Cramped in the tight space of the nightclub, the hundreds of unfortunate guests of Fantasy City were living through different types of emotions. Most of them were simply terrified as the wonderful time of their vacation turned into a real horror story of survival through the bloodbath, caused by a single terranoid that went on rampage. Obviously not personally, but the fact of limited information from the guards and being stuck against their own will inside this place was playing its role of intensifying the feeling of the inventible dread.
On the other hand, some clearly enjoyed the event, making videos of their and other's reaction, thoughts, and actions just to mark the day in their memory. Or maybe in an attempt to commercialize it one way or another, using the temporary inconvenience to fullness. Quite a few tried to distract themselves from the potential danger or their growing panic. Some tried to convince themselves that nothing would happen to them. It was simply impossible as the chance to meet a single terranoid in the huge space station was a tiny fraction of the percent, basically on the verge of a mathematical error.
Small kids were playing without a trace of worry, protected from the knowledge about cruelty of the world, and being well-hidden in their own perception of the simplistic reality. For them, the new place that they had never visited before was the best playground, like any other new experience in their short but vivid life. Those children, who were older, obviously caught a glimpse of fear on the adult’s face but reacted differently, depending on the age and the parent’s actions. The teenagers in most cases were overexcited, not seeing any danger at all. On the contrary, here and there heated discussions could be heard with the main topic of what was the best way to deal with the Terranoid. Or how strong he really was. Or was he there in the first place?
The latter theory came from the energetic middle-aged man, who was doing his best to convince everyone that there was no danger at all and that the whole thing was just a distraction for the grand robbery of the richest casinos in this part of the galaxy. Barely anyone listened to him, as some people had their own things to resolve, like the loud break-up, that was taking place in the opposite corner of the dancing floor. Still, the overwhelming feeling of anxiety with a mixture of other emotions was ruling the “safe space” as it was labeled by the patrol guards. Those armored law-enforces barely watched over the crowd, only increasing the heat under this slowly boiling bowl, which would sooner or later explode.
Not all feared such an outcome. Most of the private rooms were occupied by the “more important” people. Some with personal bodyguards, others with famous names or connections – anything to grant the golden VIP bracelet instead of a common one. This tiny difference effectively stopped even the most scandalous mothers with several children, the overconfident men with a conviction that everyone owned them something, and quite a few middle-aged wealthy men or women who thought they had enough sum in the bank account to get more privileges in Fantasy City.
However, all those jealous people who eyed the private rooms from time to time, cursing their own need to be kept as second-class in a dense crowd, while the elites enjoyed the space and drinks, completely changed their opinion in a mere minute after the distant life-threatening event knocked at their own door. It appeared that this time the privilege came with a cost as unsurprisingly the golden status couldn’t protect against the terranoid, while on the contrary attracting his scary attention.
Everything started with the explosion. Shaking the nightclub together with the hearts of the crowd, immediately sent everything in disarray. The terrified screams, the hustle of the panicked people, the constant shooting that was quickly approaching. Then the flying guard followed. Making at least a dozen meters through the air, it landed only to cause even bigger commotion because of its mangled state with a huge hole in his chest. It almost led to the collapse of the fragile state of equilibrium, where a part of the guests were only processing what was happening, while the others managed to keep their cool. The loud bell ring halted all motion. The sound, and the not less powerful voice, resounded across the whole place.
“Listen up, everyone! Freeze and live. Or move and die. The simple rule that I want you…”.
Obviously, someone moved, too overwhelmed by the giant figure of the Terranoid that emerged from the entrance. A bold bloodied man in tattered clothes, with multiple wounds on the body that were covered with weird dark plates, and a strange sharp spike instead of the hand, he dwarfed everyone, easily visible to most of the unfortunate hostages. Despite the battered state, the Terranoid was radiating the energy, not showing any sign of weakness. That inflicted even more fear in the crowd, leading to the natural reaction of some – an attempt to flee. That didn’t end well.
The first man, who tried to run past the giant was interrupted with a lightning-fast strike that was barely registered not only by the observer but also by the man himself. This could explain why he made a few more steps before falling on the floor, already cut into two pieces right through the chest. Confusion on the Terranoid's face was missed by everyone, except maybe a few cameras on portable devices, but their owners were already directing the gadgets to the corpse, trying to get a better picture. In the next moment, several guards, who were in the crowd, attempted to act, causing another wave of panic.
Especially, when the short burst into the Terranoid’s face was met with the dark green metal that appeared out of nowhere. The next instant the bullets that failed to penetrate the odd material and were smashed into fragments, started to bounce backward, venting their anger from the failure on new targets. The giant reacted immediately, pointing his figure toward the shooters and sending strange white projectiles. Those balls of energy created even more chaos as they not only pierced the bodies of the guards but continued their way further, wounding a few more people. All law enforcers died in just a dozen seconds but the commotion they caused was stopped only by another explosion that melted the ceiling above the crowd’s head.
“Okay, let’s start again. Everyone shut up, stay in the same spot and you will live. Any motion will lead to your death… and, as it appears, the death of those who are behind you. So, don’t be dumb and fucking freeze! Good, now where are VIPs? If there is none, then… Oh, thank you.”
The glances of at least the third part of the crowd were too direct to miss, despite the heavy silence that enveloped the place. Grinning like a madman, the Terranoid slowly moved toward the private rooms. With the very same wide smile of a lunatic, he stomped the chest of one of the guards, who was lucky enough to survive the disappearance of his shoulder and part of his face. The basic motion was so strong that the metal boot of the giant reached the floor, splashing the blood to the sides. The closest girl, who was on the verge of collapsing, somehow even heard his quiet curses, but flashing surroundings that constantly darkened only to return back to the light in a moment, and the crazy beating of her heart made her think that it was just imagination because of a panic attack.
“Fucking idiots. To shoot inside the crowd of civilians! Police, yeah?”
Despite his slow walk directly through the dense crowd, nobody was stupid enough to attempt anything again. The examples were already not breathing, wiping any traces of courage. Gripped with fear for their lives, most turned into motionless statues, instantly forgetting all their heated discussions about the Terranoid. All the bravado and bravery of the loud ones were gone in front of the towering figure. However, apparently not all of them had lost their will to fight. Some part of the bodyguards decided that it was the moment to act, fulfilling their paid duties and showing their worth.
Turning off all the lights and sending the nightclub into complete darkness, caused a new wave of panic. Especially when the gunshots, painful screams, and shouts appeared, provoking the crowd into a brainless act of fleeing. Not seeing anything, but hearing the fight, was enough to terrify most of the already scared people. It only became worse when the remnants of the bodies of the bodyguards started flying, hitting quite a few and splashing the blood everywhere. Then several flashes from white projectiles followed, lighting the surroundings only to show the gruesome picture to the closest hostages. Some of them tried to use their devices to light up, but any pause in such a dense and unstable crowd led to their fate being trampled.
The veil of fear covered everything for the crowd, spreading its dangerous effect over even the calm ones. The darkness that hid the fight intensified the imagination that was busted by the witnessing of Terranoid’s capabilities just a minute ago. Therefore, everyone ran. Pushing, kicking, stomping, most had a single thought – to survive. To do anything for the sake of living through the danger. To fight for it with the strength. Those, who tried to help their family, children, or lovers, met the chaos head-on, often becoming a shield that faced the hits of the mindless crowd. Not always did this act of bravery end well, but there was no place for compassion or sympathy when fear reigned. Just a single repeating thought about running away from the threat.
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By the moment when the light was turned on, half of the crowd left the nightclub, leaving behind dozens of wounded and dead. A bigger part of them was the direct result of the unsuccessful fight against the Terranoid, while the other was its majesty the panic. However, it seemed it shocked the giant the most, as turning around to the two last standing bodyguards, he simply shot him in the face, ignoring any pleas and their attempt to surrender. His quiet muttering was only heard by the VIPs, who unluckily couldn’t get away from the place, being blocked by the huge criminal.
“What’s wrong with you all? The children were here!”
Sighing, the Terranoid quickly checked a new bullet wound on his stomach, before simply pushing the projectile out of the hole and patching it with the same dark green metal. This distraction almost caused the VIPs to flee, but the first attempt to run was forcefully stopped by a white energy ball that made a huge hole in the back of the failed escaper.
“The owners of the golden bracelet come to me. Others need to show me your hand before getting out of here. No cheating. I said no cheating.” Another projectile killed the man in a formal suit, who was trying to take off his bracelet while hiding behind others, “I don’t have time for this, so please follow my commands without any delays or hesitations. I am mentally too tired to convince anyone that I am dead serious.”
The survivors simply pushed their lovers, employers, or even relatives to the front before hastily running away, ignoring the curses or threats that sounded toward their fleeing backs. It left the terranoid with only four potential hostages instead of several hundred. On the other hand, each of them was worth much more than the whole crowd combined for the administration of Fantasy City. Maybe that was why no one showed any open fear in front of a huge figure, clearly understanding their high value. There was more irritation from the deeds of their own man than any other emotions. However, it was soon shadowed by the curiosity toward the Terranoid, while the latter also observed his hostages.
The gorgeous woman in her early thirties in a purple dress that resonated with the eyes of the same color. The curves were barely hidden by the cloth, basically emphasizing them, and boosting the imagination. The face of the beauty was on the same level, creating a thought about the unrealistic ideal appearance of the Goddess instead of the human being. Way too perfect for this world. The contrast with the violent scene was even bigger, looking like the descent of the higher being to the primitive realm.
“Oh, I know you. You are the actress from that dumb movie… Forgot your name, despite watching only a single movie. Whatever. Who are you?” Not giving any opportunity to answer, the Terranoid spoke before switching his attention to the next hostage, while ignoring the dissatisfaction of the woman.
The man was in his late fifties. Wearing a formal gray suit with black stripes, he had a serious expression as if thinking over something. Gray short hair and cleanly shaved, the man had a surprisingly athletic figure, easily suppressing most of the men twenty years younger. The clothes failed to hide, despite covering everything and having no meaning to look like sports attire. Another thing that attracted the giant’s attention was a small badge near the heart with an odd multicolor symbol.
“Terrence Reginald Green, an investor, who failed to teach my own nephews respect to own elders and any strong sense of the family bond.”
“Good, fame and money. Now, you,” the giant pointed at the next person while checking the nightclub. Except for the corpses and a few injured unlucky people, who were left behind, nobody was presented, fleeing from his presence. However, that didn’t mean it wouldn’t change soon as the working cameras were constantly transmitting everything to the city administration.
“Vera Merstein. I am lead designer, the head of the fashion house with one hundred years of history and….,” the short woman with rainbow-like hair, huge breasts in deep decollete on the pink blouse, brown jeans, and spiked black boots on thick sole grimaced with visible irritation after being interrupted by the Terranoid’s gesture. The giant was already looking at the last person.
“I am also money. Jeremy McHamson, the co-owner of the biggest shipyard in the galaxy… And if you wanted politics, then that man was the single grandson of the current president of the Free Coalition of Planets,” pointing at the dead, who failed to get rid of his golden bracelet, the speaker smiled lightly. Being slightly younger than the investor, he had quite a belly, a messy red beard, big ears, and was overall not attractive in the slightest… if you exclude his eyes. Piercing, all-knowing, their radiated confidence and high intellectual capabilities of their owner, “My girlfriend ran away… wanted to propose, but I guess I will pass. But I feel your pain, Terrence.”
“Thank you, Jeremy. The youngsters these days…”
“Shut up and listen to me,” the Terranoid started to speak only to meet a smirk from the investor.
“Boy, I know you can kill us at any moment. I basically saw how you tore apart the hand with the gun from my bodyguard’s body in a single motion after he shot you in the stomach. We all know. Just tell us directly what you want, so we can do our best to make it happen without additional blood spilling or time wasting,” Terrence finished the speech, looking at the Terranoid, whose rough face failed to hide the relief.
“Finally, some clever people who are actually ready to listen. Okay, obviously the owner of the shipyard has the ship…”
“The fastest I would add,” Jeremy intervened with visible pride, getting the looks from others, “Sorry, please, proceed.”
“Thank you for permission, my dear hostage,” the last word was stressed by the Terranoid, creating a light smile on the actress's face from the abnormality of the situation, “So, I just want to get out of this station. With my origin, everyone starts the conversation with shooting, and I simply can’t explain how I was set up. I will use you as a shield to get your ship before you take me out of the system. Then I will disappear without a trace from your life. I don’t want to hurt anyone, just to leave the damned place. That’s it.”
“No money, no demands, just to leave?” Vera asked with disbelief.
“My own life has more value for me than a random number on the bank account,’ the giant paused before continuing, “and I will do a lot to save myself.”
“We can see that,” the actress pointed to the multiple bodies in the surroundings and the wounded Terranoid himself. The steel patches from the close looked like a living being, adjusting its size and position to cover each injury. She could even see how some tiny scratches were healing right in front of her eyes, slowly disappearing without a trace. Still, the metal prosthetics instead of foot and arm showed the modified soldier was far from being in top shape. Not that it could provide them any real chance against him.
“The plan makes sense. With our modest identities, I think you can have your shield… You were really lucky to find us here,” Jeremy spoke, still treating the situation without any worry.
“Lucky? Me? The funniest joke I've ever heard... No. It’s the third place I've checked after interrogating the guards,” smiling with a bloodied smile, the Terranoid straightforwardly admitted, “And as I am not the best interrogator, the only way for me to compensate for the lack of knowledge was through the sheer brutality, like crushing the limbs into pulp. So, don’t forget your role and move, Mr. ship owner. My patience is running out.”
However, before the silent group managed to reach the entrance, they were stopped by the sight of several mechs. More mercenaries were hidden behind the walking tanks, already pointing their weapons toward the whole five. The Terranoid immediately sat down behind the hostage’s back only to be covered with steel plates that expanded from his skin in the next moment. The air seemed to freeze, making everyone halt their actions in an attempt to find the solution. On the other hand, the need to find one pushed Jeremy forward.
He wasn’t the cleverest during his studies, nor did he have the biggest amount of money at the start of his business. Jeremy was below average in most of his characteristics, except one – the confidence that he could find a way out of any situation. It helped him to make the team work better, winning the competition over other companies for the biggest deal in his life. Then more of them came, each setting a new record. The very same confidence helped him to strike better conditions in most negotiations, slowly but steadily pushing the scales toward his raise. Or to get the needed investment after tens rejection. Even with his mediocre appearance, his confidence helped him to get a lot of women. He had no secret, just he was never scared to approach them in the first place, no matter how beautiful or high-ranked they were. The confidence was his lottery ticket that won his life, putting him on the top of the food ladder.
“Well, hello, everyone. My name is Jeremy McHamsom. I, with my friends, who are all owners of the golden bracelets and VIP status, are currently…,” Radiating the energy, he only started to talk when his sight caught a glimpse of movement. As if the world shook, being lightened up from multiple flashes.
In the next moment, the realization came that the movement was not in the surroundings, but it was he, who was falling on the back. Dropping down an instant later, Jeremy still noticed how the explosive bullets were entering the bodies of others, turning the humans, his acquaintances, into bloody meat pieces. The Terranoid attempted to hide from the torrent of bullets under his weird cover, but there were just too many enemies. Several consecutive explosions destroyed the dark green shield, opening the way for the tens of projectiles. Jeremy failed to see the end result as the darkness was already embracing him. The disappearing consciousness heard only a few last phrases before vanishing without a trace, leaving a cold corpse behind.
“I always wanted to shoot a rich douchebag!”
“Why is that?”
“Well, because I was very poor in my childhood, while they had everything!”
“You are dumb as fuck. Or even dumber. Do you know that by capturing this bastard alive we’ve got quite a sum on top as a bonus? You will become a rich douchebag yourself!”
“Hey, I am not like them! I earned it by my hard work!!”
“But they could do the same thing, right? Reaching their status of a rich douchebag through a lot of effort and work, like you did…”
“Oh, get lost! You better destroy all evidence that it was we who killed them. Otherwise, the bastard could get away, hiding behind these VIPs… Let’s hurry before the other groups will get here! Wait, are you sure that this piece of shit is still breathing? I don’t see his legs, and half of his ugly skull is absent. Where is the fucking medic?! Get your ass here, or I will beat the crap out of you if we lose the bonus!”