As the chaos erupted on the street, the four police officers on patrol duty sprang into action.
They rushed toward the source of the commotion, which turned out to be Simone and his men trying to kill Erik and the others. The officers quickly assessed the situation and realized that they were attacking civilians.
One of Simone's men was using his ability to shoot arrows against someone, but it wasn't clear who he was targeting among the crowd, and he ended up killing some people in the process.
"STOP!" one of the police officers shouted as they charged at Simone's men.
"Fuck," the thug replied as he saw the authorities come.
The other members of his gang were trying to reach Erik and the others, but it wasn't easy due to the many people fleeing, and they had to turn back to face the police.
"Damn," Simone said, and immediately he ordered his men to intercept them. One of them radioed for backup as the situation kept escalating.
More people were getting hurt, and the gang members seemed determined to keep fighting.
Meanwhile, Erik and the others were trying to keep out of harm's way. They dodged arrows, as the archer was still targeting them, and tried to avoid the many people escaping without concern for the other's safety.
Benedict still had Britney on his shoulders, the girl still had problems with her sprained ankle, and they struggled to keep up with the others in that chaos.
Erik and the Red Palace students pushed people left and right in order to escape, but the Mambas kept trying to kill them.
The students had to duck and dodge, doing their best to avoid the flying arrows that came their way. At one point, a bolt narrowly missed Britney's head, singeing her hair.
"AAHHHH!!!" a scream escaped her mouth.
She almost fell off Benedict's back as the terror made her clutch her head. Benedict firmly grabbed her and prevented the girl from falling, determined to carry her to safety and avoid a dangerous situation.
At that point, Martha targeted the archer and prevented him from firing more arrows using her brain crystal power. The vine wrapped around the man's arm, causing him to stumble and lose his balance.
Finally, the officers managed to reach Simone's group, which was in the middle of the group. They quickly raised their weapons and shouted for the group to stop what they were doing. However, they were met with hostility from the gang members, who saw the police as an obstacle to their mission to kill Erik and his friends.
At the same time, one of the thugs, a muscular man with a spiked club, charged at the nearest officer, who raised his sword and started fighting against the thug. The man swung his club, and the officer ducked, soon landing a strike on his arm.
The thug stumbled back, clutching his arm, but quickly regained his composure and charged again.
Meanwhile, the archer fired arrows at the officers from a distance. They dove for cover, but one of them was hit in the shoulder. He cried out in pain and had to take cover with the others to avoid being killed.
The remaining two officers engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the other two thugs. They exchanged blows, and the officers managed to land a few hits.
But the thugs were more challenging than they looked, and they fought back fiercely. One of the officers was kicked in the stomach and doubled over in pain.
The other officer tried to help but was struck in the face by an arrow and killed mercilessly, and the other officer quickly had the same fate.
The funny thing was that if the officers knew they were Mambas, they wouldn't have created problems for them. Their death was meaningless.
Simone watched the fight with a sense of satisfaction. His men were holding their own against the police, but soon four police cars arrived, and he knew they couldn't stay there anymore.
He signaled to four of his men to stay behind and keep the police at bay while he and the other six chased after Erik and the others.
***
Erik's heart was pounding in his chest as he and his friends fled from the chaotic scene. They had managed to escape the crowd, but they were still in the same street, and the Mambas could see them.
Erik caught a glimpse of the bald man leading the group of thugs chasing them. Simone was his name; he thought he had heard one of his men say it earlier. His eyes were cold and calculating, scanning the area for any sign of the Red Palace students.
His face was angular and sharp, giving him a menacing look. Erik noticed he was wearing a black leather jacket and a silver chain necklace with a small crystal pendant.
As he moved, Erik could see that he was well-built and muscular, suggesting he was no stranger to physical combat. He walked with a sense of purpose and confidence, almost as if he were the king of the streets. Erik also noticed a small scar above his left eyebrow, adding to the sense of danger that he exuded.
As the man's eyes locked onto Erik and his friends, the awakener felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that they were in for a fight and that Simone and his men would not give up until they caught them. Erik swallowed hard, trying to steady his nerves as they continued to run through the crowded streets.
As they ran, Erik observed the ongoing fight between the police officers and the thugs. The police seemed to be struggling against the Mambas, who were using their powers and numbers to gain an advantage, and he even saw two police officers getting killed.
Floyd saw the same thing, but he didn't have Erik's composure. "We are fucked! I tell you, WE ARE FUCKED!"
Gwen, who was running beside him, smacked the back of his head, and Floyd quickly returned to his senses.
Erik watched everything unfold, and that was enough for him to relax a little. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand—saving his friends. They needed to keep moving and find a place to hide.
The group turned a corner and found themselves in an alleyway. Everyone was tired and wounded, Brittney couldn't walk, and Benedict, who had been supporting her, was the most tired of them all.
"We need to find a place to hide," Erik said, looking around for any possible options. "We can't stay out in the open like this."
Erik couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that was gnawing at him. This whole mess was partially his fault. He could have said he killed Nathaniel, and Matthew would have targeted only him. He thought about it sometimes, but his logical side prevented him from doing so, leading to Anderson's death.
The young man didn't have enough time to let his thoughts wander that way as he heard Simone's shout. "GET THEM!" he said while pointing at him and his friends.
The group increased their speed, with Simone and his men hot on their heels. They weaved through the narrow streets, trying to lose their pursuers. Benedict was gasping for air, his lungs burning from the exertion of carrying Brittney and contemporaneously running through the streets.
He could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, and he knew they were running out of options.
Martha summoned thorny vines from the ground again to slow down their pursuers. The vines twisted and curled around the legs of the thugs, causing them to trip and slow down.
Aaron, seeing an opportunity, created a pool of corrosive slime at their feet, which started burning and sizzling with the vines, which quickly got on fire. The slime also sizzled and bubbled as it ate away at the pavement, creating a hazardous obstacle for the thugs.
Mikey summoned a swarm of flesh-eating bugs and sent them toward the thugs. The bugs crawled and gnawed at the flesh of the mambas, causing them to scream in pain and distracting them momentarily. However, that was only enough to slow them down.
Despite their efforts, the thugs got out of the traps and continued to pursue Erik and his friends, undeterred by the attacks. Simone, leading the chase, had a look of determination on his face as he ordered his men to press on.
Despite the chaos, the young awakener and his friends managed to navigate the winding streets and alleys of the city, darting in and out of crowds to avoid their pursuers. Their move was effective since they could keep the thugs far, but a chaotic situation quickly spread inside the city as the students kept attacking the thugs.
Martha continued to summon thorny vines; Aaron created more pools of corrosive slime, making it difficult for the thugs to keep up.
Mikey, who had grown increasingly agitated, summoned even more flesh-eating bugs, unleashing them upon the Mambas in a frenzy.
However, despite everything, the men finally reached Erik and the others, bringing desperation to the young students. Simone was right behind them, and he had an enraged look.
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