Chapter 249: Finding Each Other Again

It's all the confirmation Cassidy needs.

She doesn't know where he came from - doesn't know why he's dressed in a raggedy, shabby clothing that's been singed from the tips up. She doesn't care, either, if he's only a specter that has come to meet her from the hollows of his grave. That's because then he'd have risen up from the folds of death to come save them in their direst of times.

And, of course, Cassidy admits that she misses Adrian dearly.

"Adrian!" she cried out, her heart bursting in joy and relief. 

Startled at her shout, he turns in time to open his arms to her, catching her when she collides with him – like a star defying gravity to be with the lonesome moon.

"C-Cassidy?" he breathed out, unsure, while she started crying into his shoulder at the sound of his voice.

She misses his voice so much – his scent, his warmth, his skin, his presence. It's all too good to be true. 

His hold around her waist tightens as it settles down on him - he's really with his wife again. She thinks that he begins crying, too. With a sob, she pulls him closer to her and buries her head into the crook of his neck.

And for a fraction of time, that's all they do – reveling in each other's embrace, and making sure that all of it is not a dream. 

"Cassidy…!" he exclaimed breathlessly, kissing the top of her head firmly. 

"Thank goodness! I thought I lost you!"

"I thought I lost you, too…" she sobbed, sniffling into the cloth of his shoulder. 

"They told me you're dead, but I couldn't believe them - not for one second. I don't know what I was thinking-"

"You weren't thinking, my love." 

He interrupted her before he pulled away. With a dreamy smile, he cupped both of her cheeks and whispered, "You were feeling."

Some semblance of a laugh escapes her lips, and then, she's holding the sides of his face, her cold fingers stroking against the porcelain shine of his cheeks. They look at each other like they're the only people in the world. 

"How did you even get here?" Cassidy inquired, still taking everything in.

"Long story. I'll tell later," Adrian answered with a reassuring smile. 

From behind her, they suddenly heard some mixture of a sob and a snort. He looks at who is behind her, grinning at what he finds. 

"You can cry too if you want."

"In your stupid dreams, Shade." 

Asher grunted.

He takes a moment to compose himself, finding what he's seeing hard to believe. Then, he drags his feet forward before slapping Adrian across the face. Taken aback, Cassidy catches him before he falls to the ground at the force of the slap.

"You let me kill you! Goddammit…!" Asher groused, already on the verge of tearing up. 

"Don't you dare tell me that I can cry!"

"Sir Adrian…?" Aira called from the side, approaching them with tears falling from her eyes. 

"J-Just how? W-Why didn't you tell us?"

"I couldn't," Adrian told her, though his gaze flickered over to Cassidy.

"I'm not talking about that." 

Asher moves to stand next to Aira, and Adrian immediately understands, though he fails to address their question.

They've got a thousand of questions they want to ask right now, but they just don't have the time to go over each one of them. Their reunion alone is already taking up too much of it.

"Adrian…?" Edward chimed in, coming up to Adrian and hesitantly putting his hand on his shoulder as if doing so might cause him to disappear. 

"Heavens! You really are alive! The hell had you been up to again?!"

"Same question here, President…" Charles said, making his way over. 

"Well, I'm impressed and kind of intimidated at the same time. You were dead, President. I can't believe you're standing here like nothing happened."

"What? Did you make a deal with Satan or something?" Asher scoffed.

"Oh, I wouldn't be surprised," Cassidy commented wryly.

Adrian only grins cheekily.

She slips her hand into his, and for a moment, it feels like everything is right with the world - like they're not on some battlefield fighting a war they're never supposed to fight, like they hadn't just witnessed everything they have, like they're just enjoying the last days before Christmas like they're supposed to.

For a moment, it really does feel nice.

"Our forces are scattered, but we've had victories. The headquarters have been reduced to dust, and the shipments are cancelled. The only thing left for us to do…" Adrian said, narrowing his eyes. 

"Is to eliminate the figurehead - the mastermind behind this all."

Everyone nods in agreement.

—

"This was a stupid plan."

Cassidy swats Asher's shoulder. 

He has a deadpan look on his face, hers an indignant one. Apparently, they'll be rolling with a plan that she'd only thought of at the last minute. 

"Well, it's the only one we've got! You have to deal with it!" Cassidy huffed. 

"Don't you have anything better?" Asher asked, turning to Adrian who just shrugged.

"Honestly? No."

"Ughhh… Why?" 

"Come on, Asher. We've gotten this far."

"Through sheer dumb luck."

"Hey, there's a little bit of planning involved, though you do have your merits. This isn't exactly the best plan, Cassidy."

She glares at both of them, already getting irritated. They gulp. 

"Well, do any of you have anything better? Edward is already off to the other side. Charles is keeping the children safe. Seven is out there with several officers, trying to outwit Dylan, and we have to intervene soon until the rest of the police force comes…" Cassidy went on to ramble.

"We're not wasting time. So, unless either of you can come up with a better plan right this second, we are going through with mine. Is that clear?"

Adrian frowns, slightly perturbed. Asher glances away, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

"We have to time this just right..." Cassidy muttered under her breath, scanning the chaos around them.

"Dylan is a skilled fighter. Seven has already got a couple of scratches - but nothing too bad, I think. He and the others haven't broken through any of his defenses yet, which is why we will. 

Cassidy looks to the side where Seven and the other police officers have just engaged in a battle of strength and gunmanship against Dylan. As soon as she found an opening, without any hesitation, she went ahead and rushed out of their hiding place, catching Adrian and Asher off guard.

"Cassidy, wait-"

"Hey, Uncle Dylan!" Cassidy called out, her voice resonating with power, making Dylan turn around to look at her with wild, furious eyes.

"You brat!"

"In fifteen minutes, you'll die!"

She smirks at him cheekily while he narrows his eyes angrily at her threat. Lifting up her pistol, she then uses a flash bomb to distract him - enough to give them all an advantage.

Seven is the first to spring into action just as planned.

Dylan staggers back, shocked and blinded, but his senses remain keen. He picks up on the whir of bullets before they can pierce through him. More police officers come out through the light, and then, along with Seven's attempts come their defiant, precise shots. The consistent blows seem to throw their enemy off guard, sending him stumbling back again with the sheer force of their strikes.

Cassidy rushes over to where Edward is. Adrian and Asher are already with him.

"Did you disconnect the wire?" Asher started.

"You should have placed that over here," Adrian added.

"Uncross that, will you? You're going to make us all blow up before we even get the chance."

"And hurry up. Dylan is already recovering-"

"Shut up, you two...!" Edward imploded, growling.

"Why don't you smartasses do this yourselves if you're both too smart for your own good?!"

Cassidy manages a soft chuckle at the sight. She kneels down next to them as they hurry to rearrange the wires. Part of the plan is to utilize Dylan's forces against him - where they'll make the remaining explosives from the headquarters to mark his death sentence.

That is, if they get this one right.