“This…is getting really old.” I muttered the words to myself while I got up from the ground.
The first thing I noticed was that Cross’s overgrown lab coat had been scorched off. The second thing was now that he was shirtless I could see that stitches were all across his body like he was some sort of patchwork creature. Another thing that I managed to notice was the fact that his stitches had some sort of heat resistant substance covering them. Because it didn’t appear as if they had been damaged at all. Cross’s skin however was red while some parts looked like he had sustained first degree burns, others looked like he had minor second degree burns. Cross started stomping toward me that’s when I noticed his arms were the size of watermelons.
“That explains why he’s been playing tennis with my body.”
I aimed my AK-U13 and clicked the button on the size shifting from smaller barrels to large barrel until I reached the largest one the U13 had. Without wasting a second I fired baaaarp baaaarp baaaaarp. The bullets pelted Cross’s body chipping away at the severally burned parts which appeared to bother him because he was growling at me. It didn’t take long before he was charging like a bull. Instead of moving back I ran forward while holding the trigger baaaarp baaaaarp baaaaarp baaaarp. Small patches of skin were flying off Cross as he ran toward me…click, click…click. Great out of ammo. Cross took that as a sign to pick up the pace reaching me in an instant, he grabbed the barrel of my rifle crushing it in a second.
“It was out of ammo anyway.”
I jumped back while Cross held onto my rifle but I wasn’t fast enough he punch my chest sending me backward. I slid on my back for a while, the squishy sound of mud filled my ears while I slid back. I guess this jacket wasn’t new anymore. After sighing I put my hands to the ground and stood up.
“Maybe I need to try a new approach.”
Wiggling the fingers on my left hand while it dangled at my side. A green ball of energy formed. I shot it at the ground in front of Cross then shot another and another at the ground Fwwhhhoo…fwhhhooo. Dirt and smoke rose into the air, so I pressed my feet against the ground and jumped while thinking about a green hummingbird flying around. Once the smoke cleared Cross looked around and around looking for me but I was nowhere in sight.
“Up here.” I yelled, causing Cross to look up.
Once he did he saw me dropping toward him with my elbow aimed at his face. Crunch…
“Aaaaaaaah…aaaah.” Cross yelled while grabbing at his nose. Blood ran through his fingers while I charged forward the second I landed. Hygrometal wrapped around my arms while I struck the left side of Cross’ stomach, he bellowed in pain as I hit the right side of his stomach as well. Cross staggered and swiped at me blindly, it was easy to dodge since he wasn’t aiming and his swings were too wide. I kept close to Cross bounced on my feet allowing me to bob and weave, striking fast I kept unloading body shots. I made sure everyone of the punches I threw was powerful, each and everyone seemed to be doing some level of damage to Cross. Well what do you know, I’m making progress. Jumping into the air so my feet were level with Cross’ head. I turned in the air and kicked at him. Cross responded by grabbing hold of my foot and holding it firm.
“I was making progress.” I said the words to myself because I highly doubted Cross was concerned with whatever I was saying. The hygrometal coating my hands receded while heat started generating in my left hand just before a ball of fire appeared. Then a stream of fire poured forth washing over Cross’s face, he couldn’t let go of me fast enough. Quickly slapping at his face to put the flames out. That’s when I noticed that the entire forest smelled like a bonfire it probably wasn’t the entire forest just the area around me. It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was because I tried to oven roast Cross earlier. While I sniffed the air I noticed that smoke was rolling into the sky blotching out the sun. The area around me was steadily getting darker because of it.
“Cross make Noble pay. You will PAY.”
“Shut up! I make you quiet.” I mocked.
Moving in close I kept my hands up just like Shield had shown me some time ago. Then I stayed light on my feet by bouncing, Cross swung at me and I ducked effortlessly then hit him in the stomach dead-on. The hit hurt my hand a little since there didn’t appear to be any fat on Cross’ body, his six-pack was a fine example of that. I didn’t care if it hurt, jabbing quickly at Cross’ body then evading any incoming attack he threw at me. If I didn’t know any better fighting Cross seemed a lot easier. Cross ironically threw a right cross toward my head, I side stepped to the right then moved in close and let loose three fast punches to his side. Left, right, then left again. Ohhhh that’s it. It took me a moment to realize it but I had been fighting Cross all wrong the entire time.
Owwwww…the fact I was lost in thought allowed Cross the chance to hit my chest causing me to stagger back for a moment. I didn’t care though, immediately moving in bobbing and weaving around any of Cross’ attacks. Cross’ swings were too wide so he had a problem fighting at close range, he was kicking the tar out of me earlier because I kept fighting him at a distance which was ironically the exact opposite of what I needed to do. Cross continued to attack when I got too cocky, he managed to graze me but other than that it was like I was untouchable as long as I stayed close to him.
The fact that Cross wasn’t too bright helped a lot to. Just because I had the upper hand didn’t mean I wanted to spend the entire day fighting him. I needed to end this soon. With that thought in mind I bounced on my feet and started striking Cross all over, hitting him with a couple punches to the chest, some to the stomach and I wasn’t going to forget about all the times he hit me in the face.
“Raaargh.” Cross yelled as yet another one of his punches missed.
By now it was getting harder for Cross to keep track of me because I was moving all around him. Eventually I made my way behind him, sending a barrage of punches to Cross back, he jabbed his elbow at me hitting me in the nose.
“You wanna play like that. Huh?”
I stomped on the back of Cross’ right leg dropping him to one knee. Then I wrapped my left hand around his neck pulling him back. Cross tried to stop me from pinning him so I kneed him in the back then processed to pelt his side with a barrage of punches. Cross yelled out in pain as I continued to hit his side, the more I hit him there the more it hurt. Not just because the pain was building but because I was hitting him harder and harder. Why won’t he go down? Cross getting fed up with the pain started to squirm attempting to hit me. Most of the time he just tried to elbow me in the head which I managed to dodge without much of a problem.
“Your aim sucks. You’re gonna have to try a lot ha…..”
The color red flashed in front of my eyes for a moment. Cross managed to elbow my fractured rib, my grip on his neck loosened for a moment. Which gave Cross all the incentive he needed to continue attacking my rib. Almost like he was a machine he started jackhammering my rib…..the pain….the pain….flared like crazy my mouth was open but I couldn’t yell out. Crunch….
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaah.”
For at least ten seconds all I could see was red, my body was completely numb all except my now broken rib. I finally let go of Cross’s neck staggering backward while he turned around and struck my face punching me to the ground. My body skidded back for a while.
“Aaaalok.” I coughed and blood gurgled in my mouth.
My hearing felt weird, Cross was approaching but there was nothing I could do at the moment not if I didn’t have time to rest. At worst one of my lungs was punctured and I would choke on my own blood. I have no idea how a punctured lung feels but I know that I could still breathe, I was just in a lot of pain. Even though I was in pain I stood up…it wasn’t until I noticed that I was standing taller than Cross that I realized I wasn’t standing at all, Cross had grabbed me by the neck.
“Cross kill Noble now.”
He smiled a creepily awkward smile and began choking me. My hands barely moved to
his hand trying to get him to stop but I couldn’t. Racing…No…thoughts…air…dying… huuu… huuu…huuu. I tried to suck in air but couldn’t that’s when I noticed something was approaching in the corner or my eye. Cross didn’t notice it which made me wonder if it was even there, that’s when a fist decked Cross sending him flying. Cross had let go of me and I dropped to the ground someone or something caught me. Huuuu…huuuuu…huuuuu my vison was blurry so I focused on breathing that’s when I could see that my rescuer had short curly black hair and I happened to know the man very well. I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or if Cross had killed and I was in the afterlife….huuuu….huuuu….huuu.
“Easy there Alex. Don’t go dying on me after I made it all the way here to help you guys.
Huuuuu…huuuuu…huuuuu. “Huuu…Shi….Shield?”
“The one and only.” Shield said with a smile.
Chapter 40
Carter
“You should just drop dead already you know that.”
“Yeah I’ll do that. Right after I see the lights leave your eyes Adam.”
Adam grinned while the air around him wobbled, three doppelgangers emerged each with that same annoying grin. I took a deep breath preparing myself to take each one of them down. My fingers wiggled at my side while electricity jumped between them. Thrusting both hands forward, two bolts of electricity shot forth disappearing two of the doppelgangers. The third doppelganger and Adam twitched for a moment just before they charged at me. I rushed toward the doppelganger just as Adam made more.
“Seriously don’t you know any other party tricks?”
Adam laughed. “What about you. The fancy lightshow starting to get real old my friend.”
Even if he meant it ironically it still sickened me to hear him use such a familiar tone. I wasn’t going to let him get to me though if he did that then he’s already won. So I just ran hitting one of the closer doppelganger zeeeet one down. Zeeeeet two, zeeeet zeeeet five. Interestingly enough the more doppelgangers I destroyed the less likely he was to make more. It’s obvious that he hated being zapped. He could avoid it easily when he was doing the dodging but when it came to his doppelgangers it was a little more difficult. A slight smirk went across Adam’s face while I rid myself of the last doppelganger.
First Adam jetted toward me so I launched an arc of electricity at him. The way Adam ran by, my shot went across his shoulder barely missing him, he increased his speed and appeared in front of me in moments. Adam threw a punch forward while I put up my guard SMACK…my feet slid across the mud involuntarily from the force of Adam’s punch. Adam chased after me sending another punch hitting me in the face, I planted my feet as firmly as I could so I slid back but not nearly as far as the first time. Lunging forward I launched a left cross at Adam’s jaw, he didn’t bother dodging instead he sent a left cross as well.
The second our crosses hit both of us stood firm and sent another punch forward again and again. Each landing a few body shots before we both kicked each other’s side, the very moment our feet touched the ground we brought them up again kicking our respective sides. We repeated this three to four times each kick was faster than the last. Eventually I grew sick of it so I stepped forward while Adam sent another kick toward my side. Quickly grabbing his collar and pulling him toward me I punched him in the face repeatedly. Adam responded by head-butting me which almost caused me to stagger backward so I threw my head forward hitting him back. Then both of us brought our heads back and threw them forward head-butting each other.
Both of us staggered back for a moment. I made my move before Adam could, hitting him in the throat twice one with the knuckle of two of my fingers on my right, the second with my left. While Adam stepped back after each of my hits I moved forward keeping on him. First I sent a one two combo at Adam’s head. Second I sent a swift and powerful uppercut to Adam’s solar plexus knocking the air of him like a balloon.
“Haaaaaaaaah.”
Bring my left hand back while rotating my upper body helped store up power. Not wanting to waste my opportunity I rotated forward while letting lose my punch. Everything went into slow motion, I saw my fist fly, Adam standing there dazed. Then I saw the moment of impact, my fist pushing against Adam’s cheek, his facing turning away from it. And then everything went into real time, Adam’s body launched forward but it didn’t go far because I wasn’t done yet.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I said the words aloud just as I wrapped my hand around Adam’s foot, turning quickly I pulled him toward me and slammed him down in front of me. Adam’s body bounced off the ground for just a moment before hitting the ground a second time. I felt pretty good about myself right now. Adam didn’t look like he was getting up for a while not that I would give him the chance to. It was the end of the line I was going to end this here and now.
“I’d say it’s been fun. But we both now it’s been anything but that. Do me a favor though would you? Don’t go quietly.”
I smirked while I sent a current through Adam’s leg his body spasmed for a moment while I aimed my free hand at his chest. While the current went through him I could have sworn he had mutter something so I stopped for a second.
“Sorry couldn’t hear you?”
“Ha…hahaha….I…said you talk too much.”
It happened quickly, Adam kicked at me with his free leg hitting me in the crotch, a cheap shot but it worked. It felt like pain snaked through my entire body, everything stopped for a moment like I was a machine that was rebooting. Adam stood up in front of me and stared at me for a moment before walking up to me. He put his hands on my face pushing my cheeks together.
“Oh don’t worry Carter. Funs not over yet. Far, far from it.”
That’s when Adam moved his hands to the back of my head, he brought his knee up hitting me in the stomach twice. Then he took a step back still holding the back of my head, Adam jumped up and kneed my face. That’s when he let go of my head letting me roll back from the hit. Adam casually walked toward me with his hands on his hips.
“Carter? Carter? What are you doing down on the ground there? You know at a time like this it’s best to keep your HEAD UP.”
Adam kicked my head like a football, I flew into the air just like one too. I hit the ground a second later tumbling back a couple times before finally stopping. Damnit. I got cocky. If I hadn’t gotten overconfident I could have finished Adam and he wouldn’t be beating me now. Adam walked toward me casually just like last time, only this time he didn’t place his hands on his hips. He was walking a little strange, he was intentionally moving one leg in front of the other as he walked making a show of it, mocking me.
“Die on the ground or die standing. Either way you’re going to die, so as long as you’re comfortable.”
I stood up slowly and glared at Adam while spitting out blood from my mouth. My mouth was still bloody but I wasn’t going to just lay around and let Adam have his way with me. If it came to it and he was going to kill me, then he had to work for it.
“What about you? Would you rather die standing or on the ground?”
Adam scoffed. “You were never going to kill me. No, there was only one way this was ever going to end you knew that didn’t you.”
I almost laughed at him. Was he being serious? There was thousands, millions of ways this could have ended there was no absolutes no instant victories only choices, there were always choices.
“You know I’ve been wondering what’s the big man in charge of Prometheus have on you that you’re a loyal lap dog. I mean you’ve never been one for grand scheme of your own but have some pride. Even a degenerate good for nothing sociopathy has to have pride in themself right?”
Adam raised a finger as he approached and wagged it side to side. “Tsk, tsk tsk…you know if you were nice and begged I’d let you die with a little bit of your dignity intact but now. Now your world will crumble.”
I shook my head while balling my fists. “We’ll see about that.” I rushed
forward while Adam continued to walk toward me. He dodged my first punch and my second punch then someone grabbed my left arm stopping my next attack. So I threw my right arm forward and someone grabbed onto my right arm as well. It was obvious that it was Adam’s doppelgangers, they pulled my arms back just before kicking the back of both my legs dropping me to my knees.
Adam stopped in front of me, wagged his finger toward me then grinned his signature evil grin. “Here’s a prediction. You’ll die begging. But it will do you no good. Let’s begin the fun shall we?”
I was about to use my electricity to disable the doppelgangers holding me back when Adam punched my face hard. I was dizzy for a moment then he hit me a second time and a third…that’s when I made a decision in my mind. If I was going to die today. Then Adam was going to die with me.
Chapter 41
I don’t know how but Shield was here, I was still a little disoriented so I still wasn’t sure if he was really here though.
“Hey Alex, you mind not staring at me so much you’re gonna make me blush.”
Shield’s here, how? I shook my head side to side for a moment, Shield was decked out in gear he wore a camo combat vest and camo sweats. I hadn’t noticed it but his face looked much better than the last time I saw it. I couldn’t see any part of it that appeared raised and uneven like the last time. Whatever he did to recover so quickly it worked.
“So you mind telling me how you got here?”
Shield glanced at me for a moment before he spoke. “Bright said you guys might need some extra man power. I was feeling better so I took him up on an offer for transportation. This place is locked down real secure. The moment I landed I set off a bunch of mines they were a real pain.”
Shield’s hygrometal was really durable considering how powerful I assumed those mines were. I would have spent more time catching up with Shield but Cross was getting up. Blood was still running down his nose but Cross didn’t really seem to notice. His attention was on me then shifted to Shield, he growled for a moment which caused Shield to glance toward me.
Noble Revelations (Noble Series Book 3) Page 23