Damselflies And Dragonfly (7)
“Haff, huff…” Phesx Caolia straightened his back after killing the remaining Artista, feeling a little exhausted and having had enough. He took his cloak out but left the mask on, which had many grazes from the bullets, although these were camouflaged by the blood seeping out of them. Phesx Caolia looked at the window, letting the previous round of constant loud noises fall into dear silence.
Closing his eyes, Phesx had the notion of the outside of the window. Deep in the night, with some people wondering what was happening on the streets and in other nearby buildings. But no one really dared to call on the lavish building, nor cared.
But there were also people on the roof, just waiting for him to break out. They weren’t there before. Phesx could tell they were Artistas, but they didn’t care about their comrades dying just below them. Even now, they weren’t moving to intercept them, just waiting for him to come out.
“Sigh…” Phesx lifted his chin and sighed, dropping his shoulders as he checked his right hand. It had a grotesque but salvageable wound. He took some yellow medicine out before pouring it on his hand, thereafter bandaging his palm before grabbing 2 guards’ submachine guns.
Then, without a thought in that head of his, Phesx went down.
He had only fought a few Artistas at the same time, completely alone, where he couldn’t take advantages from them being distracted by others, or others helping him here and there. This was the first time Phesx faced such an issue, and it cost him a bit of his armor.
The armor on Phesx was like a tough surface that looked even metallic because of its aesthetics and dull gray, black colors only. However, it was pretty flexible, albeit not as much as leather or hide. Even then, his mobility wasn’t affected, and it already saved him from tremendous grievous wounds, if not death.
It had some holes now, though most were superficial. Yet, the night had only just begun, but it was riddled with gunshots. Even then, Phesx would rather face a multitude of guards than to head out into the sky without proper equipment, and to face none other than who knows how many dozens of Artistas.
Step, step, step, step… clamor, clamor…
“You hearing this? The noise stopped…” Phesx didn’t stop walking around the circular staircase after hearing a few guards speak. He calmed his breathing and checked their footsteps, calculating with vivid imagination what their positions were.
When Phesx Caolia finally arrived low enough to see some guards debating whether to go further up or not, and found their positions to be similar, he aimed at their knees and arms before firing away. Only one comment was heard from a guard below, “What the-”
Trrrr rrrrrr r rrrr r r rr rrr r r rrr r rrr r r rr…!
Bullets flew from one point to the other, making rows and streams of blood to spurt from the guards’ bodies. None were hit in their vitals, though some were placed into immediate care by others wounded as their arteries were either grazed or shot through. The guards could survive with something like that, but not as long as a special forces unit.
Phesx walked through them after getting them all to fall on the ground. A guard called his colleagues in fear, telling them what just happened, sobbing and begging to be rescued. He wasn’t the only one, but then, Phesx heard a handgun slid on the floor before its infrastructure ‘clicked’ just as it does when it balances once someone holds it.
Tr rrrr! “AAAAGH!” The guard who barely had time to aim the handgun at Phesx was first neutralized by having his hand shot, followed by his whole arm becoming useless. That wasn’t it. Phesx walked towards the guard and turned him to face the floor. Then, grabbing the hair by his scalp, Phesx stomped his face on the floor like bidding good night.
Phesx shook his head only after the first face stomp, because only then did the guard drop his handgun. After the second, Phesx grabbed a rifle that a Lt had but threw away to treat the injured. It was pretty average, but still a firearm. With his military firearms hanging around his shoulders, Phesx lightly called out, “Tell the others to not pull theirs out. I might accidentally kill someone like this.”
Phesx left the first victims of guards who were just at the stairs, nobody dared to be any heroes again. The last floor should have at least 100 guards or so, and they should be coming up to meet him soon.
Step, step… “Get prepared, fuck. We’ll find the enemy soon!” Just as Phesx was waiting for them, the guards made themselves known. Hearing their dumb self-exposing, Phesx looked at the right before jumping onto the railing.
Even though the stairs steeped downwards, Phesx remained in perfect balance like he wasn’t even going down the stairs. There was some electric power, but only from the reserve generators. The lights were very dim, and any flashlight was like a strong flashlight as a result.
“Where is he?” - “Aim upwards, he might be peeking from the- oh shit! Shoot- fire, fire, fire!”
Trrr r r r r r r rr rr r rr r rr rrrrr r rr! Phesx beat them to it, pulling the trigger of a submachine gun to send some guards backwards with their vests protecting their torso from possible death. As soon as they all fell, Phesx checked no one was trying hero business near their handguns or the like before going to each of them.
He bashed their faces against the wall, stair steps, or railing. Ever since that first guard who dared to aim at him just because he gave them his back, Phesx couldn’t believe he was naïve just like this. Now, he’ll properly shut every guard tight, not allowing them to think and perhaps firing at a few knees and arms.
After Phesx decided his new modus operandi to continue going down the building, feeling more secure due to this, he went faster. His feet looked like running-walking sideways, though he was fast, he was more careful to look ahead.
Having dropped the guard’s submachine gun, Phesx counted the stairs and meters going down before realizing he would soon reach the floor. He frowned, as more teams should’ve showed already, but he heard no movement. As a matter of fact, Phesx didn’t even hear as many footsteps echoing across the staircases below further floors anymore.
“There he is…” - “Stop right there, kid!” Just as Phesx came across several possibilities, still a couple of meters from the floor, a few voices hushed around before a familiar voice shouted towards him. Phesx stopped as soon as he heard all of this.
He felt some very indistinctive light on his shoes. Looking ahead, leaning to the left, Phesx realized they were peeking at a corner from a high attitude, which he could not see yet. Phesx didn’t show his face, as he knew that would be the easiest way to die if the enemy had a sniper rifle installed up here, which they probably moved, which Phesx knew they had.
“I know who you are. We know now! Don’t do anything else. It’s enough. The things you’ve done are above crazy, lad. We shared some words, and I know you’d rather not be here doing this.” The guard who shouted just now continued to do so. It was one of the guards who talked him up when he returned with the janitor cart.
“If you could just speak to me!” The guard shouted, insisting. Phesx thought for a moment before placing a small flute-like device from corner to corner of his mouth from his chest pockets. His voice was a little distorted. “How do you know who I am?”
Phesx began advancing, thinking hard and fast as he stuck to the right wall and moved ahead without making a sound. The guard responded after 3 seconds while Phesx stopped and prepared to rush to the left wall to see how many were around. “Phesx Caolia, Preutian refugee. Or rather, Lýmocan that once came from the independent Nation State of Preut. That is how all Preutians nowadays will be recognized when the war ends and Lýmoca recuperates Preut. What do you think? Isn’t it something worth living for?”
Phesx smirked. The guard knew what to do in these situations. They might not be monstrous killing robots, like specialized training is for military, such as special forces, but they were capable, armed folk, alright. Although his last few words were a bit too…eh.
Throwing the flute-like device aside, Phesx said in a low, fleeting voice before rushing ahead. “I have no problem with anyone, nor political gains. But you can have a problem with me.”
“…!?” The voice and attitude surprised everyone on the floor, and whoever else. Even the shouting guard was speechless. But when Phesx crossed to the other wall, still hiding in the stairs, he heard many people rise their guns to aim at him despite no lights showing him.
He also moved with no sound, even though he strode forth and high once. They clearly had night vision tech. They’ve come prepared.
“If you surrender… this will be over in this instant, and everyone can go back home. As for you, you will have to answer for your crimes. The murder of 2 people is unthinkable. But you assassinated a cabinet member’s secretary and the vice president of the nation! You are so young! How could you go through something as heinous as this?!”
Phesx rolled his eyes, but he frowned lightly afterwards. Just then, he peeked at the floor and saw so many people in position to barrage the staircase with firepower as soon as any order was given. Phesx crouched a little, waiting as he lowered the guard’s rifle and took a few grenades out…
“Negotiation sounds good about now, right? You might have nothing, but we can talk of what’ll happen to you after this is ov-” Tlick, click, swish.
“Huh? Did anyone else hear that?” A guard whispered before some others did as well. But then, the shouting guard’s eyes widened. “Get away! Prepare to stop him! He’s a criminal and a trai-”
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Bang bang bang! Pfsuooshhhh! Bang bang!
Several flashlights exploded, followed by some smoke grenades that initiated a disorder below. The guards prepared to respond and abide to orders fired away without needing to be told. Phesx jumped backwards, hiding from the possible bouncing bullets as the staircase became deafening.
“Stop! Stoooop!” The guard from before was followed by a few others to halt their gunfire after a while. Phesx slowly walked back to where he was standing. He suddenly smelled explosives, but he didn’t panic. Instead, his eyes widened when he heard countless footsteps from many different people all at once, moving up the stairs from the ones leading below, and in the floor.
Ba thump, ba thump, ba thump, ba thump…!
Phesx’s heartbeat was afflicted. Hearing those many people meant only one thing. Either everyone was at the staircases, waiting for their chance to go up, or divided between floors. Whatever the case was, it could only be extremely dangerous. Phesx would have to choose the window from the dispatch if he wanted to avoid this.
‘Sigh.’ Phesx grabbed his rifle and pressed its butt against the top of his right chest. He crouched down before advancing. His eyes… showed excitement. He threw the rifle away and grabbed his from over his shoulder, feeling just like home.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…!
“Contact!” - “He’s still alive?!” - “Retreat!” - “Go! Support your comrades!” - “Ah, dammit…” - “End the traitorous scum! To the death!” - “Lyeee!”
Phesx entered the smoke. He saw barrels and muzzle head his way, hidden from the guards’ eyes, standing outside the smoke. He walked forth, firing his rifle to destabilize them first by shooting their knees or shoulders before hitting their lungs on their vests.
Phesx just moved forth, not too fast nor slow, advancing through the smoke as he walked to everyone’s side after bashing them against the floor. His rifle was very dangerous and could accidentally kill them, but that only meant he didn’t have to use more than 2 bullets to send each guard to the floor.
“Move, move! He’s surrounded!” Another guard shouted as Phesx heard a squad of well coordinated guards move towards him in 2 lines but that only made things easier for him. They were also a bit too close to each other.
Bang, bang, bang- thud- bang!
“Dammit, he was clo- aaauugh!”
Phesx rapidly advanced this time, closing into the line on his left in the smoke, near the beginning of the stairs. He surprised the first 3 guards, who didn’t even remember how to move their arms to aim at him. Phesx point blank shot them in the chest, sending them flying against the wall one by one before the 4th aimed at his head as he crouched.
Phesx dashed to the wall, impulsing himself off it and towards the guard before locking his feet around the guard’s jaw and nape. Phesx threw his body backwards in a slight arch. He was tall, so he had to calculate it well. Nonetheless, he seamlessly executed his movement so fast not even the 5th guard noticed. By the time Phesx threw the 4th guard to his front, his stomach had landed safely on the floor, and he aimed at the other 2 behind the 4th guard.
After they fell with their breaths momentarily exiting their bodies through noses and mouths, Phesx rolled forth and stood up with his presence lowered before shooting the 4th guard’s lungs from behind as the latter struck his face to the stairsteps.
The other line’s 6 guards rushed to his position. Phesx stepped back a few times before rushing up into the left wall with strong, large strides before silently jumping towards the right wall over the smoke. Outside, a Lt guard saw this and couldn’t help but utter, “What the hell?”
Phesx looked like a pro gymnastic, and more so when he made no sound, only allowing a few guards to notice who were keen to enter the smoke.
Bang, bang, bang- bang, punch- crashh! Stomp, stomp! Swoosh- thud, punch punch- crash- punch.
In the smoke, Phesx slowly slid down the right all as the other 6 went to the one in the left. Phesx crouched ever so low towards their back once on the floor and immediately excommunicated 4 of them from the back. Phesx half-broke their necks with 1 shot for each, but he was being merciful while they were here to kill him, so they couldn’t complain.
The 5th guard rushed at him from a lucky angle where Phesx didn’t have enough time to aim. But all Phesx did was form a fist with his right hand and crash it into the very center of the guard’s visor. Right after, as the guard fell on his back and screamed with glasses penetrating his face, Phesx turned him around and kicked heavily down on his lungs.
But 2 stomps later, the 6th guard showed up and immediately lifted his submachine gun after processing what his eyes saw. Phesx dashed forth, tackling the guard before straddling him from the air to the floor. Without an ounce of hesitation, Phesx punched and punched the helmet, breaking its visor overall at some point before punching some more. The guard’s face was bloody, but he was just fine.
“Fire!” A Lt guard shouted. The smoke had cleared up a bit, but Phesx expected it. He grabbed the guard’s body before helping themselves up. Phesx turned around with the semi-conscious guard being shot awake in the lower belly by one of many flying bullets in their direction, which he replied in kind. “AAAAAAHH!”
“HALT!” The Lt guards shouted, but Phesx used the moment to throw the body away and rush into their packed formation. Suddenly, their target went from easy to kill to ‘don’t shoot’ screams everywhere as Phesx had a stupid strength that was yet below his speed and nimbleness moving around the guards.
He lunged at guards’ shoulders, heads, necks, and waists. Tackling them before immediately rolling away, but not without gifting them a few bullets from their own handguns or firearms to reflect.
Phesx would also dance around their bodies, but it wasn’t that he grabbed their arms and circled around them. He climbed their bodies, throwing or pushing them into others with force that they couldn’t expect, no matter how many times they’ve seen it again and again. Or he would grab a part of their bodies, not even just a limb, but a tie, thin, feeble collar, and their clothes were enough for him. He’d put his weight down on his sides, front, or back and entangle them into spins or rolling them over with excruciating stretches and locks.
The Lt guards were the first to fall, with their helmets broken and their vests either holed by Phesx’s rifle or hit on the nape by him, fallen unconscious. Whenever the guards tried fleeing from him, Phesx would just mingle in a group, whereas they only noticed which after a few seconds, looking dumbfounded at the place Phesx was supposed to be, alone and helpless.
But Phesx wouldn’t stay in that floor only all the time. He didn’t have infinite ammunition under his armor. He threw a few grenades, of which some were from the guards, sleeping grenades, and continued bashing consciousness away with every few meters he went down the stairs.
On the last floor, the first time Phesx was seen and practically left over 100 guards incapacitated, with the use of sleeping grenades at the last moments doing that to a portion of that number.
The guards’ communication channels were as follows: ‘The suspect is Phesx Caolia! A young boy in a lagj organization! Send reinforcements to search for other members of his lagj secret organization!’.
On the floor below the last floor, their communications were as simple as: ‘Do not engage him with only 3 or 4 teams! He’s extremely dangerous! He cannot be reached!’, ‘Don’t let him get close to small groups! Join each other and don’t face him alone!’.
Of course, that ‘alone’ meant that the guards dared to face Phesx with less than 20 something numbers.
But on the floor lower than that, it only continued: ‘Use your anti-gas gadgets! Try to throw your sleeping grenades away if you must! He’s… no- he must have injected himself with an antidote or anti-drugging formula!’, ‘We need reinforcements! Why isn’t there any communication yet?!’.
Yet, on a lower floor, the communications changed again, adding even more stuff: ‘The traitor has a strange armor! It’s useless to face him without snipers! Where the fuck are they?!’, ‘The subject has a strange protection in his left arm!’, ‘Don’t engage the traitorous scum with 4 squads or less!’.
Phesx had become a menace impossible to ignore. In the main floor, where some of the oldest members commanded the guards’ force, they were watching from some cameras Phesx didn’t have the time to destroy amidst the crazed… gunfights?
Phesx moved through the many pools of guards, flowing in between the gunshots, avoiding them in the last moments, and even a second earlier, easily reading their movements. Or forcing his way around, bashing the guards around with such brutality that made them feel the creeps in their spines. Helmets, vests, and even limbs were torn apart or snapped by a few motions.
Even just Phesx tapping his fingers was enough to break some parts, disjoint some others, and directly destroy a few bones with the right angle and force, also depending on the guard’s body. They weren’t all clones with the exact same body conditions, after all.
It became… addictive to Phesx. Just like learning how to train his body and mind, but employing his mastery this time. Furthermore, this was irremediably something Phesx always liked doing, what has brought him so far. It was just the notion of learning more ways… of killing.
“It’s still in the green alert!” An old guard shouted, widening his eyes to nearly maddened degrees. The other guards looked at each other with blame and understanding in their expressions.
“Changing to yellow right now! If the traitor somehow escapes, turn it up to red… Lýmoca has to know it. Commence now, call the authorities!” An old guard said. It wasn’t much their fault, though. It was Lesly Rivera who had everything under control, before being assassinated.
“We still have to wait for confirmation,” another guard expressed, wearing a worried expression. “I don’t like this. We won’t be able… able to fend off such a monster.”
“Are you serious right now, Vicente? You can’t possibly… he’s just a boy! His drugs might prove ineffective and wear off in a few minutes. You’ll see. We’ll get to know the drug he used to track all lagjs in the country. This is important now, for the country! No more of these crazed fuckers…” Another old guard frowned and went on.
“I… I do think so… so dangerous…” The old guard from before voiced, sounding fearful. The others looked at him and the other guard with knitted eyebrows. If that was true, if these lagj secret organizations had this power… Then what was the point of having police or even the military anymore?
Of course, they would later sober up and realize they weren’t thinking straight. But at this moment, they were focused only in the present. It just happened that after they grew suspicious of the world’s reality, something happened in their screens.
… Phesx was just in another packed river of guards. He kicked a few muzzles from rifles he got too close to, and guards who became too bold to try it out. They opened fire, but thanks to Phesx, only the roof was shot. As for the perpetrators, he crippled most of them.
But at this moment, just after Phesx kicked a rifle’s muzzle to the side again and ducked, he opened his eyes as round as he ever possibly could. A guard managed to predict his movements and aimed at his nape after ducking his head away.
Phesx cracked his neck, throwing his head backwards to stare at the ceiling, but without moving it back. The handgun’s bullet shot past his apple, forming a new grazing opening in his throat.
Phesx threw his left hand to the culprit’s neck with a spread thumb and index finger, but the guard shot again and again as he retracted his neck and head to the side. In the 3rd consecutive short, Phesx grabbed the handgun away, but it had already fired at someone’s head. Furthermore, the guard whose neck he hit began convulsing on the floor.
‘Oops… too much strength.’ Phesx thought as he felt everyone around him slowly come to a stop. The guard shot in the face was a clean shot, so much it penetrated, flying out of the back of the helmet and hit another guard in the head. The first was a male, but the second was a cute young woman with brown skin and chestnut, smooth long hair. Moreover, the convulsing guard stopped moving and went limp as an odor came from him.
‘Uh oh…’ Phesx’s eyes narrowed in a bother as this happened. He had just lifted his face a bit and looked around him when a hurl of gunfire flew from everywhere towards him, but especially from his back. Phesx’s body shook nonstop as he was forced against the ground with a thunderous crash from the sheer firepower. But he found a fraction of a moment to roll to the sides as his back was perforated, and some collateral casualties ensued.
The worst of it all? Everyone looked at him after a sudden pause, realizing what just happened. Now… now, it was his fault.
…