The oil paint on the man's face had already been washed away by water bubbles, revealing a square face with well-defined features. He appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, his eyes as fierce as a tiger's. Although he lacked some of the handsomeness and suaveness of the men Lucy Campbell usually encountered, he possessed a strong masculine presence.
"Let's go!" As soon as Lucy had dressed, the man turned away without waiting for her to respond and had already hoisted her onto his back, striding into the dense forest.
"Why did you rip my skirt just now?" Lucy didn't believe this man harbored any ill intentions towards her, and she was very puzzled about what had just happened.
"Your clothes were floating away in the water, which might divert their attention for a moment and give us a chance to hide."
"Oh, then why didn't you take off your own clothes?"
"There wasn't time."
Lucy was somewhat at a loss for words at this reasoning, but there really wasn't anything to blame him for; circumstances dictated their actions. Fortunately, the man didn't make any unnecessary moves, which significantly eased her mind.
"What's your name?" The hitmen momentarily stopped chasing them, and Lucy grew curious about the man.
"Hawk Squad 002."
"I meant your real name."
"When we're on missions, we only use our codenames."
"That's really rigid."
Lucy didn't ask further. She knew a bit about the Hawk Squad; it was one of the top special forces units in SSUP Country, each member highly skilled and uncompromising in following orders. Even if she asked more, he wouldn't respond.
"So, were those others from Hawk Squad too? They seemed much less capable than you."
"They weren't. They were just collaborating with me in the operation."
"No wonder."
Twenty minutes later, they had run over a thousand meters and victory seemed imminent when the man suddenly stopped.
Lucy didn't make a sound, just clung tightly to the man's neck. She knew there must be a reason for him stopping now. The best she could do was to minimize any hindrance to his movements. As the top beauty of SSUP Country, she wasn't just attractive but also highly intelligent and decisive.
The man's body tensed, and he suddenly leaped sideways over two meters just as gunfire erupted. The spot he had just vacated was now riddled with bullet holes.
"Bang!" The man's large-caliber pistol flashed, and instantly a person fell from the tree above, dead before they could scream, their head blown apart by his shot.
"Stay here, don't move. I'll take care of them."
"Can you manage?"
"There's no choice, we have no way out."
The ambush was already set; while these weren't as capable as the pursuers, once the gunfire started, the pursuers would surely arrive quickly. He had to eliminate these enemies swiftly, or they were doomed.
"Okay!" Lucy bit her lip. She had no other choice but to rely entirely on him. Moreover, she had grown to trust this man from Hawk Squad, who was almost a legendary figure.
Releasing him, the man dashed into the dense forest like a cheetah, gunfire erupting again. But within less than two minutes, the gunfire weakened, punctuated by loud, distinct pistol shots she knew came from his gun.
Lucy was overjoyed inside, sensing victory was near. Unfortunately, her joy turned to sorrow when she suddenly saw a colorful caterpillar fall onto her dress. Instinctively, she screamed.
This scream was costly. A criminal nearby quickly charged toward her, and upon spotting Lucy, he raised his gun and fired without hesitation.
Lucy knew she was done for, bracing for the imminent death, but as the gunshot sounded, a dark shadow suddenly descended from above and shielded her. The figure shook violently yet still stood before her, swinging his arm to stop the gunfire.
Lucy realized what had happened: In that critical moment, the man had shielded her from the bullets with his body, saving her life.
Bright red blood flowed from the man's shoulder, instantly staining his tight black vest red.
"How are you?" Lucy sprang up immediately.
"It's all clear now, let's go." The man swiftly removed his vest and quickly bandaged his shoulder wound.
Relieved, Lucy realized that the man wasn't fatally wounded.
Seeing that he intended to carry her again, Lucy hurriedly said, "I can walk by myself."
"No, the others are almost here, we must leave quickly." The man insisted and hoisted her onto his back once more.
Lying on the man's back, Lucy's eyes reddened, tears almost breaking free. Even though he was just following orders to protect her, shielding her with his body deeply moved her. Her fingers gently caressed where he was wounded, her touch indescribably tender.
Lying on his back, Lucy unexpectedly fell asleep despite the dangerous surroundings and the constant threat of being killed by criminals. She slept because she felt safe; it seemed even in the face of great danger, as long as this man was by her side, she would be unharmed.
When Lucy woke up, she found herself inside a vehicle, covered with a blanket, and a female soldier sitting beside her. She knew she was safe.
"How is he?" She immediately thought of the man upon waking.
The female soldier was momentarily puzzled, not sure whom Lucy was referring to.
"The Hawk 002 who protected me."
"He's slightly injured."
"That's good."
Two months later, Lucy was fully recovered, yet a certain image persisted in her mind – a silhouette, a blood-stained black vest, haunting her.
Several papers lay on the table, one bearing the photo of the man who had taken her first kiss, removed her clothes, and shielded her with his body from bullets.
"Hmph, don't think I can't find you just because you've switched careers," Lucy muttered to herself, then loudly said, "Miss Brown, prepare for me. I'm going to YODC City."