Outside City Heart Hospital.
Around twenty police officers were guarding the barricade surrounding the hospital premises. Dozens of media reporters were standing outside with cameras, mikes, tape recorders, cell phones, and so on.
"We have confirmed the daughter of Senator Patrick Weisz is alive," A female reporter said on a mike, "She is out of danger but unconscious."
"The Weisz family was lucky but others were not so blessed," Another journalist reported, "So far the casualty count has crossed 3000."
"For those who are joining us just now, the city is under a deep state of crisis after four bomb blasts," A male reporter spoke in a heavy tone, "The office of the mayor, military base, the mermaid fountain street, and police headquarters were attacked."
"As per our sources, suicide bombers carried out this tragedy," A young journalist reported, "It is still unknown how the bombers were undetected by advanced security checkers."
"Some sources believe the explosives used couldn’t be detected by the current technology," An older journalist spoke, "We would bring you---"
The reporters stopped as their attention moved to the entrance of the hospital.
Cleo slowly walked out accompanied by guards. His face was soaked with tears and his eyes were red.
"Mr. Cleo, how is your sister?" A reporter asked as Cleo moved.
"She is out of danger but...she would never be able to walk," Cleo muttered with a sound of sobbing mixed in between.
"Oh no!" Reporters and the police officers were shocked by the news.
Never able to walk?
They couldn’t imagine just how pitiful this would be for a young girl.
"She was always kind to others," Cleo sumped down on the road surface, "Why didn’t the gods took me in her stead?"
Cleo took out his purse from his pocket which contained a picture of him and a teenage Felicity. Felicity and Cleo were hugging each other in the pic, and one couldn’t help but marvel at the love between brother and sister.
"How can those terrorists be so cruel?" Cleo wailed with anger, "So many innocents suffered due to them."
The reporters recorded the entire scene. They felt pity for him but that didn’t stop them from carrying out the job.
This scene was a great TRP material and they wish to exploit it.
----
VIP Ward.
Patrick and Kyla were sitting on chairs in the corridor. From time to time they would glance at the ICU entrance afraid of any terrible news.
The door opened and the head doctor stepped out.
"Is she well?" Patrick left his chair and rushed towards the doctor.
"Yes," The doctor answered, "She should be able to regain her consciousness by tomorrow."
"Thank you," Kyla said while wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I’m only supervising her and nothing else," The doctor sighed, "The one who saved her is not me."
"...." Patrick and Kyla didn’t say anything.
They obviously knew the doctor was referring to Zed. Now the doctor was just following the suggestions left by him.
"Please excuse me," The head doctor took his leave.
....
Kyla and Patrick returned to their chairs thinking about the conditions of their daughter.
"I was unfair to that kid," Patrick said in a barely audible tone, "He loves her just like us and for me to blame him..."
"He didn’t take offense," Kyla pressed his palms, "He understands your behavior earlier was a natural response of a father."
"I would apologize later," Patrick lowered his head.
Kyla was in the middle of contemplating on how to respond when she noticed two men walking towards them
"Mayor? Sylvan?" Patrick raised his head.
"I’m glad your daughter is out of danger," Mayor said.
"It relieves our heart," Sylvian added.
"Thank you," Patrick expressed his gratitude before changing the subject, "Did you found the revolutionaries?"
"We would get a lead soon," Sylvian said in a matter of factly, "They wouldn’t be spared."
"That’s good to know," Patrick nodded.
"I must say you truly love your daughter," The mayor said.
"?" Patrick and Kyla looked at him in confusion.
Why was he stating something obvious in the middle of this topic?
"It isn’t every day that a parent gifts his daughter with such a powerful defense charm to protect herself," The mayor said in deep appreciation.
"Charm?" Patrick asked in confusion.
"Come on, no need to act," Sylvan’s eyes scrutinized the couple, "A bracelet made from the alloys of Vajra and Adamantine surely deserves to be called as a charm."
"Rest assured we won’t be sharing this with others," The mayor said with a smile, "We all have our secret resources."
Patrick was shocked by their words but he didn’t let it appear on his face.
"I’m grateful," Patrick said after which he held small talks.
A few minutes later, the mayor and Sylvan left~
"What bracelet?" Kyla asked in confusion.
"I don’t know," Patrick said as he brought out his cellphone to open the reports. He swiped multiple records from the hospital archives and the police records.
"This is...?" Kyla glanced at a video on the phone screen.
The video showed Felicity in a free fall from the top floor of the building. She was surrounded by a rectangular silver barrier.
It was clear from the video that a silver bracelet on her hand was responsible for this protection. The video ended with the bracelet turning into dull brown supposedly after losing its power.
When the guards brought her to the hospital for treatment, they took away the bracelet and gave it to the forensic department.
"You know this bracelet?" Patrick asked.
"She has been wearing it from a few weeks," Kyla muttered, "I never asked her about it though."
"I see," Patrick nodded his head, "If someone asks about it, just tell that it was given by me."
Th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\
"I will," Kyla agreed with the suggestion. She has a faint idea on who has gifted her daughter with such a precious charm.
Patrick too has his suspicions but both of them agreed to never share the details with others.
"Where is Zed?" Patrick asked a moment.
"No idea," Kyla shook off her head, "He isn’t picking my calls."
----
A large warehouse lied on the end of an empty street in the downtown. The warehouse looked abandoned when one glance at it with all the dust and garbage lying around.
But if one looks carefully, they would notice around hundreds of small CCTV cameras in the perimeter of the warehouse.
Furthermore, the shutter appeared to be made from special metals. Even the attack of missiles couldn’t rip apart it.
Inside.
The seven revolutionaries were sitting around a chair. The chair has seven glasses of water, and at the center, a small holographic projection was projected.
The projection was in the form of a young man.
Cleo!
"I did what you asked but you couldn’t even carry out a small task," Cleo’s expression was filled with anger.
"Everyone else in the explosion died so how could you fault us?" Yuzi asked in an annoyed tone.
"Yuzi is right," Simon added with a frown, "That girl must have some protection if she survived the onslaught of nanites."
"Not even the strongest mutants could survive the nanites directly," Rufus spoke with a deep voice, "The nanites are more aggressive towards a being with a higher power."
"So for her to survive could only mean an unnatural occurrence," Yuizi concluded.
"Don’t try to pass the blame on me," Cleo’s projection shouted, "It is your---"
Cleo’s expression changed.
"Fuck! The police have located you," Cleo said with fear evident in his voice, "They would be arriving in ten minutes."
"What?" The revolutionaries stood up from their chair.
"Run now!" Cleo said as his projection disappeared.
"Pack up!" Rufus left the table.
Zzzz
The next moment, one tube light after the another turned off.
"What’s going on?" Yuizi asked.
Their eyes could see through the dark but the sudden loss of light gave them an eerie feeling.
"Check the CCTV," Rufus commanded.
"Yes," Simon pressed a finger on his watch screen. A small virtual window popped up above the watch.
"How could this be?" Simon muttered glancing at the window.
There was nothing on the window except color bars.
"Has the police arrived?" Yuizi asked in a low voice.
"Don’t think---" Rufus stopped as he felt an ominous feeling.
The warehouse was suddenly filled with a wave that chilled the heart. Their breathing stalled while innumerable snowflakes streamed down.
"W-what is this?" Yuizi touched the snowflakes falling on her body.
The snowflakes were not white but blood-red. Just the mere touch made her feel as if she was in the depths of cold hell.
"How is this possible?" Rufus moved his eyes towards the table. The glasses of water were now frozen with layers of ice.
Every single layer was covered with a streak of blood-red line.
Rufus’ pupils contracted to the size of a needle as a realization hit him.
Killing intent!
It was the true manifestation of killing intent!
Just how many people one has to murder to manifest killing intent in such a fashion?!
The only sound in the entire warehouse was the sound of heartbeats. None dare mutters a word as their hearts jolted under this indescribable killing intent.
BANG~!
The dreadful silence was suddenly broken from the end of the warehouse. The seven turned their heads around and looked with complete disbelief as the shutter was blown apart with a loud bang.
"W-who is there?"
There was no response from the entrance which was filled with nothing but dust and smoke.
Slowly, the seven could make out a figure of a man. The lack of light and the turbulent air made it hard to see the facial features.
~step~
The man took a slight step forward. The ground trembled and the floor cracked open with each step carrying the pressure of a mountain.
"I will check the invader," Simon muttered in a low voice, "You all get ready before more people arrive."
"Yes but be careful," Rufus nodded.
"I can easily buy out a lot of time no matter how strong that man is," Simon said as his facial features distorted. In just a second, he transformed into a giant ape with the skin of titanium.
He quickly leaped with full speed towards the entrance to face the unknown enemy.
"Prepare for evacuation," Rufus hastily said, "We have---"
SMACK~!
"ARGH!"
Rufus’ expression turned into astonishment as he heard the sound of bones fracturing followed by a scream. He turned around and didn’t dare believe the scene in front of his very eyes.
Simon was flowing towards them like a kite with its string broken. His stomach was caved in, and as he flew back, he sprayed blood mixed with broken teeth.
SMASH~!
Simon smashed on the floor with his limbs spread out.
"I-impossible," Yuizi stumbled back as she glanced at her companion.
He was still an ape but his jaws bones were shattered into pieces. The fragments of the bones pierced his titanium skin to reveal the flesh inside.
Simon was trembling with blood gushing down his head. The blood inside him was in a turbulent mess and he opened his mouth to spit out blood mixed with flesh.
"Just who is he?" Rufus glanced at the man who was slowly moving forward.
The man gave him a glance, and as he did, Rufus felt as if he was targetted by a primordial beast.
All the blood from his face faded into white while his eyes bulged in horror. He took a step back and fell over...