Chapter 11 : Rhinestone Eyes
He tried to rise, his body a map of pain. "Damn... I'm getting old..." A grudging admission from a warrior who had always defied the sands of time.
The restaurant owner's patience had evaporated like mist under the scorching sun. His voice, laced with venom and impatience, cut through the chaos, "What the hell are you doing you old shit! You are a seeker, aren't ya... I expect you to finish this job quickly ..... I paid a huge amount for your service for goodness sake!"
Melpomene's eyes flashed with a rage that matched the owner's. His face, now unmasked and lined with wrinkles, twisted in anger. "Shut your damn mouth! I'll definitely finish my job....So quit yapping you fat prick!!!" The owner's order added Melpomene's rage as his pride was struck.
Melpomene rose like a force of nature, his entire being focused on the task at hand. "I'm not leaving without her!" His voice was a thunderclap, echoing his unwavering resolve and the rage that simmered within as he swiftly attack chris with a devastating punch.
Chris, caught in the eye of the storm, moved with desperate agility. But time was a cruel thief... his reaction are too slow. The impact against his stomach was a hammer blow, driving the air from his lungs. "Dammit.. I can't keep doing this..." The words were a whisper. Chris endure the blow as he coughs blood.
The restaurant owner watched, his expression cold calculation. The air was thick with anticipation, each participant in this deadly showdown playing their part to perfection. The clash of wills was a symphony, each movement a note, each strike a crescendo in this epic tale of determination, duty, and the inexorable march of time.
Melpomene's charge was a predator's lunge, his fist glowed and is ready to strike. "Give me that girl or I'll break your skull!!..." The threat dripped from his lips.
Suddenly Malcolm swiftly launches himself at Melpomene's direction with rage and ego. "Don't you dare ignore me!" His voice was a thunderclap, and his elbow a comet streaking across the sky to collide with Melpomene's back.
The impact wrung a cry from Melpomene, a sound of pain that echoed off the walls. He spun, a whirlwind of fury, to face Malcolm. "What do you want? I'm busy taking this girl here!" Annoyance laced his words, a venomous thread weaving through his demand.
Malcolm's reply with authority and ego. "That girl is mine to take!" His stare was a challenge.
Melpomene met Malcolm's icy gaze with the fire of his own. "You Brat!! I will kill you first then!!"
With a roar, Melpomene launched himself at Malcolm, his body a missile aimed to obliterate. He sought to tackle him down, to gain the upper hand.
The two collided with a powerful force, their struggle a spectacle of raw power and primal aggression. Around them, the world became a blur, the restaurant owner's angry shouts drowned out by the symphony of their combat.
As Melpomene and Malcolm's titanic struggle raged, the very air around them crackled with the intensity of their power.
Despite the Chaos, Chris moved with a desperate urgency, cradling Joy's injured body in his arms to escape this chaos.
The underlings, once loyal to Malcolm, scattered like Flies, their courage deserting them as they witnessed the monstrous clash between two superhumans. Their retreat was a silent testament to the fearsome reputation of the seekers.
Chris, with every step shadowed by danger, sought refuge for Joy, his mind racing with disbelief. "I can't believe this... I never thought a seeker would be involved in this situation..." The words were a hushed whisper, a mix of fear and resolve.
But fate, it seemed, had one more cruel twist. The restaurant owner, Robert, emerged from the shadows, the cold steel of a gun gleaming in his hand, pointed directly at Chris and Joy. "Where do you think you're going, Chris?... Give me the girl now!"
The world narrowed to the barrel of the gun for Chris. Time slowed as he positioned himself between Joy and the imminent threat. "No! She is not yours!.....You can't have her!" His voice was a defiant roar, a shield made of sheer will, ready to protect Joy at all costs.
Robert Santiago's grin was a slash of malice in the dim light, his gun aimed at Chris's head. "I will get what I want, CHRIS!!" His voice laced with the certainty of power and the darkness of his intentions.
The scene faded into a flashback, revealing the sordid underbelly of Santiago's empire. The restaurant owner, a facade of respectability masking his true nature, sat ensconced in his shadowy den. The air was thick with the scent of illicit cash and the poison of illegal drugs. His voice, a smooth criminal's purr, brokered a drug deal over the phone, the words sealing fates and destroying lives.
Santiago's restaurant, a stage for his dark ballet, played host to the exchange of counterfeit and stolen treasures. Shady figures, faces obscured by the night, slithered in and out, their pockets heavy with the fruits of Santiago's underworld orchard.
But Santiago's most heinous acts were reserved for those most vulnerable. Women, ensnared in his web of debt, found themselves bargaining their dignity to escape his clutches. In the dim light of his office, Santiago loomed over a young woman, his presence a suffocating force. His threats were whispers of terror, promising a hellish retribution for any defiance.
The flashback shattered, returning to the present where Santiago's gun still threatening Chris. "You're a loser, Chris, and that will never change....Forever a Loser" The words were a cruel branding, an attempt to scar Chris's soul with the mark of defeat.
But fate had a different plan. The hooded figure, swiftly emerged from the shadows. With a swift motion, they struck, their fist connecting with Robert's face.
To be continued....