7:15 pm
Spread out in the dimly lit skyscraper garage were a group of fifteen men and two women, all wielding various blunt weapons and looking menacing.
In front of the group was a familiar bald man with a snake tattoo on his head, glancing frequently at his wrist watch.
Rocco Strain has stalked Caspian for two weeks straight, and he figured out the youth's identity as just a spoild rich kid.
There was nothing particularly dangerous about the young man's history. What had troubled Rocco was the feeling of dread he got two weeks back.
He had placed two of his best men to glean whatever trump card Caspian might be hiding.
However, all he did for the first week was go down to hunt some straggling 'corrupted' crowding the building.
And in the second week, he brought along two beautiful girls on the hunt with him. None of them seemed to be awakeners.
They hunted just a couple of hundred corrupted per day—- while he and his team, hunted thousands.
So, stat-wise. Rocco and his gang were on top. And he even has three combat awakeners in his twin-axe gang.
Rocco had a wicked grin on his face— he saw no valid reason left to be scared of a naive kid with a shotgun.
Guns are basically useless against individuals or corrupted, with high enough stats. That's why his gang has switched to blunt weapons.
So, today---- Rocco will happily repossess the penthouse, gold coins, and those outstanding beauties from that naive boy— as they all belong in more capable hands.
VROOM
The sound of a heavily armored vehicle pulled Rocco from his thoughts, as he licked his lips at all that would soon be his.
Caspian's vehicle pulled into the large garage, as the grin on Rocco's face got wider— they had timed his hunting schedule and knew he would be coming in around this time.
As the monster of a vehicle came to a stop. The driver's door clicked open.
Caspian's heavy combat boots hit the pavement first as he came out slowly. Jet black flowing hair greeted their view in waves as if cut in invisible gusts of wind. He stood at an impressive six foot one, with a well-toned physique.
His ocean blue eyes soon caught sight of Rocco Strain, a few feet away, with his gang of misfits donning various blunt weapons.
Caspian calmly took in the sight before him, as the sardonic Rocco swaggered his way towards him.
"Well, if it isn't the young master of the Shades," Rocco sneered. "You should have informed me last when we met that you were such a big deal," he added with a mild grin.
Just then, two other doors on the vehicle sprang open. Catherine stepped out from the back with a blank expression, while Emma stepped out from the front with her ever-giddy smile—- Both fully decked in what looked to be combat gear, but the materials appeared quite foreign.
Rocco's eyes flashed with pure lust, but he managed to recover quickly.
Now completely ignoring Caspian, he brought his attention to the ladies. "Oh ?. Miss Cathereine, and Miss Emma, I presume — I haven't had the pleasure. You can call me Rocco—- The Current Proprietor of this building." He finished with a mocking half-bow, as his henchmen giggled from behind, steadily surrounding the trio.
Catherine completely ignored the bald man and walked over to Caspian's side, while Emma grabbed onto his arm, as she muttered in fright, pointing at the advancing gang. "Scary bad men." she voiced shakily, as she buried her face in Caspian's arm.
Rocco and his gang, seeing this, were delighted; their predatory instincts further ignited.
They all grinned in amusement as they advanced closer. One henchman in particular, Rocco's second in command, who had half his face burnt---- was licking a short axe with his brown tongue, and smiling wickedly--- his predatory gaze never leaving the 'frightened' Emma.
Caspian stared ahead at Rocco as he spoke in resignation."What do you want ?"
Rocco smiled cheekily on hearing the much-awaited question. "It's simple, really!. You have two options —-- One, you hand over your penthouse apartment and access to it, then relinquish all your gold coins, and I'll let you all live. Or two—- you can all die here, right now." Rocco finished, as he and his men were now only a few feet away from the trio. They had them completely surrounded.
'As if I'll let you live.'Rocco scoffed inside as he awaited Caspian's response.
"You will really let us go if I give you everything ?" Caspian questioned with a serious look on his face.
"Of course I will. I swear on my mother." Rocco swore with his hand on his chest, looking very sincere.
"Bullshit" Caspian blurted, as a slight grin took form on his lips.
Rocco's face contorted immediately in rage as he voiced angrily" Young man, take a look around you. This isn't a request, this is an order." he barked, as his men tapped their various blunt weapons on their palms in a threatening fashion, with ugly grins on their faces.
However, Caspian's expression was impassive—- bored even. This caused Rocco to start feeling dreadful; he felt something was off, prompting him to hasten his action.
He had wanted to gain full access to the penthouse and secure the girls before his men disposed of Caspian, but he decided against that fast. "Seeing as you are not responding positively to my generous offer— you leave me no choice— Guys... kill this asshole, leave the girls alive."
At his command, his goons became like wolves about to devour innocent sheep, all smiling menacingly with weapons in hand.
Caspian gazed lazily at the advancing hoodlums, and soon he heard Emma's voice from his side.
"Casp. Can I do it ?" Emma spoke meekly, her green eyes shimmering so innocently as she gazed up at Caspian.
"Sure. Just..... Nothing fatal. I still have a use for them." Caspian replied calmly, as both he and Cathereine took measured steps back.
Emma remained in place, her golden locks flowing with the evening breeze—- soon her aura completely transformed, as a crazed smile took form on her pretty face.
The hoodlums and Rocco, seeing this sudden change in Emma from the frightened lady to something so unnerving, had a chill run down their backs.
Even Caspian and Catherine now had a look of pity on their faces for these hoodlums.
Rocco felt something was very wrong at the moment, he wanted to scream for his men to fall back— but it was too late.
Emma spread out both of her hands, as two slick cyan-coated pistols appeared in her grip.
Bang!
The first shot met the axe-licking hoodlum, right in the middle of his skull, with his tongue still on his favorite axe—
The entire garage turned eerily quiet as the advancing team of hoodlums was frozen in place.
Thud
The man's body hit the garage floor in finality. He was dead. Dead to a single shot.