Thanks for the update. Jamal is good but still naive. He doesn't observe his environment well enough. How couldn't he have noticed the young girl in the hotel

Evold:
Thanks for the update. Jamal is good but still naive. He doesn't observe his environment well enough. How couldn't he have noticed the young girl in the hotel

Yeah, thank you. I'm trying not to make him too perfect.

Longer updates coming up this night.

waiting oo

Freddy looked normal except for the black marks under his eyes and a slightly more muscular body. He stood in the middle of his old apartment.
"The virus is merging with his cells," Laura explained. "It'll take a little more time for his body to get used to the new development."
Kelvin gave an approving smile. He approached his new toy and inspected it -or him. "What are those 'developments'?"
"Show him, Freddy," Laura commanded.
Freddy moved suddenly, raising his hand. It was engulfed in red flames. Soon, his whole body was engulfed.
"This is just a demonstration," Laura smiled. "That's enough, Freddy."
"Very good," Kelvin muttered. "With my father out of the way, we can now get to work."
**
Tukur stared at Chris and Katrina over the monitor of his computer. They held hands as they talked. No problem by Tukur, but he just couldn't bring himself to trust that Chris boy. Hands down he's a good fighter, but that's about it. He's a chronic womanizer and he seemed to have an agenda; ulterior motives.
If anything, Tukur had learned not to put his eggs in one basket. He had been to the darkest parts of life and came out unscathed by playing his cards right.
"Tomorrow we let the world feel our wrath," Katrina said out loud. Everyone's attention was now on her. "We'll gather our forces and set our plans in motion."
Some clapped while some hugged their colleagues congratulations.
Tukur, however, felt nothing. He glanced at Chris and their eyes met.
**
Jamal stared at the street through the window of their room. The Federal Capital Territory was visible from there. Fifty miles away, he estimated. Building lights dotted around in the darkness. Sounds of Aido working on the computer filled the room behind him. Benjamin had gone out an hour ago in search of a new hideout. Though safe at the moment, sticking around for too long in the hotel would definitely get people to start asking questions.
Jamal's phone buzzed. He checked the screen: Unknown Caller. He signalled at Aido as he picked the call. Aido nodded.
"It's me," Dragon's voice crackled. "The proton guy is ready to negotiate. Tonight at ten. We'll use a neutral meeting spot."
Jamal waited for a thumbs up from Aido before the spoke. "I'll choose the meeting location. Tell him that."
Jamal heard a scoff over the line but he didn't care. In negotiations, control was everything. He hung up before dragon could say any more. He turned to Aido. "Yes?"
Aido spoke without looking up, "I've managed to make you untraceable and at the same time planted a bug in Dragon's phone."
Just then, a Range Rover parked outside, facing the room's window. It flashed it's headlights twice.
"Benjamin is back," Jamal said. "Time to leave this place."
They packed their luggage and a minute later, they hit the road, heading north.
**
It took an hour and a half for them to reach their destination: an abandoned building north of Sanka, just at the outskirts of the city, overlooking the power grids. They stopped 500 metres away from the building. Jamal stepped out of the car and released a few electron waves. He concentrated.
"There's nobody as far as I can tell," he told the others.
Just to be careful, they parked the car out of sight and walked the remaining distance to the house.
Aido examined the walls. He thumped his fists on the pillars. "Sturdy enough for a hideout, but I don't think this place can withstand an attack."
Jamal looked up: two-storey building, plastered, but the walls were still cracked. No windows or doors.
"First we'll need electricity in here," Benjamin said. "We can tap from the power grids."
Jamal sighted the generators on the far left. About 600 metres away with the dam between the house and the electricity ground. "How long will it take?"
Aido shrugged. "A few hours. Legally."
"Illegally?"
"A day or two," Aido replied.
They were travelling under the radar, and Jamal had a feeling they'll not stay here for long.
"Let's do the illegal one," he said. "For now I have to meet up with Dragon and the third man."
"You never explained why we need that proton virus thing," Benjamin's voice was full of curiosity.
"I'll explain when I'm back," Jamal said. He pulled out a hooded jacket from his bag and replaced the cloak.
****
The Monarch elders, three young men dressed smartly in suits, walked into the underground bunker. Their skin tones were identical: very light even at night. Their faces stern and uncomprehending. Eyes cold and piercing.
From Katrina's explanation, the elders had more say in the running of the Monarchy than the leader himself. They were the only people that had the right to question or overrule any instruction passed down. Ironically, they liked keeping low and only showing up when very important events happened or during the mandatory annual meetings held in the organization.
Katrina also pointed out to Chris that the elders were mysterious people as they never grew older; they had looked the same since when she was a child.
"Where is Katrina?" One of them asked Tukur, his voice audible through the whole room. Chris failed to place the accent. He noticed the other two were standing behind the one that talked. Could he be the leader?
Everyone fell silent, head bowed.
His eyes wandered around the place.
Then his eyes fell on Chris. "Where's she?"
Chris opened his mouth to speak when Katrina appeared from the back. "I'm here. Sorry I'm late."
They didn't move or utter a word for a few seconds.
The leading one spoke again, "we heard about the loss. But we don't expect any delays or decline in progress under the new leadership, Katrina." His voice trailed, as if talking to a child.
Katrina bowed her head. "I'll do my best, Elder Isaac."
"What was it we heard about you going public?" One of the ones behind Isaac spoke. His voice was a bit less lower, but with more posh. And a drop of arrogance in it.
"We are tired of hiding," Katrina explained. "The Peacemakers are gone, and smaller underground cells are swearing allegiances to us."
The third elder inclined his head. "I smell victory." His body shuddered dramatically. "Don't you, Paul?"
The posh Paul simply nodded.
Isaac spoke as he rejoined the other two, "we have decided to hang around the city for a while. I heard about some guy with the same powers as yours?"
Katrina nodded curtly. "Yes."
Paul cocked his head to one side. "Hear that, Edward? Someone with the power of the Torpedo but not an elder."
The third, Edward, shook his head. "What a shame I haven't met him." He seemed lost in thought.
"Where can we find our new friend?"
**

I believe Chris is on the wrong side.

Next!!!

So the elders also have the powers of the Torpedo? Jamal may have to get ready for a bomper attacks from many angles. It would be tough for him and his gang.

Nice update Zhayyd039

Tanks for the update

Will update tomorrow. Thank you all for the patience

zhayyd039:
Will update tomorrow. Thank you all for the patience

Shey na midnight u wan do d update or no more update 2day?

"East of the Den," Jamal spoke through the Bluetooth device in his ear, "there's a clearing." He scanned around, the place was dark. "A football pitch of sorts. I'll send directions to you." He hung up and speed dialled Aido. "They are on their way. We don't want any surprises."
"I'll keep track of Dragon's phone calls," Aido's voice replied. There was a little bit of white noise in the transmission. "Strangely enough, the network coverage is horrible. Benjamin has been helping to set up a booster. Will…" the white noise that followed forced Jamal to remove the device.
He swore and disappeared into a dark corner waiting for Dragon. He checked the time: 22:08.
Jamal's eyes never left the clearing in front of him. He checked the time again: 22:35. There was still no sign of Dragon nor any movement nearby. The only noise around were the sounds of crickets going about their business in the bushes nearby. He was careful not to press his phone in order to avoid giving away his hiding spot. So he tried the Bluetooth again.
The line rang twice then it was picked. Dragon spoke quickly, "we're on the way dammit!"
The line clicked.
Ten minutes later a van entered the field. It's headlights shone brightly towards the distance to Jamal's left. Two people -minus the driver- alighted the vehicle. Dragon was easily recognizable by the vest, light skin, and inked body.
The other, however, was a little dodgy. He wore a face cap with a shirt and stonewashed jeans. His head darted around suspiciously.
Jamal stepped out of the shadows. He approached them. "Took your time."
Dragon stepped forward. He looked jumpy. "Let's get this sorted out immediately, shall we?"
The new guy also stepped forward. "Dragon tells me you're interested in my products. Why?"
"I have uses for it," Jamal replied.
"Guys, let's not waste any more time than we have to," Dragon announced. "You have the money?"
Jamal walked towards them. "Let me see what I'm paying for."
The third guy walked back to the car and came back holding a small cylindrical container no larger than a flask. As he approached, Jamal saw movement about 100 metres to his one o'clock. Another to the eleven o'clock. He didn't need to look back to know there might be more movements behind him.
The guy handed over the container to Jamal. He sniffed. "The money. Now."
Jamal handed him the backpack.
Dragon spread his arms wide and grinned. Then they turned and headed for the van. Dragon looked back one last time as he stepped into the vehicle then raised his hand.
Figures appeared out of nowhere from all directions, dressed in black military outfits. C.T Securities. They had their weapons trained on Jamal.
"Hands up in the air," one of them yelled at Jamal as they approached. "I said hands up!" He repeated.
Jamal looked around him. About 20 hostiles closing in on him. He looked ahead. Distance to the van: 50 metres. It was moving slowly.
Two of the black guys were already raising their guns to hit Jamal. With the swipe of an arm, he landed a blow on the first, then quickly covered the distance to the second, snapping his neck.
The rest opened fire.
For a brief moment, the whole field was filled with gun retorts.
Jamal disintegrated his body and floated to the nearest enemy. He appeared behind him and grabbed him by the back of the head. A nerve-chilling scream filled the night air along with the toxic smell of flesh burning.
This seemed to rattle the others as they took a step back and started retreating into the darkness.
"Let's fall back!" One of them yelled.
He was about to follow them when a blur appeared. The object was moving even faster than his superhuman eyes could track. All he could hear was bones snapping and he saw the soldiers fall one after the other.
Then silence. Jamal was the only one standing. At his feet, dead bodies scattered all over the place.
"Fancy my artwork?" A low voice spoke behind him. Jamal turned around sharply but saw no-one.
"Look again," a posh voice said from the left. His head snapped towards the direction but still nobody.
"Stop messing with the kid," a loud voice said from above.
Someone laughed. "What we fear most is that which we can't see."
"True," the posh voice agreed.
"Show yourselves, cowards," Jamal heard himself say.
"Did he just call us cowards?" The posh voice sounded insulted. "You dirty dog!"
Jamal thought it was lightning that struck. A blue bolt of energy flashed above his head. If he hadn't dodged quickly enough, he knew it'll have been his end. As soon as he landed on his feet, the ground beneath him rumbled. He jumped just in time to avoid the red blaze that burst out of where he stood.
"You're fast," the loud voice said. "You are using powers that don't belong to you."
"Who are you," Jamal breathed. The dodgy games were taking effects on his body, he was getting exhausted.
A figure appeared 20 metres in front. It was walking slowly, yet proudly. "My identity doesn't matter." The owner of the loud voice appeared, a very light complexioned man. Early 30s. Short cropped hair. Clean, elegant suit. He raised a hand and it was engulfed in black flames. "Answer my questions honestly, and I won't have to kill you."
********

This battle is getting intense. Can't wait to see how Jamal will get out of it

Aido couldn't explain the loss in transmission. He double-checked his system setups and everything. All fine.
"What could have happened?" Benjamin asked. He was already climbing a ladder in the room that led to the roof where they installed an all purpose antenna. It was capable of receiving and transmitting high frequency waves across a 50 mile radius as well as bypass signal blockers. But whatever might have happened must have been strong enough to render the antenna useless.
Aido glanced over his shoulder to see Benjamin disappear up the ladder. A few seconds later came a crashing noise. "Careful up there," he warned. "Those tech are f#cking expensive."
The roof looked like it was about to cave in on Aido. Footsteps followed and Benjamin appeared looking breathless.
"It's Jamal," Benjamin said. "He's hurt bad."
Aido stood over Jamal, or at least Jamal's broken body. He looked the shell of the confident guy he once was: clothes torn and bloody, deep cuts all over his head, torso, and arms. His left leg looked out of position, probably broken. He was lying on an old matrass Benjamin scavenged from a nearby trash.
Jamal tried to sit up, but the movement was too taxing for his body. He winced and laid back down, breathing hard. "My wounds are healing ten times slower."
"Who did this to you?" Aido asked.
"I have no idea who they were," Jamal raised three fingers, bloodied fingers. Even that too was difficult as he quickly let the arm drop.
"Three of them?" Benjamin asked. He looked just as perplexed as Aido. "But you can take on more people than that and come out without a scratch."
"They…" Jamal coughed. Blood. He tried to talk again but all that he could utter were a few grunts.
Benjamin shook his head, "they really did a number on you."
The rest of the night went uneventful. Aido and Benjamin took turns patrolling the area.
**
Kelvin sat comfortably in the house that was once his dad's. He was counting the easy cash he got through defrauding that hapless Dragon guy and some junkie that wanted proton virus.
Kelvin knew from the start that if he had spread false information about proton virus, someone was going to come asking questions. So he intelligently directed the suspicion to Dragon's doorstep. Anybody that came would definitely know something about the Torpedo. Dealing with Dragon was piece of cake. Just amazing how motivational money can be anywhere in the world.
He checked the wall clock: 02.25. The team was probably handing the poor guy's as$ to him right now, making him talk. Kelvin would be expecting a phone call very soon.
Bang on cue, his phone rang. He picked immediately. "Is he talking?"
Ten minutes later Kelvin was on the couch, looking deflated. The whole team was wiped out. That is impossible. He chose those b@stards himself. The very best. Whoever was responsible, Kelvin knew must have been prepared. But nobody knew about his ambush plans, not even Dragon. A thought struck his mind. Maybe Dragon had a hand in it. Even after the 80-20 split agreement, the idiot must have wanted the money all for himself.
Kelvin dialled his phone again.
"I want an autopsy done imme-" he started to say before stopping to listen. "What the hell do you mean same as the one a week ago?"
****
Chris was reloading and checking his guns when the elders barged into the underground bunker.
"He escaped before I could finish him off," Edward said in his usual low tone. He always sounded distant, like in thought.
"Best fun I had in centuries," posh Paul said. He was rubbing his hands excitedly.
"Enough of the yapping," Isaac said. "That boy is a threat to our plans moving forward." His head shot at Tukur. "You have contacts in the city. Release some information about him to the security agencies."
Tukur nodded and disappeared around the back.
"Where's Katrina?" Paul asked nobody in particular. Someone whispered an answer and suddenly Paul was a blur.
"You," Edward pointed at Chris. "I heard you've faced this guy once?"
"Yeah, at the cave in Japan," Chris replied. For some reason, he found himself disliking those elders the longer they stayed.
Isaac smiled, as if he could read his mind.
Or could he?
"You shall be our eyes and ears on ground," Isaac said in a commanding tone that Chris felt uncomfortable with. "You look like the best we have so far."
***

Nice one. These elders, are they immortals?

Fazemood:
Nice one. These elders, are they immortals?

No, they aren't. They're something else

Sorry for the lack of updates. I lost my phone. I'll buy a new one next week. Thank you all for the support. This story isn't really much but I still appreciate the way you all made it interesting. I was working on a far better story before the loss of the phone.

zhayyd039:
Sorry for the lack of updates. I lost my phone. I'll buy a new one next week. Thank you all for the support. This story isn't really much but I still appreciate the way you all made it interesting. I was working on a far better story before the loss of the phone.

Sorry about your lost phone. We will sure be patience and wait till you get another

zhayyd039:
Sorry for the lack of updates. I lost my phone. I'll buy a new one next week. Thank you all for the support. This story isn't really much but I still appreciate the way you all made it interesting. I was working on a far better story before the loss of the phone.

So sad bro. Hope you get it soon. My condolence, k till next week.

zhayyd039:
Sorry for the lack of updates. I lost my phone. I'll buy a new one next week. Thank you all for the support. This story isn't really much but I still appreciate the way you all made it interesting. I was working on a far better story before the loss of the phone.

Haaaaaaaa, sorry bro, jah bless

Sorry about the loss. Hope you get a new phone soon

Good evening all. Thank you for the patience. Found a manageable phone... Hoping it'll be good enough to let me continue this story.

We are still on pause. Ready to play

Still waiting..

************

Dawn came slowly. Light entered the room through the numerous openings and cracks on the wall. Jamal had been awake for hours. His wounds were almost completely healed. But, who were those guys? And how did they know where and how to find him?
"Rise and shine, Jamal," Benjamin's voice announced from a corner in the room. "I made tea."
Jamal stretched. "Thanks mate."
The door was slammed and Aido trotted into the room holding an Ipad. "No time for fussing around. The Monarchs have made a move." He handed the Ipad to Jamal.
Jamal sat up and took the Ipad with Benjamin joining him on the bed. It showed a female reporter standing in front of a tall building with smoke coming out of it. Jamal increased the volume.
"Chaos this morning as unknown personnel invaded the governor's office and set the building ablaze. An eye witness claimed to have seen ten armed men enter the building at early morning hours. He also claimed he heard gunshots and shouts coming from the building, which prompted him to call the police. No suspects have been confirmed as at time of this report."
"How do we know it's not just a group of lowlifes seeking fame?" Jamal asked.
Aido raised a finger. "Same thought crossed my mind." He collected the Ipad and after several swipes, handed it back.
The screen showed a view of the building.
"I hacked into the CCTV and extracted footage hours before they were mysteriously shut down."
Right on cue, the screen went blank. Then white noise came from the speakers of the Ipad.
"So? Any hacker or culprit can cut the wires of a camera," Benjamin shrugged. Jamal agreed with him. A blank screen and white noise was no evidence whatsoever. Even bad weather could probably disrupt the camera signal. Suddenly, Jamal shot Aido a look of realization.
Aido smiled. "That's right."
That same white noise was the same type that Jamal heard over the communications device the previous night when he went to meet with Dragon. Benjamin was on the roof installing a satellite so he hadn't heard it.
"The white noise comes from the presence of electrons in the air," Jamal said.
Benjamin gave Jamal a look, "there are always electrons in the air, genius. Maybe your injuries are more than physical?"
"But they don't always make noise, do they?" Aido cut in. "The noise was caused by excess amounts of electrons in the air. There's no mistaking it."
Benjamin's eyes narrowed. "Maybe they have some computer geek that can send noise into electronic devices when they want to make a show. Psychological warfare."
"You never believe Jamal met those guys, did you?"
Benjamin turned to Jamal, "sorry bro, but it was dark and you were tired. Could be that your powers are playing with your head?"
"Then how would you explain his injuries?"
Benjamin looked aghast, "self-inflicted! Look at you two clutching at straws."
Jamal sighed. "There is no way I could do this to myself."
"Shin blew himself up, remember?" Benjamin said in a scolding tone, as if talking to a child.
"We have to set our plans in motion, guys," Aido said. "All I know is this was no coincidence and we won't treat it like one."
Jamal stood up and picked up his backpack.
"Ben, help me set up the computers, would you?"
Benjamin jerked a head in Jamal's direction. "What about him?"
Jamal was already wearing the cloak. It felt slightly lighter. He paused, then looked at Aido.
"I removed some materials and managed to reduce the weight," he explained. "Ben helped with the Kevlar and some more things."
"We added a clean permanent comms device in the cloak and reinforced the resistance of the cloak," Benjamin added.
"This is war, Jamal," Aido said gravely. "A war we can't afford to lose."
"I understand," Jamal nodded. "Time to make our presence known."
Guys. And ladies. I had to write this post from a cyber cafe because the phone I got is kind of a messy one. I'll do my best to find a better replacement but please for now I'll be using the cafe. Forgive the inconsistencies please. Thank you all.

U too much OP..

All is well

You are really doing well. Appreciate your efforts. Thanks for the update.

How did Benjamin get on the team. He seems to be a slow learner

Chris shifted in the car. He had been watching the C.T Building for two hours now and there was no sign of the new CEO, Kelvin. He checked his wristwatch -08.30- then picked up a small handheld device and spoke, "Origin, this is Axis. Do you copy?"
"Enter, Axis," a female voice radioed back. "This is Origin. Report?"
"No sign of KILLSWITCH," he replied.
There was a pause. Then another voice spoke, Tukur. "KILLSWITCH is in play. Intercept him in his home downtown."
Chris dropped the radio and roughly pulled out of the curb and joined the traffic ahead amidst horns and profanities throw at him by other road users. The instructions they had been passing to him made absolutely no sense. Why would they tell him to track Kelvin only to change at last minute?
A meeting was arranged with Kelvin to ensure he was on the same page with the Monarchs. This would not only provide enough manpower to the group, but also increase their information gathering as C.T Securities has authorized and unlimited access to government resources. For the same reason, the elders attacked the governor's residence that morning to show Kelvin that nobody was untouchable as far as the Monarchy is concerned.
Chris veered off the road, missing an incoming car by inches. Cursing loudly, he knocked the car back into third gear and disappeared downtown.
************
Kelvin sat in his new flat downtown. He was looking down at the street from the front window, absentmindedly flicking the pistol in his hand. The atmosphere was friendly unlike his previous apartment in the centre of the city, where all sorts of things took place right in front of him. He had been happy with his choice of residence until a phone call came in the previous night. The number was obviously encrypted. The voice said something about dominance and danger, and then alliance. He then received an email that morning instructing him to meet up 06.00. That was when the governor's office/home was attacked and another encrypted mail came in claiming responsibility for the attack.
Acting on instinct, he posted a few personnel around the house just in case. He had tried reaching Laura but it kept going into voice mail.
"Beautiful city, yes?" a voice said behind him.
He turned sharply, aiming his gun at the room. A black figure, about 6 feet tall, moved sharply and caught the gun before it could be fired.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Kelvin," the voice said.
Kelvin pressed the magazine release button on the gun and then spun, trying a kick.
The intruder grabbed his leg and threw him across the room. "I'm not the enemy. I know about the threats."
"Who are you?" Kelvin spat. He deftly pressed the alarm button in his pocket, pretending to hold his leg.
The figure pulled off the hood over his head. Jamal's face appeared. He looked different: pronounced jaw, a beard, and strangely cold eyes.
"What the hell?" Kelvin breathed. He looked genuinely surprised. "You are that thing?"
Jamal said nothing. He strode over to the window and checked the street. "I don't have much time left. They are sending someone to pick you up."
"What are you talking about? And who are they?"
Jamal looked back at his old friend. He was about to reply when an inhuman roar came from the next room. Then something beeped. "What's that?"
Kelvin rose to his feet. "I'm sorry, mate. But you're going to have to tell me everything I want to know."
A huge man-like creature crashed into the room. It's eyes were white and white liquid drooled from his mouth. Jamal felt heat surge through the room.
"Jamal," Kelvin said cooly. "Meet Freddy."
**********

This will be a wonderful reunion between Jamal, Kelvin and Chris

Tanks for the update

Chris sped past traffic and turned off the highway into a sparsely populated area. He knew this road. It'll take him downtown in 15 minutes. He floored the accelerator and gripped the steering tighter.
**
Jamal was slammed into the opposite wall by the guy Kelvin called Freddy. The cloak absorbed the impact, but it was still enough to make his insides jump. He slumped to his knees in an attempt to catch his breath. His opponent was somehow immune to the energy blasts.
Freddy stomped forward, manhandling Jamal to his feet and throwing him across the room, crashing into the dining table. Jamal's head pounded from the punishment his body had taken over the past few days. His body was also starting to feel heavy.
He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid Freddy's foot from stamping on him. Pushing to his feet, he charged at Freddy, three light punches, capped off by a powerful left hook to the temple. Freddy groaned and stumbled backwards a bit. Jamal closed the distance between them fast and grabbed the big man by the shoulders at the same time pushing his knees vertically up. He felt bone crack as contact was made between skull and knee. Freddy groaned again and fell on his backside.
Jamal streamed a bar of energy down his left hand, ready to finish off the man in front of him.
The door swung open and Chris stepped in, weapon set. His eyes widened a little at the sight of Jamal but quickly changed into a cold glare. His eyes shifted around the room.
***
The sun was up now.
And hotter. It's rays penetrated through the city and cast a beautiful view of the C.T Building far west.
Chris had heard the crashing noises that came from Kelvin's home immediately after alighting from his car. He took the little window of opportunity to scan his environment. Nothing suspicious. And no guards around.
He checked his pistol and crossed the road. Deep breaths.
He thought of knocking on the door but immediately dismissed it as a waste of time. So as soon as he reached it, he kicked it open and stepped over the threshold, weapon at the ready. He could never have been prepared for what he saw: Jamal standing over a huge looking man, his left arm flicking with red flames.
"Get your hands up where I can see them," Chris instructed. He was aware of the quiver in his voice. His hands shook. His mind played the memories of that day in the cave. The stranger in black cloak. The cold eyes. Those same eyes, they stared at him now. But they belonged to his friend. No, an enemy. He made up his mind to pull the trigger if any of them thought they could be smart.
He looked at Kelvin, who sat comfortably in an armchair in the corner of the room. "You too."
Kelvin's face twitched. "You'd be a good boy and obey orders, eh? Your elders aren't going to be happy if you ruin the opportunity to get my cooperation."
Chris felt the urge to give Kelvin a dress down but thought against it. Don't take your eyes off the ball, he told himself. He shifted his attention to Jamal, whose arms were still flickering. But his eyes were colder. The big man on the floor had passed out. Chris shivered even as the temperature in the room rose. The grip on his gun loosened.
"Don't have the faintest idea that I'm not going to shoot you if you make me."
"I don't," Jamal replied. The flames around his arm went off.
It happened in the blink of an eye. Jamal seemed to have dissolved into a black smoke which charged at Chris, who wasn't fast enough to pull the trigger this time.
[Thank you for the wait. I want to quickly wrap this story up; it's taking too long. Will post longer updates starting from tomorrow. Thanks all.]