like you and I will go in just the two of us to draw attention?

The words are very strange and ominous, but she’s not the type to not keep her word. Thinking she must have some kind of fucking ulterior motive, I stopped thinking.

Beyond the car window, the winter sky stretches endlessly, clear enough to curse. Why can’t I become like those birds flying over there?

Why do I envy those free birds so much today? Why else but because of the damn person next to me. Fuck. I squeezed my eyes shut.