"Your name is Adam, okay?"

"Adam, run! Run!"

"This is called an apple. Apple."

"It's sweet, right?"

"I'm your sister, and you're my little brother. Hm? No. It doesn't matter how old you were."

"Once we go out, I'll let you taste ice cream."

Adam sat on the edge of what used to be his bed, staring at the stained mattress beneath him.

When was it? When was the last time his mind visited a memory of the doctor who was kind to him? Was it here? Was it when he lay down on this bed, whose springs had long since given up on him?

Given up. Did she… try to find him? But perhaps the real question should be—why didn't he try to find her? Was… she even alive? Maybe she was just some sort of imagination Adam used to comfort himself… maybe that was why he couldn't remember her face at all.

She was a dream, nothing else.

The only thing that was real now was the Hospital.

"Hm…" He tilted his head, the memory of their torture drowning him. Years of needles, scalpels, being burned, electrocuted, drowned, and starved. Dr. Aniston's cold hands holding him down while they carved into his flesh, testing the limits of his regeneration. The white room. The Hunger. The endless gnawing hunger they used to keep him weak.

They made you into a lab rat. A thing to be studied.

And then, even after he escaped them, they followed him.

They followed him into the Game.

Bjorn. His fists were hammering him over and over again. He remembered now, what he did to him when they were moments away from winning his first Game. He remembered the wet sound of his bone cracking. The darkness that followed with each hit.

Ten? Twenty? Bjorn made sure that he wouldn't regain consciousness at all by squashing his head over, and over, and over again.

You remember this… but not the doctor's face, Adam? You remember how helpless you are, but not the hands that helped you?

Perhaps… you really did imagine the doctor. She doesn't exist—you were just—

His eyes snapped open at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. They were… heavy, almost echoing as they seeped into his apartment. He tightened his grip on the Shion as he looked at the doorway.

But then the wall behind him exploded.

Concrete erupted toward him as a massive fist punched through, already reaching for Adam's head. Adam threw himself sideways, rolling off the bed as chunks of debris rained down where he'd been sitting.

Of course, Adam would remember who owned those hands—Bjorn.

And soon, the Silent Brawler stepped through the hole he'd created, his platinum hair catching the dim light. Even with the cloud of dust swirling now swirling in the room, Adam could see his cold blue eyes locked onto him.

The giant stood there, straightening his posture and brushing off the piece of concrete resting on his shoulder. His eyes landed on the sword Adam was holding, and then he put his arm up into a guard.

And then, he rushed forward. Adam moved to the side, dodging Bjorn's punch that shattered the air where he'd been standing. That single punch alone sent ripples across the small room and blew out what remained of the windows.

Clementine had explained it to him before—while Bjorn's strength was incredibly high, that wasn't his actual ability, no.

It was the ability to create miniature explosions with each of his strikes. He was registered as a C-tier Hero, but Clementine said that he might have deliberately not shown everything to the IBAA due to being employed by the Hospital.

Bjorn was closer to being B-tier, or maybe even A. Carmen, the Berserk Fairy… was also A-tier, and she treated Adam like a rag doll before he managed to defeat her with the element of… surprise. If Adam didn't—

Adam scrambled backward, barely avoiding another strike that punched a crater in the floor. Bjorn was relentless, each movement flowing into the next without letting Adam recover his footing.

"Kh!" A backhand caught Adam across the ribs, launching him through the apartment's thin wall into the neighboring unit. He crashed through a rotting table, splinters embedding in his back as he rolled to his feet.

But then… Adam stood up.

Bjorn followed, his footsteps causing the entire building to shake. Another punch. Adam ducked, feeling the wind from the blow ruffle his hair. The strike continued past him, demolishing the wall behind and revealing the night sky beyond.

Adam tried to create distance, but Bjorn closed the gap instantly. A knee to the stomach almost caused Adam to completely bend in half, then an uppercut sent him flying upward through the ceiling into the apartment above.

He landed hard on his back, gasping as his ribs knitted themselves back together. Bjorn's head appeared through the hole in the floor, then his shoulders as he pulled himself up casually.

He looked at Adam lying on the floor. But then… he stood up.

He grabbed Adam by the ankle and swung him like a club into the nearest wall, and everything exploded. Adam's shoulder popped out of joint, then snapped back into place as he hit the ground.

But then… Adam stood up.

No matter how much damage Bjorn inflicted, Adam kept standing. His eyes, just staring at him.

And for the first time… Bjorn paused and didn't attack.

"Oh…?" Adam tilted his head at this, and used this moment to stretch his limbs and neck, almost hitting the ceiling with his weapon—and that was when Bjorn realized it.

Adam hadn't even unsheathed his weapon—no. He hasn't even attempted to attack even once. A heavy frown crept onto Bjorn's face, and he once again rushed at him.

But surprisingly, this time, Adam didn't attempt to dodge at all. And instead… he met Bjorn's punch with his own.

And of course… Adam's fist and forearm shattered—no. It was completely obliterated. His bones turned into powder, his flesh turning almost to liquid. The pain was excruciating… but the pain wasn't something Adam had felt before.

And instead of gritting his teeth, or his face twisting in pain.

He smiled. For the first time, Bjorn saw Adam smile… and it was creepy.

Adam then gently threw the Shion to the side as he raised his other fist, and this time, it was Bjorn who met the attack with his own fist.

And to Bjorn's surprise… Adam's arm didn't get obliterated. It broke, yes. His muscles tore, too—but it held together. Adam skidded backward from the impact, his feet carving grooves in the floor, but he remained standing.

And while Bjorn was still bewildered at this, Adam grabbed his massive arm with both hands, pivoted, and threw the Silent Brawler over his shoulder. Bjorn's body slammed into the floor with enough force to collapse it entirely.

They both fell through to the apartment below, debris raining around them. Bjorn landed hard on his back, shock flickering across his face as Adam landed on top of him, straddling his chest.

This time, it was Adam looking down at the Silent Brawler.

Even with his Strength at 18, Bjorn was still stronger. Still faster. Still more experienced.

But now, at the very least, his body could handle his attacks.

[Name: Adam | Planet: SS4E | Strength: 23 | Agility: 4 | Endurance: 1 | Perception: 1]

[5 Status Points available]

And he still had five status points. But Adam didn't put them anywhere just yet, no.

Adam also didn't even attack Bjorn, even as he held the upper ground, no.

Instead, he stood up and took several steps back until he reached the corner of the empty apartment.

And as Bjorn slowly rose to his feet, Adam also raised his arms into a guard.

Adam was challenging the Silent Brawler to a boxing match.

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