After ending his conversation with Isaac, Miles switched the radio frequency to Ryan.
"Ryan, wake up. The show's about to start."
"On it…" Ryan responded groggily, quickly shaking off his sleepiness. He chuckled, "Damn, I've been waiting for this all day. Don't worry, I'll be in position to ambush them in no time."
Miles hummed in acknowledgment. "Don't hesitate. The moment they start their attack on the villa, aim for their leaders and take the shot."
"Understood!" Ryan replied firmly. "This damned apocalypse, man. What's there to hesitate about anymore? It's kill or be killed. If we don't get them, they'll get us. Let's just get it done."
The brutal realities of this post-apocalyptic world had long erased any semblance of the pre-apocalypse rules. Miles closed the channel and headed upstairs with Lisa.
From his storage space, he pulled out an automatic rifle, neatly laying extra magazines along the windowsill. These weapons were among the treasures he had scavenged from the police station. He knew that even his powers wouldn't make him invincible.
A skirmish with ten or fifty people? He could handle that. But what about five hundred? A thousand?
The one thing humanity had perfected over millennia was the overwhelming force of sheer numbers. Against a flood of enemies, even a superhuman could fall. All it would take was one lucky shot from the shadows.
The night was suffocatingly dark.
The catastrophic explosions had not only ravaged the earth but had also disturbed the ancient moon. Over the past three months, Miles had only seen the moon once, its absence a stark reminder that the disaster was far from over. Any thought of rebuilding was, at best, a pipe dream for the foreseeable future.
In the blackness, a group of South Mountain Academy students crept along the perimeter of the villa complex, eventually reaching its outer edges.
"Any movement inside?"
A few scouts returned from their reconnaissance, and Thomas immediately stepped forward to question them.
"None," one of them reported with a smug grin. "They're completely unguarded. By nightfall, they sleep like the dead. Anthony's group is over in Zone A, Isaac's group is holding Zone C, and the rest of the villa is sparsely occupied."
"Perfect!" Luther punched the air in excitement, whispering hoarsely, "Alright, everyone, stay sharp. Once we take down Villa 104, Miles is done for!"
Thomas, momentarily reassured, smirked. "Boys, today's the day! Soon, we'll be feasting and living like kings. Once this is over, everything in this neighborhood will be ours."
The promise of food and riches was enough to ignite the fervor of the starved students. Determination flickered in their eyes as they rallied behind their leaders.
After all, Miles only had three or four people on his side, while they boasted a force of five hundred, complete with insider information. What could go wrong?
In a shadowy corner near the villa's boundary, Nathan emerged with two of his men, speaking in hushed tones.
"Miles is asleep, and Ryan's quiet too. This is your chance—strike now!"
"Got it!" Luther's eyes gleamed with excitement as he prepared to lead the charge.
"Wait!" Thomas grabbed Luther's arm before he could take a step.
"What's the holdup?" Luther frowned in confusion.
Ignoring him, Thomas turned to Nathan. "Didn't you say you had seventy people on your side? Where are they?"
Nathan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Aside from a dozen or so men, the rest are women, children, and the elderly. They're no use in a fight."
"Funny," Thomas said, his eyes narrowing. "That's not what you told me before. If we're working together, everyone should pull their weight. Have your people set up a blockade at the perimeter in case Anthony's group intervenes."
Nathan's face twitched with discomfort, but he nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I'll go get them into position."
"Alright, boys, it's showtime!" Thomas finally gave the signal, his voice brimming with anticipation.
The horde of nearly five hundred students began moving stealthily toward Villa 104, their shadows blending into the darkness.
From his vantage point, Miles peered through a pair of binoculars. Despite the limited visibility, he could make out the shifting silhouettes as they approached the villa's perimeter. Once they reached the outer edges, their movements became unmistakable.
"Smash it!"
Luther's shout broke the silence as he charged forward, a steel pipe in hand.
Behind him, the students surged like a tidal wave, surrounding the villa in a chaotic swarm. Armed with makeshift weapons, they hammered relentlessly at the doors and windows.
"Do we fire now?"
Across the street, Ryan crouched by a third-floor window, his sniper rifle steady in his hands.
"Not yet," Miles replied through the radio, his voice calm. "Let them tire themselves out. They've been itching for a fight—let's give them what they want."
The villa was built with top-of-the-line security features. Short of heavy artillery, these desperate attempts to break in were laughable. Even when thousands had tried before, all they'd managed was to scratch the outer layer of its reinforced glass.
Meanwhile, outside the villa, Thomas was directing the students to tighten the siege. These were military cadets; while they lacked experience, their physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Despite weeks of hunger, they attacked with the ferocity of wild beasts.
But as the minutes dragged on, Thomas began to frown.
"Something's off."
"What now?" Luther asked, pausing mid-swing with his steel pipe.
"Why hasn't Miles appeared yet?" Thomas muttered.
"He's scared, obviously," Luther sneered. "Without those guns, he's nothing but a coward. If not for his weapons, I'd have crushed him ages ago."
"That's not it…" Thomas shook his head, his unease deepening. "If he's armed, why hasn't he retaliated?"
He pointed to a nearby storage room. "Look there."
Following his gaze, Luther noticed a woman holding a child at the window. The woman seemed unusually calm, rocking her baby gently as she observed the commotion outside as if watching a play.
Shouldn't she be terrified?
For most, the sight of a mob armed to the teeth would be enough to send shivers down their spine. Yet this woman remained composed—too composed.
"It's like she knows this house can't be breached…" Thomas's voice trailed off, his unease spreading to the rest of the group.
Something wasn't right.