In the brightly lit confines of the Tristan Bank, Reed Rowley found himself shaking with a mixture of fear and rage. Callos, with a mouth full of food, stood beside him, oblivious to the gravity of their situation as he indulged in a brief respite from the chaos around them.
"We need to move quickly," Reed muttered to himself, his voice a low growl as he fought to control the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "I've already formulated an escape route, but I'll need to break through the barrier outside."
With a determined set to his jaw, Reed cast a glance towards Callos, who was focused on stuffing his face with food from the nearby break room. Despite the chaos surrounding them, Callos seemed unaffected, lost in his own world of momentary indulgence.
Reed suppressed a sigh of frustration, knowing that time was of the essence. "Cal, we need to go," he urged, his tone urgent as he tried to rouse his companion from his food-induced reverie. "I've got a plan, but I can't do it alone."
"You vinawy vinith?"
“Don’t talk with your mouth full. And yes, I am. It’s time to make a fool of the government. At the eastern side of the building, there's a hollow wall that connects to a sewer system. I'm not exactly sure where it leads, but it's pretty much our only hope of escape.”
Callos looked up, a glimmer of recognition flickering in his eyes as he processed Reed's words. With a nod of understanding, he quickly swallowed his mouthful of food and rose to his feet, ready to follow Reed's lead.
“Hey Reed…”
“...?”
“Who are…our enemies?”
Reed looked at Callos with a complicated expression. “Now that we’ve chosen the path of terror, I guess you can say that the entire nation has become our enemy. We won’t be able to obtain salvation anymore.”
Callos erupted with laughter. “HAHAHA! Seriously?! That’s hilarious!”
“I don’t get what’s so funny about that…”
_____
[In front of the Tristan Bank]
"Chief Minamori!" Lieutenant Hage rushed towards the newly crowned Police Chief of Woodnor, panic etched on his face. "The President has ordered a state of emergency! We've been given the authority to use lethal force!"
Minamori furled his brow with a hint of skepticism. “And what of the victims?”
“They are of secondary concern, at least to President Einzschafen.”
“That daft fool…” Minamori rubbed his glabella in irritation. He knew that lethal force would likely result in the deaths of numerous hostages in the building. How could the President make such a rash decision? Such an outcome will spark outrage and citizens will call into question the authority of the police.
The Police are meant to be the pillars of society, a safety net to reassure the people. How could I look my family in the eye as the laughing stock of the city?
As Minamori contemplated his position, Callos once again emerged from the stairwell on the Tristan Bank’s rooftop. He stood at the edge of the rooftop, teetering on the string of life and death. Callos gazed upon the dozens of police officers surrounding the bank, their figures small and unimposing from his higher position.
“All of them…they’re all so little, like ants squirming across the earth.” With a serene smile on his face, he raised his right hand and pointed directly at Police Chief Minamori. “You…are my enemy…”
Lieutenant Hage was the first to notice the strange gesture and pushed through the crowd of officers to reach Chief Minamori. "Sir, look!"
Minamori turned to see Callos standing on the rooftop, his presence commanding attention despite the distance. The accusation in Callos's words sent a chill down Minamori's spine. How could this stranger declare him an enemy without cause or provocation?
"Who are you?" Minamori demanded, his voice steady despite the uncertainty coursing through him.
But Callos remained unfazed, his smile unwavering as he continued to point at Minamori. “Does something like that really matter? Will anything change, even if I tell you?”
“...”
“Ha! What am I doing? I’m speaking too much. It’s time to celebrate such an important occasion!”
A vicious whirlwind shot out from the tips of Callos’ fingers and flew towards the unsuspecting policemen of Woodnor district, ripping through the reinforced police cruisers as though they were fashioned from Styrofoam.
“Get down!” Lieutenant Hage lunged towards Chief Minamori in a desperate act of valor, and while he may have succeeded in saving Minamori’s life, Hage’s body could hardly endure the attack. As they lay on the concrete floor disoriented, Minamori looked upon Hage’s back. Hage was decorated in deep lacerations that painted the floor a bloody red, and his right leg was mangled beyond repair.
“D-Damn it!” A nameless officer shouted as he accidentally pulled the trigger on his state-issued revolver. Amid the chaotic situation, others followed suit as they hailed the lone terrorist with a barrage of bullets.
“W-Woah! I can still use my power! It’s a lot weaker in this barrier though…must be the work of the Spirituality Dampener.”
Suddenly, Callos received a signal from his handheld receiver. He removed the radio from his belt and pressed the corresponding button.
[C-Cal?! What was that!?]
“Nothin. Just a bit of fun!”
[You really are a pain in the ass…no matter though! We’re almost out! Come to the eastern stairway near the break room. I’ve got a one way trip to The Hole!]
“Alright, I’ll be down in a sec.”
Callos crushed the handheld receiver with his bare hands and headed towards Reed’s location. Minamori, on the other hand, was livid.
He had seen many horrors in his time in the police force. Brutal murders at the hands of psychotic serial killers, territorial gang violence, drug deals, and government corruption - all were natural occurrences within Mathers City. Although the youthful innocence of his early days was long gone, the thought of saving just one more life, of helping just one more person, allowed him to keep going despite the horrors of the city.
Over and over…He thought.
Over and over…I had tried my best to save others.
Even when things were beyond saving.
Even when I wanted to give up on this city.
I still…had all of you.
Minamori’s hands shook uncontrollably as he gazed at the carnage around him. The men he had known and loved for over a decade had now been reduced to mince-meat splattered across the cold canvas of a concrete floor.
He placed the deceased Lieutenant Hage against the destroyed remains of a police cruiser as he performed the prayer of the Sun Goddess, Solest. After a moment of silence, a new found “darkness” enveloped him as he gently grasped the handheld receiver at his side.
“Sniper squad, any visuals on the target?”
[No sir. The enemy retreated from the roof of the building.]
[I cannot confirm their locations. They seem to be deliberately avoiding the windows, sir.]
“I see…thank you for your input.”
He cut off the signal and placed his handheld receiver back at his side. With a cold glare of determination, he announced to the remaining members of the Woodnor district police, “All units, move in and secure the hostages! Do not let the terrorists escape!”
As Minamori rallied the remaining police force together, a harsh acrimony enveloped his mind. For the first time in his life, he was determined to kill another individual. He was determined to kill Callos and Reed Rowley with his own hands.
In the brightly lit confines of the Tristan Bank, Reed Rowley found himself shaking with a mixture of fear and rage. Callos, with a mouth full of food, stood beside him, oblivious to the gravity of their situation as he indulged in a brief respite from the chaos around them.
"We need to move quickly," Reed muttered to himself, his voice a low growl as he fought to control the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "I've already formulated an escape route, but I'll need to break through the barrier outside."
With a determined set to his jaw, Reed cast a glance towards Callos, who was focused on stuffing his face with food from the nearby break room. Despite the chaos surrounding them, Callos seemed unaffected, lost in his own world of momentary indulgence.
Reed suppressed a sigh of frustration, knowing that time was of the essence. "Cal, we need to go," he urged, his tone urgent as he tried to rouse his companion from his food-induced reverie. "I've got a plan, but I can't do it alone."
"You vinawy vinith?"
“Don’t talk with your mouth full. And yes, I am. It’s time to make a fool of the government. At the eastern side of the building, there's a hollow wall that connects to a sewer system. I'm not exactly sure where it leads, but it's pretty much our only hope of escape.”
Callos looked up, a glimmer of recognition flickering in his eyes as he processed Reed's words. With a nod of understanding, he quickly swallowed his mouthful of food and rose to his feet, ready to follow Reed's lead.
“Hey Reed…”
“...?”
“Who are…our enemies?”
Reed looked at Callos with a complicated expression. “Now that we’ve chosen the path of terror, I guess you can say that the entire nation has become our enemy. We won’t be able to obtain salvation anymore.”
Callos erupted with laughter. “HAHAHA! Seriously?! That’s hilarious!”
“I don’t get what’s so funny about that…”
_____
[In front of the Tristan Bank]
"Chief Minamori!" Lieutenant Hage rushed towards the newly crowned Police Chief of Woodnor, panic etched on his face. "The President has ordered a state of emergency! We've been given the authority to use lethal force!"
Minamori furled his brow with a hint of skepticism. “And what of the victims?”
“They are of secondary concern, at least to President Einzschafen.”
“That daft fool…” Minamori rubbed his glabella in irritation. He knew that lethal force would likely result in the deaths of numerous hostages in the building. How could the President make such a rash decision? Such an outcome will spark outrage and citizens will call into question the authority of the police.
The Police are meant to be the pillars of society, a safety net to reassure the people. How could I look my family in the eye as the laughing stock of the city?
As Minamori contemplated his position, Callos once again emerged from the stairwell on the Tristan Bank’s rooftop. He stood at the edge of the rooftop, teetering on the string of life and death. Callos gazed upon the dozens of police officers surrounding the bank, their figures small and unimposing from his higher position.
“All of them…they’re all so little, like ants squirming across the earth.” With a serene smile on his face, he raised his right hand and pointed directly at Police Chief Minamori. “You…are my enemy…”
Lieutenant Hage was the first to notice the strange gesture and pushed through the crowd of officers to reach Chief Minamori. "Sir, look!"
Minamori turned to see Callos standing on the rooftop, his presence commanding attention despite the distance. The accusation in Callos's words sent a chill down Minamori's spine. How could this stranger declare him an enemy without cause or provocation?
"Who are you?" Minamori demanded, his voice steady despite the uncertainty coursing through him.
But Callos remained unfazed, his smile unwavering as he continued to point at Minamori. “Does something like that really matter? Will anything change, even if I tell you?”
“...”
“Ha! What am I doing? I’m speaking too much. It’s time to celebrate such an important occasion!”
A vicious whirlwind shot out from the tips of Callos’ fingers and flew towards the unsuspecting policemen of Woodnor district, ripping through the reinforced police cruisers as though they were fashioned from Styrofoam.
“Get down!” Lieutenant Hage lunged towards Chief Minamori in a desperate act of valor, and while he may have succeeded in saving Minamori’s life, Hage’s body could hardly endure the attack. As they lay on the concrete floor disoriented, Minamori looked upon Hage’s back. Hage was decorated in deep lacerations that painted the floor a bloody red, and his right leg was mangled beyond repair.
“D-Damn it!” A nameless officer shouted as he accidentally pulled the trigger on his state-issued revolver. Amid the chaotic situation, others followed suit as they hailed the lone terrorist with a barrage of bullets.
“W-Woah! I can still use my power! It’s a lot weaker in this barrier though…must be the work of the Spirituality Dampener.”
Suddenly, Callos received a signal from his handheld receiver. He removed the radio from his belt and pressed the corresponding button.
[C-Cal?! What was that!?]
“Nothin. Just a bit of fun!”
[You really are a pain in the ass…no matter though! We’re almost out! Come to the eastern stairway near the break room. I’ve got a one way trip to The Hole!]
“Alright, I’ll be down in a sec.”
Callos crushed the handheld receiver with his bare hands and headed towards Reed’s location. Minamori, on the other hand, was livid.
He had seen many horrors in his time in the police force. Brutal murders at the hands of psychotic serial killers, territorial gang violence, drug deals, and government corruption - all were natural occurrences within Mathers City. Although the youthful innocence of his early days was long gone, the thought of saving just one more life, of helping just one more person, allowed him to keep going despite the horrors of the city.
Over and over…He thought.
Over and over…I had tried my best to save others.
Even when things were beyond saving.
Even when I wanted to give up on this city.
I still…had all of you.
Minamori’s hands shook uncontrollably as he gazed at the carnage around him. The men he had known and loved for over a decade had now been reduced to mince-meat splattered across the cold canvas of a concrete floor.
He placed the deceased Lieutenant Hage against the destroyed remains of a police cruiser as he performed the prayer of the Sun Goddess, Solest. After a moment of silence, a new found “darkness” enveloped him as he gently grasped the handheld receiver at his side.
“Sniper squad, any visuals on the target?”
[No sir. The enemy retreated from the roof of the building.]
[I cannot confirm their locations. They seem to be deliberately avoiding the windows, sir.]
“I see…thank you for your input.”
He cut off the signal and placed his handheld receiver back at his side. With a cold glare of determination, he announced to the remaining members of the Woodnor district police, “All units, move in and secure the hostages! Do not let the terrorists escape!”
As Minamori rallied the remaining police force together, a harsh acrimony enveloped his mind. For the first time in his life, he was determined to kill another individual. He was determined to kill Callos and Reed Rowley with his own hands.
