Chereads / Xepo: Dawn of Heroes / Chapter 21 - The Beginning of the End part 3

Chapter 21 - The Beginning of the End part 3

The man in the baseball cap stalked towards the bed where Diane lay unconscious. He sneered at her, saying, "You've given us too much trouble, you know." His voice was cold and menacing. Diane didn't respond, and the man continued. "We've been searching for your room for a long time". Now, we've finally found you." He leaned in close to her, a sinister grin on his face.

The man reached for the oxygen mask that covered Diane's mouth and nose, and he yanked it off. Then, he began to disconnect the various wires and tubes that were connected to the beeping machine in the room. The beeping of the machine slowly died down, and the room became eerily silent. The man stood back and surveyed his work, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"I can't just let this woman die," the nurse thought to herself. "I took an oath as a nurse to protect my patients. I have to do something." She scanned the room, looking for anything that could help her. Her eyes landed on a vase sitting on a table next to her. She slowly, carefully reached for it, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

As the nurse lifted the vase up high, ready to strike, one of the men turned around just in time. He grabbed her hand and wrested the vase from her grip. The other men rushed to help him restrain her, and soon she was helpless in their grasp.

The man in the baseball cap turned around, a look of fury on his face. "You shouldn't have done that," he said, his voice low and menacing. He pointed his gun at the nurse and pulled the trigger. A shot rang out, and the nurse slumped to the ground, lifeless.

The gunshot rang out, and the alarm bells started blaring. Diane's body jolted, and her eyes opened for a brief moment before closing again. She was gasping for air. The man with the baseball cap pulled out his phone and called one of his associates. "It's time for the final phase," he said, his voice cold and detached. The associate on the other end of the line nodded and hung up the phone. They were prepared to move forward with their plan.

As if on cue, the entire hospital went dark. A panicked murmur rose up from the people inside, who could only see the faint glow of emergency lights. But the glowing geeks were prepared - they all donned night vision goggles, allowing them to see in the dark. They made their way out of the hospital, moving quickly and quietly. They didn't want to be spotted, but they also didn't want to waste any time.

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As John Wales finished up the tour, Barbara's eyes were drawn to two silver bracelets that were sitting on a table. "What are those?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

John Wales glanced at the bracelets, then back at Barbara. "I'm afraid the tour is over now," he said, not wanting to discuss the bracelets any further. He was relieved that none of the visitors had asked about the "naerse technology," and he couldn't wait to get back to his office.

Barbara was determined to get an answer about the bracelets, and she turned on the charm, giving John the biggest, most adorable "Bambi eyes" she could muster. John sighed, unable to resist her pleading look. "Okay, okay," he said. "But I'll only do it for her sake." He turned to the rest of the group.

"Those are the Titania bracelets," John began. "They work by combining advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and magnetic attraction. They're capable of summoning a special type of duel gun, known as the Titania submachine gun." The students were now riveted, and John continued, explaining how the bracelets and guns worked. He kept his explanation simple and straightforward, trying not to get too technical. 

"Can you show us how they work?" Barbara asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

John sighed, knowing he had to oblige her now. He picked up the two bracelets and put them on his wrists. Pressing a few buttons, he watched as the two Titania submachine guns flew into his hands. The students and teachers looked on in amazement, with some gasping in wonder.

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Meanwhile, in another part of Wales Industries, Diogo and his men were preparing for their attack. "We're in position, boss," Diogo said into his phone, speaking to Rhodes Turner.

"Are the bombs set?" came Rhodes's deep, impassive voice over the phone. "Affirmative," replied Diogo.

"And remember, your primary objective is to retrieve the X necklace," Rhodes added, before hanging up. Diogo took a deep breath, preparing himself for the task ahead.

Just as Diogo and his men were preparing for their attack, a voice rang out from behind them. "Hey!" it said.

Diogo and his men turned around slowly, startled by the sudden interruption. Before them stood a man in a security uniform, his expression stern. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Bang!

The sound of gunfire rang out, echoing through the halls. The man in the security uniform collapsed to the floor, a bullet wound in his forehead. Another security guard rushed out, trying to find the source of the sound. As he rounded the corner, one of the glowing geeks shot him dead with a single bullet. The intruders continued on their way, determined to find the X necklace.

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The alarm blared through room 312, startling everyone inside. "Pixel, what's going on?" John demanded of his AI computer, which controlled nearly every aspect of the building. "Scan the building and report back to us," he ordered.

"Affirmative," Pixel replied, its voice calm and mechanical. As it initiated the scan, the lights in the room flickered and dimmed. The alarm continued to blare as Pixel's systems whirred and hummed, processing the data from the building's security systems.

The students and teachers were shocked to learn that John Wales had his own AI computer. They had never imagined that such technology was real, let alone witnessing it in real life. "He had an AI computer all this time?" Sydney whispered to Trent.

"Just like J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man!" Trent exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. John Wales' AI computer seemed to be just as capable as J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI assistant in the Iron Man movies.

"Pixel has completed its scan," the AI computer announced. "There are 15 unknown individuals in the building, and 5 explosive devices have been detected at the lower levels." Everyone in the room froze, shocked by the report. "How is this possible?" John said, his voice trembling.

"According to recent data, the attackers have been identified as the 'glowing geeks,'" Pixel continued, as if reading from a data sheet. Everyone in the room gasped, their expressions a mixture of shock and horror. The glowing geeks had become the most feared group in the city since it was announced that they had control of the Matrix. If they were here, it could only mean trouble.

John turned to the visitors, trying to reassure them. "Don't worry," he said. "Pixel will handle it." He turned to the AI computer and said, "Pixel? "I'm all ears sire." Pixel replied 

John then asked Pixel if it could deactivate the bombs, and the AI replied, "I'll certainly try my best.

John left the room, accompanied by a few security guards, and headed for the control room. Upon entering the control room, John spotted the surveillance operator working frantically at the computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard. The operator looked up at John, his face pale and covered in sweat. "It's bad, Mr Wales," he said.

"Pixel," John said, his voice calm and collected. "How are you doing with those bombs?"

"Successfully deactivated," Pixel replied without hesitation.

Just then, the power in the building went out, and the emergency lights flickered on. The control room went dark, and John could hear the sound of the other visitors panicking in the room next door. The security guards looked at John, their eyes wide with fear.

Suddenly, a nearby walkie-talkie crackled to life, and a voice came through the static. "Mr. John Wales," the voice said. John and the surveillance operator jumped, both of them spinning around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

The voice spoke again. "This is Rhodes Turner, head of the glowing geeks.

"What do you want?" John demanded.

"My business is with your father, Norman Wales ",Rhodes replied. "But in the meantime, I want the X necklace." John's blood ran cold. He knew the X necklace was one of the most valuable items in the Wales Industry's possession. It was rumored to be the key to unlocking the secrets of some information of the Matrix.

Suddenly, an indistinct sound was heard from outside the room. Before anyone could react, five armed men burst into the room, their guns drawn and aimed at the group. The security guards were the first to react, but it was too late. The armed men quickly took them down, leaving only John and the surveillance operator standing.

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Meanwhile at room 312, some men walked into the room, weapons raised, and ordered everyone to get on their knees. Everyone complied, fear written across their faces. The visitors from the schools huddled together, Mrs. Madris and a few of the other principals begging the men not to hurt their students. But the men ignored their pleas, their eyes fixed on the gadgets.

One of the men spotted the X necklace, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "There it is," he said, his eyes fixed on the necklace. "The X necklace." He took a step towards it, reaching out his hand. But before he could grab it, Trent lunged forward, snatching it out of his reach. The man's eyes widened in fury, and he turned his gun towards Trent.

Mrs. Madris and the others in the room were left in stunned silence. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Trent looked the man in the eye and said, "You all need to get out of here. Now." The man's face twisted in anger, and he raised his gun, pointing it directly at Trent. The other four students from Maverick High School were surprised to see a normally timid and bullied person stand up to men who were armed.

Realizing that Trent was about to be shot, Sydney and Barbara both sprang into action, kicking the man with the gun at the same time. He doubled over, grunting in pain. The other men raised their guns, ready to shoot, but Diogo quickly intervened. "Don't shoot!" he ordered, just get the necklace.

The man who had been kicked quickly recovered and went after Trent, chasing him like a cat chasing a mouse. Trent ran for his life, but the man was faster, and he quickly caught up to him. The man grabbed Trent by his underwear and lifted him off the ground, giving him a painful wedgie. Trent groaned in agony as the man spun him around, eventually letting go of his underwear and sending him flying through the air. Trent landed in the Norman 3.0 machine, his body sliding into the opening.