Chapter 10 - Pablo & Pedro

Thong looked around, noticing that each guard was armed, and Jason had not taken a single hit.

Thong: How… How did you do it?

Jason: I'm efficient.

Thong picked up one of the guns, feeling around it.

Thong: It's real… A real assault rifle. You were able to get them before they could shoot you?

Jason: It was a risk, but I'm good at dealing with them, so don't worry about it.

Thong's thoughts: Even if he was shot, I wouldn't notice any blood with the amount of red he's wearing. He's so covered, you wouldn't know if he's heavily damaged or dying under all that…

Jason walked to the furthest door from the one they entered, opening it slowly and peeking outside. His body jumped back as the sound of a small explosion filled the air.

Thong: What the hell was that?

Jason: They've got someone with a sniper aimed at this room. Looks like this door lets us reach the rest of the villa. We're in one of the higher rooms, around the second floor. There is the main floor behind us, and if I'm correct, there's a basement area further down. My guess is that our target is there.

Thong: We need to get him as soon as possible.

Thong stayed close to the wall so that he didn't face the open door. He grabbed the doorknob of the second door in the room, opening it slowly as he prepared to dodge a bullet. The door opened to a hallway, with small windows peering over the open first floor.

Jason: Good find, we can't rely on this door here, and that other door is right in sight of the first door.

Jason and Thong stayed low, staying below the sight of the windows as they made their way down the hall. As they reached the halfway point, bullets sprayed through the windows, shells and glass shards flying into the hall as Thong held his breath. Shards of glass stabbed his hand, small drops of blood beginning to appear. Jason grabbed onto Thong's shoulder, ushering him forward.

Thong's thoughts: How is he so calm through this? I was moments from screaming in fear.

Jason: If you make too much noise, they'll try to shoot through the walls. Don't give your position away.

Jason and Thong continued to crouch until they reached the end of the hall, opening the opposing door.

Jason: Well doesn't this hallway seem rather pointless.

As Jason swung the door open, several guards aimed their guns directly at Jason and Thong. Thong could feel his body drenched in sweat as he looked down the barrels of several of the guards' guns. Crouching next to him, he could hear Jason let out a huff of air as the guards slowly pulled the triggers on their guns.

Jason: Bellthorne Style, Fifth Form...

In a rapid spring, Thong continued to stare as Jason danced around all the guards, giving swift chops to each of their necks.

Jason: Gladiolus.

The six guards fell to the ground as Jason turned around to face Thong.

Jason: That was a close call, but it looks like we only have one threat for now.

Jason walked down the balcony overlooking the open first floor, looking for any possible opening to a lower level. Thong followed closely, only to stop when he heard a slight movement behind them. Thong turned around, seeing one of the fallen guards raise their pistol, aiming it directly at Thong's head. Thong's mind went blank as he saw the gun. Jason quickly turned around.

Jason: Why did you sto-

Jason noticed the guard still moving. He clenched his fist as the guard pulled the trigger. Jason's eyes followed closely as Thong lunged forward, moving towards the bullet, only to side step it at the last second. In the next moment, Thong's fist connected with the guard's face, the guard's head slamming into the ground. Thong raised his fist, blood dripping off of it.

Jason: There's no time to waste here, we need to move.

Thong shook his head, running after Jason. As he followed after Jason, Thong looked around, noticing the once glass ceiling now covered with shutters and the several plants around the villa, adding color to the mainly white inside. Finding a set of stairs, Thong and Jason descended to the first floor, entering the open area.

Thong: This place seems pretty eerie. It just doesn't seem real.

Jason: I understand this feeling. I mean, we were attacked by a sniper bullet, but not a single one of those six guards had a sniper with them. Where is the sniper? It shouldn't have taken him that long to reload.

???: You looking for him?

Jason and Thong turned around, seeing two large figures in the darkness. One throw a mangled body onto the ground, landing in front of Jason and Thong.

Jason: The sniper…

???: Yup!

The other figure then threw the sniper rifle, now broken in half, at Jason's feet.

Jason: These guys are trouble.

???: Oi, Pablo. Let's turn these guys to paste and get a raise, eh?

Pablo: Good thinking, Pedro. We'll take these guys down in no time.

Jason's thoughts: Pablo and Pedro, huh? Those names sound familiar…

Pablo and Pedro are famous bodyguards in the underground world, having worked for several mafia heads, with a terrifying body count between the two. Born and raised in the harshest favelas of Brazil, they faced hardship after hardship, which led to them growing large bodies from the constant fights they found themselves in. Both standing at barely under two meters tall, they were giants compared to Thong and Jason.

Jason: Thong, I know I told you to leave everything to me, but these two are better suited for your style. How about you give it a shot?

Thong immediately whipped head around to look at Jason.

Jason's thoughts: So he goes quiet once he's told to fight, interesting…

Pablo and Pedro cracked their knuckles.

Pablo: Only one of them wants to fight, eh? They trying to make fools of us? Get em, Pedro.

Pedro: On it!

Pedro went low, charging at Thong. Thong threw a fast right jab, but despite Pedro's larger build, he moved right under Thong's fist. Wrapping his arms around Thong's waist, Pedro whipped Thong into the air before leaning back and slamming Thong into the ground. Thong raised his arms just in time, absorbing some of the impact, but he could feel the pain coursing through his body. Pedro let go of Thong, but the moment he stood back up, a kick went flying up with Pedro spitting out blood from the intensity of the kick. Jason and Pablo watched as Thong had a fear in his eyes, but his body was rigid. Pedro stumbled back, blood dripping from his mouth.

Pablo's thoughts: Pedro was too careless when he released that boy. A foolish mistake, he must be getting too confident.

Thong rolled over, landing in a crouching position as Pedro wiped away the blood. Pedro entered his low stance, charging at Thong once again. Thong's eyes tensed up, clenching his fists before his body instinctively raised his arm. Pablo coming from the side and landing haymaker at Thong's arm. Thong gritting his teeth as he felt his arm begin to crack.

Jason's thoughts: I should've known they weren't going to play fair. I want to step in, but I need to know if Thong was just lucky or has actual skill. These two are fairly strong fighters, a level above Hugo for sure, but can Thong overcome them?

Pedro: I thought I was supposed to take care of him?

Pablo: You idiot, you left yourself open to another attack!

Pedro: Did I?

Thong's eyes burned as he stepped back. Pedro cupped his hands as Pablo charged at him, jumping once onto Pedro's hands only for Pedro to fling him into the air.

Thong's thoughts: He's airborne! Since the first floor is open, he doesn't need to worry about hitting a roof!

Pablo spun around in the air, looking down at the retreating Thong before raising his fist upward.

Pablo: Perigoso Marreta!

Pablo dived downward to the ground, Thong leaping out of the way at the last second as Pablo slammed his fist into the ground, the ground cracking under his punch.

Pedro: His famed punch. One that can kill a man in a single blow. Pablo is serious now, so I must be too.

Jason looked over at Pedro, watching as Pedro got low. With a large burst in speed, Pedro charged forward, Thong watching as Pablo stepped back only to feel a large weight slam into him. Pedro put an arm between Thong's leg and his other over Thong's shoulder. Before Thong could make a move in retaliation, Pedro spun around, slamming Thong's back against the hard villa floor. Thong's pupils dilated as Pedro hopped off.

Jason's thoughts: So from what I've seen, Pablo makes use of strikes while Pedro makes use of grappling. Their patterns would be dangerous against anyone working on their own, so Thong might be in trouble. Even if he doesn't stand on his own here, he'll be of no use against the final opponent.

Thong rolled onto his front, breathing heavily as Pedro and Pablo bumped fists. They watched as Thong stood back up exhaustion filling his body. Pablo cracked his knuckles as Pedro lowered his stance. Thong stared both of them down as they both charged forward. He raised his fists as Jason watched from the sidelines.

Jason's thoughts: Did you read them, Thong? Will you stand or will you fall?

Thong squinted as Pedro went low and Pablo went high. Thong landed a flick kick at Pedro's chin before hitting Pablo with a throat chop. As Pedro fell to the floor, Pablo stepped back, still dazed from Thong's neck chop. Thong then followed up with an elbow strike to Pablo's temple, Pablo falling to the ground with his partner.

Jason's thoughts: Looks like he has a lot more potential than I gave him credit for. Well done, Thong.

Thong stood between the two unconscious bodies, breathing heavily as his arms glowed red.