Dawning Metropolis Part 2

The first few soldiers came charging into the hall not able to see as the dust still covered the place and that gave me the advantage so I used it, pouncing over the table I entered the dust cloud. My eyes started to sting a bit from the dust but nothing to bad, my vision was clouded so all I could see was smoky grey everywhere. I move quickly, I don't want to waste my advantage, getting to the first soldier before he can even hear me I slash his thighs with one blade causing his legs to collapse. Before he reaches the ground I slash his throat ending his life and now onto the next one. This one is more cautious than the first but nonetheless he still goes down in front of me and I keep using the cloud to cover my attacks as one by one they go down until it clears and then it's equal grounds for us. When the cloud clears I see eight of them on the ground and a lot more coming through the hole in front; my heartbeat is racing, I'm grinning with a passion and pure ecstasy flowing throughout me. I was enjoying the bloodshed.

Aiden came into the fight with two shots in rapid succession and soon followed Emilia and the brute, Aiden took down three guys with two shots, now that's how you fire a gun, Emilia had perfect aim so each shot hit someone while the brute did not have good aim at all. I can't just stand around waiting for them to come to me so I run into their path and take the fight to them by cutting and slashing whoever I get near and I sometimes have to avoid a bullet or two from behind. I'm sure Aiden shoots a bullet or two my way for his enjoyment. I danced around with katana in hand creating deep slashes into everyone who I got near, blood splattered all around with death following. I made sure to take each soldier around me down but even with me at the forefront and the others gunning them down from behind there was too many of them so I had to fall back and that meant the soldiers now could gain some ground. I took cover behind the table wiping the blades and putting the katana back into their sheath’s because it's time to have a go with the pistols.

A shot rang straight past my head and blood fell on me, I took too long behind cover and now Aiden saved me, he wont let this one go for a while. Though it was only a minute I took cover, that time was too long so I raised my pistols and started firing, this time with lethal bullets, soldiers surrounded the place each holding automatic rifles and trained with good aim but I managed to evade them. I leaped out of the sight of one soldier and into the sights of another that was until another soldier shot at me and ended up shooting his comrade. Bullets were going everywhere with soldiers trying to shoot the guys upstairs yet they started to become less down here maybe shooting each other didn't appeal to them any more, well that's fine by me I don't mind shooting them. I kept shooting soldiers some got hit in the head, some got hit in the chest and the lucky ones got maybe their arms or legs hit however my magazines were running out and with the amount of soldiers around me I wont be able to reload quick enough. “AHHHH!” An eruptive roar came from above and then next thing the brute jumped down to stand right next to me with a pistol and knife in hand which I must say seemed too small for him. The next thing he does is run away so I shout after him “Hey! Where are you going?” There was silence, he either couldn't hear me or he was ignoring me no matter what it is, it doesn't help. In fact the only thing it causes is a few enemy soldiers laughing so I shoot them down, one bullet one down, second bullet another down, third bullet and the final one is down. Taking those three down has left me with one bullet so I make it count by pointing up in the air and shooting the chandelier's chain, I'm sure it was very expensive but it took out three guys.

I have to holster the pistols and take the katana back out, just as I get ready to cut them up the brute comes back but this time his pistol is in it's holster and he's holding a giant modernized double headed battle axe which is the size of him. “Damn Brutus! Are you sure you can use that thing?” He could hear the doubt in my voice as I spoke so he gave me a demonstration by swinging it with ease and taking a huge chunk out of the wall, well that answered my question. “Who are you calling Brutus? My name is Aubrey.” I was not expecting that and even in the middle of a battle I started laughing and not to intimidate people but because of how funny it was. This guy is a human tank, he wears a suit with no sleeves because they can't fit, his muscles are trying to rip through the rest of it, he is over six foot tall and he's called Aubrey. I may have hurt his feelings with how much I laughed so I put on my serious face for him with a bit of difficulty though. “I'm gonna call you Brutus from now on as it suits you better.” He didn't reply instead it looked like he was taking his anger out on the soldiers so I followed him.

Slashing and stabbing my way against them felt so good because it gave me a rush I could only feel from getting close and feeling the blade go through them. I danced around trying to take out as many of them as I could and that's when I could see the soldiers had made it onto the stairs but not to the top yet. Emilia was holding off one end and Aiden the other. I looked to Emilia to see how she was doing but when she saw me her face changed from that of concern to that of fear, the kind of fear when you believe you've seen the devil, that must be what I look like to her as I'm covered in blood and smiling while killing with ease. Aiden has seen me fight before and knows what I'm like but Emilia is truly shocked by what she has seen but for the moment that is fine by me for if I have to become the devil to protect Emilia then so be it.

I turn around to face a soldier and without hesitation cut him down and then the next one and the next one and the next one. I keep cutting through soldiers until I have to wipe the blood off of my face. This caused the soldiers to get more cautious around me, some even ran out. I could see the amount of soldiers dwindling with just the four of us fighting but that's when another fifteen soldiers came charging in. Now these guys didn't look like the rest of them; their uniform was different, the weapons were customized and they strolled into the chaos without a care. Out of nowhere the other soldiers seemed to get a second burst of energy all from the entry of these new guys, I don't like this. I attack the normal soldiers and it takes more of an effort to kill them than before but they still end up dead under my blade.

Moving throughout the hall I clash with a new soldier and he blocks my katana with his rifle, that's something the others have not been able to do, then another of the new guys comes in from the side and hits me in the gut with a pair of brass knuckles. These two double teamed me and ended up winding me in the process so I take a few steps back to regain my breadth but it doesn't happen like that as they are straight on me not giving me a second to rest. I have to fight. I try to slash them but my moves are slow and they easily dodge it, the guy with the knuckle dusters tries to hit me again but I can dodge him but then that leads me into the other guy who using his rifle as a club hits me on the arm exactly where Aiden shot me. I have been able to forget about that wound so far but now my arm starts to go numb and my hand starts to lose it's grip on one of the katana. That's when Brutus comes in to save my ass by taking out the guy with the gun and then scares the other further away. “What are you doing letting these guys force you back! Get your head together!” I can't believe I'm being lectured by a guy named Aubrey, I must be doing bad well that's going to change. Instead of replying with words I grip my katana firm ignoring the searing pain in my arm and charge at the soldiers.

The soldiers seem to have got up the stairs with the help of the new guys as Aiden and Emilia are fighting at the top, Emilia starts fighting in hand-to-hand combat and she is good, every soldier who gets near her ends up broken, there's a pile building up in front of her but I can't watch them as down here the soldiers seem to be regrouping so I head straight towards them. Slashing the first few made them separate so now I have more room to attack and that I do. I'm back to dancing around cutting and slashing and that joy I get from it, behind me Brutus is destroying anyone who comes near him with his giant battle axe. Upstairs I glimpse Aiden forcing the soldiers down while three new soldiers lay at his feet, as always he can handle himself, on the other side Emilia is starting to have trouble as there are more soldiers there. She fights against the normal soldiers and is able to beat them but slowly climbing up the stairs are two of the new soldiers and one of them from what I've seen of him seems like one of their leaders. While attacking the soldiers I try to keep an eye on Emilia but when I get surrounded I have to look away to make sure I don't get hit so as quick as I can, I cut through them when all of a sudden a painful wail comes from above. I look up and Emilia has been stabbed by the leader looking soldier, the pit of my stomach drops like a sink hole. “No! Emi!” As soon as I saw it I called out on reaction not realising what I just said until she glared at me, with a knife stabbed in her she was more furious at me than the guy who stabbed her. She does not like to be called Emi. Ignoring the soldiers around me I run up to Emilia, I had to cut soldiers on the stairs to get to her when one of the new soldiers got in my way. I couldn't take long fighting him as Emilia was still against the leader so I dropped low and cut his shins, then as I stood up I kept cutting his legs before he could even get an aim on me and still kept cutting until I reached his throat to make sure he wouldn't fight back.

I now reached the top of the stairs and the leader had just pulled the knife out of Emilia and then stabbed her again in the same spot but this time left it there and knocked her to the ground but not before she stabbed him back in the shoulder. Fury started to bubble in me and it's all aimed at this one guy. I try attacking with both katana but he blocks it with another knife he has but this is more of a machete than a knife, next attack I use them both again and he still blocks it. Even with a knife in his shoulder he can block me. This guy is seriously pissing me off. Dropping one katana and holding the other with two hands I move to a more traditional style of kenjutsu, it takes a lot of pressure off my injured arm and I can cause a lot more damage. Now I haven't used this style in many years but that doesn't mean I'm rusty, especially against a guy who just stabbed Emilia. Focusing my mind and strength into one attack, I slice down diagonally aiming to cut him in half. He raises his machete to block this but that won't help him as my hit shatters his machete and then goes straight through the top half of his body. I have to yank my blade out of him and then he drops to the ground. Brutus comes up behind me and blocks this side of the stairs while Aiden moves closer to us while holding off the other side. I drop my katana and kneel next to Emilia.

The stab wound is deep and blood covers her stomach, I grab her hand and look at her. Her face has started to turn pale from the blood loss and I squeeze her hand a bit too tight as she gives off a little yelp. Looking at me she says, “You're the first person to call me Emi in many years, actually the last time someone called me Emi was when you left.” She starts wheezing a bit after she speaks. “You know I don't like being called Emi so why do you keep doing it?” With the state she's in the fact she is only concerned by what I'm calling her shows to me just how tough she is and I can't help but laugh at her and that seems to make her smile. A burning sensation starts in my eyes and then streaks of warmth fall down my face. I'm crying. I haven't cried in so many years I forgot I was even capable of it. I lean in closer to Emilia and give her a reply, “I like calling you Emi because I know it gets you riled and it's something unique only I call you.” This made her smile and give as good of a giggle as she can. When she speaks she is quieter than usual, “That still doesn't make me like being called Emi but I'm glad you came back. I just wish we had more time to catch up.”  Those were words of someone who has given up and I can't let her do that. “Hey Emi, you remember in college you started designing t-shirts, well there was one that I helped with. Do you remember what that was?” She looks at me with eyes so soft and gives a little nod of the head to say yes. “So you remember it said 'It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!' Well I don't hear the fat lady so it's not over. You hear me! It's not over yet!” I was gripping at straws to keep her from giving up. She speaks again just as quiet, “Finding out you're alive made me happy so make sure..” her speech starts slowing down, “you tell the oth..ers a..bo..ut y.....” Her eyes closed and she didn't finish speaking.

I quickly try finding a pulse and there is one but it's very weak. She can't die, I can't let her die. While her heartbeat slows down mine seems to speed up. I shout, “Aiden! Get over here now!” I hear the sound of bullets being fired repeatedly get louder until Aiden stands above me. I look up at him and his face is blurred, it seems as though the tears are flowing harder and faster. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He is speechless. “Aiden please tell me there is a medical facility in this place. A place this big has to have one.” I am begging him to give me the answer I want. He does. “There is one here but the only way to get there is by going through the hall.” At least there's a way. “Aiden you carry her. Me and Brutus will clear your way.” I let go of Emi's hand and Aiden kneels to lift her up into his arms. He looks at her with sorrow and worry, she may not make it and he knows it. I wipe my face and reach for my Katana. “Brutus we gotta clear the way so destroy everyone you can!” He smiles and starts swiping soldiers away. Emi saw what she thought was the devil earlier but that was nothing. I have never felt so much anger, rage and fury before so now I will show them the true face of the devil and not one of them will get out of here alive.

Brutus takes the one side so I go for the other end which Aiden was covering. A soldier had made it to the top of the stairs, wrong move, I cut him down and move to the next soldier this one was a new soldier but his customized weapon can't save him from me as I slice right through him and move on. There's two new soldiers standing by the hall's door if they stay there Aiden can't get Emi through so I jump over the side of the stairs and stab them both in the spine causing them to drop. On Brutus' side he demolishes everything in his path and that includes the walls but at least he is making space. I keep the doorway guarded making sure no one comes near until Brutus makes the last step and we team up. We push the soldiers back just enough to let Aiden through. I grab Brutus by the collar and bring him in close, “Go with them and protect Emilia at all cost. You understand?” He nodded in agreement. I was so close to him I could see my reflection in his eyes, what I saw even frightened me so I let go and off he goes behind Aiden.

Now it's just me and them. The few soldiers left include a handful of normal soldiers and four new soldiers, not one of them will leave hear alive. My mind is rushing out of control and after what just happened, there is no way I can continue like this. Forgetting my training I start fighting wildly like a beast and unleash hell upon them. Twisting and turning, even running onto some of them, I just keep slashing them even if they are dead standing. I don't stop until they lay on the floor. One soldier starts to run away from me and ends up hitting a new soldier, there's no mercy for cowards in his eyes as he snaps the soldiers neck. I run at him waving blades in the air trying to take a piece of his flesh but each slash he dodges, he even laughs at me. This guy thinks he's so good but doesn't realise that he's backing himself up into the wall. The look on his face is priceless when he hits the wall, his entire body starts to shake, sweat drips down his face and his breathing becomes more rapid. This is the reaction when someone is scared. Good. Let fear be the last thing he experiences as I take off his head. That's a message to all soldiers watching.

The rest of the soldiers have regrouped near the entrance, they stay close together in a tight formation. It seems as though they think this can save them. Well they are wrong and I'm going to let them know it. “Not one of you will leave here alive!” Some nervously giggle and some keep silent but all have the look of fear painted onto their faces. In the back there is the new soldier with the brass knuckles, he has all the other soldiers in a formation which keeps him safe. Well not for long. He shouts out to everyone, “Shoot him!” That's when they open fire and I'm out in the open with no cover. I try to deflect as many bullets as I can but there's just too many so while I run for the table I get hit twice, once in the leg and then in the arm again. There has to be a bullet magnet for this arm because I keep getting hit in it. Once I'm in cover the bullets still keep coming but for the moment I'm protected and I have some time to recover. I unholster the pistols and change the magazines so now they're loaded. When the bullets start slowing down that means some are reloading and that is my chance. I quickly throw one of my katana at the soldiers and it skewers two of them then I throw the other one and it hits but this time it only catches one person. With this distraction I have enough time to get out from behind the table and start shooting. This way the soldiers go down quicker and easier, instead of staying at a distance I run up close and jump into their formation. Surrounded by them I start taking them apart, I hit someone across the head causing them to fall and give way to the person behind which I shoot. One by one they start falling whether I'm shooting them, fighting them or grabbing the blade out of dead bodies and stabbing them each of them falls until the only one left is the one with the knuckle dusters but he's fled outside.

The sun is shining brightly on the front garden which is now covered in empty trucks once filled with soldiers. When I sneaked in here all I could smell was the grass and the flowers but now there's a stink of oil, smoke and blood covering that sweet smell up. A lot of that is coming from me. The escapee heads for the furthest truck and starts it, he even manages to turn it around but that's all he gets to do. I shoot out both tires causing him to lose control and spin off on the grass so instead he bails on the truck and tries to escape on foot. I shoot at him but nothing comes out, both pistols are empty, so I chase him. I try running after him but my leg won't listen so I hobble after him instead. He turns around to see how far away I am and he smiles, he notices the distance between us is too big for me to catch up to him with my leg. I don't like that look of his so I launch one of the pistols at him, it misses him by a few inches and he starts laughing at me, now this pisses me off more so I launch the other pistol but this time it hits, it hits right in his annoying face. He goes down and this gives me time to catch up to him so I take my belt and belt up my leg to give me more control over it, now I can move with a bit more speed. As I get closer he awkwardly gets to his feet and stands in a bit of a daze but seeing me makes him try to run away except he can't, his head may be spinning as he moves from side to side instead of forward. That gives me enough time to catch him, when I get close I punch him straight in the gut like he did to me, now we were even, then I move onto his head but my punch misses as he turns, he still has the knuckle dusters in his hands and he uses them. His first counter hits me in the ribs and the next in the kidneys, he has quick hits with added power, the pain is burning but I won't go down with just this so I counter him by grabbing his arm and twisting and hooking it into an arm lock. The screech he lets loose is painful in itself but that won't make me let go so I keep holding and put more pressure on his shoulder joint. He tries punching me to get out of it but he just doesn't have the reach so I give it one more pull.

CRACK.

“ARGH!!” I just snapped his arm. He screams out in anguish then bites his lip and you can see blood coming from his mouth showing how hard he bit down. Tears start flowing down his face and I let go. He quickly grabs his arm and feels the break, he can feel it's been snapped in half yet he still tries to fight. With his other arm he tries to hit me but with the way he is at the moment he doesn't have enough strength to fight properly, I'll praise him for trying but I won't show any mercy. The next hit he throws I grab his wrist, pull him closer and hit him in the face with my elbow knocking him back however I don't let go of his wrist, no instead I break it. Now he has no fight left in him and it's time to end it. I grab his head and twist. When the crack comes he collapses and finally the last of the soldiers are dead. I warned them that none will survive.

Now it's finally over I stop and puke up my guts. I may become the devil when I fight but afterwards I can see the carnage I have caused and it sickens me. The amount of blood spilled here just adds onto the overflowing amount I already have on my name and if there is a hell I know I'm going there because no matter the excuses I make that I fight for the good, killing is still killing. I start walking back to the house and I collapse. My leg has given out on me and now that I've stopped fighting I can feel a lot of pain, burning coming from my leg, a cramping tightness in my chest, a throbbing sensation in my face and a mix of stinging and burning in my arm but for now I can handle this as it is all dulled down a bit but that won't last long. I try to stand but all I can muster is a hunchback crouch, that will do, so I drag myself inside. When I get there the sight before me is horrifying, dead bodies are everywhere and most of them are because of me, I can only see one part of the floor as the rest is either covered by stone, glass, blood or body. A ball of fire starts in my stomach and tries to make it's way to my throat but I swallow it down and it stays there right in the pit of my stomach. I feel sick to the core. I try getting around the bodies without disturbing any of them but I keep knocking into some as my leg drags along the floor. Eventually I make it to the doors which Aiden took Emi through. I turn around to take one more look at what I have done and I feel that no matter how I justify doing this much damage it won't matter but I know I would do the same thing over again if it meant protecting my friends, then I head through the doors.

After navigating through the huge hallway I eventually end up in the medical bay of this place and Aiden is sitting in a chair next to machines beeping in rhythm. That rhythm comes from Emi as there she lay covered in wires and tubes connected to different machines and drips, she looks like she's just fallen to sleep and not like she just got stabbed. That's good. I manage to drag myself further into the room but that's as far as I can go as my body gives up, the pain starts rushing in and I fall. Aiden quickly comes rushing and just catches me before I hit the ground, my sight starts going hazy, I look up at him and can see his lips move but I can't hear any words actually I can't hear anything except for the beeping and a heartbeat. The beeping keeps steady but the heartbeat is slowing down so I point to Emi and Aiden says something again but I can't make out what so I just keep pointing to her and he helps me over. I'm next to her bed now and can see that she has colour in her face and is breathing on her own, the stab wound is bandaged up aswell. She is safe and alive thankfully. That's when the beeping stopped, I turned to the machine and from what little I could see it worked but the heartbeat I could hear started to slow down, I couldn't feel any pain, I couldn't feel anything. My vision started going when I saw the TV and on it was the fat lady singing. Then everything went to black.