The old man leapt and fired – another beam burst from the machine, destroying both the cloak and burning a portion of the pale mask, and leaving molten red iron and smoke.
But no one was there.
"What the—?" The old man muttered out.
The cannon began to spark and crackle, and he instinctively dropped it from the shock. A faint smoke emanated from the circuitry. "Damned thing's already busted."
The old man dropped the weapon and aimed his pistol once again. "Now… where are you?"
There was another clatter from behind him, and the man quickly turned around, "Hah, got ya!"
Blood spilled with a bang.
There was a bright flash from the skies, and with the loud boom of thunder, the lights in the warehouse followed. Only fires from debris were left to light the darkness.
The man felt something warm trickle down his own forearm. The man's grip loosened as he felt the hole in his hand, "AHGHK!!"
As he clutched his bleeding arm, his expression turned to dread as he saw cold blue eyes stare at him from the distance.
He quickly made a break for the exit, gasping achingly through the fires and debris.
The cold winds greeted him as he made it outside, along with the sight of a young man rubbing his aching forehead.
"U-uncle, is everything alr—"
"What? What are you doing here?" The old man asked in confusion.
"I was looking for, huh?" The young man looked at the building's entrance and saw a shrouded figure with glowing blue eyes.
Felix pointed his gun toward their direction.
The young man shouted, "Wait, no!"
The sky roared with a strike of lightning – and the man fell to the ground.
"Uncle?" The young man put his arms on his uncle as he cried out, "Uncle!"
"Murderer!" With a fierce glare, he grabbed Felix by the collar, "I thought you were supposed to help people!"
Felix grabbed the young man's wrist, squeezing it as a drop of rain fell down over his black gloves.
His grip tightened, refusing to let go of the agent's coat. But as Felix shoved him aside, his badge came loose. It clattered to the ground just as the young man stumbled backward.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky for half a second.
"You'd best get out of here." Felix picked up his badge, the burning building blazing behind him.
"The Golden Lion…?" He said, looking at the agent with horror, "You're… with them!"
The flames crackled as the pitter-patter of the rain began to hammer down.
"If you don't leave—"
"Then you'll kill me, too?!" The young man clutched his uncle's arm.
With an irritated groan, Felix placed his hand on his hip, "He's not dead. Look, he's still breathing."
"Wh-what?" He looked at the old man.
"My gun doesn't kill people. It's only meant to incapacitate them. But the wound in his arm will kill him if he doesn't get treated."
"Then, my uncle—"
"Will be taken in for questioning. They're already on their way here."
"What?" The young man's voice was shaken.
"Your uncle isn't a civilian, he was the cause of the destruction here and probably…" Felix held his tongue before he could finish his sentence.
"What? How? What's going to happen to him?"
"I don't know what's going on, that's why we have to question him. As for what happens to him, that's not up to me. A team is already on its way here, if you stay any longer, you'll be suspected and taken in."
The young man clutched his uncle's arm, but before he could even move, Felix spoke coldly, "If you try to take him away, I will consider you an enemy. If you do take him away, how long do you think he'll live until he dies of blood loss?"
"Don't let him die, please… he's the only family member I have left." He pleaded as the rain poured across his cheek.
There was a brief pause. The blue phantom's eye contrasted against the flames burning behind him.
Felix nodded, "Go."
The young man put down his uncle's arm and hesitantly stood-up, his shirt covered in the man's blood. The rainwater drizzled all over their heads.
With a frightened and frustrated expression, he ran, leaving behind his uncle.
"Murderer, huh?" Felix spoke with a soft voice, the blue in his other eye faded. He then pressed into his earpiece once again, "Marie, do you copy?"
"A little busy at the moment!" Maria sharply replied as the sounds of bullets could be heard, all while a voice could be heard yelling out, "Get the fuck away from me!"
There was clearly a shoot-out on her end.
"DIE, FUCKING MONSTER!"
"Call you back." She said, an explosion could be heard just before she ended transmission.
"What was that about?" He blurted out in bewilderment after the transmission ended before breaking out a slight smile.
Felix returned to the factory and slowly approached where the armored woman lay with a cold indifferent stare.
He then went and picked up his mask, and traced its tears with his thumb, before closing his eyes and placing it behind him, as if to accept the loss.
His eyes quickly opened, however, as he heard a soft whimper.
He rushed towards the woman in the brown, copper-like armor and took off her helmet. The woman went into a violent fit of cough. Between her chestnut brown bangs was a deep-red bruise on her in the middle of her forehead.
"Sorry. I thought I had to call in the Ravens to come clean you up… HERCULES armors are tougher than I expected." Felix mumbled out as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle marked with a medical cross.
"Who… are you?" She wearily asked. Her eyes were a bright shade of copper.
"Blue Phantom from the Golden Lion. I take it you're from Cygnus Enterprise?" He said as he flashed his badge.
"Agent… CT-2…"
"Swallow this pain killer. It's not much, but it'll at least numb the pain until we can get you to a hospital." Felix said as he placed a pill in her mouth. He then pressed into his earpiece "Blue Phantom to HQ, I've made contact with CT-2 of Cygnus Enterprise. She is currently in critical condition."
"Th-thank…"
"Save your breath. The medical team should be on their way."
He wrapped the weapon around his back using his torn black cloak, and he then put her in his arms.
"Argh, my back!" He grunted out as he struggled to lift her up.
The crackling fire slowly was drowned out by the pouring rain.
He looked up to the hole in the roof and muttered to himself, "I need some coffee…"
~