Chapter Text
Bang.
The shot resounds through the room.
A scream follows afterward with a man clenching his arm.
“Hahahahaha! Take that, you shithead!” Eric snarls.
The crowds of guests start to scream and run out of the room. Some people tripping over each other, rushing to escape.
Eric fires a few more shots into the ceiling, laughing with delight.
He turns towards to a young man and points his pistol at him.
“Do you want to get shot?” Eric asks.
The man shakes his head vigorously, unable to make a noise through his panicking mind.
“Well too bad-”
Smack.
Connor’s fist collides against Eric’s temple with a quick strike, knocking him unconscious to the floor.
Taking out a pair of handcuffs, Connor locks Eric’s hands together behind his back.
“Are you alright?” Connor asks the man.
“Y-Yeah.”
“That’s good.”
Just then Connor’s comm in his ear buzzes.
“Officer Connor and Hank, we have a problem,” Officer Millers says.
“What’s the situation?” Connor asks.
“At least a dozen armed men entered the building from the front. A few of them slip by and it seems that their objective is something in the gallery. We have a few injured.”
“What about the officers patrolling at the back of the building? And officers at the side exits?”
“I try to contact them, but they’re not responding. I just got word that the officers at the side exits are escorting the guests out of the building.”
“Thank you for the information.”
“Wait, Connor what are you going to do?” Hank asks over the comm.
“What I am supposed to do.”
Hank watches Connor run out of the room, going whatever the fuck he’s going to.
“Connor? Connor?! Damn it!” Hank yells.
The comm buzzes again.
“Officers this is Captain Fowler. Your main objective is to evacuate the guests from the building. Backup is on its way in seven minutes.”
The message ends.
Hank looks back to the door that Connor left through then at Markus and Kara. Kara looks around frighteningly and breathing harshly with panic in her eyes.
“Let’s go… ” Hank says “What are you waiting for? Come on!”
Markus takes Kara’s hand and squeezes it reassuringly.
Taking out his gun, Hank leads the two out of the room and into a hallway.
After passing a few hallways, they see an emergency exit down the hall.
The comm buzzes.
“Status report?” Captain Fowler asks.
“Captain, we have most of the guest out of the building,” Officer Miller reports.
“Most of the guests exited the room when the madman shoots his gun. I just need to get these two out,” Hank says “We’re almost there.”
Up ahead, they see a man in riot gear appears from the corner with an unusual gun in hand.
“Look out!” Markus yells.
The man fires at the group, hitting Hank in the arm.
Expecting searing pain from the bullet but felt a sharp prick instead, Hank looks at his arm in confusion.
“What the fuck,” Hank pulls out a bullet-shaped needle from his arm.
“Damn it-” Hank steadies himself against the wall, feeling dizzy before passing out.
The man points the tranquilizer back at Markus and Kara.
Immediately, Markus pulls Kara behind him.
“Hello, Markus Manfred. How are you this evening?” the man asks in a discombobulated voice.
“What do you want? Who are you?” Markus demands.
“Just come with me and nobody else has to get hurt,” the man checks his gun before staring back them “It’s not that hard. You don’t want the little lady over there getting hurt, now do you?”
Markus glances back at Kara’s from behind him.
“As for who I am. I just happen to be a man who adores this type of chaos,” the man continues “You can call me Machai.”
“Wait, as in the daemons of battle and combat from Greek mythology?” Markus asks.
“Mr. Manfred, I’m impressed. Didn’t think you knew Greek mythology. Bravo.”
“It’s fitting, I guess.”
“Why thank you. But enough with the chit-chat, I know what you are doing. Waiting for someone to show up. Hate to break it to you, but nobody is coming to save you. We have men infiltrating the building and they are very skilled.”
Machai raises his gun.
“Now stay still and come with me and I won’t hurt the girl. How does that sound?” Machai asks.
“Fine,” Markus hesitantly replies.
“Markus… no. Don’t,” Kara pleads.
Markus walks up with his hands raised beside his head until he is a couple of feet away from Machai.
“What a good boy,” Machai says with a grin.
“You know for a criminal, you talk too much,” Markus says.
Markus wraps his hand around the barrel of the gun, pointing it towards the ceiling before punching Machine in the face.
Stunned, Machai loosens his grip on the gun, allowing Markus to pull it out of his grasp.
Markus points the gun at him with a steady stance.
Machai looks up and rubs his face with a thoughtful contemplation.
He smiles.
“Hm. I’m liking you more and more, Mr. Manfred,” Machai smirks “Though you should be careful. I don’t think you want your lady to get hurt.”
“Ah-”
Markus turns around and sees another man wrapped his arm around Kara’s neck and places a gun to Kara’s head.
“Kara!”
“Too bad. Almost had it,” Machai glances at Markus “Well Mr. Manfred, we don’t have all day.”
The man releases the safety on the gun.
Kara looks at Markus with fear in her wide eyes.
Markus drops the gun.