Mismatched Eyes part 8

A solid metal shutter blocked his view completely, keeping him in darkness with only dim green lamps illuminating his view.

Unable to see the outside, he swung his fist into the metal, only to recoil in pain, “Bollocks!”

Biting his lip, he took a few steps back and lunged forward, hammering his heel against it. Yet it remained immovable.

Crouching, he tried a different approach, digging his fingers under it, “Come on… work!” Only for him to stagger back, unable to pull it up.

Frustrated, he began combing through the walls, “There has to be a switch or something.”

The symphony of gunfire persisted outside.

“She’s still fighting.”

He pulled out a silver pistol from under his coat, firing twice, to no effect, “What is this wall made of?”

Resigned, he pressed his back to the wall and slid down, breath shaking.

On the floor, Felix plucked out a slug from his shoulder, “Tss…”

Blue electricity crackled from his head.

Above him, he noticed a security camera in the center of the ceiling stared intently at him with a glowing red dot.

Scowling, he flicked it towards the camera, shattering the only other light source besides the faint blue glow of his left eye.

Agitated and alone, he closed his eyes and pressed his head against the wall, taking a moment to catch his breath.

“There might be another way to let her in.” He muttered, looking at the fountain, glistening unevenly under moonlight.

But as he got back on his feet, explosion erupted outside — shockwaves rippling against the iron wall, forcing him back on his feet.

“A bomb?” A bead of sweat rolled across his cheek, lifting his gun he waited in anticipation.

It took a few seconds for him to realize that all he could hear was the uneven sputter of the fountain.

Silence hit him. The gunfire was gone.

His eyes widened as he placed his ear against the iron wall, “No…”

The chief’s words echoed in his head;

‘Before you say anything, it’s not simply your incompetence to work with technology. Maria is a professional cracker, her skills are top notch. Your job is to protect her. Keep her alive and safe.’

The sound of gunfire rang through the entrance as he rhythmically fired twelve times. But even after unloading every last round, the bullets did not leave a dent.

“No, no, no…”

Shaking his head, his expression shifted from shock to anger.

Fabric stretched into lines and threads as Felix ripped off the torn uniform. Before repeatedly smashing his fists against the wall.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. The knuckles of his glove scraped off with every hit.

“I’m not a… I don’t know how to do this…” He said, huffing.

Maria’s words suddenly rang in his head.

‘As long as you’re around, what do I have to worry about?’

His gun slipped to from his hand and clattered to the floor. His expression grew deeper, clenching his hands.

Blue sparks radiated from his body, forming a faint blue sphere around his fist.

Just a moment, the horrified heiress from flashed in his mind, and he was back in winter. Frustration boiled over, both of his eyes shined bright, “MARIA!”

With a flash of blue, a loud bang echoed. Azure particles scattered, briefly lighting up the darkness.

Felix staggered back, every heartbeat pounding in his palm. Each breath sliding between his teeth, filling up his lungs. The sound of his own heaving drowned out any other sound.

A sliver of light seeped in from the outside.

Steel stretched into a spherical crater, bending outwardly while the entire wall cracked.

Alone, he picked up his pistol and turned around, and marched toward the facility. Just a few steps beyond the entrance, he saw a silhouette of the interior, cascading floors illuminated through the glass ceiling.

“… I can’t do this. Not without you.” Clenching his fists, he continued forward, into enemy territory, “But…”

Only for a loud rumble to stop him in his tracks.

Another explosion rippled through the entrance, quivering above his head and beneath his feet.

“... What?” He turned around.

Followed by another explosion, causing the crater to cave in.

“V.V?” Felix cautiously raised his pistol with a scowl filled with uncertainty.

Until —

Iridescent particles came bursting through, blasting the dented iron inside and fading nearly instantly. From behind the yellow sparks stood a black-haired woman, with a sweet, cheerful smile on her face.

He lowered his firearm, and his expression filled to the brim with disbelief. “Maria?”

She crawled through the hole, wiping her face with a freshly stolen uniform, “Yes?”

“How… did you survive?” He asked, helping her get through the stretched steel.

“Let’s just say a rogue firework came to my rescue. Or a couple… dozen…” She beamed, taking his hand.

“I don’t think fireworks can…” He sighed and conceded, “Right, sometimes things just don’t make sense. At least, when it comes to you.”

She got up and patted his shoulder, “I’m glad you finally get it.”

“Argh!”

“My bad, sorry…”

“It’s fine…I’m just..” Still in disbelief, he shook his head, “…You nearly gave me a heart-attack.”

“I doubt the fireworks would’ve broken through, so thanks for making it easy.” She picked a bullet off his forearm, “Bullet-proof coat, huh?”

“Ah, yeah… it protects more than just a vest.” He stammered,

“Now to hide it again.” She threw another uniform over his face.

“... Again?” He grabbed it.

“Useful, right?” She put on another stolen uniform.

“Right…” He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, his chest filled with a cold numbness, “... I was afraid I was gonna have to do this alone.”

“You don’t have my mad hacker skills.”

“Right. Exactly. I still need your expertise.” His gaze dipping with a faint smile.

As she buttoned it up, she smiled, “Don’t worry. I won’t ever leave you, partner.”

“Yeah… I’m glad.” He scratched his cheek. He then ran his arm through the blood-stained uniform, and started marching forward.

“Then, let’s go, partner.” He smiled confidently.

She nodded and walked beside him.

The two operatives made their way into the building alive. Behind them, the camera buzzed silently, its fractured lens still fixed on their figures.

Inside a dimly lit surveillance room, a man in a top hat stood over three corpses.

His face illuminated by the flicker of broken screens, watching the two of them. He held up a damaged data storage against the screen, and grinned.

~