Taking the Stage

It was already past midnight. it was pitch black. The stars hung wide over the night sky. The only source of light was a Tablet that illuminated Ibuki's goggles and scarf hanging over the screen.

"How long was I out?" I asked as I pushed myself to my feet. 

"A couple hours, three, maybe four." 

I made my way over to Ibuki. 

"Now it is too late for any sorrys. You're right." 

There were many Cameras Ibuki had access to; on many of those groups of people were sweeping through their story or patrolling. One of the groups was on our level and walked past our planted cameras. We put the Tablet on top of the bed frame as we attended to our equipment; flashlights, magazines, and safeties clicked together in a matter of moments. Then, we waited; an eternity could have passed while we waited for the blast to kickstart our morning. 

"Tell me, Kyle, what did you use to set up the traps? All I had were those Artham Heel M Seventy-Eight charges…"

The impulse to race for the door was overwhelming as my strained ears waited for the thunder. 

"You know what happens next?" 

"Ever and always."

The entire building shook as the charge went off and the explosion rippled through the building.

"WHAT DID THEY PUT INTO IT!" Ibuki shouted as we leapt to our feet.

"THEY DON'T CALL THEM BUNKER BUSTERS FOR NOTHING!" 

The door hung loosely in the frame; we kicked out and raced out of the room towards our right side. 

"Not that way!"

Ibuki's stayed close at my shoulder despite his protest. Cracks spread like a cancerous growth, creeping along the strained walls. Part of the ceiling hung over a gaping hole; other parts had been blown out of the building. 

I killed the light and jumped down to land on top of the rubble. I dropped my gun and caught Ibuki, who threw himself down only moments after. He secured his backpack over his shoulders while I picked up my equipment. 

We stalked through the floor on our way to the staircase in darkness without our flashlights to cut the gloom; our breathing was frantic. The wall groaned with untold pain while my heart pounded hard enough to shoot through my ribcage.

I felt the building coming apart around us like a shattered egg. Frantic shouting and sirens tore through the disturbed night sky. Ibuki's face lit up as his wrist screen illuminated the way through the darkness.

"Sabine won't like how we remodeled the lower city!" 

Ibuki clicked his tongue at my comment

Flashlights turned the corner ahead of us. We didn't have time to stop; we blew past them in a flurry of shoves, pulls, kicks, and punches that echoed through the hallway. While the symphony of strained walls and ceilings began to truly succumb to the violence weighing down on them. 

"You sure spend too much time with Lynn!" Ibuki said as he returned his stock to its shoulder pressing position.

Our breathing grew ragged, and our hearts pounded loud enough to be heard next to each other. 

We ran down the trembling stairs and saw another group.

"What are you-" 

Another body fell to the ground, and my blood covered knife returned to its holster.. 

"We can't rely on luck to keep saving us!" Ibuki shouted.

We ran down one further level and dashed out of the staircase before we could reach the safety of the lobbies. 

"We have to go further down!" 

"They are already fleeing through the lobby!" 

The walls and ceilings cracked and opened like an earthquake; the crashing of rubble could be heard all around us. We turned the corner and forced the fire exit open; a group of four was descending the metal-piped exterior emergency staircase. 

Hack, slash, cut, and kick. I forced the last person over the railing as Ibuki emptied his magazine into the pair at the bottom of the stairs. 

I kicked off the handle and dropped the fire ladder into the alley below.

"I don't think she has much more!" Ibuki shouted. "THE ENTIRE ROOF IS COMING DOWN!" 

We frantically jumped down the ladder and were swallowed by the ocean of people evacuating the building. My fingers fiddled for the pin of a flash grenade as my knife swung around.

 I threw it to the ground with all my might, and it bounced back up to eye level. A flash of light blinded more than a dozen eyes as my arms slung around Ibuki as I dragged him into an alleyway.