Villain Saving System (BL)

1Ryan looked around the abandoned factory. It used to be one that produced the best chocolate in the entire kingdom. He recalled that the Emperor was quite fond of it and he even ordered for it to be served as a dessert for the envoys from other kingdoms. And then somehow the owner messed up. There's something mixed in with the chocolate — it wasn't told explicitly in the news but Ryan guessed that it was poison, judging by how the related envoy was brought into the hospital as soon as possible — and the cooperation fell through. Enraged, Emperor Bernard ordered for the factory to be shut down and its owner to be sentenced into life imprisonment for capital offense.      2

Now that Peter asked him to meet in this place, Ryan started to wonder whether the situation wasn't as simple as the news made it out to be and whether the rebels had something to do with it.     

"You're here?"     

He turned to the source of the sound and found a tall, muscular middle aged man sitting atop of the piles of broken pipes. Peter was close to how Ryan had imagined him to be. Rough, disheveled, weathered. There was a long scar on his right cheek that ran through his right eye which was covered by a black eyepatch. His remaining eye which fell onto Ryan was calculating, measuring and Ryan realized that he had naively underestimated this Beta. He had an air of heaviness and gravity around him and the way his eyes gleamed in a wicked light made Ryan feel like the man could see through him, peer into the deepest secret in his heart.     

Ryan's heart sank. It was only a few minutes and he was already regretting his decision. This Beta was unlike someone whom he could mess with. Nevertheless, he tried not to show it on his face. "You're Peter?"     

"The one and only." Peter jumped and landed on the ground agilely, his footsteps made completely no sound as he walked. He was a Beta yet ironically, he carried himself like an Alpha did. "Starting to rethink your decision, kiddo?"     

Ryan sucked in cold air. Was he that easy to read? Or was it Peter who was too adept in reading people? Foreboding arose in his heart. His instinct told him that this was a bad idea. He should think of a way out. He should pretend that he never came, that he never met this person.     

"I am not a bad guy, if that's what you are scared of." Peter chuckled briefly. Funny, coming from the member of the organization which was on top of the wanted list. "At least I have never actively tried to hurt a civilian. I also told my subordinates not to harm anyone unrelated." The Beta's black pupil hardened in determination. "Our goal is only one: to overthrow the current government and create new rules where Betas and Omegas can voice their opinion, especially in politics."     

Ryan swallowed thickly. There was no reason for him not to believe the offer now that he was standing in front of the leader of the rebels. What were you thinking, idiot?! He must have been too muddled by his own grievance to agree with this. He should back out now, no one could force him to do anything but before that, there's something he wanted to ask.      

"Why me?" When Peter's gaze flicked to him, Ryan elaborated. "I mean, of all people, why do you contact me? I know that you've seen my match and learned of my grudge toward A—Prince Altair. But that's not enough reason for you to choose me. What if I refuse the cooperation then report you to the Emperor? How can you trust me enough to show yourself in front of me? How do I know that this isn't a trap?"     

"Sharp," Peter praised. Ryan wasn't impressed. "I never trust anyone. The most foolish thing you can do is to trust someone with your back and I learned it in a hard way. I only believe in cooperation. I have my own goal, and you have yours. But the path we need to go through for that is the same. We each do our thing, that's all." He paused briefly. "Someone else recommended you to me. They said you would do a great job."     

"Someone else?" Ryan frowned, his mind started to run through the possibilities. "Who?"     

He got the answer the next second. "It's me." The second person stepped out from behind the dilapidated wall — how could he not realize they're here?! — and gave Ryan a genuine shock that he choked on his breath.     

"Princess Rosemane…?"     

Ryan couldn't have mistaken it. It was the omega whom he had seen sitting beside the Emperor on the last day of Arena Fighting. The Princess who had her face covered in shade, wearing an expensive couture dress and moving with such grace befitting of her status. He caught Ryan's attention then because it was rare for an omega to be proud of their secondary gender. Most of them considered it a weakness. The person in front of him was Princess Rosemane, yet she looked totally different from the Princess Rosemane in Ryan's memory. Instead of an exquisite gown, she was wearing an inconspicuous black sweater and simple jeans, very casual. Her ghastly complexion, the blunt cuts of her mane and the thick bandages around her neck drew Ryan's attention and he was reminded of the news he had seen yesterday.     

Ever since Arena Fighting, people had been talking about only two things. First, the dreamy and gorgeous ultimate champion, Prince Altair, and his lover, Prince Oliver. Videos of how Altair went down on one knee to present the flower crown to Oliver and the moment where he kissed the omega right in front of thousands of spectators had gotten viral on every social media. People from all over the world gushed over them — their exceptional beauty, their love story (Ryan scoffed at this) and how they were the couple goals of the century. They drew fanarts of them, wrote fanfics about them, and like dry forest that was caught in a crossfire, the news spread uncontrollably and Ryan was certain that at least 90% of the population in the world had heard about this couple.     

Second, there have been theories, wild and abstract conspiracies. A lot. Some people had recorded the moment when Prince Altair went berserk and then escaped to the sky with Prince Oliver and then helicopters arrived to take a heavily injured omega whom they speculated to be Princess Rosemane, courtesy to the gown she was wearing. Thus the talk of the love triangle between the three royalties had spread widely.     

But to the extent of working together with the rebels? Ryan didn't see it coming.     

Princess Rosemane looked uncomfortable under Ryan's scrutiny and tugged the collar up to hide the bandages. She cleared her throat. "It's me who told Peter about you. I thought we would make a great partner." Her eyes blazed in chilling hatred, so intense that it sent shivers down Ryan's spine. The words were spoken through gritted teeth and her body trembled from the sheer force of how strangled she sounded. Like a wounded beast that was forced into a corner. "He has destroyed my life, so I will destroy him in return. I will make Altair watch as I kill Oliver slowly… I will make him beg, make him kneel in front of me, make him realize how wrong he has been!"      

Madwoman. Ryan's jaws hung open in shock. This woman had gone insane. His eyes met with Peter midair and judging from Peter's deadpan expression, it seemed like they shared the same sentiment. Omegas, they were the easiest to control because they were always driven by emotions. Such a fragile and sensitive creature. And judging from the way Princess Rosemane's body trembled from holding back her turbulent emotions, Altair would have it good, Ryan deduced with more exhilaration than he expected.     

This was getting serious. Ryan had always thought that the rebels' goal was a little too naive; a group of Betas and Omegas trying to change how the world worked was plainly ridiculous. However, now that they had Princess Rosemane's support, maybe the goal wasn't that far out of reach.     

Princess Rosemane was adamant to kill her half-brother, Ryan wanted to see Altair suffer and Peter wished to wreck the government.     

Cooperation.     

Ryan inhaled deeply. "So, what's our plan?"     

Princess Rosemane's eyes glinted in a sharp light, lips curling into a cruel smile. "Altair and Oliver have bonded. The Emperor and Empress of Versatine are in the Royal Palace now." The fact shocked the two other people, taking them off guard. "They are discussing the wedding. We can make use of that event…"     

Words spilled out of Princess Rosemane's lips. The more Ryan listened, the more terrified he was. The horse omega's mind was twisted beyond rescue. If previously Ryan thought that her boldness and confidence was attractive, now he took it back. If this world was somehow left with only the two of them behind, Ryan would choose to stay single for life. This woman was so not his type. Compared to her, Ryan thought he had been too innocent.      

Sigh… He pitied the one who was fated to be her mate.