Siege #22

I materialized back in the warehouse, wincing at the unmistakable crack of gunfire. The atmosphere was tense, charged with the urgency of battle. The work Pals were hunkered down, taking cover behind crates and barrels, their eyes sharp and alert, ready to ambush any intruders.

The Lifmunks and Tanzees had taken vantage points near windows and entrances, their keen eyes peering over their covers as they occasionally popped up to return fire against the assailants outside.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, cursing the chaos that had erupted in my absence. I ducked behind a stack of crates, trying to get a clear view of the situation outside.

The distinct, sharp reports of rifles and the rapid chatter of automatic fire made it clear this was no random skirmish. "Fucking Hammerhead!" I spat out through gritted teeth, knowing that no one else could have discovered the location of the warehouse.

A voice from beside me answered, "No, it's Silvermane's boys." I turned to see Carlo crouched beside me, his face set in grim determination, a gun in his hand.

Vito appeared next to me, his usual grin plastered across his face. "Hammerhead might have tipped Silvermane to our location," he said casually, as if discussing the weather. "Probably figured it'd better for him if he gave things a bit of a nudge... make us hurt Manfredi before he destroyed us..."

I bit back a curse, glaring at Vito. There was no time to indulge in anger, especially with bullets flying around. I turned my attention to Carlo, who was gripping his gun tightly. "What the hell are you doing with a gun?" I demanded, my voice cold.

Carlo scoffed, a mirthless chuckle escaping his lips. "What do you think I'm doing?" He met my glare with a willful look, then sighed. "I'm defending myself. As far as Manfredi is concerned, I'm your accomplice now. I can't afford to be captured by his goons."

Vito stood there, unbothered, his casual demeanor only fueling my rage. "Venting your anger on Carlo won't help," he said, his tone almost mocking. "We need every gun we can get right now."

I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my frustration in check. "Ignoring me won't help either," Vito continued with a sigh.

"Shut the fuck up!" I finally snapped, unable to hold back any longer. "Listening to you, rather than ignoring you as I should, is what got us into this mess." My voice was a mix of anger and desperation. "I don't know anymore if you're just stupid and overconfident or if you're doing all of this on purpose."

Vito rolled his eyes. "Don't be overly dramatic."

That was the last straw. I stood up, my fist swinging towards Vito's face in a blind fury. My hand passed right through him, the ghostly image flickering as if mocking my effort. I screamed in frustration, preparing to take another swing, but a stray bullet whizzed past my head, forcing me to duck back behind cover.

Carlo, who had been watching me argue with thin air, swallowed nervously. "Now's not the time for a mental meltdown," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "Our lives are at stake."

Vito shrugged nonchalantly. "He's right, you know."

I glared at Vito, my fists clenched so tightly they ached. "I finally had a good thing going, but now it's all gone to shit because I was stupid enough to listen to you."

Vito grinned. "Maybe. Or maybe you'll work this out like you did with Carlo."

My hands began to tremble in anger. There was no fixing this anymore, not even a chance of it happening. Even if I were to get rid of the small army knocking on our door, which was within my ability, it wouldn't solve anything.

Manfredi now knew about my base's location, and nothing would stop him from sending more of his men to attack the warehouse whenever he felt like it.

Though I doubted it would ever come to that. With the goons outside making such a ruckus, it was only a matter of time before the police arrived in greater numbers, and then I'd have no choice but to run back to Palbagos Island with my tail between my legs.

I can wait out the storm there, but I'm not even sure I'll ever be able to find my way back to this world if anything happens to the Palbox here. By all intents and purposes, it was game over for me.

Looking at Vito who was casually standing in the entrance, bullets going through him with a smile on his face like he was watching some sort of show, my blood boiled. There was little I wouldn't give for a chance to beat him to death with my bare hands, but I knew that was impossible.

"Get your shit together!" Carlo called out again, his voice cutting through my haze of anger. "You got me into this mess, so you need to get me out of it. I have a wife to get back to."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Carlo was right. I couldn't afford to lose my head now. If for nothing else than to simply avoid having regrets in the future, I needed to focus on finding a way out of this mess, even if there were none.

"Fine," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. "Let's fucks these guys up first..." I gritted my teeth as I retrieved Tocotoco's Pal Sphere and hurled it into the ground.

The Tocotoco emerged, its wide-eyed stare seeming almost comical given the gravity of our situation. Carlo looked at it in disbelief, his gaze shifting from the seemingly witless creature to the entrance of the warehouse, where three SUVs and over a dozen armed men blocked our escape.

"What the hell is this thing supposed to do?" he asked, skepticism dripping from his voice.

Before I could answer, the distant wail of sirens cut through the chaos, making my heart skip a beat. "No time to explain," I said hurriedly. "Just wait and see."

I turned to the Tanzees and Lifmunks hiding behind cover, whistling sharply to get their attention. "Get their attention! Be more aggressive!" I shouted. They complied immediately, popping out of cover and unleashing a barrage of gunfire.

The gangsters, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, ducked behind their SUVs, ceasing their fire.

Seizing the moment, I sprinted out of the building, clutching the Tocotoco firmly in my hands. Elena had already fired two eggs, and I fired another one back on Palbagos island, leaving no more than two shots, maybe just one.

Gritting my teeth, I pointed the Pal's rear at the drive-through and gave it a firm slap on the back, squeezing it between my hands. The Tocotoco let out a particularly loud cluck, shooting out an egg that arced straight toward the SUVs.

The explosion was instantaneous. The egg detonated on impact, sending a fireball into the air and flipping one of the SUVs onto its side. The blast killed a good number of the gangsters, and the remaining men scrambled for cover, disoriented and panicking, and severely injured.

Carlo, still behind cover, stared at the destruction with wide eyes. "Holy shit," he breathed, finally understanding.

"Now's not the time to be wide-eyed and slack-jawed, Carlo!" I snapped, urgency lacing my voice. I recalled the Tocotoco to its Pal Sphere and immediately summoned Nitehawk and Chillet. The two Pals materialized before me, their keen eyes already assessing the chaotic scene.

"Capture any survivors and bring them into the warehouse," I ordered, my tone brooking no argument. "Carlo, go with them."

Carlo hesitated, his confusion evident. "Why capture them?" he asked as he began to move. "Wouldn't it be easier to just get out of here?"

"The police are on their way... I doubt we'd make it far if we tried to escape..." I explained quickly, my mind racing through possible scenarios. "We need hostages to buy time while I figure out what to do next."

Understanding dawned on Carlo's face, and he nodded grimly. "Alright," he said, following Nitehawk and Chillet as they moved with swift precision toward the wounded gangsters.

The Pals were relentless, their predatory instincts honed for this exact purpose. Nitehawk, with its sharp talons and piercing gaze, and Chillet, with its icy powers and massive size, made quick work of subduing the remaining enemies.

As Carlo and the Pals rounded up the survivors, I couldn't help but notice Vito watching the scene unfold with a bemused smile playing on his lips. He seemed to find the entire situation amusing, as if it were some grand spectacle put on for his entertainment.

Gritting my teeth, I contemplated swinging at his face again, but I knew that would only serve to make him more amused. As the sirens grew louder, culminating in the screeching of wheels as they stopped in front of the warehouse, I quickly made my way back inside.

...

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