As the Fire dissipated around him he could see six more men running at him. The first man started to open up on him. Letting off several rounds before Samael put him down. Due to their close proximity the one round hit two of the men.
Samael then adjusted and shot the remaining men landing rounds center mass as they wildly shot at him. After the others were dead Samael stood back up and began moving forward again. He stopped just before an intersection of boxes.
Moving the right wall he could look most of the way down the left side, It was clear. After clearing the left he turned right and exposed as little of his body as he could. It was for the best because there was a lone man standing there waiting for him.
The man had a light machine gun pointed at the intersection and he did not wait to open up with it. Samael was fast on the trigger as well but the man still let off several rounds. Five embedded themselves into his armor and two had penetrated, one into his lower left arm and the other into his left armpit.
"That looked like it hurt." Angel said as her chibi opened up some panels.
"Not at all." Samael thought as he had already isolated the nerves and stopped them from sending the pain signals. He dropped his rifle letting it hang on the sling as he grabbed his pistol with his left hand.
He started to move but reached back and grabbed a tool from his belt. He flicked it open. It was a simple set of folding needle nose pliers. Without even a second thought he dug the pliers into his armpit.
He immediately grabbed the bolt and ripped it out of his body, letting the round just fall to the floor. Samael folded the pliers back up and attached them back to his belt as he holstered his pistol. He then shouldered his rifle as if nothing had happened.
"I don't know how you can just do that." Angel said as she laid down on her stomach and looked at the displays.
"Removing the bullet is important. My body can do the rest. If I leave it in there it will make it problematic later." Samael thought as he turned a corner and shot two more men.
"Don't remind me. I did not enjoy watching you cut yourself open to remove that peace of metal." Angel said as she got shivers down her spine.
"Then don't bring it up." Samael thought as he turned around and exchanged fire with another man.
"Fair. I will shut up and let you work." Angel said staying laid down on her stomach.
Samael Started to move closer to the wall. He had made his way through almost the whole room already. As he got closer to the end of the boxes he could hear people moving. Two, three, four, five he counted them as he heard them.
Five, two to the right and three to his left. By now they would have known what pathway he was on and would be ready. Samael again moved to the right wall and slowly moved forward. Step by step he cleared more and more of the left side till he saw a barrel sticking out.
He had seen the barrel before the man, this gave him the advantage. He put his rifle center mass and quickly moved to the left letting off the round just as he saw the man's hand. The man was dead before he could even get a round off.
The other four respond by opening fire on the boxes. Samael moved back as the boxes started to get shredded at the opening. All he did was watch and look at the trajectory of the bullets.
As the last round hit the boxes, Samael jumped out looking to his right first. He saw two heavy armored men with rifles. They were both midway into reloading as Samael shot them. But he was not done, he now turned left and saw the other two.
The two on the left had better spacing. He shot one before he could charge his rifle. But the last man got off several shots, before Samael put him down. He looked at his chest plate, three new rounds were embedded into it.
Samael brushed his left hand against his chest plate, knocking off the bullets. As he did, he listened to the room. He could hear the fires still going from the two explosions. But other than that he did not hear anything. The room was clear, Meaning there were only ten more heavy soldiers left guarding the room Stela should be in.
As he walked along the wall of the warehouse he saw the doorway that led into the office potion of the building. Samael approached the doorway and stopped just before the closed door. He was listening to the offices for a moment.
He could hear some movement on the inside but could not determine how many people were on the inside of the offices. Samael stood off to the side and slowly turned the doorknob. Opening the door slowly as he still stood off to the side.
The door opened smoothly, swinging all the way open. He could hear at least two people bring their weapons up and into a ready position. Samael adjusted his posture so he was back into the combat stance.
After one breath he turned and faced right into the doorway. The two men began to fire at him. Samael could feel the rounds bouncing off his armor as he started to walk down the hallway. As he walked down he started to fire back.
Each time he shot one another would open a new door and start firing at him. Each step he could feel as the rounds hitting his armor. Multiple rounds finding the gap between his plates. The rounds dug into his, but not remained.
Samael did not stop round after round he put down the soldiers in front of him. Like an unstoppable wall he kept walking forward no matter how many rounds they shot at him. He only counted as he shot the men in front of them, till there was only one left.
He waited to shoot the last man waiting till he was right in front of him. The man started to reload but Samael grabbed the rifle, ripping the gun out of this hand. To the man's credit he immediately takes out his pistol and shoots point blank into Samael's chest plate.
Round after round bounces off his armor till only the sound of the man's pistol dry firing could be heard. Samael looked at the man as he stumbled backward still dry firing his pistol. His hand only stopped when Samael grabbed the pistol.
"What are you?" The man said as he looked at Samael. His armor was scarred and dented from the numerous rounds that had hit him. Several spots had broken the under-suit, but next to no blood could be seen.
"I am a shock trooper, and I am here for Stella. Where is she?" Samael asked, looking the man in his eyes. He could see the fear in his eyes.
"She is down the hall to the left." The man said, stuttering as he spoke. Samael looked down the hallway, as he aimed at the man and shot him.
"Well you know you could have let him live." Angel said after Samael shot him.
"No point in leaving him alive. He would have just gotten some more back-up." Samael thought as he started to walk down the hallway.
"I mean that could be true. But we can't say he would have done that." Angel replied.
"Now I can guarantee he will not call for back-up." Samael thought as he made it to the end of the hallway.
"You have always been this way. Only ever thinking of the worst possibilities." Angel said as her chibi avatar rolled onto her back.
"Dealing with the reality of how things are and calculating the possible outcomes. It is important to choose the best possible outcome. Killing that man had no downsides and only increased the odds of accomplishing the mission." Samael thought as turned left and started walking down the hallway.
"I mean you're not wrong. But don't you feel anything when you kill someone like that?" Angel said as she moved to a seated position.
"What is there to feel?" Samael thought as he stopped in front of the last door.
"Regret about ending a life like it was nothing. I know your training has had lasting effects but do you really feel nothing when you kill someone?" Angel asked and looked at him.
"No, I don't feel anything. I do not waste time on things like that." Samael Thought as he opened up the door in front of him.
The room was not well decorated, only a sofa and several cabinets in the room. Stella was lying on the sofa. She was still wearing the same outfit Samael had last seen her in. Stella was sleeping soundly and he did not hear any irregularities in her breathing.
"So this is Stella." Angel said as she moved over to her and back to her normal look.
"Yes, that is her. I don't see anything wrong, They must have just used a strong sedative on her." Samael Thought as he moved over to her.
"She has no implants so I can't check her vitals." Angel said, looking back at Samael.
"It is fine." Samael Thought as he picked up Stella into a princess carry.
"Look at you being all gentle with her." Angel said as she watched Samael pick up Stella.
"She does not have any implants. People with money don't like them. They see them as contaminating their purity. That and augmentations are illegal." Samael thought as he made his way out of the room.
"Wait, illegal?" Angel asked as they walked out of the room.
"Yes it seems that it has been illegal to genetically modify any living thing for some time now." Samael thought, prompting Angel to stop walking.
"So then when they did the things they did to you." Angel started to speak but Samael stopped her.
"Yes, I was augmented and changed illegally to win a war. The purest expression of the ends justifies the means. Then as the war was ending and victory was in sight, we were cast aside to be forgotten." Samael thought as he walked back into the warehouse.
"I am so sorry 231. I never thought about it like that. How could I not have seen this?" Angel said as she trailed behind Samael.
"You were programmed to think in a certain way and to avoid questioning things when needed. It is not your fault, Angel." Samael thought about trying to make her feel better.
"You are right. It is in the past now we can only move forward from here 231. I really am glad you are the one I was paired with." Angel said as she hugged Samael from behind.
"I am also glad you are with me Angel." Samael thought as he continued to walk closer to the exit.
"You're not going to put me back to sleep are you?" Angel asked in a sheepish tone.
"Just behave yourself and you can stay awake." Samael thought as he walked out of the building. The sun was just starting to light up the sky as he walked out.
"You're the best 231." Angel said as Samael started to walk back over to the vehicle. He made his way over to the passenger side, The door opening automatically as he got closer to it.
Samael gently placed Stella into the seat and buckled the belt across her chest. He then made his way around to the drivers side and got in. Angel had already gotten into the vehicle behind the driver.
"Let's go back." Samael said as he removed his face-mask and started the vehicle.