The gym was completely silent. Everyone feared for their lives. That guy wasn't normal; he broke down the gym door with just his bare hands. I assumed this was the man with the terrorist group's powers. If he was here, the other two were most likely coming.
His slow but steady steps terrified and caused anguish to everyone present. My hands were shaking, and I felt sweat beginning to accumulate on my forehead.
"Stop!" the head teacher shouted. She was a 48-year-old African American woman with emerald-green eyes and short brown hair. The red-haired man stopped advancing toward us and turned his gaze to look at the principal. "Don't do anything to the children," the principal demanded. His posture was defiant and confident.
A mocking smile formed on the redhead's face. He slowly advanced toward the principal.
If I remember correctly, the principal was an Awakened. But I doubted her ability would be useful against the red-haired, light-eyed monster. Considering her ability to turn invisible, the principal was being overconfident. She must have something up her sleeve.
The redhead approached the principal, and she immediately became invisible.
"Pfft! You think turning invisible will help? Are you planning to run away and call for help? Are you going to abandon these children? You're more selfish than..." the redhead spoke halfheartedly. The principal appeared right in front of the redhead with a gun pointed at his head. The sound of a gunshot reached my ears, and I watched as the redhead fell to the ground.
"Yeah! Take that, psycho!" a student next to me shouted.
"That's our principal!" another student exclaimed.
"It wasn't that big of a deal, after all," one of the teachers standing near us spoke up.
"He died too quickly... something doesn't add up... And the pool of blood?!" I thought. I quickly came to the conclusion that the redhead wasn't dead; that guy emanated too powerful an aura to be killed by a simple gunshot.
"Principal, watch out! He's still li-" I said half-heartedly. I wasn't the only one who realized the redhead was still alive. Michelle tried to warn the principal, but it was too late.
"Nice try, but firearms don't work against me," the redhead said as his hand pierced the principal's stomach. He moved so fast, I could barely follow his movements.
"Looks like the teachers aren't going to play my little game," the redhead said. He moved quickly toward the group of teachers with the vice president. Immediately, screams and pleas echoed throughout the school. It only lasted a minute, but it felt like hours. Everyone at the right door was killed by the redhead. I clenched my hands in helplessness. There was nothing I could do; he was too strong, and I couldn't control my powers. With his boots covered in blood, the man strode toward us. "Let's see. Are you teachers too?" the redhead asked as he arrived, looking at Miss Bount, the nurse, and the three remaining teachers. "Oh, he looks pretty hurt!" the redhead added, seeing the boy I saved on a white stretcher next to the nurse. Well, he didn't need to. If he's hurt, he won't be able to participate in the game.
The man's fist hit the nurse's head and her head exploded, the remains of the nurse's brain splattering some of the students and the remaining teachers. Panic resurfaced. But still, no one moved; they just screamed and trembled. And everyone knew: if we moved, we would die.
"What the hell!" I whispered.
"One down. Who's next?" the man questioned with a mocking smile, he was completely oblivious to the fact that he just killed four people and exploded another's head. Not to mention that the five teachers who were crushed or pushed when he entered must surely be dead as well. "This is all unreal, this can't be happening. What's wrong with this guy? Is he crazy? How can he not feel anything after killing so many people? I have to find a way out of here. Can I? I can't leave all my classmates here. Damn it! Is he even human?! He looks like a damn monster! He's... He's a monster," I thought as I watched the redhead hide a deep thought. He was "thinking" about who to kill.
"I have to get Luna out of here," I whispered. I looked down at Luna, who was trembling as she tried to close her eyes and muttered nonsense. Her breathing was uneven, and her white skin was pale.
When I looked up, I saw the redhead approaching the boy I had rescued. The boy couldn't even get a word in edgewise; in fact, I think he just peed his pants.
"Hahaha!" the redhead laughed. "Did you just peed your pants? Pff, hahaha!" He mocked even more. "You're hilarious and pitiful, but I still can't spare your life," the redhead said.
The boy got up and tried to run, but the redhead simply kicked him in the foot, and the boy fell to his knees.
"P-please... I don't w-want to d-die," he begged, but the redhead's gaze didn't change at all, nor did his intentions.
The redhead's fist was aimed straight for the boy's head, but someone's hand stopped the blow. "What? Michelle?" I thought. That's right, MJ had stopped the redhead's blow. He knew she was an awakened woman, but he didn't know what her powers were.
"Oh?!" The redhead was surprised to see someone finally taking action. But his surprise was doubly high when he saw it was a woman, and such a young student at that. "Brave. Let's hope your absence doesn't worry anyone, miss," the man added. He kicked MJ, and she flew, crashing into a wall. The redhead forgot about the boy and focused all his attention on MJ. He walked over to where he'd sent her.
MJ spat out a bit of blood and got up from the ground. I could see the anger flashing in her eyes as she glared at the redhead. MJ's eyes began to turn red, and suddenly a red beam struck the man, sending him crashing through the gym wall that faced the street.
"Run!" MJ shouted. The students began to squeeze through the hole and flee in different directions, the surviving teachers doing the same. In just seconds, there were MJ, Miss Bount, the injured boy, Luna, and me. MJ stayed because she knew that wouldn't stop the redhead, while Mrs. Bount and I had the same thing on our minds: the injured boy. We just couldn't leave him. And Luna? No idea. I assumed she couldn't move because she was so scared.
"Come on," I said. I walked over to the boy and put him back on my back. If I moved quickly, I could carry him to safety. "We have to get somewhere safe," I added. I moved to climb out of the hole. Luna and Miss Chrisley followed me. I could see the redhead lying in some rubble in a warehouse in front of the school. I sighed; maybe the worst was over.
I saw police cars approaching. Miss Bount walked forward and waved at them. They stopped, and I approached them.
"What happened?" a police officer asked as he got out of the car. There were four patrol cars. The police officer's tired eyes told me he'd been sleeping before coming here.
"Some men broke into the s-school! They started k-killing..." Mrs. Bount began to explain, but her shrill, agitated voice made it hard to understand what she was saying. Her nerves were visible: her hands were shaking from the near-death experience she'd just had. And I wasn't the only one in that situation; even though I tried to control myself, my legs couldn't stop shaking.
Looking at myself in the police car's reflection, I could see my dirty and disheveled clothes. My once-black coat had red blood stains on it; I was quite close to the nurse when her head was blown off.
"Ma'am, calm down. The medics are on the way. You're safe now. From now on, the police will take over," I heard the police officer's voice as he tried to calm Miss Bount. "Are you saying there are still two people inside the school?" the police officer asked. Miss Bount nodded. "Where's the third one then? " she asked again.
I turned around and MJ was leaving the gym. I noticed where I last saw the redhead.
"He's not there," I muttered.
"Nice shot," the redhead said. He straightened his clothes. He was right in front of the police cars. "He's moving too fast, I thought, seeing him so close. It wasn't a great distance, but at least we would have noticed him moving. Was I too distracted? Probably. "Let me take care of the flies first," he added. His gaze swept over all the officers present, a total of approximately eight. The officers instinctively drew their guns.
"You're not the only one who can do this trick," the redhead said. His eyes turned red, just like MJ's, and a beam shot out.
"Get down!" I shouted. I threw the boy off my back and ducked. Luna also hit the ground.
The officers were confused. The beam passed horizontally, killing most of the officers; some were quick and ducked.
"Ah!" I screamed. A body fell on top of me. I pushed the body away in horror. It was Miss Bount's; half of her head was sliced off. She tried to duck, but apparently she wasn't quick enough.
"Let's continue," the redhead said. He turned to MJ. I knew very well that the helpless, furious look MJ was expressing was what the redhead wanted. "I love that look in your eyes. You're going to amuse me a lot," he confessed. I could hear a mocking chuckle after he said that.
A drop fell on my head, followed by another, and then another. It started to rain. I heard a voice, but I couldn't understand it. Immediately, I heard the voice again calling my name. I couldn't understand.
As I stood up, I saw MJ launch energy beams through her hands. The redhead simply dodged them. He approached MJ. His fist was aimed at MJ's stomach. I could see him dodging it, but the attack didn't stop there. More blows came. She couldn't dodge anymore and used her arms to cover herself. A strong blow made her back up, and her arms turned red. A gasp of exhaustion came from her mouth. Then, she jumped and began to float. She moved several feet away from the ground. She used her heat vision again. But the redhead dodged again and copied her.
The redhead stood in front of MJ.
"Ready?" MJ asked.
"I'm impressed..." the redhead said half-heartedly. Icy breath came from MJ's mouth. The redhead covered himself with his arms and then flew toward her, passing through the icy breath. A punch connected with MJ's face, knocking her to the ground a few inches from me. "It's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking," he informed her angrily.
MJ landed on top of a police car. Her face was bruised, almost as if she'd been hit by a metal bat. I saw her spit blood and wipe her mouth. I watched the redhead in midair; suddenly, a beam of heat hit him. MJ had taken advantage of the fact that he thought she was disoriented. The redhead was thrown again, I was sure he flew a good few meters.
I approached MJ.
"Are you okay?" I asked. The rain was soaking his hair and clothes. She was noticeably tired.
"I think so," she replied, trying to get up. I offered her my hand and she took it, helping her out from on top of the patrol car. "He's probably still alive, better leave before he comes back," he said, while groans of pain came from her mouth.
"Don't worry about me," I said.
"Exactly, worry about me!" The redhead exclaimed. His fist hit my stomach. I saw everything around me move. I crashed into a house and went through the wall into the living room.
"This is karma," I said, remembering when I had punched my grandfather's killer and sent him flying. Strangely, the redhead's blows didn't hurt. Isn't he as strong as he looks? No, it's not that. Maybe I'm just more resilient than I thought, I wondered. The redhead's strength is clearly exaggerated.
I got up from the rubble and left the house. A kicked MJ entered my vision. As she lay on the ground, the redhead stepped on her right leg. She writhed and screamed in pain. I moved quickly toward the redhead and before he could react, I slammed my fist into his face. The redhead crashed into the same police car MJ had a few minutes earlier.
"Come on, get up," I said softly to MJ as I hooked my hand under her shoulder and helped her walk. "Luna!" I yelled. I watched as Luna crawled out from under a police car alongside the boy she'd rescued earlier and the police officer who had previously calmed Miss Bount. "I need you all to get somewhere safe and call for help," I said as I watched them approach.
"We'd have to wait for special forces or La Unión to arrive," the police officer said. He was helping the boy walk.
"Yes. However, right now I want you to get as far away as possible," I said. I approached Luna and handed her over to MJ to help her walk. She looked like she might fall at any moment. At least MJ eased the weight by floating a little, which made it easier for Luna to carry her.
"What's going to happen to you, Mikey?" Luna asked.
"I'll stay and stall this guy until help arrives. If I don't, he could kill more people," I replied. The entire area was deserted. Not a single pedestrian was on the streets, all because the police had already issued an advisory about this area. It must have been because of the rain too; people must have been locked inside their houses. Was there no one in the house I crashed into? Strange. Maybe there was, but they were on the second floor? Probably, but I still had to be careful. I could accidentally kill someone.
"But you could die!" Luna scolded, tears in her eyes.
"I'll be okay! I'm very strong!" I exclaimed with a big smile on my face as I stroked Luna's head to calm her down, just like a brother would his little sister. "Now, go. Here she comes," I said. I watched as the redhead walked toward us.
"Please don't die! Promise!" Luna shouted as she walked away with MJ and the other two. It was hilarious how Luna tried to go fast, ignoring the pain MJ felt in her leg. I knew he was doing it unconsciously, but I'll be laughing my head off when MJ smacks Luna.
"I promise!" I yelled. The smell of blood and dampness made me uncomfortable. Nothing like the comfortable feeling of liberation that flying gave me, but now I felt very overwhelmed.
When I saw they were far away, I turned to see the redhead observing the scene. A patient, imperturbable expression appeared on his face.
"May I know who you are and why you're doing this?" I asked. I took advantage of the fact that he didn't seem to want to fight to ask him.
"Before I introduce myself, I have a question," he said. His eyes seemed to analyze every hair on my head. "Are you Michael Santana?"
"How do you know my name?" I asked. The unsettling sound of raindrops hitting the ground, plus the fact that this guy knew my name, made me even more nervous than I already was.
"Your mother says hi," he said, flashing a "friendly" smile.
"Who are you?!" I demanded an answer. I grabbed his sweater and lifted him into the air. "Are you a member of Leviathan?! Do you know my mother?! Talk!" I yelled. His face remained impassive, and in fact, I swore I could see a small smirk plastered across his face.
He kneed me in the stomach, causing me to flinch and release him. It didn't hurt, but I moved on instinct.
"Beat me!" he yelled.
I ducked and punched him back. But I didn't give him time to think, so I kicked him in the head. He fell to the ground and swept me off my feet. Then he grabbed my arm and threw me into the air.
He must have had incredible strength to be able to throw me that far while I was on the ground. I stopped immediately. I collided with the school sign.
I flew back toward the guy but didn't see him. A blow sent me crashing to the ground.
I got up and looked up at the sky.
"Not bad, Young Santana," he mocked.
"I'll wipe that smile off your face!" I exclaimed angrily.
I lifted a police car and threw it. He dodged it easily. He came closer and used heat vision, giving me no time to think, so I covered myself with my arms. Then I grabbed his head and dragged him to the ground. My arms were intact, but I was still angry and slammed him to the ground. He dodged to the side and dodged me.
A crescent-shaped kick was headed my way, but trying to dodge, I slipped backward on the wet street. Still, I fulfilled my purpose of dodging. Although not as I intended. My mind was racing as I tried to dodge and searched for an opening.
The redhead let out a scream. Another flash of heat hit me, and I crashed into the patrol car where Luna and company had been hiding a few minutes earlier. Looking down, I saw my clothes, which were burned, torn, and above all, dirty. I sighed and stood up.
"You're invulnerable, but your clothes aren't," the redhead said, laughing.
His laughter didn't last long as the patrol car hit him. I took off my ruined coat and was left with a white sweater. A sweater that was no better than my coat.
"You talk too much."
The patrol car flew in my direction; if I hadn't jumped, it would have hit me. From a distance, the redhead appeared with a bloody face and what looked like a broken nose. This time, the redhead was angry. He shot out at incredible speed. I prepared to dodge, but I had no choice; he was too fast. I had to take cover and take the impact. Still, confidence in my invulnerability dispelled all fear. The redhead stretched out his arm to strike with what I thought was all his strength.
But then, a shadow descended from the sky, knocking the redhead to the ground and preventing him from hitting me. The ground cracked, and the redhead spat out a mouthful of blood. The figure stepped on the redhead's head.
"We've arrived," Champion said over the redhead's unconscious body. Suddenly, six more figures appeared. "The Union is here."