Chapter 105: Ruthless… (1/2)
While Arima was unreservedly making his students into one-man armies, Lilis continued watching his past.
When the two remaining helicopters were out of Arimane's sight, he sighed in relief and sat on the ground whilst shouldering his rifle. At the same time, he heard two more explosions and then the sound of the choppers going down.
The rest of the squad had operated to destroy the last helicopters. But unfortunately, it was too late and the entire base was already alerted as all of the terrorists searched for the intruders.
Tieria and Jin approached Arimane and sat down next to him. They had a bit of time to rest since the towers will not be checked first and the whole enemy base was trying to recover from the shock.
”What was that?” Jin casually asked as he lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Tieria also sharply stared at Arimane.
”Nothing. I'm just like that since they injected me the nanomachines,” He truthfully answered.
”An error or a dysfunction?” Tieria turned toward Jin since he was the most knowledgeable about that kind of stuff.
”That should not be possible,” Jin shook his head. ”They are supposed to adapt to the metabolism they are in. They can't make a human body go beyond the limits like that. Since humans are not supposed to be able to get that strong in the first place,” He looked at Arimane when he said the last part.
”Why did you keep it secret?” Tieria suddenly inquired when Jin finished.
”Do I need a reason?” Arimane snickered.
Jin lightly laughed. ”You're right about that. Things get really annoying with humans once they find something that is different from others.”
”Also, if I'm not wrong, your body should possess something unknown to the human race. If some of the higher-ups were to learn that, maybe they would try to lock you up and make researches to clone your special condition. Although it would be a bit far-fetched to think they'll make you into a lab-rat, there's no advantage in giving the government the possibility to make even more powerful super-soldiers.”
Jin exhaled smoke and sighed. ”People at the upper stairs always try to get new weapons, new ways to kill people, and making themselves scarier among the populace,” He said and threw his cigarette away.
”Well, don't worry. I don't have any intention to give satisfaction to those scums,” He stood up and said.
Arimane glanced at him and smiled. Tieria also got up and nodded toward Arimane. ”I'll keep the information for myself as well,” She declared and then looked at Jin. ”What is the situation?”
”Well, I don't think that any of our members has been captured or compromised for now. Also, our aerial support is coming soon… although they're now coming for a non-existent reason thanks to a certain someone. That's basically the good news,” Jin summarized.
”Now, for the bad news. Everyone in this base is now looking for us. They also seem to understand we are spread around the place, hidden or disguised, and they're taking measures against it,” Jin told whilst looking at the virtual screen projected by his watch.
”Ah,” He suddenly exclaimed. ”Our position is compromised. When I say us, I'm talking about the three of us.” He bitterly smiled.
When Arimane and Tieria heard that, they frowned together. In the next instant, an explosion occurred outside of the tower and a part of the wall crumbled.
”Was it too hard for you to understand that it was the most important thing!?” The trio instantly laid down and Arimane couldn't help but shout at Jin.
”Hey, listen, I can't keep track of everything at the same time! I just happened to see them because they've entered my drone's view at the last moment!” Jin retorted.
”Don't start arguing right now please,” Tieria said when the whistling in their ears had finally stopped. But soon after, another rocket struck the tower and shook the whole structure as it started to collapse, starting from the foundations.
The trio looked at each other as the floor they were on started to shift diagonally. They immediately took their decision and jumped out of the tower through the window. Arimane caught his two comrades in mid-air and landed safely on the ground before the tower fell and formed a big dust cloud.
Jin laughed and ran to hide behind a rock. ”Your constitution is really useful. Even from that jump, you felt nothing,” He remarked and Tieria nodded as she crouched to hide too. Arima also sat down against the ruins of the tower and groaned.
”Don't make it a habit. My legs are aching right now.”
”That's still 'nothing' for people like us. By the way….” Jin raised an eyebrow. ”Why the hell are they shooting like that!? Can they see us?!”
As Jin complained about, the three of them were actually covering themselves from the barrage of bullets coming at them.
”I think they have night and thermal vision goggles,” Arimane commented whilst putting some green lentils on his eyes and Tieria imitated him. Jin watched them and clicked his tongue before doing the same with a reluctant expression.
”I don't like those things. They hurt…” Jin complained once more and put the night vision lentils on.
”It's kind of necessary right now so keep quiet,” Tieria casually scolded him and peeked over the cover from a hard-to-see angle. Arimane did the same and took a glimpse. Then his eyes narrowed as he heard a very distinguishable sound.
”A pin!” Arimane warned and Jin trembled.
”Don't worry,” Tieria calmly said. She suddenly stood up and extended her hand to grab the flung grenade. She nimbly controlled the momentum so that it won't explode in her hand and threw it back. She instantly crouched afterward. She suffered two hits but her bullet-proof equipment saved her.
When the explosion sounded, Arimane and Jin heavily sighed.
”How did you know where it was coming from?” Arimane asked curiously.
”I didn't,” Tieria replied whilst massaging the places she had been shot with a grimace. ”I just guessed they would be throwing it above us and not toward the sides and that I would spot it if I stood up.”
Arimane was speechless and Jin rolled his eyes. ”Can't believe you just bet your life.”
”In any case, I count forty-five of them,” Tieria added. ”Don't know if the grenade reduced that number though.”
”Forty-five?” Jin frowned unpleasantly and started fiddling with his electronic watch. ”No wonder there were so many bullets. Those damn terrorists don't even know how to aim and save their ammunition. They just know how to pull the trigger.”
”True,” Arimane smirked and took out two small gray spheres the size of a fist from his pockets.