My Trash Talent Is Actually OP!
Chapter 48 - 48: Highgate Asylum For The Condemned [1]

South of Velcrest City, opposite the organisation and HQ sites which was on the north side, a 35-foot-tall wall gate stood before the trio as soon as they leaped off the buildings.

Sinnett, as usual, phased through the ground before Asher and Nova arrived afterwards.

Before them was a titanium gate, as thick as a wall, with the asylum's name at the top. Holding the gate in place was a wall of the same height, stretching wide and far back into the asylum's lands.

So far, it was safe to say it was one of the biggest structures in the city, alongside the academy and the HQ buildings.

However, the trio were not so close to the gate, as a result of the guards placed on watch at the top of the walls.

Which was honestly impressive, and much better than staying on the ground where they could be easily attacked. And from Sinnett's records, they were high flyers that were trained specially to use guns in the air and on land, without stressing much.

It was like a bird landing and immediately taking off without using much energy, and since these soldiers did not have wings, it was even easier.

Sinnett switched back to translucent and walked cautiously close to the gate.

He stared up at the soldiers for a while, wondering if they could see him, and when he was sure, he phased through the ground and reappeared on Asher's side.

Asher leaned against the wall and heaved a sigh, already regretting why they hadn't taken the channels underground.

At least that way, it would have been easier, but after Nova told him it would be nearly impossible to find their way to the asylum, he had to take a direct route.

"This seems like an impossible mission, honestly," Asher chipped in, when Sinnett switched to his regular self and shoved a lollipop into his mouth. "Is there a way we can even get past them?"

"Well..." Nova began, "Since he..." She gestured at Sinnett, "can phase through objects, can't he be a distraction?"

Asher glanced at Sinnett, who simply scoffed.

"Give an answer, don't scoff."

"Sorry, I meant to say, I wouldn't be much of a distraction because I'm a guy, and they'll instantly know something is up...."

He paused and glanced at the gate again. "Since we both have the abilities to phase through objects, why not do that?"

Nova stared up at the wall, her arms folded as she listened to the faint buzz of radios and the rhythmic pacing of the soldiers above.

She could feel the grim aura around the asylum, Asher's hesitation, Sinnett's restlessness, but her decision was already made, and it was also a way of having fun anyway.

"I'll go," she said softly. "I want to help you, Master. And I'm the only one who can do this."

Asher didn't like it. Not one bit. But Nova's eyes showed she wasdetermined and she wasn't scared, she was loyal yes, but spoke like she didn't serve anybody.

She wasn't submissive or dominant just normal, and he liked that.

"…Alright," he finally muttered. "Be careful."

Nova gave a slight smile, then took a few steps out into the open, letting her cloak slide off her shoulders.

The sun kissed her skin, making her look even more beautiful than when she covered up, and delicate, with a swift movement, she cut herself deep with her fingers, hissed lowly and exhaled.

Then she limped slightly, one hand pressed to her side as she called out in a soft, trembling voice.

"H-Hello…? Please… I-I'm hurt… I need help…"

It didn't take long.

Three guards leaned over the edge of the wall, instantly on alert.

"You see that?"

"Looks like a girl… alone?"

"Hold your fire. She's not armed."

They descended swiftly, using zip-lines bolted into the tower walls. Their landing was silent, cautious and calculated, to avoid raising alarms.

And it was oddly too silent for an asylum, but judging the fact the asylum was in a part of the city where little to no one lived in the houses.

Nova waited until they were only a few feet away before collapsing to her knees with a strained gasp.

"Please… I didn't know where to go…" she whispered.

The lead guard knelt beside her. "You're safe now, alright? We'll take care of you."

One of the others muttered, "She's bleeding. Probably escaped something nasty."

"Let's move her to a secure corner. Get her patched up first."

As they gently guided her to the side, toward a shadowed corner of the wall's base, one leaned in close to examine her wounds.

Nova let out a soft, shaky breath and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're… really kind. I didn't think anyone would help me…"

The man chuckled under his breath as he gazed into her blue eyes. "We're not all bad. We'll get you cleaned up."

As the others gathered around her, checking her vitals, one slid off his gloves, trying to reassure her with soft, coaxing words.

"Don't worry. We're professionals. Let us remove this...." he held the hem of her shirt, and rested his other hand on her thighs, "Just to check for bruising, nothing more."

Nova closed her eyes for a moment, murmuring, "Okay…"

Once his fingers sank slowly into her skin, and as a wound was being healed, a beat passed. She assumed Asher and Sinnett were already in, so she snapped her eyes open and without hesitation.

Crack!

A wet sound, like bone snapping and blood spraying. Then a muffled gasp, choked off instantly.

Asher's eyes widened. "Did you hear that?"

Sinnett smirked. "Yup."

Nova stood in the dark corner, with a cold expression, and in her other form. One soldier lay face-first on the ground, his skull cracked.

Another was unconscious against the wall, blood trailing from his temple. The last one was gasping, stunned by a precise elbow to the throat before Nova silenced him with a knee to the chest and a swift jab to the neck.

She knelt by their still forms and whispered something inaudible, to show her annoyance. She healed them completely, but before they would open their eyes.

Wisps of shadow curled from her fingertips, merging into thin, black arrows, which she slid just beneath their shirts and into their chests, right above the heart.

The bodies then twitched and stilled, when their eyes opened, they were a dark shade of blue, but without the white sclera, like floating blue.

"Take your positions," Nova commanded softly.

The puppets nodded and climbed back up the wall, taking up their previous posts like nothing had happened.

She took a deep breath, climbed up the wall as well and glanced over the top edge, spotting Asher and Sinnett on the far side.

Without another word, Nova leapt into the air, she cut an arc without a flip a silent arc across the wall and landed beside them with ease.

"All done," she said, brushing a smear of blood from her cheek.

Asher blinked. "…That was fast."

"They were gentle," Nova replied with a smirk. "I didn't have to play along for long."

Sinnett scoffed as he shifted his gaze from the soldiers. "Remind me not to flirt with you."

"Smart choice."