"Your family...if you wanna see them again.Kill the kid."
Vincent felt powerful within the Model 1 as the first missile struck the side of the school.Rubble and smoke erupted from the strike,blasting a hole right through it's brick wall.Vincent looked down to see his squadron of The Chairman's goons,now under his command,driving four vans right towards the front of the school.
Fire alarms across the compound rang,alerting the students of the school to the incoming danger as Vincent's men fired into the air,making their pressence known.
"Two men on each exit!Round those kids up!No one leaves!"Vincent roared.
The vans burst right through the barricade of North Star Academy's entrance as Vincent soared through the air,looking at the terrified security guard who looked up at him helplessly,armed with only a baton.Remember....fifty million dollars.
"This is no time for mercy.Sorry."Vincent says,unloading the Model 1's machine gun down to the security guard,blasting him to shreds.Vincent flew towards the main hallway of the school,firing his machine gun into the air and his henchman,marching into the hallways of the school,demanding the students to get out of their classes and listen to their demands.
"I want every kid and teacher assembled at the field located at the center of the school!"Vincent commands.
Alan,his right hand man who was armed with a rifle in his hand,looking at Vincent who turned around,another dozen of his henchman fully armed behind him."You lot,secure the perimeter of the school.Alan,you lead the perimeter defense."
"Yes boss!"Alan roared,leading the gunmen to the perimeter.
Vincent marched down the halls,his henchman forcing students and teachers alike to follow their orders.The human trafficker studied the eyes of the students,recognizing the fear within them.He didn't have much time left.If they followed exactly as he said,none of them shall be hurt.
If I want to see my kids again...this must be done.
"Where is Starlio Stex?!"Vincent grabbed a random student,yelling at him and dragging him by the collar:"I...I don...I don't know!"
Vincent tossed the student across the hallway like a rag doll before grabbing on to the arm of another girl:"Which class does Starlio Stex study in?!"The girl looked at him in horror,tears flowing down her face uncontrollably as she muttered jibberishly:"Class....second floor...to..to..."
"Make yourself clear before I decide to kill you."Vincent growled.
"Up...stairs...2nd floor.Three class from the bathroom."Vincent tossed the girl aside while signalling for two of his men to follow him,marching towards the stairwell where they encountered a horrified teacher,phoning the police."Yes....North Star Acade...my..."The teacher froze upon spotting Vincent.
"How unfortunate."Vincent says,directing his men who opened fire on the poor teacher,killing her in an instant.Blood splattered all over the walls of the school as more and more of his men fired upon defiant teachers and students alike,mercilessly killing them while the rest of the students were led to the middle of the school.
North Star Academy was shaped with four buildings arranged as sides of a square,the center of the school being an open field with outdoor benches and lockers for students,along with an outdoor stage that was build slightly above ground that catered to outdoor performances and principal announcements,perfect for the gunmen to gain control over the student crowd.
Vincent reached the second floor where he spotted Mrs Wooly at the corridor,who quickly spotted them and ran back into the class,slamming the doors shut.
"Open up!Bring me Starlio Stex!"Vincent marched over to the door and with the combined superhuman strength of both him and the armor combined,Vincent kicked down the door,sending it flying towards Roy who was smacked by the door,knocking him across the room and crashing onto the floor in pain.
"Roy!"Conner cried out,attending to his friend immediately.
"Back away!"Kane stepped forward,facing Vincent alone when Mrs Wooly joined him shortly after:"These are my students,what do you want from us?!"
"Starlio Stex.Where is he?!"Vincent scanned the faces of the terrified students in front of him,looking at them one by one and quickly,recognizing Kane,Angie and Kate,the three kids that he had kidnapped before.Shannon recognized the Model 1 as her heart sank,looking at Starlio invention being misused by this terrorists.
Vincent spotted Shannon as he pointed at her:"You...Shannon Ray.I remember you."
Shannon grit her teeth,determined to be brave this time around:"Do I know you?"
Vincent released the hatch of the Model 1,walking out and drawing a pistol from his belt,pointing it directly at Shannon who was quickly defended by Joseline,who pushed her back:"What do you want from us?What can students like us possibly offer you?"
Vincent clocked his gun:"You will serve us as hostages perfectly...and YOU."Vincent marched towards Shannon,who stood her ground,facing him head on without flinching:"You...Starlio seems to care about you enough to take a beating and bullets for.So,tell me....where the hell is he?!"
"He'll come for you...and when he does...hopefully you'll survive."Shannon forced herself to stay strong.
"No answers?"Vincent tilts his head,directing the gun to Mrs Wooly and firing his gun.
Mrs Wooly's head erupted into chunks of bloody meat as the teacher collapsed onto the ground as a corpse,horrifying the entire class who were frozen in their footsteps."The next person I ask who refuses to give me the answer I want,another one of you will fall."
"He's not here today..."Conner stood up.
"Cons,no!"Roy tried to hold his friend back when Conner turned around:"He was never here.He didn't come to school for some reason."
"How coincidentally convenient don't you think?"Vincent raised his eyebrow at Conner,who calmly responded:"If he did come to school,he should be here with the rest of us,his class.But he isn't.You have everyone at gunpoint,there's no reason for me to lie is there?"
"He isn't lying.He really isn't here today."Kane helped participate with the lie.
Vincent turned to the rest of the class,getting back into the Model 1 Armor."That's okay...you guys are here after all,people he already risked his life once to rescue.Let's do the same thing again.He'll come for you all and when he does...it'll be the last time you meet him."
Vincent grabbed Shannon by the arm,dragging her along with him while the rest of the class tried to intervene."Stay the fuck back!"Vincent's henchmen pointed their rifles at the rest of the class:"Head towards the center of the school.Try anything funny and your brains will be splashed all across the floor!"
"Shannon!"Angie yells as Shannon roared back:"Don't worry about me!Just do as they say!"
"Selfless.I can see why he liked you."Vincent says,bringing her towards the stairs and to the rooftop of the school where several of his henchmen had already set up snipers,rocket launchers and turrets,defending the perimeter of the school from a vantage point.Shannon could spot the blue and red lights from the outer fences of the school,who were held back by Vincent's men in fear that students might be killed if they made any moves.
"Why...?"Shannon asks.
"Does it matter to you?"Vincent ignores her question,holding her right at the edge of the rooftop for the police officers to see.There were at least two dozen police vehicles,S.W.A.T teams and even a police helicopter which was approaching them from a distance.
"Stay still!"Vincent held Shannon's arm tighter,bruising her,making her hold her pain in.More and more vehicles were rolling up towards the school,including military jeeps and trucks.
"This is General Mason Stex from the United States Armed Forces.You are ordered to put down your weapons and turn yourselves over before we are forced to use military force on you."A voice boomed from a loudspeaker as Shannon spotted Mason,standing behind multiple rows of soldiers,holding a loudspeaker in his hand.
Starlio's....Dad?Shannon recalled what he had told her.
"Surrender?We have over 600 hundred students and teachers alike at gunpoint,ready to be executed at any moment.We will not surrender to your guns.The armor I am wearing right now has the ability to withstand a military's platoon's gunfire with ease and I am able to dish out unimaginable damage.I have demands and you shall obey them."Vincent spoke through the Model 1's speaker.
Shannon could see the military soldiers,whispering to Mason and seemingly discussing.
"Here are my demands.Whether you agree to it or not will result in whether these kids will leave this school at the end of the day alive.Fifty million dollars!Pay up in full cash!I want the money by the evening or else...the blood of these kids will be on your hands."Vincent demands.
Shannon felt herself being dragged right back to the roof from the edge,pulling her hand and forcefully making her follow Vincent,who brought her back downstairs.
"Now...we wait for Starlio."Vincent chuckled through the Model 1.
-
Starlio's couldn't feel his body.
His vision was blurry,slowly clearing up and his ears,ringing constantly.He could feel trickles of blood and sweat dripping down his shirt and the smell of concrete and gunpowder intruded his nostrils,making him cough uncontrollably.
Starlio's vision was getting better as he rubbed his eyes,dusting off the dirt on his shirt and taking a painful breath,his ribs literally creaking with each breath he took.His limbs,burning with a heavy soreness as he gripped to the side of the toilet sink,pulling himself up and spotting his phone,cracked and covered in dust on the floor.
As Starlio tried to grab the phone,he noticed blood from his injured arm flowing down,his wounds reopening and a sharp pain on his rib was causing blood to drip down his waist.A rogue chunk of debris the size of an eraser,sticking out of his torso...
"Ugh..."Starlio touched the debris stuck onto him.
How lucky was he?Just one more step closer to that corner of the toilet might have brought him greater injuries or worse,death.
Sunlight was seeping through the massive hole at the other end of the toilet,flames slowly spreading throughout the debris and chunks of the building was literally collapsing every moment.The confused prodigy picked up his phone,confirming it's broken status before shoving it in his pocket,bracing himself on the situation he was in,ready to react accordingly.
His last memory:The Model 1 was taken?
Gunshots rippled through the air as Starlio instinctively ducked.Someone must be after him and if whatever hit him managed to blow a hole right through the building was attacking...Starlio managed to put the puzzle together:The Model 1 is hijacked and attacking his school.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"Get down on your knees!The second I see anyone move you'll end up like them!"A voice roared in the distance as Starlio slowly peaked through the door of the toilet,quickly spotting two men armed with AK-47s approaching him.
Shit.
Starlio slowly shut the door and briskly moved towards the hole at the toilet,looking at several pieces of debris which were on fire.Thinking quickly,Starlio grabbed the smaller pieces of debris,careful to still maintain the small flames around them and moved the flaming debris over to the door as quietly as he could,before moving the larger rocks and using them as door stoppers.
The prodigy himself quickly moved behind the door as it swung open just a second later.
"Shit!There's debris blocking the door!"Starlio heard the gunman right next to him at the opposite of the door."Well is there anyone in there?"Another voice asks as the first gunman looked down at the fire beneath the door from the debris:"Doesn't look like it."
"Let's move on then.The fire will probably spread through the toilet anyway."
The bathroom door closed as Starlio puffed a sigh of relief,quickly putting out the small flame that was right beside him.Starlio felt the pain on his rib deteriorating as he stumbled over to another open flame created by the missile blast,pulling the rogue chunk of debris out of his rib and slowly exposing the wound to the flame.
"This is gonna hurt..."Starlio sighed as the flames began torching the open wound,cauterizing the blood and after a couple of seconds,the heat from the flame completely overpowered the original pain and stopping the bleeding temporarily.
Starlio pressed himself back,taking a deep breath and using the hole at the side of the toilet,Starlio spotted the police vehicles and military trucks,surrounding the school and shortly after,the whirling sound of helicopter blades approaching them,Starlio spotting two police helicopters making their way over and greeting them in the air...The Model 1.
The Model 1 took flight,taking it's stance right at the two helicopter and to Starlio's horror,the Model 1 shot out two missiles from each of his wrist.
"No..."Starlio watched as the missiles from the Model 1 struck the helicopters,erupting them into flames and rending them into nothing more than flaming chunks of metal,collapsing towards the ground like cardboard.
"You want to challenge our ability?!"Starlio heard a voice boom from the Model 1,which activated it's gattling gun and opened fire towards the middle of the school.
Hundreds of voices from his schoolmates screamed out in unison as Starlio's heart sank,quickly realizing whom the bullets had struck."The next time you try anymore tricks,more blood will be all of your hands!"The Model 1 roared towards the ranks of the military officers and policemen.
That voice...Vincent?
The Model 1 can't be harmed or really damaged by bullets and to an extent,missiles as well.The police and military as far as he knew had no way of entering the school,which at this point is already made into a stronghold for the gunmen,which must be guarding the school like a fortress if no officers had made their way in.
There was only one way of taking down the Model 1.
Starlio needed the package from his lab.The wooden crate that was still untouched.But to get it,he needed a way to get out of the school or at least,have someone from the outside to help him retrieve the package.
"I should have killed you."Starlio whispered to himself,clenching his fist and determined to find a way to save his schoolmates.
Downstairs.
Vincent landed back onto the crowd of terrified students,looking at each and every one of them with his gattling gun raised.A dozen corpses,splattered across the floor in blood,students that he had shot just now when the helicopters approached.
"They died because your policemen and officers were rash.They did not value your life.If those helicopters weren't here those kids would still be alive."Vincent announced to the crowd of students."If they try any of this bullshit again,more of you will die.How many of you will leave here by the end of the day will depend solely on your protectors."
Roy was still bleeding from his head as Conner and Angie took care of the injured man.Shannon stood right with them as Joseline whispered over to her:"What did you see?Anything we can use?"
"Not much...they have the entire place covered.But I spotted Starlio's Dad.I think he's leading the military efforts outside."Shannon whispered back.
"Starlio's Dad?The general?"Joseline asks.
"Yea...him."
"Do we even know where Starlio is?"Angie whispered to the two girls."Last time I know he was heading over to the toilet.Do you think he's still there?"Conner answered.
"Didn't the missile hit closest to the toilet?"Kane overheard the conversation,joining in as the five teenagers looked at each other,worried about Starlio's status."I...We need to find him.There's no way they will keep staring us down constantly.I'll find a moment when they're distracted,see if I can reach him."Kane volunteered.
"I'll go with you."Conner adds in when Roy taps his hand:"You...?"
"I know...I've been a coward all my life.Starlio has helped me out of many situations before...I wanna be brave like him for once and help him this time around.If we are going to die here today,I'm not gonna go out without trying."Conner confirms his stance.
"I have to get away from you guys when that happens.Vincent knows and recognizes me."Shannon tells them.
"Shh...he's coming."Angie warns as Vincent got out of the Model 1 armor,marching towards them.Vincent went directly up to Shannon,getting uncomfortably close to her and asks:"So,any idea where your friend is?"
"How can I?"Shannon answered softly.
"Killing dozens of defenseless students and threatening the lives of a few hundred more just to get one fourteen year old to show himself."Conner interrupts them,surprising everyone around him with his unnatural courage:"All these just for money."Conner made a disgusted look,directing Vincent's attention away from the rest of his friends.
"Money?Of course...you privileged kids,born into a first world country...what do you understand when you see people like us...people of my race.Money....is the first thing that goes through your head because admit it or not,you perceive us as poor.You...LOOK DOWN ON US."Vincent scowled.
"If not money...what else?"Joseline stepped in.
"My family needs the money.You think we have education,jobs,electricity,food and basic living conditions where I come from?"Vincent dragged Conner by his collar,lifting him into the air and prompting Joseline to step up,trying to help her classmate only for Vincent to deliver a kick that sent her flying right into Angie and Shannon,all three of them collapsing in pain.
"There...are other ways..."Conner struggled as Vincent let him go,Conner falling freely onto the ground and landing on his back,full impact.
"Conner!"Roy tried to help when Vincent drew his handgun,warning him to stay back.
"You all don't understand...I was here as a construction worker,living in tight,shitty little dormitories provided by your cheap,selfish government and your stingy disgusting companies.I worked 16 hours a day with barely three hundred dollars being paid.I had to almost share beds with others,drained every single day from my work,fed dry and tasteless food every single fucking day."Vincent recalled.
"I know it's horrible...but do you have to kill for the money?"Conner gasped,trying to get up.
"It was never the money that made me kill kid.Fellow workers around me did drugs to help them get through the tough days they were living.I resisted it for many months,you think I didn't know what those could do to you?!But I had no options,I lived with 26 men in a room.There was only so much space.Inhaling those substances even though I didn't directly take any made me hooked on them.I made my day less painful too so...why the hell not?"Vincent smirks.
"That drug...that's where your strength comes from."Shannon guessed correctly.
"Money...is for my family and myself.You guys understand.Your people did not make our lives sustainable.If anyone were to be blamed for all these...trust me I would rather me anywhere other than here but unfortunately...this is where we are now."Vincent tells the teenagers before stopping suddenly:"Alright,my patience is running thin."
Vincent turned around,going back into the Model 1 and taking back off into the sky,overlooking at the police."Any movements from them?"Vincent asks one of his gunmen who was stationed on the roof.
"Not much."The henchman replied.
Vincent turned to the officers,booming from the Model 1's speaker:"You guys are making no progress!Every five minutes,I will begin shooting one student.Go ahead,delay and drag your negotiations more and more blood will be on you!Starting now!"
Vincent jumped back onto the ground floor,getting right out of the Model 1 and pulling his handgun out,taking aim at Shannon and pulling the trigger.
The gunshot rippled through the air as Shannon shut her eyes.
"CONNER!"Shannon heard Roy's voice as she slowly reopened her eyes,looking in horror at Conner,who took the shot right to his chest,who had jumped directly into the line of fire to shield her."Conner...?"Shannon was at a loss for words.
"That...is what...Starlio...would...do."Conner says,collapsing onto the ground in a pool of blood.
-
Starlio slowly snuck his way through the corridors of the empty school,trying to find a way towards the perimeter of the school compound where he could hopefully get help from the outside.
His heart was pounded rapidly with fear,looking around his surroundings constantly just in case any of those patrolling gunmen stumbled into him.That would be the end.
"Hey!Asshat!"
Starlio was spooked out as someone grabbed him,Frank Basto,the bully of the school dragging him behind the corner and right into a classroom,hiding below a tall wall as two gunmen strolled right past them,almost spotting Starlio."I heard they are looking for you,what have you done?"Frank whispered menacingly.
"That thing...it's my invention."Starlio referred to the Model 1.
"You brought that thing here?!"Frank confronted Starlio who quickly shook his head:"No...no they broke into my lab.I don't know how because I've never revealed the location of it and their leader is superhuman I believe.He has crazy strength,which explains how the security of my lab failed against him."Starlio explains.
"Well good job you fucking prodigy now what?"Frank mocks.
Starlio looked around them,spotting the basketball court of their school which was relatively unguarded by anyone except one guard and mostly out of sight from the gunmen,who were crawling across the rooftops and middle of the school."I'm trying to find a way out of the school,if I can get in contact with my people at the lab,I have a weapon that can defeat the armor the gunman is wearing."
"Okay..."Frank took in a deep breath."If not for our common enemy I would have beaten the shit out of you by now."
"Yea I know...no time to waste we better move."Starlio tells the school bully,the two teenagers leaving the classroom wall and making their way quietly down the stairs."You listen carefully alright you little shit?I'm going to distract that guard at the court.You make your way to the fence and get whatever you need to take down that tin head."Frank whispers to Starlio.
"No...no wait,that's too risky.You'll be killed."Starlio disagreed.
"If I don't we all will be.We are all counting on you so stop being an ass.Alright?Once he's attention on me you make your way out."Frank tells him as both teens reached the bottom floor,facing the basketball court.Before Starlio could do anything,Frank grabbed a random pebble from the ground,running at the gunman at full speeds and tossed the pebble as hard as he could.
"The f-"The pebble smashed right into the gunman's forehead as Frank slammed into him at full speeds with his huge body size,tackling the gunman onto the ground and Starlio,getting the cue and sprinting towards the perimeter fence of the school the fastest he has ever ran.
Frank began raining down punches onto the gunman,kicking his rifle out of his grip.
"What the hell?"Another gunman spotted Frank,forcing the teenager to sprint away for cover when the second gunman gave chase.Starlio managed to slide himself behind multiple bushes,giving himself cover and slammed onto the fences of the school where several police officers noticed him.
"Kid?What-that's Starlio Stex!"The police officer recognized him.
"Get him out!Cut the fence before they spot us!"Another officer suggests as the police platoon sprung into action and within seconds,Starlio was brought out of the school and behind the ranks of the police officers."Can you tell us what's going on in there?"An officer asks him.
"Anyone has a phone?"Starlio ignores the question.
"Kid...this is important.We need you to give us info."The officer repeats himself."Look,all of us know that there's no way anyone is paying those gunmen any money....alright?I've heard multiple gunshots already,they probably already killed many of my friends because of you guys just sitting around here and doing nothing.So pass me a phone because I have a weapon that can take down that mech suit that I myself invented!"
"Starlio!"Mason Stex spotted his son.
"Dad...no..you...why aren't you at least negotiating with them?At least try and pay them a little first?!They've already shot some people do you know?!"Starlio marched towards his father angrily,pushing the military general backwards as multiple soldiers came forward,raising their guns.
Mason raised his hand,stopping the soldiers from taking action:"We have the money on the way Starlio.It took a ton of convincing but 50 million dollars in cash takes a long time to gather,in addition to convincing those old people in suits to be willing to give the money.You know that."
Starlio calmed down a little:"Okay...okay...we can't wait for the cash to arrive.There's no guarantee that Vincent would release my schoolmates even if he gets the money."
"Vincent?That's his name?"Mason asks.
"Yes,he's operating the Model 1,it's my creation.He broke into the Navarro Warehouse and hijacked it."Starlio informs the general:"Bullets bounced off that thing like nothing.Whatever you built,it's giving us a ton of trouble boy."
"I can take it down.I have another weapon."Starlio suggests.
"Another weapon?Pass to it us-"Mason was quickly interrupted by Starlio:"Unlike the Model 1,this weapon cannot be operated by another user.I've placed fingerprint measures on it,which I should have done for the Model 1 as well but I didn't consider the fact that it could be hijacked back then...I need a phone.I need to call Xavier to bring the weapon to here."
Mason raised his eyebrow:"What weapon?"
Starlio turned to his father:"The Model 2."
Final Chapter- The Last Day of Innocence