Was really hoping to get back on schedule this week, but life had other plans. Or, more accurately, Covid did. Got hit hard on Monday and have been recovering ever since. First night was the absolute worst, but I'm still pretty run down right now. Writing obviously got delayed, as I spent the first few days barely getting out of bed and just resting. Wasn't sure I'd have a chapter at all, but didn't want to sit on it too long, so decided to compromise with another late post. The length ended up being about the same (we actually just snuck past 100k), but I'm hoping the quality didn't take too much of a hit.
Either way, let's see how well Adam handles tactful negotiations with Pika and his crew.
"What the-"
Adam didn't wait for Pika to finish his thought, using the momentary distraction to lower his shoulder and charge. Pika's breath exploded out as Adam twisted with the impact, plowing himself into the bully's gut. His feet drove Pika back into the frame of the nearest bed, nearly toppling the entire bunk as someone dove out of the way. Pika's pained grunts were music to Adam's ears.
But he was just getting started.
Adam drove his knee up, unashamed to have aimed lower than Pika's stomach this time. His elbow cracked against Pika's face, throwing him to the floor. Adam knew he only had a few seconds before Pika's friends would trap him and exact their revenge, but he didn't care. Even if he ran, they'd just hunt him down later. Or go after Erik if they couldn't find him. The moment he entered the room, he knew his fate was sealed.
So why not get a few licks in first?
Pika's groans from the floor finally snapped his friends out of their stupor. Adam briefly considered charging Roan and trying to take out another before they could surround him, but he wasn't here to take on everyone. He had no intention of walking out of this fight unscathed. He was here to send a message.
And right now, Pika looked all ears.
Adam managed two solid hits before he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. Without hesitating, Adam gripped onto whatever he could reach. His fingers tightened on a pair of fingers, which he jerked upwards with a soft crack. Roan fell to the side, grasping his hand, but the quick diversion heralded the end of Adam's advantage as Andúril's fist struck the back of his head. The room span for a second, but even then, Adam still aimed an elbow at Pika's face as he fell. It missed, but he still felt some satisfaction as he connected with Pika's shoulder. He kicked back blindly, striking Clancy in the shin and staggering the large boy.
Andúril grabbed Adam's wrist and hauled him up, but Adam refused to give up so easily. As soon as he gained his feet, Adam whipped around and bit down hard, drawing a curse from his attacker. Adam snarled at the metallic taste in his mouth, spitting the boy's blood back at him before movement from Pika summoned his attention once more.
Pika managed to sit up and wipe his brow before the slow trickle of blood could reach his eyes. Adam lunged, keen to keep up the pressure. Pika tried to roll out of the way, only to be saved by Clancy diving in between them, taking the strike meant for his leader. The sudden introduction of a new target meant Adam's blow came out clumsy and poorly aimed. Clancy capitalized, wrapping his arms around Adam's chest and pinning one of his arms in place as he bore Adam to the ground. Adam writhed against the entanglement, scratching and biting at any part of Clancy he could reach.
"I got him!" Clancy announced as he tightened his grip and managed to snag Adam's other arm. Andúril stumbled over to help while Roan helped Pika to his feet. Their leader swayed dizzily for a moment before sitting on the nearest mattress, waiting for Remnant to stop spinning so violently.
Adam didn't feel like waiting. "How dare you lay a hand on her!" Adam managed to free a hand briefly before it was secured even tighter against his side. "You promised to leave them alone!"
Adam had kept his mouth shut about the beating. All the bullying. The tormenting. Everything! He'd endured it all just to keep his friends safe. And the moment he turned his back - the moment he let his guard down - Pika had gone after someone close to him. And Adam wanted him to pay for that betrayal.
But that came with a price of its own. "You come into my room," Pika spat, shoving Roan out of the way, "and attack me?" Adam bent double over Pika's fist, but the effort proved a bit much for the bully as he stumbled to the side.
"You okay?" Clancy asked in concern. Adam felt the subtle loosening of his hold and reared back with all his strength, driving the back of his head into Clancy's captor let go immediately, crying out as he tried to stop the bleeding from his nose. The moment Adam's feet found the floor, he surged forward once more, eager to prolong the fight as much as possible. And with Pika still staggering, he had all the opening he needed to make the bully suffer.
But Andúril proved faster.
"Let me go!" Adam screamed as Andúril rammed him from the side. He tried to fight back, but Roan quickly joined the tussle, fighting to hold onto the whirlwind of hatred that Adam had become. Andúril kicked the back of his leg, driving him to his knees and allowing the two boys to better contain him.
"Keep him there," Pika commanded, not that his thugs were planning otherwise. Adam writhed and spat as he struggled to break free. He knew what came next. He'd just hoped to do more damage first. "You think that just because you kept your mouth shut one time, that your little girlfriend can run her mouth instead?"
Adam saw the punch coming a mile away, but all he could do was turn his head to lessen the blow. Even so, pain shot through his jaw in an instant.
"And when I remind her of her place, you think that gives you the right to come after me?" Adam gasped as Pika's knee crashed into his chest. Pika's next punch grazed his shoulder before striking his temple. Chuckling now that he had the upper hand, Pika stepped back and shook out his hand.
"And what gives you the right?!" Adam demanded through the pain.
"Still a little fight left in you?"
Adam ignored him as he pressed on. "What makes you think you can pick on us? Why do you get to control what we say and do? What gives any of you the right to hurt a young girl like that?"
"What gives me the right?" Pika laughed as he strode back up. "Simple. I do."
Adam felt the kick to his ribs that sent him to the ground. The first few stomps resonated deep within him. But through it all, what he really felt was a growing hatred for the boys around him. Not just for Pika. The direct torment was bad enough, but if it wasn't for the ones defending him, Adam knew Pika wouldn't stand a chance against him. Even if they didn't actively abuse him like their leader, Pika couldn't operate without them backing him up constantly. In his mind, they were just as evil.
Adam hardly noticed when the pummeling ended. His left arm felt limp and swollen. Every breath burned in his lungs. Part of him wondered if his right ankle would take any weight right now. But through the burning pain and pooling tears, Adam forced himself to glare at Pika as he sat down on a nearby bed.
"Tell that girl of yours to keep her mouth shut, or next time I won't go so easy on her."
The image of Nila cowering in fear flashed into his mind, further fueling his anger as he panted for air. If enduring Pika's bullying wouldn't protect her, then he was done playing along. He was done following rules that no one else played by. If tucking his tail didn't work, then maybe it was time to bare some fangs instead.
"No."
Silence claimed the room as all four boys turned to Adam. Finally, Pika spoke. "What was that, runt?"
"I said no." Adam took a deep breath, grimacing as he managed to get to his hands and knees but never breaking his stare on Pika. "If you ever touch her again, I'll make you pay."
"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Pika laughed, clearly amused at the one-sided ending of their brawl.
"No army. Just me." Adam promised, wiping Pika's grin off his face. Because no matter how well they protected themselves, or how much they outnumbered him, Adam wouldn't stop. He knew he couldn't win, but that wasn't the point, was it? All he needed was for them to focus on him. To be more worried about the havoc he'd cause in retaliation. He was a mess, but none of his attackers had escaped unharmed. And if he managed to find them alone…
Pika and his friends must've been thinking the same, judging by the worried glances they gave each other. "You attacked us first," Roan tried, still holding his broken fingers. "We can just get you in trouble."
"And I'll tell them what you did to Nila," Adam spat back. Pika wasn't the only one who could use threats to shut people up.
"Enough of this," Pika growled, stomping over once more. Noticeably, his friends didn't follow this time. "You tell your little friend to shut her mouth, and maybe I won't feel the need to remind her myself."
Adam did his best to hide his grin. As much as Pika wanted to put on a brave face, Adam recognized a concession when he heard one. Pika wasn't demanding or threatening. He was compromising. Scaring Nila clearly wasn't worth so much trouble.
His victory was short-lived, though, as Pika grabbed one of his horns, twisting Adam's head to the side to stare up at him. "But let me be clear. If you ever mess with me and my boys again, they'll be scraping you off the floor in the morning." Pika shoved him back down, content to have the last word and leave him to crawl away.
But Adam hadn't come this far for half victories.
"And if you ever mess with my friends again," Adam snarled back, "I'll make sure you all pay for it."
Pika laughed, but Adam meant every word. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Pika cracked his neck to the side before rolling his shoulder to loosen up again. "I was gonna be merciful and let you go with a warning, but I guess you're a slow learner."
"Adam!"
The entire room froze as Erik arrived. One look at Adam sprawled out on the floor had the boy panicked, especially when all eyes focused on him.
"We're a little busy here, Erik," Pika said, finally breaking the shocked silence.
"What's going on?"
"Just teaching your buddy here what happens when someone dares attack me." Pika made sure to claim self-defense, which seemed to calm his friends back down. "We were just finishing up. That is, unless you're as dumb as he is."
"Leave him out of this," Adam demanded. He knew he couldn't do too much right now, but he wouldn't stand by and watch Erik get hurt for him.
"No one asked you."
"C'mon Adam. Let's get you up." Erik did his best to ignore the looming threat as he helped Adam to his feet. Adam winced and nearly fell, but Erik caught him, keeping him propped up against his shoulder.
Pika considered antagonizing them further, but with Erik ready to retreat and Adam clearly unable to pose much danger now, he decided against it. Neither he nor his friends looked eager to continue fighting with a witness, either. Instead, as Adam and Erik stumbled out of the room, Pika's voice followed them. "Next time, we won't go so easy on you!"
"What happened?" Erik quietly asked once they were in the hall. Thankfully, no one was around to see the two inching away from Pika's room right now, but that wouldn't last long.
Adam snarled as he remembered what happened. "Pika hurt Nila."
He expected some sort of shock from his friend, but Erik just nodded along. "I know. Nila came and found me in the weight room. Said you were about to do something stupid." Erik took one look at Adam before adding, "Guess she was right."
"The weight room?" Adam had nearly gone there first to find Pika. But he'd never seen Erik in there. "Why were you in there?"
"For the scenery," Erik snarkily answered. "I was trying to work out, doofus. Is that so hard to believe?"
Honestly, it was. Adam had tried countless times to get Erik more active, but usually to little avail. He might come on a short run if Adam pressured him enough, but that was about it. Still, he wasn't about to insult Erik after rescuing him.
"So Nila got hurt, and you thought you'd just rush in there and fight them all at once?"
Pretty much. "I couldn't just let him get away with it."
Erik shook his head in disbelief. "You don't have to try and protect us like that, Adam."
They'd have to disagree on that point. Erik couldn't hope to stand up to Pika. And Nila clearly wasn't immune either. But he could withstand it. He could be the one to step in and protect his friends when they needed it most. The strong were meant to protect the weak, after all.
"I'm taking you to Miss Alyssa." Adam tried to complain, but Erik cut him off. "You can tell her whatever you want, but you're a wreck, Adam. You can't stand on your own. Your breathing is ragged. You probably didn't even notice the cut on your head."
He hadn't. Adam reached up to the side of his head, finding the hair sticky and warm with blood from some unknown cut.
"That's what I thought." Erik turned him toward the stairs, but Adam didn't even try to resist. "And you owe Nila an apology later."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Miss Alyssa?" Erik knocked urgently at Alyssa's door. A mumbled acknowledgement was soon followed by the door swinging open. "Miss Alyssa!"
"Erik? What is-" Alyssa never got to finish her question, her eyes widening at the sight of Adam leaning against Erik. "Adam! What happened to you?"
"I fell?" Neither Alyssa nor Erik looked overly amused at his poor attempt at a joke.
Alyssa sighed as she stepped aside. "Bring him in here, Erik. Just…set him down over there."
Erik led him to the same chair he used during their tutoring sessions, easing him into the seat while Alyssa ran to the bathroom, returning with a small first aid kit. While Alyssa poked and prodded him, checking for injuries, Erik explained how he'd found Adam in Pika's room, ignoring the look of betrayal from Adam.
"They attacked you?" Alyssa asked, dabbing a cotton ball against Adam's cut. The cold alcohol she'd moistened it with stung wildly.
"Pika hurt Nila," Erik rushed to explain, leaving no chance for Adam to come up with a story.
"And what does that have to do with - oh. Ohhh…" Alyssa nodded to Erik, connecting the dots quickly enough. "So you decided to go get revenge yourself rather than let us know what happened?"
Adam didn't bother answering, knowing nothing he could say would chase them off the obvious truth.
"What am I going to do with you?" Alyssa sounded almost amused as she stepped back and looked him over. "Is it even worth asking if anything else is hurt?"
"I'm fine."
"Take your shirt off." Alyssa rolled her eyes at the fully expected bravado. They both knew how this would go. Adam would stubbornly act like nothing was wrong, only to be beaten out by Alyssa's stubborn demands in the end. He couldn't exactly hide the cuts and bruises, nor did Alyssa miss his swollen ankle when he struggled to take his shoes off. "You know, this would go a lot faster if you just obeyed me, Adam. Holding out isn't gonna make the problem go away."
Adam didn't find it nearly as funny, sat shirtless and barefoot with his pants rolled up as Erik gawked and Alyssa continued helping where she could.
"You're gonna need to wash up a bit," Alyssa commented before turning to Erik. "Go grab him a fresh change of clothes from your room. I'd rather not parade him around the orphanage in his state." Erik ran off to do as ordered, returning Alyssa's full attention to her patient. "C'mon, tough guy. You can use my shower."
Adam tried to hobble ahead of her to the bathroom, but Alyssa forced him to lean against her for support, saying he needed to avoid putting too much pressure on his ankle yet. Once they were in the bathroom, she helped him into the small shower in the corner, beside her tub. One wall of the shower stuck out further down, providing just enough room to sit down. Alyssa cleared off a few bottles of soaps and shampoos, placing them on the countertop so he'd have more room.
"That cut's gonna sting, so try not to spray the water directly on that area if you can avoid it," Alyssa instructed, handing him a partially used bar of soap and a small, green bottle. "Wash up as best you can. Take your time getting out. The hot water will help relax you a bit." Alyssa pointed to the sink. "I'll leave a towel there for when you finish. Just dump your dirty clothes on the floor and I'll get them washed for you later."
And with that, Alyssa silently slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Adam took a deep breath, feeling the earlier adrenaline quickly be replaced by a gnawing exhaustion and soreness. Slipping his pants and underwear off took more effort than he'd anticipated, but he soon ditched them just outside the shower before starting the water.
The initial burst of cold water hit him and made him jump, but within seconds, the enclosed space had turned into a sauna. The simple pressure and heat helped bring his heart rate back down at last. He sat there for what felt like forever, letting it wash over him.
He heard Alyssa enter the bathroom once more, but the thick glass door of the shower blocked his view. More importantly, it blocked him from her view, too. He could vaguely see a shape walk near the counter, set something down, then back away again. "Clothes are on the counter. Let me know when you're done and I'll take another look at that cut of yours."
Adam forced himself to finally wash up properly, being careful to not get shampoo in his cut. A little must've slipped by, though, as the stinging drew a sharp breath once more. He rinsed the blood from his hair and scrubbed the mixture of dried spit and crusty blood from a few spots, unsure of how much actually came from him. By the time he finished, the water was starting to lose its heat. He lingered just a second longer before finally shutting the shower off entirely.
True to her words, a fresh towel and a change of his clothes were waiting for him when he stepped out. Adam blushed a little at the pair of underwear atop the pile, but he doubted Alyssa cared. She was practically a big sister to him at this point. Still, he rushed to get dressed once more, eager to get out of Alyssa's hair for the evening.
"Much better," Alyssa commented when he finally emerged, then pointed him to the foot of her bed. Adam jerked back as a bright light flashed in his eyes, only to find Alyssa's hand firmly grasping his chin to stop him. "Doesn't look like a concussion, thankfully," Alyssa declared, putting a small flashlight aside and releasing his face.
"So am I good to go?" Adam asked impatiently.
"Not so fast, mister," Alyssa interrupted, holding his shoulder to keep him from trying to escape. She let go suddenly as Adam winced from the pressure. "I need to stitch up that cut, first. Then you and I are gonna have a chat."
The stitches stung, but Adam preferred them to the lecture that followed.
"You can't keep doing stuff like this, Adam," Alyssa began as she put away the suture kit. "You and I both know this isn't the first time you've had trouble with Pika. You get yourself beat up, then I'm stuck piecing you back together. But what happens when you get older?"
"I won't have to deal with Pika then," Adam unhelpfully replied.
"No, you'll be dealing with even bigger problems in the real world. People who won't stop just because someone tells them to. And worse, you won't have me to help afterwards."
Adam didn't feel like he needed their help, though. Sure, he appreciated their concern, but he could handle himself just fine if needed. Besides, he'd tried the passive approach. All it had done was made him miserable and delayed the problem a bit. "So you're saying I should just let Pika win?"
"I'm saying you should choose your battles more carefully," Alyssa corrected. "I know you want to do the right thing for everyone. You care for your friends so much, but what did today accomplish?"
To Alyssa, it probably seemed pointless. All she saw was the beating he received, but Adam knew he'd made an impact. Maybe it wouldn't be enough to stop Pika from messing with Nila again, but the next time might. Or the next one. Eventually, picking on Nila wouldn't be worth an all-out brawl with Adam.
Apparently, Alyssa took his lack of response for an answer. "Exactly. You're beat up. Erik's worried. Nila's probably blaming herself for you getting hurt. And after this, I've gotta go check on the other guy, who I bet isn't in the greatest mood right now."
"Neither are his friends," Adam added, subtly warning her of the multiple patients she'd encounter. Far from looking impressed, Alyssa squinted her eyes at him, causing him to duck his head.
"The point is, you can't always fight your way through every problem. Some battles just aren't worth it."
But this one was. Adam knew she was right about part of it, though. He hadn't even considered how his friends probably felt. He hadn't meant to panic Erik so badly, and he dreaded what Nila would say when she found out what happened. With Erik already gone, she was probably already getting the whole story.
Alyssa forced him to sit through more of her lecturing while she finished treating him. Instructions on leaving Pika alone for a while mixed with the lotion she applied to his sore side and shoulder. Her insistence that he come to her with his problems sat as uncomfortably as the ice pack taped to his ankle. He endured her physical and verbal ministrations as best he could, nodding along when he felt it necessary.
"So what kind of damage should I expect when I get to Pika's room?" Alyssa asked as she finally let him stand up.
"Worse than this," Adam boasted. He made sure to warn that he might have broken a couple of Roan's fingers, figuring that was probably the worst of the injuries.
"Well, at least it wasn't one-sided." Alyssa shook her head before pulling Adam into a hug. "I'm glad you're alright, but next time, if you want to come see me so badly, how about we skip the beating, okay?"
Adam laughed as she let go. "No promises."
"I kinda figured. So I'm guessing you're still gonna stick with the falling down the stairs excuse? Even though there were five of you?"
"It's a dangerous staircase," Adam shrugged. Trying to get Pika in trouble would just make him want vengeance. Besides, Pika was right. Adam had attacked them first, even if it wasn't totally unprovoked. He'd be in just as much trouble, making the whole effort pointless to him.
Alyssa wasn't digging his humor today, but she also didn't feel like pushing any further. "Fine, but if they complain, we'll be having another chat. All of us this time." Adam couldn't really do anything about that, so he shrugged in acceptance. "Alright, head back to your room. If you have any problems, come let me know, okay?"
Adam did his best to silently limp back to his room, eager to prop his ankle up and get some rest. Maybe if he hurried, he could turn in early and not have to deal with the questioning looks of his roommates. Right now, all he wanted was peace and quiet.
The muffled voices in the hall as he came downstairs didn't inspire confidence. But it was the pair of bunny ears outside his room that had him considering retreat.
"Adam!" Nila practically crashed into him, knocking him backwards. Thankfully, he hit the wall before gravity could work its magic on them both. She nearly squeezed the life out of him, babbling about how concerned she was before suddenly pulling back and slugging him in the chest. "Don't you ever worry me like that again!"
Adam's eyes shut at the surge of pain from her blow on his weakened shoulder, failing to cover up the grunt of discomfort.
"I'm so sorry!" Nila shouted, backing up in concern as she continued her violent mood swing. Adam braced for the return swing that might spell his doom at this rate.
"Don't worry about it," Adam insisted, stepping past her into his room. Nila hesitated at the door before barging in, earning a curious look from one or two guys in the room. Whatever they saw in her return glare kept them from questioning further as she stomped after him.
So much for an easy escape.
"When you stormed off, I tried to catch up, but I lost you in the halls," Nila complained, fighting back tears. By the looks of her, they weren't the first wave.
"It's fine. I went to talk to Pika and we had a bit of a fight." Some of that was true. There were definitely words involved, though they came after the fight, not before.
"I-I just didn't know what to do," Nila complained, hovering by his bed as he sat down and propped his foot up. The bulging ice pack wasn't exactly subtle, so hiding the injury from her wasn't an option. "When I lost you, I ran upstairs and found Erik. He said he'd take care of it."
"He did," Adam promised, pleased to see his friend perk up at being mentioned. "He came in and helped break up the fight, then took me to Alyssa to get patched up."
"Really?" Nila turned to Erik with a grateful smile, causing the boy to blush up a storm. "Thank you, Erik."
"No problem." Erik wasn't as good at the nonchalant approach, but after seeing it work for Adam so often, he still had to try. Whether it was his answer or the act of saving Adam itself, the tight hug he received certainly seemed reward enough for the boy.
"So what happens now?"
"Now, I get some rest," Adam not-so-subtly hinted. "Kind of a long day today."
"No, I mean after, idiot," Nila shot back. The simple insult felt more natural. A sign that her initial panic was dying down now that he was back. "Are you in any trouble?"
"None yet." And he wouldn't be in any if Pika and his friends didn't cause any. Given that he'd hurt all four of them in a horribly uneven fight, he doubted they'd be eager to admit what really happened. "But don't worry about it. I told Pika not to mess with you anymore."
"It's all my fault," Nila lamented. "He's just…just…such a pain! And with you guys gone all day, I guess I got carried away."
"No. You're fine," Adam promised. "No matter what happened, he had no right to do that to you. Got it?" Nila nodded without thinking. "Good. And if he gives you any more trouble, just come tell us. We'll sort it out with him."
Mentioning Erik would hopefully keep her from worrying too much. In reality, if Pika ever hurt Nila again, he knew they'd come to blows in an instant. He wouldn't tolerate anything less.
"But for now, all I want to do is get some food and some sleep, okay? I'll be better in the morning. You'll see."
"I'll keep an eye on him," Erik added, which seemed to help Nila calm down even more.
"O-okay then. I can go grab some food for you two, if you want." Erik and Adam readily agreed, both because Adam didn't feel like walking right now and so Nila could contribute somehow. The thought seemed to cheer her. Before she turned to leave, though, Nila hesitated nervously beside his bed before surging forward for one more hug.
No one in the room missed the quick kiss to his cheek at the end, though.
"Thank you, Adam," Nila whispered before scampering out of the room. Adam gently touched his cheek. Even if it had only been the briefest peck, it still felt warm to him somehow.
Maybe this hero business wasn't so bad after all.
A cough from Erik interrupted his thoughts. Adam shook the moment free before asking, "So why were you in the weight room? I didn't know you'd been working out."
"Because I didn't tell you," Erik admitted.
"Why not? We could've worked out together. I could've helped."
"Because I needed to do something myself, okay?" Erik complained loudly. With a sigh, he calmed back down and explained, "I know you've been working harder to pick up my slack at the mill, Adam. And now, you're running off alone to defend us. I guess I got tired of being the weak link, is all."
"You're not-"
"Weak? You don't have to sugarcoat it." Erik flexed his arm, but there was practically nothing to show. "I can't hope to keep up like this."
"I've been working at it for years," Adam assured his friend.
"I know! I'm not gonna catch you overnight or anything, but I also know I'm never gonna stand a chance if I don't start somewhere." Erik shrugged as he looked away. "I'm grateful for all your help, but I wanted to do this one on my own."
Adam wanted to feel upset at being excluded, but honestly, all he felt was respect for his smaller friend. Being forced to improve was one thing. Motivating yourself alone took real effort.
'Alright."
"Alright?" Erik repeated, apparently expecting more pushback.
"Alright. If you wanna do this on your own, then do it. You don't need my permission." Not that he'd have even bothered giving it if asked. That would only belittle Erik further. "But maybe we could work out together once in a while?"
"No reason to keep it secret now," Erik admitted. "In fact, looking back, it was kinda foolish anyways."
"It happens."
"Well, maybe once you're feeling better, we can start running in the mornings?" Erik asked.
Considering how many times Adam had tried to force Erik to join him, he could hardly disagree. "Sounds good to me. Try to go easy on me, though."
The two boys laughed at the absurdity, knowing full well that Adam could literally run laps around Erik without much effort.
"He's not gonna stop, is he?" Erik finally questioned, breaking the humorous mood.
Adam wished he could say yes, but they both knew Pika wouldn't let this go so easily. Luckily, Adam had put the target squarely on his back for now. "Probably not, but that's for me to worry about, okay? It's my choice."
"What can we do, though?" Erik kept his voice down, lest their roommates overhear. "I don't want to just hide behind you every time he's around. And he'll back down more if there's two of us that can fight. So what can we do?"
Adam looked Erik directly in the eye as he answered, "We get stronger. We make sure we're strong enough to never have to fear him again."
Got more things being put in motion. Looking back over the last few chapters, I've been getting a lot of things rolling recently. Getting to be time to really hit the meat of this arc. Some of it's already here with escalating tensions between Pika and Adam, while he's also getting closer to his friends. Really ramping up for the main conflict of the chapter soon, which I'm both dreading and eager for, as it's going to be a major factor throughout the later parts of the story. A lot of the signs are there, but I'll hold off just a little longer before the big hit.
At the very least, we get to see an early breakthrough of Adam's rage mode. When he gets worked up enough, he kinda loses it, just like he did at the end of Volume 6 (mixed with some nerfing by production, but that's for another rant). To be fair, letting Pika walk all over him was never going to work. Someone had to do something, and Adam decided it would be him.
Anyways, I hope to be back on schedule next week. I'm mostly recovered, but my wife is still recovering (sharing isn't always caring, btw), so I'll be working from home for a bit until we're cleared. Honestly looking forward to some time out of the office. Definitely due for some time off soon. Hopefully this all clears up over the weekend so I can get things back on track before next Friday.
Next chapter: Adam gives up on being silently oppressed.