Aesop's grip tightened around the gun as he reloaded. Blood was spattered around him from the bodies of men that tried running inside for cover. Let it be inside or outside, the Abyss was finished. He could only hope Eli was safe deep inside the tunnels as he took his aim. Meanwhile, Wu'Jiu was having the time of his life passing and receiving orders from Bi'An through an earpiece.
"Get the one with the red tie- YES!"
He seemed to take this more as a game than a task as he startled his sub-ordinates with his happy cheering. Bi'An was poised on the roof, concentrating as he squinted through the scope. His left knee was sore from kneeling on the rough concrete, but it didn't matter. Occasionally he turned his scope to Joseph, who was crouched behind a concrete wall, Hk416 in his gloved hands. At some point Joseph seemed to have spotted the glint of his scope and looked up. He raised his hands in a salute and smiled.
No, smirked.
Bi'An smiled a bit before he turned back to aiming for the scattering enemies. Above on the buildings, Andrej was enjoying his time with his AWM. He'd missed that familiar muffled sound, that rush of adrenaline as he held his breath and aimed.
-------------------------------------------
Two Abyss members dashed into an alleyway behind the buildings, unbeknownst to the Mafia.
"Alright... We- We should be safe!"
"Yea. Don't think they're this smart to have people in here."
"C'mon, lets get outta here."
They advanced down the alleyway, thinking they were safe from the bullets. About three minutes down the alleyway, a fog started spreading around, but this wasn't a place where it should happen. The two became wary, but continued on nonetheless. Soon the fog became too thick for them to even see their own fingers.
"What the hell?! I swear if this is a joke from some kid."
"They are so dead if we find them."
A strange humming filled their ears. The two jolted around, trying to find the source of it, pointing their guns around wildly. They fired random bullets at random directions, all while the strange humming was still resonating in their ears. Suddenly it stopped, and silence engulfed them. One of the males sighed in relief, pocketing his gun. He looked behind to his partner, but didn't see anyone. It was only when he looked down that he saw it.
The mangled mess of a body, blood pooling around it. There were lacerations all over his neck, chest and torso. His shirt had been torn to shreds, revealing the gleaming red mess underneath the fabric. The man retched, leaning against the brick wall as he looked away. Fear struck his body as he realized whoever did this had been hidden in the fog, probably following them from the start. He wanted to back up, to run and call for help.
There's a killer in the alleyway! Ruuun!
No. That made him sound weak. The Abyss would never accept him like this, a coward. He took out his gun again, pointing wildly as if it even helped. The humming began again, but the fog didn't return. His heart hammered in his chest as he backed up, ignoring the wetness soaking into his shoes as he stepped into the pool of blood.
"Do make this easier for the both of us, will you?"
He bumped into something solid behind him, rather someone. Slowly, he turned around, only to stare at a grey, bloodied mask. Red eyes peered back at him, and he would think Jack was scrutinizing him like a disgusted parent had it not have been for the glinting blade at his throat. Despite being concealed under a mask, the male could hear the crazed grin in Jack's voice.
"Nighty night~"
The blade slid across his skin nicely, red blossoming on red as crimson spattered onto the grimy brick wall. The executive let the body fall, kicking it aside in disgust as he went to the other body. He stared at the bodies for a while before taking off his mask and dipping his head in a silent bow.
----------------------------------------------------
Eli winced as the bullet grazed his cheek, but it didnt stop him from wresting a gun from someones hands and firing. The sound of a body slumping onto steel surface told him the bullet had hit home. He slid out of his hiding spot, aiming at the steel crates where the gunshots had sounded from. He fired, downing another man. There seemed to be no more of them as the air filled with silence, excluding the excruciating howls of the male on the floor. Naib dashed into the room, panting.
"ELI!"
"Im alright Mr Subedar!"
"Fuck Mr and call me Naib. Did you get hurt?"
"Well, no. But by the looks of it, you have."
Eli scanned him up and down, noting the blood on his clothes and the droplets oozing from the gash on his cheek. Naib shrugged it off.
"C'mon, we gotta keep moving."
"What about Mr Campbell?"
"He went down the other tunnel himself. He knows that tunnel, so I trust that blockhead. Also stop with the formalities, it makes me feel older than I should already be."
"Sorry, got used to it."
The mercenary shrugged as they pushed through a steel door. Nobody was there this time as they checked behind the crates, pulling up the tarp covers and opening boxes. Naib pocketed some more ammo as Eli strapped another gun under his coat.
Down the tunnels, Norton's boots connected with the skull of a man. He blinked as blood spattered over his face, disgust crossing his eyes for a brief moment before he looked over to the huddled people in a corner and nodded his head. They scrambled out, uttering their thanks.
People change over time Norton. You've seen that in yourself already.
Jack's words resonated in his head once again as he watched them escape, reminded of himself as a weak child.
People change over time, Norton.
Norton wandered down to the next tunnel, humming the tune that he always caught Jack humming.
I wonder what made Jack change like this...
