The office atmosphere was suffocatingly tense, every breath laden with the weight of impending violence.
Noel, despite the searing pain that radiated from his leg, forced himself upright.
His teeth clenched so tightly they threatened to crack, his eyes narrowing to slits as he took in the sight of the Nexus officers, their bodies a wall of protection around Sam.
Rage boiled within him, a cauldron of fury and frustration.
He longed to dispatch these officers swiftly, to carve a path through them and finish what he had started with Sam.
But he wasn't a fool.
He could sense the tactical presence of more officers scattered throughout the building, lurking like predators ready to pounce.
The hum of drones added to the claustrophobic feeling, their lenses fixed on him, capturing his every move with unblinking scrutiny.
Outside, the situation was no better.
The oppressive presence of numerous officers encircling the building weighed heavily on him, cutting off any potential escape routes.
The realization of his predicament hit him hard—they had planned this meticulously, trapping him like a beast in a cage.
His blue aura flickered as he summoned every ounce of his remaining strength, his mind a whirlwind of desperation and determination.
He winced as the pain in his leg intensified, a relentless throb that made it difficult to concentrate.
He tried to extend the range of his spatial recognition, but the throbbing pain was too much to handle.
Each attempt was met with blinding agony, forcing him to stop.
He could feel the drones buzzing around, their presence a constant reminder of his entrapment.
Their cameras were like eyes, cold and indifferent, recording his every move.
Panic began to claw at the edges of his resolve, threatening to break through his defiance.
Noel's desperation turned into a raw, primal urge to survive.
The presence of officers was overwhelming, a suffocating blanket of inevitability pressing down on him.
He could sense them closing in, their intentions as clear as the grim determination in their eyes.
Even beyond the reach of his spatial recognition, he could feel the net tightening around him, and the bitter taste of entrapment filled his mouth.
His gaze flickered to Sam, standing shielded by the officers, a look of relief mingled with defiance etched on his face.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Noel’s blood boiled with frustration and anger.
He had come so close to his target, so close to exacting his revenge, but now the odds were insurmountably stacked against him.
The realization stung—he couldn't afford to make any reckless moves.
Noel’s mind raced, each second a countdown to potential capture or worse.
The smart move was clear: he needed to escape, prepare, and live to fight another day.
Summoning the last vestiges of his strength, Noel focused intently, his blue aura flickering as he prepared for one final act of defiance.
In an instant, he vanished, teleporting away from the scene.
The sensation of displacement was disorienting, but it was a necessary sacrifice.
He reappeared in a dark, narrow alley several blocks away, his body slamming against a grimy wall as he collapsed.
The pain in his leg was excruciating, and he could feel the warm, sticky blood seeping through his makeshift bandage.
His vision blurring with the effort it took to remain conscious.
Back at Sam's building, the leader of Team Beta spoke urgently into his communications device.
"Sir, he has teleported from here."
James's eyes narrowed with determination as he listened.
"Okay. Escort Mr. Sam to safety," he commanded, his voice calm and authoritative despite the chaos unfolding around them.
"Roger that, sir," the team leader responded, swiftly moving to secure Sam and guide him out of the building.
The officers formed a tight perimeter around Sam, their movements synchronized and efficient, a testament to their training and readiness.
James said to George, his expression hardening.
"Use the drones to locate Noel. We can't let him escape."
"Yes, sir, on it," George replied, his fingers flying over the controls.
The drones, already buzzing with anticipation, spread out in a coordinated search pattern, their cameras sweeping the cityscape in a methodical grid.
Each drone's sensor array was attuned to pick up the faintest trace of Noel's unique energy signature.
The drone footage revealed Noel slumped in an alley, his blue aura flickering weakly around him.
"Sir, we've got him. He's resting in an alley a few blocks from here," George reported, his voice tinged with urgency.
James's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation.
"Team Charlie, you know what you have to do. Move in and apprehend him. Be cautious—he's dangerous and likely desperate. Use non-lethal force if possible."
"Understood, sir," came the reply from the leader of Team Charlie.
--------
In the alley, Noel's frustration and desperation were palpable.
"Damn it!" he cursed through gritted teeth.
The pain in his leg was excruciating, the makeshift bandage doing little to staunch the bleeding.
Each movement sent jolts of agony through his body, and he knew teleporting again would be risky, perhaps even fatal in his current state.
He had hoped for a brief respite, a moment to gather his strength.
But the relentless pursuit of the Nexus officers left him no such luxury.
He could feel them closing in, their presence like a vice tightening around him.
"Damn!" he hissed again, the frustration clear in his voice.
The alleyway, once a potential sanctuary, now felt like a trap.
The officers moved with precision, their training evident in their coordinated approach.
The drones above hummed ominously, their lights casting long, sharp shadows on the grimy walls, illuminating Noel's desperate situation.
Noel's mind raced.
He was cornered, injured, and outnumbered.
But surrender was not an option.
"So you're Noel?" the leader of Team Charlie asked, his voice steady and confident.
Noel glared at them.
The Nexus officers were encased in formidable armor, covering them from head to toe.
His knife would be useless against such protection.
"Yeah, I'm Noel. What of it?" he spat back, his voice laced with defiance despite his dire condition.
Desperation surged through Noel as he raised his hands, summoning his blue aura in a desperate attempt to fend off the encroaching officers.
The shimmering energy crackled and swirled around him, attempting to crush them with telekinetic force.
But to his dismay, their armor glowed red, repelling his powers effortlessly.
His aura dissipated like smoke in the wind, leaving him vulnerable and exposed.
"What?" Noel's voice cracked with disbelief and frustration, his eyes wide with a mix of anger and fear.
The leader of Team Charlie took a deliberate step forward, his expression unreadable behind the visor of his armored helmet.
"Give up, Noel," he said calmly, his voice amplified by the helmet's speakers.
"It's no use. These armors are specially designed to counter your telekinesis. You can't touch us. Just surrender."
"Surrender, you say?" Noel's voice dripped with defiance, laced with bitterness.
His breath came in ragged gasps, the pain in his leg a constant reminder of his precarious situation.
The leader's stance remained unwavering, his eyes locked on Noel.
"Because we've surrounded you, and you can't do anything against us. Surrender now, or we'll be forced to take you down."
"Take me down?" Noel's voice turned icy, his gaze hardening into slits of pure hatred.
Slowly, painfully, Noel pushed himself to his feet.
Each movement sent waves of agony through his body, but he refused to show weakness in front of his adversaries.
His blue aura flickered weakly around him, a faint barrier of defiance in the face of overwhelming odds.
He stood tall, facing the officers with unyielding resolve.
"Hehehe..." A maniacal laugh escaped Noel's lips, the sound echoing eerily in the narrow alley.
The laughter morphed into a sneer, his expression contorting into a mask of rage and defiance.
"You're funny," he taunted, his voice low and dangerous.
The officers tensed, their grips on their weapons tightening.
They were trained professionals, but they couldn't shake the sense of unease Noel's unpredictability brought.
Noel's blue aura flickered around him, weak but persistent.
He was like a cornered animal, dangerous and unpredictable.