"Is he brain dead or something..."
"What's with this kid, are we supposed to be scared of him..."
"Ooiii, kid. I don't know if you've noticed but you're massively outnumbered here, or maybe you're just high on our stuff!"
The gang erupted into another frenzy of laughter.
Tch!
'I hate being laughed at.' I kept my head low, waiting to see if they would have a change of heart and retreat.
"Ooiii, Joh. Go pat him down first, see if he has any weapon on him" One of the goons ordered, seemingly the second in command of the White Vortex and the head of the goons.
"Aiit".
'Don't come any closer'. I thought, for some reason I wanted to warn him and also wanted to kick his butt.
'Dont come any closer'.
"Don't come any closer". I finally said with a low baritone voice.
The goon who was on his way to search me screeched to a stop and suddenly a smile spread across his face.
"For Christ sake, these teenagers nowadays feel like they're some kind of big shot because they're working for the ISA..."
He continued walking towards me.
"I tell you what kid, you drop all this superhero bullshit and you come join us..."
He arrived right under my nose, drifted to the side and placed an arm over my shoulder.
I could feel his smelly, hot breath on my neck. He was obviously high on something, cause why not.
"The pay is well... About 50,000 units per breakout and ehh you come back and rest in a brothel for the night ehhh, have as many women you want. Ehhh boys!"
The rest of them yelled in unison.
'Okay, there's no return. You've made your choice'.
I raised my head and with a quick glance from left to right, I performed a head to head count of the goons. Came up to a total of about 20 to 25 men.
This was going to be easy, assuming they were all non-metahumans.
"Argghhh, kid. Tell me what's an..."
He grabbed the license dangling on my chest and scanned through it for a brief second.
"E-Class!!!"
"Ooiii, boys. This hot shot is a mere E-class!!" He yelled back to the rest of the goons.
And again, the warehouse filled with echoes of laughter ricocheting off the walls. I almost lost it when the goon hanging his arm over my neck leaned real close and laughed straight into my ear.
'I hate being laughed at... '
'This would be my first time going against a human... Do I kill them. They're villains after all... in a way'.
I glanced back to make sure Ellie and Jake were still unconscious, sure enough they were.
'What do I do now?'
'If only they had just listened... I'm still battling within myself if it's morally right to end your lives.'
'You all are criminals and you all have taken an innocent person's life in one way or the other.'
'But if I take life now, what would that make me... '
'Tch... I have to draw a strict line here. The difference between a hero and an unapologetic vigilante!'
'Lets begin... '
And then it happened.
Wham!.
My elbow went straight into the mid section of the unsuspected goon which immediately seized his laughter and yelled out in pain.
He stumbled slowly until he fell to the ground.
Thud.
"J-Joh!!"
The second in command yelled, his eyes trembling like an unstable building.
"Ready your weapons!!".
Tti-ring
[Compass Needle Activated]
[Compass Needle Activated]
[Compass Needle Activated]
[Compass Needle Activated]
[Compass Needle Activated]
[Compass Needle Activated]
... X20+
Every member of the White Vortex crew present immediately cocked their guns and armed themselves with one weapon or he other, waiting for his order.
"Wait..." I blurted out.
"I would appreciate it if those of you with guns pick another weapon of choice... Please" I said, my head low and eyes barely visible from the shade of my hair.
"Listen kid, you think this is some kinda joke?!" The second in command yelled, anger clearly etched in his voice.
"There's a police station not to far from here, less than a kilometer."
"Imagine the noise that would erupt from this place if you all fired your weapon all at the same time..."
"Even you... The guy with a bazooka, it's not even pointed at me. You pull that trigger, the guy behind you looses his head"
"Now, I don't need the police all up in my business. I guess you guys don't too... "
"So, put your guns away... Please".
An eerie silence suddenly showered the warehouse like a tornado, everyone's eyes hooked onto my frame as I stood there.
"He's right... Drop you guns. We'll use knives instead and carve his eyes out!"
*Gulp
I swallowed my saliva, did I bite off more than I could chew? More than twenty men against one hardly seems fair.
"Let's go..." I said softly.
Almost like as if they were waiting for my mark, a battle cry rang out into the air and all of the White Vortex crew charged at me waving their weapons in the air.
Shhiriiiiik!
My sneakers made a screeching sound as I spread my feet entering a fighting stance.
whoosh-
The air blew past me as I blasted forward with incredible speed.
This was good, no guns, just hand to hand meelle combat. The excuse I made about the police station was a good one, but it wasn't the main reason I made it.
Although I was fast without the Forever Armor, I wasn't faster than a bullet. And, I wanted to face them without the armor.
If I had initiated the armor they would all be wiped out in a second. There's no harm in pushing my physical body and skills to the limit.
First contact I made— straight punch to the face, knocked him out with immediate effect.
Second, round house kick then grabbed his throat and shoved him hard into another goon.
Getting double teamed— quick reflexes, gathering both their limbs and smashing their heads together.
One of them attacked with a knife. I quickly released my fist and blocked his shot, twisting and turning his arms until he let go of the knife.
Wham!— mind bursting head butt, blood immediately trickled from his nose and fell limp to the floor.
Thomp, Thomp, Thomp,Thomp,Thomp,Thomp,Thomp.
My heart rate increased as I weaved, dodged and dished out blows and strikes to several attackers at a time.
All the while counting their numbers as I decapitated them.
"Ten..."
"Eleven..."
"Twelve..."
"Argghhh!..." A loud one approached radically.
Wham!
Kick to the side of the head flattened him in seconds.
"Thirteen..."
They kept coming in quick succession and I decapitated them one by one with short, straight to the point strikes that immediately knocked them out on impact.
And so they were five left, including the second in command. They circled around me from the front, behind and both side squaring off into a 5v1 stalemate.
They've seen what I can do and how fast I could do it, so they knew better not I charge at me with reckless abandon.
"You are no E-class hero... Correct?" The second in command asked softly as he bounced from side to side.
"I think I've answered your question already... Isn't it evident?" I replied as I glanced to the sea of unconscious bodies lying across the warehouse floor.
Some of them were bloodied, some were smashed through a table, some were pilled ontop others.
The second in command looked around the scenery as well and returned his focus back to me.
"Tch! I don't plan on going to prison tonight, is that why you don't kill us. So you'd send us the police?" He asked with a firm nod.
I scoffed.
"Nah... I just didn't feel it was the right thing to do" I replied nonchalantly.
Sending them to prison was the just thing to do, but I had to keep in mind that they had seen my face and they would be able to identify me if they were asked.
Luckily I hadn't activated or shown them the suit or the Forever Core. So on paper, I'm just a concerned E-Class hero who stumbled upon an active crime and took them down.
'Who I'm I kidding, that doesn't sound believable... '
All five men exposed their knives, ready to attack from all directions.
I glanced at the floor quickly and picked up a short dagger that lay next to me.
Tti-ring!
[New Skill Unlocked: Flash Step
>Composition: Flash Step allows the host to move at an initial speed of 11m/s from a rigid spot without any need for acceleration.
>Host can move through 11 meters under one second. That is faster than a blink.
>Nerf: Flash Step cannot be used continuously as it takes a massive toll of HP.]
'Ohhh...'
'Flash Step? That would be very handy in a situation like this... Well let's test it out'.
I poised myself with my blade in front of me. I furrowed my brow and pierced my gaze at the second in command — he was my target and I wasn't going to take it easy on him.
"Skill: Flash Step" I mused.
[Active Skill: Flash Step]
I raised one leg and planted it forward on the ground. Immediately, I found myself right under the nose of the second in command.
It took him by surprise as I pierced my blade right through his mid section.
It all happened within the blink of an eye and he fell flat on the floor bleeding profusely like a hunted dog.
[Flash Step Used]
[+ HP: 93%]
"Ohhh! Flash Step really took a lot of health points. It was just one second!"
I flashed a menacing look at the remaining four. The stared back at me with fear in their eyes.
"I'm sure you've gotten the memo by now..."
The all let out subtle wimp and one of them nodded his head slightly as he dropped his weapon, surrendering.
"Run..."
The all scrambled and tumbled as they ran out of the warehouse in retreat.
Like an owl, I immediately turned towards the direction Huáng Song went.