lionhd

Staying behind was the better option.

Now I understand... I suppose that's one way to 'rescue' them.

Yup, the miners would be safe, as long as Cowell and his men were gone from the mine.

Cowell thought he could hold them hostage as long as he still had the detonation button.

Little did he know that I had already defused the explosives!

W-What's going on?

Is it a Catastrophe? Leonhardt?

No, I did it.

Look at Cowell's men panic.

I'm guessing they'll be looking for me to take them somewhere safe.

But a commotion like that...

Trust me. I need you guys to help out too.

Once Cowell's men take me away, gather the others and make sure they don't leave this area.

Tell them it's part of the Catastrophe Messenger's plans.

Catastrophe Messenger! The boss is looking for you.

See? What did I tell you?

Move it! Now!

Leo—

Leonhardt!

Hm? What is it?

We'll see each other again, won't we?

Of course!

We'll see each other again, safe and sound!

And so the brave Catastrophe Messenger lured the villains away from the shelter he had prepared for the miners, and stood alone, steadfast, against Cowell's terrifying fangs...

Alone?

...The brave Catastrophe Messenger, and his trusty bodyguard.

The guards would've beat you to a pulp if I hadn't arrived when I did.

Come on, I could've dealt with a few grunts on my own.

Now, I'll grant you that things wouldn't have gone so well if that bodyguard of Cowell's was around... Indeed, they could've gone very, very badly for me...

Yup.

Zzz....

Zzz....

Zzz....

Hey, they've all fallen asleep!

Ha.

Don't laugh!

I was wondering why you sat here listening to me, when you've already heard the story a dozen times.

Now I get it.

You were waiting to laugh at me!

The story is different each time you tell it. I've lost track of how many embellishments you've made.

You're depicting Cowell as an evil but stupid comedic villain, in order to give the impression that you're making a noble sacrifice.

Well, I can't exactly get into the gory details, can I?

It's enough that they know he's a really, really bad guy, right?

Yup.

No matter which version you tell, though, it always ends with me saving the day.

Feeling a little verbose today, aren't you, Ayers?

Leon.

It's okay to make someone worry.

There are some things you don't need to hide.

Hehe...

Incidentally, Cowell's obituary appeared in the papers not long after that incident.

At first, I was pissed that he got away, but I guess karma caught up to him in the end.

So, Ayers.

What?

Do you REALLY not know anything about how Cowell died?