Thanks for the update

Happy new year everyone, wishing you the best out of it.

Sorry about the inconsistencies of last year. Everything is settled now, and from tomorrow I'll keep updating until the story comes to an end. New year's resolution. Thank you all for making it fun, especially those who've been dropping comments and likes.

You are doing great job. Well done

Looking forward to that

*******
The lights came on with a banging sound and Edward walked in.
Jamal could hear his movements, but was too weakened to do anything. His body felt powerless, useless.
Edward carried on with the usual injections and observation, all while Jamal shook in pain and screamed for him to stop.
"I can't stop," Edward finally said. "It's not all the time I get test subjects with your kind of powers. Do you have any idea how many years it cost me to come this far?"
Jamal could barely hear him as he zoomed in and out of consciousness.
Edward kept talking, more to himself this time. "If I can find away to transfer even a little amount of your energy to our members…" his voice trailed off from there as Jamal finally lost all sense of his surrounding. He felt himself stumbling, being dragged into a dark hole. He kept falling until he hit the ground.
Jamal stood up. He looked at his body, bruised and n@ked. Then he looked around. The whole place was dark except for a small fire a few metres away. A man sat by the fire, his back to Jamal.
"Come over and sit," the man said, his voice sliced through the darkness, echoing.
Jamal obeyed. He found himself looking at a muscular man, early thirties, his handsome face was twisted in a scowl. His eyes pierced through Jamal like those of a death reaper.
"I'm Charles," the man said.
**
Chris knocked lightly on Katrina's door. He checked the time again: 23:36. What could have been so urgent it couldn't wait till the next day? He thought.
He heard the lock turn and the door was opened by a crack. There stood Paul in all his glory with a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Seeing you being here," Paul started to say in his posh English, "that means you got the message."
Chris felt his stomach twist but kept his mouth shut. He simply nodded. "What is it you want?"
Paul raised both hands to shoulder level, "Easy there, tiger. You'll have your share after I'm done. Besides, you had her the whole time! Think of it as taking a break, eh?"
Chris didn't answer.
"Anyway," Paul continued, he didn't seem to care what Chris -or anybody- thought of him. "With the crises going on and whatnot, I thought maybe you wouldn't mind guard duty here tonight?"
Before Chris had time to protest, Paul spoke again, "Of course you won't." He turned to close the door and Chris heard an additional "obey orders like a good dog" being said.
Thirty minutes later, Chris was standing next to the door, having to tolerate the sëxu@l noise coming from the room and the occasional "that's my b!tch" Paul uttered. He couldn't believe there ever was a being so vulgar and full of himself. Chris found himself wondering -as he had done numerous times in the past few days- if it was worth it. What was it worth? And the more he thought about it, the further away from the answer he felt.
***
Kelvin lay still in the cold chamber, he couldn't sleep. His mind kept popping up images of Laura. Was she safe?
Definitely not, he thought. The presence of Freddy in their home was enough to implicate her too. If those weird guys were to get a sniff of her, he didn't dare to imagine what would happen next. Seeing her alive would be a MERCY. Her survival was against all odds.
F#ck! He thought, but he knew it was too late to regret a damn at the moment.
***
Edward whistled his way to his lab. It wasn't as he would've liked it to be, like his lab in a foreign country nearby, but it was enough to carry out basic experiments. As he brought out a bunch of keys, he wondered how many Monarch members had died during experiments.
How many he had killed.
He chuckled at himself. He didn't kill them, he thought. They were just too weak. Besides, it was for the greater good.
The greater good. HIS greater good. But this subject was different. The boy with the same DNA structure as that of Shin. How did it happen? It was scientifically impossible! Maybe that was why his body had no trouble handling the immense power of the electron and proton fusions?
He flipped on a wall switch and lights flickered on, lighting the room. The boy was lying still on the stretcher. Edward approached him. "I know it's kinda late," he said, "but I have to confirm some theories."
No reaction.
"Wake up," he said, tapping the boy on the cheek.
No answer.
He checked the pulse. It was very faint. Would have passed for dead if it wasn't for Edward's enhanced body. He sighed and went over to a cupboard in the corner of the room. He opened it and started going through the tiny transparent vials.
Whistling, he selected the one he wanted from a blue rack holding vials filled with yellow substances. They had a red cover. He raised a vial in the light -not that he couldn't see in the dark, but out of habit- just to confirm. It read: PP22.
Satisfied, he closed the cupboard and produced a hypodermic needle from his pocket. He casually emptied the yellowish substance into the syringe. When ready, he turned around to administer the lethal dose of proton virus. What he saw almost made his gut wrench.
Jamal, the subject he just saw a few seconds ago, had vanished. The stretcher was empty.
***

Wow. I'm so happy for Jamal.

***
Jamal had heard Edward move around the room, patiently waiting for him to leave.
He didn't.
He had walked around the room opening cupboards and things.
He decided to take the risk and act before the opportunity passed him by. He closed his eyes and gently slipped out of the bed. The belts holding him down slipped off his body as he slithered away. As soon as his feet touched the ground he felt his heart run cold and his body started evaporating...
***
"You may wonder why you're here," the man said, his steel gaze never leaving Jamal.
"No," Jamal uttered. "I've been here a few times in the past."
"So you know this is a subconscious part of your mind?" Charles asked.
Jamal nodded.
"Then I'll be brief. Your body has been greatly weakened by the proton virus dosage they might've been injecting you with over the past few days."
Jamal listened.
"I'll lend you an ounce of electron energy. Won't be much, but enough to buy you some time."
"How did you find me?" Jamal asked. He saw Charles raise an eyebrow then he stood up.
"Find your way out of there, and we'll talk."
A thick blanket of darkness covered Jamal and he felt himself ascending. Cold air blew against his face as he regained consciousness, gasping.
Movement from the experiments room as Edward burst out of the double doors.
Charles' words rang in Jamal's ears, "the aggressive combination of proton virus and electron energy will render you invisible for a duration. Use it well."
Edward paused at the door. He looked up and down the corridor suspiciously. He sniffed.
Jamal pressed his body as tightly against the wall as he could as Edward marched towards his position, holding his breath.
Jamal felt his heart getting warmer; time was not on his side. He inched sideways, making sure to place his foot properly before moving again. Edward turned on his heels and started for the experiments room.
Luck is a random event, for those who believe in it. And for those who don't, they tend to act based on planning and sheer confidence in themselves. The next sequence of action that took place will have Jamal pondering whether he lacked enough belief in luck or he was simply the latter; he hadn't planned well. But neither of the two could've predicted what happened next.
With all his attention on Edward's movements, Jamal hadn't seen the door he was moving to until it was too late. He tripped into it, landing with a crash. His heart rate rose and he felt his body getting warmer just as Edward turned to the sound. Their eyes met, and for a fraction of a second, Jamal hoped he was still invisible.
But the sneer that crossed Edward's face was enough reason to steal all hope away as he charged down on Jamal, leaving a trail of blue energy in his wake.
*****
Laura accelerated the Peugeot 307 down the tarmac past a sign that read: ABUJA - 120KM.
She tried to calm her nerves, but she was too much in a panic to control herself. Her hands shook in fear and she had to grip the wheel harder to keep them in control. Her mind raced back to that morning when a man stood outside their premises downtown. He was watching the house with keen eyes from the street. From the window in the bathroom, she could identify that he had very fair skin, almost pale. His suit looked expensive. But his eyes told a far more gruesome story; they were colder than death. Even from the safety of the house, Laura felt her skin crawl. She quickly dressed up and followed the backdoor to the garage.
But she was too late. He was there, by the Highlander.
"Going somewhere, Laura?" He said, a calm smile running across his handsome face.
Laura froze. How could he have known her name? And how did he move so fast?
Her eyes instinctively searched his hands. The tips of the fingers were slightly red. And she knew. She could stake her life on it: he was in contact with proton virus.
His eyes followed hers to his hands. He scoffed. "Weird, right? Didn't know I was allergic to milk." He laughed dryly.
It happened so fast. Maybe it was the way he looked at her or maybe she had planned on doing it from the beginning.
But as the stranger charged at her, Laura's hands were already in her bag, pulling out a can of pepper spray. She didn't hesitate on the button; she pressed it hard.
The red substance made direct contact with the man's face at close range. He howled in pain, stumbling backwards.
Laura ran as fast as her legs could carry her, to the main road. She had her morning jogs to thank that day, as she sprinted down the road. She didn't look back until she waved down a taxi. The man was standing on the road. He burnt in a blue flame.

Escape foiled. Hope Chris gets to his senses and provide some help otherwise I don't see any hope for Jamal

Laura ran as fast as her legs could carry her, to the main road. She had her morning jogs to thank that day, as she sprinted down the road. She didn't look back until she waved down a taxi. The man was standing on the road. He burnt in a blue flame.
She alighted at the city central, where she rented a car using her bank card. The rest of the day was a rush until she found herself driving out of the city. She had a few friends in Abuja, where she intended to spend a week or two until she could figure something out. With Kelvin's whereabouts still unknown, she had nothing left in Sanka.
***
06:05 hrs.
Benjamin sat at the roof of the building they now regarded as base. His eyes were fixated on the path that led to the house. He had been at it since the day Jamal disappeared. They had searched for him for days until they decided to stay put for some time and see if he'll find them instead. At least all that time spent gave him the opportunity to know and understand his partner a little more. He learnt that his real name was Aido and he was one of Shin's deputies when things were all fair.
Movement down the road, approximately 30 metres away. He was sure he saw something move in the early morning shadow. He picked up his pistol and started towards the ladder, making sure to keep one eye on the path.
"Ben?" Aido called from indoors, "is that you?"
He didn't bother to answer, afraid it might give away his intentions or worst, his position. He crept as quietly as he could, hugging the shadows on the left, gun at the ready. 15 metres.
10 metres.
He stopped at 5 metres, holding his breath. Waiting for a sound.
Fifteen seconds passed. Nothing. He was starting to believe he was seeing things until an arm appeared in front of him. He hesitated and the barrel was grabbed. When he pulled the trigger, the gun fired harmlessly towards the sky and an iron grip held his throat. A pair of glowing blue eyes appeared behind the arm and a hooded figure emerged.
With great difficulty, Benjamin's eyes moved towards the base, hoping Aido had heard the gunshot. But nothing came. No one came.
"Who are you?" the stranger asked. He wore a similar hooded robe as that of Jamal. The grip softened around Benjamin's neck, probably to let him speak.
"Member of the Peacemakers," Benjamin managed to utter.
The stranger inclined his head for a second, then turned around and shouted into the darkness: "Clear!"
For a second, Benjamin thought the guy was crazy.
The shadows started to materialize and move. Then figures started appearing from random spots.
They took positions behind the first guy, faces hidden. The one to the nearest left seemed to have eyes that glowed red.
The blue-eyed guy released his grip around Benjamin's neck and stepped aside for a sixth figure. He stood at around 6'6' and weighed almost 200 pounds. He didn't bother covering his handsome features behind his hood as he stepped out to the light. The sun shone on his face, giving him a glistening appearance.
"Where is Aido?" He asked in a passive low voice.
"Over here," was the reply. Benjamin turned around to see Aido approaching them. He wore a white hooded cloak with black inscriptions on it. He stopped a few metres away. "It's been years, Charles."
"Centuries," the hulking guy corrected. He still spoke in that passive tone. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at the rest. They quietly dissolved back into the shadows.
"You received my RSVP I see?" Aido remarked. "You brought the strongest."
Charles shook his head. "No, Aido. I brought the whole squad."
Just then, the sky grew brighter and Benjamin had to squint to block the light. Over Charles shoulder, he counted about fifteen figures, all hooded.
"We came to have the scores settled," Charles said, this time a bit louder.
******

The forces are almost equal now. The battle will be even

Greatest battle of all time

Nice one boss

Chris heard Katrina's door open, first time since Paul ordered him to stay guard.
The devil himself stepped out with just a towel around his waist. If it was possible, he looked more arrogant than he ever did, casting Chris a side glance.
"Had a good night?" He asked before reaching to touch his forehead. "Oh! I forgot. You were on duty." He trotted down the corridor, laughing at himself.
Chris didn't notice Katrina's presence until she cleared her throat. She gave him an inquiring glance which for some reason pissed him off more. He turned around and headed for his room. He had made up his mind.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from below, almost throwing him off his feet. Dust fizzed from the ceiling as a louder crash came.
***
Jamal raised his hand to block the oncoming punch but it was useless. The force propelled him at least 5 metres away. His body was slammed into the concrete wall, knocking him breathless.
"Because I let you live," Edward said as he walked slowly towards him. His eyes glowed a striking blue and red flames flared around his left arm. "I'll make you wish you had died sooner."
He grabbed Jamal's weakened body by the neck and raised him in the air. Jamal felt the thundering punch before he heard the thumping sound of it. The gasping came shortly after and he collapsed on the cold floor, spilling blood from his mouth and nose.
Through half-closed eyes, Jamal looked up to see Edward standing near him. It felt as if the cold floor drained his strength but was brought back to reality with a crunching kick to the rib area. A groan was all Jamal could manage. He saw the red flames grow brighter and knew he was about to die again. He closed his eyes tight, whispering an apology to his friends.
And he waited.
Bang.
Jamal flinched.
Then a jingling sound.
Bang.
Another jingling sound.
He opened his eyes and saw a figure standing behind Edward. It was about 4 metres away. He looked up at Edward, who gasped. Two red holes in his shirt told Jamal that it was a gunshot wound.
The figure moved forward, pistol held high.
But that was all Jamal's body could handle. His head fell back on the ground and he saw darkness.
****
Benjamin sat in a corner of the room as he watched the place turn into a circus. Cloaked people moved around, some talking in whispers with Aido and others gathered around the guy called Charles.
Benjamin allowed his body to slump deeper into the chair; since they all seemed to ignore his presence, he might as well sleep.
He hadn't dozed 5 minutes when a gentle tap came on his shoulder. He decided to shrug it off, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and leave him alone.
But they didn't. Another gentle tap.
"Darn it!" He cursed, waking up with a start; ready to dish out harsh words at the intruder. But his words got stuck in his throat as he was confronted with a beautiful face: dark, long hair, sharp eyes, cute smile.
He squinted, smiling. "Forgive my manners milady," he said.
Her smile varnished all of a sudden. She stretched out her hand. "Take this," she said. "You should wear one too."
It was a cloak. Black and nothing fancy about it. He collected it and stashed it on the chair.
He caught her looking dryly at him.
"Respect that," she said. "It was worn by the best people I've ever met."
Benjamin scoffed. "Best people? Boy, you haven't met me."
But she was gone.
****

Hope Edward is not bulletproof. These guys are so hard to kill with ordinary weapons

.

You write so well...Couldn't drop my phone ever since I discovered this story. Thanks for sharing this gift with the world. Bravo!

winie:
You write so well...Couldn't drop my phone ever since I discovered this story. Thanks for sharing this gift with the world. Bravo!

Thank you, very much.

Jamal stirred. He felt his back leaning on something cold. He tried to inhale but the pain on his left side made him flinch. His leg hit something and the noise echoed. A dull pain started from the back of his head and ended at the forehead.
"Careful," a voice said. He recognized it but couldn't place it. "You're still in a bad shape. Might take a couple more days to get you back on your feet."
Jamal groaned. He noticed a small glow coming from one corner, a lamp. The illumination was just enough for the spot they occupied. Beyond the cover of the light was darkness. Pitch black darkness.
"Where am I?" Jamal asked. The words felt odd in his mouth, like a foreign language. "What happened?"
He felt a warm hand on his forehead.
"Your temperature is going down," the stranger muttered. "I couldn't find water around, so I leaned your body against the cold walls. It's all we can afford at the moment."
Another dull pain wormed it's way through Jamal's head. His memories felt hazy, like trying to view the sun on a cloudy day. He shook his head vigorously to no effect.
"We're in one of the abandoned tunnels beneath the Monarchy headquarters," the stranger explained. "They probably know nothing about it's existence."
Jamal, who already dozing, was woken by a sudden surge of pain in his head as he heard the stranger say "monarch''.
"What's monarch?" He asked.
"Come on," the stranger said. "Edward beat you to a pulp, but wasn't serious enough to beat you senseless."
"Edward?" The name sounded strange to Jamal's ear. Was this guy -whoever he was- playing games with him? Jamal narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
He saw the stranger lean back against the opposite wall. He sighed.
"It's me, Chris," was the reply. "Saved your as$, remember?"
His head shook slowly. "Thank you for saving my life, but I don't know you."
"What the…"
The guy hasn't finished when Jamal saw black smoke coming out of his own body. It immediately raised the temperature of the surrounding area.
"Jamal? What on earth is wrong with you?" He heard the stranger ask.
"I don't know," Jamal said, confused. "I can't control my body."
He felt his insides boil over and at the same time felt drawn into something like a vacuum. He tried to shout or hold on to something, but it was useless. He was falling backwards into the dark hole.
*****
"Edward?" Paul called through the thick layer of dust that covered the corridor that led to Edward's experiments room.
For centuries, Paul had known about Edward kidnapping people and using them as test subjects. He found it funny, seeing people scream their lungs out and begging not to be killed. Isaac frowns at such atrocities but it's as much as he can do. He can be all stoic faced and acting like an alpha all over the place, but they all knew Edward was almost three times more powerful than Isaac. All thanks to the research he did and applied the results on himself, he could somehow manipulate electron energy and strike it like a bolt of lightning. Some centuries ago, he used the lightning to clear out a whole city.
He heard a groan. Paul raised a hand to eye level and blue flames flickered on his palm serving as a torch.
"Is that you, Edward?"
"Where the hell is he?!" Edward roared as he burst out of the dust cloud.
"Calm down," Paul said, "where's who?"
"That b@stard Chris. Look what he did to my lab."
Edward's clothes were tattered. Blood streamed down his chest and head but all he cared about was this stupid lab? Paul couldn't say it out loud, of course. The air around Edward had changed. He hadn't seen him like this for centuries.
"Chris did this?" Paul asked, perplexed. "Why?"
"Why don't you find him so we'll ask him?"
"I told you not to start this nonsense here," Isaac's cold voice boomed from behind Paul. "Now the structure of the building has been damaged."
Edward said nothing. He was seething, eyes sparking red.
"Let's find the culprit and hold him responsible," Paul said. He turned to walk out but he was stopped by a grip on his hand.
"Culprit?" Isaac frowned, "You are the culprit, Paul. I told you to keep an eye on the boy."
"Hey, Isaac…" Paul started to stammer but was stopped by a brutal punch that made him see red. His body slammed against the wall.
"You address me as ELDER Isaac," he said. "Edward, ensure Paul holds the foundation of this building until we leave."
Edward bowed, "as you wish."
"What the f@ck!" Paul cursed. Both Isaac and Edward turned around and left him there.
******

[color=#990000][/color]nice work man I joined nairaland because of ur write up good to go ....................

Thank God Chris is getting his eyes cleared. Is Kelvin around too.

yungbanks:
[color=#990000][/color]nice work man I joined nairaland because of ur write up good to go ....................

I'm grateful.

******
"Tukur," Katrina said as she stepped into the control room, "what is happening."
Tukur looked bad. Dishevelled hair, unshaved beard, rough suit. He's been busy running errands for the elders, sending threats to government agencies across the state. And of course, arranging teams to burn down landmarks. The last attack was carried out inside the university. Casualties numbered up to fifty.
"I don't know for sure," Tukur replied. He tapped on the computer screen in front of him and a 3D structural diagram of the headquarters popped up on the large screen. The central areas were highlighted in red colours of different shades.
"The pillars around the center of the building have been severely weakened."
Just then, Edward and Issac barged in. Edward had blood all over his torso and his clothes were torn. But he didn't seem to care.
"You," Edward pointed at one of the employees, "find me Chris. Right now!"
"Tukur, are they ready?" Isaac asked.
Tukur nodded grimly. "Not up to full strength but enough to put up a good fight."
"That's all I need," Isaac agreed. "A good fight."
***
The chest creaked as Benjamin opened it. The top was heavier than he had imagined. Well, that was to be expected as he hadn't been keeping his fitness levels in check ever since Shin died. He emptied the contents of the chest on the floor and picked what he needed before heading downstairs, knowing he might never come back after tonight. Plans had been set and everyone looked grim; including Aido, who looked up at him while he descended the stairs. They nodded at each other.
"Everyone knows their roles, right?" Charles said. He didn't wait for an answer. "We move out in ten. As the protocol demands, we'll destroy all evidence of our stay here after all has been done and dusted."
The weird girl of earlier inched closer to Benjamin. She eyed him up and down. "See you on the other side?"
He brought out one of the two pistols holstered in his cloak and cocked it. "No," he said, "I'll see you on THIS side."
She gave him a withering smile as she pulled her hood over her head and started walking away. "I'm Davina by the way."
"Benjamin," he called after her.
"It's time," Aido announced. He pulled out his katana and checked it before heading over to Charles, who also pulled up his hood.
Benjamin checked the time: 20:00
***
Jamal tripped through the tunnels -for the umpteenth time. His breathing was shallow and he was thirsty. He was tempted to take a sip from the dirty water that flowed at his feet but he knew better.
"Why isn't your body healing?" Chris asked. Jamal sensed it was just to keep him talking.
"I've lost the ability to gather proton energy," Jamal said. And it was true. The proton virus had caused more damages than he -and Charles- had expected. The electron energy capacity had also reduced drastically.
"How did you put Edward down? Guns don't usually work."
Chris nodded. "I was trying to make a bullet that could hurt their likes ever since I encountered you in the Japanese cave. I finally succeeded after I laced the bullet in proton virus."
"Where did you get the virus from?"
"For some reason, Edward has a lot of it stored. I don't know how he got it, but I found out he was selling very small amounts to anyone rich enough to buy it. I also found out it makes a very good bomb when detonated with some electron energy."
Jamal coughed up more blood. His body was shutting down by the hour.
Chris seemed to have noticed. "We're almost there. Just a few more metres."
****
"Who are 'THEY'?" Katrina asked Tukur after Isaac had left.
He glanced at her over the computer. "They had been injecting workers with the proton virus behind your back. It's been bad; deaths every f#cking day!" He sighed. "Until a few started surviving after Edward captured the Jamal guy and tweaked a few things."
Katrina seethed. She knew, she sensed something was up lately but didn't know what. Her curiosity led her into sleeping with Paul but it proved useless, and she had lost Chris' trust, who has now gone rogue. She heard Edward say something about him breaking someone out.
"They're in the tunnels!" Edward exclaimed. "Tukur, gather a few men and bring him back!"
Isaac appeared again. He had changed his clothes into a cleaner suit. "The government aren't responding to our demands. I'll step into the city and lay waste to whoever stops me." He turned sharply in Katrina's direction. His next order shook her to the marrow. The room fell silent monetarily and everyone looked genuinely frightened.
"Where is the Torpedo?"
****
Cool breeze hit Jamal's face. The air smelt of burnt rubber. But at least, it was hope.
"You feel that?" Chris said. The lamp's fire went off. "That's freedom."
"Yeah," Jamal agreed as they staggered down the tunnel. The pungent smell grew worse the closer they got to the light ahead. Jamal felt his stomach churn and had to hold back throwing up. The unmistakable sounds of screaming hit their ears. Jamal saw an orange glow reflect on the clear sky and immediately knew something was amiss. They staggered to the mouth of the tunnel, which was almost 2 metres in diameter.
"What the hell?" Chris uttered.
Jamal's jaw fell, along with his heart.
They stood in the middle of the -once beautiful- city.
Or what remained of it.
Buildings were ablaze, people ran around like confused ants. Animals howled, running to the safety of the bushes. Someone screamed from inside a supermarket across the street but nobody even looked at him twice. The bottom half of his body had been crushed by the roof of the building. A few seconds later, the whole place was on fire and a ear-shattering scream filled the atmosphere.
Jamal and Chris walked slowly through the buildings, having to step over corpses and severed human parts. Some were still alive, groaning in pain. Some cried on corpses of friends and family.
"This is war!" A voice boomed, almost from the skies. "We warned your government to surrender but they ignored us!!"
Chris cursed. "We have to move fast! It's Isaac."
They ducked into the shadows and started jogging down the streets. Jamal's body ached, but it's better to tear a few muscles than risk getting captured by those guys again. He ignored the pain and sprinted.

Evold:
Thank God Chris is getting his eyes cleared. Is Kelvin around too.

He's still in captivity. I hope he makes it out alive

Nice update
Well done

zhayyd039:

He's still in captivity. I hope he makes it out alive

You hope. Hahahaha I know you make things happen. Thanks for the update

Thanks for the update man

Evold:

You hope. Hahahaha I know you make things happen. Thanks for the update

Thank you very much sir

yungbanks:
Thanks for the update man

Thank you

LightQueen:
Nice update

Well done

Thank you very much

They passed through the alleys, cutting corners and avoiding populated areas. Jamal saw walls in all directions. He kept his vision tunnelled, focussing his mind on finding safety. But he couldn't completely ignore the current situation. A part of his mind kept reminding him.
People were dying in all directions, a cold air filled the atmosphere. And smoke; lots of it.
Six metres ahead of them a neon sign sparked and immediately ignited. It landed with a crash just before they could pass by.
Chris grabbed Jamal by the arm. "Come on, let's find another way," he said.
But Jamal wasn't listening. He yanked his arm back and collapsed on the ground. "You go ahead," he gasped. He was gassed out. A strong pang of hunger suddenly registered in his belly and he sank deeper into the ground. The world looked like it was turning, revolving around him.
Chris knelt in front of him. He tapped him on the cheeks a few times.
"Come on!" He yelled over the distant cries and sirens. "You can't give up now! We're almost there. Jamal!!"
Jamal was about to tell his friend to leave when a familiar voice called.
"CHRIS! YOU SON OF A WH@RE!"
He felt his body paralyze in fear. Chris also slumped near him, eyes wide as lemons. Ripe ones.
Jamal's stomach churned. Chris was already staring at empty space, nodding at nothing.
"I CAN SMELL THEIR PRESENCE," Edward shouted. From the looks of it, Jamal estimated them to be two blocks away. Their only safety was the dark alleyway. Going back to the streets now would be worse than suicide. Jamal imagined Edward wouldn't give them an easy death even if they voluntarily surrendered. The two of them hugged the darkness, letting it cover them in it's warmth. A light drizzle started to pour. Without any protection, they were wet in seconds but none of them dared move an inch. If Edward was smart, Jamal thought, he'll release an electron cloud into the air. They sense motion and body heat. But as luck would have it, the rain would probably lower their temperature and he hoped it'll be enough to convince Edward there were just two corpses in the alleyway.
Chris moved, almost wanting to crawl back up the street but Jamal held him back.
"Do NOT-" he was about to say "move" when…
"Who is there?!" A voice called from the entrance to the alley. Jamal could only see a silhouette.
And a rifle.
The two friends took a moment to glare at each other. It was a grim glare that translated to "the end is near".
****
"In position," Benjamin spoke into the comms device implemented in their hoods.
The twenty of them -plus Charles- were divided into 10 groups of 2. Aido, a guy controlling blue energy, and another controlling red energy -were Charles' deputies. Aido was partnered with the Davina girl, Benjamin with the red guy, and the blue guy was partnered with a brunette lady. The three groups led the squad; moving 20 metres apart while being 50 metres away from Origin -Charles- who was flanked by three groups on each side.
The three groups in front served as scouts and the first line of attack and defense. The three on both sides defended the rear and sides. A group from each side would occasionally drop to the rear, ensuring they are not being followed.
Now, the scouts halted 100 metres away from the battlefield, awaiting the others.
"In position," Aido's voice crackled.
"In position," came a female voice, the brunette.
"Copy that, scouts," came Origin's voice. "Rearguard, report."
A few seconds later, the rest confirmed their locations.
"Let's maintain formation," Origin said. "Increase distance by hundred metres. Remember, comms limit is one-fifty. Stay in range."
"Yes," was the reply in unison.
"We save as much lives as we can while we advance. We don't stop until we get Jamal back. Spread out."
The guy paired with Benjamin walked up to him. "I'm a long ranger. You move thirty metres ahead of me and leave the rest to me."
Benjamin's eyes narrowed from beneath the hood. He was certain the guy couldn't see that.
"What do I call you," Benjamin said, "Red Man?"
"Red would do," was the flat reply. "Keep it simple."
Benjamin brought out his pistols and dived off the building. The air got hotter as he inched closer to ground level.
"Help me!" Someone tugged at his cloak. The man had half of his body buried beneath debris. Before Benjamin could react, the man coughed violently and his body went limp.
For the first time that night, he looked around. Bodies fell everywhere. Like leaves shredded off a tree. Some were old, some were kids. He sighted a pregnant woman with her head smashed between two vertical walls. She laid in a pool of her own blood.
Benjamin had to look away as his throat squeezed.
"Move!" Red's voice brought him back to reality and he ran down the road.
*****

Keep it coming man nice update you gat me perplexed