As Roy watches Chad and Neil land "safely" on the middle floors, using the harness suit and the wire attached to the fences, he finally exhales in relief. He then turns back toward Brent, ready to proceed with his plan-
BANG!
...
A loud bang echoes through the air, and with it, Roy collapses as Brent fires a shot from his Glock, aiming for his shoulder. Though Brent intended to hit the heart, his poor aim spares Roy from a fatal wound.
"What do you think you're doing?" Brent asks, stepping forward slowly. Despite missing the vital organs that could have killed Roy, Brent doesn't fire again, seeing Roy as no longer a threat.
"Trying to be a hero, huh? You thought I wouldn't dare to shoot, didn't you?"
Brent watches as Roy writhes in pain on the ground, his back against the fences and his left shoulder wounded.
"You're so wrong, Roy. What can you do? You're the weakest one here, not smarter than Chad, not stronger than me. You don't even have a weapon. Now you want to be brave and face me? I'll give you that.
I guess I misjudged you. If you'd shown this courage from the start, I might have treated you differently. But now, you'll die alone on this cold rooftop when you could have left with Chad."
Believing Roy is no longer a threat, Brent lowers his pistol and returns to his task, leaving Roy where he is. Brent might still be unsure about killing someone.
As Brent starts removing the C4, simply grabbing it and tossing it as far from the forcefield machine as he can since he doesn't know how to disable it properly, Roy lies there, still in pain from his wounded shoulder, and begins to rethink everything.
He had been so wrong. When he spoke to Chad earlier, he had felt a rush of confidence and excitement. For the first time, he hadn't felt useless or like a mere bystander, but an essential part of the team's survival and the success of the operation.
It was only when the bullet hit his shoulder that all his confidence vanished, replaced by fear and a grim reminder of who he really was.
A teenage kid. One who had always been bullied by the stronger ones. A kid who had to rely on others for help, never able to handle things on his own. A kid who never had the courage to stand up to injustice. Just a kid.
Now, facing Brent, his bully, his enemy, in a life-and-death situation, Roy finally grasps the harsh reality.
"I'm... I'm scared. I don't want to fight. I want to live... I don't want to die. I want to live."
With his left arm useless from the injury, Roy wonders how he could possibly fight Brent, let alone win. The more he thinks about it, the more terrified he becomes.
The stench of blood from his shoulder only overwhelms his mind with fear, filling it with regrets and thoughts of running away, retreating to his comfort zone, and being the same person he's always been, a coward.
All he can think about is the irony of his situation and the shame he feels for even entertaining such thoughts.
"Chad..." He whispers.
As Roy sits on the floor, his back against the fences, writhing in pain, Chad is the one who comes to mind.
Flashes of good memories with his best friend fill his head—times spent hanging out, laughing, and moments when Chad fearlessly threw himself into fights with bullies, risking his own safety to protect Roy and others.
"How did you even do it?" Roy mutters, baffled by Chad's bravery.
As he reflects, he wonders how Chad can be so fearless, diving into danger without a thought for his own safety.
"How? How did you do it?"
The more he thinks, the more Chad seems to hold the key to his own predicament. Even now, in this desperate moment, though Chad isn't here, he's still somehow helping and saving him.
As Roy realizes this, he becomes aware of what an incredible friend Chad is. Quickly, he pulls himself back to the memory, searching his thoughts for any clues or lessons from Chad's past actions.
All his recollections lead to one moment long ago, a conversation at McDonald's. Roy had asked Chad the same questions he's now asking himself.
"I don't know." Chad had answered when asked how he could be so brave and selfless. But there was more to it.
"I just know that it's right." Chad continued, noticing the confusion on Roy's face.
"Basically, I know what's right and what I should do in that moment, and I just do it without thinking twice. Yeah, that's it."
"Once you know what needs to be done, you just do it. Don't start thinking, just start doing."
"Don't think, just do." Roy mutters.
The answer is so simple. He just needs to start moving and acting before he has time to think or hesitate. The secret to bravery isn't being fearless but acting before fear has a chance to take over and continuing even when you're terrified.
The solution to his current situation isn't about devising strategies to defeat Brent but diving into the fight head-on. His injury and disadvantages aren't the real problem. His fear is, and that's the only thing he can control.
As soon as the flashback ends and he understands what he needs to do, his body moves on its own. He stands up and walks toward Brent, determined not to stop, knowing that doing so will only make him hesitate and feed his fear.
But charging straight at Brent without a plan would be reckless. He needs a strategy, something to help him overcome Brent's overwhelming strength, something to even the odds.
"Hold on..."
And then, he finds the answer.
...
"Why is this thing so hard to take out?"
Brent grumbles, with only a minute left before the C4 goes off. He tries pressing multiple buttons on the bomb, but nothing works. Afraid that pressing more might make the C4 behave unpredictably, he switches back to yanking it out of the machine.
But he's struggling. Neil somehow glued the bomb so tightly to the glass that it's nearly impossible to remove. As the seconds tick down, Brent grows more anxious.
He applies more force, trying to pry it free. His efforts seem to be working, as the C4 starts to loosen, the glue barely holding it in place-
BANG!!
The gunfire grabs Brent attention instantly. He releases the C4 and turns toward the sound. A bullet hole sits just a step away from his feet, and then he sees the shooter.
"Step away from the bomb, Brent!"
Roy stands there as he climbs up to Brent's level, gripping the AK rifle Neil dropped earlier and pointing it straight at him.
"Why didn't I think of this?" He wonders. The rifle had been lying just a few meters away, yet he spent a whole minute reminiscing, flashing back, and going through the five stages of grief with the solution right in front of him.
Despite feeling dumb, Roy quickly refocuses on his task, forcing Brent to give up and surrender.
"Move away from the bomb!" Roy shouts. The sound of gunfire startled Brent, causing him to drop his pistol. But even if he still had it, his handgun would be no match for the AK in Roy's hands.
For the first time, Roy doesn't feel scared or weak in front of Brent, the one who has always bullied him. Even though he still needs a weapon to level the playing field, all he feels is confidence and control. For Brent, it's also the first time he feels fear toward someone he once thought harmless.
But despite their shifting emotions, both are gripped by intense anxiety, fear of each other and the ticking countdown of the bomb.
"Calm down. Calm down..."
With Roy's gun barrel still aimed at his face, Brent cautiously stands, leaving his pistol on the ground to defuse the tension. He raises his hands, trying to reassure Roy as he rises slowly.
"Move!" Roy shouts again, swinging the rifle to the right, signaling the direction he wants Brent to go.
"…"
Brent remains still, not budging an inch. It's clear he has no intention of following Roy's orders, his face set with stubborn defiance. Roy is left with no other option.
BANG!
But to fire another warning shot, this time just past Brent's chest, into the air behind him.
"MOVE!!!" Roy yells, his voice as loud as it can be.
"Hold on! Hold on!!" Brent yells in terror. "Don't shoot... don't shoot..."
Despite not firing, Roy closes the gap, walking toward Brent with the rifle still aimed directly at him to intimidate him. As Brent instinctively backs away, he reaches the edge of the ground and quickly turns to face Roy.
"WAIT!!!"
Both Roy and Brent freeze, with less than 40 seconds left. Brent, realizing there's no time for words, skips the talking and jumps straight into action.
Neither of them is willing to back down or let the other win. It's all about finding the right moment to strike. Now, the tables have turned, Roy is the one with the upper hand, threatening Brent.
But as Brent yells for Roy to wait, for just a split second, Roy hesitates. Seizing the moment, Brent ducks to avoid the rifle's barrel, grabs his Glock from the ground, and fires at Roy.
BANG! BANG!!
However, Roy quickly move his upper body out of the pistol's line of fire, forcing Brent to aim at his thigh instead.
Roy doesn't expect Brent to notice his weakness, his left arm is now disabled from a previous gunshot wound, leaving him with only his weaker right arm to hold the heavy AK rifle, which weighs more than 3 kg (7 lbs), not including the weight of the rounds.
He pretends to hold the rifle with both hands, using his left hand merely to create the illusion of control.
As soon as Roy fires that last warning shot, his disadvantage becomes clear to Brent. Roy struggles to keep the heavy rifle steady and aim properly and he realizes that Roy can't move the gun fast enough if he makes a sudden move.
As a result, Brent's strategy is simple: Move quicker and faster than Roy's injured arm. He succeeds, and though he doesn't hit Roy's vital parts, he manages to cripple Roy by shooting him in the right thigh.
Roy immediately collapses to the ground, but instead of waiting for Brent to fire again, he's already prepared to kill him if necessary. Lying flat on the ground, Roy retaliates with his rifle.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
A burst of three shots sends Brent collapsing to the ground, all three bullets hitting him in the stomach.
Roy knows he has disabled Brent. Despite feeling some guilt from killing someone for the first time, he feels certain that Brent will die, the bomb is secure, and he'll destroy the forcefield machine, saving the day and Chad.
With the C4 timer ticking down, Roy knows he can't escape. Crippled in both his leg and arm, he lies there, letting his paralyzed limbs rest, staring at the sky with a sense of calm and peace, knowing he has fulfilled his duty and the goal of saving his best friend.
...
"Wait, what?!"
But unfortunately, things won't be easy for Roy. Just as he relaxes a little, Brent rises up.
"No... NO!!"
Brent, using his remaining strength, turns onto his stomach and crawls toward the C4.
"Brent... Stop!! Please!!"
Roy begs Brent to stop. Not because he can't fight back, but because even though he has accepted and prepared himself to kill, his morality and humanity make him hesitate to finish off a dying person.
When Brent ignores Roy's plea and continues crawling toward the C4, Roy feels he has no other choice. As Brent reaches the bomb and begins to pull it out with his last remaining strength, Roy aims at him and pulls the trigger.
CLICK!
...
The AK doesn't fire. Despite Roy pulling the trigger as hard as he can, it's only after a few more attempts that he realizes his rifle, is out of bullets.
SHEEK!!!
The Sheek sound catches Roy's attention. In an instant, he puts his rifle aside and turns to look at Brent. Roy already knows what the sound means, but only when he sees it directly does the fear and anxiety flood back into his mind.
Brent has finally pulls the live C4 out of the forcefield machine. It takes all the breath, strength, and dedication he has, because in this moment, he knows he has nothing left to lose.
...
The brief second of silence as they stare at each other after Brent does what he intended quickly turns into the moment that determines the outcome of everything.
Without hesitation, Brent quickly moves his arm to throw the C4 off the Empire State Building to save the forcefield machine. However, Roy reacts faster. He grabs his empty rifle and throws it at Brent.
The heavy AK rifle strikes Brent's arm, injuring him. Brent collapses again on the ground, dropping the C4 before he can throw it away.
With 20 seconds left, both Roy and Brent push themselves to the limit, ignoring their pain and severe injuries. They crawl and move toward the C4 as quickly as possible. As Brent gets up, he moves quickly but collapses again, while Roy starts crawling right after throwing the rifle.
"ARGHH!!"
They grunt in pain as they crawl toward the C4 with time still ticking down. Miraculously, both of their hands reach the C4 at the same time.
The race for the bomb turns into a fight for it, as they each try to pull the C4 toward themselves, using all the strength they have. Brent doesn't want to engage in a tug of war with Roy, so he pushes him down and starts hitting him with his left hand while his right hand still grips the C4. Blood from Brent's stomach drips down onto Roy.
"ARH!! ARGHH!!! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!"
Brent beats Roy with all his strength, screaming, yelling, and cursing with every insult he can think of. Roy, however, remains on the ground, his left hand gripping the C4 tightly, refusing to let go, while his right hand tries to push Brent away, enduring the heavy blows.
"WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING IN MY WAY, YOU UGLY MOTHERFUCKER!!!"
Brent yells as blood continues to spill from his stomach. His fists keep pounding Roy's face, but the strain of the fight starts to catch up with him. He's losing more blood, his punches slow down, his blows lose power, and his face grows pale.
Roy notices this. Seizing the moment when Brent's fist moves slow enough to dodge, Roy turns his head to the left, grabs Brent's shoulder with his right hand, and shoves him down.
"RARRGHH!!!!!"
Then, it's Roy's turn to pay Brent back for everything he's done. Clenching his hand into a fist, Roy starts beating Brent's face with all his strength, just like Brent did to him earlier. As he strikes, bad memories flood his mind.
All the beatings and abuse he suffered from Brent and his accomplices, the pain, the tears, and the insults he endured from this fat 17-year-old, fill his thoughts and fuel his rage. His punches grow stronger, and Brent's face quickly becomes covered in bruises and blood.
However, Roy's injured thigh has caused his right leg to become weak. With each painful punch Brent endures, he wants to push Roy away as quickly as possible. Roy's injured leg makes it easy for Brent to pull him down by using his own leg to press against Roy's injured thigh.
"ARGHH!!"
Roy lets out a groan as Brent's heavy leg crushes his weak and injured leg. He immediately collapses onto Brent's belly and finds himself grabbed by the neck with Brent's left hand. Roy quickly realizes what Brent is about to do.
Brent is now trying to strangle Roy with the last bit of strength he has left. In response, Roy struggles to push him away, knowing more punches won't stop Brent before he chokes him to death.
Both of them are now using every ounce of strength they never knew they had, desperately trying to kill each other while keeping the C4 away from the other.
As the ticking continues with only 10 seconds left, they remain locked in a deadly battle. Roy's face turns purple and pale as Brent's grip tightens, while Brent slowly loses his breath as he continues to bleed.
Neither of them willing to back down, they both realize this is the end. Roy, using what little strength remains, pushes himself and Brent closer to the forcefield machine, inch by inch, just as the C4 begins its final countdown.
5...
4...
3...
2...
1.