Adam : From a man to a God

Anna began to hear strange noises, the muffled sound of two people arguing as she drifted into consciousness. The voices were loud, yet she couldn't make out a single word. Her eyes fluttered open, greeted by a blinding light that filled the too-bright room. She found herself seated in the center of the room on a cold, metal chair. The back of the chair was tall, and she felt a belt strapping her head to it. Her hands were tightly bound to the armrests, and her legs were tied together, though she could no longer feel them.

Instinctively, she tried to move her legs, but the bitter reminder struck her—she couldn't walk anymore. As her vision cleared, two figures came into focus, standing just a few feet in front of her. "Where am I?" she thought, her heart pounding. She immediately began to struggle against the restraints. The two people arguing came into clearer view: a man dressed in black biker gear and a woman with short brown hair, clad in the same black assassin garb Anna had seen before.

"I told you, I'm just ranked 16, okay? I don't have that kind of information yet! Just give me some more time!" the man pleaded.

"Did it fucking look like we had time?" the woman snapped, pointing a finger at Anna, who looked terrified and bewildered. "How the fuck did they know where we were, anyway?" the woman added.

"I don't know... I think we have a mole," he said.

"A mole? Hahaha..." she laughed derisively. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You really don't know? You're gonna get tortured..." she said, barely able to contain another laugh.

"No, I'm not!" he protested.

"Oh yeah? Can you convince Father you're not the mole?" she challenged, crossing her arms.

"I can. You’ll see," the man said, storming out of the room. He exited through a wall with a small square-shaped glass that slid to the side, his expression angry and determined.

Anna's confusion and fear deepened. The people in front of her spoke as if she weren't even there, yet they had kidnapped her. The woman chuckled before turning to face Anna. "Oh yeah, almost forgot about you. I should let them know you're awake."

"Wait..." Anna's voice cracked, barely audible.

"You can't really talk right now. But don't worry, you'll scream later," the woman said with a dramatic laugh before exiting the room.

Anna turned her head to survey the room. It was painted white, wide, and even the floor was white. The initial brightness had dimmed slightly. She wanted to scream for help, but her throat felt so dry, her voice barely a whisper. "What's going to happen to me?" she thought, despair creeping in.

Atlas (Portal World)**

Adam arrived home and flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling fan slowly rotating above him. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?" he thought, imagining the fan falling and decapitating him. "It wasn't here before," he realized. His mind wandered to the recent victory he, Eddie, and Akira had over Alex's team in class. Instructor Gabriel had mentioned that the next class would focus on their strength. An idea struck him—he needed to do some strength training.

Adam remembered taking Eddie to sign up for the tournaments. He pondered the kind of test they would face tomorrow, his thoughts drifting to the other dorms and the students he hadn't met yet. Sleep eventually claimed him, pulling him into a dream about the orphanage where he had once lived.

In the dream, he sat under a brittle willow tree, idly playing with a stick. A young boy with brown hair called out to him, "Adam!" The boy waved, smiling brightly. The dream was abruptly interrupted as Adam woke with a start. He sat up slowly, shirtless, greeted by the rising sun. He stared at the open window, the wind fluttering the curtains. The sun—was it real? He had never questioned it since arriving in this other world. And then there was that dream. It wasn't just a dream; it was a memory, yet it had felt so vivid.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of the doorbell. Adam removed the blanket from his feet, noticing something unexpected. Despite his god-like abilities—shooting fireballs, leaping over buildings, and punching through walls—he didn't have abs. The doorbell rang again, snapping him back to reality.

"I'm coming," he called out, pulling on a red T-shirt. He left his room and went to the door, opening it to find Eddie standing there.

"Good morning," Eddie greeted.

"Good morning. Isn't it too early for you to be here?" Adam asked.

"What do you mean? Dude, you do know the test starts in an hour, right?" Eddie said, glancing at his wristwatch.

"Oh shit," Adam exclaimed, running back into the house.

"Dude, relax. I said an hour, not five minutes," Eddie said, inviting himself in. "Wow, this house looks amazing," he remarked, awestruck.

"Does he really have to say 'dude' in every sentence?" Adam thought while putting on his shoes. He walked through the corridor to the living room, finding Eddie on the sofa.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me you lived in a beautiful house like this?" Eddie asked.

"I didn't feel the need," Adam replied.

"So, how about a quick warm-up before the test?" Eddie suggested, standing up and stretching.

"A quick warm-up?" Adam echoed.

"Yeah, we don't want to do the test all rusty, do we?" Eddie said.

"What kind of tests are we going to do exactly?" Adam asked.

"They're going to test our strength, speed, and ability to use our powers. Probably because they don't want to bore the spectators with a dull match," Eddie explained.

"Oh," said Adam.

"Yeah, so, where do you train around here?" Eddie asked.

Adam and Eddie entered the training room. "Dude, this is awesome!" Eddie exclaimed, taking in the simulated blue sky and trees with green branches scattered around the area. The short grass rustled slightly in the gentle breeze.

"It's just like the one we train in at the academy, isn't it?" Adam said.

"Yeah, except these trees are a bit shorter here. So, how about that warm-up?" Eddie suggested.

"I brought my speed bracelet," he said, putting it on.

"You want us to test our speed?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Eddie replied, tightening his shoes.

Adam sighed. "This is a bad idea. We've already tested our speed at the academy, and we'll just get tired in the process," he said.

"You're probably right," Eddie admitted. "But come on, it's just a quick run. Okay, first one to reach the end wins," Eddie said, suddenly dashing forward. His unzipped jacket flapped in the wind, his legs digging into the ground, leaving Adam momentarily stunned.

"Cheater!" Adam shouted, taking off after him. Fire ignited under his feet as he ran, evading scattered obstacles. "Has he really gone that far?" he thought. His eyes glowed a bright orange as he increased his speed, the fire under his feet intensifying and leaving a trail of flames on the ground. The world around him blurred—trees flashed by in a cacophony of orange and black, their branches bending away from the heat. A grin spread across his face as he ran, quickly closing the distance.

"Wait!" Adam called out, raising his hand to alert Eddie.

"Wha—" Eddie began but was abruptly cut off as he slammed into an invisible barrier, his face smacking the glowing blue wall. He fell on his butt, grabbing his forehead. "Ow..." he groaned.

Adam skidded to a halt beside him. "I tried to warn you," he said, helping Eddie up.

"Ow... why is this dimension so short?" Eddie complained, touching the barrier as it glowed a dim blue. "We should get going; we don't want to be late," Adam said.

"Yeah, you're right," Eddie agreed.

They left, with Adam carrying a backpack. "What's in the bag?" Eddie asked.

"Just another set of clothes and shoes. And some drinks for when we get there," Adam replied.

"I understand the drinks, but what are the clothes for?" Eddie asked.

"Well, you already know what kind of tournament this is. We've been getting training sessions from Instructor Gabriel, so I'm not taking any chances with this test. For all I know, my clothes could get ruined. They might burn or tear up in the process," Adam explained.

"You're right. I should have brought mine too," Eddie said, scratching his head. "Okay, let's go. First one to reach there wins!" Adam said, taking off, leaving Eddie surprised.

"Cheater!" Eddie yelled, muttering, "You didn't even close the door," as he shut it. He then dashed forward, quickly passing through the small forest and into the city. The morning sun had barely risen.

Adam arrived at the two-story registration building, its sign painted in red with 'Register' written in a unique style. The building itself was painted gray. Eddie arrived moments later, skidding to a halt. "You cheater," he said, lightly punching Adam on the shoulder.

"You did the same," Adam replied.

"Considering your speed, it was pretty fair that time," Eddie said.

"Fair enough," Adam conceded, his eyes focusing on the building.

Just then, they saw a young man, probably their age, stumbling out of the glass double doors, his brown T-shirt ripped and bloodstained. He collapsed, but Adam caught him before he hit the ground. The young man looked exhausted.

"Hey, are you okay?" Adam asked.

"I just took the test. I failed," the young man said, his voice barely audible. Adam and Eddie exchanged nervous glances. Eddie gulped, apprehension settling in.

“Dude, are we gonna survive this?” Eddie asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

**Atlas City (Outside World)**

Anna, still trapped in the room, heard footsteps approaching. The door slid open, revealing a figure stepping inside. The newcomer had black hair and wore blue skinny jeans, black shoes, and an open shirt over a white vest. Anna hadn't eaten for 28 hours, yet hunger was overshadowed by the gnawing fear twisting her stomach. What was Felicity planning to do to her?