"It's so weird having so many S-tier Heroes. I didn't even know there were this many of us."
"And apparently, no one sleeps."
After the chaos in the gym, another chaos followed. This time, however, it was quieter. If they were back in the USA, it would've already been three in the morning—and yet none of them were in their quarters at all.
They were all gathered in the cafeteria, half of them struggling to eat the food provided for them.
"I thought we were going to eat from those packets that look like toothpaste," one of them said, clumsily floating in the air as he tried to catch the chicken wing he accidentally let go of.
"Look, look. The chicken's still alive."
"Stop being such a child."
"...Oh."
And indeed, instead of meals that would be easy for them to consume, the IBAA and Sisa's people opted for more traditional meals. Their goal, after all, as they have sorely repeated, was to get them used to different levels of gravity.
"This looks really ridiculous. Before this, I hadn't even met another S-tier Hero."
"Same. You're… Bong the Ten Blades, right?"
"You know who I am? I… actually also know who you are. Helma the One-winged Violinist, right," Bong said, scratching the back of his head. "I guess it kinda makes sense for us to know each other's names?"
"It does." Helma nodded. "And I agree—looking at us like this, it feels like we are just normal people. It feels… refreshing. Back in my country, I can't even make a decision without my government's permission."
"But, you're an S-tier Hero?" Bong raised an eyebrow, grabbing onto the table as he exhaled too deeply.
"I'm… a woman of my country first." Helma shook her head. "Let's… not talk about that anymore."
"Is that why you accepted this mission?" Bong's eyebrows lowered. "Just to… get away from them?"
"Of course not." Helma waved him off. "Our planet is in trouble. Why wouldn't I come?"
"You'd be surprised." Bong pulled himself down, curling his leg around the table stand so that he wouldn't float away. "Anyway, yeah… I'm like really shocked to see this many S-tier Heroes in one place when I haven't even met one of you. I thought you'd… all be scarier and more arrogant."
"...Are you scary and arrogant?" Helma blinked.
"No…?"
"Then why would you think we would be?" She tilted her head, genuinely confused at his words.
"T—Ugh."
Before Bong could answer, however, someone suddenly slammed into him from behind, wrapping an arm over his shoulders.
"Because this guy loves reading too many novels," the man smiled at Helma before reaching his hand out. "My name's Nick."
"I… know who you are." Helma hesitated. She stared at Nick's hand for a few seconds, gulping before she finally shook his hand. "You're the Roar of Ashes."
"That, I am." Nick nodded several times before shaking Bong. "We're best friends."
"...You said you've never met any other S-tier Heroes." Helma squinted.
"Tch…" Bong looked to the side, swatting Nick's arm away. "I don't consider this motherfucker S-tier. Don't talk to him, he's a perv. Man, get out of here."
"Don't listen to him. He loves me." Nick smiled. "Anyway, what are you guys talking about?"
"That… about how many S-tier Heroes are here?" Helma nodded. "And how we look like ordinary people."
"But we're not." Nick pushed himself from Helma, opening his arms as he floated in the air. "We are expendable!"
And as soon as he said that, Bong's expression changed. He quickly floated toward his friend, covering his mouth. It wasn't only Bong, everyone there who was just trying to eat all turned quiet.
Nick didn't have to shout that at all, however, as that was the reason why they were all there and not sleeping—all of them knew that they might not be coming back to Earth.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Bong whispered loudly, dragging Nick back to their table. "No one wants that depressing shit."
"What? It's true. This is a suicide mission. Look, she's even dressed like it." Nick pointed to Helma.
"Bro. You did not just say that. What the fuck?" Bong's eyes widened. He quickly turned his eyes toward Helma, but Helma didn't seem to mind at all and was even quietly laughing.
"Psh. It's fine. Everyone here's already accepted our sorry fate." Nick rolled his eyes before leaning closer. "The only one that's not sacrificing anything here is him."
Nick then pointed toward a particular table, and both Helma and Bong pushed his arm down at the same time.
He was pointing at Adam, who was casually eating with Sylvie like the rest of them.
"What? I'm saying the truth." Nick shrugged. "Dude's fucking immortal."
"We shouldn't talk like that," Helma said. "He is the only X-tier Hero who showed."
"Because he can. He's immortal."
"That's exactly why he doesn't need to," Helma argued. "Even if the Earth is destroyed, Adam will survive."
"Okay. He's strong, but I don't think he's that strong. He's still—wait a minute. Are you from the CoA?" Nick smirked.
"Do I look like I'm from the CoA?" Helma raised an eyebrow. And Bong, who was feeling the tension between the two building up, quickly moved between them—literally. He floated on top of the table.
"Can we just fucking eat?" Bong grumbled. "You said it yourself, Nick. If this will be the last of our meals, then I would very much like to finish and enjoy it with good company and new friends. Stop being so negative. We're all… going to survive thi—fuck. That's a red flag. I just said a red flag."
Bong started scratching his hair, grumbling to himself.
Their conversations weren't that uncommon on the ship. Some of them even shared Nick's opinion on Adam—but at the end of the day, they were all risking something to be there. They knew it.
And the only thing they could really do to distract themselves was to train, and train. And train.
No one really spent time in their quarters at all, except to spend some time alone for a while or to get dressed.
They all spent their time either talking to each other or sparring in the gym. Soon, however, they all turned quiet.
Half of the Heroes were actually all waiting at the hangar already, most of them seated on the floor with their eyes closed, and some stretching or fidgeting with their abilities.
"F-fuck… I can't stop shaking." Bong has been hitting his leg to calm himself down, but it was doing nothing at all. "I've faced fucking monsters as large as the Eiffel Tower. Why the fuck am I nervous?"
Nick, who had a lot to say the past day they were together, was eerily quiet. He glanced at Helma, who'd been praying since earlier—to his surprise, however, Helma was actually saying a prayer from the Church of Adam.
"You… said you weren't from the CoA?" Nick whispered, biting his lip as his words almost stuttered. "Ah, crap. I should've stayed home. Why did I let you drag me into this?"
"Shut up. But… speaking of the CoA…" Bong started looking around. "Where's… Adam?"
As soon as he said that, everyone's eyes followed Sylvie, who flew toward Sisa, who was leading the front.
They couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was obvious what they were talking about, or who—Adam.
Before any one of them could float closer, a sudden boom erupted throughout the entire ship as it shook violently. If they were standing on the floor, all of them would've surely stumbled from how hard the ship quaked.
"Hull… C5?" Sisa quickly looked toward the hangar door, and the surface changed into a screen showing what had caused the damage. "Are we under attack already?!"
The footage, however, instantly answered her question.
"Isn't that…"
"That's Adam!" One of the Heroes pointed out.
And indeed, it was Adam.
"What… is he doing?"
And there, they all saw it. Adam clumsily hugging the walls of the ship… and then using the canister of oxygen provided for them to make sure he was doing so. They all watched him place his feet on the hull, tapping on it several times.
And then, with a nod, he kneeled and just launched himself away, which caused the earlier tremor.
Sisa raised a finger to change the footage, now zooming onto Adam… who was now shooting at an insane speed away from them.
Sylvie gasped at this. But soon, a smile crept on her face.
"You're… still the same," she whispered.
"Shit… how fast is he going?!"
"There's… no resistance in space. So one could go as fast—"
"Shut up, nerd! Look at him go! Where…"
And then, after several seconds, they all saw him land on a large rock—Phobos. No one saw the landing, but as soon as the ship's lens zoomed further, a crater bloomed across the moon's surface.
They then watched as Adam started to fly along the moon's surface… before finally being in direct parallel to their target.
"That… that's the bellethers' ship?! It… it's fucking huge!"
"What the hell is he—Wait a minute. He can't possibly be doing what I think he's doing…"
Before any of them could start whatever speculations they had on their minds… Adam once again leapt. This time, destroying a huge part of Phobos.
They all saw the bellether ship glow, its shield flaring. Nothing happened at first, but it only took a moment… before the entire behemoth moved.
None of the S-tier Heroes could even say anything anymore. The only thing they could all do was watch as the colossal ship, a ship even larger than the one they were on…
…was pushed toward Mars' atmosphere by a single man.