Chapter 37

The large metallic doors opened with loud grinding noises as a group of uniformed men walked inside the warehouse. Schoonover, Russo, Wolf and Rawlins walked in shortly after they looked around the dark interior.

"Where the hell is everyone? There are supposed to be guards here at all times." Schoonover said as the other three stopped beside him.

"Someone turn on the lights." He called out as one of the uniformed men walked over to the wall and flipped a switch. The lights instantly illuminated the interior as they saw the stacks of drugs neatly organized on top of the nearby tables. Their eyes scanned the room before falling on a figure seated in a chair with a sack over their head. Rawlins sneered as he started to walk towards the figure before Russo reached out to stop him.

"What Russo? Second thoughts?" Rawlins growled at him.

"Something's not right. Schoonover brought it up already. Where are all the workers and guards?" Russo said as he looked around the surroundings.

"Gosnell probably sent them away so no one would be here to overhear us. You've been real paranoid lately, first the armed guard and now this?" Wolf answered as he walked towards the figure slumped in the chair.

"We got him. Now we just need to deal with anyone else who knows about this and we can get back to business." He said as he reached over and pulled the sack off the figure's head before he stumbled backwards.

"Oh fuck! What the hell?!" Wolf yelled as Gosnell's disfigured face was displayed to everyone to see. Wolf slowly started to lean in after he saw a soft red light blinking from the back of Gosnell's skull. He covered his nose as he saw the gaping hole in the head before his eyes were drawn to a small ball like object stuffed inside. His eyes widened when the light started to blink faster and he pieces together what the object was.

"Oh shi-" Wolf barely managed to open his mouth before the ball erupted in an enormous ball of fire that tore him apart along with the corpse. Everyone else in the building ducked for cover as a shockwave carried shards of bone and chunks of flesh through the air. The armed men quickly rushed forward and started to help Russo, Rawlins and Schoonover out of the building. The group rushed outside and started to move towards their vehicles when they noticed the drivers all laying lifeless on the ground, blood pooling from their chests. A sharp whizzing sound passed through the air as one of the men collapsed to the ground, bleeding from a large hole that passed directly through his body armor.

"Sniper!" One of the guards yelled out as they ducked and started rushing back into the building. Two more men dropped to the ground before they managed to push back into the building and shut the doors behind them. Frank watched as the group scramble for cover inside the building as a voice spoke over his comms.

"The rest is all yours Frank." Thomas said as Frank looked towards the roof of a building almost two miles down the road. His visor magnified his vision to show Thomas standing up with a silver and black rifle in his hands. Frank turned his gaze back towards the group below him before he pressed a button on his wrist. Instantly the roof collapsed with a series of cascading micro explosions as a chuck of the building fell to the floor and blocked the door. Frank dropped to the ground as his jet pack activated automatically to protect him from the fall.

Frank spun towards the group with his left arm outstretched as a stream of fire erupted from his gauntlet. The raging flames quickly ignited the stacks of drugs before setting four of the men on fire and leaving them screaming as they dropped to the ground in a panicked attempt to put themselves out. The burning orange light illuminated the dark armor and silver skull as Frank continued to set the building ablaze. Russo quickly pulled Rawlins and Schoonover away from the growing inferno as his men dived for cover and flipped the tables to get away from the flames.

The men ducked down behind the tables as streams of fire passed over their heads. The screams of the four men slowly died down as everyone pushed themselves as low to the ground as they could. The tables turned red and orange as they could feel the ambient heat causing their hair and skin to singe. Then just as they started to feel dizzy and nauseated from the extreme temperatures, the stream of fire passing over them stopped.

Crackling cut through the silence as the flames burned around the group and drops of water fell from the ceiling as the fire suppression system attempted to fulfill its purpose to no avail. Russo looked across the room and noticed that the valve for the water supply was shut off. He motioned at the men looking at him to direct their attention to the valve. Russo watched as one of his men crawled over to the valve and carefully stood up to turn it back on. In seconds water began spraying throughout the warehouse as the flames quickly began to subside. Russo closed his eyes briefly as the water fell on his skin before looking at the man by the valve.

The man had turned around and tilted his head upwards towards the water as he seemed to enjoy the relief. Russo watched the man open his eyes before suddenly turning to his right as a look of terror covered his face. A loud bang rang out through the air as everyone watched the man's head exploded and a dark armored figure stepped out from behind a pillar. The dying embers illuminated the silver skull on Frank's chest with a dim orange glow as he pointed the silver and black handgun in his hand at the group. With a brief spark of electricity the gun fired a nail like projectile that pierced through three men as though their plate carriers were made of paper and continued through the wall of the warehouse before embedding itself into a large rock down the road.

Frank took cover behind another pillar as the group opened fire. Frank stowed away the handgun as it hissed and cooled down from the previous shot before drawing the rifle on his back. Frank leaped out of cover as his jet pack roared to life, bringing him high into the air as he fired down at the group. Bullets filled the air and glass rained down on the group as they fired up at Frank only to shatter the few lights remaining in the building. Frank darted swiftly between the rafters and pillars as he quickly dispatched the remaining men who struggled to keep track of him. Russo dived forward and grabbed one of the rifles from one of his fallen men and aimed up at the flying figure.

Frank heard the distinct thump of an under barrel launcher as he turned towards Russo just in time for a projectile to strike him directly in the chest. An explosion rocked the building, throwing Frank against the far wall of the warehouse as dust and rubble fell from the ceiling. Russo stood to his feet, keeping his weapon trained on the dark corner that Frank been thrown in as he checked on his few surviving men. Out of the two dozen armed soldiers he had brought along, only two had survived.

"We got 'em right? There's no way he survived a direct hit like that." One of the men said as he pushed himself up to his feet before helping the other soldier to his feet. Russo motioned for the two soldiers to head to the door as Rawlins and Schoonover walked up behind him with their weapons raised. The two soldiers had just reached the door and started to push some of the rubble out of the way when a metal ball flew through the air from the darkness. Russo caught sight of the object blinking with a red light as he turned and yelled out.

"Get down!" The two soldiers turned around at the sound of his voice before a gunshot rang out. The metal ball suddenly exploded in mid air right in front of the two survivors. A large ball of fire consumed the final two soldiers as Russo turned in shock to see the armored figure of Frank stepping out of the darkness. Dust and rubbles fell from his armor as Frank approached the group of three in front of him. His heads up display blinking as it informed him of several fractured ribs and several internal injuries. The armor had protected him from the brunt of the point blank explosion without a scratch but it was just as Mikael had warned, the armor could protect against any projectile but it could not fully absorb the force of impact. Frank ignored the burning sensation building in his chest as he approached the three men.

Rawlins and Schoonover opened fire at Frank as Russo attempted to load another grenade into the grenade launcher. They watched as their rounds struck Frank's chest plate and shoulder guards to little effect outside of briefly slowing his pace. Russo had barely managed to load the grenade into the launcher when a metal claw attached to a metal wire latched onto his rifle and ripped it from his grasp. Russo dropped to the ground reaching for another rifle as Rawlins and Schoonover fired off the final rounds in their weapons. Frank fired at Russo as he managed to pick up a rifle, the round piercing through his hand and forcing him to drop the weapon.

"ARGH!" Russo yelled out in pain as he grasped his bleeding hand with his other one before turning to see the butt of a rifle coming towards his face. Russo went tumbling into Rawlins and Schoonover as Frank walked towards them.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want?" Rawlins shouted as he pushed Russo off of him.

"What do I want? You tried to kill my family and you ask me what I want?" Frank asked as he forced them to back up into a corner.

"Castle?" Schoonover look at him in shock as he recognized the voice.

"Castle?! Do you have any idea what you just did? You attacked a federal agent!" Rawlins yelled out as his eyes darted around looking for anything nearby he could use to defend himself.

"No actually I haven't." Frank responded as his eyes were trained on Russo. "Have you not checked your phone recently? You've been relieved of your duties."

"What? T-that's not possible." Rawlins stumbled backwards against the wall.

"You pissed off someone you shouldn't have. Actually no, pissed off might be giving you too much credit. I believe he sees you as more of an annoyance." Frank replied as he looked at Rawlins' face as he attempted to process the situation.

"They can't do that! Not after everything I've done for this country!" Rawlins screamed in denial. His eyes fell on a rifle buried underneath some nearby rubble as he quickly dived to grab it before rolling onto his back and aiming it at Frank. Frank quickly fired at Rawlins before he could pull the trigger, the round easily tearing through his fingers and forcing him to drop the weapon before screaming out in pain. Frank then turned his attention towards Russo and Schoonover as they looked at him in shock.

"Frank it wasn't personal. It was just busi-" A loud bang echoed out as Frank shot Schoonover between his eyebrows. Russo flinched as Schoonover's body bumped into him as it crumpled to the floor. Frank slung his rifle over his shoulder where it magnetically attached to the side of his jet pack as Russo looked at him.

"Frank listen, they made-AGH!" Russo tried to speak only to be met with a vicious hook to the side of his face.

"I trusted you!" Frank yelled as he closed the distance to keep Russo from getting away.

"I treated you like a brother!" Frank punched Russo in the side of his ribs and gut. Russo doubled over clutching his stomach as he gasped for air.

"I-I didn't w-want to do it! Frank I'm sorry!" Russo cried out before Frank kneed him in his face, forcing him to stand back up from the pain and force. Frank reached out and grasped Russo by the collar and pulled him in so they were face to face. Memories of the days prior flashed through Frank's head as he looked at his old friend. Voices echoed in his mind as he could hear his own heart beating in his ear.

"He was betrayed by his friend for money and fame."

"About the worst thing in this world that can happen."

"This is all the family you need." Images of the time they spent together with his family replayed in his head. Frank gritted his teeth as he slammed his helmet into Russo's face and knocked him to the ground. Frankie breathing started to slow down as he drew his handgun and slowly squeezed the trigger. Electricity slowly crawled along the length of the barrel as he aimed it at Russo's chest.

"You tried to kill my family. You betrayed me, betrayed us. You don't get to be sorry." Frank said as he pulled the trigger the rest of the way and the gun fired a round that pierced cleaned through Russo's heart and drilled into the concrete beneath. Russo collapsed on his side clutching his chest as he looked up at Frank and gasped for air. He watched as darkness crept in along the borders of his vision as Frank turned and walked away.

"I-I'm…s-sorry." Russo whispered as he watched Frank fly out of the warehouse before his vision went completely dark.

{A/N: Think I'm developing a problem similar to one I have for D&D where I keep having ideas that I wanna do. A Starcraft system that requires the MC to actually gather resources to unlock additional abilities and technologies from the Starcraft universe. Minerals in the form of metals, ores and physical materials. But gets gas from completing optional objectives, defeating enemies or by gathering special well gases. Not only that but i have what I think would be an interesting way to start the story but I don't want to spoil that. Eh? I should stop and just focus on one thing, I know.}