Its impossible to account for every variable. No matter how thodical your planning, well-thought your reasoning, youll always leave sothing out. The best plans always account for sothing to go wrong, expect proceedings to go off-course, and leave ample windows to adjust on the fly. Or at least, that was what I thought.
How the hell was I supposed to account for this?
Chro-mask was more force of nature than sole combatant. He flew through the wrecked door, so quickly it looked as if he might smash into the adjacent wall, only to land on it, feet first. With a graceless swipe, he hurled three glinting flashes of tal directly towards my face.
Waller stepped in front of protectively. He raised a protective arm too late. A cry of pain followedone small blades lodging in his arm, the other two landing in his cheek and just beneath his eye. They dug in less than a half-inch, but given the location it must have hurt like hell.
Waller! Hawkins cried out, bringing her service weapon up to her eye. Before she even lined up a shot, Chro-mask was moving again.
Ti slowed down as Chro-mask dove off the wall in a trajectory that was almost a straight-line, directly at us. Hawkins fired a shot that missed Chro-mask and shattered the window at the end of the hallway, while Foster finally stirred from his montary paralysis and swiped out with the butt of his pistol.
Chro-mask twisted in the air to avoid the blow, and sothing glinted in his hand.
Imdiately, I realized what he was trying to do.
I wasnt certain how his power worked yet, exactly, but seed to take so setup. A certain number of those thin, needle-like blades in the target before he could use his crimson magic to obliterate the center-point, as he had the Users in the cathedral.
With milliseconds to spare, I dead-legged Waller with a swift kick at the back of his knee, trying to stop Chro-mask from completing the circuit.
No longer blocked by Waller, Chro-mask crashed into with both feet. He was smaller than and weighed significantly less, but the drop-kick still sent skidding a small distance down the hallway. I watched helplessly as Chro-mask scrambled towards the fallen agent, planting the final knife into Wallers forehead.
Thenalmost casuallypunched through his face, bathing the surrounding hallway in red.
No! Foster scread.
But Sae was faster. Maybe faster than all of us. She grabbed Chro-masks head in one clawed hand and picked him up, slamming him repeatedly into a tal doorfra. The top left section of his mask ca off, revealing a section of brown hair and a vicious green eye.
Ellison.
My heart sank. On so level, Id known since the transposition. But Id hoped more than anything that I had missed sothing. That Id been wrong.
The brother that Id loved since the day he was born snarled in a voice I couldnt recognize as he grabbed Saes wrist with both hands. He peeled her chitin thumb back, slipping out of the vice grip and pretzeling one leg around her arm for leverage, kicking at her face with the other.
There was a gunshot, and Ellisons head snapped back. He plumted to the ground and landed motionless. Hawkins and Foster advanced on him.
Talia stood over Ellison, growling.
I moved quickly, straddling Ellisons torso and wrapping my hands around the lightweight material that covered his neck lightly. The bullet from Hawkins handgun was flattened in the top portion of his mask.
What are you doing? I whispered, furious.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Azure climb through the shattered window at the end of the hall.
We got this, Matt. Foster said, and I felt an arm pulling free as Hawkins flanked from the side. My expression hardened as I let him pull off Ellison.
Not to ntion that hed killed Waller. This plan was contingent on the feds making it throughby the skin of their teeth, but alive. The death of my biggest detractor reflected badly on , no matter how you looked at it.
In the past, Ellison always delivered bad news with a similar mix of callousness and apathy. There was a strong possibility he wasnt lying, here. A coldness settled over .
Ellison grunted as Foster and Hawkins hauled him to his feet. His visible eye pierced , a dark anger emitting from it.
The feeling of wrongness grew thick. This wasnt just about letting him go. If he really wanted my help, all he had to do was threaten to reveal my identity to the public at large. Even if my public face bought a certain degree of goodwill, soone would eventually make good on the threat. But if he went that route, the bridge between us would be burned to ash. Id never trust him again.
Instead, hed brought Iris into it.
Promises were cheap. But Ellison revered our father in a way Id never understood. It was, perhaps, the one thing he could have said to convince hed follow through. In the distance, the sound of a helicopter grew closer.
I closed my eyes and signaled Azure.
Hawkins and Foster stopped in their tracks as foul slling smoke poured through the hallway. Multiple fire alarms went off one after another, each adding to the dissonant keen, wailing like a dented choir. Audreys vine shot through the smoke and lashed Hawkins wrist, knocking the gun. Another grabbed Ellison by the ankle and yanked him from their grasp.
Suddenly unburdened, Foster and Hawkins unloaded down the hallway, firing through the smoke. A bolt struck in the ribcage, scraping against bone. Sae pulled out of the way as a hail of flashing knives cut through the air.
Talia charged into the smoke, snarling and growling.
Before I knew what was happening, Miles was standing above , firing arrow after arrow into the smoke, his face twisted in a rictus of anger. He pointed to a nearby door. Inside!
We retreated into the open suite. Foster dragged Cook inside, while Talia, freshly bloodied, slipped in just before the doors closed.
A small family huddled together, staring with wide-eyes as our bedraggled group staggered in, slamming the door shut behind us. The sound of whirling helicopter blades grew deafening. A rope ladder banging against the railing on the outside lounge. That must have been how Miles got in. A small assortnt of police officers and SWAT unloaded from the helicopter and pushed forward, taking a position beside Miles.
Waller? Miles kept his bow trained on the door and glanced at Hawkins.
Hawkins shook her head.
Miles mouth turned downward. God fucking dammit. Were leaving. Now. Get in the helicopter. All of you.
Hawkins, Foster, and Sae made their way out onto the balcony overhang. Sae hoisted Cook up the ladder and then dropped back down. When she extended a hand to Hawkins, Hawkins ignored it and pulled herself up. She froze and pointed out towards the distance, her voice barely audible over the noise. Bogeyis thatMyrddins backup is running!
Sure enough, I saw a paragliding silhouette approximately the size of my brother making solid ti towards the moonlit horizon
My blood dripped freely, staining the plush carpet. I stared at the small family huddled in the corner, a resolute tranquility ca over .
I cant go.
Miles grabbed roughly by my hoodie. The hell you cant. Youre bleeding out. He slipped through all your security and literally attacked you where you live. Let the professionals look after your family. Its not safe here.
I glared at Miles. And whose fault is that?
Miles released as if hed stuck his hands into a fire.
Nowhere is safe. I pushed. Everyone in this region is relying on . If I leave, Myrddin will find a way to make us pay for it. I paid in blood to save them. I cant abandon them now.
I nearly cringed at how painfully valiant it sounded. If it were just us, I would have pushed back with my familys safety instead. But the civilians' presence gave a unique opportunity to entrench myself in the region further. Solidify that what happened at the end of the event wasnt just a fluke.
Miles studied through cold blue eyes. Myrddin fought half a guild and walked out unscathed. Not to ntion, he has backup. Fighting him alone only ends one way.
If he was at the top of his ga, sure, but hes injured. Sae took a place next to . Talia at her side. And I want a piece of that fucker as much as Matt does.
Who are you? Miles shook his head. Never-mind. More importantly, how do you know that?
Sae glanced at Talia. Spirit Guardian told .
Irritation flooded Miles expression. Of course. There are Spirit Guardians now.
Foster crossed his arms. Shes solid, Miles. And Hawkins is out of the ga, but Im not. Way I see it, if we end this here, it saves a helluva lot of trouble in the long run.
Miles didnt look convinced. I gave it one last try. Ive been spamming ssages to Kinsley, trying to get through. Squelch dropped long enough for to get a ssage off. Kinsleys people are on their way. So patrolling rcs probably heard the gunfire and are already down in the lobby floor. All we need to do is push him towards the lobby.
With a sigh, Miles steadied himself. He pointed to the arrow erging from my ribcage. Foster?
Foster studied the arrows placent, then drew a serrated blade, giving a questioning look. When I nodded and grit my teeth, he began to saw the shaft, muttering apologies as every vibration sent a new wave of pain from my body. Eventually, I was left with an inch of bloodstained bolt erging from my hoody.
Kid should be alright, assuming nothing tears that out. Thats the most serious injury. An inch difference and that could have been your heart. Everything else is non-vital. You got lucky. Foster locked eyes with and inclined his head in tacit approval.
Whats the plan, Matt? Sae asked.
I considered that for a mont, grunting at a wave of pain. My guess? Myrddins is leaning on his notoriety from the broadcast. He ca here expecting us to run. Engage cautiously, if we engage at all. But no ones that agile without a drawback. He has to be a glass canon.
Miles breathed in sharply. You want to blitz him.
My expression hardened. Hes been pushing his agenda uncontested from the start. That stops here.
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