20 - Hammer Slam

I was pissed at Jake before because he was acting out of his character code. So I can only think of clearing this floor fast before he can meddle with anything. But now that I see that huge guy in front of Rean, I… don't think I can step forward.

'Let's just hide and let Rean do his thing…' I retreat carefully to the hallway before where I found that unconscious terrorist.

It's clear that I would only be in the way if I'm there, so I'm actually helping Rean with being absent.

Still, I cannot understand why those two are here. It's not like I can control what Rean does now that I'm not a player, but that enemy should've been moving according to the plot, isn't it? Originally, it should be in the 15th floor, not 12th floor.

'Have I just changed the plot?'

I bite my bottom lip. 'No, that can't be.'

I haven't done anything that could've encouraged the hammer terrorist to be here in 12th floor. It's not an enemy that can be encountered elsewhere besides the 15th floor, and I've not contacted with it at all in this mission until now. It should've been impossible for me to change that one plot line when I didn't even…

Wait a second. It's not because I wasn't here, but rather it was because I'm here. This sudden realization does not help with my fear at all, but it does brighten my mind a little bit. It's still a theory, but it's the most logical thing I can think of right now to calm my little heart.

The enemy bellows loudly, surprising me and making me look over there again. The big man raises his hammer, not looking burdened at all by the weight, and brings it down at Rean.

Rean, being a sword genius and has plentiful experience in fighting, dodges it easily to the side and out of my sight in the hallway. The hammer falls down to the floor and cracks the marble floor like with a loud uncomfortable sound.

Goosebumps invade my back when I see the debris flying everywhere and a light smoke comes out of the holed floor. 'That hammer can hit people's head and smash it like it's watermelon… Hrr…' I shudder at the thought.

"Hey, gunner!"

Something hit my back so very suddenly and it surprised the crap out of me. I yell in reflex and, since I didn't realize my hands were sweating, my grip on the bat loosens and the bat falls out of my hand and onto the floor.

I couldn't react in time, and it falls with a loud thunk thunk thunk before rolling to the wall across from me and ending with a chink.

The sound, which is of iron contacting a marble floor, echoes through the hallway walls.

Time seems to stop right there for me because I fear something worse is gonna happen. But what I fear happens sooner that I might think. I hear a growl coming from the lobby and I instinctively look over to the big enemy.

His head that was looking down before as it swings his hammer, now is facing forward towards this hallway. Then I realize the position I'm in.

Since I was trying to stop the bat from falling and making noise, I've bent forward and tried to reach it, which made my pose turn from crouching to crawling. Right in the middle of the hallway, which means... The man is looking right at me.

At that moment, I froze. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to beat him. I can only watch as the man rises to his feet, and, with his hammer in both hands, walks forward and enters the hallway I'm in.

His heavy steps echo horrifyingly, bringing me anxiety with each step. The sight of his partly exposed hand, thick and muscular with his veins almost visible, is enough to make my mind go blank and all my muscles stop working.

'No… I don't wanna die…'

My fear reaches the peak and I suddenly feel weird. My ears feel numb and my sight becomes black and white. It's like I'm cut off from the rest of the world. Then I see something flashes in front of me, it was a shadow of something else. Something bigger and inhuman. I can't see it clearly, only silhouette, but its wings are open wide and it's screeching with a sound that is ear deafening.

However, it's numb to my ears. I can't hear it screaming but I somehow know it does. My body trembles greatly because of it, but weirdly, I don't feel afraid. My hands are gripping something tightly but I don't know what it is. My body told me to run, but strangely, I don't want to. It was as if there is something more important, something I need to protect right then and there, and I can't run away.

A voice suddenly rings in my ear, telling me to run. It's weirdly the only sound that I can hear under this numbing feeling. The voice shouts again for me to run, and this time, the beast's shadow fades slowly and becomes smaller. As colors return to my sight, I wonder what just happened to me.

'What was that?' I wonder.

The next thing I know, I'm suddenly in that hallway again. Sense gradually returns to me, and I realize the big man has closed our distance very quickly.

'Sh*t!'

I'm trying to figure out what to do, but then I feel something dragging me to the side. "MOVE IT, GUNNER!!"

It was Jake.

He's pulling my legs from behind me, with a grunt and a red face, but I didn't seem to budge. Only when I realize that someone was there, I move. I mean, I was dragged by him like someone pulling a mattress sheet from the bed. I slide backwards on the floor towards him. At the same time, a very loud crack appears in front of me.

I close my eyes out of reflex, from the pull and the sound. When I open my eyes again, I see the hammer had crushed the floor in the spot I was just on right a second ago.

"W-Watermelon…" I mumble out of fear.

Jake gasps and immediately goes in front of me with his bat ready. "Stop there, terrorist! Don't come a step closer or I'll break your skull!"

The terrorist rises and brings his hammer upwards slowly.

"Hey! I said stop!" Jake yells at him.

Fear creeps up from my back and my body trembles. My body tells me to run, but this time, I don't have that feeling anymore. I can move my body now. So I get up and rummage inside my bag. When I get the thing , I immediately pull the pin and throw it between Jake and the enemy. Then I shout.

"Fire in the hole!!"

Jake looks at the thing in front of him in surprise. "HEE?!"

The thing explodes with a flash of yellow.