The portal spat Adam out into a gloomy swamp. Mist clung to the ground, crows circled overhead, and reeds whispered ominously in the breeze. The sound of something slimy sloshing echoed from the distance.
Adam landed perfectly upright, coat swirling dramatically, coffee cup still steaming in his hand. Environment… foreboding. Swamp… unsettling. Monsters… probable. Performance… imminent.
From the murk, a familiar gravelly voice emerged. "Who the hell are you?"
Geralt of Rivia, clad in worn armor, silver sword gleaming faintly, narrowed his catlike eyes. His white hair glistened with swamp mist.
Adam raised his cup in greeting. "Adam Thompson. Performer. Vanguard. Specialist in… chaos."
Geralt frowned. "I asked who you are, not for your bloody resume."
Before Adam could answer, a drowned one lunged out of the muck, claws reaching for him. Adam didn't bother drawing a blade. Instead, he casually flicked his coffee cup. It spun midair, struck the monster square in the face, and ricocheted into another one behind it. Both collapsed into the swamp with pitiful gurgles.
Geralt blinked. "…What the hell was that?"
Adam caught his cup mid-spin. "Physical efficiency. Minimal effort. Maximum spectacle."
The swamp erupted with more drowned ones, crawling from the muck. Geralt drew his sword. "Guess we'll test your chaos, then."
Adam rolled forward, launching himself into a flying kick that sent three monsters flipping into each other like poorly balanced dominoes. He followed it up with a backhand slap so dramatic it created a shockwave, sending reeds and mud splattering in all directions.
Monsters… flimsy. Combat… comedic.
Geralt slashed cleanly through another, then gave Adam a sidelong glance. "You don't use swords?"
Adam twirled his empty hand theatrically. "Optional. Kicks… sufficient."
One monster lunged at him. Adam sidestepped, grabbed it by the head, and shoved it into another's stomach like a battering ram. The two toppled into a log, which rolled, knocking three more into a ditch. A crow squawked angrily as feathers filled the air.
Geralt actually smirked. "Well… unconventional. But it works."
The last drowned one crawled out, hissing. Adam performed a perfect spinning heel kick, sending it flying through the mist like a launched cannonball. It disappeared with a plop somewhere in the swamp.
Silence returned. Geralt sheathed his sword. "Not bad, chaos man."
Adam adjusted his coat, sipping calmly. "Performance… adequate. Monsters… insufficient entertainment."
Geralt raised an eyebrow. "You're… a strange one. I've met sorceresses who turn into birds and kings who think they're prophets, but you're in a league of your own."
Adam gave a dramatic nod. "Exactly."
---
Later, in Novigrad, Adam and Geralt walked through the crowded markets. Merchants shouted, guards marched, and drunks stumbled across cobblestones. Adam eyed the chaos thoughtfully.
A living city. Crowds… perfect. Guards… available. Objects… plentiful.
Geralt sighed. "Don't even think about it."
Too late. Adam vaulted onto a cart, kicking a barrel that rolled into a fish stand. The stand tipped, scattering fish across the street. A guard slipped, collided with another guard, and the two tumbled into a mud puddle. Citizens gasped, merchants shouted, and a horse reared dramatically.
Geralt pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is why I work alone."
Adam landed gracefully beside him, sipping his coffee. "Spectacle… mandatory."
A gang of thugs blocked the alley. "Oi, Witcher. Hand over your purse."
Geralt reached for his sword, but Adam stepped forward. "No sword… required."
He delivered a single clap. The sound was so sharp it startled the thugs, causing one to trip into a barrel, another to stumble into a wall, and the last to fall backward into the mud. The gang scrambled away in humiliation, leaving only scattered fish and laughter from nearby citizens.
Geralt shook his head, though he couldn't hide a grin. "You're absolutely insufferable."
Adam bowed dramatically. "Correct."
---
Their travels took them to Velen, where a monstrous griffin terrorized the countryside. The beast screeched from the sky, wings blotting out the sun. Farmers cowered in their fields.
Geralt drew his crossbow. "Stay out of my way. This one's dangerous."
Adam crouched, eyes gleaming. Target… airborne. Size… impressive. Performance… opportunity.
The griffin dove, claws extended. Geralt fired a bolt. Adam sprinted up a fallen tree trunk, vaulted off the end, and leapt straight onto the griffin's back. The creature screeched, thrashing wildly, but Adam clung on, delivering exaggerated punches to its head.
Physical impact… successful. Aerial chaos… initiated.
The griffin plummeted, colliding with the ground. Adam vaulted off at the last second, landing gracefully with coffee still intact. The beast stumbled drunkenly, dazed from Adam's relentless fists.
Geralt strode forward and drove his silver sword through its heart. The griffin collapsed.
Silence. Then Geralt turned to Adam. "…You punched a griffin out of the sky."
Adam sipped. "Yes."
Geralt chuckled—a rare sound. "You're either the most dangerous fool I've ever met… or the luckiest."
Adam twirled his coat. "Neither. Merely… efficient."
---
That night, they sat by a campfire, flames flickering against the darkened forest. Geralt sharpened his sword, Adam stared at the stars, and wolves howled in the distance.
Geralt finally spoke. "There's something different about you. You don't fight like a witcher. You don't act like a sorcerer. You're… something else."
Adam smirked. Observation… correct. Identity… beyond definition.
Before Geralt could push further, the air shimmered. A swirling portal formed above the fire. Sparks and embers whirled in the air.
Geralt squinted. "That yours?"
Adam rose, stretching lazily. "Summons… expected. Next stage… imminent."
Geralt frowned. "You're leaving?"
Adam adjusted his coat, coffee steaming in his hand. "Correct."
Geralt studied him, then gave a rare, amused grin. "Well, Adam… the Continent won't forget you. Not after you punched a griffin to death."
Adam bowed slightly. "Performance… unforgettable."
With a final step, Adam leapt into the portal. The campfire sputtered in his wake, leaving Geralt alone, shaking his head with a rare laugh.
"…Damn fool. But what a show."
Adam vanished, onto the next world, where chaos awaited.