Ryan and his comrades enter through the main entrance with the reptile leading them from the front as they make their way through the building to find the hostages. Ryan admired the decor, how the white silk cloth hung over the tables in the noble room, and how the arches looked magnificent under orange light. But he knew it felt wrong like the place was tainted with magic, he could sense it.
Everyone was silent as they walked up the stairs, their steps light and quiet. Though Ryan was surprised as to how quiet Jackson was compared to everyone else. The floor would slightly creek, their hard boots gave a soft echo against the wooden staircase. Yet Jackson was utterly silent. Ryan tried to listen closely to see if Jackson did make a sound, only to be left with an eerie feeling when he heard nothing, not even the reptile’s breathing.
When they all reached the fifth floor, Jackson raised his hand and signalled that he would be heading off to set up charges just under the entrance to the penthouse suite. Ryan knew they were close to confront the immortal, and that he had no chance but to fight them with inadequate weaponry. But he had faith that whatever Jackson’s plan was, he hoped it would work.
The moment they entered the sixth floor, Ryan saw the target. A tall man, his skin tanned with purple veins spreading from the purple crystal embedded into his chest. Ryan could tell that he was a bodybuilder, how the muscles on Michale's biceps were as big as Ryan’s chest. Damn, so this is who we are trying to kill? Ryan thought to himself.
The man rubbed his gelled hair back with a twisted smile as Ryan and his team set and readied themselves for a confrontation. Amused or annoyed that people are trying to kill him even when Michale knew he couldn’t be harmed by traditional means. Little did he know, he was facing humanity's finest. He pointed at what he thought were BOPE members and spoke to them in Portuguese. Ryan couldn’t tell if Michale was delivering a grand speech or insulting him. Nor could he refer to his team to translate what the immortal said because none of them spoke the language. It isn’t a good idea to not send anyone who can speak the native language, Ryan reasoned to himself. He knew of people within the Disposal Units and the Butterfly Legion who were bilingual. Yet after he also realised that the Order couldn’t spare any personnel who might be suited to speak the locals tongue. What mattered at that point was someone was sent to deal with the threat, in that case, it was his unit and Jackson’s.
Yet despite the situation Ryan found himself in and how he found it hilarious that a team sent to Brazil couldn’t speak the national language of the country. However, their silence delayed the hulking figure, and made him distracted while they spoke to a team that couldn’t understand him.
Seeing how Ryan and his fellow teammates weren’t responding to him. Michale’s demeanour shifted to aggression, he shouted and pointed at Ryan. He took a step towards them, Ryan’s heart pounded as he prepared himself for a fight he could not win. He looked back to see if there was a clear exit to escape. Sometimes cowards survive, Ryan thought to himself.
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Sckreek!
After the groan of the floorboard, the conclusive force of the explosion from under the immortal sent smashing against the roof before he crashed into the floor below. Right where the reptile was waiting. Jackson pulled out two knives and wasted no time confronting the immortal, even when those two blades didn’t manage to wound him. They faced each other, the two warriors into a brutal melee one which required the reptile to cycle through their enchanted weapons to figure out which one would hurt the immortal.
Meanwhile, Ryan and his team rushed to the penthouse suite where the hostages were located hoping they were alright and weren’t harmed by the immortal.
‘Dear God!’ Ryan mumbled to himself. The walls were smeared in blood, and the bellies of the victims were split open. All young children, all had dreams and desires were snuffed out. Their bodies were placed around a strange symbol made of their guts with an ordinary rock at the centre. The symbol was a round hexagon looking shape, the guts used to make the symbol also oozed with magic that only competent wizards and sorcerers could pull off. It puzzled Ryan because it would be impossible for Michale to figure out how to conduct such a complex spell. Then, it hit him. Ryan figured out that the spell performed was not the doing of Michale but the crystal itself.
As Ryan’s team searched the suite and took pictures of the ritual site for evidence, it was clear there were no survivors. Their mission failed. ‘Jackson, this is Ryan. Hostages are all dead, target is influenced by the crystal. Use excessive force!’ Ryan spoke into the intercom just before he started gathering his team together to begin their evacuation of the building.
But before he would leave, he turned to his left and saw a face hiding behind a bedroom closet. Ryan felt relieved, he was excited to know that there was at least one survivor. The closer he got to the closet; he began to question why the kid hiding behind the closet door had such wide eyes. The moment he opened the closet to comfort the survivor, he was only welcomed to find no one was inside.
Ryan shook his head, confused for he believed someone was inside. ‘Hey, we have to go!’ Brian shouted at Ryan, his voice a panic as sounds of Jackson and the immortal battling could be heard throughout the hotel. Without saying a word, Ryan readied his M4 carbine and rushed to meet up with his team to begin their exit.
However, their escape would not be easy. As they all made it to the fifth floor, their path was halted when Jackson was thrown through a hard wall and crashed in front of them. The reptile struggled to get up, coughing out blue blood while the immortal emerged from the room the two fought in. ‘Move!’ Ryan ordered, urging his soldiers to escape while he raised his rifle and fired at Michale, doing his best to divert his attention from the reptile for long enough for him to regain his composure.
The immortal raised their hand, shielding his eyes from bullets while he lazily walked to Ryan. Ryan tried to keep his distance from the advancing behemoth of a man, but when he got too close, he tried to run away. Only for the immortal to grab the back of his collar and threw him to the other end of the hallway which made Ryan bang his head against a table. Knocking Ryan out cold.