Thirty minutes.
That was all it took before the first of the five groups ran into a problem big enough to jeopardize the entire operation.
Dom's fingers tightened around Andre's wrist, his grip unyielding despite his complete lack of mana, while Andre returned his hostile glare with a confident smirk, utterly unfazed.
The freed subjects stiffened at the sight of their attacker.
"What's a Scout doing here?" One of them whispered, stepping back as her body trembled.
Noah gritted his teeth and raised his prosthetic arm. With a quick press, it morphed audibly, then locked into its cannon form.
"Don't," Dom said sharply, casting Noah a glance just as his cannon began to boot up. "Focus on freeing them." He tilted his head towards some of the subjects still cuffed or trapped in their cages.
Noah hesitated, staring at Dom with clear confusion. He knew that Dom--in his current state-- couldn't possibly win a fight against a full-powered T-mage.
Still, Dom's resolve was unshakable.
Matching it, Noah lowered his weapon and turned back to the subjects. "Hurry," He urged as he hurried towards them.
His words snapped the freed subjects out of their shock, prompting them to focus on freeing the remaining captives.
Dom smiled faintly at the sight… then frowned as Andre chuckled.
"You're underestimating me, Dominic," Andre said calmly before wrenching his arm free and leaping back to a safe distance. "I know your mana hasn't recovered yet. I can't sense a lick of it from you."
Dom clenched his fist, attempting to force his mana out again, but the restraint's suppressive effects still lingered. "What…" He said, his tone now teasing. "… are you going to call your friends to save your ass this time?"
Andre's brow twitched, a subtle gesture Dom caught.
"Unfortunately, they're out right now," Andre said as he straightened. "… and I could've called security…" His gaze drifted to Noah and the others. "…but catching all of you myself might finally earn me the respect I need to become a Top-Ranking Scout. Not just some lookout."
Dom narrowed his eyes, quietly picking up on Andre's self-centered goal. "Powers or not," He said, drawing Andre's attention. "… don't you think taking all of us on solo is too much for you? You're just a B-class after all."
Andre laughed as green mana flared around him. "Please." He said as he raised his transformed hand, his short claws glinting in the light. "You're just a bunch of powerless nobodies now." He smirked at the others, some of them flinching under his predatory gaze. "In fact, even if all thirteen of you jump me at once, I can't lose. It'll be too easy."
While the scared subjects trembled under Andre's confident words, Dom smirked once he realized something.
He hadn't called for backup yet and didn't know about the other groups. Good. Dom thought before suddenly dashing forward. He closed the gap in a second and threw a punch.
But Andre slipped aside effortlessly. "Nice try," He chuckled before vanishing into thin air.
Noah snapped off the final cuff, earning a grateful smile before turning back to watch the fight with the others.
Dom now stood alone in the center of the room, taking a defensive stance as he looked around.
"Where did he go?" A subject asked, searching for the invisible attacker.
Another subject frowned as he watched Dom scanning the air, moving like a lost lamb while maintaining his stance. "We have to help him." He said, stepping forward—but Noah intercepted him.
"No," Noah said firmly, his eyes focused on the scene before him. "Andre's a B-class, and none of us have our mana. We'll never win."
"We have the number advantage." A second subject snapped, pointing at Dom. "He's the one who saved us, right? We can help him. If we all attacked at once-"
"Andre will wipe us all out. We don't stand a chance." Noah cut in, watching as Dom skid across the floor after blocking an invisible blow.
"But look at him." A third subject said, gesturing to Dom, who took another stance while his eyes searched aimlessly around him. "He needs us."
"No, we'll just slow him down," Noah answered, his eyes noticing the way Dom blocked against the next strike. His movement seemed instinctive, but the more he watched, the more he realized how precise his reactions were.
"Dom's the only person who can fight right now. Some of you have seen him take out the guards on the way here, right?" Noah asked; some subjects nodded. Then a confident smile spread across his face as he watched Dom block another strike. "And… he's the only person who can exploit Andre's weakness."
"Weakness?" A subject asked.
Noah's grin widened as he stared at Dom, noticing the focused gaze in his dimmed blue eyes.
"I only know about it because we've worked together before," Noah muttered, as Dom suddenly leapt back, his guard raised in time to block another invisible punch.
"I wanted to tell Dom when I finally remembered… but…" He paused, realizing that Dom was so focused on the fight that he completely ignored everything else. "… I think he's already figured it out."
At that moment, Dom weaved suddenly, evading a blow, then swung his foot, which connected with something solid, evidenced by a heavy thud.
Andre grunted, his body briefly flickering into view before vanishing as he pulled away.
Chameleons camouflage by matching their environment. It's just a visual trick. Dom thought, bracing his arms to block an invisible attack that sent him sliding across the floor.
That ugly perfume he's using and the sound of his movements…There are other ways to detect him. Besides…
Dom then leapt back just in time to narrowly avoid another strike, the attack whistling past him.
He's compensating by suppressing his mana, but as long as he's close enough, for a second…
He landed and immediately blocked another blow from the side.
I can still sense him.
With a grunt, he reached out and grabbed the air, his dim but piercing gaze focused on a seemingly space--where Andre reappeared once more.
"So it wasn't a fluke," Andre said as he wrenched his restrained arm free just as Dom swung a punch, which he instinctively blocked with his scaled arm. "The fuck?" He muttered as he jumped back, staring in shock at his palm, which twitched from the lingering pain of Dom's punch.
"How did you even find us?" Dom asked, retaking his stance while shaking his fist.
A sly smirk crossed Andre's face as he glanced toward the subjects watching from a distance. "I was on my way to chat up my favorite babe here," He replied, winking at one of the rescued women, who responded with a look of pure disgust.
"And then I saw you guys," He continued, turning back to Dom. "Thought it'd be more fun to catch all of you myself. So I followed you and waited until you were all in one place to make my move."
Dom grinned. "Then you made a big mistake." He declared.
Andre raised a brow as Dom cracked his knuckles.
"If you'd called for backup earlier, you wouldn't be in this situation," Dom added.
"Situation?" Andre scoffed as he straightened, clenching his fist. "I'll admit that you hit hard for a guy without any mana, but I still have the advantage here. Besides," His grin widened. "You're just getting me to talk so you can stall for time until your mana returns, right?"
Dom smirked inwardly.
Got me.
Andre grinned wickedly. "I'm not gonna give you that chance." He said as he vanished again.
Dom loosened his stance, eyes searching around him, then barely evaded another hidden attack with a weave.
"What's wrong?!" Andre's voice echoed around him, each word punctuated by invisible blows. "How are you going to beat me if you don't fight back?! Didn't you say I was in a situation?! I made a mistake?! Where's that confidence now, huh?!"
Andre laughed with each strike, and Dom continued to block, deflect, and weave.
Even with the jammers blocking surveillance, anyone nearby can hear this guy's annoying laugh… The longer this keeps up, the higher the chances are that they find us. Dom thought, retreating to a safe distance and resetting his stance.
He might be a punk, but he's still a B-class. I'm not sure if I can actually beat him without any mana.
He weaved again, then countered with a spin kick, only for Andre to laugh as he briefly appeared, then vanished again.
I thought I could buy more time… But if this keeps up…
Dom stomped down, his feet firmly planted as he retook his defensive stance while he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
Noah and the subjects watching all froze at Dom's seemingly vulnerable state, especially once a glimpse of Andre's body suddenly appeared behind him.
The distorted smile was the last thing the subjects saw before a clawed hand shot toward Dom's back.
Focusing solely on his mana perception, Dom weaved, his body twisting with enough speed to evade the strike. Then, in one swift motion, he slammed his right elbow directly into Andre's face.
The impact shattered Andre's nose, forcing him to stumble and briefly reveal his form.
Dom's now opened eyes tracked his body and quickly followed up with a backhand to the jaw, then a double jab to both sides of his neck.
Andre grunted, blood filling his mouth, ringing in his ears, and the world spinning around him as he staggered.
Too disoriented to react, Dom then jumped and delivered a full-powered drop-kick to Andre's chest; blood and saliva spewed out of his mouth as the force of the impact sent him sprawling into the ground several feet away.
"Damn," A subject whispered, watching Andre curl up and cough helplessly on the floor with a hand covering his bleeding nose.
"Did he finally get his mana back?" Another subject muttered.
Noah frowned as he watched Dom flip to his feet and charge forward. Even though his mana perception was not so potent, even he could tell that Dom's mana was still being suppressed.
Which meant Dom had managed to wound a B-class mage with just his raw physical prowess. A feat no normal mage would be able to perform without any mana enhancement spell.
However, those injuries were not enough to incapacitate Andre, whose eyes suddenly glowed as he turned toward the sprinting Dom and opened his mouth wide, flaming embers spilling out of his blood-stained lips.
Dom instantly recognized the spell, his bare feet skidding across the floor before launching himself to the side, just as a stream of red-yellow flames suddenly exploded out of Andre's mouth.
Dom rolled onto a knee, his eyes narrowed as the lingering flames licked the edges of the now tar-black floor with smoke curling up.
He then turned to see Andre panting, black smoke curling from his now scaled mouth.
Dom smirked. "What a joke." He teased, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"For a guy who was boasting how it was 'too easy or wanted to take us all on at once, you seem to be struggling with just one mana-less guy. You even used your flame spell to get a cheap shot. It's no wonder no one takes you seriously."
Andre's brow twitched, his reptilian eyes dilated with unfiltered rage as he stood. "You're dead," He growled, his voice distorted as red mana surged from his body.
Dom's smile faded as he watched Andre's mana transform his body.
Within seconds, his skin turned green and scaly; his scrawny frame swelled into a towering, muscular form. His suit morphed along with him, a lizard-like tail protruding, claws visible on hands and feet.
"A Primal form," A subject whispered, fear mirrored in Noah's eyes as they felt the vibration made by Andre's increased weight on the floor.
Guess I went overboard with the teasing. Dom thought, a nervous sweat sliding down his temple as he stood. I was trying to bring him down to my level, not the other way around. Now what?
The now eight-foot-tall Andre let out a loud, terrifying hissing that made the air vibrate.
The subjects winced at the deafening pitch.
"Too loud," One subject grumbled, covering his ears just like Noah and the others.
Dom gritted his teeth and charged immediately, his mind focused on stopping Andre as fast as he could before he made any more noise.
Sensing the approach, Andre ceased his hiss and launched another flame spell--twice as large and fast as the first.
Dom barely sidestepped it, flames licking off some of his clothes, before delivering a sharp kick into Andre's exposed gut.
But his eyes widened at the stone-hard resistance beneath his foot. He then tried to back away, only to feel Andre's muscular tail wrap around his torso.
"Crap," Dom muttered, looking up to see Andre's wide jaw lunging for him, the hot, smelly breath already filling his senses.
Dom instinctively raised his left arm, and Andre bit down, tearing through what remained of his sleeve and bit into his skin.
One of the subjects gasped, hands over her mouth, as blood poured from Dom's arm.
Even with the pain, Dom didn't flinch as he tightened his stance and groaned, struggling against Andre's enhanced strength. The lizard's eyes gleamed with amusement as he bit harder, drawing more blood, some splashing across Dom's face.
Fuck… I can't push this guy away… Dom thought as his impressive raw physicality failed to overpower this behemoth before him.
Andre's tail squeezed Dom's torso; instinctively, Dom's free hand reached down, his fingers trying to pry the muscular appendage of his body.
Meanwhile, Andre raised both of his large arms, his now knife-sized claws glittering in the light as they prepared to rip the now immobilized Dom apart.
"Shit," Dom grunted as he pushed his left arm against Andre's sharp teeth while his right hand dragged across the tail, desperately attempting to free himself before the claws finished him off.
Then, a red energy blast suddenly struck Andre's temple, snapping his head back and releasing Dom's bleeding arm.
Dom's gaze flicked to Noah; his eyes widened as Noah held up his cannon, steam rising from the weapon's muzzle.
Then, Andre's tail suddenly swung out, flinging Dom across the room until he slammed audibly into a wall.
As Dom crumpled to the floor, Andre turned to Noah, who trembled under his monstrous stare.
"You know…" Andre said, his voice deep and terrifying, matching his form. "I never liked you, nerd." He advanced, his bare feet padding audibly on the ground.
The subjects backed away, but Noah didn't move--his legs were frozen with fear. Yet he gritted his teeth, swallowing his fear as he gripped his cannon by the elbow. The weapon whirled, red mana flowing down its pipes as it prepared for the next shot.
Seeing flames licking from Andre's scaly lips, Dom grunted, pushing through the pain as he rose to his feet.
Come on. Come on. Come on. He thought, the glow in his eyes flickering as he suddenly sprinted towards Andre.
Sensing Dom's approach, Andre turned, his mouth opening and his scaly chest expanding--a visible indication of an impending fire breath.
I can't beat this guy without mana. Dom thought as he picked up speed.
I can't wait anymore…if my mana hasn't come back yet…
Andre unleashed the spell; a massive spiral of flames rocketed forward, the intense heat and light consuming everything in its path.
However, Dom didn't attempt to dodge.
I'll just force it out!
His mind screamed as he charged forward, using all his willpower to summon his still repressed mana, the glow in his eyes flickering erratically before his body finally collided with the spell, resulting in an earth-shaking explosion.
Thick smoke and fire scattered in all directions, forcing the spectators to guard while Andre smirked, the heated gust harmlessly bouncing off his scaled exterior as he stared at the smoke cloud.
"I told you. Too easy." He chuckled confidently, then turned back to the subjects, who recoiled once they realized they were the next targets.
The only one who didn't move again was Noah--but this time, it wasn't because of fear alone. His eyes had caught something just past Andre's monstrous form.
Andre froze.
His beastly senses fired at the sensation of a presence behind him. He turned and growled at the thick smoke in front of him, eyes searching for movement-- until two bright blue lights suddenly pierced through the dark shroud.
Instinctively, Andre prepared another fire breath, but a hand suddenly smashed his jaw shut from underneath, cracking teeth from the force.
He staggered, hands clutching his aching mouth with thick puffs of black smoke leaking from his lips. He then gasped once Dom's form finally came into view, his entire body oozing with blue mana.
"Yes," Noah said, an excited grin on his face.
Andre, however, shuddered as Dom's glowing eyes fixed on him. His instincts, heightened by his beast attribute, screamed one thing: Flee.
He suddenly jumped away, opening his aching jaw again to unleash the largest fire breath he'd ever shot. Even from a distance, the subjects winced at the heat.
Dom, unfazed, raised his fist, cloaked in blue mana, and punched with such speed that it created a burst of wind that collided with the flames.
The resulting explosion shook the entire cell block, sending some subjects stumbling as the floor vibrated beneath them.
Now, on a knee, Noah stared, eyes wide at Dom, partially visible through smoke. He smiled in awe of Dom's calm form before catching a glimpse of that monstrous figure fade into the smoke.
Andre's invisible form dashed through the smoke, obeying his animal instincts as he headed straight for the exit--but a hand shot out and grabbed his tail, halting him.
He grunted, trying to break free, but Dom's grip overpowered him.
"Let go," Andre growled, undoing his camouflage and twisting his body to face Dom. With a hiss, he sunk his teeth into Dom's right shoulder.
But with a pained hiss, Andre pulled away, his teeth now shattered as they had failed to break through hardened skin.
Dom then grunted as he spun, using the tail to swing Andre around like a rag-doll before slamming him into the ground. Concrete crumbled, blood poured from Andre's mouth, and his body bounced off the floor's surface like a ball.
Mid-air, Andre's gaze found Dom again, now crouched, right fist drawn and glowing with thick blue mana-- their eyes met, and he stiffened at the cold, monstrous focus in Dom's glowing eyes.
"Wai--"
Dom's punch slammed into Andre's cheek, cutting him off. The shock radiated through his skull, rendering his mind and senses inactive. He flew across the room, smashing into a wall with enough force to shatter concrete, with fragments from the ceiling raining down on him.
The subjects braced against the trembling and dust cloud.
Once it quickly settled, they looked up, staring in shock and awe as Dom stood, fist still burning with mana as he stared at Andre--now unconscious in his human form, which remained lodged in the heavily damaged wall.
Dom frowned as he lowered his arm and stared at his fist, eyes narrowing at the distorted, erratic mana flowing from his hand.
I'm not at full power yet. But it's better than nothing. He thought as he finally suppressed his mana, just as laughter and cheers drew his attention.
"That was so cool," Noah chuckled as he and the others converged on Dom.
"Is everyone okay?" Dom asked, turning towards them and unknowingly revealing the burns across the right side of his upper body and his bleeding left arm.
"Forget about us. Are you okay?" A subject asked, approaching to check his injuries.
"I'm fine." He replied as he waved her off, "… I got my mana at the last second, so I was able to block most of it. This is just a flesh wound." He forced a smirk despite wincing in pain as he tried to flex his arm.
Noah frowned at Dom's fake expression, just as a subject stared at the wreckage all over the cell block. "Hey, don't you think that fight was loud enough to be heard for miles--"
Before he could finish, a loud buzzing echoed. The bright white lights had turned red, blinking with each deafening buzz-- it's a sound Dom immediately recognized from his previous escape attempts.
He shot Noah a stern look. "I thought you said there was a delay?" He asked.
"I didn't make a mistake," Noah said, checking his phone frantically. "If it went off now… it means someone already found us and triggered it seven min—" He cut himself off as a heavy thud echoed.
They all turned to find the immobilized Andre now face-flat on the floor.
Dom's eyes dilated with rage once he realized who made that call. "You motherfu-"
The doors to the cell block suddenly opened, revealing five guards all armed. "Over here!" One of them shouted as he pointed his taser gun at them.
"They found us," A subject muttered, fear evident in his voice.
Noah clicked his tongue just as Dom dashed forward.
"Stop right there!" A second guard shouted, raising a tranquilizer gun--but Dom suddenly unleashed another punch; the generated wind pressure slammed into the guards, sending them all flying across the room.
"Let's go!" Dom shouted as he ran towards the exit. The subjects nodded and quickly followed his lead.