The Returns Of The Disaster - Class HERO

Chapter 9: I Have the Trashtalk to Back Me Up

Johnny changed into the guard’s uniform before leaving Christian’s
laboratory.
It was likely that people knew he had been taken to Christian, so a
disguise was necessary. There were usually four people in the base that he
had to watch out for – Mila, No. 1, Christian, and Baltar. As Mila was
not in, No. 1 had left, and Christian was a non-factor now, Johnny's
escape would proceed smoothly as long as he did not encounter Baltar.
The main gate to the base was a reinforced steel door almost one metre
thick. Even if Johnny used all the explosives in the armory, it would still
not be enough to blast it open. The only way to escape would be through
unlocking it, and only three people possessed the security pass to do so.
One of them was none other than Christian, and, naturally, Johnny
had already acquired his pass.
However, as the main gate was heavily manned, and everyone knew exactly
who possessed a pass, escaping was not that straightforward.
If Johnny so much as appeared at the main gate, he would be surrounded
by heavy fire in mere seconds. One bullet would do only 10 damage to him,
but add them all up and he would be lucky to last for even a second.
Mm, not a bad way to go, he thought, but I think I’ll come up with a better
idea.
Johnny’s plan was to cripple their communications in order to gain a few
hours of time. This was the safest option. Currently, he was heading back to
the tuning room to retrieve the mecha arm first.
As the tuning room came into sight, Johnny was suddenly pushed from
the side. To his horror, the person who had pushed him was none other than
Baltar.
Why am I so unlucky? he groaned inwardly.
“Which squad are you from?” questioned Baltar. “Why have I never seen
you before?”
Johnny lowered his head and pushed his cap down.
“I’m new here. I’m from squad B.”
“Why was I not informed of new guards? Hold on, your voice sounds
familiar. Raise your head and show me your face.”
Johnny noticed that Baltar was slowly reaching for his handgun. Three
guards nearby had also sensed that something was amiss.
What should I do now?
If Johnny were exposed now, Baltar would definitely send guards to look
for Christian. That would be disastrous.
“This is a problem… I didn’t want to have to resort to plan B…” muttered
Johnny.
“What did you say?”
Suddenly, Johnny raised his head to reveal his face to Baltar.
“I’ve always wanted to tell you this: go see a shrink, psycho!”
“Zero?”
Johnny took advantage of his confusion and thrust his knife into Baltar’s
chest.
Unfortunately, Baltar dodged on reflex, and Johnny’s knife only grazed
his chin.
“Fire!”
The three guards hastily reached out to draw their guns. Unfortunately, they
were too close to Johnny, and Johnny managed to close in on them
before they could fire. He sent a fist smashing into the nearest guard’s face.
-48!
The punch sent the guard flying backwards into his comrades.
Johnny gritted his teeth as he turned around to make a dash for the tuning
room.
Baltar’s face darkened as he felt his chin. As he gave chase, he shouted into
the transmitter on his collar, “All agents, listen up! Come to the tuning room
on the second floor at once! Test subject Zero has gone rogue!”
All the guards who heard the news were stunned.
“Zero? Gone rogue? Are you sure‽”
“Wasn’t he brainwashed?”
“Is this a drill?”
“Are you dumb? Didn’t you hear the gunshots‽”
Johnny became strangely calm under the assault of Baltar’s gunfire. As
his brain began to process all the variables and data in his surroundings, the
world before him astonishingly changed. Johnny’s surroundings began to
be reduced to 3D lines, as though his mind were filtering out all the clutter –
making everything look clear to him. Somehow, he had entered a state of
mind in which all his brain’s functions were heightened.
“2.0 seconds to reach the tuning room. 3.7 seconds for Baltar to catch up.
The three guards will not pose any threat for another 4.2 seconds. Roughly
30.0 seconds before reinforcements arrive…”
Johnny had been through countless battles before. Although they were all
from his time in the game, it was still experience. And it was precisely
experience that enabled him to tap into this special state.
He started to run in an irregular pattern to dodge the bullets.
“Interesting. The toy wants to resist,” mused a frenzied Baltar. “You asked
for it!”
Baltar was an elite agent with over 20 years of experience. No matter how
terrifying Johnny’s learning capability was, he had essentially trained for
only 6 months. To him, the outcome was already decided.
As soon as Johnny neared the tuning room, he jumped inside and locked
the door.
Baltar burst out in maniacal laughter as he paused to reload his gun.
“Hiding in a room? You have sealed your fate!”

Suddenly, the door was blasted into smithereens by what appeared to be a
gigantic mecha arm that appeared out of nowhere. It followed through to
smash into Baltar’s chest.
-95!
Baltar was sent flying into the wall. 4 or 5 of his ribs were broken by the
force of the impact. As he got up, he coughed a mouthful of blood and
looked at the newly emerged Johnny in disbelief.
“What the hell is that‽” Baltar stared in shock at the gigantic mecha arm
that was enshrouded by the black smoke it was pumping out.
The three guards raised their guns to fire, but Johnny was a step quicker.
With his right hand, he drew his enhanced 73-WASP and fired two
consecutive shots.
With the accuracy bonus provided from his skills and DEX, Johnny’s
current shooting abilities were extremely frightening. Each bullet hit either
guard squarely in the throat.
The third guard opened fire, but Johnny simply raised the mecha arm.
Clank!
The bullet deflected.

Lightweight Heroal Arm (Left) has lost 8 durability.
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Johnny fired another shot.
The guard collapsed to his knees with an expression of disbelief.
The corridor quietened down. Johnny and Baltar faced each other off.
“The nearest guard will take another thirty seconds to arrive,” calculated
Johnny.
Johnny flexed his mecha arm tauntingly.
“I really feel like crushing your throat with my bare hands to thank you for
all four hundred and twenty cuts.”
Baltar furiously spat out some blood and laughed coldly as he unsheathed a
dagger that had been concealed within his boots.
“That was quite a punch, but don’t think that you can defeat me with a piece
of junk like that!”

“We’ll see.”
“I can kill you ten times in thirty seconds!” howled Baltar as he suddenly
pounced forward.
Johnny charged forward to meet him.
Sparks flew as Baltar’s knife clashed with Johnny’s mecha arm.
In the moment that they passed each other, Baltar bent down and aimed a
kick at Johnny’s knee with his foot. To trip the enemy from behind was
an extremely effective tactic that Johnny had learnt from Mila, and,
unfortunately for Baltar, Johnny had anticipated the move. Seemingly
with superhuman reflexes, Johnny swung the entire mecha arm back to
smash into Baltar’s foot.
Baltar’s foot was fractured by the blow. He crumpled to the ground.
-87!
The Heroal Arm had a power level of 38. Added onto Johnny's own
power level, the might of blow was already at the level of an E-grade
Superhuman. It had essentially doubled Johnny’s damage.
Johnny estimated Baltar to have a max HP of 300. Coupled with that
destructive blow from earlier on, Johnny knew that he was probably at
half health already.
Baltar was indeed extremely weakened. However, he endured the pain and
continued to attack. Unfortunately, his actions had grown dull, and Johnny easily caught his arm.
“Impossible… How could I… You…”
Baltar howled indignantly as he struggled to break free from the grip of the
mecha arm.
Suddenly, the world before him darkened as Johnny wrapped the mecha
arm around his head and slammed him into the wall.
Splat!
Baltar was no more.
Johnny dragged the already unrecognizable Baltar against the wall.
“Sorry, I lied. I didn’t crush your throat. Why don’t you get up so I can do it
properly?”
Baltar did not reply, not that he could.

You have killed Baltar, Vice-commander of the Valkyrie Lab, gaining 1,500
experience!
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