Chương 172: Chapter 49.4
Outside, after killing the last gunmen, Fenrir spun his sword once before slashing downwards. The stroke cleaned the excess blood on his blade and he placed his Tang sword on his back before turning to the unmoving Alice. His stomach churned and his vision blurred with regret and worry before he rushed to her as fast as he could, creating after images in his wake. He kneeled down and checked her pulse, closing his eyes in relief when he realized that she was still alive and breathing. Fenrir narrowed his eyes as he noticed her rapid healing process and hesitated, struggling as he wondered whether he should stay or pursue the mastermind. He wanted to run after the culprit and crush every bone in his body, but he didn't want to leave his daughter alone, not while she was severely injured. [3]
"Jason, Maple isn't on the bus," A.V.A spoke through the ear-pieces in Fenrir's helmet.
"Hmm," Fenrir grunted before turning to the bus. Applying multiple visions, he was able to see through the bus and straight at the occupants. He saw Emily slowly standing up and calming the children before heading for the door.
She'll find Alice and try to heal her, Fenrir concluded. Which means I can focus on finding Maple. Kid means too much to Alice.
Turning his vision towards the alleyway, he noticed fresh footprints and quickly ran off to pursue them before Emily could see him. In truth, he didn't want Emily to see him like this; he loathed the thought of her gazing at him in horror, like everyone else, and the very thought of it sent an unknowing pang of pain coursing through his chest. As he rushed off, he failed to notice that Alice had opened her eyes, her blue eyes glowing almost inhumanly with nary an emotion.
"Alice . . . oh my god," Emily had gathered her courage and left the bus. She saw the corpses surrounding it and nearly threw up but then her eyes found Alice and all other thoughts left her mind. She rushed to Alice and grabbed her, moving her into her arms while frantically urging her powers to heal her.
"Alice? Alice!"
Alice gazed upwards unblinkingly for a moment as Emily called out to her. A dull speck of life filtered through her eyes before she focused on Emily.
"Oh, thank God, you're alright," Emily lifted a glowing green hand to Alice's forehead as she spoke but Alice brushed her hand away and shakily stood up.
"Maple, you idiot," Alice looked around and whispered to herself.
"Alice?" Emily noticed how Alice seemed different, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The gaze in the child's face sent an unknowing down her spine.
"I'm fine, Emily," Alice answered rather calmly, her voice derived of any emotion.
"But, you're bleeding and you've got glass -"
"I've had worse. This is nothing," Alice interrupted, her blue eyes were cold and unfeeling, much like Jason's. "I have to find Maple."
Alice started walking away when Emily grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Not alone you're not."
"You can't," Alice spoke quietly. "You need to finish healing Ms. Grace and keep the other children safe. You also need to call the police. You can't abandon all these people for one person, for me."
Emily hesitated when she heard Alice's words. Logic dictated that she was right, that Emily needed to focus on everyone, but the fact that she was hearing this from a child, one who was moving after such a grievous injury only made it seem surreal.
"I - I can't let you go out there alone," Emily finally said, refusing to let go of Alice.
"But I won't be alone," Alice answered cryptically as she gazed into Emily's eyes. "You need to let go now."
Emily lost herself in Alice's gaze, the blue eyes seemed to calm her down even as it peered into her soul. The calmness within the voice only serenaded her, and she inadvertently listened to it, releasing Alice's arm. Alice made her way into the alleyway as Emily gazed blankly at her back. Only after Alice had disappeared did she shake her head and regain her senses.
"Shit!" She swore when she realized that Alice was nowhere to be found. She wanted to pursue her but turned back to the bus.
I'll make sure everyone is fine then I'll go after her, Emily decided, unsure if it was her decision or Alice's.
***
"Here, little pretty. Come out, come out, wherever you are," Salamander sang in a singalong voice as he made his way through the dark alleyway. A low screeching sound echoed as his claw-like hand scratched the wall while he moved forward in a deliberately slow manner. "Daddy wants to play."
Maple who was hiding underneath a pile of garbage within a dumpster, shivered while curling her legs closer to her chest. She wanted to cry but was afraid it would reveal her location. Unfortunately, she heard the cover of the dumpster opening and soon a face with a wide grin looked down at her.
"Found you," Salamander sang, his smile growing wider as his hand reached into the dumpster. Maple's eyes widened with fear as the hand slowly grew bigger as it approached her.
Ah, this is the best, he thought. That moment of despair, that face when they're under me, the cries for help, the taste of their flesh . . . I just can't get enough.
He could see every inch of despair on her face and it filled him with perverted glee. Though before Salamander could reach out and fully grab her, he felt a presence descending at a rapid pace and he spun around. Fenrir landed in front of Salamander and kicked him squarely in the chest Spartan-style, sending him flying backwards with bile spilling from his mouth. He slammed through a solid wall and disappeared from sight.
Disgusting insect, Fenrir thought, his mind blank with rage. He didn't need to conclude on what Salamander was intending to do to Maple: that revolting gaze he was giving her was enough to let him know that he should kill him to prevent the bastard from harming any other child.
Turning around Fenrir grabbed the barrel of the rifle one gunman was holding and crushed it. The gunman was unaware and fired his rifle, causing the bullet to combust in the chamber and explode the gun. Fenrir turned to the other shooter, the marksman who shot the bus down, but froze when he saw the latter holding a live grenade.
"Ne dvigaysya," the shooter said in Russian. "You can survive this blast, but can she?"
The shooter gestured at Maple who was peeking from the top of the garbage canister and Fenrir grimaced. At this distance, the shrapnel would pierce the dumpster and injure Maple.
Well, there's a simple solution to that, Fenrir thought as he raised his arms in faux surrender.
"A.V.A," Fenrir growled in a barely audible voice. The grappling pivot on his right shoulder activated in a split-second and fired straight at the grenade. It hooked itself on the base of the grenade and sent it flying from the shooter's grasp and into a safe distance where it exploded without harming anyone.
Before the shocked shooter could react, Fenrir closed in and grabbed his hand. He broke it while kicking at the shooter's kneecap, shattering it. He then moved behind the shooter and punched him in the back, dislocating his spinal vertebras before clutching his neck and pushing him down to the ground. The shooter's good leg twitched and jerked as Fenrir slowly choked him to death, his cold eyes staring into the bulging eyes with complete apathy until, finally, a sickening crunch was heard and the last spark of life exited the shooter.
Once he made certain that the shooter was dead, Fenrir moved back to the dumpster and lifted Maple out of it. He placed her on the ground and checked her for wounds as his breather moved to the side and the upper part of his helmet slid upwards, revealing his entire face.
"You okay?" Jason asked a trembling Maple who nodded frantically before hugging him tightly. Jason froze for a moment, unsure of what to do before finally returning the hug and patting Maple in the back gently. Suddenly, Maple looked over Fenrir's shoulder and pulled back, fear etched across her face and Jason's face changed as well when he heard a sight sound behind him.
[3] He has no sheath on his back since realistically it's impossible to unsheath a sword that's strapped to your back. Instead, he uses a portion of his powers to telekinetically strap it to his back. Of course, there's an emergency electromagnetic attachment to his back should the need occur.
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