The Last Saint

5: The Fires

The constructs spread out, but Karuso ordered them to wait. He stepped forward with a cocky grin. Adam began to swing at him, but Karuso dodged or blocked every punch with ease. finally, he punched Adam hard in the face, knocking him to the ground, and laughed.

"So this is what the Fourteenth is capable of? I must confess myself disappointed!" Karuso announced, kicking Adam's ribs hard, and then leaning down to grip his throat. He picked Adam up from the ground, squeezing his throat as he did.

The gym doors burst open, and someone emerged from the halls. Adam was expecting Eve and Ryan, but when he looked, it was Garamond. And his gun was drawn.

"I'm Detective Garamond from the police, I want all of you to get face down on the ground now, and put the boy down."

Karuso laughed as Adam began to gasp for air, and waved the constructs over. They all formed arm blades and began to walk towards Garamond, who smirked with that same arrogant look Adam hated. He fired into the chest of one of the constructs, which fell over and turned to ash. Unfazed by the supernatural phenomena before him, he gunned down 5 more, and began to fight the others off with his fists. Despite looking pudgy, the detective was surprisingly adept at martial arts. Still, it was 6 against 1 and he was at a major disadvantage.

While Karuso was watching the spectacle, Adam kicked him in the stomach, causing Karuso to recoil and drop him. Coughing, Adam struggled to recover. Meanwhile, Garamond ran back into the hallway with the other constructs in pursuit.

Karuso kicked Adam over onto his back, and stomped down on his chest. Finally, he crafted a dagger from the air, and knelt down beside Adam, raising his hand.

A loud bang rang out. Garamond had returned, and fired a shot into Karuso's shoulder, and the pain caused him to double over. Garamond then turned around and began shooting down the constructs one by one with his revolver, however when there were only two left, one swung and hit the gun from his hand.

Adam climbed to his feet and ran over, as Garamond narrowly avoided getting cut to pieces. He tackled one of the constructs to the ground, and Garamond used the chance to grapple the other, throwing him to the floor and stomping his head until he turned to ash, then giving the other the same treatment. Finally, he helped Adam up.

"How did you find me?" Adam asked.

"I've been following you. You didn't expect me to just let you walk around on your own did you?"
Garamond replied. "Anyways, I think we should call it a day and get the hell out of here."

But as he said that, Pyros, who'd been eerily still so far, raised her hand, and the door slammed shut. Garamond tried to open it but it was stuck. Karuso also got up, and his wound began to heal rapidly. Garamond picked up his gun and began loading it while Pyros summoned her sword. 

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm gonna assume we're going to have to fight our way out," the detective said.

Adam nodded.

Garamond raised his gun and began to fire at Pyros but each bullet seemed to hit a barrier and ricochet off. In response, she fired a fireball, which struck him in the chest, throwing him against the wall. Adam ran over to him and wrestled his gun from his fingers, holding it up, his hands shaking.

She launched more fireballs, but Adam started to run. As he did, one struck the door, blasting it off. Finally, Karuso got close, and from his hand a whip of flame formed and coiled around Adam's ankle, tripping and burning him.

Suddenly everyone's attention was stolen by Eve and Ryan, bursting in through the destroyed door. Eve charged at Karuso, who somersaulted away, letting his whip disappear. Ryan helped Adam to his feet while Eve began fighting Karuso, who's fists became engulfed in fire. When he struck her, it burned her body and pushed her back with explosive force, but she kept up her attack with the sword.

Despite Karuso's proficiency, Eve kept him on the defensive. Unfortunately, Pyros summoned 5 more constructs, who jumped into battle as well. One broke off, moving for Adam, who fired the last 3 shots in Garamond's gun at him.

Eve was in trouble; she could barely keep up with the many incoming attacks. Ryan urged Adam to run away through the open door. But he saw the constructs surround Eve. And he knew what he had to do.

He ran in and shoved one, punching another in the face. Eve repelled Karuso and Ryan pushed another, preventing Adam from losing his head. Adam then grabbed Eve's scabbard and used it to block and parry attacks from another construct. finally, the kids regrouped and stood back to back to back while surrounded.

One by one, Adam defended against the constructs, Ryan grabbed them, and Eve finished them off with her sword. Together, they eliminated all of them.

But then, a fireball hit Eve in the back, knocking her down, while Karuso moved in close and beat both Ryan and Adam up in close range. Still, they were saved once more as Garamond rose to his feet and tackled Karuso. Eve too recovered and stood.

Garamond grappled Karuso but was pushed off as the construct rolled away stood once more.

"Enough!" The detective yelled to Karuso. "The police are going to be swarming in here any second now. And while the woman can stop bullets, the hole I put in your shoulder tells me that you can't."

Pyros grimaced. She raised her hand and created a portal. From the portal, emerged a man bound and gagged, held down by two constructs. He was the spitting image of Adam, only slightly older. They kicked him down, making him kneel.

"Dad!" Adam yelled, while Ryan held him back.

"You're right, that is enough," Pyros said. "Fourteenth, come here now. Or I will kill him."

Eve stood between everyone. "Over my dead body bitch!" 

She put the sword to Adam's dad's throat, which burned his skin, causing him to scream in pain. Adam shoved off Ryan and ran towards them, but Eve grabbed his arm, yanking him back.

"No!" she shouted, tears in her eyes. "She'll kill you!"

He pushed her off. "He's the only family I have left! I have to!"

His dad struggled under the ropes. Pyros pointed at Eve. "She's coming with us too. Tie her up, Karuso."

Adam raised his arms. "No! It's me you want, you only need to kill one of us!"

"She's the seed, I need her alive. now hurry!" Pyros replied. Karuso began walking towards her.

Eve stood up, and looked at Adam. He looked back. Her eyes were bloodshot. "If you were to tell me to die for you, I would do it without hesitation. but I can't let her kill you. Even if you hate me for saving you."

Before Adam could say anything, Eve threw her sword at one of the constructs and rolled past Karuso, retrieving it and swinging at Pyros. Adam immediately swung, hitting Karuso over the head, and rushed over to his dad. Pyros clashed blades with Eve, and kicked her back, while Adam grabbed his dad's arm and pulled him up.

But then, Pyros kicked Adam back and raised her sword. At the same time, Eve stepped on Karuso's throat and raised hers. She yelled at Pyros; "Let them go or I'll kill him."

The sounds of the police approaching caught everyone's attention. Pyros smiled menacingly.

"Do it." She swung. Adam screamed, as his dad's head slid off. Pyros then retreated through the portal, and it closed behind her.

Adam watched his dad's body slump over. His mind went blank and his body seemed to just cease functioning. The sight of his dad's head was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness.