I slipped stealthily into the warehouse. The place smelled of metal and damp. Stacks of containers formed long aisles—perfect for getting lost or, fortunately for me, for hiding.
I saw my first target: a guy dressed in military clothes near a pile of boxes, smoking.
The man hadn't even finished inhaling his cigarette when I wrapped my arm around his neck and choked him until he went unconscious. Then I quickly dragged him behind the nearest stack of boxes.
I took out another guard who was patrolling a side aisle—this time with a quick strike from my nunchakus right at the base of the skull—and shoved him into a small container.
I saw a pair of henchmen arguing next to some metal barrels. They were so absorbed in their conversation that it was easy for me to sneak up on them.
I lunged at the first one, intending to hit him with a low spinning kick.
The move was perfect, but the force was too much. The guy fell backward against the metal barrels.
CLANG!
The metal rang throughout the warehouse—probably not a good sound, since there wasn't much noise to cover it.
The second henchman spun around with his rifle already aimed.
Shit!
With my nunchakus I knocked his weapon aside and then hit him in the face with the same weapon.
I heard screams and the sound of boots running toward my position. The henchman I'd just knocked down got up and opened fire.
RATATATA!
I dove behind some boxes, but the bullets hit me before I could fully take cover.
I felt a brutal impact in my left arm. The force made me scream and I dropped to the ground behind the large boxes; it felt like something was cooking my arm from the inside.
"He's over there! Behind those boxes!" a voice shouted.
I could hear the echo of the boots approaching and feel the hot blood soaking through the fabric of my suit.
I dragged myself, groaning, to a safer pile of wooden crates. I curled up, feeling my heart hammering in my ears and the smell of my own blood filling my nostrils.
Fear invaded me; my skin prickled. What if they caught me? Would they torture me first or kill me without hesitation?
My breathing grew erratic and I started to cry—at that point I don't know if it was from the pain or the fear. I didn't want to die, not again like in my previous life.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the police, but as I was about to call them I thought of my family. Not just my mother, but my friends and, of course, Felicia.
"I can't fail them," I whispered, feeling a lump in my throat. "If this stops me, I won't be able to protect them in the future."
If I wanted to protect my people later, I had to be more than a martial artist. I had to be unstoppable, and to do that I'd need more templates. These criminals had to be my stepping stones to almost finishing the template.
I opened the system menu, ignoring the stabbing pain in my arm. "System, find me a consumable. I need something that relieves the pain and boosts me in every way. And preferably cheap."
[Beverage: Cheetah Chug]
[Universe: Kick Buttowski]
[Type: energy drink]
[Description: Can that gleams a metallic yellow covered in black spots that mimic a cheetah's fur. When opened, a cheetah roar resonates (only audible to the user).]
[Effects: Energy drink that boosts the user and suppresses pain for 20 minutes.]
[Consequences: If consumed in excess, it can provoke cheetah-like behavior.]
(50 points)
"Fuck it, buy one," I grunted.
[PURCHASE COMPLETED]
I opened the can and, sure enough, the roar of a cheetah sounded. The neon-green liquid made me hesitate a bit, but I finished drinking it.
I felt my senses sharpen; it was like my ears unclogged and I could hear more clearly. Those guys were still looking for me and they weren't far.
Alright, idiots. Time to play.
There was a lone guy looking around for me. I took advantage of him turning his back, ran up quickly and struck the back of his neck with my nunchakus.
When the guy fell I noticed he was wearing something interesting: a bulletproof vest. I quickly put it over my suit.
It was uncomfortable and heavy, but it was protection.
There was also a high-caliber assault rifle lying nearby and I grabbed it. I'd rather not take guns, but in this situation there wasn't much else to do to survive.
Finally I saw him—the bastard who shot me. I made sure to knock him out quickly so his head slammed hard on the concrete.
For a few minutes I knocked out several guys and hid them so it wouldn't raise suspicion.
Sooner or later they'd notice missing personnel, but it was better to lower their numbers for now without them knowing.
When I finished with the stragglers, I heard a loud engine noise outside. A big group had just arrived.
"Goddamn it! Where is everyone?" I heard one of them shout.
I pressed myself against a stack of boxes and readied the rifle. I wasn't going to kill anyone, but I couldn't let them get close to me.
When the group of twelve men armed with clubs and rifles turned the corner, I attacked first. I raised the rifle and fired.
BRATATATATATA!
I fired, but only at the feet and legs of my attackers. The shots tore through their knees and ankles. The massive screams of pain echoed through the warehouse. They fell to the ground like pins.
I put the rifle back in my inventory, drew my nunchakus and launched myself onto the fallen bodies. I knocked them out with head blows, making sure they slept deeply.
I searched for a while for the so-called "final boss" who supposedly was Killgrave. Then a pain shot through my body—I felt extreme exhaustion and the pain in my arm increased.
"Fuck! System, buy another Cheetah Chug." When the system delivered it I drank it quickly and felt the pain and exhaustion vanish.
With my senses sharp again I heard a noise. Bingo—now I knew where he was.
I ran toward the source of the sound, saw a metal door at the end of the warehouse and walked toward it.
I kicked the door open without a second thought and rushed in.
BLAM!
A massive pain hit my chest and the force threw me backward.
I saw the shotgun that had shot me being held by a guy in a fancy suit with purple skin; the idiot had a smile on his face.
It was Killgrave.
If the earlier shot had hurt, this felt like hell. The bulletproof vest had stopped a fatal hit, but the pain from the blast had left me stunned.
I lay still, playing dead, and Killgrave approached smiling, satisfied.
"What a pity. An idiot trying to play hero," he said, coming up to my motionless body.
"It's a shame my guards died at your hands. Actually, it's a shame you'll die—you could have been an excellent bodyguard for me." When Killgrave was right above me I raised my leg and swept him.
BLAM!
When Killgrave fell to the ground he fired again, but fortunately it was at the ceiling.
I straddled his chest and began to beat him. The adrenaline from the Cheetah Chug made me lose control. My fist smashed into his face again and again until blood splattered the floor and his face turned into an unrecognizable pulp.
Sniff.
The sound made me snap back to my senses. I stopped my fist inches from his broken head and looked toward the corner of the room where a woman was curled up crying.
I lowered my gaze and saw what I was about to do. Luckily Killgrave was still breathing, albeit with difficulty. I stood up and looked more closely at the woman there.
She was there, curled up, sitting on the floor, with messy brown hair and wearing jeans and a worn leather jacket. She was trembling uncontrollably, her knees hugged to her chest.
[MISSION COMPLETE: FIRST GROUP CONFRONTATION!]
Neutralize the criminal operations base in the Warehouse
[CALCULATING REWARDS...]