Ch-28: At the center of it all

Ethan and James moved toward the inner circle, their steps muffled due to their skills. Ethan's {Shadow Sense} was fully engaged, scanning for any signs of the vampires. Every corner, every shadow was meticulously checked, but they found nothing. The area felt eerily abandoned, with not even an insect to break the oppressive silence.

As they neared the center, Ethan sensed something massive at the edge of his detection range. His anticipation grew as they pressed forward. The object soon became clear: stacks of metallic cuboids, nearly six and a half feet in length. 

Ethan's mind raced with questions. ´What were these boxes? Why were both Hydra and the vampires protecting them?´ The mystery only fueled his determination.

Without finding any vampires so far, they quickened their pace. Soon, they reached a formidable-looking storage room. The gate was a heavy steel door with a circular wheel lock in the center, the kind typical on ships. It was secured with a hefty padlock, which looked impossible to break with melee weapons and using guns wouldn't be a good idea.

Ethan and James exchanged a knowing look. "How are we gonna open that without alerting everyone with gunfire?" Ethan whispered, his eyes scanning the corridor for any movement.

James smirked, a glint of confidence in his eyes. "Leave it to me, mate. You watch our backs." He moved to the door and pulled out a set of lockpicking tools from a pouch on his utility belt.

Ethan kept a vigilant watch, his senses heightened. The sound of metal against metal was barely audible as James worked. Minutes passed, each one feeling like an eternity. Finally, a satisfying click echoed in the silence. The padlock fell away, and James turned to Ethan with a grin.

"Nicely done," Ethan murmured, impressed.

James pushed the door open slowly, and they slipped inside, closing it softly behind them. The storage room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of metal and oil. Rows of the metallic cuboids filled the space, their surfaces reflecting the faint light.

"Blimey," James whispered, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What do you reckon these are, Ethan?"

Ethan stepped forward, his hand trailing over the cold, smooth surface of one of the boxes. "I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it's important enough for both Hydra and the vamps to guard it."

James nodded, his gaze sharp. "Right. Let's find out what's so special about these boxes. But we need to be quick. No tellin' when reinforcements might show up."

Ethan nodded, his heart pounding with excitement and apprehension.

*Squeak*  *Squeak*

Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by the high-pitched squeaking of rats, their tiny feet scurrying across the floor as they fled the room. Ethan and James exchanged a glance, momentarily distracted by the critters before turning their attention back to the metallic cuboids. They knew that accessing the contents would only be possible by retrieving the one at the top of the stacks.

A voice, cool and mocking, echoed from outside the room. "If I were you, I wouldn't open those coffins, brother."

Ethan and James turned toward the source of the voice and fell on the man standing in the doorway.

He was an imposing figure draped in an impeccably tailored black suit that spoke of wealth and refinement. His attire was straight out of a gentleman's wardrobe from the early 20th century: a crisp white dress shirt, a neatly knotted black silk tie, and a waistcoat adorned with a gold pocket watch chain that glinted in the dim light. 

His polished leather shoes echoed softly on the metallic floor with each deliberate step.

Yet, it was not just his attire that drew attention. There was a palpable, menacing aura surrounding him, a chilling presence that made the air in the room grow heavy and cold. 

His pale, almost translucent skin contrasted starkly with his dark clothes, and his sharp, angular features gave him an almost predatory look. Deep-set eyes, like dark pools devoid of light, scanned the room with an unsettling intensity, as if he could see into the very souls of those before him.

His thin, bloodless lips curled into a mocking smile, revealing a hint of sharp, white teeth that seemed ready to tear into flesh at a moment's notice. 

The man exuded a calm, cold confidence, every movement deliberate and controlled, yet carrying an underlying threat of sudden, violent action. The combination of his refined appearance and the latent danger he radiated created an unsettling dissonance, making it clear that he was not a man to be underestimated.

(Picture)

James stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Who the bloody hell are you, and why're you callin' me your brother? My brother ain't no monster like you."

The figure chuckled, a deep, sinister laugh that resonated through the room. He stepped forward, the dim light making his face clearer, "Hello, James. You remember me?"

James's heart pounded harder as he recognized the voice. "John?!"

John's sneer deepened. "That man died some time ago. These days, I call myself Baron Blood."

James's face twisted with pain, his eyes reflecting a deep, old sorrow. The brother he once knew, the one who fought beside him, seemed completely lost, and was instead replaced by this foul creature of night. He struggled to find his voice, to reach out to John, but the words stuck in his throat.

Then John turned his malevolent gaze toward Ethan, his eyes narrowing. "And who might you be? At first, I didn't notice you, but now I realize there's only one heartbeat in this room… Quite intriguing."

Ethan smirked beneath his [Slime] suit, stepping forward. "Good, I guess my suit is even better than I thought. Perfect stealth, even in the face of vampires."

John's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Ethan. "Interesting. Very interesting."

James tried to speak but John interjected. "I assume you dealt with the Nazis before coming here. I can't sense them anymore, and my vampire subordinates have all vanished, leaving behind nothing but ash."

He sneered, his confidence unshaken. "But it doesn't matter. They were weak compared to me. So brother, I give you a choice, either you back out now or this ship will be your grave. And both of you will find out what it means to face true power."

James spoke again, still trying to convince himself that his brother wasn't gone, "John, this ain't you. The brother I knew wouldn't do this. Jacqueline is waitin' for you at home. Do you know how much she cried when you left? She blamed me and I took it, because I knew somewhere deep down, that it was my fault. Come back to us. We can find a way to help you-"

John's gaze was filled with disdain. "Help me? Look at me, James. Do I look like someone who needs help? Jacqueline's tears, your guilt—it means nothing to me now. I learned humanity is weakness and I won't be weak anymore."

James, determination burning in his eyes, took a step forward. "I don't know what happened when you disappeared, but I will save you."

John's eyes flashed with anger, his voice a menacing growl. "I don't seek salvation, James. I guess, I will have to teach you the hard way."

Baron Blood's eyes flashed a deep red as he summoned his vampiric abilities. In an instant, he vanished, reappearing behind James and grabbing him by the throat, lifting him off the ground with inhuman strength. James struggled, but John's grip was like iron.

Ethan, realizing the dire situation, discreetly reached into his inventory and pulled out a Tommy gun, carefully hidden from James's view. With a quick manipulation of [Slime], he fashioned a silencer and attached it to the weapon.

"Time to see if this works," Ethan thought, aiming the silenced Tommy gun at John's back.

He fired a burst of bullets. The rapid, muffled shots found their mark, hitting Baron Blood squarely in the back. John roared in pain, dropping James and turning to face Ethan with fury in his eyes. 

The bullets tore through his undead flesh, but his regenerative abilities began to close the wounds almost immediately.

"Impressive," John snarled, his voice a mix of pain and rage. "But not enough."

Ethan activated {Shield Block} just in time to absorb John's next attack, John's claws raking against the invisible shield. 

[-3]

The shield along with [Slime] suit absorbed the impact, and Ethan counterattacked, jabbing a silver-laced stake, which he pulled out from his utility belt, at John's side. The stake pierced John's flesh, eliciting a snarl of rage from Baron Blood.

Meanwhile, James, recovering from the earlier impact, charged at John again. This time, he aimed low, tackling his brother around the waist and driving him back. The force of the tackle sent both of them sprawling across the floor, giving Ethan a moment to retrieve his stake.

James's fist connected with Baron's face with a sickening thud, the force of the punch reverberating through the room. "John, this ain't you!" James shouted, his voice desperate and raw. 

"Remember who you are! Think of Jacqueline, think of our family!" His words were punctuated by the rhythmic pounding of his fists, each strike a plea for his brother's humanity.

But before he could land any more blows, John flung him off with a single, powerful motion, sending James crashing into a stack of crates. Ethan, not wasting a second, raised his silenced Tommy gun and fired a burst at Baron. 

The bullets whizzed through the air, but John's supernatural speed allowed him to dodge them effortlessly. In a blur, he closed the distance between them, his eyes locked onto Ethan with deadly intent.

Ethan's mind raced. With a quick thought, he activated {Shadow Meld}, melding into the darkness just as Baron reached him. 

John halted, scanning the room with narrowed eyes. "A mutant, eh? That explains a lot. But it doesn't matter. You'll just be another corpse added to the cargo."

Hearing this, a realization sparked in Ethan's mind. His increased INT had resurfaced some obscure memories, including the comics knowledge he used to research. 

The metallic crates—he finally understood what they contained. But before he could dwell on it, he saw James charging at his brother once more, only to be flung back with ease.

Seeing an opportunity, Ethan emerged from the shadows, his silver-laced stakes ready. He lunged at Baron, aiming for his heart, but John's reflexes were too quick. With a single backhand, he sent Ethan sprawling across the room. 

As he flew through the air, multiple thoughts raced through Ethan's mind. And he came to the conclusion that hiding his powers any longer would only get him killed.

With that decision made, Ethan stowed the Tommy gun back in his inventory, the silencer seamlessly reintegrating into his [Slime] suit. He then pulled out [VX-9], the gun's dark body blending with the surrounding shadows. 

Manipulating the [slime], he fashioned an appropriate silencer for the weapon. He had tested the gun with Alfred earlier, perfecting the silencer through trials and errors.

Baron's gaze settled on Ethan with a newfound interest. "Intriguing. Very intriguing," he murmured, watching Ethan intently.

Ethan dived into the shadows again, his heart pounding. His current level of control only allowed him to enter and exit the shadows, not move within them. He had to wait for the right moment, hoping James would create a distraction. And James didn't disappoint. 

A gunshot rang out, hitting John in the back. John grunted in annoyance, shrugging off the damage as his lips curled into a snarl, revealing his predatory canines.

John dashed toward James, his mouth wide open. This was Ethan's moment. He sprang from the shadows, aiming [VX-9] at John's head. His plan was simple: decapitate the vampire and end this once and for all. His finger tightened on the trigger, intending to blast John's head into oblivion. 

Hearing the sound, Baron tried to dodge but the bullet, powered by the [VX-9]'s extraordinary velocity, barely missed John's head but struck his shoulder, blasting off his left arm in a burst of ichor.

John's eyes widened momentarily before he regained his composure. "Impressive weapon. I'll have to keep an eye on you," he said, his tone cool and collected. Then he turned to his brother, "James, we will meet again, perhaps under better circumstances."

Both Ethan and James tried to stop him, Ethan driven by the urge to gain EXP and James by the hope of saving his brother. But suddenly, the room was filled with the high-pitched screeches of rats and mice swarming from all directions. 

John smirked, "Here's a gift, brother." and a woman dressed in a fitted dress with a nipped-in waist and a knee-length skirt—emerged from the shadows, her presence commanding and menacing. John leaped away, disappearing into the night.

The woman held up a gun that Ethan immediately recognized as Hydra's energy weapon. 'She must be the leader of the spies,' he thought. His deductions were based on all the information he had gained till now. Ethan's thoughts became clear as she aimed the gun at them.

Taking into account the power of the energy gun, the metallic crates around them, and the ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Ethan quickly decided on his next move. 

He activated {Bone Shield} and {Shield Block}. A circular bone shield appeared in his hand, and an invisible film formed in front of him. The incoming ball of energy pierced through the invisible veil and collided with the bone shield, pulverizing it before finally slamming into Ethan. His [Slime] suit absorbed the brunt of the attack, but a damage notification still popped up in his vision. 

[-70]

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A/N:

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