The shiny black double doors of the building were flung open. My soldiers ran in with blaster pistols in hand. In surprise and momentary confusion, goons wearing black suit shirts and formal-looking black trousers jolted up from their resting positions, drawing their weapon in defense. In the lobby of the building, there were 5 men all holding their blasters, preparing to open fire, with one more who was wearing a red suit shirt. All had dragon emblems on their arm, showing their affiliation to the Clan of Drake. Even with the 1 to 2 disadvantage, my men were not fazed, maintaining an air of confidence that seemed to have slightly surprised the goons. I was amused and proud watching the scene unfold in front of me. But sadly all good things have to come to an end.
"Hold your fire!" I ordered. My commanding presence and voice turned all the heads in the room towards my direction. I smirked upon seeing the shocked expressions of the Drake goons. My men parted to reveal me behind them.
"Who the hell are you???" the goon in red asked.
"You don't remember? How disappointing..." I said flatly. I tilted my head far enough for the goons to be able to see my red hair and blue eyes. I flashed them a sinister grin. A wave of fear overcame the lobby. Their shock and surprise now evolved into pure petrification. " Where's my welcome party? Doesn't matter, I have an appointment with Draco." My tone turned top one of non-amusement, impatience.
"Y-Y-You can't !" the red goon regained some of his composure, still shivering in fear, he readjusted his aim at me. The others followed his lead. Soon, there were 6 blaster pistols aimed at my skull. " This is our home! We gonna pay you back for messing with the Clan of Drake !"
They advanced slowly, but we didn't budge. I sighed, wondering how these goons could be so foolish. I gave a slight nod to my men. In an instant, 3 blasts were fired simultaneously, piercing the deafening silence of the hotel lobby. * PEW* *PEW* *PEW* 3 goons dropped to the flooring, moaning in pain and clutching their legs.
"Ahhhh!" their screams of pain brought a sadistic smile to my face, one of pride for my men. Before the other 3 could react, the 3 extensions on the back of my jacket came to life with a slight mechanical whirring sound. I outstretched my right hand and the extensions grew longer and longer, looking more akin to that of octopus tentacles. The goons were frozen with fear, letting out screams of terror, and later, pain. 2 extensions impaled the other two black goons, the last constricted the throat of the red one. I slowly approached and stared into his eyes. Fear, Surprise, agony, longing for sweet release as his air and life fade.
"I will only say this ... one... more... time..." I thrust my hand downwards and the 3 goons suspended in the air were slammed onto the hard marble floor. I pounced on top of the red goon, my foot compressing his abdomen. He let out a squeal of pain, the pressure on his throat and his mid-section was too great. I could see his face turn pale as his life started to fade. " Take me to Draco!" I yelled, letting my anger out.
"Now now Hunter... no need to be so barbaric." I heard a voice, not too high pitched but not low either. It was accompanied by the clicking of shoes on a marble staircase. Still brimming with anger, I looked to my left to see a man with black hair and narrow, black eyes. He wore a full red business suit with a dragon on the sleeves of the suit. He holstered a pistol on his left waist, a sword sheathed on his back, and golden rings of different gems. They gleamed and sparkled brilliantly, the different colored gemstones were radiant.
The man had two more bodyguards wearing red armor descending the stairs by his side. There were dragons etched on their armor and helmet. They tightly held heavy blaster rifles in their hands. I recognised that voice, and especially his young but cocky looks. Boss Draco Kanji of the Clan of Drake. Young, arrogant, cocky, but with reason. An air of sophistication emanated from him, simply staring at him is intimidating
"Draco... what a surprise... you came to escort me yourself!" I said in a condescending tone, finally releasing the 3 men from my clutches. I now was glaring at the boss of the Clan of Drake. He had reached the bottom of the staircase and met my gaze with his chilling black eyes.
Draco's parents were once rich residents in the upper level of Nox City. Being the youngest, Draco Kanji, rebelled against his parent's lavish ways and their loyalty to the Emperor. However, quite evidently, he was still able to exploit his wealth here in the Underground. Although the gangs are always at odds with one another, we all had a common goal, to dethrone the Emperor. I have a personal grudge with the Emperor, in order to overthrow him, I will first need the intel proficiency and reconnaissance from the Clan of Drake.
"Hehe, come follow me, gentlemen." Draco chuckled as he gestured for us to follow him. I lowered my hand to signal my men to keep their weapons. They did so reluctantly. Their hands still hovered their guns, in case Draco tries to pull a fast one. We cautiously ascended the marble steps, my men looking at every surface, every ornament, every decoration, looking for potential traps.
We entered a large spacious lift the size of an apartment bedroom. The lift was brightly illuminated with a red chandelier. Red and gold metallic surfaces lined the walls of the elevator. We stood at the far edge of the lift, furthest from the door. Draco stood right in front of the door. My men still hover-handed their weapons.
"Could you tell your folks to stop being so defensive? It's kinda freaking me out." Draco finally broke the silence after 3 minutes of not speaking. We were ascending from the first floor, the lobby, all the way to the 92nd floor, Draco's personal office. It has been a long way up, now the 75th floor, I finally told my men to stand down. I observed Draco, his crossed arms and on edge mannerisms were evident that he probably has no other defense with him. I used my left mechanical eye to survey the left. I could see no traps, turrets, bombs, or anything that could threaten our lives. Thus I gave the order to stand down.
My men dropped their defensive stance, and I saw a wave of relief wash over Draco. "Whew... Thanks... You know, I always respected your gang, Hunter. Just my luck that those two baffoons picked you up to be bait. If I had a say in the matter, I would never have done it..." Draco started to explain himself. I raised my right eyebrow. I sensed truth in his words, no lies have been uttered as far as I was concerned. However, I still had an uneasy feeling.
" Talk about this later... "I held my hand up to stop him from continuing. My voice had evident impatience and indignance. Draco sensing this stopped instantly.
Finally, we reached the 92nd floor. The lift doors parted to reveal a large circular office. The opposite side of the room was made of entirely glass panes. Allowing you a clear view overlooking the Underground and some parts of the midsection. At the left and right side of the room, two 4 meter tall statues of Chinese dragons stood vigil. There was one more in the center of the room, overlooking the two guest chairs. The two guest chairs faced a large red and gold desk with a throne-like chair. I took a seat while all 3 of my men stood behind me.
"I know I am in your debt for sparing my men.. And I want to offer my sincerest apologies. So... What can I do for you?" Draco asked as he sat down on his throne. He interlocked his arms and rest his chin in them. He gazed at me.
I returned his gaze, finally standing up, I moved over to his desk, slamming my arms on the table. While Draco looked to maintain his composure, I saw a flash of fear behind his eyes.
"What I want... Is very simple... I want to engage Project: Unity..."