Terry's heart pounded in his chest like a drumbeat of impending doom, each thud echoing in his ears like a relentless reminder of his perilous predicament.
Panic and confusion swirled in his mind like a tempestuous whirlwind, each thought more frantic than the last, his rationality swept away by the rising tide of fear.
'How can he see me? This isn't possible!'
Terry's thoughts spiraled into a vortex of disbelief, grappling with the incomprehensible reality unfolding before him.
His pulse quickened, a rapid cadence of terror coursing through his veins, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, each droplet a testament to the intensity of his growing dread.
But before he could gather his wits, Noel's icy voice pierced the silence like a shard of ice, sending a shiver down Terry's spine that reverberated through his very soul.
"I don't like to repeat myself," Noel's words hung in the air like a chilling admonition, freezing Terry in place with their unyielding authority.
Terry met Noel's maddening eyes, a cold fury igniting within him like a smoldering ember fanned into flame by the winds of desperation and rage.
His mind raced, overwhelmed by a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, each one vying for dominance in the chaotic storm raging within him.
Without thinking, he acted on impulse, driven by a primal instinct to survive at any cost.
"You brat!"
Terry's voice cracked with desperation and anger, a guttural roar born of desperation and defiance.
His grip tightened on the baseball bat, knuckles turning white with the strain as he swung it with all his might, a primal scream tearing from his lips as he aimed directly at Noel's head.
The air seemed to crackle with the force of his swing, each molecule vibrating with the kinetic energy of his primal fury, his vision narrowing to a tunnel focused solely on his target.
Just as the bat was about to make contact, a shimmering blue aura enveloped Noel, a radiant shield of otherworldly power that defied comprehension.
The bat halted abruptly, mere inches from its mark, suspended in mid-air as if by an invisible hand, the sheer impossibility of the sight sending a jolt of disbelief coursing through Terry's veins.
Terry's breath caught in his throat, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief as the blue light pulsated with an ethereal glow, bathing the room in its eerie luminescence.
In that moment, the true extent of Noel's power became painfully clear to Terry, a stark reminder that he was up against something far beyond his understanding, a force of nature that could not be tamed or defeated by mortal means.
"You!"
Terry exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mixture of surprise and determination as he gathered his wits, his mind racing to formulate his next move amidst the chaos of the moment.
His breath hitched in his throat as he prepared to confront Noel, his muscles tensing with a newfound resolve born of desperation and defiance.
But before Terry could react, before he could even blink, Noel struck with a casual flick of his finger, a seemingly effortless gesture that sent Terry hurtling through the air like a ragdoll tossed aside by an unseen force.
Terry's heart leaped into his throat as he soared towards the unforgiving wall, every fiber of his being bracing for the bone-crushing impact that awaited him.
Just as he was about to crash, just as he was about to succumb to the agonizing pain that loomed before him, a familiar blue aura enveloped him, wrapping around his body like a protective cocoon.
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In an instant, his momentum was halted, his body suspended in mid-air as if held aloft by an invisible hand.
Terry hung there, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his mind reeling from the dizzying whirlwind of disbelief and confusion that threatened to overwhelm him.
The shock of Noel's effortless display of power was staggering, leaving Terry feeling as though he had been thrust into a world where the rules no longer applied, where the boundaries of possibility had been shattered beyond recognition.
But what gnawed at him even more, what sent a chill coursing through his veins, was the nagging question that refused to be silenced: How could Noel see him when his invisibility was supposed to be flawless, impenetrable?
Fear and confusion twisted in Terry's gut like a vise, leaving him feeling disoriented and vulnerable, his sense of control slipping through his fingers like grains of sand.
"How did you see me?"
Terry demanded, his voice cracking with a mixture of fear and desperation, his eyes wide with disbelief as he searched Noel's inscrutable gaze for answers.
But Noel remained eerily calm, his voice a chilling whisper that cut through the silence like a knife.
"Shh... I will be the one to ask questions, and you will answer," Noel commanded, his tone devoid of emotion as he seized control of the situation with a quiet authority that sent a shiver down Terry's spine.
With a fluid motion, Noel extended his hand, and the baseball bat, suspended in mid-air, was wrenched from its position, gliding effortlessly into his waiting grasp.
The display of power was both mesmerizing and terrifying, a stark reminder of the vast gulf that separated them, a stark reminder of the formidable adversary that stood before him.
"Do you understand?" Noel's voice sliced through the air like a cold knife, the underlying threat sending a shiver down Terry's spine despite the deceptively gentle tone.
Terry's resolve crumbled under the weight of Noel's piercing gaze, his eyes darting away involuntarily as if seeking refuge from the intensity of that relentless scrutiny.
His throat felt dry, constricted by the suffocating grip of fear that threatened to choke him.
He swallowed hard, trying to quell the rising tide of panic that threatened to consume him.
"Yes," he managed to stammer out, his voice barely audible above a whisper, each syllable trembling with apprehension.
"Good," Noel replied, his words laced with a chilling calmness that sent a shiver down Terry's spine, a stark contrast to the casual smile that played on his lips, belying the menace lurking beneath the surface.
That smile was like a cruel taunt, a silent reminder of the power Noel wielded over him, a reminder that he was utterly at his mercy.
Terry felt a deep sense of dread settling over him like a suffocating blanket, the illusion of control slipping further from his grasp with each passing moment.
With a casual gesture, Noel turned his back to Terry and moved toward the washbasin, his movements unhurried and deliberate, each step a silent assertion of dominance.
The blue aura surrounding Terry dissipated, releasing him from its suffocating grip, but the relief was short-lived, overshadowed by the oppressive weight of the tension that hung thick in the air.
He flexed his fingers, grateful for the return of sensation and control over his body, but the sense of foreboding that gripped him refused to loosen its hold.
As he watched Noel lean over the sink, the sound of running water filling the tense silence of the room, Terry's mind raced with a torrent of conflicting emotions.
The instinct to flee, to escape this suffocating atmosphere, battled fiercely with the paralyzing fear that something unseen, something malevolent, was watching him, waiting for him to make a move.
Every nerve in his body screamed at him to run, to flee from this palpable danger, but a deeper, more primal fear rooted him to the spot, immobilizing him with its icy grip.
He could sense an ominous presence lurking just beyond the edges of his perception, a shadowy specter that haunted the corners of his mind, casting a long, dark shadow over his every thought and action.
It was a feeling that gnawed at him, unsettling and unnerving, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as if in silent warning of the imminent danger that loomed ominously on the horizon.
He waited, his breath shallow, as Noel finished at the washbasin and turned off the tap.
The silence stretched out, thick and suffocating, until Noel's voice broke through, smooth and composed.
"Do you want to escape?" Noel asked, not turning to face him, his tone eerily calm.
Terry blinked in confusion, caught off guard by the unexpected question. "What?"
"Say yes or no," Noel repeated, his irritation evident.
Terry swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Yes. I want to escape from this prison."
Noel paused, considering Terry's response.
"Hmm... What do you think the probability is of doing so if all the prisoners combine their powers and try to escape?"
Terry hesitated, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
"It... it would be zero."
Noel finally turned to face him, his eyes cold and assessing.
"Huh? Why?"
Terry took a deep breath, feeling the fear tighten around his chest.
"Dustin, a four-star officer, and there are six more like him. Many three-star, two-star, and one-star officers under him. And above them, three five-star officers, specifically known as the three generals. As long as they are here, even if we escape, they will catch us again."
Noel listened silently, his expression unreadable.
Terry's voice shook as he spoke, the reality of their predicament sinking in deeper with every word.
He felt the crushing hopelessness of their situation, the overwhelming power of their captors.
"Then what if I add Agnus to my plan?" Noel asked, his voice smooth and calculated.
Terry's eyes widened, a spark of intrigue igniting within him.
"What? You mean Agnus, the most wanted villain?"
"Yes," Noel confirmed, his tone steady. "Now tell me."
Terry's mind raced with the implications.
"It would still be difficult as long as he remains," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of hope and apprehension.
"He?" Noel pressed, leaning in slightly.
"The head of the Nexus Force, the strongest hero—Robert," Terry revealed, his words heavy with the gravity of their situation.
Noel's eyes narrowed, the weight of Terry's revelation settling in the room like a dark cloud.
Terry felt a shiver run down his spine as he spoke Robert's name, the legend of the invincible hero looming large in his mind.
Even with Agnus, a notorious and formidable ally, the shadow of Robert's power seemed insurmountable.
The very mention of Robert brought a mixture of awe and dread, a reminder of the near-omnipotent force that stood between them and freedom.
Terry's breath hitched, the enormity of their predicament pressing down on him.
The fleeting glimmer of hope that had sparked at the mention of Agnus was quickly overshadowed by the daunting reality of Robert's might.
He looked at Noel, searching for any sign of a plan, any indication that this wasn’t just a fool's errand.
The silence stretched on, thick with tension and unspoken fears, as Terry waited for Noel's next move, his heart pounding in his chest.