Out Of Luck

Gabriel thrusts at Neil with his axe, swinging fiercely at his abdomen. Neil instinctively falls back to dodge the attack, grabbing the axe handle as it whooshes past him.

But Gabriel is quicker. He spins the axe vertically, bringing it back down towards Neil with deadly intent. Neil jumps back just in time to avoid the blow.

Gabriel presses his assault, swinging the axe with relentless determination. Neil dodges and parries, trying to keep his distance and push Gabriel away each time. For a full minute, the room echoes with the clash of their combat with Gabriel's fierce axe strikes met by Neil's nimble evasions.

The fight forces Neil into a corner, his back hitting the wall and kitchen cabinet with a dull thud. Only then does he understand Gabriel's real intention of trapping him, leaving him with no way out.

Panic surges through Neil as he scans his surroundings, finally grasping Gabriel's relentless aggression. Gabriel has strategically herded him away from the guns, isolating him in a situation where the fight boils down to brute strength, a clear advantage for Gabriel.

"Looks like you're out of luck, Neil." Gabriel states, halting with the axe still menacingly in his hands.

Both men come to a sudden halt, their breaths ragged and their eyes locked in a deadly stare, each steeling themselves for the next brutal exchange.

...

Gabriel charges again, axe raised for the kill. Neil ducks and dodges, slipping past the deadly swing. He wraps his arm around Gabriel's waist, using the momentum to pull him down.

Gabriel struggles to swing the axe back at Neil, but Neil's knee strikes his elbow, dislodging the weapon with a sharp cry of pain from Gabriel.

With the axe out of the way, the fight turns into a raw struggle of strength. Neil maneuvers behind Gabriel, locking his arms around his neck in a chokehold. Gabriel fights back, scratching and hitting, but his efforts weaken as Neil tightens his grip, cutting off his air supply.

"Arghh...!!" Gabriel's resistance becomes desperate, his movements slowing as his vision blurs and consciousness starts to fade.

Sensing Gabriel's imminent blackout, Neil tightens his hold even more. Then, he notices Gabriel's hands moving to his pocket. A flicker of dread crosses Neil's mind as he sees Gabriel pull out a hidden grenade and unlatch it.

TICK!!

The sound is unmistakable. Instantly, Neil releases Gabriel, pushes him away, stands up, and runs as fast as he can before the grenade detonates-

BOOM!!!

...

The explosion rocks the room, throwing Neil to the ground. Dust and debris fill the air as the battle takes a deadly turn.

Fortunately, Neil had stayed far enough away before the grenade went off to avoid the blast and shrapnel. He was unhurt, but his ears were ringing, leaving him temporarily deaf.

However, his main concern was Gabriel's fate. Was he dead? Or had he moved quickly enough to escape the grenade in those few seconds?

As Neil lay on the floor, he suddenly noticed the metal object attached to his right arm—something he had almost forgotten. It could give him an advantage if he used it.

He got up on his knees and saw Gabriel on the other side, also rising to his feet. His questions were then answered. They stared at each other awkwardly, then both glanced toward the axe lying on the ground.

...

Gabriel sprints and grabs the axe as quickly as possible, while Neil prepares his stance, waiting for the imminent attack. With the axe in hand, Gabriel charges at Neil with full force.

"GARRHH!!!"

As Gabriel raises the axe, Neil readies himself, waiting for the right moment.

"Huk!"

When Gabriel gets close enough, Neil swiftly slides under him, activating the armband forcefield.

"What the-?!"

A blue spherical forcefield bursts from the armband, lifting Gabriel into the air from his belly. Neil, still sliding, uses his strength to push the armband upward, forcing the forcefield to throw Gabriel behind him.

"Shit!!"

As Gabriel is launched by the expanding forcefield, he catches a fleeting glimpse of sunlight and towering skyscrapers. The moment of awe is cut short as he crashes through a glass window with a resounding CLASH!

Shards of glass rain down, glinting in the light as they scatter across the floor. The room falls silent, the only sound being Neil's heavy breathing.

...

Neil deactivates the forcefield and slowly stands up. His heart pounds as he cautiously approaches the broken window, each step deliberate and tense. He knows Gabriel might still be alive. The sound of shattered glass crunches under his boots, amplifying the intensity of the moment.

"...Yeah, I expected this."

Gabriel is indeed alive, clinging to the edge of the shattered window. His hands are bleeding from the glass shards, but he manages to hold on.

Without hesitation, Neil grabs Gabriel's collar and starts pulling him up.

However, he doesn't pull Gabriel all the way inside. Instead, he holds Gabriel over the edge, asking a few questions while keeping him suspended in the air.

"Drop me!! Just kill me!!"

"... I told you, I'll see you get your death sentence in court. Dying here is too easy for you."

"... Heh heh heh..."

"What's so funny?"

"... nothing... I'm just thinking... too bad for you, Neil. You're out of luck."

Suddenly, Gabriel lunges forward and bites Neil's hand. The pain is excruciating, and Neil's grip falters. Gabriel's weight pulls him down, and for a moment, time seems to slow. Neil watches in horror as Gabriel's eyes lock with his, a wicked smile spreading across Gabriel's face as he plummets.

With a final, desperate glance, Gabriel falls, hurtling toward the ground. He crashes onto the roof of a car far below, the impact crumpling the vehicle with a deafening crash.

...

Neil is momentarily stunned by Gabriel's actions. The shock slowly dissipates, leaving Neil with a sense of resignation, as if, "Oh... so he chooses that..."

From the start, Neil doesn't really care if Gabriel lives or dies. As long as their plan succeeds, Gabriel's fate is sealed. Despite being arch-nemeses, Neil has no desire for revenge. He already gave up the dangerous ways of killing indiscriminately ever since he left the Marine Corps.

Yet, Gabriel's last words linger in Neil's mind for a moment. But then he quickly slaps himself, refocusing on what he needs to do next. He rearms himself, eats some food in the kitchen to refuel, and continues to move upwards toward Chad and Roy.

-----------------------------------

The walk up to the rooftop of the Empire State Building is short since Neil is already on a high floor while fighting Gabriel. Despite having to silently eliminate a few more terrorists before reaching the actual rooftop, the journey is relatively peaceful.

Stepping out into the fresh air under the blue sky, he spots Chad and Roy sitting near the still-running forcefield machine. He approaches them and shouts.

"HEY!"

"Mister Neil!" Chad responds, noticing him.

"Are you guys done?!"

"We installed the bomb, but we waited for you to make sure it's safe."

"Yeah, it's pretty safe down there right now, but let me check the bomb."

Neil walks up the platform with Chad and inspects the C4 to ensure it is installed correctly.

...

"Five minutes. That should do it." Neil sets the C4 timer to 5 minutes instead of the 10 minutes Chad had originally set.

"Okay, come on, let's move!" Neil urges the two to move down the floor and away from the building as soon as the clock starts ticking-

"Hey!"

BANG!!

Suddenly, a gunshot rings out, shattering the tense silence. The bullet whizzes past Neil and Chad, missing them by mere inches. They drop to the ground, eyes wide with shock.

"Do you think you could leave so easily?!"

Neil's head snaps toward the voice, his heart pounding. Brent stands there, a menacing grin on his face, pistol aimed directly at them. His eyes are cold and focused.

"Br... Brent?!" Neil gasps.

Brent steps forward, aiming his gun at Chad. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" he sneers.

Neil signals Chad to stay calm. The bomb is set, and time is running out. They can't afford any delays, but Brent's sudden appearance changes everything.

The rooftop feels like a battlefield. Neil knows they have to act quickly. He prepares himself to protect his students and finish their mission. The tension is intense as the standoff with Brent begins, each second dragging on.

"Leave this place, now!" Brent shouts, his voice echoing.

Neil's eyes narrow, his hand moving towards his rifle.

"Don't even think about it!" Brent warns, noticing Neil's move.

"Drop the gun, now!"

Neil hesitates, glancing at Chad and Roy. His mind races, weighing their limited options. He thinks about using the forcefield armband but quickly realizes it's futile; he's too far from them for the sphere to cover everyone. The realization hits him hard, and he feels a surge of frustration and helplessness.

His grip tightens around the rifle, his heart pounding. Every instinct screams at him to fight, but he knows one wrong move could end in disaster. Neil looks at Chad and Roy, seeing the fear and trust in their eyes. They're relying on him. With a deep breath, he makes the painful decision.

Reluctantly, with every muscle in his body protesting, Neil lowers his rifle to the ground. The metallic clink as it hits the rooftop echoes his sense of defeat.

Brent steps closer, keeping the gun trained on them. "Move down using that harness," he orders, his voice cold and firm.

Brent's eyes narrow, sensing something amiss. "What are you looking at?" he growls, stepping even closer, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Neil and Chad freeze, their minds torn. Should they follow Brent's orders and hope for a chance to fight back later? Or seize this uncertain and dangerous moment now? The air is thick with anxiety and indecision, every second stretching into an eternity.