CHAPTER 321: GOING HOME

Adam would be lying if he said stomping on the idiots who were rioting wasn’t fun. He knew Greg felt the same way. The smell of ammonia hung heavily in the air after some bulky musclehead tried to pick a fight with Greg, only to find himself utterly outmatched when Greg transformed into his titan form.

The man froze. Too late.

Greg’s punch connected with a sound like a collapsing wall. The guy went flying through a shop window, taking out a display of mannequins and a rack of jackets. Groans followed. Nothing broken that wouldn’t heal.

Adam laughed under his breath. "That felt personal."

"He called me a little man." Greg replied flatly.

Adam didn’t blame him. The guy had it coming, and honestly, so did the rest of them. The crowd was thinning now, scattered by fear and the sudden realization that they were not the strongest people in the room. Shouts echoed in the distance, but no one else stepped up. Not anymore.

A bottle shattered nearby. Someone had thrown it, but it missed entirely and clattered across the sidewalk. Greg turned toward the sound, his massive frame casting a shadow across the storefronts.

Adam stepped forward, boots crunching on broken glass. "Think that’s the last of them?"

"It better be. How could these assholes target an actual orphanage?!" Greg roared with anger. Behind the two of them, a rundown building stood untouched among the chaos.

Behind them, the battered front door creaked open.

A pair of wide eyes peeked out, then a dozen more. Children and adults, refugees from the chaos outside, stared at Greg and Adam with open awe. The youngest kids had their faces pressed against the glass, whispering to each other with frantic excitement.

"That was so cool," one boy breathed. "He punched that guy into a building."

"Did you see how big he got? He was taller than the store!" another shouted.

A little girl pointed at Greg, eyes sparkling. "Can you pick up a car?"

Greg blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... yeah?"

The kids erupted into cheers. One of them darted forward and hugged his leg before retreating again like he was radioactive. He looked at Adam for help. Adam smirked but said nothing.

And then came the real problem.

A group of young women, maybe college age, stepped through the door. One of them had a gash on her forehead, another held a toddler on her hip. They paused when they saw Adam, eyes scanning his face, then his arms, then everything else. One of them straightened her top.

"You’re Adam Samael, right?" one of them asked, her voice full of hope and something else Adam recognized all too well.

Adam’s jaw tightened. He nodded slowly. "That’s me."

The women smiled, eyes scanning him like he was a prize. "We heard the Samael Corporation has the strongest, richest, and most handsome protectors around. Looks like we got lucky."

Adam’s eyes narrowed. "You don’t want me. You want the name I carry. Not the man."

One of the women laughed softly, stepping closer. "What’s the difference? The name protects us."

Adam shook his head. "I’m not here for favors or flattery. I’m here to keep you safe."

Greg watched, amused. "So that’s why you’re the favorite."

Adam gave him a sharp look. "It’s annoying. They don’t care about me. Just what I represent."

The kids tugged at Greg’s sleeves, still wide-eyed and amazed. Greg gave Adam a smug grin. "Maybe I’ll start signing my name."

Adam smirked. "Good luck with that."

He turned back toward the orphanage, the shadowed windows a reminder of the stakes. "We need to move. This place won’t be safe for long."

Greg cracked his knuckles as he remarked with a quizzical expression "So where are we going to take them? You know we are not really the most suited people for ’protection’, right?"

Adam frowned as he realized that he was right. Greg was a tank who used his ability to shift into a bigger body and coating parts of his body in metal to engage in close combat while Adam’s entire fighting style revolved around poison.

Neither of them had any supportive abilities that could protect a large group of people.

Adam gritted his teeth as he glanced at the children. They were trying their best not to show fear, but the wide eyes and trembling hands told a different story. The adults, some nursing fresh wounds, leaned on each other for support. The weight of their desperation pressed down on him.

He swallowed hard and looked away, forcing himself not to flinch at the sight of the cuts and bruises. They needed a safe place, somewhere strong enough to keep them out of harm’s way. There was only one place he trusted for that.

The Samael Corporation headquarters.

He hated everything the place stood for, but right now it was the only option.

He squared his shoulders and met Greg’s eyes before pointing out to one of the tallest buildings still standing in the city. "We’re taking them there."

Greg followed his hand and noticed that he was pointing at the Samael Family Headquarters.

"Seriously? We’re gonna go there? Don’t you hate that place?"

Adam’s jaw tightened. "Yes. But right now it is the only safe option."

He looked back at the children and adults behind them. Their faces were pale and tired but full of hope. That hope was fragile. It needed a strong foundation.

"We don’t have the ability to protect them without a chance that we hurt them like Lily, Crystal or Aria ... .We need to give them a safe place to make up for it."

Greg ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. Let’s get it done."

Adam started walking toward the towering building. Each step felt heavy with memories and burdens he wasn’t ready to face. But for now, he had to be their shield, even if it meant going back to a place he hated.

To protect them, he was leading them into a den of vipers.