24 Exoskeleton

Operators, Harvesters, Military, Harvesters, Blacksmiths, Phantoms, and all those who worked to protect the Citadel were valuable assets, their condition was constantly monitored, so when Orin and Silvia fell to the ground their bracelets flashed bright red, calling for an ambulance.

A few minutes later, in addition to the doctors in white coats, a squad of military personnel ran into Inferno Forge, looking for the cause of the accident. If someone had injured the Operator and Blacksmith right in the Forge, it was either a dangerous criminal or some monster that had managed to enter the Citadel.

However, sometimes neither assumption proved to be correct.

"What...? Phantom...?"

One of the military muttered, pointing his rifle at Adam, who was standing motionless next to the pod. He didn't know what to do in a situation like this, so he just put his hands up, trying to show that he wasn't the enemy.

"Commander... What do we do?" The military man asked without taking his eyes off Adam.

A woman stepped forward, she was the only one not wearing a helmet and her face was uncovered, and on her head was a military beret with a sharp peak. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a look that had seen a lot.

"Oh... Looks like we have quite a tricky situation here." The woman looked around, glancing at Orin and Silvana.

Then, she glanced at Adam.

"Hey, you just got your Nexus, didn't you?"

The military men looked over, puzzled. They didn't see any weapon in Adam's hands, nor did they see a case where that weapon could be located. 

"Fools, his Nexus is his gloves. I won't judge you though, it's not often you get a Nexus like that." The woman shrugged nonchalantly.

Adam nodded slightly.

"Yes... Orin tried to stop me, but I didn't listen to her. I just couldn't stop anymore, my hands were moving on their own." Adam explained, not trying to justify himself in any way.

"I see. My name is Layla, I think I understand the situation, but you still have to come with me and file a report. If Orin or Silvana file a complaint against you then we will have to act, I hope you understand that."

Layla waved her hand, signaling the military to stand back and the doctors to carry Silvana and Orin away. Layla was about to leave, but as soon as she took a few steps she stopped, touching the earbud. Her face changed several times, from frowning and puzzled to excited.

Then, another military man entered the room, but it was clear from his clothing that he was from a different squad. Someone had definitely sent him here for some purpose.

In the man's hands were several cases, similar to the ones Lisa had used against the lizards in Scorching Dester.

"Well, well, young man, looks like you've piqued the interest of someone up top." Layla turned around, looking at Adam curiously.

"All charges against you are dropped, but Mr. Douglas wants you to do something." Layla smirked, kneading her shoulder.

Adam's eyes went wide.

"Douglas? How does he know what happened here..."

Layla shrugged.

"That old man has eyes and ears everywhere, surely he knew you were supposed to pick up your Nexus from Forge today. Whatever, Mr. Douglas wants you to fight me." Layla uttered with an excited expression.

"No." Adam replied sharply, "I don't fight against humans."

"I know, great motto, but it won't be a mortal combat, it'll be a sparring match. What's more, you don't have a choice because now I'm interested in it too."

"You want to fight me? We met a few minutes ago. You can't have any more reason to do so than Douglas." Adam frowned. He didn't want to be made an enemy because of this situation.

"Well, there are two reasons why I would attack you anyway. One, Douglas wants to see what you and your Nexus can do. After all, that's pretty important information. Two: I've been given a unique opportunity to test out a new gear and I'm not going to miss this chance!"

At the same moment, Layla opened the largest case.

There was a black suit covered with protective plates, made of an extremely strong yet flexible material.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Layla uttered with a smile, examining herself in the suit.

"Mrs. Layla, this is still experimental, so the 'Andromeda' Exoskeleton has a few limitations and high power consumption. After you turn on the generator on your chest you'll have five minutes." The man standing against the wall said.

Layla nodded before opening the second case which was smaller.

There lay the combat gauntlets, with jet engines built in to maximize the power and acceleration of the impact.

"Damn! That's what this is! Did you originally make these for me?" Layla exclaimed happily.

The man shrugged.

"Many different weapons were created at once, so I was ordered to bring the most suitable one for you. Also, don't forget to open the third case."

Layla nodded, opening the last and smallest case.

"What is this...?" Layla was puzzled.

Underneath the glass box, in full protection, lay a metal capsule with a green liquid inside and a long needle.

"It's the X-01 amplifier, the very first but completely safe version. In short, for 30 seconds it will give you abilities partially comparable to when Phantoms enter a state of Resonance. Of course, the effect won't be as strong, but it'll still temporarily elevate you to the next level." The man calmly explained.

"Side effects?" Layla asked with a stern look.

The man nodded slightly.

"Severe fatigue, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, hunger, thirst, and more, but nothing critical or that won't go away in 24 hours."

Layla sighed, put the syringe on her belt, and handed Adam the syringe. He had already resigned himself to the fact that Layla wouldn't back down, so he was ready for a fight.

"I hope you're ready. I know you underestimate me since you're a Phantom, but I'm sure with all this, I can make you tense up! After all, I'm best at punching people!" Layla exclaimed with an excited expression before smacking the generator on her chest. 

Blue lines of energy spread throughout her exoskeleton, filling her body with power.

"As a final note, I wouldn't advise you to let him swipe the threads on his gloves, the exoskeleton protects your body but not your brain from sound." The man said calmly.

Layla nodded and took a step forward.

At the same moment, she approached Adam at breakneck speed with complete seriousness in her gaze. After all, she was military, and her main duty was to follow orders.

Now, she had to show the full potential of an exoskeleton and a mere human with only physical power and technology.

The engines on her gauntlets activated, allowing her to attack at top speed.

In a heartbeat, her fist came down directly on Adam, who was still standing motionless.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble. 

Streams of air blew sideways, causing ripples from the point of impact. The engines were running at full power just as Layla did, but it wasn't enough to make Adam budge.

"I told you already. I don't fight people." Adam muttered, one hand restraining Layla's fist.

Layla's eyes went wide. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't hurt Adam's gloves. Not only were they durable, but they also absorbed some of the damage without any recoil.

The man narrowed his eyes, seemingly not expecting this result at all.