Krist's blade glinted under the moonlight as he surveyed the two unconscious men sprawled on the rooftop. The man with the shotgun had stopped wailing when Krist knocked him out with the back of his handgun. Sliding his sword back into its sheath, Krist's sharp eyes caught movement.
The sniper's shadow darted behind the house. Krist clenched his jaw. He had no time to waste.
"Krist," Edmack's calm voice came through his earpiece, "you've got company on your left."
Krist pivoted just in time to see three figures rushing toward him. Before he could react, an arrow zipped past his ear, piercing the lead attacker's arm with a sharp thwack. The man stumbled back, colliding with his companions.
A faint blue light pulsed from the arrow before it discharged a surge of electricity, incapacitating all three. Krist turned to see Maya perched on the opposite rooftop, lowering her bow. She nodded at him, her voice firm and resolute.
"Go! I'll hold them off."
He hesitated for a moment, concern flickering in his eyes. "Be careful, Maya. Don't push yourself too hard."
"I can handle it," she said firmly.
With a curt nod, Krist moved to the edge of the roof, pausing only to give her one last glance. Then, he sprinted toward the sniper's direction, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with practiced agility.
INSIDE THE MANSION
The explosion at the front door had finally breached the steel plating, which had absorbed most of the blast. The chainsaw crew wasted no time, prying open the weakened steel and forcing their way inside.
"They just had to blow the door," Harrison muttered, gripping his dual batons. "I was starting to enjoy the quiet."
"Less talking, more fighting," Mia snapped, spinning her telescopic staff with practiced ease.
"Okey why be so serious I'm ready!" Harrison yelled as he spun his dual telescopic batons, their blue tips glowing with electric charge.
Mia stood beside him, staff in hand, her stance solid despite the rising tension. "They're not getting past us," she said with determination.
The first two attackers rushed forward, only to be met with Harrison's electrified batons. Sparks flew as he landed a flurry of strikes, dropping both men before they could fire their weapons.
Mia stepped forward, jabbing her staff into the next man's chest. The weapon discharged, sending him sprawling. She spun the staff behind her, deflecting a knife strike from another attacker, and kicked him in the ribs.
"This isn't so bad," Harrison said, grinning as he disarmed an assailant.
"Don't jinx it!" Mia retorted, ducking under a punch and sweeping her staff low to knock her opponent off his feet.
another operative stormed in, only to be met with a crackling baton to the chest. The man let out a grunt as electricity coursed through him, dropping to the floor in a heap.
"Next!" Harrison shouted, grinning.
Two more operatives rushed in, splitting to flank them. Mia swung her staff low, tripping one before delivering a sharp jab to his side. The staff's discharge left him writhing on the ground.
Then another man lunged at Harrison with a knife. Harrison deflected the attack with one baton, spinning to deliver a bone-crushing strike to the man's shoulder. A flash of blue light accompanied the zap that left the operative twitching on the floor.
"Keep them coming!" Harrison taunted, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
More men poured into the house. Mia and Harrison fought fiercely, their weapons crackling as they clashed with the intruders. The fight was relentless, but they held their ground, a mix of precision and raw determination driving them.
ON THE ROOF
Krist vaulted over a skylight, his boots landing silently on the slanted roof. The sniper was fast, weaving between chimneys and vents. Krist pushed himself harder, leaping across a gap between rooftops to close the distance.
"Edmack," he panted, "status update."
"The attackers have received reinforcements. Your friends are outnumbered, and Maya is running low on resources. You need to end this quickly."
Ahead, the sniper glanced over his shoulder, realizing Krist was gaining on him. He spun mid-run, raising a pistol. Krist dove to the side as a bullet whizzed past his shoulder.
The sniper fired again, but Krist rolled to his feet and hurled one of his knives. The blade grazed the man's hand, forcing him to drop the gun.the sniper spun suddenly, throwing a flashbang. Krist shielded his eyes just in time, but the delay allowed the sniper to gain ground, disappearing over the edge of the mansion.
Krist cursed and followed, landing gracefully on the lower balcony. The sniper was nowhere to be seen, but faint blood splatters on the ground told him he wasn't far.
ON MAYA'S BALCONY
Maya's arrows were proving devastating against the attackers. Each arrow she fired knocked out another operative, and the chain reactions caused by their proximity took out several at once.
Seventeen bodies lay scattered across the mansion's grounds. Maya reached for another arrow, only to find her quiver empty.
"Damn it," she muttered, glancing around.
Her eyes landed on an arrow still embedded in a fallen man's thigh's. She rushed over, yanking it free, ignoring the blood that smeared her glove. Turning quickly, she fired the reclaimed arrow, hitting another operative who had been climbing the wall. The electric surge sent him tumbling back down, taking two others with him.
But now, she was truly out of arrows.
With no arrows left, Maya slung her bow over her shoulder and extended her telescopic baton. The faint hum of the weapon's electrified edges filled the air. "All right," she whispered, bracing herself as the remaining attackers closed in. "Let's do this the hard way."
The first attacker lunged at her, but she sidestepped and struck him in the ribs. He doubled over, groaning as the electric current coursed through his body. She spun, deflecting a blow from another operative before sweeping his legs out from under him.
But they kept coming.
Maya ducked under a wild swing and drove her baton into an attacker's side, sending him crumpling to the ground. Another man rushed her, but she sidestepped, using his momentum to throw him into the wall.
Her strength was waning, and she knew it. The sheer number of attackers was overwhelming. Sweat dripped down her face as she fought, her muscles screaming in protest.
One of the attackers lunged, catching her off guard. She barely managed to block the strike, but the force knocked her back.
"I can't keep this up," she muttered, glancing at the staircase. She needed to buy more time for Krist, but she couldn't hold them all off alone
No matter how many she knocked down, more took their place. Maya's movements were growing sluggish, her breaths labored. A knife grazed her arm, and she hissed in pain, retaliating with a hard strike to the attacker's temple.
It was becoming clear—she was outnumbered, and exhaustion was setting in.