Ignavus : City of Blood

Act 17 : A Monster to Evade

“Do we have to slay them this early?”

Shanice stood still before the glimpse of the pair. From their current position, they have around five hundred meters to escape from the beast’s madness. One of them has twice as larger composure in comparison to the regular Caedes that they have had encountered earlier. Fetching across ten meters in terms of size, the creature’s solid white character has engulfed the whole rooftop of the Police Headquarters beneath. Its sturdy skeleton-based exterior buries the vulnerable part of the head straight to the bottom of its tail. For some, one should call the beast as an all-skeleton counterpart of Caedes, as no assortment of flesh could be seen revealed at the top.

The other beast, on the other way around, resembles the regular structure of Caedes that Shanice Gilmore and her fellow combatants have dealt against. Its main differential feature stands upon the size construction that estimates around eight meters in length.

~c***k~

Gads Gilmore quickly deploys one of his smoke grenade under their feet. His sister learns on such intention that the curly-haired woman pulls herself away from the open-bare vision of the beast,” Hide behind the wall, quick!” She laid out a whispering scream upon the radio receiver immediately. John took his wife’s hand and joined their leader to conceal themselves behind the brick fence of PangaeaMart. Elisa goes forth to do the similar, but mainly dedicated for Natasha Gastano who was left in static mode after the two Caedes’ arrival.

~tap-tap-tap~

“Graaaa!”

The white ones caught a Police officer in its wake. She managed to evade instant death caused by the crushing entrance and still capable on dragging her feet away from the rubble. Most of her colleagues have been flattened to smithereen, so the female officer has to feint herself out against the pair of artificial-made creature instead.

~bang-bang~

She could run no more. Instead of wallowing in hopeless manner, the Policewoman tries to land a few hit onto the skull of the white beast by the shot from her pistol,” Die, you forsaken demon! Die!” She shouted amidst tears that were flowing on her face. Indubitably, none of her shots could inflict a noticeable damage on the beast. Its outward skeleton was way too impervious for the blast to make an injury onto the body.

“I won’t be defeated like this!”

~bang-bang~

The pristine-white beast given her chance to lay off two more shots before its elongated tongue encircles her waist. In a split second after, the beast snapped off her body as it pulls the woman directly into its wide jaws straight away, killing the policewoman instantly before being eaten in a whole. Its physique swells slightly larger once digested the newfound victim by a few centimeter wide. Human eyes will never saw it coming until the beast devours a hundred of them in its voyage.

“Graaa!”

The brown Caedes springs forward for finding its own meal of the day as the cloud gradually turns to dusk. Most Brathe citizen have been on their pathways to escape by the northwestern gate. It inhales their body odor by lashing out the long-winding tongue for detecting the most congregated territory across the city. Fifteen seconds on the clock for the brown beast to find its primary target, a human prey to digest, then it immediately follows the track once getting the prime spot to do so.

~drap-drap-drap~

Its gigantic posture shatters the land in each footsteps taken during the stride. The beast goes past the white vapor and crawling four-legged ahead of its impending objective across the west. Once running out from the cloud that produced by the grenade, sounds of assault rifle emanates throughout the street as soon as the city civilians grasped such presence behind their back. Yet, all that the five of them could perceive was annihilation and shrieking tones from the unfortunate civilians that were marching too close before the beast.

“How could we evade this kind of threat, Shanice? We no longer have nuclear bullets left.”

Gads Gilmore questioned as they witnessed the white beast’s advance. Rather than taking the similar route to its familiar, the white Caedes selected the opposite way and taking its direction towards the south. There were also citizens surrounding the exit gate, a meal for the sustaining growth of the beast, hence its way forward towards the unsuspecting civilians around that part of the city.

Against the close-by menace, Shanice was seemingly forgotten to lock her gaping mouth that goes wide. Her forefinger stood in front of the lips for shutting her subordinates down by means of order. Indeed, they will never pretend to lose their obscure position and luring the beast towards the convenience store, even without further command from their appointed leader to lay low.

~drap-drap-drap~

It requires two jumps for the white Caedes to reach its supposed feasting ground. Counter-actions ensued by straight weapon-firing ahead of the emerging assault, but none of them were seemingly fruitful against the beast. The skeleton-made exterior were too thick for any bullet to be penetrated. Explosive grenades makes the beast stunned a bit, but harmless and untouchable against the following gunfire that rams the head in consecutive manner.

The smoke has now subsided.

Shanice heaved a sigh before her fellow survivor. She grabs both ankles for treating herself against apprehension that struck her a moment before. Despite her casual demeanor, they could perceive her tremble that appeared across the feet, “Sorry lads, I’ve got myself overwhelmed. That was seriously near, I’m shaking from nervousness somehow.” Muttered the leader as the curly-haired woman begun to cleanse off the mounting pressure upon her heart. Her brother does felt the same kind of distress addressed into his demeanor. Perspiration swells up all over the bearded man’s body in opposing the steam of anxiety that follows.

“I thought the beast would approach us, back there. We’re crouching way too close.” Added the bearded man before her sister’s relief. Gads Gilmore wipes the excessive sweat with his left forearm to prevent them on encroaching the glasses that he was wearing,”I thought it would sense our asses behind the wall, but i think that beast surely has preference in consideration.”

Elisa embraced his husband tight against the harrowing winds that has been elapsed. John himself was afraid of getting caught by such invincible creature, as much, so the black-haired man clasped Elisa’s hand tight against the tide,”I don’t want to lose you, babe.” Muttered the blonde-haired woman towards him. John Straverman addressed his response by kissing her on the forehead.

“Me too, honey, me too.”

Natasha Gastano got herself a little bit irritated by the show. The woman scratched her ear amidst their affection that goes present,” You’ll never be losing each other, but could be dead altogether.” She mocked. Before the couple could lay off a protest, she brings forth a palm beforehand,” I’m putting a jest on you two. It’s okay for you both to have a goodbye kiss all the time.”

“Quit it, Natasha. Your attitude made me uncomfortable.” Gads Gilmore apprehended. He nudges towards his sister, which was still on trance somehow, so the man returns back to the auburn-haired woman and gazes upon her in grim-looking face,” Don’t mess around with your teammates.” He then rattled.

The auburn-haired woman pouted her lips, but said no further reply otherwise.

Shanice herself has been slowly returned to the real world. She patted both palms onto her cheek for dealing against the rigidity poised under the skin of her face. A woman with immense ratio of a risk-taker was relatively rare to become terrified. Due to her usual parade against the battle of death, Shanice has no fear emitted when it was about beating another human in one-on-one brawl. Her tactical prowess sustained absolute progression against any adversaries that the woman has to be faced. Weapon differences and rag-tag domination will never brought her down before the small percentage of winning odds, let it be about sheer numbers or a warfare-worth firepower on the opponent’s disposal.

But now, their opponent were beast-like material with impenetrable behavior and inhumane resistance to regular weapon. Petty tactics and psychological warfare would never work towards an instinct-based creature with unknown capabilities such as the pair of Caedes before them. Aldo Meridic could also installed some intellectual prowess for them to think, as much, that the eccentric mega-billionaire like him would enjoy being public enemy of the world rather than a savior of humanity.

John Straverman noticed that their leader has eventually regained composure towards their battles. She glances towards the four of them without missing a point on her vision,”You’re alive, aren’t you, Shanice? I’m raring to pack some food in our bag right now.” The black-haired man blurted towards Shanice once her eyes met. She smirks slightly while facing eagerness imprinted on the widened eyes of the man.

“Yes, I can think more clearly, now. It’s do or die in our scenario, after all?”

replied Shanice, smiling in confidence and putting her common sense to its station once more,”There should be some ways to beat one of them down. If it’s survival game worth 20 billions, Aldo Meridic would have devised some hints before the game started.”

Natasha Gastano raised her hands upwards,” I’ve heard them telling us that it would be responsive against least-killing person in the region. Could that also be used as a clue for us for some reason?”

Gads Gilmore stared at the face of her fine-spirited demeanor. For the bearded man, Natasha Gastano has amassed more weight than what she once was a day earlier, gradually returned as a beautiful personality in the end. She has been putting some weight ever since their accidental encounter in the tunnel of Neatol’s junkyard. Her skinny feature was still intact, of course, yet her flower has bloomed in one day after being feed in constant manner.

His blank and vivid expression towards her face made the auburn-haired woman slowly felt ill and brought her to glance back in annoyed look,”Tell me your business or I’ll eat you like Caedes would, you punk.” She goes exasperated. Regardless of her insinuation, the bearded man kept his own vision straightened up, until their leader has to ease off the intensity boiled down within,” Stop it, Gads. You’re eating her up with that stare of yours.” She insisted.

“I’m just taking a closer look towards her transformation, really. Sorry if it’s startled you up.”

Despite his imminent apology, Natasha Gastano appears still in utmost hatred towards the bearded man’s advance. Her leering eyes emerged to become more severe before his existence and gleaming still in animosity against the man,”Yeah, whatever. Where was I?”

“About the clue, Natasha.” John Straverman mentioned,” You wanted to tell us about your opinion.”

“Ah, it is quite simple for me, I suppose. If that man set up his beast to be hostile against the least killer amongst the competitor, we could kill the beast if we’re having loads of body count in our tally.”

Her preposition instigated ideas into their mind. Shanice scrubs her chin in respect to such logic. Before the auburn-haired woman and her absurd way to settle against things, nobody would expect Natasha to apply rational corroboration into practice,”Yes, Why do I rejected that obvious answer? I swear, I’ve had them on my mind, but I-“

Gads Gilmore interrupted his sister’s statement by a petty grin over his face,” Being your brother, sis, I’ve known that is just simply your excuse. You haven’t thought of that like we do.” He denied her at once. John appears on the same league towards the bearded man, nodded in agreement before his suggestion and made a few blink on the run.

“Yeah, It’s pretty common for a leader to be absent about stuff, Shanice. Admit it, and you’ll be alright.”

John Straverman stated, then pointed across the street afterwards,”What about you tried her proposal, Shanice? We’ll help you as a back-up. I think you’re quick enough to dismiss that beast if it’s somehow failed.”

Instead of accepting her husband’s notion, Elisa goes into denying his suggestion and applying a shook against it. Her face frowned and ogling towards the black-haired man in rather negative response.

”It’s too risky, babe. No one should face them headfirst. You see how that beast goes berserk, right?”

Natasha shrugged, but then bobbed her head slightly towards the blonde-haired woman subsequently,”I’m kind of on the same boat with Elisa. I’m thinking that way without any proof. We don’t want to lose our safety because of mere prediction.” She added. Much to their concern about the leader’s well-being, the final statement would stick onto her own deliberation. Gads Gilmore goes no further and awaited her last resort at the most. John and her wife, including Natasha Gastano behind them, have also stick towards her lips and anticipating a follow-up ordinance into place.

“What say you, sister?”

Shanice waved her glance over each member of their team. She was the notorious and cold-blooded assassin amongst them all, indeed. She had over 10 quick incapacitation into her list and exceeeded the whole member’s tally already. If Natasha was speaking over facts, the curly-haired woman was the sole candidate to test them out.

“Back me up, will ya?”