8:00 A.M.
Chief Matsumoto was a man of his word and fulfilled his promise to call Shun first thing in the morning. Given that the older man had a busy schedule, he hoped to give the young Saint of Athena the information he needed as early as possible.
"So you have a strong feeling that the next arms deal will take place at the docks? Why is it that you think that?" The Andromeda Saint inquired, speaking with an ear pressed next to his phone and his eyes looking down on the scrambled files of the case he had been assigned to.
"I'm just trusting my gut on this one, Shun." The police chief replied on the other side of the line. "But you have to think about it this way: the docks have the most secluded areas any scumbag could use to hide their secrets. And if this weapons dealer is smart enough to try and sell his product again, then he will definitely set-up shop there."
"That does make sense." The Andromeda Saint admitted, agreeing with the logic. "So it's the weapons dealer who I should be focusing on." Shun stated, confidently, earning a pleased hum from the police chief. "From what I read, he's been giving away these guns at reasonable prices for all of the gangs in the city."
"He's our culprit, alright. And it is your job to bring him in. You'll be doing us a major favor if you pull this off, Shun."
"Don't worry, sir. I promise I won't fail you." He spoke with a kind smile on his face.
"You better not. You weren't cheap for me to hire." At that, the Andromeda Saint chuckled softly.
"Noted. I'll see you later, Mr.Matsumoto." He hung up the phone and began gathering all of the papers that were laid on his kitchen countertop. It wouldn't be wise to leave such valuable information out in the open. While no one besides himself was living inside his spacious apartment, paid by Saori's wealth, he didn't want to treat the files that so many men poured their blood, sweat, and tears into like common mail.
After putting all of the papers in a neat stack and slipping them all inside the file folder, he walked out of the kitchen and went into his bedroom. He approached the desk drawer that was laid at the corner of the room and pulled open the single drawer, securely placing the folder inside, and shortly closing the drawer.
Humming in satisfaction, he exited his room and entered his kitchen to make some breakfast.
*RIIIIIIIIIINNG*
The phone interrupted his current thoughts for breakfast. Putting the desire for some food aside, he walked up to the phone and picked it up.
"Hello?" He asked whoever was calling him.
"Hey, baby brother."
Shun's lips curved into the brightest smile that could outshine the morning sun. "Ikki! I wasn't expecting you to call so soon."
He overheard his older brother's amused scoff. "I can't believe you would think of me so lowly, Shun."
Shun rolled his eyes and gently shook his head, but his smile remained. "Says the one who is barely in the mood to come visit his family. Tell me, when was the last time you visited me?"
"Alright, alright, alright, don't go around busting my chops, little brother." The Andromeda Saint could hear the shift in his brother's tone. "I promise that I'll come visit you when Thanksgiving comes up. I should be done with my stuff over here by tomorrow."
At that, Shun nodded. "That sounds good to me. So, how has Miami been treating you? I hope that the change in scenery isn't too much of a bother."
"Eh, the beaches are kind of nice, but it sure as hell is loud over here." Shun chuckled softly, already familiar with Ikki's disdain of constant loud noises.
He learned that when he played one of his favorite heavy metal albums a bit too loudly.
"Then it is a good thing that you're almost done with your work. Spend another day over there and you'll probably snap." The Andromeda Saint joked.
"Yeah, I think I've had my fill of this place. Anyways, I'll stop bothering you and go on about my day. Take care of yourself, baby brother." The Phoenix Saint uttered that last sentence with a softer, more tender voice that was reserved for the last bit of family he had left.
"You look after yourself as well, big brother. I'll be rooting for you from here." A few more words of departure later, and Shun hung up the phone, leaving his apartment in the air of silence he has grown accustomed to.
He loved his older brother, forever and always will. The few who were close to him knew how much love and admiration he had for the Phoenix Saint when they met him for the very first time.
But he would be lying if he wasn't frustrated by how insistent his brother was to not settle down. He has told him, time and time again, that his apartment was also his home, and that he wouldn't mind if he decided to live with him. They were a family, after all. It was a universal rule that a family should always do their best to stay close.
Ikki did not share his little brother's views on how a family should be. While it was expected that two brothers wouldn't always come to an agreement on some things, that was exactly what bothered Shun when he was left to think about the absence of his older brother...
He placed his elbows on the counter, bending his body as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His older brother had just shown the decency to call him as Thanksgiving was getting closer and closer. He couldn't let his mind drift to those thoughts about brotherly disagreements and the importance of family that often left him frustrated and upset. He had to remain positive, for his friends, his brother, Saori, and himself.
"I guess this is what happens when I don't eat. I should know better." He chastised to himself, a smile tugging at his lips.
He got off his counter and began sorting through the ingredients and foods he had in his fridge. He knew exactly what he wanted to eat for today.
"Now, where did I leave those chocolate chip pancakes?"
...
4:00 P.M.
8 hours later...
Turning the transparent glass knob of the shower to one side, the Andromeda Saint stepped out of the tub. He slid on a fluffy green bathrobe over his glistening figure and tied the soft green belt into a neat bow.
Sighing in immense relief, he exited his bathroom and threw himself over his bed, his body melting into the unbelievably soft mattress, almost as if it was trying to trap him into a cocoon of comfort that he wouldn't dare try to get out of.
"Just another day of modeling, Shun. This shouldn't be a huge struggle for you." He spoke to himself, an attempt to raise his spirits after enduring another demanding day at his modeling job. He foolishly thought that modeling would be a somewhat easy job, that all he had to do was just pose for the cameras and nothing else.
First day of his job, and he was immediately proven wrong.
Modeling may have not been a job that demanded the most physical exertion, but trying to maintain the pose and facial expression that effectively captured the desired emotion that would sell the product, for extended periods of time, did put a lot of strain on his muscles. Not to mention how he felt mentally exhausted for trying his absolute best to not break character in front of everyone and ruin the momentum of the shoot.
Shun knew that he didn't have to model, not when Saori always paid him and the rest of the Saints a hefty amount of money that would make most blue-collar workers envious. Even if his temporary modeling gig could pay just as handsomely, he didn't join the modeling business to earn a large paycheck.
As nice as that may have sounded for many young teens, making large sums of money from his looks wasn't something he was obsessed with.
No, the reason why he joined the modeling business was far more personal: he needed to do something when his duties as a Saint of Athena did not require his presence, or when he wanted to take a break from his duties and indulge himself with the pleasures of the modern world.
The Andromeda Saint may have wielded a power that would have put a few Gods to shame, but he was still a human at the end of the day. And just like any human, he had limits. He didn't want to spend his entire life fighting against the evil and sinister forces that lurked in the darkest corners of the universe. Even though he wouldn't hesitate to fight for truth and justice, even throw his entire life away if it meant saving the life of one innocent soul, his heart longed to enjoy what he couldn't as a child.
He and his older brother were orphans ever since he was a baby. Both of them had to spend a large chunk of their childhood living on the streets, doing their best to survive with the scraps they were given. While he knew that during that dark period in their life, he couldn't have everything his heart desired. But now? Laying down in the silky soft blankets of his bed, wearing the most comfortable bathrobe over his body, he was finally glad that he could buy everything he wanted.
And he had Saori to thank for.
"Guess this is one of my rewards for becoming the Saint of Andromeda." He concluded inside his mind, smiling, and grateful that his life was looking a lot better compared to back then. While he wished that it was a bit more stable, and free from the chaos of war, he could still appreciate what he had in the present.
Enjoying the cloud-like softness of his mattress for another moment, he got off the bed and approached his desk drawer, taking out the folder Chief Matsumoto had given him. He returned to his bed and got comfortable against the headboard, using the silk green pillows as a makeshift seat.
He already had a good grasp of who these gangs were and where their intentions lied, so he didn't bother rereading what he already knew. He was a lot more concerned about the main suspect, the one who is feeding fuel to the fire between all of the gangs in Tokyo: the weapons dealer, a man the police labeled as 'The Man With The Evil Grin'.
But before Shun focused on The Man With The Evil Grin, he had to turn back to a week ago, when two small groups of different Bosozoku gangs were engaged in a gunfight on the Tokyo Expressway. The end of this shocking and gruesome battle resulted in the deaths of seven Bosozoku members, six died by the gunfire, and one died from a bike crash. The only surviving member was sent to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.
When the police came in and questioned where he and his companions got access to such dangerous weapons, he claimed that they bought it from a man wearing a mask that sported the largest, most absurd grin he had ever seen.
At first, they didn't quite believe the answer they had gotten. An arms dealer wearing a Halloween mask sounded like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, so they opted to write off his answer as a result of his injuries scrambling his memories, tricking him into believing something that wasn't there.
So the police left him alone for the doctors to tend to him. They would return once his head was in better shape.
The recovering Bosozoku member would later be found dead in the hospital restroom. The cause of his death was a bullet going straight through his head.
The nurses heard a gunshot go off in the bathroom a minute before they found his body. They stated that no one went inside the restroom except for him. The police knew that this wasn't a suicide, it was an assassination.
The minute word got out about the murder and the context surrounding it, the PSIA got involved. Things have gotten serious and it was time for everyone to stop messing around with any and all details.
Not even a day after the murder, another gunfight erupted in the mountains of Tokyo. The aftermath, however, was far more bloody than the previous. Twelve Bosozoku members died, and only two were found alive.
After getting rushed to the hospital, they were interviewed by the PSIA. Their answers were similar: they got their weaponry from an arms dealer wearing a mask.
The PSIA and the police, no longer choosing to remain doubtful, knew who they had to go after. And it was clear that they needed to proceed with the utmost caution. They were going to be facing firearms, so it was absolutely necessary that they play their cards right if they wanted to bring down the arms dealer.
Unfortunately, their first attempt to catch him was an absolute failure, and an absolute massacre.
After finding the location of the next arms exchange via the local newspaper, which the surviving Bosozoku stated that they would find the next location by deciphering the code from various advertisements found inside the various ads inside said newspaper, they sent in the specially trained anti firearms unit to bring down the arms dealer, and to finally put these gang wars to an end.
Dozens of police officers lost their lives when one of the Bosozoku grabbed an assault rifle and fired the first shot. And when the gunfire died down, all that was left was dozens of dead bodies littering the ground, staining the concrete stone with puddles of crimson. After the crime scene was cleaned up and all the weapons of the Bosozoku were confiscated, it was discovered that some of them were specifically designed to pierce the most durable body armor.
No one could get any answers as to how these weapons came into the possession of the arms dealer because a few hours after that devastating defeat, the arms dealer would perish after a head on collision with a truck.
Even though the majority of law enforcement was not happy with this outcome, at least the city could rest easily knowing that there would be no more gunfights raging in the streets.
They weren't aware that they had just jinxed themselves.
The shootouts returned, and they went from bad to worse. It was two days after the police and the PSIA suffered their great loss, and another gunfight erupted in the slums of Tokyo, claiming the lives of both the Bosozoku and a few innocent civilians who were caught in the path of the raging gunfire.
The peaceful, uneventful days the people of Tokyo were so accustomed to was eviscerated in the span of a few minutes.
The city was quickly turning into a war zone. And if the gang wars kept on continuing and growing in scale... Everyone dreads to think about the damage they would leave behind.
The PSIA and police went back to work and more investigation took place. Eventually, it was revealed that another arms dealer was selling high quality firearms to the Bosozoku. And just like the previous dealer, he donned a bright pink mask with a wide grin.
This is where things became strange: the arms dealer that replaced the previous. Not only was he wearing the exact same mask as the previous, but he was also a member of a local yakuza family, made obvious by the pin he wore on his suit jacket.
At this, Shun found it incredibly odd. Why was this supposed member of a yakuza family involved in such a risky business venture? And what did his mask symbolize? Was he a part of an organization that operated outside of the country?
*RIIIIIIIIIINNG*
Shun's thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing from the kitchen.
"Wonder who that could be." He curiously muttered to himself, putting the folder to the side.
Getting off his bed and adjusting his robe, he walked into his kitchen and grabbed the phone from the answering machine.
"Hello, who is this?"
"It's Chief Matsumoto, Shun." The mature and collected voice of the police chief greeted him.
"Chief Matsumoto!" Shun replied, showing a little more enthusiasm. "How has your evening been treating you?"
"Nothing more but dealing with the usual paperwork." At that, he and Shun shared a minor chuckle. "What have you been up to, kid?"
Taking a seat at his table, he replied. "I've just been reviewing the case file you have given me. I'm just making sure that I understand what we're dealing with here."
"That's good, because we're gonna need you for tomorrow night."
"What's gonna go down tomorrow?" The Andromeda Saint asked, his laid back attitude shifting completely.
"My hunch was proven right, Shun. My men have deciphered where the next arms deal is going to take place. Kid, this is your time to prove yourself."
...
One day later...
10:00 P.M.
Crouching on top of a stack of shipping containers sitting near the pier, Shun, now wearing the Cloth of Andromeda, looked around the open yet secluded spot where the arms deal would be taking place. It was nighttime, and the only source of illumination he got was the distant golden glow of the city's bright lights.
It was a shame that he couldn't spend the rest of the night admiring the beauty of the city lighting up the night with its array of dazzling lights.
But he had to put aside his loss for city admiring tonight. There were criminals that needed to be brought to justice, and he could not afford to let down his city and its police force.
He craned his head to the subtle revving of an engine, the source hidden behind the containers.
A few minutes passed until he saw a large van. Every inch of the vehicle's shell was painted in the darkest shade of black that could have seamlessly blended into the shadows if it wasn't for the headlights lighting up the path ahead.
The large and soft curved vehicle softly screeched to a halt, its headlights and engine shutting off. Shun heard the door of the driver's seat opening, and a few seconds later, his emerald gaze was locked on the arms walking up and opening the rear doors of his van to pull out multiple black crates, stacking them on top of eachother.
The Andromeda Saint took a moment to analyze the mask he wore over his face.
From the long ears all the way to the chin, the mask was professionally painted in a bright, reddish pink color. There weren't any hollowed eye holes for the eyes of the man to see through, which should have brought up the question as to how he was even able to drive so well without causing any accidents. Although, the absence of the mask's eye sockets wasn't what grabbed Shun's attention.
The mouth of the mask was a comically wide and large grin that stretched from one end of the mask to the other, showing off rows of thick teeth and the detailed gums of the grin.
Shun wasn't the type to be so easily frightened by a Halloween mask, but he would admit that the lack of eye sockets and the absurdly wide grin that would be aimed at whoever was in front could make some people feel uncomfortable, perhaps even make them feel nervous and threatened if the one wearing the mask chose to never speak.
Though, there was one thing that Shun found peculiar about his mask, besides the large grin. At the center of the forehead area, there was a logo painted in a contrasting white color. The logo was a combination of a cross circle and a heart. The heart, placed at the center of the cross circle, had the phrase 'Love You' written in blood red streaks.
Whenever a logo is present on a mask, it is created to mostly focus on creating an aesthetic appeal. But Shun's intuition told him that the arms dealer's unique heart logo was there for more than just aesthetics.
"So I guess that this is the arms dealer I'm supposed to take care of. But is he seriously manning this entire deal on his own? Why doesn't he have any bodyguards around him?"
This was a very dangerous game this man was playing, and if one wrong move was made, either by him or his customers, it could tip the scales between living and dying. And already, he has made one fatal mistake: conducting his business without any bodyguards to protect him in case things went wrong.
Either this illegal arms dealer was so incredibly confident that things would go his way, that having a few bodyguards to protect him was out of the question, or he wasn't aware of the dangers that lay ahead.
Shun knew that by the time he would make his presence known, then everything was going to go south. That is when he would have to do everything in his power to prioritize his safety. He promised Chief Matsumoto that he would bring in the arms dealer alive, and a Saint never went back on their promises.
He turned his head to the loud yet distant roars of a group of motorcycle engines approaching. From the edges of the containers, he could see the light from their bikes grow larger and larger as they got closer.
Eventually, the Bosozoku pulled around the corner, driving up to the arms dealer in their heavily customized motorcycles that gave them their unique, rebellious identity.
The one leading the pack was a young man who looked like he was around the age of Shun's older brother. Going by how he was the only one wearing a long coat over his jumpsuit, he had to be the leader of the Bosozoku gang, or at least one of its more significant figures.
When the alpha of the pack stopped his bike, so did all of his followers. Getting off the bike, the others shortly following suit, the leader of the Bosozoku pack walked up to the arms dealer with a confident swagger in his step.
"Oi, you got what we need here?" The Bosozoku leader 'asked', crossing his arms.
"That, and a whole lot more." The masked arms dealer replied in a sinister, jovial tone. "I hope it isn't rude of me to ask, but do you have the money on you?" He added in, clasping both of his hands together while he slightly bent his body down, his mask looking directly at the leader.
"Yes, we do. Takashi!" The leader shouted to one of his goons, who immediately and obediently brought over a small leather bag. Shun did not have to guess what was inside once the zipper was being pulled open.
The goon presented the opened bag to the arms dealer. The man angled his eyeless mask to look inside, if he could even see what was inside in the first place.
"Yes, yes, this will do just fine." Seemingly satisfied with what he 'saw', he snatched the bag from the hands of the Bosozoku and dropped it to the ground next to him.
"Now then, what would you like for tonight, boys? I have everything you need right here." He turned to the small stack of crates and opened the box at the very top, dramatically revealing a compacted sized, rectangular shaped gun.
"What in the world?" Was the first thought that ran through Shun's mind, curious and interested by the design of the oddly shaped gun.
"The hell is this? A toy?" The leader of the Bosozoku group demanded as he grabbed the base of the gun, turning it from side to side, trying his best to make sense of what he was currently looking at.
"No, it isn't a toy. Do not let its weird shape fool you boy, this right here," The arms dealer snatched the gun away from the Bosozoku's hands, raising the firearm high into the air for everyone to see, "is the P90. Quite possibly the most devastating SMG you'll ever get your hands on."
"How so?" One of the Bosozoku grunts from the back asked.
Shun could easily imagine the grin underneath the man's mask widening. "You see, this gun has a one of a kind ammunition that is specifically designed to pierce through any body that exists on the market. Wherever it goes, it will be like a baseball going through wet tissue."
"Really? So if the cops come out with their body armor, that SMG," The Bosozoku pack leader pointed to the gun held in the hands of the arms dealer, "will annihilate them no problem?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying." The arms dealer proudly said, handing back the SMG to the Bosozoku. The teenage delinquent looked at the firearm with a newfound appreciation, swindled by the words of the arms dealer.
"Oh, I am definitely going to enjoy playing with this little beauty. How many more do you get for the rest of my boys?"
"I have plenty for everyone here!" The masked man joyfully exclaimed as he walked back with his arms outstretched. "So please, wait here for a bit while I get you your presents."
As the masked man went to his van to fetch the Bosozoku some extra guns, Shun thought about everything he had just witnessed.
If the Bosozoku go into the streets with those SMGs in hand, the destruction they will cause is going to reach the highest levels of chaos the city-no, the country has ever seen. The young Saint of Athena could already imagine the many innocent lives that would be lost by the battles they would initiate with their rivals.
He was not going to let that-
"Huh?" The chain that was dangling from his right gauntlet defied gravity as its speared end shifted and floated in the air. Shun has become incredibly familiar with the 'behaviors' his chains would display before a fight, and right now, his chains were warning him of a distant enemy.
Looking away from the Bosozoku group, he directed his focus to where his chain was aiming at. And, for a split second, a gleam from a scope hit his vision.
A shot went off, emitting a loud snap that sounded like a single thunderbolt booming during a storm.
Shun moved his head to the side, effectively dodging the bullet that was aimed at his cranium. On pure reflex, he countered by sending forth his left chain, his weapon extending to unbelievable lengths as it headed towards the sniper.
The would-be assassin was sent flying off the containers when the ball attachment of Shun's chain crashed into his head, neutralizing him in one blow.
Unfortunately, the single shot he fired from his rifle would be the spark that would set the quiet night on fire.
"SHIT! The cops are here!!" That singular shout was enough for the rest of the gang to scramble to the crates to get an SMG and ready themselves for an incoming gunfight.
"If that's how it's gonna go down tonight, then let's give these pigs a taste of their own medicine!" The leader showed a lot more excitement than alarm as he arrogantly raised his gun high into the air.
His arrogance would quickly be proven to be a major mistake as the wrist holding his SMG would be wrapped around by a chain, the metal tightening into a vice-like grip.
Before the Bosozoku leader could grasp the painful pressure of metal digging into his skin, the chain coiled around his wrist was pulled up, disarming him and lifting his feet off the ground, before it was brought down, generating enough force to bring him down to the hard and rough surface ground. The front of his face was the first to make harsh contact with the stone, which resulted in the Bosozoku leader being knocked out of commission without inflicting any lethal injuries.
One of his men turned to the commotion behind him, immediately becoming shocked once he saw their leader slumped unconscious on the ground.
This, of course, worsened the already high paranoia of the Bosozoku grunts.
"The hell!? Who just knocked out our Aniki!?"
The arms dealer standing quietly in the background finally made his decision to flee; an action he should have acted upon ever since he heard the first shot go off. Because of his late action, he drew the attention of the alarmed and paranoid Bosozoku grunts, most of whom had armed themselves with the firearms he had given them.
And, because their minds were riddled with paranoia, they would make absurd, nonsensical assumptions about the situation they were trapped in.
"Damn it, the damn gun dealer sold us off to the cops!! GET HIM!" That was the accusation that was thrown out.
Agreeing with the accusation, one of the Bosozoku from the front tried to aim the muzzle of their SMG to the fleeing arms dealer, key word 'tried' as he was sent flying into his comrades standing behind him from a metal ball being slammed into the side of his head, courtesy of the Andromeda Saint who has chosen to leap from his hiding spot and into the sights of the Bosozoku group.
"W-WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU!?" A Bosozoku wearing a bandana around his head screamed to the Andromeda Saint, a mixture of youthful rage and utter confusion was present in his eyes.
"A guy who is trying to do the right thing here." Shun calmly replied, his emerald green eyes staring down all of the bikers while wearing a calm and neutral expression.
Agitated by the intervention of the Andromeda Saint, all of the Bosozoku pointed their guns at him. "Dammit! Get that son of a bitch!"
"Nebula Chain!!" Shun leaped into the air and whipped both of his chains forward, unleashing a storm of chains from thin air and sending them to take down the Bosozoku.
But Shun did more than just unleash a barrage of ruthless metal snakes to strike down his opponents. Because his weapons possessed a certain extent of sentience, they would mostly follow what he wanted while engaged in a fight. There were some moments when his chains would go against his commands, but that only ever happened back when he was still a rookie.
So, with a lot more experience under his belt, his chains followed their master's command to disarm and immobilize the enemy. He saw the spear end of his chains attack the wrists of the Bosozoku, which knocked their guns away from their grasp, while the ball end of the other chains would strike directly at their solar plexus, knocking the wind out of their lungs, causing them to drop to the floor like flies.
Landing on the ground and mentally commanding his weapons to return, all of the chains that were sent forward disintegrated into barely visible particles, and the two chains that were connected to his arms returned to him, shrinking to their normal length.
With no other hostile to be seen, Shun turned to where the arms dealer fled to and high jumped to the stacks of containers. The chains of Andromeda would help him track down where the masked criminal was heading to. Stretching his right gauntlet to the cool air of the night, the sharp end of his weapon floated, the speared edge pointing to his left.
"Thanks, Nebula." The Andromeda Saint whispered to his chain. Letting his chain return, his body radiated a faint pink glow. When he moved, his entire body moved faster than the speed of sound, his entire being morphing into a blur of pink. And thanks to the mystical properties of his Cosmos, he did not have to worry about releasing a shockwave that would have otherwise caused massive damage to the entire area.
In under a literal second, he caught up to the masked arms dealer, appearing right in front of him faster than the eye could blink, bringing him to a grinding halt.
His face may have not been visible, but it wasn't hard for Shun to imagine the shocked expression underneath.
"Where in the world did you come from!?"
"Where I came from doesn't matter, sir." The Andromeda Saint dismissively replied, standing tall in front of the masked criminal. "Surrender right here, and no one else has to get hurt tonight."
"I'm afraid that won't be happening, Saint of Andromeda." Said the masked man.
The mention of his earned title caught him off guard. "You… know who I am? How?" He asked, his emerald green eyes expressing his genuine confusion and worry. Was he playing some sort of mind game, or was it possible that he knows about his life as a Saint of Athena?
"Oh, I know quite a few things about you, pretty boy." He said, his voice sinister and dark, but with an added element of sadistic amusement. "But, I'm afraid that I just ran out of time for you. So for now… be ready for what waits ahead."
"Wait! What is that supposed to… to… mean…" Shun drifted off, his eyes suddenly feeling heavy.
"What… is… happening… to me?" He tried to speak, but his words came out as weak and breathy, his mind getting closer and closer on the brink of shutting down. With his mind failing him, so too did his body. He felt his knees trembling and his legs losing their strength, he could feel himself practically wobbling from side to side.
With his consciousness up against the wall, he gave his chains one final, if desperate command.
"Nebula… protect… me."
The Andromeda Saint could not see if his weapons followed his wishes as his mind finally gave up on him, his vision darkened as his body fell to the ground. The final thing he would see was the grinning mask of the man looking down on him.
"Sleep little Andromeda. You'll need it." Those were the last words of the masked man before everything turned to black…
…
A/N: Happy (late) Christmas, and a beautiful New Years to all my lovely readers!
Even though this story has a very small following, I'm still grateful that a small number of people are interested enough to read this. I'm not an egomaniac, but seeing some support makes me feel like I'm doing something right.
Speaking of New Years, I will share one resolution with all of you. The resolution I have made is that I want to begin writing an all original fantasy story. (I know, a typical start you would probably expect.)
I've just been craving to write something magic and fantasy related for a literal year, and it is about time that I begin with the first few steps. Even if my full part-time job eats up most of my time, I'll find a way to make it work
Anyways, I'll stop rambling and let you all enjoy the holidays!
Again, thank you for the support you all have shown. It means a lot to me.
Goodbye, and take care!