Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gilbert and Heinrich looked around, scanning the area for the source of the noise.
"The enemy is here; they're trying to break in!" Gilbert's voice was barely above a whisper, just enough for Heinrich beside him to hear. It was as if he was scared the enemy would hear him and retreat.
Thud! Thud!
The sound continued. Heinrich's eyes narrowed as he suddenly came to a conclusion.
"It sounds like… they're trying to hammer their way in?"
Gilbert raised his brows, suddenly realizing the problem. "Even if this is the sewage system, the walls and floors are made of compressed concrete. They can withstand a size three earthquake and remain perfectly fine even after a grenade explosion. It's stupid to hammer your way in."
"I don't think there's any technology like that currently; they should be using laser guns or something else…" Heinrich was confused, unable to comprehend the enemy's train of thought.
"Maybe they're just dumb?" Gilbert suggested.
"I don't think so. If my guess is correct, the enemy is either from Azure, Crimson, or a mysterious third party that I suspect is involved."
"A third party is involved? But the crime scene didn't show any signs."
"Of course, a third party is involved. Two dogs don't go berserk unless there's a dog whistle driving them mad," Heinrich scoffed.
Crack!
Heinrich and Gilbert's eyes darted to the wall opposite them, wide with disbelief. They couldn't believe that the enemy hadn't gone for the floor, which would be weaker due to its hollowness, but instead targeted the wall, which was thicker and more compact.
"Be ready, Gilbert! The enemy has a formidable weapon with them!"
Thud! Crash!
The wall broke apart, pieces and debris falling over. A cloud of dust rose, immediately filling the space. Heinrich's eyes remained focused even as the cloud threatened to blind him. His legs were lowered, and his hands raised in a fighting posture. He was like a primed snake ready to strike.
That's why he could react immediately to the attack that suddenly came from the center of the cloud of dust.
Fwoosh!
Heinrich deflected the attack, following his instincts to avoid it. An object flashed past his head, followed by a billow of wind. Heinrich narrowed his eyes.
"Heinrich!" Gilbert yelled, only for his instincts to scream at him. He immediately retreated, his hands crossed in front of him as he took two heavy hits.
Shit! My hands are numb! Gilbert grunted, staggering to a stop. His eyes remained peeled for any sign of the enemy.
"Oh! This sure is a surprise. I never expected someone to have the wits to wait for us here," Jason chuckled.
His expression was one of amusement, with a cocky grin on his face. It was like he had switched into an entirely different person now that he was facing someone who wasn't Jaden or Stephen.
The dust cloud began to thin, allowing Heinrich and Gilbert to see who the assailants were. Stephen and his team all wore black bodysuits with smoke masks on their faces and dark vision lenses. Each of them had a part of their body that wasn't flesh and bone exposed.
Except Stephen. He'd have to be naked if he wanted to dress like the others. His bodysuit was custom-made to fit his body—perks of being the boss's son.
Five against two. The odds aren't in our favor. And from the quick exchange, they aren't deadbeats…
Heinrich made a quick assessment of the situation, his brain running at full speed as he tried to evaluate their options.
"Your foolish plan was so obvious; how could I not have seen it?" Heinrich mocked.
"Oh?" Jason chuckled.
"Then why are there only two of you?" Jaden added. They were more like twins now, both unruly.
"Isn't it obvious? The two of us alone are enough!"
"I hope you don't eat your words, old man!" Jaden laughed.
"Enough talk!" Stephen's cold voice resounded through the space. "The four of you, hold them down. I'll destroy the evidence."
Stephen turned and began to walk away, completely disregarding Heinrich and Gilbert.
"Tch, what disrespect…" Heinrich chuckled as he suddenly leaned forward, dashing toward Stephen with blinding speed.
Fwoosh! Bam!
Stephen reacted with amazing speed, throwing out a punch aimed at Heinrich's head. But to everyone's shock, Heinrich suddenly paused mid-dash, twisting his ankle and spinning on his heels. His body lifted up, and with a burst of strength, he slammed his leg down on Stephen's shoulder, knocking him off balance and sending his bulky figure staggering a few steps back.
"Didn't your father teach you to respect your elders?" Heinrich glared at Stephen coldly. He was angry. "I told you, didn't I? Come at us, all five of you. Only then do you have a chance of leaving this place alive."
***
"We are completely surrounded, sir!"
Rhashan clicked his tongue in annoyance, his expression one of fury.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! How the hell did this happen?!"
"You're dealing with a gang; this shouldn't be a surprise." Percy laughed, ignoring Lassen's piercing gaze that seemed to tell him to stop.
"Damn these dogs! What the hell are they thinking?! Not only did they completely disregard the Blue Legion, but now they're also flaunting their ego?"
Rhashan clicked his tongue in annoyance once more. He sighed as he pressed the comm to re-establish connection with the elite squad.
"There's a situation. Members of the elite squad, you are to meet up with me in five."
Rhashan didn't wait for the person on the other end to reply before he disconnected. He looked at Percy and Lassen.
"The two of you need to make it over to Serenity. I'll handle things on this end."
"Can you, though?" Percy asked with a mocking smile.
"I can help. Percy alone is enough to handle Serenity," Lassen offered. Seeing Rhashan's hesitation, he added, "It's an open space; you alone aren't enough to deal with the whole gang. You could be dead in the ten minutes it will take your squad to get here."
"And what difference will it make with you here? Can you magically narrow the space?" Rhashan asked rudely.
Lassen chuckled, not bothering to reply. Instead, he turned to Percy. "Don't play around too much. Remember not to reveal your identity as a member of the special squad, and don't forget to wear your mask. I'll see you in a few."
"I'm not a kid, you know!" Percy complained.
Lassen stood up from his seat, fished out a plain mask from his jacket pocket, and wore it. He picked a shield from the corner of the hovercraft and looked at Rhashan.
"Well, let's go. Let me show you why my presence alone makes a difference."