Chapter 19: Episode 18-19: The Evangelist's Move
The weight of Captain Maki's words hung heavy in my processors as she spoke in the briefing room. Her statement about the "strongest bonds being forged in the fires of battle" echoed in my mind, a concept as foreign as the playful banter I shared with Hibana.
As I scanned the faces of my fellow firefighters. Faces that were no longer simply colleagues, but comrades forged in the crucible of shared infernos. Hibana stood amongst them, her fiery gaze meeting mine for a fleeting moment before flickering away. A faint warmth, a sensation entirely alien to my cyborg frame, bloomed in my chest.
Captain Obi, his weathered face etched with grim determination, took center stage, the holographic display flickering to life behind him. It depicted a bustling civilian district, a stark contrast to the usual Infernal lairs we frequented.
"Attention, Companies 1 through 8," Captain Obi's voice boomed, echoing through the room. "We have received intel of an imminent Evangelist attack targeting Central Plaza."
A collective gasp rippled through the room. Central Plaza was the heart of the city, a vibrant hub teeming with innocent civilians. The audacity of such a public display of violence sent a jolt of outrage through my circuits.
"Their objective is unknown," Captain Obi continued, his voice laced with steely resolve. "But we can't afford to underestimate them. Expect heavy resistance. This is a full-scale operation."
The briefing continued, outlining the deployment strategy and potential threats we might encounter. As the details sunk in, a cold determination settled over me. This wasn't just another Infernal outbreak. This was a deliberate act of terror, a declaration of war by the very organization shrouded in secrecy.
The klaxons blared, jolting everyone back to the present. We scrambled to gear up, the familiar weight of my armor a comforting presence. As I shouldered my modified fire extinguisher, a hand brushed against mine. I looked down to see Hibana, her fiery eyes gleaming with a mix of apprehension and excitement.
"Ready, metalhead?" she smirked, a playful jab barely masking the seriousness in her voice.
"Always," I rumbled, a flicker of something akin to confidence sparking within me.
A wry smile played on Hibana's lips. "Let's show those Evangelist freaks what Company 8 is made of."
With a final nod, we joined the throng of firefighters surging towards the awaiting firetrucks. The city lights blurred past the window as we sped towards the heart of the chaos. Reaching Central Plaza, the scene that greeted us was one of utter pandemonium.
Flames danced across buildings, casting an eerie orange glow over the smoke-filled streets. Screams echoed through the air as panicked civilians stampeded in all directions.
"Deploy!" Captain Obi roared, throwing open the truck doors. We sprang into action, a well-oiled machine honed through countless infernos. Hibana, her fiery hair a beacon in the smoke, propelled herself towards a burning building with her signature reckless abandon.
I, however, opted for a more strategic approach. My enhanced vision scanned the environment, identifying potential weak points and pockets of civilians trapped in the inferno. With a surge of power, I propelled myself through the air, landing amidst a group of cowering civilians.
"Move to the designated evacuation point!" I boomed, my voice cutting through the pandemonium.
The civilians, momentarily stunned by my metallic presence, scrambled to obey.
As I ushered them towards safety, a new wave of heat pulsed through the air. Turning my head, I spotted the source – a towering figure cloaked in white, their eyes blazing with an unnatural yellow light.
This was no ordinary Evangelist agent. This was a power unlike any I had encountered before.
"Well, well," the figure drawled, their voice distorted by a mechanical filter. "Another interesting specimen."
They raised a hand, and a wave of white-hot flames erupted from their fingertips, incinerating a nearby building in an instant.
The raw destructive power sent a jolt through my core. This wasn't just fire manipulation; it was something far more sinister, a terrifying glimpse into the Evangelist's true potential.
"Who are you?" I demanded, stepping forward to shield the remaining civilians.
The figure chuckled, a cold, inhuman sound. "Consider me a harbinger of things to come. A demonstration of the Evangelist's true power."
Their gaze flickered to the civilians huddled behind me, a cruel amusement twisting their lips.
"And you," they sneered, "are nothing but a glorified fire extinguisher. A tool to be crushed."
Before I could react, the Evangelist agent launched themselves towards me, their body wreathed in an aura of white-hot flames. My reaction time, honed through countless battles, kicked in. I threw myself to the side, the searing heat singeing the paint on my shoulder armor.
A deafening boom echoed through the plaza as the Evangelist agent slammed into the spot I previously occupied, leaving a crater in the pavement. They rose from the debris, their white cloak billowing like a phantom's shroud. My enhanced vision scanned their body, searching for weaknesses amongst the blinding white flames.
"Impressive reflexes," the agent rasped, their voice still distorted by the filter. "But reflexes alone won't save you."
They lunged again, their movements swift and agile despite their bulky frame. This time, I was ready. With a surge of power, I activated my enhanced leg thrusters, propelling myself upwards just as they reached me. Their fist collided with the spot where my head had been, sending another shockwave through the air.
Hovering a few meters above the ground, I assessed the situation. Trading blows with this agent seemed like a fool's errand. Their fire manipulation was unlike anything I'd encountered – precise, controlled, and seemingly limitless.
"You fight like a cornered beast," the agent sneered, "but your technology pales in comparison to the power of the Evangelist!"
Their words fueled a cold fury within me. This wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about protecting the innocent lives caught in the crossfire, about proving that blind faith and fanaticism were no match for logic and calculated action.
"Perhaps," I rumbled, my voice echoing across the plaza. "But logic and steel can overcome even the most fervent prayers."
With a newfound determination, I unleashed a concentrated blast of compressed air from my modified fire extinguisher. The powerful jet propelled me forward, aimed directly at the agent's chest. They raised a hand, seemingly to block the attack, but the force of the blast knocked them back several meters.
The agent stumbled, momentarily disoriented. It was a small window, but it was all I needed. I focused my core energy, channeling it through my amplified arm. My fist crackled with a surge of electricity – a desperate gamble against their fire manipulation.
With a deafening roar, I slammed my fist into the agent's chest. A blinding flash of light erupted, momentarily engulfing both of us. When the light faded, I found myself on my knees, my arm aching from the impact.
The Evangelist agent stood a few paces away, their cloak smoldering but otherwise unharmed. They stared at me, a flicker of surprise momentarily crossing their features.
"Interesting," they muttered, their voice devoid of its earlier arrogance. "You possess a curious blend of technology and… primal energy."
Before I could respond, a high-pitched scream pierced the air. My gaze snapped towards the source – a young girl, trapped on the second floor of a burning building, her face contorted in terror.
Hesitation was not an option. Ignoring the throbbing in my arm, I propelled myself towards the building, weaving through the flames with reckless abandon.
"Genos!" a voice – Hibana's – echoed behind me, laced with a mixture of concern and anger. But her voice faded as I focused on the girl, her wide eyes filled with a desperate hope.
Reaching the building, I smashed through the window with a powerful punch, ignoring the shards of glass digging into my metallic skin. Smoke billowed around me, obscuring the girl's coughing figure.
"Don't worry," I rumbled, pushing through the smoke. "I'm here to help."
Scooping the girl into my arms, I shielded her with my body and made my way back to the window. Just as I reached the ledge, another figure crashed through the window behind me – the Evangelist agent.
"Leaving so soon?" they taunted, a cruel glint in their eyes. "Don't you want to see how this little play ends?"
My circuits screamed in protest as the Evangelist agent landed hard behind me, the shockwave sending tremors through the building. Fear, a primal emotion I was still unfamiliar with, flickered within me for the trapped girl. I couldn't afford distractions. Focusing on the task at hand, I activated my enhanced jump jets, the building groaning under the sudden strain.
With the girl clutched tightly to my chest, I propelled myself out of the window. The agent surged forward, their white-hot fist aimed at my back. But they were a hair too slow. We burst through the flames, soaring above the plaza just as the building behind us erupted in a deafening inferno.
The wind whipped past my audio receptors as I descended towards a group of firefighters struggling to contain a separate blaze. Hibana, her fiery hair momentarily obscured by the smoke, spotted us and rushed forward.
"Genos!" she roared over the cacophony, her expression a mix of relief and fury. "Get that girl to safety!"
I landed with a heavy thud, the girl scrambling out of my arms and into Hibana's waiting embrace. Relief flooded my processors as I saw Hibana usher the child towards a designated evacuation zone.
Turning back to the burning building, I saw the Evangelist agent emerge from the inferno, their white cloak charred but their form seemingly unharmed. They landed gracefully on the ground, their gaze fixed on me.
"A commendable display," they rasped, the amusement back in their voice. "But your heroism is a mere flicker in the coming storm."
I ignored their taunt. My enhanced vision scanned the agent, searching for any sign of weakness. Their control over fire was formidable, but perhaps their physical form wasn't as impervious.
"We'll see about that," I rumbled, crouching into a fighting stance. My core pulsed with power, the electricity crackling around my amplified arm a silent promise of a devastating counterattack.
The agent mirrored my stance, their white flames intensifying. A charged silence broken only by the roar of the flames and the desperate screams echoing through the city.
As we charged at each other, a new wave of heat rolled over me, but this time, it wasn't from the Evangelist. Glancing upwards, I saw a figure descending from the sky – a woman cloaked in black, her long white hair whipping around her face. It was Iris.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone