I recognized that voice… but unlike the last time I heard it, now was filled with hatred and killing intent.

As I was turning around the brother of the guy I shot the other day dashing towards me under the surprised looks of his partners.

He didn’t have a weapon, but his movement where fast and I noticed like if the wind itself was helping him giving him some impulse, he was paler than last time, and his eyes were red with a hint of madness on them.

G was the first to react to this development, he moved to block the guy's path. The rest of his team were the ones with a shotgun and a pistol.

This was the first battle I could not escape from, I decided to trust in G’s ability to hold that guy, so I aimed with the rifle for to the guy with the shotgun.

G and the other guy were fighting midway between the teams. That guy was fast, but G was able to react and block his attacks.

While they were engaged in a melee fight, I thought that I should never have given him the handgun, it was a waste for him as a melee fighter, I took cover and shot once with the rifle. It was a couple cm off, but to be honest, I didn’t think it was going to be that close, it was probably thanks to the skill lv up.

The other guys took cover too and started to move slowly toward us shooting back.

None of us wanted to hurt by mistake our teammates so the gunfight was on the sidewalk, while G was fighting with the other guy on the road.

‘Dante, tell G to get near us’

‘Yes’

From the corner of my eye, I was keeping track of G’s fight and Hope’s condition.

The other guys shot once. Thanks to that little training, Hope deflected the handgun bullet, it was off anyway, but better being safe, I shot back twice but the hide before it hit.

The Hope was acting like a shield for Hayley and Rose. All of them were behind trees.

G was slowly being pushed toward us. At first glance, it was like the other guy was winning, but the reality is that I wanted to separate them.

The other guy was using kicks to push him. Since he was “winning” he thought that he had the advantage and looked towards me constantly, but every time he tried to slip pass G he was stopped.

The shotgun blew a part of the wall that was covering me. The corner fell, and I was covered by rubble. I shot back to prevent them from coming.

We were losing too much time and G was already close to me. I was ready to let the other guy come to me.

‘Dante, tell G to take cover and let that guy pass and to take cover’

I had 2 bullets left, the next time that guy tried to slip G didn’t stop him, and got covered since the guy was in the way his partners stopped shooting at us but could react fast enough to try aiming at G.

The other guy was coming at me directly like if he was in some kind of Berserker state, the “chains” I saw last time now looked like a snake, and some of them were under his skin.

I shot both bullets towards him. He managed to dodge the first one, but the second bullet hit the side of his abdomen. He didn’t fall and was next to me he was about to hit me, but I dodged by instinct, all the beatings were worth it after I dodged his kick, I move on the offensive with a kick to his supporting foot. He fell.

I had to move again to take cover, with the guy on the floor the other had a clear sight to aim at me.

I threw the barrel and put a new one on the revolver. We need to end this fast, with this noise is possible that more people are going to come here.

The other guy was losing blood fast, but still was trying to stand up and come for me.

When I saw his eyes up close, I understood, he was beyond salvation, those enraged eyes, the veins around his body, and the snakes around his body told me that, he was less than a puppet, I don’t know what Jamie did to him but now this guy was just a beast on a leash. Maybe that rage was focused on me because of his brother state, but the cause of that rage was those snakes… I don’t know how I know it but I was sure about it.

‘More people are coming’

I pointed my gun at the guy standing up.

Because of the blood loss, his movements were slow, he could use his power right now for whatever reason. I had doubts, but we can’t let them get reinforcements.

For a second my mind was calm, and I knew what I had to do.

I pulled the trigger.

[Ding]…

_________________________________________

(Jamie’s POV)

“THAT F***ING PYRO”

Until a second ago the battle with his group was turning our way, I got a hold on 2 of his subordinates, but when I was about to advance he blew a house MY HOUSE!!!, It’s not really my house is one of the bases, but that fucker had done it this time, I wanted to make him my lackey but I’m going to skin that guy alive in front of all his friends and put his head on a pike to show everyone what happens when someone goes against me.

“WHERE IS HE!!”

“Sir, we lose him on the fire, he left with all his group”

A cold voice left my throat

“What do you mean ALL his group”

“The guys we captured left with him”

Far away a shot was fired, and a couple of seconds later an explosion.

“He is there, let’s go!!”

My subordinate was about to say something, but since I gave an order he couldn’t go against it.

This guy has become my left hand and was quite intelligent, so I listen to him from time to time… that the reason why I let him stay uncorrupted.

“WHAT!” He gave a jump and answered me right away

“Sir that explosion didn’t sound like Pyro’s power”

Far away there was smoke, but it wasn’t black like something is burning, the dust started to settle, and it was followed by 3 gunshots.

“Sir… Tom’s group is in that way”

“Who’s that?”

“The brother of the guy who was shot in the south, while looking for supplies”

“Oh yeah… I told him that his brother died… he did right?”

“The last time they gave him food he was alive”

“Don’t waste food just let him die”

“Yes, sir”

“Let’s go, someone, that can cause that explosion It’s definitely someone who can be useful to me”.

“What about Pyro”

“Send a group to track him”.

I went with the main group to see who was causing such a fuss.

‘First, I’m going to control whoever it is, then I’m going to control his friends, hopefully, there are cute girls there… I got bored with the ones I have, after that I’m going to send him to blow Pyro and take control of his friends’. The perfect plan I started to laugh to myself.

Far away a shooting started and we moved faster toward that battle.

“I hope those idiots can hold them enough for us to arrive”

When we were 2 blocks away I saw a flash followed by another loud explosion.

“MOVE FASTER”

There were no more shots fired… when we arrived the dust has already settled.

A couple of guys were on the floor, there was a handgun and a shotgun near one of our group got near them and yelled.

“They are alive! Call the guy with the med kit”

I ignored those guys and walked down the street.

There was a hole and next to it was a giant goat. After I walked a little more there was another guy, one of my subordinates turn him around and he had a hole between his eyes, a clean shot.

I kicked him and could feel something belonging to my comeback, I had a flashback from the last moments, it wasn’t too useful all I could see was bathed in red, the only different detail was a couple of green eyes looking with decision while he pulled the trigger of his gun… before everything went black.

“Useless piece of thrash!!” …

I looked behind me.

“You and you!!!, Go find the bomber”

Those 2 guys started running when they got to the corner of the street another loud explosion followed by a dense cloud of gas covered them.

“F**K!!!”.

Change of plans I’m skinning alive both pyro and the bomber…