The vast ocean stretched endlessly, dotted with playful dolphins leaping in the distance. The sky was a canvas of soft blue and white, with fluffy clouds lazily drifting by.
SWOOSH!!!
A speedboat is chasing after a distant cruise ship.
As it catches up with the ship, Zain leaps out of speedboat into the ship. The jump was deliberate, a calculated risk. He needed to get onboard and the traditional methods were too slow. He scanned the deck searching for the sign of contamination.
He landed with a roll, the impact absorbed by the deck. The passengers turned startled, their expression was a mix of surprise and confusion. A few gasp, others pointed, and the ship's security team began to converge.
- "Hey! Who are you?" Someone asks. "Why did you jump on this ship?"
- "This ship is not a place for a strange person to jump into. So don't try anything funny." Another man bravely says.
He gave a disarming smile. His eyes, however were still scanning the crowd, searching for signs of contamination-- a flicker in the eyes, a subtle distortion of shadows.
"Ohh. I forgot to introduce myself. Hola everyone, I'm Zain and....." He pauses.
"There's something wrong with the ship "
The passengers exchanged uneasy glances. Their faces showed a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
"What do you mean?" A woman asks,her voice trembling slightly. The security team closed in, they were wary of him.
- "What's he talking about?"
- "I don't know."
- "Who would believe that nonsense you're spouting "
- "He is so handsome, I hope he doesn't have mental issues "
"Hmmmph. I don't care you are but if you don't leave I'll call the police " a woman shouts.
- "Yeah, you weren't invited here " others chorus.
- "Get him out of here!" The mood shifted into hostility.
"What a chore!" Zain mutters under his breath.
'They'll panic once they know that this ship is contaminated '
"How do I explain that?"
Zain is a person with supernatural powers. There are different Paths and different powers. Zain's path is the Fortune Path.
The reason he's on the ship is to clean up the contaminated ship. He was alone and had to act fast.
Drawing out his Smart Energy Pistols, the passengers erupted into chaos. Zain dashed through the frightened passengers, their scream echoing in his ears. His senses were on high alert as he scanned for traces of contamination.
Zain focused on the eerie aura that seemed to draw him towards the lower deck. The air grew colder as Zain approached and he knew that he was close to the source of the contamination.
As Zain reached a secluded corridor, he spotted movement and so the passengers' panic faded into the background as he honed his target.
A wave of dread washes over Zain. The air grew heavy and the ship seemed to pulse with dark energy. The flickering lights casts eerie shadows and he felt something sinister.
Suddenly the atmosphere shifted . The ship was not just a vessel; it was a living entity, an oddity also known as a bizarre entity.
"Alright odd-ship" Zain mutters both pistols locked and loaded. "How odd? what are you made of?"
Zain unleashes a barrage of gunfire, the energy bullets tearing into the metal. But the ship barely flinched. The were like pebbles hitting the mountain.
"Not bad" Zain quipped.
The ship responded with a wave of energy slamming him against the wall. He grunted and tried to get up and balance himself, but the force was overwhelming.
"Okay, that was rude" He manage to speak.
Zain fought back , dodging the ship attacks, firing at its weak point. The bizarre entities was powerful, its control of the vessel absolute. He was outmatched, but he refuse to give up.
With the help of his Lucky Aura, Zain spotted a faint energy signature, a weakness in the ship's structure. With a burst of adrenaline, he aimed and fired, hitting the spot.... BOOM!!!!!!
The ship was now safe, the passengers were celebrating . The security team were still wary.
Zain pull up his comms while walking, dialed his superior, and gave a brief, concise report
"Mission accomplished . Bizarre entity eliminated. Passengers safe."
He hung up not breaking a sweat.
Reaching the edge, He turned to the security team and gave them a nochalant nod, and said "enjoy the rest of your cruise"
Then with grin he jumped into the air.
A slick speedboat waiting below roared to life as he landed perfectly. Speeding away from the cruise ship.
As he approaches the dock, Zain feels a surge of relief. The mission was perilous, yet he managed to complete it, thanks to a series of lucky breaks. The sun glints off the water, reflecting his sense of accomplishment.
Stepping onto solid ground, he takes a deep breath of the salty air. The city feels just as he left it, filled with the sounds of life and energy. He's eager to catch up with friends, especially Amber.
As Zain strolls through the city, a familiar feeling of anticipation washes over him. He'd almost forgotten about the lottery ticket he'd bought before his mission. He pulls it out, and as he checks the numbers, his eyes widen.
"No way," he breathes, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He checks the numbers again, just to be sure. He's won! He'd won 10,000 ₥ (Mave)! A sudden gust of wind playfully swirls around him, as if celebrating his good fortune. He chuckles, feeling the luck radiate from him. He can almost feel the aura humming around him. He decides to treat himself to a fancy coffee. As he waits in line, a 50 ₥ bill flutters to his feet. He picks it up, grinning.
"Well, alright then," he says, pocketing the money. As he receives his coffee, the barista accidentally drops a pastry.
"Whoops, on the house!" she says, handing him the treat with a smile. Mark winks, feeling his luck's influence at work.
Zain arrives at a cozy café and finds Amber already waiting. The bell above the door chimed as he entered, and her face instantly lit up.
Amber is a vibrant woman with a cascade of fiery red hair that always seems to catch the light. Her eyes, the color of the ocean on a clear day, crinkled at the corners as she smiled. She has a passion for art, her small apartment filled with canvases and half-finished projects, and her spirit is just as colorful as her art.
"Hey, beautiful," Zain says, leaning in to kiss her. The kiss is warm and familiar, a comfortable greeting that speaks of countless shared moments.
"Guess what happened?"
Amber raises an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Did the 'strange things' give you any trouble this time?"
Zain grins, but this time, it's a little different.
"Not exactly. More like... took care of some strange things." He knew she understood the truth of his work, the less glamorous side of his abilities.
"Better. I won the lottery! Ten grand, baby!" Amber's jaw drops.
"No way! That's amazing!" Her genuine excitement is a testament to the depth of their connection. She knows the life he leads can be challenging and often dangerous, and any good news is a reason to celebrate. "That's incredible, Zain! You deserve it," she says, her voice filled with warmth. She reaches across the table, her hand finding his.
"So, what are you going to do with all that cash? Buy a yacht?"
Zain chuckles, their easy banter a familiar comfort.
"Maybe a speedboat upgrade! Or, you know, finally get that art studio you've been dreaming about." He knows her dreams are as important as his own. He then asks her "What about you? Any projects I should know about?"
She smiles. "I'm working on a new mural, inspired by the ocean. I want to capture the beauty of our city, and maybe even a little bit of your... adventures," she says, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
The atmosphere gets tense for a moment.
Zain leans back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Look, about those 'adventures'," he says, meeting her gaze.
"They're not exactly a walk in the park. It's not all capes and sunshine. Sometimes, things get... messy." He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "The things I deal with... they're not just monsters or bad guys. There's a residue, a kind of... contamination. It's not something ordinary humans are built to handle."
He leans forward, his voice dropping slightly. "It's like... imagine touching something radioactive. You wouldn't see it, you wouldn't feel it at first, but it would be eating away at you, from the inside out. The 'strange things' I fight? They leave that kind of mark. It can cause all sorts of problems – physical, mental... It can change you, Amber. And not for the better." He pauses, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"I've seen it happen. It's not pretty. I'd rather you didn't see that side of me. So, this time, how about you let me handle it? Stay safe, stay beautiful. Deal?"
He gives her a small, reassuring smile, hoping she'll understand.
"Deal!"