Aqua turned the handle of the black door, her heart racing with anticipation. As the door swung open, revealing a dimly lit room, Lando's voice broke the silence.
"Clear, no sign of Renan." Aqua acknowledged his words with a nod, her mind already formulating another plan to track down their target.
"I have an idea of where he might be," Aqua stated, her gaze fixed on a long hallway that stretched before them. Her eyes locked onto a black door at the end of the corridor.
"In there. That's where he should be," she declared, inhaling deeply as she led the way, Lando and Hana silently following in her footsteps.
The trio traversed the deserted hallway, their footsteps echoing faintly. Lando took a deep breath as they approached the foreboding black door, glancing at Hana briefly.
"Hey, if we don't make it out of here, I just wanted to say..." He faltered, his thoughts momentarily escaping him.
"What were you going to say?" Hana inquired, her eyes filled with curiosity. Lando shook his head, a touch of bewilderment in his expression.
"I, uh, I forgot," he admitted, a slight chuckle escaping his lips as embarrassment washed over him.
Hana smiled warmly and patted Lando's back, her gaze shifting to Aqua. "Let's finish this," she declared with determination. Aqua returned the smile, her resolve unwavering.
Meanwhile, Bryan listened intently to the crackling voice emanating from the walkie-talkie. "Hey, Bryan, I'm so sorry. We found Rodon's body. He's gone," the message echoed through the device, leaving Bryan speechless. He remained silent, grappling with the weight of the news.
Letting out a frustrated huff, Bryan rose from his chair and picked up a box nearby. Walking to the edge of the walkway, he hovered above the Vultures' base, fury building within him. With a primal scream, he shouted, "Fuck you all!" Kicking the box in anger, it slid down, hurtling toward the base below. As the box collided with the structure, a series of explosions erupted, scattering debris in every direction.
Erik and Cherry watched in stunned disbelief as the explosions reverberated through the air. Within moments, another box came hurtling down from above, triggering additional blasts in a different area. The force of the explosions caused the entrance to collapse, sealing off the path they had once traversed.
Scar, carrying Bale on his back, observed the explosions from a safe distance. He glanced at the group of civilians he had been leading, ensuring their safety.
"Do we have everyone?" he inquired, seeking confirmation. A man nodded in response. "Yes, we do. Now, let's leave before Renan discovers our escape and condemns us to execution," he cautioned, his voice laced with urgency.
Solmon soared through the air, his Nephalem propelled by powerful thrusters. With precision and expertise, he aimed his machine guns at the remaining seven Nephalems, their metallic forms glinting ominously.
Two of them wasted no time, unleashing a barrage of rockets toward Solmon. In a dazzling display of skill, he deftly maneuvered the Nephalem, spinning it around while unleashing a hail of bullets. His shots found their mark, obliterating the rockets mid-air and creating fiery explosions that filled the sky.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Solmon swiftly eliminated the Nephalem responsible for the rocket assault. The muffled grunts of the defeated pilots echoed in the air, a testament to Solmon's dominance on the battlefield. Without hesitation, he launched his Nephalem at full speed, utilizing its immense power to deliver a devastating kick to three more enemy Nephalems.
The impact triggered a chain reaction, setting off a sequence of explosions that reverberated through the ranks of the enemy forces.
A triumphant grin adorned Solmon's face as he gracefully descended to the ground, his machine gun arms still at the ready. The last three Nephalems charged toward him, their guns blazing with futile attempts to bring him down. However, the bullets proved to be nothing more than feeble pebbles against the armored plating of his Nephalem.
"I see why you resorted to rockets," Solmon taunted, his voice laced with amusement. "Your bullets are flimsy, my friends."
Unleashing a relentless barrage of firepower, Solmon retaliated with precision and accuracy. One by one, the enemy Nephalems were sent reeling, consumed by explosions that tore through their frames. Only two remained, their presence no more than a mere obstacle in Solmon's path.
With a burst of speed, Solmon launched himself at the remaining foes, his relentless assault leaving no room for escape. The machine guns spat forth a storm of bullets, propelling the two Nephalems backward and igniting yet another round of explosive chaos. Fire and destruction consumed all eight Nephalems, the inferno illuminating the battlefield.
Turning his attention to Erik and Cherry, Solmon's mechanical visage shifted, revealing a hint of satisfaction. "I told you I would buy you some time," he declared with a snicker, his voice filled with unwavering confidence.
The black door creaked open, revealing a vast and imposing chamber adorned with a majestic bridge that stretched into the distance.
Soft illumination bathed the room as the lights flickered to life, casting an eerie glow upon the scene. Lando cautiously approached the edge of the bridge, peering down into the seemingly bottomless abyss below.
"Be careful, Lando. It's a perilous drop. Don't let yourself fall," he heard Aqua caution, her voice tinged with concern.
He nodded in acknowledgement, his focus fixed on the daunting task that lay ahead.
As Aqua surveyed the surroundings, frustration began to gnaw at her. "Where is he hiding?" she muttered irritably, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of Renan's presence. Her patience waned as the anticipation built.
In response to her exasperation, Renan's booming voice reverberated through the chamber. "I am here, Aqua!" he proclaimed, emerging from the shadows and confidently taking his seat upon the imposing throne at the back of the room. With a wave of his hand, an army of Vultures emerged from the depths, lining the bridge.
A collective gasp escaped Aqua's lips as she counted at least sixty of them, all armed with menacing melee weapons. Yet, strangely, they did not charge forward to attack.
Renan Cosmo, the enigmatic figure adorned in shades and draped in a billowing white cloak, smirked with sinister satisfaction.
"Ah, I see you've brought along your comrades," he jeered. His voice oozed with a mix of disdain and twisted pride.
"I recall the days when I took you under my wing, Aqua. I molded you, imparted upon you my philosophy and way of life," Renan mused, a hint of disappointment tainting his tone. "And yet, you cast it all aside to protect those who are nothing more than genocidal maniacs."
Lando, incensed by Renan's audacious claim, interjected with fervor. "Don't you dare label me as a genocidal maniac!" he retorted, his voice laden with indignation.
Renan's gaze fixated on Lando, his piercing eyes locking onto him. A heavy silence descended upon the chamber as their words hung in the air.
"My dear boy, I wasn't referring to you personally," Renan clarified, his voice tinged with a mix of condescension and solemnity.
"I speak of Titan City as a whole. It is a place of unrelenting darkness and despair, a city where one's life is but a pawn in a larger game."
Lando's gaze hardened as he confronted Renan, his voice filled with a mix of anger and despair. "What happened to the sixty comrades who went missing? Tell me the truth," he demanded, his voice resolute.
Renan paused for a brief moment, his eyes locking with Lando's. "You killed them," he stated, his tone chilling and devoid of remorse. Lando's eyes widened in disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend the weight of Renan's words.
"No, that can't be true," Lando protested, his voice trembling. "I would never harm my own comrades. They vanished because of you."
Renan's lips curled into a wicked smile, his gaze unwavering. "Oh, but you did kill them, indirectly. Those missing comrades of yours, they were forced to fight against you. They were mine, infiltrating your ranks." The revelation struck Lando like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned and speechless.
Aqua, who had witnessed the truth firsthand, affirmed Renan's words with a solemn nod. "Lando, it's true. Renan showed me the sixty Nephalem users when I first joined their ranks. They were deceived and used against us."
Lando stood frozen, the weight of guilt and grief crashing upon him.
The memories of the battle replayed in his mind, each strike and each life lost etched vividly in his consciousness. Renan's sinister laughter filled the air, mocking Lando's torment.
The pain within Lando surged like a tempest, tears mingling with the blood that trickled down his face. His hands clenched into fists, the intensity of his grip causing blood to seep from his palms.
The fury and anguish collided within him, a tempestuous storm that threatened to consume his very being.
Hana, witnessing Lando's anguish, reached out to him, her voice filled with concern. "Lando, please, let us help you." But Lando stumbled forward, his gaze fixated on the ground. He walked with purpose, his footsteps echoing against the cold bridge.
"I'm going to kill you," Lando whispered, the words escaping his lips with a chilling determination. His voice carried a raw intensity that reverberated, barely audible yet imbued with a profound sense of vengeance.
Renan, feigning ignorance, taunted Lando with a mocking tone. "What was that? I couldn't quite hear you."
Lando's gaze lifted, blood streaming down his eyes, staining them a bloodshot red. With a surge of primal fury, he bellowed, his voice echoing across the desolate landscape. "I'm going to fucking kill you!" His resolve was unyielding, his spirit ignited with a burning desire for revenge.