They searched the boxes for anything to defend themselves. Going out empty-handed — a straight suicide attempt.
Considering all the options, both of them picked a baseball bat each; it was compact, sturdy, and the only equipment that seemed useful to them at this moment; at least they could defend themselves and, if the situation was in their favour, attack to a small extent.
As they were stepping out, suddenly Sylvia spoke. "Wait a minute!"
They turned back; she rushed back to the first-aid box, took out a couple of syringes and handed them to Ryan, along with a pepper spray. "Take it, might come in handy."
Ryan frowned but didn't oppose. He took it and slipped it into his pocket. Then, opening the door just a little, they went out. The door was shut behind in no time.
Ryan's eyes darted across the floor. They were on the second floor, standing at the corner of one of the corridors, and the entire floor was somewhat visible from there; pin-drop silence prevailed, no sound coming from anywhere.
Due to the meeting, all the other classes were called off today; only their batch was invited, and all the students in their class were confined in that room, so there were no other students in the whole five-story building.
"Which way should we go?" asked Freddy, holding the baseball bat tightly.
"Let's head to the administrative block." He proposed.
Since the academic building was empty, it must be the administrative block where all the teachers and elites would be.
"Okay" Without any further questions, they walked forward. They used the staircases to avoid making sounds. The quieter they could work, the better.
They tiptoed to the ground floor, looking around with caution. The staircases were at the backside of the building, as it was not used as extensively as elevators. The administrative block stood ahead of the students' halls. They headed forward, but their steps halted as soon as they approached the middle of the ground floor from the back.
Was it the familiar, well-decorated school they knew?
It looked like a disaster.
The front desk was broken into pieces; some of the doors were bent, and some were lying on the floor to one side. The chandelier had fallen to the floor and shattered into pieces, and there were shards of glass scattered all over the floor. Every decorating piece was ruined.
But the most horrifying of all was — the dead bodies of the school's guards; some of them completely mutilated.
'That's... Horrible!'
Bypassing everything, they walked out of the building. A few feet away, there was the administrative building, white in colour. They exchanged glances once, then moved towards it.
As they moved forward a little, they heard sounds coming from the building; their suspicions were correct! The battle was still going on, but instead of the students' building, there!
They ran inside, hiding themselves as close to the wall as possible. They intended to inform any teachers or the principal about their situation and somehow arrange for the injured to be treated as soon as they could.
But that didn't happen.
As they entered the building, their eyes were drawn to the scene ahead; some distance away, they spotted Carl, fighting with all his might with those creatures, one of whom attacked them in the auditorium!
A look of admiration appeared in Ryan's eyes. Since childhood, he had seen countless fights between the elites and the deadly creatures on screen; they were legends, fearless warriors who kept the world safe. But a fight unfolding just a few feet away — something that he had never experienced!
The elites were special for a reason. The man in front of him was only a senior-year academy student, yet his skills were impressive, like a veteran, or he thought so!
He moved like a storm, attacking the creatures continuously from different angles, different places, and different techniques, slicing them effortlessly. The twin swords in his hands were stained red, blood dripping from them onto the floor. Watching him so close, Ryan finally realised, how they risked.
But in a minute, the battle shifted.
They were crouched behind a wall, peeking at the scene while keeping them hidden. The position was such that it gave them a perfect view of the battle but no one could spot them easily.
From their hidey, they saw the battle that Carl was winning till now was gradually shifting against him. The creatures he was attacking were not mindless beasts; they had a strategy! The remaining four suddenly circled him.
They outnumbered him — four to one, an unequal battle.
Carl was still fighting with all his might, but their towering figure imposed over him from all around, blocking his movements.
'Where are the other elites!' Ryan thought. Today, the invitees were four in number, but as of now, there was only one.
'Had something happened to them!' The thought alone sent a chill down his spine, but he didn't have enough time to dwell on it. Carl was in trouble.
'We have to do something to help him.' With the thought, he turned towards Freddy, whose eyes were still stuck by the fight scene.
"Freddy", he whispered. "We have to do something."
Freddy nodded in agreement. But to do that, they needed to have a plan. Because at this time, neither they had any kind of extraordinary powers nor a powerful weapon.
After thinking for some time, suddenly, something clicked in Ryan's mind, and an almost unnoticeable grin tugged on his lips.
'Dynamite comes in a small package. Sylvia, you're great!'
He glanced at Freddy. This boy knew taekwondo, he saw him several times in the taekwondo club of the school, so he was fit for some strikes.
On the other hand, he was quite frail compared to him, so he had to work with his brain without using much physical force; otherwise, everything would go wrong.
"Freddy, listen carefully." He leaned over his ears and whispered the plan.
"Are you sure?" He frowned.
"Absolutely." Ryan smiled a bit.
"Okay then." Freddy rolled his sleeves and made himself ready for the upcoming fight.
Ryan touched the objects in his pocket, time was running out. 'This has to work.'
"Freddy — go!"
As soon as Ryan said it, they both sprang out together from their hideout. The sudden sound of movement startled the creatures a bit; they snapped at what had happened. Even Carl turned sharply.
"What are you doing here!" He shouted. "Get back. Now."
But they had no time to listen to him.
Freddy sprinted toward a nearby window on the left, catching the grill, and pulling himself up quite a bit. He grabbed the baseball bat in one hand and leaped toward one of the creatures.
Accurate aim: In an instant, his legs were wrapped around the creature's thick neck; Freddy put his entire body weight on it, climbed up at a ninety-degree angle, and slammed the bat into its head with all his might.
At the same time, Ryan rushed towards another. His hands already uncapped the syringe in his pocket. He stopped in front of another, drawing its attention. The creature, trying to hit Carl earlier, was distracted.
It loomed over him with a gaze filled with annoyance, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him effortlessly. Ryan choked as his feet lifted off the ground.
Ryan was waiting just for this moment; as it lifted him, he took out the syringe from his pocket, and, without a moment's hesitation, jabbed into its eyes; at the same time, sprayed the pepper spray in another's.
'Just like mom said — Go for the eyes.'
The lesson that he learned in his childhood, for the first time, he tested it in practice. The effect was immediate; the creature's eyes burned, and it let out a growl.
The one holding Ryan growled, covering its eyes with one hand, and furiously threw him against the wall.
Ryan slammed into the wall and fell to the floor. Pain exploded through his arm, and a raw scream tore from his throat before he felt everything blurred!
Following this, the creature that Freddy had hit fell to the floor with a sickening thud. Its skull was fractured.
It was exactly the kind of help that Carl needed.
The moment the creatures surrounding him scattered a little, he charged. His swords flashed, each striking faster than the last. He took down them all in a matter of minutes with extremely swift slashes.
Standing there with a sword bathed in crimson, he panted heavily.
All enemies were taken down. The battle was over.
At least, for now.