"We are leaving!" Madame Gao declared to her men, her voice composed and steady as she turned toward the exit.
Despite the warehouse plunging into complete darkness, she moved with unwavering confidence as if the absence of light was no hindrance to her sight.
Cheung felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, his heart pounding in his chest. Panic gnawed at the edges of his composure.
Without wasting a moment he pulled out his pistol, the metallic scrape echoing ominously in the silence.
He aimed blindly into the abyss where Madame Gao had cast her last glance.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" He shouted, his voice strained and tinged with desperation. Deep down he already knew the answer, but the uncertainty fueled his fear.
Around him, the members of the Iron Gang sprang into action.
Some hastily drew their firearms, the clicks of safeties being switched off cutting through the darkness.
Others brandished machetes and knives, the blades catching slivers of light from the few remaining flickering bulbs.
"Be careful not to shoot each other!" One of the men yelled, his voice wavering as he squinted into the shadows. The silhouettes of his comrades were barely discernible, making friend indistinguishable from foe.
Madame Gao's entourage moved smoothly behind her. Their footsteps measured and silent, disappearing into the night as if they were part of it.
The Hand's operatives seemed unfazed by the lack of visibility, a stark contrast to the mounting panic among the Iron Gang.
Cheung fired a shot into the darkness, the muzzle flash briefly illuminating the terrified faces of his men.
The bullet ricocheted off a metal beam with a sharp clang, serving only to heighten the tension.
"Stay together!" Cheung barked.
The gang members shuffled clumsily, bumping into one another as they tried to assemble.
The oppressive darkness swallowed their movements, every sound amplified. The shuffling of feet, the ragged breaths and the distant drip of water from a leaky pipe.
A faint whisper seemed to drift through the air, impossible to pinpoint. Cheung's eyes darted around wildly. "Did you hear that?" He hissed.
"Over there!" someone shouted, firing a shot into the void. The smell of gunpowder mixed with the damp air.
"Hold your fire!" Cheung commanded, but it was too late. Chaos erupted as more shots were fired indiscriminately, flashes of light revealing nothing but empty space.
"Stop! You'll hit our own!" Screamed another member, trying to wrestle a gun from his trigger-happy comrade.
Amidst the confusion, a shadow moved with lightning speed. One of the Iron Gang members gasped, his weapon slipping from his grasp as he collapsed silently to the ground.
"Wong's down!" A voice cried out.
Panic escalated into terror. "What the hell is happening?" Another yelled, backing away.
Cheung's mind raced. They were being picked off one by one by an unseen enemy.
The Ten Rings.. They had to be behind this. "Show yourselves!" He demanded, fear edging his voice.
But the only response was the unsettling silence and the creeping realization that they were trapped.
Suddenly, a dim emergency light flickered on, casting a weak glow over the scene.
It was enough to reveal the figures of his men, huddled together eyes wide with fear.
But beyond them, shadows danced and shifted. Movements too quick to belong to any of his own.
"Above us!" Someone shouted.
Cheung looked up just in time to see a dark figure descending from the rafters. Before he could react, the assailant landed amidst them, moving with lethal grace.
Blades flashed as the intruder incapacitated two more gang members in swift succession.
"Spread out!" Cheung yelled, firing at the figure, but the assassin evaded effortlessly, disappearing once more into the shadows.
Desperation set in. "Retreat! We need to get out of here!"
In the midst of the turmoil another voice, calm and cold, resonated from the darkness. "You were warned!" It said.
"This is the price of defiance." Another voice added, belonging to Death Dealer.
The Iron Gang members were now frantic, their formation broken, each man for himself.
The assassins of the Ten Rings moved like phantoms, their attacks precise and unstoppable.
Cheung felt a sharp pain as a blade grazed his arm. He spun around but saw nothing but the encroaching darkness. "Fight, damn it!" He screamed, but his men were falling into disarray.
Amidst the chaos, Madame Gao and her entourage had vanished completely, leaving no trace of their presence.
Breathing heavily, Cheung stumbled backward, clutching his wounded arm.
The warehouse had become a labyrinth of fear, every corner hiding potential death.
He heard footsteps approaching.. Slow, deliberate.
"Face me!" He shouted, firing his last bullets in the direction of the sound.
Click. Click. His gun was empty.
A figure emerged from the shadows. Erik, his eyes cold and unyielding behind his mask. "Your little reign ends tonight." He said quietly.
Cheung swallowed hard, backing away until he hit a wall. "You don't have to do this!" He stammered. "We can—"
Before he could finish, Erik moved with blinding speed, closing the distance between them.
In one swift motion, he killed Cheung, leaving him slumped against the wall.
"I found it!" One of the remaining Iron Gang members gasped, his voice filled with desperate relief.
There were only Six of them left, huddled together like frightened animals trying to escape the deathtrap they'd stumbled into.
No bullets remained in their guns. Just machetes and knives gripped tightly in trembling hands.
They moved quickly, their fear fueling their movements as they flung open the warehouse door and hurried toward what they hoped was salvation.
But one of them stayed behind, standing at the entrance with a wild look in his eyes. Trembling yet filled with a dangerous resolve. "What are you doing? Come on! They'll kill you if you stay!" Shouted one of his comrades, panic lacing his voice.
The man ignored him, standing still with only a grenade clutched tightly in his fist. "FOR THE IRON GANG!" He screamed, pulling the pin in a reckless and desperate act of defiance.
Erik was still in the midst of battle, his sword lodged deep in the belly of one of the Iron Gang members. Just as he yanked the blade free, a familiar tingling sensation shot up on the back of his head. Stronger that he'd never felt before.
"RUN!" Erik yelled to the remaining Ten Rings members, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Death Dealer and Midnight, using his superhuman strength to hurl them across the floor, sending them sliding towards the other side of the warehouse.
The grenade exploded near the truck packed with weapons.
One detonation set off a terrifying chain reaction, each explosion bigger than the last, until one massive, deafening blast shook the entire warehouse.
Erik had no time to escape. His reflexes kicked in, and he ripped a metal door off its hinges hoisting it in front of him like a makeshift shield.
But it wasn't enough.
The force of the blast propelled him through the air, his body slamming hard into one of the warehouse walls.
Debris rained down, and he could hear the groaning collapse of the building's structure.
Two of the main support pillars had been obliterated in the explosion, causing part of the warehouse to cave in on itself.
Flames consumed everything in sight. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of burning metal and flesh.
The once warehouse was now a crumbling, fiery ruin.
Erik lay on the ground, the metal door still clutched in his hands, his body aching from the impact.
His ears rang, the sound of the explosion still reverberating in his head.
As he struggled to his feet, he surveyed the wreckage.
The warehouse was engulfed in fire, debris scattered everywhere, and the smoke made it hard to see anything clearly.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself up before searching frantically for Death Dealer and Midnight.
The heat from the flames licked at his skin and the acrid smell of burning metal filled his nostrils.
Suddenly, a sharp scream cut through the chaos. Li's voice, unmistakable.
"Aaaargh!" Death Dealer screamed in agony.
Erik rushed toward the sound, spotting the boy clutching his face, part of it grotesquely burned.
His body was smeared with dirt and blood, his breaths ragged.
Erik crouched beside him, his voice sharp yet steady. "Li! Pull it together!" He ordered, forcing him to focus through the pain.
"Where's Midnight?" Erik asked urgently.
Li gritted his teeth and shakily raised a trembling finger to the left, barely able to move from the agony.
Erik followed the direction Li pointed, his own body screaming in protest from the burns he had sustained.
His eyes locked onto a foot sticking out from under a pile of rubble. Midnight..!
Without wasting another second, Erik tapped into his superhuman strength heaving aside the debris that pinned the boy down.
One slab, then another, until he was completely free.
Midnight lay there, battered and bruised his clothes torn to rags. His body was covered in dirt.
Despite his state, he seemed to have avoided the worst of the damage. A few broken bones, maybe, but he was alive.
"You good?" Erik asked looking down at him, his face impassive despite the concern that flickered in his eyes.
Midnight gave a pained smile. "Yeah... What do you think, stupid?"
Erik snorted, shaking his head. "You're a lucky, y'know that ?!" He said, grabbing Midnight's arm and pulling him to his feet.
Midnight winced, clutching his ribs but he was standing. Alive.
Erik surveyed the wreckage, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward the area where the truck and the others Ten rings members had been.
"Looks like they all died in the explosions." Erik muttered, glancing at the smoldering wreckage, his eyes cold and unreadable.
Midnight followed Erik's gaze nodding slowly.
Erik then steadied Midnight and Death Dealer, letting them lean on his shoulders as he guided them toward the exit.
After a few minutes, Erik stood tall, his muscles tense but composed as he faced the six remaining Iron Gang members outside.
Midnight and Death Dealer lay behind him, too battered to move their bodies slumped against the charred remains of the warehouse.
The flames behind them flickered, casting an ominous glow on Erik's cold, calculating eyes.
He cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as if the fight to come was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"You guys should've run…" he muttered, shaking his head.
The Iron Gang members exchanged nervous glances, their hands gripping machetes and knives with a mixture of fear and bravado.
"They're injured!" One shouted, trying to rally his comrades. "Let's finish them off!"
The others echoed his sentiment, voices tinged with desperation. They didn't notice how calm Erik was, didn't understand the kind of monster they were about to face.
Without warning, Erik sprang into action, moving with a speed that none of them could track.
One second he was standing still. And the next, he was directly in front of the first man, his hand shooting out like a viper.
With brutal precision, Erik grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off the ground as though he weighed nothing.
The man choked, his legs kicking in the air, but Erik's grip was unrelenting.
"You ain't ready for this" Erik said, his voice a low growl.
With a flick of his wrist, Erik hurled the man into a burning pillar, his body slamming against the steel with a sickening crack.
The man didn't get up.
Before the others could react, Erik was already moving his enhanced reflexes allowing him to anticipate every feeble attack they attempted.
He ducked under a machete swing with ease. Then lashed out with a vicious kick that shattered the kneecap of another gang member, sending him crumpling to the ground with a scream.
In the chaos, one of the men managed to lunge at Erik from behind, a knife aimed for his back.
But Erik's spider-sense flared. He twisted his body, dodging the blade effortlessly before delivering a bone-crushing elbow to the attacker's face.
Blood sprayed from the man's broken nose as he staggered backward, only to be finished by a brutal palm strike to the chest that caved in his ribcage.
Two down, four to go.
Erik's movements were fluid, almost inhuman as he darted between the remaining men like a shadow.
He spun on his heel, catching another man's wrist mid-swing, twisting it until the bone snapped with an audible pop.
The man howled in agony, dropping his weapon but Erik showed no mercy.
He yanked the man forward, driving his knee into his gut before lifting him off the ground and slamming him headfirst into the concrete.
The remaining three men hesitated, fear finally overtaking their greed.
They took a step back, realizing too late that they were hopelessly outmatched.
"You wanna run now? Too late for that!" Erik taunted, his voice chillingly calm.
One of the Iron Gang members, panicked, charged at Erik with a machete, swinging wildly.
Erik didn't even flinch. He sidestepped the attack, moving so fast it was almost a blur, before sweeping the man's legs out from under him.
As the man fell, Erik stomped down on his chest, the force of the blow shattering ribs and collapsing lungs in an instant.
Two left.
The last two men were trembling, paralyzed by the carnage unfolding before them.
Erik stalked toward them, his face expressionless, his eyes burning with quiet anger.
One of them, in a final act of desperation, threw his knife at Erik, but it was a pathetic attempt.
Erik snatched the knife out of the air effortlessly, the blade consequently cutting his palm.
He didn't react or wince; he just spun it between his fingers before flinging it back at the man with lethal force.
The blade pierced clean through his chest, emerging from his back and leaving a small gaping hole. He collapsed to his knees, blood gushing from the wound.
The final man stood frozen, his knife trembling in his hand. He knew he was dead.
Erik didn't say a word this time. He just moved, faster than the man could process.
He grabbed the gang member by the collar, yanking him forward and driving his fist into his stomach with such force that the man's eyes bulged in shock.
Erik didn't stop there. He spun him around, twisting the man's arm behind his back before snapping it like a twig.
The man collapsed to his knees, wailing in pain, but Erik silenced him with a swift kick to the head, snapping his neck in one clean motion.
Silence fell over the scene, save for the crackling of flames and the faint groans from the dying men.
Erik stood in the center of the carnage, his chest rising and falling steadily. Blood stained his hands and body, but his expression was calm, seemingly unbothered by the massacre he had just unleashed.
Midnight was unconcious and Death Dealer was mostly dazed, still somewhat watching from the ground. The boy managed a weak laugh, his voice hoarse.
"You... Really are a monster."
Erik glanced down at the two of them, wiping the blood off his knuckles. "Told y'all I got this. Let's get outta here."
Without another word, he helped Midnight and Death Dealer get up.. before turning his back on the corpses and flames, walking away like it was just another day
- At The Same Time not Far Away -
"What a monster…" Whispered the man standing next to the car, his binoculars fixed on the aftermath of the massacre.
He watched the brutal efficiency with which Erik had dispatched the Iron Gang. Bodies lay scattered across the warehouse grounds, blood painting the scene in shades of death.
The man lowered the binoculars, his face calm.
At his side, Madame Gao stood quietly, her cane resting against the ground.
She didn't need the binoculars. Even from this distance, it was as if she could see everything unfolding within the flames.
Her expression remained impassive, as though the slaughter was a mere formality.. An expected consequence.
She shook her head slightly, a faint disappointment flickering across her face before turning away.
Understanding her unspoken intentions. The man spoke up, his voice hesitant. "And the weapons?" he asked, his tone laced with apprehension.
"Gone!" Gao responded, her voice calm and detached, as though the loss was of no consequence.
She showed no interest in the ruined deal or the chaos left in Erik's wake.
To her, the weapons were insignificant compared to the larger picture.
Without another word, she turned toward the waiting car her movements slow and deliberate.
The man, still shaken followed her lead, not daring to question further.
They climbed into the car, the engine humming to life as it rolled away from the burning warehouse, leaving the wreckage—and Erik's brutal display far behind.
As the car disappeared into the night, the flames from the warehouse continued to burn, consuming what remained of the Iron Gang.