Aftermath
BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots fire throughout the building as Neil and Chad engage a squad of terrorists trying to reach the rooftop. The terrorists are now more cautious in their gunfight, having learned that many of their comrades were killed due to overconfidence and carelessness while battling a small group of civilians sabotaging the building.
They hide behind the walls, under desks and sofas, using anything they can find as cover from Neil's gunfire. When the moment is right, they pop up and return fire all at once.
It seems that learning from their comrades, who were brutally killed by Neil and his team, has made the terrorists willing to work together like a real squad. They coordinate their attacks, forcing Neil into a disadvantage and making it difficult for him to regain control and get back to the rooftop.
Almost five minutes have passed since Neil and Chad dropped to this floor, and they have spent nearly four and a half minutes battling the terrorists. A squad of eight terrorists manages to challenge Neil, despite his legendary skills. His earlier exhaustion is weighing him down. If nothing changes, they will likely kill Neil and Chad in just a few more minutes when he runs out of bullets... until...
"… What the hell?!" Suddenly, everything goes quiet as the gunfire from the terrorists stops. For almost five seconds, there's no sound of shooting. Neil, feeling curious, sneaks slowly toward the terrorists to eavesdrop.
It sounds like another terrorist has rushed in from outside the area. The sound of him sprinting toward his comrades suggests he's delivering some news.
"Что?!" (What?!)
"Наша миссия провалилась, машина силового поля была разрушена! Наша работа здесь окончена. Отступайте и эвакуируйтесь!" (Our mission has failed! The force field machine has been destroyed! Our job here is done. Retreat and evacuate!)
"Что?! Серьезно?!" (What?! For real?!)
"Да! Похоже, что их товарищ уже взорвал её, пока они нас отвлекали здесь!" (Yeah! It seems like their comrade already blew it up while we were kept distracted here!)
Even though the terrorists speak loudly and clearly, Neil doesn't understand a word since they are speaking Russian. However, based on their tone, it seems to be something really important and urgent, more so than the gunfight happening right now. So, he continues to eavesdrop.
"Так куда мы идем?!" (So where do we go?!)
"Я не знаю?! Командиры уже ушли в безопасное место. Если мы двинемся сейчас, мы сможем проследовать за ними через подземные туннели! Давайте двигаться, пока военные не начали действовать!" (I don't know! The commanders have already left for safety. If we move now, we can follow them through the underground tunnels! Let's go before the military arrives!)
"Что насчет них?!" (How about them?!)
"У нас нет времени!! Игнорируйте их!! ДВИГАЙТЕСЬ!!" (We don't have time! Ignore them! MOVE!)
"Сука блядь!!" (Cyka blyat!!)
Then, one by one, they all sprint outside, the sound of their footsteps fading until all nine of them have completely left the area and moved down the building.
"They're gone..." Neil drops his gun to the floor and lies back against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief. He doesn't know what just happened, but it seems he can finally rest now—
"Mister Neil?!"
"Hmm?!"
Chad's sudden call wakes Neil from his rest. Noticing that the terrorists are gone, he feels it's safe enough to leave his hiding spot.
"Look at this."
Seeing Chad's terrified and worried expression, Neil slowly rises from the floor, despite feeling exhausted and wanting to rest. He stands up and walks toward the window where Chad is leading him.
As he slowly glances out the shining window, Neil is suddenly blinded by the flood of sunlight pouring in; it's almost noon. Once his eyes adjust, he regains clear vision, and the scene before him terrifies him. He understands why Chad was so worried earlier.
"It's gone... the forcefield is gone."
The gigantic forcefield that covered all of Manhattan and New York City has vanished, revealing the sky's original natural blue color under the sun. This becomes clear as they see multiple black dots heading into Manhattan, fighter jets. He can also hear the distant sounds of explosions and heavy gunfire as the military floods in to eliminate all the terrorists they can find.
The terrorists they were fighting earlier seem to have known this and fled as quickly as they could. But this can only mean one thing: The forcefield machine has either been destroyed or disabled. Instead of feeling relief, Neil and Chad are filled with terror.
"If it's gone, that means... Roy!!"
It's clear that Roy must be the one responsible; he has successfully disabled the forcefield machine, possibly at the cost of his own life.
As they realize this and stare at each other, they immediately know what to do. They start packing, grabbing their guns, and rush back to the rooftop as quickly as they can, now with no terrorists blocking their way.
With each step they take and every stair they climb, worry and fear for their teammate, student, and best friend fill them. As they ascend each level, various scenarios play out in their minds, ranging from the best case, where Roy has escaped in time, to the worst, where nothing remains on the Empire State's rooftop.
"Roy!" Chad thinks to himself as he sprints.
"Roy! Roy!" As Chad and Neil get closer to the rooftop, Chad can think of nothing but his best friend. Memories flood his mind, their laughter, the fun times together, and all the conversations about games, sports, and girls. He doesn't want those to be their last memories, nor does he want the moment when Roy pushed him and Neil off the building to be the last time he sees him.
"Roy! Roy! ROY!" Chad screams his best friend's name, rushing even faster as the door to the rooftop stands just one level away, open and shining with sunlight streaming through it.
"ROY!!" He charges through the door the moment it appears before his eyes.
"..."
"..."
THUD!!
Chad collapses to the ground the moment he sees what lies before him at the top of the Empire State Building. His eyes widen, and his mouth drops open in speechless shock at the horrifying sight.
The entire machine is destroyed. Its inner workings and the forcefield generator lie in ruins, scattered across the floor. The spherical glass casing that once encased it, along with the cooling water, is shattered into hundreds of pieces, flooding the ground and leaving everything soaked.
However, what catches his attention the most are the numerous body parts strewn across the rooftop, hands, legs, organs, and torn clothing everywhere. The air is thick with a red mist and the nauseating stench of blood.
"Oh my god…" Neil, arriving after him, struggles to hold himself together at the gruesome sight. Yet, his shock and despair pale in comparison to what Chad is feeling.
"Chad." Neil calls out, but Chad barely acknowledges him, rising to his feet and walking toward the wreckage of the forcefield machine for a closer look. Though he already knows the truth deep down, a small glimmer of hope lingers inside him that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't Roy's body. That there's a slim chance Roy escaped before the explosion, and that these scattered remains belong to Brent or someone else.
"..."
What was he even expecting? That Roy, with his frail body, could somehow defeat Brent? Deep down, Chad knows there's really no hope. But it's only when he stands directly in front of the machine that the harsh reality truly hits him.
A burnt piece of Roy's right rib lies just a few meters from the machine, likely where the C4 detonated. Chad is certain it belongs to Roy because it's attached to a piece of white cloth, the same color as the shirt Roy wore yesterday, to the last time Chad saw him before he and Neil fell off the rooftop.
Chad scans the area further, spotting a leg blown away, wearing the same shoe and pants as Roy. Other body parts scattered nearby resemble Brent. The more Chad looks, the more he realizes there's nothing left to hope for.
"..."
He finally understands: Roy, despite knowing he couldn't win, didn't run. He fought until the very end, even if it meant both he and Brent would die. Chad realizes now that he had underestimated his best friend, the one he thought he needed to protect. In the end, it was Roy who had protected him.
Chad stares at the ground, lowering his head as his thoughts grow dark. Neil, standing beside him, remains silent. He too understands what has happened here. With a sigh, Neil feels for Chad, but instead of offering empty reassurances, he lets him be, knowing Chad needs space to process it all.
"..."
"..."
"...Let's go... Mister Neil." Chad finally mutters.
After a while, Chad starts moving on his own, heading toward the rooftop door, ready to make his way down the building. Without looking back, he calls for Neil to follow.
"Chad..." Neil whispers, hesitant but understanding.
Watching Chad with his head still lowered, clearly unable to recover, Neil wants to say something to lift his spirits, but the words just won't come. What can he say? What should he say? He knows this isn't something that can be soothed with a few comforting phrases.
Neil knows this feeling all too well. He's been in similar situations, facing death and blood more times than he cares to count. He's become too familiar with seeing dead bodies, even when it's someone close. The constant exposure has numbed his emotions, making him forget that for others, such experiences could haunt them forever.
So, as he struggles to find the right words, his tongue tied, Neil silently walks alongside Chad, who keeps his gaze lowered. Together, they head toward the stairs, leaving Roy's remains behind.