Inside the Red Lotus Lounge, chaos reigned supreme. The once-elegant interior was now a battlefield, with bodies scattered across the floor and furniture overturned and shattered.
The students who had come to rescue their parents were outnumbered and outmatched.
Only the fact that some of the parents had been able to keep most of the thugs at bay saved their lives.
However, that wasn't true for anyone, as many people died that day, parents and students alike.
Despite their best efforts, the parents were at a distinct disadvantage.
Most of them did not have particularly strong power, despite their children having it, and they had no weapons.
They were up against a group of people who used to kill people for jobs, and fighting was akin to second nature for them. Their experience in the military wasn't enough for them to make the situation even due to how long ago they stopped training.
The Mambas were taking control of the situation, and it was clear they were in no mood to back down.
They moved with ruthless efficiency, taking down anyone who stood in their way. The parents fought valiantly, but they were fighting a losing battle.
They fell one by one, their bodies added to the growing pile on the ground. Blood stained the once-pristine walls, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat, fear, and violence.
Despite their despair, the parents refused to give up for their children's sake. They fought with every ounce of strength they had, hoping that they could turn the tide against all odds, but seeing their children's dead bodies turned their mood down.
The Mambas were too strong, too well organized, and too ruthless. They seemed to be everywhere at once, striking from the shadows and disappearing just as quickly. It was impossible for the average parent to anticipate their moves or predict their next target.
As the battle raged on, the rescued hostages began to lose hope. They were exhausted, wounded, and demoralized.
***
Despite everything, Matthew paced back and forth in a dark corner of the club; his fists clenched in anger. He had expected his subordinates to take care of the kids and the parents by now, but they seemed to be struggling with this task. It was clear that overall they were at an advantage, but he did expect his men to have already taken care of these people. Matthew feared they alerted the authorities or, worse, the clans.
He could hear the sounds of fighting from different corners of the club, but it was not the satisfying sound of victory. Instead, it was the sound of his men getting killed by some of the parents. In particular, four people were basically keeping most of his men at bay and even managed to kill several important members of his gang, like Kevin and Mia.
"Useless pieces of shit!" he muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with fury. He had no patience for incompetence, especially when it influenced his wishes. He had invested a lot in this operation, and he expected results.
He had made sure to hire only the best thugs and criminals available to his finances for this job, but now he was regretting his choices. The crystal cross gang refused to lend him some of his assassins, and he couldn't use more money to hire them since he had to keep his other forces functioning since there was an internal conflict inside the Mambas. He had to split his forces in order to keep his rule over the gang.
He watched as two of his subordinates stumbled past him, one of them clutching his arm.
They were battered and bruised, their faces covered in sweat and blood. Matthew felt a surge of anger rise in him, and he grabbed the closest one by the collar of his shirt.
"What the hell are you doing?! Why haven't you taken care of the kids yet?" He spat, his voice low and dangerous.
The thug stammered, trying to explain the situation, but Matthew cut him off.
"I don't want to hear your excuses. You know what will happen if you fail! Get back out there and finish the job," he snarled, shoving the thug away from him.
He watched them scurry back into the fray, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they were beaten again.
Then the man noticed the bar, still standing in the club's corner. It was well stocked, and there were several bottles of alcohol within reach. He had a scary face and felt anger oozing out of his pores. He knew what he had to do.
He strode over to the bar, his eyes scanning the bottles. He picked up a large bottle of vodka and a few shot glasses. He poured himself a shot and downed it, feeling the burn of the alcohol in his throat. He poured another, then another, until he felt the buzz of the alcohol in his system.
He turned back to look at the fight, feeling slightly invigorated. He watched as his men fought against the parents and the kids and how they slowly gained an advantage now.
***
As Carl fought against other thugs in the Red Lotus Lounge, he noticed Mikey's mother, Ana, struggling against four larger men. He quickly made his way over to her, dispatching one of the thugs with a quick explosion from his hands.
"Are you alright?" Carl asked, extending his hand to help Ana up. The woman nodded, but her expression was grim. "I don't know if I can keep fighting," she said. "We've lost so many already. It's time for the kids to get out of here."
The man observed his surroundings as he dodged an incoming attack from an opponent.
The Red Lotus Lounge was in shambles; bodies were strewn across the floor, and broken furniture and shattered glass littered the area. The sound of fighting, clashing weapons, and explosions filled the air as the fight raged on.
Then the man noticed some smoke coming from the doors around the room. The fire they had set finally started devouring the building, but apparently their enemies didn't notice due to the Zamora clan members.
Carl had been fighting for what seemed like an eternity, his hands still crackling with the energy from his last attack.
He took a moment to catch his breath and assess the situation. Despite their efforts, his team was still at a disadvantage. Their opponents had taken out several of their members, leaving only a few left to fight.
As Anderson's father turned his attention back to the fight, he saw Aaron get knocked back by an attack. The kid was exhausted, but he kept firing slime at the thugs to save his fellow students.
He knew they couldn't keep going like this for much longer. They needed to find a way to turn the tide of the battle before it was too late or to let the kids escape.
As what he saw seeped in, Carl immediately understood Ana was right, but letting the kids out of the place was easier said than done, and he knew that once they did, the fight would only become harder for them.
"I understand," Carl said. "What do you suggest?" Ana looked at Carl with a mixture of gratitude and apprehension.
"There is not much we can do; we tell the kids to run away, and we hold the thugs back," she said.
"But we're outnumbered so it won't be easy. Ultimately, it will only be on them if they manage to escape," Ana replied.
Carl thought for a moment before responding. "All right," Carl said. He wanted his son's friends to get out of that situation before it was too late.
Mikey's mother nodded, but her eyes were still full of doubt. "Let's hope they will be able," she said while looking at Mikey, her son.
Carl placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We won't lose anyone else," he said firmly. "We'll get through this together."
However, it was at that moment that something happened—a loud noise rang, and they turned to look at the source.
It was then that they saw a chilling scene. Matthew just used his power as he joined the fray and was in a visible frenzy.
Though, what was really chilling was what was at his feet. Charley Hess's and Stefan Strickland's bodies while he was holding Adam's Bond head in his hands.
At the same time, several mournful cries and shrieks sounded through the building.
Frank, Adam's brother, and Stefan's and Charley's parents had blank looks in their eyes. They just saw their precious kids die. If only they weren't kidnapped, all of this wouldn't have happened.
At that moment, a thought crossed their minds: why did the kids come to rescue them? Wasn't it better for them to die instead of the kids? They knew the kids came because the rescue team they called couldn't come in time, and if they had, they would have died, but was it really necessary? In the end, the hostages and the students died regardless. Wasn't it better for only the older people to die at that point?
Carl and Ana immediately looked at their surroundings, and then they resumed fighting, working in tandem to take down the remaining thugs. Carl's explosions and Ana's flesh-eating bugs proved to be a deadly combination, and they managed to keep some of the thugs at bay.
As they fought, Ana gave instructions to the remaining kids: "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! WE WILL KEEP THEM AT BAY," she said. Everyone heard it there, students and thugs alike.
Erik immediately understood that was their best chance at surviving. After the fight against Mia, he accumulated a lot of wounds, and the pain made it difficult for him to fight to the best of his abilities, so the best thing to do would be to run away.
He immediately searched for Amber among the crowd, and once she looked at him, they both nodded. "RETREAT!" Amber shouted. "LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"
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