It was nighttime in a city that was usually very populated, but at that moment, it was strangely empty. In the darkness, a van was heading towards a skyscraper. Inside were Lucan, the tutor, and the four youths: Nadia, Celia, Axel, and Auren. On the way, they were trying to kill time.
"Didn't you hear, Auren?" Axel said. "In more than five countries, mechanized machinery piloted by a human was made official."
"So?" Auren said.
"I mean, mechs," Axel replied. "Imagine getting inside one of those. They say they're as comfortable as wearing a suit of armored armor. It's not the best, but wow! I feel the adrenaline just thinking about getting into one of those."
"Ugh, I don't think I'll get into one of those when all this is over," Auren said. "Honestly, I just want to retire with Lilian and live a peaceful life. I would feel like I've done everything I could."
"Ugh, well, I can't blame you," Axel said. "If we finish today's job, we'll technically be free, although the only thing getting in our way is that special forces group. How much did they pay them? They're more motivated by money than by morals, although I don't know how much I can talk about that."
At that moment, they arrived at a place very close to that skyscraper.
"You all know the plan, right?" Lucan said. "Celia will intercept the communication systems. We won't be able to communicate for a while, but she should be able to use some energy sources for specific actions, and besides, she'll give us real-time information. Nadia will command my men to prevent most of the corrupt high-ranking officials from escaping, while Auren and Axel will climb the floors of the skyscraper. At the very top is the little girl. You will probably face The Graves. You'll have to use your greatest knowledge and dexterity for this. Although I'm sure the members will be separated from their leader, because he is the one who personally guards the girl. The goal is to prevent the girl from going to the carnival and to prevent the last members of the fallen government from escaping. Did you understand?"
They all nodded with conviction. A while later, in that luxurious complex, in complete darkness, two people who were not visible in the environment were moving. They had bulletproof, armored suits, glasses with mirror coating, blinding grenades, and a pistol each. In front of them, the elevator opened automatically, without making any sound. Immediately, the two youths knew that Celia had opened it for them. They had discovered that most of The Graves' members were on the last floor accessible by the elevator, the 33rd.
While they were going up, the youths began to chat.
"Hey, you already know the plan," Auren said.
"Yeah, of course. It's a little crazy, not to say that half of it isn't a plan," Axel replied. "By the way, it's not bad if I put on some music, right? I think it will distract them for a moment."
"Ugh, right now I'd say it's a terrible idea," Auren said. "But what else can happen besides dying? If this is going to be our last mission, I want it to be incredible. By the way, with that gift of bouncing bullets, you must be crazy."
"I've gotten used to it," Axel said. "They're amazing, believe me. Well, I can play... pop punk."
"Sounds good," Auren said. "This is going to be the best story I have." He let out a laugh.
The music started playing*.
The doors opened*.
As Auren, the gray-eyed youth, walked to the center of the dark room, the silence was invaded by the pop punk music. Auren glanced at the ceiling of the room, seeing six people in bulletproof and camouflaged suits, pointing directly at him. He smiled and snapped his fingers.
Quickly, Axel pulled him back with a rope from behind, avoiding a burst of bullets. As he was pulled by the rope, Auren threw his hand and blinding grenades. The room was filled with a loud noise and a blinding flash. Those men on the ceiling lost their balance and fell frantically.
The two youths pounced on the five men who were in the room, starting a confrontation with their pistols. Quickly, Axel managed to finish off one of the men, and Auren pounced with a rifle on another. The movements were fast. It seemed that everyone in the room could move at high speeds. Those two youths were perfectly synchronized. It seemed that they could see the other's situation, providing immediate support and covering the angles they couldn't defend.
The men did not stay behind. The hand-to-hand combat was highly polished. Bursts of bullets flooded the room. Some impacts were not effective and had to be directed to the head. Auren grabbed a man and used him as a human shield, but he didn't get shot. He threw him towards the others. Axel, with an agility not seen before, jumped up a wall, shooting in the air and getting a headshot. Another man shot Auren's weapon, leaving him without it. The man pounced on him, causing some shots to go to non-lethal areas. Auren dropped to grab his opponent's hand and dislocate it, throwing him to the floor. He grabbed his pistol and shot him in the head.
Axel, fleeing from the shots that surrounded him, was disarmed by the other two subjects, but he threw a blinding grenade in front of them, very close to him. At that moment, Auren, from a distance, assisted him, giving one of the subjects a shot with his already recovered rifle, getting a headshot. With the other subject in a brief state of confusion, Axel took the opportunity to knee him, grabbing his head and hurting his helmet with his metal kneecap, leaving him unconscious.
Among all the corpses, the youths got together, turning off the song.
"Phew, that was complicated," Axel said. "I thought my heart was going to jump out from the nerves and adrenaline."
"Don't get too confident yet," Auren said. "We still have the big fish who protects the girl. I'm sure they're on the top floor."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Axel said. "Let's go at once, because they can escape if we take too long."
Both youths went up the skyscraper stairs, reaching the floor before the last one. The room was luxurious, with some furniture as tall as pillars and a balcony with a view of the sky. Sooner rather than later, they were received by a hail of bullets from a man who, although he didn't know where they were, was not far from hitting them. With a deep fear, a silhouette became visible: a 1.87-meter tall guy with black, long and unkempt hair, a short but prominent beard, and bloodshot reddish-brown eyes, who was looking for the youths. He was pointing a pair of submachine guns in each hand at them, armored almost to the teeth. His name ran through the youths' minds.
Rover Stone.