HOUSE INVASION

Luke was working on his laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard, when it happened. Tires were screeching to a halt outside, and a single glance out the large upstairs window told him around twelve cars had pulled up on the driveway outside. Luke didn't need to think twice. He had been waiting for this exact moment, and it was finally here. He knew what to do. He sat up from the couch, stretched and then reached underneath. No one else knew this, but he had installed levers to the main power system in every room to the house. He yanked on it, and the lights around the house went dark, the bulbs flickering before dying. Luke stretched, cracked his neck and then hurried to the staircase as he heard loud voices outside. He grabbed a single wrench from a table as he passed, and he ran into the kitchen, hiding behind a wall as bangs shuddered the mansion.

Bang, bang, BANG. The front door collapsed, and in poured many armed men. Luke nestled into a space in the wall, completely hidden as he listened to the sound of boots on the smooth floor. He raised the wrench to shoulder-height, taking deep and slow breaths as a beam of light cut in front of him. A man holding a torch stopped just millimetres from where Luke hid. Luke didn't hesitate in swinging the heavy wrench through the air. It landed with a sickening crunch against the man's head, and he dropped. Luke's reflexes were fast as he reached down and grabbed the man by the shoulders before slowly lifting him and gently dragging him aside, silent and unnoticed. Luke stepped away from the body and slipped into the kitchen, watching over his shoulder before opening a hidden compartment full of many knives.

Running footsteps came from behind, and Luke spun, raising the knife and throwing it through the air, watching it spin in slow motion before it stabbed through a man's stomach. The man hit the floor with a crash, and shouts came from nearby. "Fucking shit," Luke hissed as he ducked behind the island in the middle of the kitchen. More footsteps came as several men entered the kitchen, walking past the body and directing their rifles around the large space. Luke looked around for something else he could use, and then he spied the red button right next to his head. This one, he had to admit, was dangerous to install without anyone knowing. And anyone could have set it off at any time. It's a miracle no one has. Luke waited for several quiet seconds, and then a boot stopped just inches away as a man peered down and locked eyes with him.

"Suck on this, bitch!" Luke shouted, and the man's eyes widened as Luke slammed his fist onto the red button. Immediately, several large, foot long spikes ejected from the walls and speared into the men, who dropped dead almost instantly, blood splattering the walls as Luke leapt to his feet. Another man stood in the doorway ahead, and he threw his rifle aside to withdraw a knife from his belt. "I'm going to enjoy cutting you to ribbons!" shouted the man, spit flying from his mouth as he ran forward. Luke grabbed the closest thing he could, a glass olive oil bottle. The man slashed his knife through the air, and Luke dodged backward, holding the bottle in his right hand while using his left to parry the multiple jabs and hacks. The man snarled and finally drove the knife forward and against Luke's arm, creating a long, thin slash line.

Luke hissed in pain, kicked the man in the stomach, ducked a slash and then smashed the bottle over the back of the man's head. The man stumbled, and Luke rammed him head-first against the cooktop. The man groaned in pain, and Luke firmly pushed the gas knob down, a loud clicking sound filling the kitchen as the man struggled. "Time to heat things up," whispered Luke, and he spun the dial as he stepped away. The stove top caught fire, as though ready to cook a pan of food, yet it caught fire to the oil on the man's head as well. The man screamed in agony and clutched at his melting face, and Luke quickly kicked him aside, watching him fall and then flail weakly on the floor, rolling and shouting. A fist sailed through the air and struck Luke in the shoulder blade, and Luke shouted in pain before spinning and elbowing another man across the face, knocking him out instantly.

Another two came around the corner, and Luke quickly picked up a rifle, aimed and held the trigger down. Bullets flew through the air, and the two dropped. Now many footsteps and voices were making their way toward Luke's location. Luke opened the fridge, reached inside and withdrew a shotgun, quickly checking to see if it was loaded before cocking it and turning back toward the corridor. Four came, rifles raised and blazing. A bullet whizzed through the air, and Luke moved aside at the last second, quickly raising the shotgun with his right hand and firing. A single bang, and a spray of bullets rippled through the air, making three fall. The final man fired wildly through the air, and one of the bullets clipped Luke on the shoulder, making him stagger back in shock and pain. Luke fired a second time, and the man dropped, covered in blood and gore.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" came a voice, and around the corner came a teenage girl, her blonde hair falling down her shoulders smoothly. Another four followed, three of them male and one other a female. Luke knew Livia and Danny, and he recognised the other three as well from when he used to be a part of their group. Oscar, Olivia and Turk. They were good fighters, which he had no doubt was the reason they were here. "What are you guys here for?" asked Luke, already knowing the answer as Livia chuckled. Then, her expression changed to one of hatred and fury. "Break him," she whispered, and the other four advanced. Luke sighed and raised his fists, the aching in his left shoulder growing fiercer as Livia watched the others charge. Luke ducked a swing from Oscar, kneed him in the stomach, backhanded Olivia across the face, spun and then kicked Oscar to the ground.

He didn't have enough time to catch his breath as Turk kicked him in the chest, sending Luke stumbling back as Danny quickly landed a punch to the side of his head, grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him in Turk's direction. Turk was ready with the punch and the blow landed cleanly against Luke's face. Blood burst from Luke's mouth, but he didn't care as he ducked another punch by Danny, elbowed him in the stomach, grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder. Luke weighed out his chances of beating them. It wasn't looking good at all. "Stop playing with your food, boys!" Livia shouted as Oscar got to his feet, panting before helping Olivia as well. Luke reached to his side slowly, eyeing them all as he withdrew the knife from the kitchen top. "He's not going down easily. Maybe you would want to help?" snarled Danny.

Livia looked surprised at the sudden outburst, and Luke used that split second of hesitation to throw the knife. It whipped through the air, a blur of silver that streaked towards Livia. Livia's eyes widened, and the knife halted just inches away from her forehead. Danny had caught the knife before it ever made contact. "Better pray I'm with you next time someone decided to throw knives," Danny hissed as he dropped the weapon and turned to Luke, eyes blazing with fury. "Better hope next time I don't miss," Luke growled, and then a fist landed straight against his bullet wound from behind. Luke shouted in pain as Turk went to throw another punch, and he ducked, quickly backing away and further into the kitchen. "Where you going to go?" asked Danny as he approached, fists raised, and Luke shrugged. "How about…here?" he replied as he suddenly stopped before reached down, grabbing the extension lead that led to behind the fridge, and yanking as hard as he could.

The fridge rocked, and then toppled forward. The others dodged away, although Oscar was not so lucky as it collapsed atop him. Oscar struggled and groaned in pain beneath the weight as Luke leapt over the fridge and kicked Danny straight in the chest. Danny fell back, and Luke spun, backhanding a surprised Livia across the face and then kicking out behind him, hitting Olivia in the stomach and sending her flying backward. Turk charged, enraged, and Luke moved aside easily, watching as Turk sprawled forward and over the fridge. "Get him!" screamed Livia, yet Luke turned and ran, sprinting over the dead bodies of the intruders and then out the smashed front door. He disappeared into the night, no destination in mind as he ran. The night split apart with an ear-shattering BANG!