Chapter 5 - Trap

"Very well this is what I need" Said the strange soldier as He spread a mapa in the ground and marked the supermarket on it with a circle, drawing a bigger circle with many streets around it, "Those points are minotaur groups…" "Parties" "what?" "they're called parties" Michael had to sigh at Nathan's idiocy, thankfully Aly covered his mouth with her hand before he continued arguing with the heavily armed super powerful guy "Anyway, those minotaur GROUPS are much like the ones you just took care of and inconsequential, I will be taking care of them, Those" and he marked 3 positions on the bigger circle "those are 4 man patrols with much stronger creatures it is with them you have to worry"

"So you want us to help you eliminate those patrols one by one?" "Nope, despite what it looks like this is not a game, if a patrol doesn't return, make too much noise or has any way to alert the others we would be swarmed with minotaurs, what I need is a distraction."

"We could just burn them out of it" suggested Raphael " We could but that would enrage the boss and you guys got no chance against it what I need is a way to draw most of the minotaurs out but leave the boss unconcerned" with a thoughtful look Aly inspected the map "But the fire could work" "What do you mean Aly?" "Look the supermarket is in a 3-way intersection, the door has a free look down the street we could arrange a distraction a few blocks away, if it is loud enough it should attract most of the fuckers" After a few more minutes discussing they finally came up with a plan.

Michael plunged his spear with both hands at a car, once, twice, 12 times before he managed to penetrate it's fuel tank, drawing gas from it he filled another bucked with it, his fourth one, his spear was a crude thing, a sharpened kitchen knife tied to the end of a metal pole, he had made it a few hours after the <system> hit, looking at it he remembered how it all started.

The five of them were enjoying the holyday watching a movie on Raphael's house when his mother screamed terrified from her bedroom, all of them ran towards it expecting anything but the little green man banging her head repeatedly on the ground, blood splashing everywhere, Raphael's father was the first to react kicking him off his wife then jumping on top of it trying to strangle the thing, out of nowhere a second green midget appeared and used a bone knife to stab Mr. Ramires' back.

Alysha, Suzanna and Nathan were still numbly watching when Raphael lost it, jumping on the small creature he started brawling with it as his father continued to strangle the other one not even noticing his wound, Raphael fought with rage but he was not a killer, not yet, exitating at the last moment he was hit on the head with the telephone and fell over, desperate Michael himself ran to the bone knife and stabbed the green thing in the chest driving it into the ground, screaming and crying he stabbed it over and over again until it had long stopped moving, the girls had to drag him away from it.

Mr. Ramires managed to choke the other goblin to death but his knife wound had hit an artery and he bleed out soon after, Mrs. Ramires died later that night, her head injury had been too severe and, without medical attention she couldn't hold out.

Suzanna had died early in the morning when they killed the hobgoblin in their neighborhood, they had to abandon her corpse after to escape the horned rats that were attracted by the smell of blood, Michael only hopped the other people who helped attack the goblins had managed to escape too.

"we are ready" he said to the soldier dressed in futuristic armor, Loki he called himself, Michael didn't trust the man but he was their only hope, as the man's armor changed color he became nearly indistinguishable from the background, as if pulled by an invisible string the man rose to a rooftop and disappeared completely.

"Fucking bastard" cursed Alysha venting her anger, Nathan put a hand over her shoulder to calm her down "It should work Aly" Raphael ignored their discussion picking up some of the gas containers "Let's go, I don't want to see what he would do if we mess his timing".

Helping his friend Michael picked up some of the containers and started walking towards the trap, Nathan soon caught up "Do you think he told us the truth?" "About what?" Nathan scratched the back of his head "I don't know, everything?" sighing Michal though about it "I don't know Nate but, probably, he doesn't seems like someone who bothers with lying" "But… they knew it? They knew it was going to happen and didn't say anything?"

"Of course the government knew it idiot, they just don't give a shit about us" "Enough Raphael" "Whatever" barely contained anger radiated from Raphael's voice, Mica just ignored the bickering, he was tired, he needed a place to rest, yes rest and maybe cry a little.

Getting everyone in position they put the containers where they could do the most damage and waited, watching the 4 man patrol approaching their trap, they were 5 blocks directly in front of the supermarket's door in a semicircle of abandoned cars.

Crouched behind a car with Nathan he couldn't help smiling in anticipation even in this terrible time "Do it!" Nathan nodded his head and started whispering his spell, getting up he hurled a ball of burning hot fire over their heads, it flew in a straight line falling just to the side of the target thankfully a spark touched the gas container.

BOM!

The explosion shook the street blowing the car windows just as the minotaurs were passing by, it blew all four of them off their feet, breaking cover he dashed with his spear ready and stabbed the four on their throat.

[Your party member has slain minotaur level 4 x 3 + 42 XP ]

[ You have slain minotaur level 5 +30 XP]

A second fireball flew over his head like an arrow to explode upon the still starring minotaur guards at the supermarket entrance blowing him away, the second minotaur gave a bellow of rage and lifted his weapon as the first tried to stand up again, suddenly both of then rose slightly in the air by their throats struggling to free themselves, Michael could hear their necks breaking as they fell back down in a bonelessly, looking up he saw a small blurry figure about 6 meters above them on the wall for a second before it dived through the window, lifting a hand to his throat he shivered.

A crowd of minotaurs squeezed past the door of the building, they saw both guards dead on the ground and the burning street with Michael standing over another four of them, his spear still dripping blood.

All 30 or so minotaurs bellowed in rage and charged him with burning red eyes "Oh fuck!" turning around he ran towards the trap as fast as he could but the monsters were much faster gaining on him, a cold feeling at the back of his head made him turn around and lift his shield to hide behind.

The crude stone hammer hit his shield like a truck cracking it right in the middle and sending him flying to fall a whole 4 meters away then roll for another 3 before he managed to get up and continue running, adrenaline making him not even notice the pain or the broken arm.

Finally Raphael started the truck he had been hiding on and accelerated blocking the street and the minotaurs way back, jumping out of the truck on the other other side of the creatures Raphael screamed "Get out of there Mica!"

Using his only good arm Michael vaulted over the car line, 3 other minotaurs jumped right behind him before a fireball hit the car and exploded the second gas container sending all 4 of them flying from the impact, another two fireballs fell on the inside of the circle of cars blowing the rest of the gas containers and turning the whole place into a burning hell.

Alysha darted out from a building, her sword in hand stabbing the closest minotaur in the throat, Michael tried to get up, adrenaline still running in his system but he just couldn't "Mica stop, don't move!" she screamed at him as the two surviving minotaurs got to their feet, holding her sword tightly in a defensive position Alysha waited for the less damaged of the creatures to make the first move, he couldn't watch it, he wouldn't accept another of his friends dying, he started crawling towards his spear and gritting his teeth.

As he reached it and turned around he saw the minotaur's axe swing, Alysha jumped back with the gracefulness of a dancer then, with a lightning fast lunge she pierced her sword in it's unprotected side then pulled it off and let the creature fall to the ground already dead, the second monster was even easier as he was already badly wounded, dashing over before it could even lift it's weapon she passed him by using her sword to cut low on it's already wounded leg she ended up at the creature's back as it fell to it's knees, holding her blade with both hands she turned, using all her momentum and strength to cut at it's neck, unfortunately minotaur bones are extremely though and the sword got stuck halfway only half decapitating the minotaur.

"What?" "What what?" "You're starring Mica, now close your mouth and lay down you're hurt" He let himself fall back down, his entire body hurting "I want… to pass out" "Yeah, Nathan already did that"

[Your party has slain minotaur guard level 6 x 11 + 176 XP]

[Your party has slain minotaur level 5 x 13 + 195 XP]

[Your party has slain minotaur level 6 x 6 + 96 XP]

Looking over at the burning flames Aly laughed "Hey I just got to level 3!"

"Congratu… lations" turning over Michale laid belly up and put his good arm over his head "Get me a healing potion… will you"

"Sure, Raphael should be arriving soon anyway, hey you think army guy did it?"

"I am sure we are gonna find out soon enough, one way or the other".