Emerging from the pit that held the Ra Engine, the reptile walked towards the building where his final victim stayed put. His heart raced, determined to rush in there and tear Brian apart for what he had done. But he had to slow down and calm himself. Even after being hunted down for months throughout the United States, the reptile was excited to get his revenge. Yet that didn’t mean he had to compromise his vigilance. He needed composure, a steady mind to get him through the final moments.

  The reptile entered the building, abandoned when Jackson started shooting up the place. However, after taking a deep breath, he could smell a few people nearby. Some of which were hiding in the storage closet near the staircase. He was about to reach for his grenade pouch, but stopped himself when he figured out that the people hiding there were not a threat to him or his mission. Ignoring them, he made his way to the staircase to reach the penthouse.

  ‘Jackson!’ Mark radioed to him. ‘Heads up, a ProTech chopper got in. Seems like your old man brought in the heat and they are rapidly approaching your position.’

  As soon as Mark warned him, the reptile had already made it to the 34th observatory floor. As soon as he opened the door, Jackson was knocked onto his back with a well-placed shot at his chest. He let out a pained cough as he quickly crawled his way to cover as a barrage of bullets came down onto his position. Jackson looked at his chest, gasping for air, as the metal chest plate was able to stop the bullet. If it went through, he would surely be dead.

  Unable to determine how many enemy forces he was facing, Jackson tried to peek out but pulled his head back as a round struck the wall near his head. Blowing a chunk of wall and spewing it all over his face. Frustrated, Jackson detached his grenade belt and spoke over the radio. ‘Mark, how many?’

  ‘I counted seven, but there could be more. All are wearing exo-suits.’

  Jackson had no idea what an exo-suit was, nor did he care. Underneath the metal and tech, they were all still human and killable. They were in the way, and so they all must die. Seven should also be manageable as well. All he needed to do was get in and close the gap to fight on his own terms.

  Priming his homemade grenades and flashbangs, he chucked them into the room before lying on the ground to take cover. ProTech soldiers panicked, scrambling to find cover before the belt exploded. Creating a shockwave that demolished the floor and the roof.

  With a shotgun and pistol at the ready, Jackson rushed into the room to shoot at anything that moved. The explosion killed two ProTech operators, while two were stunned and struggled to get back on their feet. They were the first to die as Jackson rushed up to them and slammed his shotgun or pistol under the gap of their exo-suit chest plate and pulled the trigger. Thinking that the armour they were wearing made them impervious to small arms fire, even if it wasn’t true at all. He decided it was wise to prioritise the weak points instead.

  The initial assault against the ProTech soldiers didn’t last long, as the remaining soldiers regained their composure and leapt back into the fight. With Jackson being up in their faces, using their guns was no longer an option. Activating their exo-suits’ secondary weapons. They readied their gauntlet hammers and chainsaws, weapons meant for industry and construction now repurposed to fight the raving reptile. Eager to engage in melee, they charged towards Jackson. Quickly closing the gap to bring the fight to him.

  The first soldier swung at Jackson with his gauntlet hammer, which he blocked with the side of his shotgun, causing the weapon to snap in half upon impact. He tried to retaliate, but the second soldier shouldered Jackson and knocked him to the other side of the room. Before he could get back up, the third one raised their chainsaw to finish him off. Fortunately, a well-placed round struck him at the back of the head before he could even get close to the reptile. The first shot was fired by Mark to assist Jackson.

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  But he couldn’t waste anymore time. Reaching for his ball-peen hammer, Jackson leapt towards the suited warriors. He underestimated the capabilities of those suits, which broke his guard and almost got him killed. But he won’t make the same mistake again! Gritting his teeth, he would show them the error of their ways and prove that their armour and tech would never be a good substitute for raw skill.

  He set his eyes on the soldier who had broken his shotgun. Deliberately keeping his guard down so the soldier would make the first move, which they predictably did. Throwing a punch at Jackson’s head, the reptile easily weaved under their guard to strike the side of their jaw. The blow cracked the metal casing and knocked them to the ground with a loud clang. The second soldier lunged forward, but Jackson caught their strike and elbowed their arm in an attempt to break it due to the exo-suit’s metal limbs.

  Yet that didn’t slow him down. Still holding onto the second soldier, Jackson threw them over his shoulder to crash them onto the ground. Then, followed it by latching his clawed feet wrapped around their neck, his talons found the gaps of their armour to seep into flesh with a single jap. Slicing the soldier’s neck and two of their arteries.

  Seeing the death of their comrade, the first soldier tried to retreat to regain some ground. But as they turned their backs on the reptile, Jackson grabbed their power pack from behind and threw them out of the window. Not even their advanced piece of tech could save them from a 34th-story drop onto the hard concrete below. An annoyance, but an easy victory on Jackson’s part.

  ‘So here you are!’ A feminine voice shouted from behind Jackson. He turned around to find Leo aiming a rifle at him and wearing a more advanced exo-suit. ‘You don’t give up, don’t you? Tell me, why do you think it’s a good idea to keep going? To murder when no one in this world wanted you alive!’

  She stared him down, but Jackson didn’t reply. Glaring at her while he waited for Mark to take the shot.

  ‘Nothing!? You have nothing to say?’

  Jackson turned around to figure out where he was standing in relation to where Mark was located. ‘She’s to my right.’ Jackson said into his radio after taking a step to the left. Before Leo could figure out what he had just said, a bullet whistled past the reptile and struck her in the neck.

  Leo grasped her throat before falling onto her knees. Blood seeped between her fingers while the light slowly faded from her eyes. Jackson approached her, kicking her rifle away, to stare at the woman who was too stupid to pull the trigger when she had a chance.

  ‘Ha! That bitch can…’ Before he could finish, Jackson turned off his radio. Their job was done, so he didn’t need to hear Mark any longer.

  He examined Leo and found the gun that was important to Mark. She tried to push Jackson away, but was unsuccessful in preventing him from looting her. Insulted that he didn’t give her the dignity of dying before taking her stuff. But at the same time, she wasn’t surprised. When he got Mark’s pistol, he raised it in the air for the assassin to see before pocketing it.

  There were no more enemies, no more foes to kill. All obstacles were overcome, and he had won. For his prize, he made his way to the penthouse to find the person who started it all. To kill the man who murdered his family. Jackson was almost excited at the prospect, smiling even. While he rubbed his thumb over the flat end of his hammer. To him, it would be a well-earned revenge.