Iron angel (Book 1 of IA)

[19] Last stand

Outside the library, people were chanting and pushing at the gate. Their numbers were swelling.

"How long can the gate still hold?" Isa asked Lebi as she stared at the image in the sight orb.

"A few minutes."

"Time to get into position fresh meat." Isa said as she turned and began to leave the office.

"Yes sir!" I followed. Outside the hallway lights were turned off for the plan, after walking a certain distance Isa turned to me and said:

"Don't forget your orders, unless you want to become dead meat." Her glare was like a dagger under my skin, slowly carving fear onto every inch of my body.

"Understood sir." I tried to stand as confidently as possible.

She held the glare until she was interrupted by the sound of the gate breaking.

"Here they come."

I nodded and gulped trying to ease the feeling of dread. Outside the crowd approached with a storm of swears and curses.

"Veni," Isa called out. "Open the door now, then head to the office immediately, your duty is over."

Veni was a small shy teenage elemental girl who could apparently use wind magic.

"Ok!" The door cracked open. Veni fled up the stairs and into the office. Veni had gotten to safety, but out mission had just started. Down below a dozen people entered the mansion, all carrying weapons, some sticks, some axes, but no guns.

"Sir, do you think they are close enough..." I whispered, with both my eyes glued to below.

"Be quiet." Isa snapped. A blue light popped up from her night vision goggle. "Wait for my signal fresh meat." She held up a hand.

"Yes sir." I looked down again. Most of those who entered seemed to hesitate when confronted by the darkness that laid before them, as well they should. Yet, slowly, they began to make their way forward into the darkness inch by inch.

The door should close just about now... I thought. The door began slowly creaked shut behind them. And when it clicked shut all the heads turned back to the doors.

"Now." Isa snapped.​

Without hesitating, I aimed my robotic arm and used by laser beam to cut the vine holding the flower net made by Mimi. In the darkness I watched the net land on the small crowd. It was received with a thunderstorm of curses and confusion.

"The grenade." Isa snapped again.

I had almost forgotten about the grenade she had given me earlier. I fished around in my pockets for it. Once I had it in my hands, I looked to Isa for further instructions.

"Use it! You dumb meat!"

Throwing a spicy grenade, when they are already tangled in a web in the darkness below? Dang.

But honestly, compared to pissing off Isa, it was nothing.

So without further ado, I pulled the pin and chucked it into the middle of them. Then I scrammed to get my back turned to the small bomb. A moment later, a small blast erupted below. Agonizing screams and tortured cries filled my ears and the chamber beyond. Thank goodness, I didn't have to see it all; it was like hell down there.

"Put it on now, fresh meat." Isa nudged something against my shoulder. Just by feeling it, I knew it was night vision goggles. I put it on; the world lit up in blue particles. I could see, and more importantly I could see all the chaos below.

"Just knock them unconscious, then move on to the next one." Isa said clambering over the railing.

"Don't disappoint me fresh meat." She jumped over the railing and landed on the first floor.

Dang.

Removing jumping off the second floor as an option, I quickly ran down the stairs and towards my first target.

The guy was about twice my size and armed with an axe; but, he was still stunned from the spice grenade. I had watched him run into bookshelves and walls on my way down the stairs.

I clenched my fist, then threw out my first punch straight at his armed hand, knocking his axe free. Sensing his attacker, he swung his fist desperately. I easily countered stepping back just like Isa taught me to. I got behind him and grabbed hold of his wrist pinning it against his back. He tried desperately to throw me off, but my grip remained steady. All he could do was kick at my shins, a move I knew how to counter, I quickly stamped my knee against his back and used my body weight to pin him against the floor. On the ground he continued desperately struggle or should I say 'flop like a fish on land'. He was so big that it was hard for me too completely pin him down. That was when I made my first mistake.

With a vicious flop the top of his head connected with my jaw, causing me too lose my grip and fall back. The man tried to grab my face, but only succeed in ripping off my goggles. Now without the goggles, I was as blind as a bat during day. My opponent was bigger, stronger. All I could do was put all my faith in my one week of training. The man already knew his plan to grab my head failed, so he tried to hug me death, wrapping his entire body around me. Instead of normally panicking, I let my training handle this, first, I stomped on his foot as hard as possible with my heel, and then put both hands on his chest and pushed us apart. He let out a feral scream and threw himself at me in a tackle. I felt proud stepping aside letting him slam into the bookshelf.

Dang. I just beat an armed man twice my size!

Just as that thought popped in my head, a voice called out to me from the darkness.

"What are you doing fresh meat?"

"I took out a man sir."

"All that time and only one person?" There was no praise in her voice only condescension.

"Yes sir."

"Hmph. That's why you're still fresh meat." Isa started walking. By listening to her footsteps I was able to follow.

"How many did you take out sir?"

"11, I already piled their bodies near the door."

"Dang...wait did you just say pile their bodies?...sir?" I said queasily.

"Took me sometime to drag all those soft meats. Now open the door fresh meat." Isa stopped so I walked around her and felt for the door. Once I found the door I pressed down on the lock and pushed outwards.

A ray of sunshine slipped inside. Outside the mob remained; they looked ready to burn down the library. But as soon as they saw us and the unconscious bodies lying around us, there was a look of disbelief on their faces and the crowd shifted back a bit.

"This is your last warning, leave now or be arrested." Isa yelled as she removed her goggles and strapped it to her side, then looked to one of the bodies on the ground as if saying; or you can end up like them.

The crowd looked at one another. There was still several hundred of them, the majority armed. But with Isa on my side, I felt like this would be a win served to us on a silver platter.

They backed up.

We stepped forward.

Q: Have you ever got into a major fight before?