Meanwhile, Tin rested her back on the four-sided metal pane of a fan filter, catching her breath from climbing the stairs of the abandoned building. She figured that it would be better to watch at the top of the building rather than stay in the compartment of the structure that limits her vision. She held down the sniper and turned off her communication device because she didn’t want to lose her concentration while preparing her weapons. Besides, they already infiltrated the site, all that was left was fulfilling their objective.

“It has been a long time since I’ve used these babies,” she muttered to herself as she unloaded the magazines from the guns, checking if they were loaded with bullets.

As soon as she was finished checking her weapons, she turned on the communication device. She altered her gaze at the lunar light and gasped at the breath-taking beauty of it. Tin listened to them while taking turns monitoring outside the factory.

Clad in green combat and a closed button brown trench coat, and equipped beneath a vest. She kept her entire body warm from the passing breeze of the night that blew a strand of her hair across her eyes. She pulled herself from the metal panel, stretching her body. The edifice was abandoned and surrounded by countless empty buildings, making it convenient to not be noticed by people who were celebrating festivities.

She wailed as soon as the crackling bones sounded from the stretching legs. Preparing for the worst, Tin rested the guns and opened the bag revealing dozens of hazardous items. Two handguns rested in her waist, flash bombs hung in the utility belt, and a knife in her leg. The assault rifle hung slant in her back, while the shotgun clung to the trench coat holder in a horizontal position. The magazines suspended in her chest and in the midriff. The shotgun shell was horizontally applied to her belly.

This over-composure in equipping weapons was but a bad habit that she developed ever since she was in training back at the haven. Tin was madly attracted to weapons and she was considered a protégé in the art of armaments with her innovative mind in weapons making.

She held the sniper and adjusted the scope to the factory. She noticed that the place became quiet, and there was no presence of the worker.

“Hey, the outside became quiet, something’s fishy about it,” Tin warned.

“Don’t worry, we’re just about to get rid of this place,” Alastor replied. The three of them started to fiddle on computers.

“How are you going to do it? You don’t have any explosives left,” Cid asked.

“We don’t need explosive devices to blow up this place. We will just improvise,” Linda replied. They breathed heavily jogging across the platform, taking the south route, which led them to the electric chamber. Upon entering the room, they saw dozens of electric conduit containers.

Tin rose, gazing afar at the factory before nodding in confirmation there is no reason to be alert. She crouched to grab the bag, but a wandering red dot aiming caught her eyes. Traversing towards her body, she knew what it aimed for. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, crap.” She rolled and evaded the gunshots. She drew out her pistols, shooting as she ran and hid behind a squared metallic fan filter.

“Whatever you have to do; you better do it fast. We got some company here.” Tin called through the mic. A few of his shots missed and grazed the nearby filters. She laid down her sniper and switched to an assault rifle. When she heard there were no movements, she assumed it stopped. She returned fires to where it came from. Tin strongly gripped the handle and caressed it to withstand the recoil. Bullets came striking as she rolled, hiding behind a cement wall.

“I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but creeping out in the back… is so unmanly.” She howled, hid, and reloaded, then clutched the charging handle for another round.

A few seconds passed and the entire field became quiet. She huffed softly, considering her surroundings, her eyes suspended at the back. She called Cid, “Hey, would you check if there are more enemies?”

“I don’t think my computer’s working properly, there’s no one there but only you,” Cid reported and continued to tap the computer. “Wait a sec. Hide around! He’s on the right side of the other building!” he shouted.

Tin stumbled as the bullet narrowly missed her cheek. She leaned back, rolled to the side, and took cover behind the fan filter on the other side. Quickly, she inserted a 30-round magazine into the well of her rifle, firmly clouting the bottom of the magazine to ensure it was seated properly. She then pulled back the charging handle, allowing the bolt to snap forward with a cracking sound, chambering a live round. As soon as she heard the soft thumping of boots moving to another position, she initiated an attack on the enemy’s location. Her gun’s nose followed the man as she pulled the trigger. The loud noise of her gunshots echoed in the air, creating a sound of death. The bullets only grazed his black cloak.

Tin crouched and unloaded the magazine, then reloaded it, gazing back at the enemy. She realized that he was only standing and staring at her position. “What the hell?” she muttered to herself. Looking underneath his black garb, she saw a dozen magazines resting vertically, trailing to his shoulder and chest. The last thing she noticed were the hood trailing a coat down to beyond his knees and the gas mask he wore, the eyeglasses of which glowed red, the eyes of grim reaper.

Tin stood, clutching the charging handle, ready to pull the trigger when a clanging sound caught her ears. A one-foot silver container was thrown four feet away from her, and the ticking sound of the bomb made her heart forget his early intention. Without hesitation, she ran to the edge of the building. The last words she heard from the mysterious man were ‘Boom.’ The canister exploded, and she felt the shockwave that sent her hurling off the building with a grown. She reached behind her and pulled something, shooting the grappling hook at the ledge near a window and landing safely on the ground.

She looked back at the man but found nothing. I could hear only the sound of debris from the explosion. She left the scene. A van stopped in front of her and Cid opened the window, calling her name.

“Hey, we need to get out of here,” he said urgently. She climbed into the van, and they proceeded to the factory.

The mysterious man was left standing, gazing at the rushing vehicle, with no intention of pursuing them.

***

“So, would you mind sharing with me what you were doing?” Ken stood before Alastor, discerningly observing what he was doing, he was done double checking the security.

“We were using this energy container to connect in the core reactor,” Alastor replied. He was busy connecting wires to the container of energy. Meanwhile, Linda was unbolting the gas tube.

“The tube contains methane gas; this would be enough as a trigger to blow this place,” she added. Linda walked hastily at a control panel, reaching for the tube to unbolt it. Seven containers were connected, wired up, and only needed to be plugged in.

“Again, how do these things blow up?” Ken still could not grasp the plan.

“We will use these energy containers to overload the core reactor. The core will explode and ignite the methane gas, or if not, a single spark of it would be enough,” Alastor explained.

“That’s why we need to get out of here fast after we finish wiring these containers,” Linda huffed and jumped from reaching the connecting tube. In a second, the gas hissed and came out from it, filling the room with fumes.

“This should be enough,” Alastor pulled his hands out of the small hole of the core reactor and rose from crouching. Thirteen energy containers were finished wiring.

“Hey, help me connect this to the reactor,” Alastor asked Ken.

Ken stopped in motion and hesitantly did it. “I don’t know, man, maybe I’ll leave this thing up to you.” He walked outside the room, while Alastor gave Linda a look, and she shrugged, then proceeded to help connect the container.

The white luminous light emitted by the lampshade gave light in this distressing place. The cold breeze of the atmosphere that came from the air conditioner was numbing, penetrating the nerves starting from Ken’s neck down to his body.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“How could they easily kill them? Without knowing if they’re still human or not?” Ken was still concerned about the humans that were included in the experiment. He knew deep inside his heart that it was wrong to kill innocent people, but Alastor’s words kept resounding inside his mind.

“Ugh, I don’t know what I am supposed to do anymore,” he grunted. Ken was raised by monks at the Alfahon Mountain in the far east of the Jafal Region, before the Glade took him care of. He was taught the importance of life and why we should respect and take care of it. In the present, the place he was raised was now in ashes, when the Grand Military Empire – the Hayan Empire – decided to declare war against the Gahoda Kingdom. The monks helped the people who were victims and used their sanctuaries to be their temporary home. But with the advanced mechanisms they possessed, the enemy could track the refugees, and because of that, they were killed. The monks tried to fight back but proved ineffective with the enemies using advanced weapons. After the gruesome battle, he was found by a member of the Glade and brought to their base.

He continued to walk, trying to figure out what he should do, until he noticed the dim-witted eyes of a woman. Dozens of outlets that restrained her injected her. The only thing that was replaced was her hands, which were made of iron. Her expression which lacked life was giving an impression of wanting to be saved. Her eyes seemed to call out to him, her mouth moving as if trying to say “Help… me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of there,” Ken reassured her as he approached the computer panel near the glass chamber. Although the operating system was somewhat different, he could still understand it. He pulled down the lever that turned off the light and the opening hole underneath her feet sapped the water, he immediately caught her.

“Hey, don’t worry. You’re safe now,” Ken whispered to the girl who was drifting to sleep. He carried her and headed back to where the others were. Alastor and Linda already finished connecting the devices, and the image at the control panel showed the power percentage increasing until it hit one hundred percent and then beyond.

“We need to go now,” Alastor urged. He went out first.

“Cid, where’s the nearest exit?” Linda asked.

“There’s supposed to be a ventilation shaft on the next floor that will slide you down outside the building. You’ll need to use a grappling hook,” Cid said.

Tin grabbed the laptop and looked at the blueprint. “Since when did you have these blueprints?” she asked.

“Dude, I extracted them when I was gathering information. Hey! Get those feet of yours down where they’re supposed to be!” Cid growled.

“Okay-okay, jeez,” Tin snorted.

Cid observed Tin as she typed on the laptop. “What are you doing?” he asked with uneasiness caused by her bratty look.

“Just doing something funny.” she grinned.

The two of them hurriedly walked, knowing that it would be a matter of time before the building exploded, and when that time came, the authorities would be alerted.

“Hey, where’s Ken?” Linda asked.

“I don’t know, I don’t care…” Alastor replied flatly.

Linda pressed the button to call Ken and he responded, his voice audible as though he was nearby. As he elevated up the stairs, Linda noticed that he was not alone, he brought an unwanted guest.

“What are you doing?!” she shouted. “You’re jeopardizing our mission!”

“No! She’s alive and she needs help… Just please, at least—” Ken tried to justify his actions, but Cid interrupted.

“Hey, we might learn what they’re up to if we could bring one of their samples, so let him,” Cid suggested.

Alastor ignored the discussion as he looked below and saw countless silhouettes approaching their location. “We’ll talk about it later. They are coming, let’s get out of here,” he warned with an urgent tone and ran to the staircase. They needed to alert the authorities once the subject was released. Maybe there was a silent alarm somewhere.

Ken sighed and leaned the girl against him, holding her. Behind them, the guards pointed their guns, locking their aim with a firm grip on the charging handle. They pulled the trigger, and the bullets volleyed towards them.

“Don’t let them escape, no matter what happens!” someone shouted.

Alastor reached for his sword, hissing against the scabbard and gleamed for a moment. He deflected the incoming bullets with his swordsmanship, swinging back and forth as he let himself be the last line of defense to protect them. The bullets grazed his cheeks and somewhere on his legs, but most bounced against his blade. He cut off the wires of the barrel-like structure letting it roll over them.

Ahead, Linda led them, and Ken was in the middle of the chase, carrying the unconscious woman on his back. A guard reached the other side and was about to aim at them with his gun, but Linda threw a bolt of lightning magic at him, instantly knocking him down.

They reached the available ventilation shaft at the center of the wall in the open space metallic stage, but the position was convenient to the enemy, leaving Alastor to deflect the attacks. He calmly assessed every parried attack and only deflected those that could hit them. In the end, he resorted to magic, conjuring green constructs that blocked the attacks.

“Hey, get in. We’re going to get out of here!” Linda pulled the lock and entered the duct, sliding down then kicking the filter that led her outside, falling in the large chemical industrial factory. She grabbed the grappling hook and shot it randomly, luckily clinging to the ledge.

“You go first!” Alastor said while deflecting every attack of the enemy. His strange speed of deflecting left some enemies in awe, but they furiously assaulted him. With every bullet he deflected, more followed, pushing him to the edge.

Ken retorted, “But you can’t hold it any—”

“Just go! Leave it to me!” Alastor shouted.

“I owe you one.” Ken leaned his back upward as they slid to the wide duct.

Alastor couldn’t take his chances to slide to the duct as long as the enemies kept shooting at him. Hence, he slowly moved backward, preparing for an opportunity. Unfazed by the aggressors, he didn’t notice that the others were taking a reroute. The loud noise of the striking bullets enabled him to foresee it. He breathed roughly, his boots creating friction when he took a step back. The cold atmosphere was slowing his muscle movements.

Before the indiscreetly approached enemy could get near him, gas leaked from the tube hanging up sideways. The electric wirings sparked and grounded the lights, turning them off and on until it reached the enemy. Some of them were blinded by the gas, and others were electrified. The loud shrieking noise of the spark resounded where they came from, and some of the machinery began to explode.

The explosion intensified as the canisters exploded, and the methane gas flickered, producing a vindictive flare that flowed in the ventilation duct, creating a chain of explosions across the platforms. The building shook and so was he. The enemy’s reaction couldn’t catch up to the immediate blast, burning them alive. The continuous screams of the guards dissipated as the entirety began to collapse.

Even though some of them were willing to take chances of surviving the blast and tried to get rid of Alastor, they couldn’t fight back against the destructive flame. He lost his balance as soon as an explosion came at his right side. He used his sword to support him, regaining his composure. His eyes strained to focus as he felt that his head was heavy. The mercenary forced the air on his mouth to ease his heart and mind. After collecting himself, he glanced back at the escape route that was now covered in piled boulders.

His teeth grinded, scolding himself for failing. However, he knew that giving up was not an option. The growling explosion of flames halted, and he could once again hear the swarming presence of the enemies. The sights of the automatic rifles were fixated on him. He quickly rose, gripping the holder, prepared for the next wave. A deafening roar of volleying bullets came, and he sprinted towards them, deflecting the bullets with rapid swinging and skillful sword movements. As soon as they ran out of bullets, he didn’t hesitate to take the chance and fixed his sword towards their flesh.

Alastor aimed low then swung back and forth, threw the gun, kicked the guts hard, and the enemy fell. Soon, the others fired at him, aiming for a convenient position. The once calm fire raged again, succumbing to the aggressors. Along with the blast, water leaked next to him. He decided to remove his mask and shower in the leaking water before wearing it again to prevent unwanted smoke from entering his nostrils.

Alastor risked a glance at the top to confirm any means of escape. Beyond the rows of glass tubes, he saw the window as he snapped the neck of the enemy. Large pieces of technology blocked the stair. He looked for another way as he took cover. He saw a path that led up, but it would be bothersome to circle the route, and the enemy might catch up to him. So, he chose to take the easy way. He jumped and clung to the ledge. His strong arms pulled him up, and he met another enemy. He threw his sword at the foe, plunging it deep into his chest. Running, ducking, sliding down, and reclaiming the sword back into his hand. He struck at the enemy’s chest.

Once he reached the window, he grabbed the grenade from the fallen enemy, threw it into the air, and shot it as soon as it got close to the window. Alastor knew what was about to happen and rested his sword while the opportunity was there. The flame came after him. The hotness was threatening, and the frightened mercenary could feel that the unstoppable blaze was behind him as he knelt, jumped, clung, and pulled himself up. He didn’t think twice and jumped at the building. The height was high, and probably the length of the hook couldn’t do the job, so he waited to find the right timing. He grabbed the grappling hook and then shot it at the deformed wall. The vehicle was parked behind the walls of the factory. Cid looked at the upcoming party, Linda and Ken landed safely. Cid noticed the woman clinging to Ken’s back.

“What the hell?” he exclaimed. Tin grabbed the handle of the door and opened it, making a way for the hurrying comrades. Ken caressed the lady to the comfortable seat, and then he grabbed a towel, covering her nakedness.

Cid leaned forward to the woman, then to Ken. “Hey, is she one of the…?”

“Yes, she is,” Ken promptly replied.

They could hear the explosion. They gazed up to the cylindrical furnace and saw the smoke trailing up to the sky, then came the explosion. The debris fell across the place until they saw Alastor from the higher echelon, falling as though the roaring flame came out. Alastor decelerated and while in mid-air, the ledges crumbled, and the hook held no longer, leaving Alastor to free fall. Ken estimated the distance and timing. When Alastor drew near, he leaped towards him, cushioning his fall and altering the force of the impact. They both hit the hard pavement with a loud thud and let out a groan of pain.

“I got ya,” Ken muttered and moaned, standing up and holding his waist.

“This is gonna hurt tomorrow.” Alastor struggled to catch his breath as Ken helped him up. Together, they stumbled into the waiting vehicle and drove away from the scene, leaving behind the wailing sirens of the police and fire-fighters rushing to the exploding building.

The brimming night sky was shrouded by thick columns of black smoke, a haunting reminder of the danger they just escaped.