The sun was beginning to set by the time we'd reached the 11th floor. It had been a grueling climb of little foot movements by the inch, and praying we wouldn't fall. I checked my watch and saw that it was nearing 5:00 pm, the time when everyone in downtown Melysia would be ending their shifts.
Shit. We have to get to Alex before he leaves the building.
Soho and I'd been walking up a part of the building wall that was a blind spot to the open windows peaking into the floors. We wanted to make sure that no one could see two random delivery people walking along the side of the building like spiders. We scoured the perimeter of the floor and found a window with no witnesses close enough to see us climb in. As we embarked to this point on the building, we'd already come up with a plan to get through the windows without drawing attention.
"Come, Soho. Do it now while no one is there."
She nodded and scooted over to the window. "Kinetic," she said, with a single foot planted on the window pane. To our expectation, the glass pane slid out of the socket smoothly, landing on the interior carpet with a quiet thud. Our entry point had been made.
"Let's go."
We both crawled through the narrow window space, with Soho finally releasing the immense Static grip on our legs once we'd gotten inside. My legs were cramping like crazy. Although Soho's Fractal did a lot of work for us, it was still a struggle to remain solidified against the walls as we climbed. But that was the least of my concerns right now. The main goal was to find Alex Li and eliminate him before it was too late.
"Follow my lead," I told Soho. We moved quietly and stayed close to the ground, peering around corners and avoiding the views of cameras. We were passing some offices, and some sections of cubicles, most of which were void of workers to our surprise.
Most of them must have gone home already. I hope that isn't the case of Alex.
Every now and then we'd hear talking or typing in certain areas, which were clear indicators that people were there. We looked around for any nametags on desks or doors we could find, searching desperately for the name Alex Li. It wasn't until we'd finally come across a large office with open glass windows peering through. Inside was a long corner desk with three monitors, and a workbench right beside. The door's nametag had exactly what we were looking for.
[ Specialty Electrical Engineer: Alex Li ]
Inside was a man with side-parted black hair, and rectangular glasses. Even while seated, he looked fairly tall.
Similar to what Draz described. This has to be who we're looking for.
I wanted to make a move as soon as possible, but there were other people in the office who could too easily bear witness. Me and Soho decided we'd wait for the right moment when it was the least suspicious to approach him.
[ 5:30 ]
It had been 30 minutes past when everyone should have gotten off their shift. Luckily for us, only Alex remained in his office. He seemed to be working extensively on a hands-on project into overtime hours. Soho and I both exchanged looks, acknowledging that this was the best time to take him out.
"I'll join in if you need me to," Soho said. "But how are you going to kill him without putting suspicion on yourself?"
I peered around his office, taking note of the tools he worked with in his mini workshop. "There's no emergency window to discreetly dispose of his body like I did with Rosemary's on the subway. But I could try making it look like he had a freak accident of some sort…"
Soho nodded. "Good idea. Good luck."
I took off, remaining low to the ground. I could see through the glass that Alex's back faced me as he was glued to whatever it was that he worked on. I knew that the moment I opened the door to his office, I wouldn't go unnoticed anymore. I had to make it all quick and instant. As I positioned myself behind his door with my hand on the knob, ready to twist, I closed my eyes and focused, taking in a deep breath and holding it in.
It's time.
I twisted the knob and barged through. As I did, Alex turned to face me with shock on his face, but with a latent raise of his hand clenched as if attracting something from afar.
Fuck.
I traced back to Ian's notes about Alex's Fractal through my head. Attraction and repulsion were the key characteristics of his Magnetic Impulse. If he'd created a spot of attraction on his hand just now without anything between us, it had to mean something else was being attracted from behind me.
Clink—Clank—!
I heard a barrage of metal noises approaching from behind.
Something's about to hit me. Can I duck in time? Can I dodge this?
With my momentum leaned towards Alex, even I doubted the capabilities of my Flow State in the moment. When suddenly—
"Kinetic!" I heard Soho yell from afar. I'd lost all grip beneath my feet on the floor I stepped, causing me to slip forwards at a rate quicker than before. I then felt a gathering of things fly over my head in that moment.
Shlk—shlk—shlk—!!!
"Argh—!!!"
I looked up and watched as a barrage of sharp metal screws punctured Alex's raised hand all at once. My suspicions had been correct. He tried to use attraction to take me out from behind, but it seems as though Soho read into it quicker.
"Kinetic's off now!" Soho yelled. That was her way of telling me I could now stand without slipping. As I regathered myself quickly, I was surprised to find Alex now pointing his punctured hand at me.
"R-Repulsion!" He said. In an absolutely painful-looking manner, all the screws stabbed into his hand began to rip out, flying towards me one at a time. He'd reversed the direction of his magnetic field to try hitting me again. I narrowly dodged the screws one after the other, too focused to notice that he'd fired one off in some random direction. I didn't pay mind to it, until I heard it ricocheting back towards me. But with the blind spot due to my blind left eye, it was too late to react.
Shank—!
"Augh—!" I'd been punctured in the left side of my stomach. I felt blood begin to spill, but it was little enough to lack concern.
"Attraction!" Alex called out. Although weak, I began to feel a force pulling me in his direction, specifically from the point at which I was punctured.
Is he using the screw stabbed in me as a magnet to attract towards him—!?
I tried to resist, but the invisible magnetic forces were stronger. I was nearing him without control, and he'd suddenly taken an active screwdriver in the other hand. He was ready to drill me like I was a metal screw itself.
Fuck! I need out of this!
I thought about how I could avoid the inevitable, and there was only one thing that could permit me in doing that.
I need to take this screw out.
I unsheathed the knife hidden in my back pocket, took a deep breath, and dug straight into the punctured part of my body.
Gush—!
Blood began to quickly dripple out, as I traced the best I could around the screw wedged deep inside of me. Once I assumed I'd dug deep enough, I pulled the knife out, hoping to unleash the screw included.
Slash—!!!
A little chunk of my flesh flew out with the screw still embedded in it, and it went straight to Alex's hand that he'd been using as a point of attraction. With shock and disgust at the sight of a lump of flesh in his hand, I used the momentary lapse to gain distance in an instant.
"You're done."
I brought my knife up, ready to slash downwards onto him, when it'd suddenly flown out of my hand.
"R-Repulsion!!!"
My knife was suddenly embedded into the ceiling. The only thing left between Alex and I was the screwdriver he pointed at my head. This was the vulnerable moment I'd been waiting for.
Flow State.
My Fractless potential had amped-up past it limits in that moment. I weaved ever so slightly to just narrowly avoid his attack. As he flew past me, unable to halt his momentum, I watched as he fell onto the floor and lose grip of the screwdriver which landed against the back wall.
"Static, south!" I yelled, hoping Soho understood what I'd meant. As Alex recuperated himself, I discreetly noticed the screwdriver glue to the back wall. As I walked towards Alex, closing the distance, he tugged on the screwdriver attempting to get a hold of it.
"What the hell!? It's stuck!?"
I was nearing him, and his panic was ensuing. I could see it. I'd positioned myself in a spot where he'd feel more than compelled to do that.
"Attraction!!!" He raised his palm, pointed at my head.
Just as I figured.
I heard my knife release from its embeddment in the ceiling behind me, sensing it approaching me with increasing velocity. I stepped aside to dodge it and let it pass, before kicking Alex's hand out of the way in the last second.
Shank—!!!
The knife went straight into Alex's chest. The blade stabbed so deeply inside, even the handle was nearly enveloped.
Even while not Fractal-Activated, that is still one hell of a magnetic force.
"Aurgh…! Why…!?" Blood poured out of Alex's mouth. His words were slurred. "Why..."
I watched as life left his eyes, unable to answer his question before he passed.
Why…? Even I don't know why…
I stood there in the guilty glory of my second victim, understanding that if it hadn't already been too late to turn back before, it more than definitely was now.
"Klyson!" I heard Soho say as she dashed into the room, looking at me with nothing but concern.
"Why?" I questioned her expression, when suddenly I'd felt myself daze. Looking down, I noticed a waterfall of blood pouring from spot I'd dug the nail out of.
"Oh."
I fell straight towards the ground, Soho catching me as I landed.
"Klyson! Klyson!!!"
Her voice was growing faint. All noise was growing faint.
"Stay with me…! Klyson…!"
I shut my eyes.