Arc 1 - Chapter 25: We Both Have Anger Issues...

(Quintiles 22, 59 / 10:40PM)

“Congrats. You all did it.”

Being the same age as Jack, he looked at all of the blood eagle members. Scanning them like hawks, he noticed the two that stood out like sore thumbs.

“You guys were that fast? Number 1 told me you guys were doing the ‘dirty’ down at the second floor.”

“Uh…”

Despite having a mask, everyone could tell he was sweating through it. Looking away from the man, Luke remained silent as he heard footsteps drawing near.

“What’s the matter? Don’t wanna pry into the details?”

He stood in front of Luke, his height towering over him like a mendicant shadow. Folding his arms, looking down on him, the man swiped a strand of hair from his forehead.

“I thought you were my most confident soldier? Did the blood eagle bike turn you soft?”

“No…”

“Look at me.”

He thrusted his hand toward his face, grabbing his chin with firm fingers. His nails feeling the lack of facial hair through Luke’s mask, the man began to grin, as Luke kept still. His head up, the man’s frustration flowed out like lava, his scleras slowly beginning to turn red.

“You know I hate soft soldiers. I don’t care if you were submissive to her, but if you ever look away when I’m talking…”

He pulled out a double-edged kitchen knife. Putting the knife close to the bottom of Luke’s ear, he whispered maliciously into it.

“I’ll cut off your ear and wear it as a decoration.”

He felt a hand grip his wrist, feeling its fingers try to dig deep into the bone. Letting go of Luke’s chin, he turned to see Luna, in disguise, sharpen her eyes like swords.

The main group stood up, as all of their hands hovered over their ARs or handguns. Clenching his teeth, the man tried to quiver a smile through his frustration and the pain.

“I never expected you to have this strength before. Are you-ow-ow-ow … are you this secretly ripped?”

Taking a couple of steps back, he had his full attention toward Luna, all the while she kept her grip. Putting away his double-edged knife, he tucked it away into his jacket. Once he shadowed over her, he licked his lips, and leaned his face close to her masked face.

“Because I love strong women.”

He brought his hand to grip her chin, taking her by surprise. Letting go of his wrist, she balled both of her hands, her knuckles shivering from the strain she put them under. As well as bringing her hands close to her body, he let his lips moisten under the dry air.

“You're unusually feisty. Did he let loose too early? Was it too small? Were your expectations of him causing you to feel this way?”

Trailing the fabric of her mask, he pulled back his hand while walking backward. Bumping into the back of a coffee table, he turned around, seeing it filled with mugs and homemade house plants. Cupping one of the plants with one of his hands, he analyzed the fake plastic and fake dirt that the plant resided in.

“You’re too … I just feel like something is amiss here, you know? Both of you I trust for a long time … yet you guys are acting so—”

He threw the plant straight at one of the TVs.

Going through the screen, electrical sparks spluttered from inside the machine, making all of the blood eagles loosen their caution with Luna. Instead, they took a couple of steps back; except for Luke and Luna.

“IT’S NOT RIGHT!! IT’S NOT RIGHT!! I’M NOT RIGHT!! NOTHING IS RIGHT!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL!!! ME!!!”

Picking up all the fake plants and mugs on the table, he relentlessly threw them toward the two TVs. His muscles unable to bulge, the only thing bulging was his vocals, which shrouded and tore with utmost pain and agony. Seeing him go on a berserker frenzy, it felt like deep down … it was a plea for help.

And for his display of agony, he lifted the table and flipped it over, his arms finally bulging with adrenaline. Kicking the back of the coffee table over and over again, two to three holes formed, with each kick plowing through the wood like nothing.

Taking two steps back, his breathing was shallow.

“pants … pants … I think … pants … you guys should sit down … now …”

He let his feet trail to a chair, which was in the corner of the room. Dragging it through the wooden floor, he placed it in front of the broken TVs, positioning it so he would face Luke and Luna. Sitting on the chair the opposite way, he had his stomach graze the cushion, while his left hand held onto the top.

Seeing the two of them hesitant to sit, he looked at them with snake eyes.

“Sit down!”

The two of them sat quickly on the couch, with Luke dragging Luna against her will. Sitting side by side, they felt the blood eagles stand behind them, as they looked down at them like … eagles. Feeling like his chest has gone heavy, his breathing started to fasten, but it was noticeable; faint even.

While Luna kept her arm around his.

The man straightened his back and used his right hand to pull something from his jacket. Instead of the double-edged kitchen knife…

“I think I know what’s going on…”

He pulled out a M1911 pistol.

Gripping it with his right hand, he had the barrel aim at Luke. With a bit of hair covering his right eye, he had his finger on the side of the gun, as he narrowed his eyes.

“I could tell that nervousness from anywhere. You’re Luke huh…”

He kept his eyes peeled at the man, while gulping loudly. Seeing Luke go quiet, he turned his attention to the woman while licking his lips.

“And you’re Luna, the hellfire of the group. Even with that mask hiding your face; I know you want to kill me.”

Her fists clenched hard, she had her eyes locked on the handgun he pointed at Luke. As her body shook with vigor, the man maintained his moistened lips.

“I’ll take it as a yes. You know when I first met you, you took my breath away. You allure men with your beauty, but yet, scatter them like sand in the wind when you show the smallest of inner demons. You’re strong, you’re loyal, and you’re a fighter. And that’s what I like in a woman…”

Using her thighs, she bulged them to lift herself off the couch. In that instant, the rest of the blood eagles took out their ARs and handguns, and pointed them at her. But the man pulled back his pistol, tucking it away into his jacket. Walking two steps forward, he stood in front of her, followed by signaling the men to put down their weapons.

Receiving their order, they holstered their weapons, while the man pushed up a grin.

“And me and you make a perfect match, and do you wanna know why?”

He placed both his hands onto the bottom of her chin and jawline. Prying the mask off of her, he saw her tanned face brittled with veins, making him put his hand onto her cheek. Her fists on the verge of breaking, he allowed his eyes to encapsulate into hers, without consent.

“We both have anger issues…”

His face leaning toward hers, he opened his lips, and closed his eyes while she kept them open. Her scleras strained a crimson red, her knuckles cracking from her raw strength, she had no choice.

Even Luke let his body quiver, and not from nervousness—

A flash of light glittered behind them.

Just as he was about to seal her lips, he pulled back, and turned to look out the window.

“She’s here…”

Then came a hideous explosion, missiling debris and glass all over them.

________________________________________________________________________

(Quintiles 22, 59 / 10:45PM)

Everyone ducked as soon as the blast came, but some people ducked faster than others.

—Perfect timing!

Luke took cover behind the couch, avoiding the incoming debris and glass.

But Luna had her fists clenched, leaving her to stain her knuckles white. Seeing the man be caught off guard, she took one lunge forward, and thrusted her right fist into his liver. Using all of her strength, she sended the poor man straight into a wall, along with him seeing stars as well. Unfortunately, the rain of dust and debris catched up to Luna.

Balling her body up like an armadillo, she felt like balls of knives slashed through the outer layers of her skin. Keeping her head tucked in, she clenched both of her jaws shut.

Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds, leaving the room to be filled with dust. With most of the Blood Eagles unconscious, groaning with aching bodies, they rolled through the pieces of cracked stone and glass.

—This dust is killing me…

Luke took off the mask, as his facial features haven’t changed much in the past two years. As he saw that Luna had barely any bruises, he gave her a little smile.

Lifting his head, he caught a whiff of two silhouettes walking in the dust. The figure being a woman, carrying a teenage girl on her back, it was none other than their commander.

“Where is he?”

“Where’s the pervert?” Said Loraine.

Gwen had a childish walk on her way toward them. Scanning them both, Loraine stepped down from her back, creating a small thud alongst the wood. Pointing her finger to the dented wall, Luna wanted to show Gwen that the boss…

Wasn’t there.

“Did you guys let him get away?”

“Shit, I didn’t expect him to crawl or walk away after that!” Yelled Luna.

“Come on, we got to catch up to him before he—” Just as Luke uttered his sentence…

The lights flickered out.

Blanketed in total darkness, Luke, Luna, Gwen, and Loraine remained still like mannequins. Fortunately for them, Gwen let out a chuckle, and began cracking her knuckles.

“hehe … so they want to fight in the dark huh?” Said Gwen.

A glowing light came out from Gwen, radiating the room with her ability.

She didn’t create light, she was light. Her hair, skin, clothes; every freckle that connected in her body shone like a flashlight. Looking around the room, she took note of the door … that was wide open.

“Looks like we’re going to have to improvise. If he tries to escape, he’ll have to run into Miles’ group on the first floor, or have to deal with the chopper above.”

“You know his name’s Maverick…” Uttered Gwen.

“Right … How are we going to capture Maverick?”

Gwen placed her right hand onto her cheek, followed by the tip of her boot tapping alongst the floor. Once a trail of thought soared into her, she ceased her tapping, and put her hand into her pocket.

‘Maybe this will work’ thought Gwen.

Eyeing the door, she readied her leg, as all her slim muscles gleamed under the brightening light. Without blinking, she leaped out of the room, with her body as light as a baby’s feather.

“Oi! Maverick! I’m coming for ya!”

Sparks of static brewing from the soles of her boots, she stopped outside the hallway. Because she was glowing, she was a huge target who waited outside to ambush her. With her sharp eyes, she noticed all of them wearing green goggles, tech she never saw, meaning they had … planned this ahead.

“Hello everybody! Have you seen your boss? I just want to talk to him!”

There were 30 to 40 blood eagle members alone in the hallway, their weapons locked and loaded and ready to go. All of them raising their weapons, she frowned, and placed her finger on her mouth.

“Awww. I was hoping that one of you told me…”

All of them had their fingers steady on their triggers. Just as they were about to fire, Gwen glanced to her left…

To find Luke, Loraine, and Luna completely missing.

‘Good thinking Luna’

A commotion sparked from the opposite end of the hallway.

One of the blood eagle members fell down hard, as blood poured forth from his chest. Some of them ran up to check on him, and they found the wound to be a slash from a sword.

Lost in thought, they thought hard as to why would he received a sword slash—

“Up here, dumbass.”

With utmost precision, Luna thrust her right sword to slash one of their chests, but not so deep that it wouldn’t kill him.

She wielded dual wielding, twin bladed, double edged swords. Coming out from the hallway, she began her ballad, slashing and swishing through them like she was cutting paper. Luke and Loraine coming in tow, Luke wielded dual wielding uzis, while Loraine carried an RPG.

“How did they get to the other side of the hallway?”

“I don’t care, take them out!”

“Loraine! Press the alarm button, it’ll give us some light to see in the dark!” Yelled Luke.

“Gotcha!”

Running toward the alarm system, she used the butt of the RPG to break the glass. Placing it down to the floor, she gently pushed the button inside the case, leaving the third floor to flicker blinking red lights.

Lights that would put an epileptic kid in harm.

Hearing the blaring sounds of a high pitched alarm, as well as gaining split second intervals of red light to see, it was safe to say …

All hell broke loose.