Chapter 21: Ultimatum
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The air was heavy with tension, a suffocating stillness blanketing the city streets. Blue-and-white DFS vehicles lined the road, their emergency lights spinning and bathing the scene in an eerie, flickering glow. Armed officers stood in formation, their weapons raised and pointed unwaveringly toward Adam, who now stood atop a crushed DFS car.
Above, two helicopters hovered between skyscrapers, their blades slicing through the cold evening air with a rhythmic thrum. Their searchlights painted Adam in stark contrast against the night, casting his imposing figure into sharp relief.
Adam took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling deliberately. His jet-black shirt clung to his form, torn in places, a testament to the chaos he had already unleashed.
The remains of the earlier skirmish were evident in the cracks running along the pavement and the shattered glass littering the road.
Around him, civilians peered cautiously from behind shop windows and restaurant blinds, their faces a mixture of fear and awe.
His voice boomed, amplified by sheer power, carrying far and wide. "Everyone present here, listen carefully. I am about to kill every single one of these men pointing their guns at me."
The declaration reverberated across the street, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.
The DFS officers froze momentarily, their disciplined exteriors betraying cracks of uncertainty.
Civilians gasped audibly, and murmurs rippled through the growing crowd of onlookers.
One officer, his voice sharp but quivering, spoke into a megaphone. "Surrender now! You're surrounded. If you resist, it will only end badly for you."
Adam's eyes narrowed as he turned his head, locking onto the source of the voice. The officer stood a few meters away, holding the megaphone with trembling hands. Though he tried to project authority, the beads of sweat rolling down his temple betrayed his fear. Adam's lips curled into a faint, menacing smirk as he leapt gracefully from the crushed car, vanishing from sight.
The officer barely had time to react. In the blink of an eye, Adam reappeared directly before him. With a swift motion, Adam's hand clamped around the officer's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
The man's eyes bulged in terror as Adam turned, hurling him like a ragdoll into a cluster of parked DFS vehicles.
The force of the throw sent the officer crashing into the windshields, shattering glass and denting metal. He landed in a heap, groaning in agony, his body contorted unnaturally.
Gasps and shouts erupted from the other officers, who now stood frozen in shock. Their hesitation was short-lived. "Fire!" someone shouted, and the barrage began.
Bullets tore through the air, a cacophony of sharp cracks echoing between the buildings.
Adam was already in motion, weaving through the onslaught with inhuman speed. His movements were fluid, almost graceful, as he closed the distance between himself and his next targets.
With a single powerful leap, Adam propelled himself into the air, aiming directly for one of the hovering helicopters.
The DFS soldiers inside barely had time to react before he crashed through the side door, the impact shaking the entire aircraft.
Shards of glass flew as Adam landed inside, his cold, calculating gaze sweeping over the startled occupants.
One soldier lunged at him, raising his rifle, but Adam's kick landed first, sending the man hurtling out of the helicopter. His scream faded as he plummeted to the street below.
Another soldier fumbled with his weapon, but Adam disarmed him in a blur, twisting the rifle out of his hands and sending him sprawling with a well-placed strike.
The pilot, now visibly panicked, glanced over his shoulder at the chaos unfolding in the cabin. Adam's voice was cold and commanding. "Fly. Now."
The pilot hesitated, his hands gripping the controls tightly. "I—I can't…"
Adam leaned forward, snatching a discarded gun and pressing it against the pilot's temple. "Fly, or you won't live long enough to regret it."
The pilot raised his trembling hands in surrender, nodding as he adjusted the controls. The helicopter began to veer, but before they could gain altitude, a volley of gunfire rained down from the second helicopter.
Bullets ripped through the fuselage, and both the pilot and co-pilot were struck, their bodies slumping over the controls.
Alarms blared as the helicopter spiraled out of control, careening toward a nearby skyscraper. Adam's sharp instincts kicked in.
He grabbed the edge of the cabin and launched himself out just as the aircraft collided with the building, erupting into a fiery explosion.
Flames roared, lighting up the skyline, as debris rained down on the street below. Adam descended rapidly, his feet slamming into the pavement with an impact that sent cracks spiderwebbing across the ground.
The force was so great that nearby DFS officers staggered, struggling to maintain their footing.
Adam wasted no time. In a blur, he disappeared again, this time targeting the second helicopter. The remaining officers on the street shouted frantically into their radios, calling for reinforcements.
Adam materialized inside the second helicopter, his sudden appearance catching the soldiers inside off guard. His first strike sent two officers flying out of the cabin, their screams echoing as they fell.
The remaining soldier attempted to retaliate, raising his rifle, but Adam's speed was unmatched. He disarmed the man with ease, delivering a devastating blow that sent him crumpling to the floor.
The pilot turned to face him, terror etched across his face. Adam picked up another rifle and pressed it against the man's neck. "Take us out of here," he ordered.
The pilot nodded frantically, steering the helicopter away from the firefight below.
Adam's intense gaze shifted toward the street, where more DFS vehicles were arriving, their sirens wailing. Reinforcements poured in, and the area around the skyscrapers turned into a war zone.
As Adam surveyed the chaos below, his thoughts were calm, calculating. The DFS was throwing everything they had at him, taking risks that bordered on reckless desperation. He smirked faintly, his confidence unshaken.
"They think they can stop me," he muttered under his breath. "Let them try."
The chapter ended with Adam poised for his next move, a force of nature that no one seemed capable of containing.