Zarek's steps didn't pause. Trying to catch him off guard with such petty tricks would have likely only worked in his first life.
Zade was unfortunate. He fell for it, and then it threw off the rest of his battle. How could he have been at full strength when his bones were rattling around in his chest? But that obviously wasn't a problem for Zarek.
The real issue was that he was pretty sure that clone was only a first line of defense, and that shadow he had seen on top of the building definitely wasn't there for show.
The problem wasn't the danger this would put him in. The real issue here was the fact that there was definitely a network set up here, surrounding the high-rise condominium, all for the sake of ensuring that they didn't receive timely reinforcements.
Originally, this mesh of defenses was here to stop the people at the main GFI building from getting here and helping. But now… Zarek was the only one here and he was suddenly facing a team of people prepared to take on an entire elite squadron.
But once again, this wasn't the crux of the situation. It was what it would mean downstream…
That he would be delayed.
Delayed from getting to Priya.
**
Gabe raced down the stairs. After Priya, he was probably the second to sense the changes, as he was among the most sensitive to Godsfall and its changes. But even so, he was still a measure too late—and much less decisive.
Even so, he rushed out into the lobby, managing to make it out after a battle with one of Van Hollen's many clones. Luckily, it was a clone downstream from his main body not just once over, but twice.
Unfortunately, Gabe's combat experience wasn't all that great, so he still ended up injured, but he made it here nonetheless.
His first instinct was to rush out, but he found Priya and Zade waiting there, looking toward his location. At first he thought he was in for another fight, but that didn't end up being necessary.
"You all… what's happening?" Gabe asked, huffing for breath.
"Someone is attacking us. The situation is a bit tricky because we cannot leave the building right now. It's more dangerous outside than it is inside," Zade replied.
"More dangerous? How could that be possible?" Gabe asked, trying his best to keep his composure.
There was some madman inside who was practically a one-man army. Gabe had personally seen him collapse into a pile of energy, only to almost run into the same man several times more. This wasn't the sort of enemy they could deal with. They had to run.
At least Gabe had killed Turned before. He didn't even know if killing Van Hollen was possible.
"If you go outside now, you'll become one of those monsters. That's what the rain is doing," Zade explained, remaining just as calm.
Priya didn't try to interject. As much as it annoyed her, she knew that people would be more inclined to listen to Zade than a teenage girl. For the sake of their success, it was best Gabe hear Zade out first.
Once they had more people gathered, then they could handle the situation with greater ease. People would be more comfortable when there were more of them present.
She could already see Gabe calming down a bit as he looked to the heavy rain outside with some fear. He was sensitive enough to feel the strong energy out there, but he could also feel that his Talent was repelling it somewhat, as though it subconsciously knew that it wasn't good for him.
"What is the plan?" Gabe finally asked.
"We stand our ground. If we go into the building now to try and save everyone, it will have the opposite effect. This time, it's my fault for miscalculating. I didn't expect that we would be attacked by fellow humans while we've been dealing with all of this—"
"That thing is human?!" Gabe reacted as though his tail had been stepped on, and the expressions of both Priya and Zade became solemn as they realized something.
Van Hollen was covered in a blubbery skin right now. It was designed to protect him from the Crimson Rain, but they had neglected one other thing.
It made him look ridiculous.
Not ridiculous in a way where one would feel the need to point and laugh, but ridiculous in a way that made one feel as though what they were looking at wasn't human…
It seemed that everyone in the building already assumed they were being attacked by Turned, and that was probably exactly what Van Hollen wanted. Maybe from the very start, this was the real reason he chose to attack on his own.
Before they could even begin to respond, another figure rushed out. A woman.
This woman was yet another familiar character. She had been present on the day of the bridge raid, and had been right next to the one who asked a question about the government. Eumada was her name, if Priya recalled correctly.
This time, Priya did take a more active role. Unfortunately, that required actually physically stopping her from trying to bulldoze her way out of the lobby entirely.
After she got Eumada to stop trying to scratch and claw past her, they finally got to explain what was happening.
"I… this is ridiculous. This is too ridiculous. This place is supposed to be safe. I can't even sleep, can't even sleep in peace…"
She shivered from head to toe, her eyes still red.
Priya grabbed her shoulders, stabilizing her and forcing the older woman to look up at her.
"If you want a place you can sleep in peace, you have to defend it. No one is going to come and save you."
Eumada trembled again, tears falling from her eyes. Maybe for some people, these words would be all they needed to hear. But for others… this sounded like nothing short of a nightmare.
She was just a normal woman. That battle on the bridge had completely terrified her. She only managed to make it here because her Talent was a little bit better than others and she was already in the city to begin with.
But now she had to fight?
It was too much. It was all too much.
Priya frowned when she saw the woman's reaction to her words. This wasn't going well. How many more times would they have to do this to get everyone to cooperate?
She had thought that maybe since she was a woman too, it would be easier for her to convince Eumada this time rather than Zade. But it wasn't working.
Her eyes flashed.
"Eumada, right? I know your Talent. You can harden yourself and any objects you touch, correct?"
Priya spoke again as she seemed to come up with an idea.
"Yes… wait, how do you know that?"
"All I need you to do is keep a hand on my gun for me and harden my bullets. You don't need to do anything else. If something goes wrong, you can run first. Alright?"
Eumada took deep breaths. "That's it? You won't make me play shield for everyone?"
"That's it. Promise."