Chapter 2: A Night's Embrace
"I made it.."
A voice came from a pod that emerged through a purple vortex, positioning itself besides the planet it designated with-
Earth.
The vortex slowly regressing until nothing was left of it's existence when the pod finds itself fully outside.
INITIATING SELF LANDING!
Hearing the voice from the pod's system, the man existing inside started frowning.
'How troublesome.. besides it becoming reusable, why did i even agree on making this more reliably safe to land when those who would occupy it is only there to reduce time consumption..'
Removing these unnecessary thoughts, the man began fiddling around the pod and made changes within the pod's internal system.
REMOVING FUNCTION SUCCESS!
FULL CONTROL NOW HANDED!.
Alongside the changes he did, the man also scanned the entirety of the planet, intending to find something- someone he was here for.
Using the best means in scanning the planet, the man finally found what he was looking for albeit scanning much slower than what it was initially capable of.
Thus, ending with him waiting for a few more minutes- minutes that felt much longer than what they are.
"T-The barrier i made?" After waiting for like an eternity, the man's wait finally came to an end yet his foreboding feeling didn't cease but instead intensified.
Without further wait, the man immediately controlled his pod and rushed to where his worries came from.
Rushing at the fastest rate it could possibly achieved although it's performance is as lacking as his means to get further knowledge of what is occuring within that area.
After all, it took quite a toll on his pod's energy capacity when the void leap was done.
'It would have been a different case if i had the necessary technology to bypass that barrier, it just had to be at home when i needed it the most..'
Knowing of how much time it would take to arrive, the man began to attached and fiddle with his suit as if to prepare for something.
'I still need to reach a safer distance to dive though waiting for a few more minutes would only make this situation worse.. Enduring a bit of pain is nothing compared to what may possibly happen'
After a few moments, the man tidied his gears and positioned himself to where the he could exit.
"Open the pod"
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT DETECTED!
ACTION WOULD LEAD TO THE POD'S INABILITY TO SHOULDER THE PLANET'S ATMOSPHERE!
WOULD YOU STILL LIKE TO PROCEED?
"Proceed"
After his voice fell, a section of the pod began to open itself infront of where he is standing wherein throughout it's reveal, air slowly made it's way until a bombardment of currents greeted the pod's insides.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
POD UNSTABLE!
IMMINENT CRASH AWAITS!
Glancing once more from behind, the man showed a grateful expression and soon directed his attention infront, looking for his destination and way of getting there at the most optimal way possible.
'I hope you're alright, Yuuki..'
After getting the right spot, the man jumped and dived, positioning himself to what he initially planned on.
His pod soon passing him from the side as it burns and gets pulled by the planet.
After almost a minute of free falling, the man finally got vision of his destination that gradually became clearer as he falls further.
Moments before landing, the man soon saw his location's topography and it's recent events resulting in his foreboding feeling reaching it's utmost intensity.
"Hey, wouldn't we become involved in this.. Besides being quite the mysterious figure, there was alot of say on how ruthless the target's fiance is to which I'd rather not be a part of in proving this rumors.. It was after all not entirely groundless"
"What the fu- why are you even here, then? We're here to earn big and clean this place spotless of any evidence that would lead to this event. Do you even know who our client targeted, we'd be fucked if we're caught. So, stop being such a pussy and do your job properl-"
Amidst their conversation, a figure fell and crashed exactly to an almost patched crater that was mended by a dozen of people.
Creating a loud rumble of rocks that disintegrated into a cloud of dust with smaller pieces that was fortunate to survive to be sprawled among them.
Fortunately, after seeing their work almost in completion, most of the workers were out of the crash's boundary with a few being pushed back and receiving minor injuries due to their unfortunate reasons.
"W-What happened?!"
"F-FUCK! OUR EFFORT!"
"What in the hell was that?!"
Despite the unknown and abruptness of what occured, the people within the site was infuriated instead of being alerted by it.
Seeing as how the part that took quite the effort and time for them to accomplish was obliterated moments before it's completion.
After the dusty cloud slightly subsides, a figure emerged from their views that is steadily approaching them.
Seeing this, no matter how infuriated most of them are, some reacted quite quickly as the feeling brought by this was soon swept away.
Replacing it mostly with alertness yet displeasure still lingers.
Seeing the figure closing on them, almost all of the workers silently held their weapons.
One of them taking the initiative to inquire what most of them would want to know or say
"Where the hell did you come fro- This place is off limits, you should quickly move away before you see more or you'll be gone before you could even ponder what occured her-
Before the worker could finish what he was saying, the figure finally closed in enough for them to see it's appearance- a male figure in a geared suit that covers all of it's body, even his head was not left as a masked helmet overlays it.
The words coming from this figure interrupting the worker's inquiry in a soft yet chilling voice.
"Where is she..? i am someone who'll be her husband.. Tell me what happened.. immediately"
Hearing this, the worker from before was bewildered and a huge frown etched on his face yet subconsciously became apprehended and felt slightly cold for unknown reasons he can't tell.
"W-Who? You can't just barge in and demand explanations and what do you mean where- you think we'd even tell you; you with no identity and came out of nowhere"
After expressing his rose feelings, the rest pf the workers soon followed him and began expressing about the same thoughts as him.
"Let's just get rid of him, yes? The boss said that no mishap must take place and I'd rather getting rid of him entirely would not cause us any risks"
"Husband? that guy..? Wasn't he somewhere in space, how is that even possible when he's arrival is months away"
"Quite the demand for someone who's about to meet their end, you could have at least arrived before we even started this damn mending, fucking bastard"
Countless words of mostly curses rang amok between the workers and as if words doesn't do much easement, they were about to replaced this with actions until
"She and her men was chased inside the forest!.. probably near the ravine since they haven't come back yet.."
Among the group of workers, a worker words was loudly heard, overwhelming the dozen of words spread by most of them.
.....
"Looks like someone isn't entirely braindead.. I thought violence was the only option.. Consider yourselves lucky"
Walking near them, the man spoke while seemingly adjusting things in his gears, a striking difference thereafter was a scabbard looking item besides his waist.
After these adjustments, the man suddenly accelerated past the workers, breaking them out of their silent state of bewilderment but before they could process what happened, the man was already gone.
"Y-You imbecile! You're endangering not just yourself, but also the rest of us!"
The worker that took the initiative before, began reprimanding the worker that previously overwhelmed them
His words igniting the blame and worries the rest of the workers have acquired
"Stupid fuc- AGH"
"You better be ready in facing the most of what you've done.."
"Goodbye mother.."
After his remark ended, the worker from before once again took the initiative and suggested a plausible option.
"We should chase that guy, we could at least show that we tried on stopping his advance. Maybe, our boss's anger would somehow slightly subside"
Before everyone else could agree and give more details about how it should be dealt with, the worker that brought them to this predicament quickly intervened.
"Stop. Forget about it, don't forget that guy is alone. What could he possibly achieve if he'd gone there in time, he's getting himself recklessly killed.. Besides, the boss must be in a happy mood when he returns with that girl, we could treat it as something that passed by our surveillance"
Though saying this, the worker still had the uncomfortable hunch that drove him in driving the man out, it's feeling getting more and more uncomfortable.
'I'm probably thinking too much, in rare occasions my hunch doesn't come out right, It's possibility also being non-existent. So, It would probably escalate to how i think will happen... hopefully'
Within the depths of the forest, a figure of a man could be seen swiftly traversing at a rate that made his unsettling environment even more eerie just by the rustling and heavy current of air it causes.
'Now that im actually inside, it solves me the trouble of navigating my way through this forest'
After a passing thought, the man confirmed something when his attention was directed on a hologram projecting through his raised wrist.
Looking at the hologram that pictured the forest's landscape wherein a particular area is highlighted on- an area with thousands of red dots surrounding a white and a gradual declining number of blue dots besides a large black line that halved the red's encirclement.
'It's getting worse- I need to be faster than this.. Conserving my energy would be useless if i was a even a second late.'
After a final confirmation of where to go, the man no longer held back his energy consumption and let his gears show it's full capability.
It's crimson radiance becoming much brighter, coinciding with his speed almost tripling than before.
His figure nearing the holograms specifications at an unimaginable rate.
30 seconds..
1 minute..
3 minutes..
5 minutes..
It took only more than 5 minutes for him to reach an area that is near the red dots influence, his speed seemingly increasing rather than declining.
"I could now take my piss in peace.. after quite a long hold, right?"
"Yeah.. Though we couldn't get any of the mercenaries heads, we made quite the contribution, didn't we?"
"Right.. With the amount of money we would receive, i think my family's expenses would become much lighter"
"Haha.. I could now properly support my daughter through her dreams."
"Don't forget, invite me to dinner when that happ-
Interrupting his words, he felt a sudden cold and heavy breeze behind him.
After a moment of outburst, he looked from behind and inquired his companion while still exposing his underwear.
"Fuck! That almost scared me to death! Did you feel that as well?!"
"A ghost..?"
Passing through scattered red dots, the man finally arrived at the sight of seemingly endless heads belonging to an indefinite amount of armed men.
With no delay, the man pushed forward, his gears crimson radiance beginning to seeped outward, it's momentum rapidly rising in brilliance until bursting in full radiance towards the armed men infront of him.
Alongside it's radiance came a loud and heavy sound that wasn't shown as merely decorations, but a show in it's capability- capability in making a large path infront by pushing those that stands in it's way to the sides.
Before most of them could react, it's influence have already reached near their middle section. It's momentum still rushing in full speed.
With those that took the full brunt being wounded and the rest that got influenced being taken aback and some unconscious.
All of them could do nothing but watch this radiance that came out of nowhere in reaching the forefront of their force- a section where their boss is situated.
After a seemingly endless stream of body, the radiance havoc came to an end when a large path was made, large enough for people to get an overview of the ravine despite being blocked by a separate group of men that was given space by those who just flew aside thereafter.
After following the advance of what his gear sent out, the man came to a momentary halt and did a quick outlook of what his sight greeted him.
From the nearest men's bewildered eyes and body movements reaction up to those near in front with their contemptuous expressions being led by a man sneering at those infront infront, a behavior that was completely oblivious of what occured from behind.
Before he could fully observe the leading man's changes, his eyes was already directed at what's infront of him.
Seeing this, the geared man's body did not took even a moment of delay and immediately reacted.
The gears worn screamed out it's full capability and his body propelled forward with hie gaze still fixated on what he's seeing, but after this action of his.
His eyes soon widened, a hand greeting him of what was seen as desperately catching something yet his huge reaction came from a different source.
It was the sight of a woman whose gaze and expression shone the brightest despite her current predicament.
This change of her remained the same, a change being directed at one direction until being overwhelmed by the darkness that loomed her when her entire being began falling towards it.
Leaving behind a slight movement from her lips that seemed incomprehensible, but, for the geared man, it was immediately understood.
A word that rather than be a sign of farewell, it was the word that has always initiated his ears.
It was the sign of greeting him home.
'Adam..'
'No-
A heavy throb and scream came from within as the geared man that was identified as Adam soon acted decisively, entirely blasting away the group infront of him in crimson radiance.
Most of them being fortunate for only sustaining heavy cracks and wounds, but the rest unfortunately getting thrown and fell.
*Crack
"H-HELP! HELP ME!"
A shout of plea came as a man desperately cling at the edge of nothingness, his hope soon getting crushed literally when someone stepped exactly on one of his arms before this same foot put pressure onto it and boosted itself below him.
With injuries aching from all over his body, the additional pain bore too much on him and soon followed the man's dive albeit at a much slower pace.
Although propelling himself massively, seconds had already passed since the woman's fall, it was long enough for her to gain a large distance between Adam.
With his gaze still fixated on her through his holographic vision, Adam desperately tries to make use of his more air resistant posture in filling the gap between them.
Moment by moment, Adam's sight of her slowly became clearer, her face was still shining yet her eyes had a noticable stain of tears.
Seeing both her loose arms that is dangling upward becoming closer, Adam stretched his right arm to it's utmost limit, intending to grab and stop her body's momentum from falling.
Inch by inch, Adam's outstretched hand slowly reaches her hand. Feeling his finger's skin touching hers, he decisively acted and took a hold of her hand the moment his palm reached far enough to grab a hold of it.
*Crack-
But before he could initiate in pulling her to him, his gear already caved on the bottom of this ravine.
As if not hearing anything and thinking he pulled her within that last second, Adam cleared the dust around him whilst grabbing a hold of her body.
With his palm beneath her head, Adam soon lie her down on his other arm on the cold and heavy surface.
"Hey, Yuuki.. Im here, you've waited for quite a long time, but i came as soon as i could" Speaking gently, Adam smiled and thinking of her still being unconscious.
Adam began gently shaking her body, intending to wake her from her slumber, but the further it continues, his smile further falters.
His hidden sense of reality beginning to slowly seeps it's way into him, reminding him that what he heard and what the blood on his palm was all real.
"No- No.. I'm here now.. You can't leave me.. I won't leave anymore- I won't leave your side anymore.."
With emotional changes bombarding his entire being, his words also faltered alongside his firm hold of not being overwhelmed by it and lose hope.
"P-Please.. S-Stay with me. I-I'm nothing without you- I can't live without you.."
Without notice, streams of tears began pouring out him, wishing to somehow let out the overwhelming emotions within him.
Being completely overwhelmed by it, his act of shaking her out to sleep stopped, but his body began trembling uncontrollably instead.
"No- Yuuki.."
Bringing his self closer to her, Adam tightly held her within his arms, intending to feel more of the lingering warmth her body had that was being replaced of cold.
'Fuck, what just happened..?'
Moments before being blast away, Daniel soon found himself lying down with a throbbing pain occuring from all over his body.
After a moment of recollection, he also found himself being unusually pressured further down by something heavy.
"You're finally awake, huh.. I couldn't bring myself to strangle you unconsciously. It would be too light of an end for someone like you to die unknowingly after all!"
After hearing these words, Daniel's words couldn't come out when he felt himself being strangled by two hands and due to his current weakened state, he could do nothing but wabble weakly for mercy.
With his consciousness becoming overwhelmed once more, his blurred vision gradually gained clarity to which he clarified the face that currently horrifies him.
"J-Johnso.." After mustering the strength to passed through his blocked breathing, Daniel still struggled to complete his muttered word
As if to answer his struggle, one hand removed itself from his throat athough his seek of air didn't get any better, it became a chance for him to free himself.
Grabbing onto the remaining hand that chokes him, Daniel desperately tries to push and pull it away from him, but did not budged by even a bit.
This attempt of him soon being slowly extinguished when a crisp and heavy slap met his face.
Instead of entirely faltering, Daniel's struggle seemed to have became firmer which was soon met by a succession of blows across his face.
Little by little, his hold became weaker though wanting to remain firm, his wish wasn't granted by his body that eventually gave up- his grasp becoming entirely loose.
Even after becoming completely motionless, the ongoing abuse did not stop and still maintained it's vigor.
"I'll make sure i'd get at least 100 times for each head you've taken from my family"
Johnson whose appearance became horrendous due to the injuries he sustained and blood he got from both his comrades and foes, resulting in his entirety becoming completely bloody.
As blood drips on his sight, Johnson's action remained accurate and doesn't seem to have the plan in stopping until he dies whilst doing so.
After being hit for the umpteenth time, Daniel's face was beyond repair, his breathing becoming weaker and weaker which at any moment may cease.
"DANIEL!"
After regaining consciousness, a supporting Middle aged man near Daniel quickly noticed his situation and immediately rushed and kicked the absorbed Johnson from his focusing moment of abuse.
Hearing this exclamation, almost all the surrounding previously blasted men got wakened further from their stupor.
"SHIT! What happened?!"
"Boss?!.. Uhh where is he?"
"You imbecile, look there. His face may be disfigured, but his outfit remains the same"
"O-oh.. I definitely did not ignore him, i was confused- right, confused"
As a variety of voices escaped from their mouth, they then acted quite quickly- most of them surrounding and tending to their mutilated boss.
After a brief show of concern, the few that remains did a quick outlook and immediately concluded what happened prior to their conscious inability.
"What are you even grinning for, Johnson. Death was supposed to be your end, but you just had to do what you did, even i feel hatred from what you did. I'm sure Daniel would love to have you.. I guess, we'll be meeting much more frequently from now on"
After a mocking and sarcastic show of words, the Middle aged man that was second to Daniel began approaching Johnson, intending on subduing him alive and do measures on preventing any possible suicide.
Johnson whose appearance show his complete vulnerability and incapability to do anything in turn was instead full of laughter, opposite of what his situation portrayed of his supposed mood.
"Torture me all you want! It's a shame albeit i missed a couple hundred more blows, his face wouldn't be what it used to be and that just puts an everlasting smile to my face!"
Hearing Johnson's words, the man quietly neared him and easily subdued the still laughing Johnson as he did not even moved or resisted although his laughter caused him a series of loud convulsive coughs in between thereafter.
After finishing his work, the man ordered some men near him to watch and guard Johnson while he further tends his boss.
'A failure.. years of effort and time wasted. It's quite a shame to lose the globe's leading figure in environmental concern, but that guy would come back in about four months.. We have alot more work to do'
Feeling a huge headache from what just happened, the man concerned himself out of it temporarily and when he was about to order and tidy things, he finally noticed and heard the surrounding mens confusion and bit of concern.
"Thousands..? got blasted away as well? Why haven't we heard even a bit of it happening.."
"W-We from the back actually noticed, a geared man covered in crimson radiance came out of nowhere and before we could act, we soon found ourselves lying in stupor after"
"Then, where did that man go- A-Anyways, looks like most of them are beginning to gain consciousness"
Finding their conversation and situation oddly confusing, the man couldn't help but think of a variable that may have occured which was soon led out by him.
'T-There's actually no way, what kind of possibility of a variable even emerged from this..'
After a final confirmation, the man then spoke towards the surrounding men "We could only ponder further later, our situation doesn't have the time for us to linger further, people from her side may soon notice this irregularity"
By the time most of them were about to prepare, leave and let the other team assigned to clear traces, Daniel whose condition seemingly got better from their treatment was finally capable enough to express himself
"S-She's gone? No.. No way- W-What happened, Fredrick"
Fredrick who is second to Daniel looked at his boss and spoke seemingly caringly "I'll tell you on the way, sir.. We still need to prioritize your health.."
Though indignant and severely depressed, Daniel soon agreed, becoming mostly influenced by the throbbing pain from his face.
But before they could head out further away from the ravine, most of the retreating men suddenly heard a chilling voice whilst some not only heard it, but also saw its origin coming out inside the ravine, immediately raising their guards.
"I still haven't chopped all your legs off, why are you all leaving so early"
Though spoken quite softly, it was seemingly loud enough for all of them to hear.
Fredrick whose one of the few that noticed this geared man levitating out the ravine was also on guard, but mostly shocked by what the man is carrying.
"I-Isn't that-
"Yuuki!"
His words getting interrupted and completed by Daniel whose voice got slightly louder than usual despite his current state.
"Fredrick! Get her! S-She could be unconscious and may need immediate treatment"
With hope of her still having life, Daniel impatiently ordered of her retrieval, being blinded by this reignited hope of his to the point of forgetting where she is held and how severely impossible for her to still be breathing with how fragile and bloody her body had become.
After hearing every bit of his words clearly, the geared man opened his mask and showed everyone his face- an asian man whose expression being completely hollowed and cold.
"N-No way.. Ada-
Before some of them could finish their overwhelming disbelief, Adam whose face is now revealed swept their words away with his in a seemingly calm voice which somehow gave them shivers unknowingly.
"Unconscious.. you say?"
Out of nowhere, his mouth arched into a grin that soon giggled continuously in a crazed manner, as if he heard the most unforgettable humour of his life.
"Right. right.. I'll take my time with you, I wont forget"
After wiping a non-existent tear, Adam's mask revealed itself once more and began nearing Daniel and his men in slow steps to which they replied with their arsenals ready and their posture ready to be ordered of it's use.
"ADAM! I WOULD HAVE HAD HER IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU! YOU ALONE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Daniel screamed as loud as he can in reply, his body seemingly trembling throughout his words.
Though having a firm stand on his words, Daniel soon followed Fredrick's advice on retreat obediently.
"Let's lead this guy elsewhere with them"
"U-Uhh.. H-Hes gone"
"W-WHAT!"
Johnson who was casually tagging along with his hands tied earlier escaped fluidly when disruption began and was soon near Adam whose expression changed slightly to his arrival.
"I-I'm s-
Cutting his pained words, Johnson replied softly with humour.
"You know you don't have to, I'll keep her body safe.. Make sure you peel his skin off in our stead, I've already disfigured his face, the rest below isn't quite disfigured though"
"..Alright"
After seeing Johnson's firm stand, Adam didn't take his previous words further and soon handed Yuuki's cold body to Johnson.
Feeling this coldness, Johnson's facade crumbled and streams of tears gushed out from his trembling eyes.
After a moment, Johnson eventually calmed down yet his emotions still widely circulates in him to which he expressed in vengeful words with his eyes focusing on Adam's back.
".. Show me, Adam"
With his steps advancing once more, Adam responded to Johnson's words that trembled from his mouth.
"..Don't worry, i needed an outlet after all"
Hus every step slowly building up his overwhelming emotions that desperately needed an outlet to make this emotion of his be somehow relieved.
"STOP HIM!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone