I felt—I don't know.
Usually, there is a maelstrom of confusion, a burning echo of feelings I wouldn't recognize. Now, my mind was unpleasantly, crushingly silent. The soldiers around me, some gasped in horror, others seemed to appreciate the death of their cruel captain. However, what was constant about all our expressions was the fear our foe brought, and respect for the man who had fought him.
Kiara covered her mouth, her eyes filled with tears. She looked towards me, brow trembling. The other soldiers pulled their gazes toward me. It seemed the baton was mine now.
William turned toward us, finally looking away from the shallow grave. At the same time, his horde had climbed over the rubble and gathered behind us. They salivated, teeth gnashing, snarling, hungering. Yet, they didn't attack.
"They don't wish to let any of you live. However, I will do you a final kindness. Return to your troop, warn the ones hiding. Make ready."
......….
"All take aim." My voice rang through the building. I organized them simply, heavy weapons on the first floor, rifles on the second.
Not all of us were willing to fight; some cowered, hiding away in closets and bathrooms. I ignored them. Idris limped beside me. "You know this is hopeless, right?"
I patted his back. "I think Roland would rather I let his men die fighting."
Idris chuckled and returned to his post.
William hung back, still healing his wounds. His beasts readied, preparing for a suicidal sprint toward us. I was too damaged to fight for now. I had maybe the strength to grapple with one and devour it. Then, they charged.
The first row fell as the machine guns unloaded; the next leapt over the fallen and died a meter closer. Rifles showered them from above—many died, many more were wounded. But, even now, I could tell it was futile.
I heard a machine gun click empty. The soldier behind it, a young blond woman, yelled, "Fuck—ammo!"
The soldier behind her, the boy with the katana, shook his head.
The woman was the first to die under my watch. A ram-like beast pounced through the window, goring her with its horns. The katana wielder's blade flashed through the beast's neck, killing it instantly.
I clenched my fist as I heard the sound of weapons firing dry. I heard guns being thrown aside, men shouting in terror and frustration. I roared through it. "Forget your guns. We fight with or without them. We have to get to the open!"
The bravest of the soldiers leapt out of the windows, clubs, axes, and spears at the ready. They clashed with the beasts as the rest trickled out. I limped my way out of the building, Kiara closely behind me, Steven nowhere to be seen.
We were being torn to shreds. Men attacked up close, but they couldn't deal enough damage fast enough. They were pounced on, ripped to shreds by stronger and more numerous foes.
Chainmail only offered a whisper of protection; each swipe ripped limbs off and crushed bones. Bites tore away chunks of flesh and removed heads. For every beast cut down, three would fall.
Kiara grit her teeth and fought valiantly. She slam-fired her shotgun, pumping the weapon and keeping the trigger pulled. A tigeresque beast lunged for her, but she sidestepped and blew its head off its shoulders.
Idris seemed almost bored. He hung back and occasionally pointed a finger at a beast. His victims stopped in their tracks and fell face-flat. He then looked me over and calmly retreated into the building.
The heat of battle began to morph. Battle cries fizzled; men ran away only to be torn apart. Some cried out. Others dropped to the floor and prayed. William hadn't moved. It was a losing fight. Yet, some didn't cower. Others died covered in blood, sheer focus in their eyes as they faded. They formed the vanguard, determined to take at least someone down with them.
Kiara's shotgun went cold. The beast before her—a large, bear-like one—pounced. She slammed the stock of her gun against its nose. It stumbled back, but it took less than a second to attack again.
Jon came in from the side. His fist crashed against its temple and sent it flying into the horde.
Another rushed him down, but he only gave it a look of pity before he grabbed it by the throat and crushed the life out of it.
Our enemy slowed, eying the large dark-skinned man warily. They parted before him like the Red Sea.
He walked past them. He moved straight toward William. In response, William started approaching him too.
He cracked his knuckles. "I told my sister that monsters ain't real. If I don't get rid of you, then I'd be a liar."
William froze, something unreadable making his fur bristle. "You have a—"
Jon's fist crashed into William's still-healing skull. He reeled from the blow; Jon offered no quarter. Jon launched an uppercut, targeting William's wounded side. He buckled, spitting out a fresh glob of blood.
Jon readied another fist. It crashed against William's cheek. But this time, William didn't budge.
William caught his arm, then rolled his eyes. "Please." He scoffed. Then William threw his own uppercut. Jon exploded, his upper body vanishing into red mist.
The horde approached, William at the helm. No one moved to fight them. They either froze or begged pathetically. Most remained silent.
Then, I heard cackling. It didn't come from the soldiers, neither did it come from the beasts. Idris spread his arms wide as he stood on the building's roof. He jumped down two stories and landed on his feet.
In one hand, he held his staff; in the other, a glass pipe filled with white crystals. "Downers were never my thing. Now that the captain is gone, I can finally do what I want."
He tossed the staff aside. His power started to build. The spines of his helmet began to vibrate, then they revved up and tore into him. He bit through the pain and held a small flame in his fingertips under the pipe.
He inhaled the smoke, taking a shallow drag. Then he breathed deeply and crushed the pipe in his hands. His power built further; lightning arced from his back, cracks started running down the pavement. His helmet picked up speed, attempting to contain his power and keep him keen. But it only kept building.
He roared, then poured all his power through the helmet. At once, the metal exploded, the shards turning into crystalline butterflies as Idris's face was finally freed.
He looked so unassuming, yet I could see the thunder roiling in the distance of his eyes. The many wounds covering his face instantly healed over as if his flesh were made of playdough. His head, once bald, bloomed with fresh strands of white hair that pooled behind him and nearly touched the ground.
He threw his hands up. "Fuck yeah, that's tight. Let's fucking go." He grinned boyishly, then cracked his knuckles and regarded the horde. "The fuck y'all looking at?"
William shook his head and started approaching. "Eager, aren't we?" He took his stance.
Idris simply looked toward him, and his massive form was blasted away by an invisible force. William's body bounced against the floor and crashed into a building on the other side of the courtyard. "Be gone."
The horde recoiled. Then they charged, eager to avenge their master. Idris leveled a palm and tutted in disappointment. The air ignited as a massive wave of fire left his fingertips. Four beasts were instantly reduced to ash.
One beast moved to the side, trying to flank the wizard. Idris flicked a hand toward it, and it was sliced into tiny cubes. Another followed behind it, only to hit an invisible barrier. Idris gave it a passing glance before its head exploded.
Three beasts snarled. They attacked in unison but were no match. Idris extended a finger; lightning arched from his index to the trio. They seized up as their brains sizzled.
A grotesquely proportioned gorilla-like beast landed before him. It raised both arms, ready to pulverize him. But he simply blinked through it, a man-shaped crater forming in its torso as he waltzed through.
He made a motion like a karate chop, and a dozen heads rolled. The surviving beasts, acknowledging their helplessness, tried to escape. Idris blinked toward each one before pulverizing them.
I took the opportunity and began to eat. I tore into one of the many corpses, swallowing strips of flesh and fur in order to mend myself. William would get up any second now. Any—
I heard the familiar snapping sound. William was past Idris; the wizard's left arm was instantly ripped away. Idris did not even react. William tried to strike a second time. Instead, his fist hit a wrinkle in space and appeared by his jaw, his own blow bending and crashing against him.
Idris turned to acknowledge his recoiling aggressor. William snarled, then threw a straight right.
Idris raised the leftover stump of his arm; fresh bone grew and reformed. He caught William's fist using the reforming, skeletal palm.
William jumped back, a look of fear crossing his eyes as he momentarily retreated.
Idris clenched his fist as his hand finished regrowing. "You know, I have never been in a fist fight before."
William took his stance—Idris was at his side, lightning trailing him as he blitzed through the air. William didn't even realize he had been struck until he heard his ribs break. Idris's fist, covered in his own magic, had dug deep into William's side.
William was launched back. He heaved, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. Rage boiled through every pore of his body. "I'll fucking kill you." He howled before charging Idris on all fours.
He sprang onto the outside of a building and leapt toward Idris. He swiped madly, his claws striking the air as Idris subtly manipulated space and forced him to miss. He cried out in fury as Idris pointed a finger at him and pierced his body with an ultra-thin beam of light.
Idris repeated this motion; each time, he thrust his pinky out and dug a new tiny hole into William's abdomen, softly repeating the word: "Boop."
William finally relented and fell to his knees. He took in air rapidly, his face contorted into a horrible rictus of frustration and agony. At the same time, I had finished regenerating. I got closer, taking in the sight.
Idris licked his lips and palmed William's face. "Are you gonna cry? I'm thinking I'll let you heal up, then I'll rip you apart again. It's hard to find a punching bag as tough as you."
Idris was the one who would claim this kill. I could see now why the city had taken such measures to keep him contained. It was as if I were standing before a walking nuclear bomb.
Then, I noticed it. William had breathed in again, deeper now. Though his eyes were wide and terrified, a dreadful flicker of cunning remained within them. Idris smirked, power began to build within his palm, William's flesh bubbled and sizzled around it. Yet, he forced another breath.
He was preparing for something.
The realization hit me like thunder. I leapt backward and yelled, "Idris! Get away from him, now!"
The wizard looked over at me. "Eh, what is it—"
William's mouth was wide open, like a yawning chasm of darkness. I felt the ground vibrate; my sensors picked up ultrasound. Yet, it was different. The energy behind it was implausible, impossible.
Idris let go of William's face. He tilted his head and looked his foe down. All the while, William grinned triumphantly. Idris shrugged. "Well, that was weird."
Then, without the slightest warning, Idris fell. His head hit the floor, but he was dead before impact. His organs melted like a sailor standing beside a warship as it activates its sonar.
William got up, his wounds starting to close. He spoke through rapid breaths. "It's always good to keep some cards close to your chest."