Spies, Volume 1: Hurricane

Chapter 11 - The Battle Continues

Nick stood up and swung at Phoenix's head with his escrima staff and sent him staggering back towards a door. "Yep, you've got my cockiness, alright," he said, punching his opponent with multiple head shots before ramming his body through the door, which led to an empty room. He then snuck a look at Phoenix's leather buckled boots. Wait, what are those... This punk stole my boots, he thought struggling to pin Phoenix to the floor.

Raven suddenly reached for the light switch and saw Nick up against the wall. A gun was aimed at his head. "No..." she said, running up to Agent Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Miguel was in hot pursuit of the ASO's commander. "Not today!" he lunged at him, taking him down to the floor as he pinned him there.

The commander chuckled. "Miguel, you should have realized this sooner." He activated his comm link and gave Phoenix his command: "Eliminate them."

Phoenix cocked the gun back and pointed the gun at Nick again while he placed his finger on the trigger. "Give it up, Agent Striker. You've lost... forever," he said, smiling evilly.

Raven suddenly ran up and wrapped her hands around the gun and engaged in a tug-of-war with Agent Phoenix. She was knocked onto the floor and slowly scrambled backwards, feeling her hand wrap around something cylindrical as she looked behind her. Nick's staff. That's it! she thought while throwing the black and blue weapon at Phoenix's gun, knocking it out of his hand.

Nick quickly got up and scrambled towards the gun, firing several bullets at Agent Phoenix... but then gasped.

Phoenix was wearing Kevlar, a bulletproof material, which was also used to create Nick's Agent Striker outfit. "Idiot." He kicked the gun out of Nick's hand and reached up for it, shooting him.

Nick was knocked down, and chuckled. "Not this time, dude. I got Kevlar, too..." he quickly stood up and lunged at Phoenix, pinning him to the ground as he pulled out a throwing knife from his boot.

Phoenix pushed the agent off of him and brandished his own weapons before combining them into a staff.

Miguel turned on his com-link and overheard the battle that was going on. "Nick, remember all the training you went through!" he instructed.

The ASO commander was able to squirm free and race off to find his agent, with Miguel in hot pursuit once again.

Phoenix sent Nick staggering back against the wall with a roundhouse kick and fired a bullet that ricocheted off the wall, nearly hitting Raven in the head.

"Raven, run! Go find my-" Nick groaned and rolled out of the way as Phoenix's hand hit the wall, creating a hole. "Get out-" he was suddenly taken down hard and pinned to the floor.

Raven ran up and delivered a hard kick to Phoenix's head, slightly dazing him. "Nick, I'm not gonna lose you again," she declared before assuming a fighting stance.

Phoenix stood up and swung at the girl with his weapons, nearly knocking her down with a couple swift strikes.

Nick immediately reclaimed his weapons and delivered a crippling blow to Phoenix's legs, making him drop to the floor as a gash appeared. "Time to finish this," he stated while dealing a couple more hard blows to his opponent's head. He stood up and once he was sure that Phoenix was knocked unconscious, walked over to Raven.

She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him in for a long, overdue kiss. "Nick, we should get out of here before he wakes up," she said while looking back at Agent Phoenix. She grabbed Nick's hand and walked out of the room.

Phoenix stood up, and followed them before yanking Nick back, slamming his head into the wall hard. He then turned to face him, pulling out his gun. "For the last time... say goodbye, Striker," he smirked and placed his finger on the trigger.

Raven acted quickly and engaged in another tug-of-war with Phoenix, attempting to snatch the gun away from him.

Meanwhile, Miguel forced the AAO commander against a wall and pinned him there until help arrived. "Now, Gregory... you and I are gonna have a little discussion about Agent Phoenix," he said, glaring at him.

The man simply chuckled. "You're too late, Santiago. Agent Phoenix has already been programmed to eliminate your best agents."

"I have faith in my agents. They'll be able to take him down," Miguel replied.

Nick finally regained his consciousness and saw Raven and Phoenix fighting for control of the gun. He walked up and twirled his weapon, attempting to daze their opponent and end the battle, but missed and struck the pistol instead, knocking it out of their reach.

Raven then started fighting Phoenix in hand-to-hand combat, something she excelled at vastly. After sending the agent against the wall, she landed a devastating high knee and forced Phoenix onto the floor, seemingly knocking him unconscious for a second time.

Nick then rushed over and stood next to her. "Okay, babe. I think we should go now before he wakes up again," he said while looking into her eyes. But then he looked over her shoulder and saw Phoenix fire off a shot... using his second gun. Nick acted out on his instinct and spun around, so his uniform would absorb the bullet's impact.

Raven then ran up and kicked the gun out of Phoenix's hand and used her soccer skills to kick the weapon over to Nick, who cocked it back and pulled the trigger. Nothing came out except for an audible click. "Aw, man!" Raven was pinned onto to the floor as Phoenix prepared to deliver the final knockout blow... but then a very loud ping sound erupted throughout the room.

Miguel and the ASO Commander heard it and quickly sped down the hall, coming across an open door.

Nick had blocked the oncoming strike and re-directed the staff towards Phoenix, who staggered back towards the wall. He then pressed a button on his weapon as a blade popped out of the top end. Here's where 2 years of playing Black Flag pays off he thought while throwing the escrima stick, aiming it straight for Phoenix.

The agent narrowly avoided the weapon and brandished his own staff. "How pathetic," he sneered before running towards the agents.

Raven ducked the attack and kicked Phoenix's shin, making him drop the weapon. She then picked it up and slid the blade back in before downgrading the staff into two escrima sticks and watched Striker retrieve his own pair of weapons.

A group of ISA agents then rushed in and pointed their guns at the AAO commander and Phoenix.

"Face it, Phoenix. You guys are outnumbered," Nick said while twirling his weapons. "I suggest you surrender right now before someone-"

The ASO commander quickly shoved Miguel off of him and fired shots that struck the ISA agents, causing them to drop instantly.

Raven quickly turned around and flicked her throwing knife at the ASO commander and hit his hand, making him drop the weapon as Miguel threw him into the wall and knocked him into unconsciousness.

Phoenix quickly slid onto the ground and picked up one of the guns while firing off the last bullet, watching as it struck Raven's chest with it. Bullseye he thought while smiling. But then he looked at her, a look of shock appearing on his face.

The bullet had been absorbed into her uniform, although the impact caused her to lose her balance a little. "You didn't think you guys were the only ones wearing Kevlar, did you?" She smirked while pulling out a second knife and flicked it at Phoenix's hand, knowing the pistol had exhausted it's final bullet. It fell to the floor with a clatter.

"ENOUGH!!" Phoenix roared as his uniform started to modify, taking on an all red hue. He brandished his escrima staff and downgraded it into twin sticks as he rushed towards his opponents.

Raven and Nick followed suit and ran full speed, gripping their weapons tightly.