Jamal sighted Brat holding Beai in his claws, in a form of some large bird. He didn't know if it was going to work, until the boy jumped out the hole, before attempting to flap his wings towards his direction. He was a bit unstable, until Brat pushed through and soared across the space, a few shots ringing out around them. Jamal pulled back as the pair managed to crash onto the rooftop, shots landing where they just were.
"Wow, that was great." Brat sarcastically coughed out, "We should do that more often."
"It's a miracle we didn't die at all." Beai said, as Ula shuffled closer to them.
"We need to leave soon anyway! Whatever is happening is going to come our way shortly." Ula shouted.
"To the palace!" Jamal interrupted, as he made his way to a door up on the roof. "We're about to pull off the greatest event since the fall of Saputa."
The others were somewhat confused, as they followed the man. Several stairs later, Jamal found a door, and barged inside. Turns out the room was occupied, as a family was relaxing in their living room until being shocked by the invasion.
"Sorry!" Jamal cried towards them, as he made his way towards their curtains.
Pushing them aside, he could see the building's fire escape stairs leading back onto the earth. Making sure the others were close by, he lifted the window open, as Jamal began to make his way downward. Continuing quickly, he jumped over the last three stairs, breaking his fall, while making sure the others were still keeping up. With that in mind, Jamal paced himself out of the alley and into the open. There were hundreds of soldiers across the street from him marching towards the state building, although several soldiers were leaving the area, knowing that they just left the premise.
"I rather not wait any longer." Beai pushed him to the side, before looking for the Palace. "Where is it again?"
"Oh yeah, this way." Jamal turned right, and going the opposite way of the incoming soldiers.
It wasn't long before they began speeding through the sidewalk, as some of the soldiers quickly began connecting the dots and started to make chase.
"They're over here!" one of them cried, causing the army to turn the other way in surprise and confusion.
Not hesitating, Jamal quickly turned around and launched a large fireball towards them, causing many of them to scatter or move towards cover, before it crashed back into the state building, sections of it already burning from earlier attacks.
"Move it!" Jamal assured the team, as sporadic gunfire erupted around them.
It looked like they were only two blocks away from the building, as he could make out the Palace's architecture from here. Jamal would continue to fire behind every once and awhile, although some of the soldiers were now driving towards them in carrs, reducing the distance.
"I'm going to have to hold them off for a second, just get to the Palace!" Jamal stopped in the middle of the street, onlookers watching with interest.
The group continued going, as Jamal stood his ground, bullets spraying around him. Closing his eyes, he could feel that missing power coming back to him, as his vision returned to him completely on fire. The two carrs there continued to speed towards his way, as men on top of them began aiming their rifles towards him.
He instantly disappeared, causing the vehicles to slow down, confused to where he went. One of the soldiers on top of a carr heard a thump and turned to see Jamal staring him down. Before he could react, he got his neck snapped as Jamal fell inside the vehicle. It was tight and compact, as the rest of the men inside were shocked at his presence, while his flames were melting and heating up the machine from the inside. All Jamal did was slam the front seat of the driver, before leaping outside, and watched as it crashed into the side of a building.
The other carr tried to swerve in his direction to run into him, although Jamal managed to leap on top of the hood, slowly cooking the engine from the outside. The soldiers still attempted to shoot at him, although Jamal simply crouched down, as he broke the front windshield with his fist. In surprise, the driver quickly swung the wheel around, with Jamal gripping the side of the vehicle with ease, following direction.
As the vehicle was swerving around, Jamal managed to land his feet onto the side of the vehicle before concentrating as much expendable energy onto his legs. He could see the metal starting to burn, as the vehicle lurched into a townhouse, causing Jamal to drop off the ground. Recovering quickly, he looked around noting more soldiers coming his way, although they were a good distance away from him. He fired hundreds of fireballs in their direction, before beginning to make his way towards the Palace, not even able to see the rest of the group.
.....
"How long do we have to wait?" Leon looked around uneasily, no longer hearing gunshots from below.
The interior of palace, at least the section they were in, was a complete mess. In a frantic hurry, many of the guards left some of their equipment behind, with time running short before they would likely return.
"You think Hops and Alice are okay down there?" Fonda said with uncertainty, "Or even the others?"
"They'll be alright," Heskins assumed, "I'm sure there doing well."
Continuing to look ahead, Leon could see a small group coming towards their way, even though he couldn't tell who they were. Just behind him, he could see what appeared to be a burning man dashing quickly towards their direction, and far behind that was an even larger group, likely the nearby army. Just what they needed.
"Guys, I think Jamal and them are coming near us." Leon managed to cry out in joy, "They're coming!"
With that, the room began to glow brightly, as everyone there turned around in surprise, shielding their eyes. Once it died down, they could see Hops holding tightly to a slumped Alice, who was barely holding onto her book in her hands.
"Guys, she needs help now!" Hops managed to shout out, his voice cracking. "Help me!"
Leon just watched, as Heskins handed Laken to Fonda, before rushing to their side. Despite not having a developed power as they did, he had more medical experience than them, as he began to tend to her wounds. Hearing steps, Leon faced back to the open to see Ula, Brat, and another woman climbing up the stairs in exhaustion.
"We finally made it." Brat managed to say, before collapsing next to Leon.
Leon just stared in shock before Ula finally reached the final step. She was gasping for breath, but seemed fine for the most part.
"So." he managed to say, holding his hand out. "How are you doing?"
"Fine." she grabbed him and heaved herself through.
Seeing the final person, Leon could note the woman was holding onto a rifle from the Youdenia Army, looking back and uneasy every once and a while.
"You are?" Leon watched Jamal almost crossing the street, before stopping and refacing the army ahead.
"It's Beai, former leader of the resistance for Saputa." She quickly turned around towards the approaching army and fired a few shots. "We gotta get out of here, and now."
"I think I know." Leon fumed, while Jamal lifted his hands into the sky. What was he doing?
.....
Jamal stared down the incoming army, as he could feel his power soar through his arms and into his hands. The army itself was noticing an incoming attack, as they crouched down and aimed their rifles towards the single man. Jamal stayed calm as a large ball of flames quickly expanded above him, intensely passing the height of the several storied townhouses themselves. As soon as he was satisfied with the size, he put all of his energy into the attack and launched it into the crowd.
They managed to have several shots get through, before the ball crashed against the street and began making its way towards the army. Jamal luckily dodged the few, and began to climb the steps of the Palace. The army wasn't so lucky, as the stampede that began to fill the air with screams and cries of shock, as the first victims were impacted. It was a quick but painful death, as their breaths turned into smoke and bodies into crispy pieces of meat. Hundreds, if not a few thousands losing their lives to one man, as the more weakened ball crossed the main street and crashed through the burning state building, only worsening the situation and alighting new sections that hadn't already.
Jamal managed to leap across the top stairs, and looked at the rest of the group within. He could see the surprise in his arrival, as well as the looks of determination still holding effect into some of them. At least what he believed what would be one of the hardest parts was finally completed and hopefully would be easier from here.