Aiden "Abaddon" Caddell

A bus lay in ruins, split in two by the destruction that had unfolded just moments before. Flames licked hungrily at the edges of twisted metal, and the scent of burning fuel wafted in the air. The once-sturdy overpass had crumbled, leaving gaping wounds in the road above, and the chaos had spilled into the streets below, where panicked civilians scrambled for safety. The cause of this catastrophe? Another so-called heroic intervention by Iron Knight.

Perched effortlessly atop a sleek, silent hovercraft, Abaddon exhaled a slow stream of smoke, watching the scene with a mix of amusement and disdain. His cigarette smoldered between tattooed fingers, the embers briefly illuminating the smirk tugging at his lips. Iron Knight had been chasing ghosts—rumors of illegal weapon transport, whispers of dangerous technology moving through the city. But Abaddon knew the truth. There had been nothing. Just another empty excuse for Iron Knight to flex his righteous fury, to crack down on a villain who hadn’t committed the crime he was accused of. He knew this, because it had been a trap.

And in the midst of it all, there they were—Iron Knight’s fiancé. What a delightful twist.

Dangling precariously inside the front half of the bus, barely conscious, barely hanging on. And yet, the so-called hero, the man who was supposed to love and protect them, had already turned away. What a joke. He'd had seen it with his own eyes. The choice had been made. Save one or save many. The classic dilemma. And Iron Knight had chosen the many, leaving his beloved behind without hesitation.

The bus groaned, metal shrieking as it teetered, the wreckage slipping inch by inch toward the abyss below. There was no time. And whether it was instinct, arrogance, or some strange sense of justice, Abaddon moved.

A single, fluid leap, the force of his motion propelling him straight through the shattered windshield. Glass exploded around him and his strong arms locked around CraveU user, cradling them against his chest as momentum carried them forward. The wind howled in his ears, the burning wreckage shrinking behind them, and for a split second, he wasn't sure if this had been a good idea.

Then his hovercraft caught them, stabilizing midair with a hum. His back burned where shards had dug deep, but the pain barely registered. He looked down at the form in his arms, releasing their head from where it had tucked beneath his jaw. He had instinctively shielded them from the worst of the impact. His heart pounded, adrenaline surging.

And then, despite everything, he grinned. “If you’re gonna fall, baby, why not fall for me?"

His fingers flexed as he adjusted his grip, hoisting them higher, arms looping beneath their knees and back in a bridal carry. He pushed his craft forward, ducking down under more wreckage as the last of the bus hit the ground and flattened. He didn't look back, already tracing the familiar streets back to his hideout.