Never Surrender

Chapter 45: Never Surrender

The mansion was covered in darkness, the only light coming from, is the constant flashes of lightning outside. The storm's fury pounded the estate, but inside, a different kind of storm was brewing.

Malcolm stood at the entrance of the basement, his hands trembling as he held his weapon. His henchmen, tensed, were lined up beside him, their weapons ready. Smoke and dust fill up from the basement, swirling around them.

"L-Listen up," Malcolm yells, trying to mask the fear in his voice. "W-Whatever comes out of that basement—k-kill it. N-No hesitation."

The henchmen nodded, the sound of clanking metal filling the atmosphere as they prepared their weapons. The tension was evident, every man on edge, knowing that whatever emerged from below is an enemy.

In the basement, Beetle and the S.A.C. agents crouched low, their breaths shallow as they watched the entrance from a distance. They were exhausted, their bodies aching from the torture and battle earlier, but they knew they couldn't afford to give up now.

One of the agents, Agent Pelican, his face covered in sweat and blood, gritted his teeth as he flexed his fingers. "I can still fight," he muttered, trying to convince himself as much as the others.

Also, Agent Bass, looking pale but determined, gave a weak nod. "I can manage," he said, his voice strained but resolute. "We've come this far. We're not going down without a fight."

Beetle scanned the surroundings. "Get ready," he whispered. "We move on my count."

Meanwhile, Hedgehog groaned as he stirred from unconsciousness, his body ache. His vision is blurry, but as he blinked away the haze, he saw Machielo lying nearby, buried partially under a pile of rubble, still unconscious.

"Damn it," Hedgehog muttered under his breath, the realization of his situation sinking in as he looked around. Surrounding him were the trolls from earlier.

Hedgehog sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Couldn't be easy, could it?" he muttered, his voice laced with bitter sarcasm. Slowly, he infused his arms with Orve. He knew his stamina was running low, but there was no choice. With a deep breath, he assumed a fighting stance, ready to face the beasts that encircled him.

In the distance, the sound of sirens pierced through the storm, growing louder as the authorities' vehicles sped toward the mansion. Inside one of the vehicles, the police chief in deep thoughts, his fingers tapping his weapon anxiously.

"How the hell did a criminal organization this huge slip under our radar?" he muttered in his thoughts, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "There's a traitor in the department.... someone's been tipping them off." He clenched his fist as he stared out into the rain. "I'll root them out, no matter what it takes."

Beetle exhaled slowly as he counts under his breath. "One… two… three!" he shouted, and with swift, he and the two agents dashed toward Malcolm and his henchmen.

"Open fire!" Malcolm yelled, his voice cracking with panic.

The henchmen unleashed a barrage of bullets. But Beetle and the agents moved with incredible speed, their Orve-infused bodies dodging and weaving through the hail of bullets.

Beetle's blade flashed in the darkness, a streak of silver cutting through the dark as he sliced down the first henchman. Blood splattered across the walls as the agent's strikes found their mark, each move precise and deadly.

Malcolm's eyes widened in fear as he saw his men fall one by one, their bodies crumpling to the ground in pools of blood. "Elites!" he screamed, his voice trembling in fear. "Take them down!"

Ten elite henchmen emerged from the darkness. Each one carrying a blade, their movements fluid and practiced as they rushed toward Beetle and the agents.

"Be careful," Agent Pelican warned, his voice steady despite the tension. "These guys are the ones who captured us before."

Beetle's eyes narrowed as he saw the elites blades glinting in the dark. "Stay close," he instructed. "We'll take them together."

The elite henchmen moved in unison, their attacks coordinated and swift. But Beetle and the agents fought back with equal skill, their Orve-infused strikes clashing against the blades with sparks flying in every direction.

The battle was fierce, each side pushing the other to the limit. The elite henchmen were skilled, their movements almost robotic in precision, but Beetle and the agents were relentless. Despite their exhaustion, they fought with a ferocity born of desperation and determination.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Lily watched the battle from above. The sounds of battle echoed through the mansion, but they seemed unfazed, almost bored by the violence below.

"Your nephew's making a mess of things," Lily remarked, her tone light and playful.

Stefan chuckled, his eyes never leaving the scene below. "Malcolm always was a coward," he said with a smirk. "But sometimes, you need a little chaos to weed out the weak."

As if on cue, Malcolm burst into the room, his face pale and slick with sweat. "Uncle!" he gasped, his voice shaking. "You've got to help me! They're going to kill us all!"

Stefan looked down at his nephew with a mixture of disdain and amusement. "Grow some balls, Malcolm," he sneered, his voice cold. "You share my sister's blood, a Agapov. Act like one."

Back to Hedgehog, his breath ragged as he fought off the three red trolls. Their massive fists swung at him with bone-crushing force. But Hedgehog's straw-infused body absorbed the impacts, his form twisting and reforming with each attack.

"Allez au diable," Hedgehog cursed, his voice hoarse from the effort. He knew he was running out of time... his stamina was nearly spent, and when it ran out, he'd be vulnerable. He needed to end this fight quickly.

One of the trolls lunged at him, its jaws snapping dangerously close to his head. Hedgehog ducked and rolled, coming up behind the beast with a powerful Orve-infused punch that sent it crashing into the wall. But the other two were on him in an instant, their massive fists raining down on him with relentless fury.

Hedgehog fought back with everything he had, his body moving with swift speed as he dodged and countered their attacks. But the trolls were relentless, their strength and size making them almost impossible to defeat. Hedgehog could feel his stamina slipping away, his movements growing slower.

Beetle and the agents were still locked in battle with the elite henchmen, the fight growing more intense with each passing second.

Agent Pelican grunted as he parried a strike from one of the elites, his arms shaking from the impact. "We can't keep this up much longer," he muttered.

Beetle, his face grim and determined, nodded. "Just a little longer," he urged. "We're almost through this."

With a final burst of energy, Beetle and the agents launched a coordinated attack, their blades moving in precision as they cut through the remaining elites. One by one, the henchmen fell, their bodies in the ground.

As the last elite hit the floor, the agents took a moment to catch their breath, their bodies aching from the exertion.

"We need to get out of here," Agent Pelican suggested, his voice laced with urgency. "Before more of them show up."

But Beetle shook his head. "I'm not leaving Hedgehog behind," he said firmly. "And we still need to find one of ours, Agent Bunny."

Agent Bass, panting heavily, looked at Beetle with wide eyes. "Bunny? She's one of yours?" he asked, his voice with surprise.

Beetle nodded. "Yeah. She's been captured together with you. We can't leave without her."

Pelican sighed but nodded in agreement. "No agents gets left behind, Am I right?" he said, his voice steady. "Then Let's find her and get the hell out of here."

The three agents, despite being exhausted, prepared to search of their comrade, Agent Bunny. As they moved forward, the sound of police sirens grew louder, cutting through the storm.

To be continued....