"That's quite an… intriguing individual," remarked Madame Jae-hee, her metallic voice faltering ever so slightly. Even her technological visor couldn't mask the bewilderment on her features as she considered the display they'd just seen.
"Indeed," agreed Park with a curt nod. His fingers flicked across a tiny holographic panel on his wrist, signalling the end of the surveillance.
The spherical drone drifted back silently, hovering before the three like a silver bead suspended in mid‑air. Park reached out; the device settled into his palm, retracting until it was no larger than a marble. With a fluid motion, he stowed it in the inner pocket of his neon jacket and exhaled a contemplative sigh.
"Let's go meet this… promising talent, then," he declared, striding to the edge of the rooftop with resolute steps.
Madame Jae-hee inclined her head and turned to Adam. Her movements regained their customary elegance as she retrieved an object from a side compartment of her suit.
"Here," she said, extending a slim black bracelet etched with faintly pulsating blue lines. "Put this on. You'll need it to keep up with us."
Adam slid the bracelet onto his right wrist. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, as though roused from a deep slumber, the device shivered against his skin.
The transformation was instantaneous. The bracelet expanded, first encasing his wrist in a pointed gauntlet of absolute black before blooming out like living ink. The material flowed up his arm, enveloping it in seconds with a substance that seemed both liquid and solid.
"What on earth—!" Adam flailed his arm instinctively, attempting to shake it free. The initial panic gave way to fascination as he realised the substance continued to spread, cocooning his torso, legs and finally his head in a protective shell.
It was disconcerting—like being utterly naked and completely armoured at once. The suit moulded perfectly to every contour of his body, feather‑light as a second skin yet possessing an impenetrable solidity.
"This is…" Adam moved his arms experimentally, marvelled by the absence of resistance. "How is this possible?"
The armour absorbed the surrounding light, its deep black surface giving the illusion that he wore a shard of cosmic darkness. On the left breastplate, an emblem had materialised: a stylised skull pierced vertically by a silver dagger.
The gauntlets terminating at his hands ended in sleek, razor‑sharp metal claws—elegant and lethal.
Adam stared at those claws, genuine fear crossing his mind as he imagined absent‑mindedly scratching his nose or ear and leaving himself horribly scarred.
Completing the ensemble, the lower half of the suit featured the same fluid aesthetic—close‑fitting trousers of the same material, tactical boots moulded to his feet, and a utility belt bristling with compartments and buttons whose functions he could only guess.
As Adam absorbed the full extent of his metamorphosis, a thin filament emerged from the collar of the suit, winding itself to his ear like a living creature. The contact was surprisingly gentle as it split—one strand connecting to his ear canal while the rest retracted into the armour.
"Class‑Alpha combat armour activated. Operating systems online. Awaiting instructions," announced a synthetic voice directly in his mind, crystal‑clear yet entirely silent to external ears.
Before Adam could reply, Madame and Park leapt from the rooftop. Rather than plummeting, they hovered momentarily before gliding effortlessly towards the building's entrance, as if gravity were but a polite suggestion they'd chosen to ignore.
"Activate flight mode?" offered the synthetic voice, as though reading his thoughts.
Adam paused for barely a second. A grin of pure, child‑like excitement spread across his face, invisible beneath the helmet.
"Let's do it," he answered, barely containing his enthusiasm.
At his command, two disc‑shaped thrusters emerged from his shoulders. A green glow suffused the undersides, enveloping him in an energy field that negated gravity. Slowly, his feet lifted from the ground, and Adam experienced the surreal sensation of effortless flight.
'An antigravity device,' he thought in awe. 'Not a noisy jetpack, but genuine gravitational manipulation.'
Focusing on pursuing his companions, Adam felt the suit respond instantaneously. Small thrusters appeared strategically along his back, arms and legs, casting a soft blue glow. With a controlled burst, he shot forward, slicing through the night air with a precision no novice pilot should possess.
Approaching the building's entrance, Adam instinctively braked—and as though the armour were an extension of his will, frontal thrusters engaged, slowing him to a perfect halt beside Madame and Park.
"Impressive," he commented, inspecting his clawed hands. "The neural interface is flawless. It feels like the suit knows what I want before I even think it."
"That's precisely what it does," confirmed Madame, a hint of pride in her metallic tones. "Cutting‑edge technology from the Neon Continent, yet one of our finest creations."
"Though it's little more than a toy in Technopolis," Park sighed.
'Technopolis? Neon Continent? ' Adam wondered, intrigued—but before he could ask, the pair had already entered the building.
They traversed the dimly lit corridors, Adam's suit blending seamlessly with the shadows, at times rendering him nearly invisible. The contrast couldn't have been sharper—state‑of‑the‑art technology moving through a structure on the verge of collapse.
"Apartment 507," Park informed, glancing at a flickering hologram above his wrist. "Fifth floor."
"Can't we just… fly to his window?" Adam suggested, still buzzing with excitement over his newfound ability.
Madame shook her head. "We don't want to terrify the boy. Let's try a more… conventional approach."
"Conventional?" Adam laughed, gesturing at his futuristic combat suit. "I think we've long passed that point."
'Tsk… clearly these off‑worlders don't understand common sense here on Earth,' he mused.
Reaching the fifth floor, the corridor was silent except for the occasional buzz of a flickering fluorescent lamp. It seemed Seo's dreams had ended abruptly. They halted before door 507, its metal nameplate worn, the numbers barely legible.
"Who goes there?" demanded Adam.
Park and Madame exchanged glances.
"You're from Earth," Park shrugged. "Perhaps less frightening."
"Less frightening? You're human too—what's the difference? Besides, I'm wearing armour that looks like it's from a sci‑fi espionage film!"
"Deactivate the helmet," suggested Madame, lightly touching her own visor. "Show your face."
Adam hesitated, and the suit complied instantly. The fluid material retracting from his head like a black tide, revealing his features. The sensation was odd—like emerging from water but without the wetness.
"Better?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.
"Marginally," Park replied dryly.
Madame began to speak—
"Adam, you need to deactivate flight mode first—"
Before she could finish, a colossal bang reverberated through the flat: BOOOOOMMM!
Adam whirled and delivered a light punch to the door—sending it flying from its frame in one piece, crashing through the opposite wall like a missile and landing hundreds of metres away in the street below.
Madame sighed in exasperation, adjusting her holographic visor.
"Deactivating combat function… too late, I know."
From inside came a scream of pure disbelief and panic:
"WHYYYYY MYYYY HOOOOMEEEEEEE?!"
"We'll have to be quick before the whole neighbourhood turns up," Park said, arms folded, unmoved by the spectacle before him.
Adam glanced at the gauntlet, clearly impressed by its power. If it was that strong with a mere touch, imagine a full‑force punch.
Snapping out of his reverie, he looked at the boy who'd emerged from his room, utterly terrified at the sight of three sci‑fi‑clad intruders destroying his home.
Madame stepped forward, addressing Seo, who was already cowering.
"Young man, fear not—we seek you."
"Right, let's go. Grab the boy and find the ticket," Park ordered as he strode into the flat.
"We'll explain later—come on," Adam said, preparing to seize Seo's arm; he'd already deactivated combat mode.
With one yank, Adam hauled the boy off the floor and began to fly towards the ship.
"For heaven's sake, you wrecked my home and now you're kidnapping me—who are you, the FBI? SWAT? I swear that lolicon hentai on my PC was my cousin's doing, not mine!" Seo Min's terrified mind raced for reasons why these strangers had broken in.
"Relax, I'll pay to renovate your home afterwards—I'm rich enough to buy this ci… wait, what did you just say?!" Adam stared at Seo, face contorted with disgust.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL, I'M FLYING!" Seo gasped, not noticing Adam's expression.
Meanwhile, back in the flat:
"Found it—let's go," Park told Madame as he exited the room.
Passing his mentor, he added with a weak smile, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Madame, discovered, removed her visor and laughed, her impish grin at odds with her mature appearance.
"Hehe!"
"Tsk… tsk," Park muttered, accustomed to his mentor's unreliable ways. "Hurry up—I have the ticket."
The two flew towards the invisible ship, finding Adam waiting by the hatch, arms crossed, visibly irritated while Seo sat still shaken by recent events.
"I vehemently object to bringing that damned lolicon along," Adam declared loftily.
"Hold on, I already told you it wasn't mine," Seo snapped out of his shock as someone threatened his reputation.
Adam glared at him, then turned to Madame and Park, awaiting their response.
They exchanged a quick glance, unfamiliar with the term 'lolicon.'
"Negative—he's coming with us. Move out," Madame replied, deactivating the ship's cloaking device.
"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, A SPACESHIP?!" Seo shrieked, staring in awe as the craft materialised behind him—just before Adam hauled him aboard.