Grey's POV
I gave an annoyed glance at the huntsman who managed to slice open my cape, before I kicked him hard in the abdomen.
"Ne touche pas ma cape," I asked calmly. "Even though it could also heal itself."
'Don't touch my cape.'
"Amazing, non? A cape with healing power? Made out of the golden fleece? That can heal its wearer and itself?" I ducked under a wave of a sword and summoned a mirror that I stabbed on another man's waist. "It is just one of the things our Academy have achieved by not..." I kicked another one's knee. "-killing, like what you do."
"Perhaps the reason why-" Small shards of glass appeared to surround me and threw themselves at the next batch of huntsmen that gathered around me.
"Perhaps the reason why you were not given power is because power does not want you, you know?" tanong ko sa kanila. "But I understand."
Umilag ako sa isang palaso na nagawang daplisan ang aking tenga. Lumitaw ang isang mahabang salamin sa aking kamay na agad kong ibinato sa huntsman na may dala ng pana.
"Certains hommes bons seront tentés par le pouvoir et même la gloire," sabi ko.
'Some good men will be tempted by greed, power, glory, even.'
I summoned my own two swords made out of glass to counter the huntsman who managed to stand up despite the broken pieces of glass stuck on his body.
'Grey, why the hell are you still fighting?' I heard Dad's voice from my earpiece. 'We need you in the control room.'
"Peut-être que je pourrais parler un certain sens dans 'em, Papa," sagot ko.
'Maybe I could talk some sense into 'em, Dad.'
Sinundan ito ng katahimikan kaya napabuntong-hininga nalang ako.
I gave the huntsmen an empty look before I fell inside the portal that appeared below my feet.
Then I landed on an empty seat in front of a couple of monitors, in a dark room surrounded by screens.
Hindi ko binalingan ng tingin si Dad na nakatayo sa tabi ko at mariing nakatuon sa'kin.
"Blow it up," utos ko sa babaeng nakaupo sa likod niya.
On a screen in front of me, I saw one of the facilities get marked out from the map.
Sinenyasan ko si Dad na tumingin dito. "There, I did it."
I leaned back on my swivel chair and slowly turned around to follow Dad with my gaze as he silently left the control room.
"Tsk." I clicked my tongue before spinning around again to face my control panel. "Je meurs d'ennui..."
'I am dying of boredom...'
Seriously, how boring will this get?
While I am only allowed to plant bombs within and around the huntsmen's facilities to destroy them, the others get to fight face to face against the enemies.
Just because I am the most mobile of us and can go to any place from time to time does not mean I automatically volunteered to be assigned in the control room.
Tinanggal ko ang earpiece at sinuot ang headset na nakapatong sa desk.
Binati ako ng natatarantang boses ni Zack.
'Grey!' Humihingal siya. 'Amputa naman, oh! Sa'n kana?!'
"Sorry." Pinindot ko ang pangalan ni Zack sa mahabang rectangular screen sa may dulo ng console. "I went for snacks-"
Napatigil ako nang makita ang pulang tuldok sa map na hindi gumagalaw. GPS ito ng earpiece ni Zack, at sa hindi malamang dahilan, nanatili pa rin siya sa loob ng facility kahit humahangos na siya sa kabilang linya.
Exit, I realized. He needs an exit.
I double tapped on the spot where the red dot was and swiped right, selecting the option 'Blueprint.'
Lumabas ang blueprint ng facility na kinaroroonan niya.
"Which exits have they barred?" tanong ko.
'Lahat!'
"Then you're on your own," malamig kong sabi.
It was not true, of course, as I have started to zoom in and out of the facility's blueprint, looking for a passage.
'Tangina mo, Grey!'
The facility he's in was once a cultural complex, used for entertainment.
"Topmost floor." tugon ko.
Habang naghihintay kay Zack na makarating sa pinakatuktok na floor, tinapik-tapik ko ang aking mga daliri at tumuon sa screen kung saan naroon ang mga pangalan ng ibang Omegas.
So far, only Zack's name was enclosed in a red box, which means the others have not called for me, yet.
I let out a disappointed sigh while hearing guns being triggered and Zack's panting. I also heard a few grunts and screaming here and there, and a couple more sounds of destruction.
How fortunate of him to get to die in the hands of the enemy and not from boredom...
Then I transferred back on the satellite view of the facility Zack was trapped in.
May pinindot ako sa console.
"Launch a strike on Zack's location," sabi ko sa kabilang linya.
After a few seconds, I heard a man's voice on the other end of the line.
'Helicopter's on the way. Further instructions?'
"Bore a hole on the roof big enough for a large bird."
'What?'
"Just do it."
Saka ko pinindot ulit ang pangalan ni Zack.
"I'm going to waste ammo for you," pagbibigay-alam ko sa kanya.
'Anong-' Pumalit sa boses niya ang tunog ng isang gatling gun na nagpapaulan ng bala.
Pagkaraan ng ilang segundo, umalingawngaw ang nahulog na metal roofing ng complex.
"Can you still fly?" tanong ko.
Imbes na sagutin ako ay narinig ko lang ang pagbulsa ni Zack ng earpiece, dahilan na mapangiti ako.
Ngunit mabilis na naglaho ang aking ngiti nang makitang pumula ang pangalan ni Vance sa screen.
Pinindot ko ito. "Vance."
'There's fifty of them.'
"Fifty what?"
'Fifty huntsmen with abilities.'
Suddenly, the rest of the names glowed red on the screen.
"Wait." I pressed Paige's.
'New huntsmen just arrived,' she informed me. 'They come with powers.'
Then I pressed Ash's.
"They sent more men?" tanong ko.
'They have.'
Nilingon ko ang babaeng CAP na kasama ko sa control room. Nakakunot ang kanyang noo habang may kinakausap sa headset niya.
Sinalubong niya ang aking tingin. "It's the rest of the troops," sabi niya. "They've reported an increase of huntsmen with abilities."
I swiped my fingers on all the Omegas' names on the screen to talk to all of them.
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen," bati ko sa kanila. "It seems like the huntsmen have noticed the big problem we pose and wants to fight back." Umangat ang isang sulok ng aking labi. "In other words, they're threatened and have resorted to send more powerful fighters in their facilities."
"Do whatever you feel like doing," utos ko sa kanila. "Just don't die."
Muli kong tinignan ang babaeng CAP. "Ask the troops to retreat."
Matagal-tagal niya akong tinitigan.
"Tell them," seryoso kong sabi.
"But I need direct orders from Mr. Austria-"
"I am a Mr. Austria." Pinaningkitan ko siya. "Am I not?"
She gave me a stern nod before facing her screens and pressed a button to contact every commander of our allies.
"All troops are asked to retreat," tugon niya. "Let the white knights handle everything."
Minasdan ko lang siya na nagbibitaw ng instructions.
"Gather for food and supply..." She started to type messages on her keyboard. "Medics are also on their way."
I scoffed and turned to my own screens.
"Unfortunately, I won't be sending any medics on your way," sabi ko sa Omegas. "And I hope you know how to catch fishes and hunt wild animals- especially Africa."
'Kapag ba... hehe... di ako makakahuli ng mga hayop, pwede bang huntsmen-'
"No, you cannot eat people, Bella," I seriously warned her.
'Hindi!' aniya. 'Huntsmen yung gagawin kong bait sa wild animals!'
"Oh, that? Sure," sagot ko. "Do whatever you like with the corpses, but leave some for investigation, especially ones with abilities."
'Pero yung huntsmen... pwede ba silang kumain ng kapwa huntsmen nila?'
Matagal-tagal akong nakasagot.
"You'd rather feed your enemies than the wild animals who could be starving?"
Narinig ko ang pagbuntong-hininga ni Bella. 'Okie...'
Niluwagan ko ang pagkakatali ng cape ko. "I'll see you in Wuyishan on the last day," I informed them. "I have to stop by their few remaining facilities first."
Tinanggal ko ang headset at ipinatong ito sa console.
My hand ran on my hair to mess it until a few strands stuck of out place. "When Dad asks, tell him I went to finish what I started."
Oh, Dad is going to kill me.
Pinihit ko ang upuan paharap sa portal na lumitaw malapit sa pinto. Tumayo ako at napangiti bago pumasok dito.
To finish what we started...
Mula sa bansang France, lumabas ako sa France-Germany border. I stopped on German soil, before turning around to view the last of France.
I snickered and headed towards the last twenty small camps and facilities the huntsmen have in Europe.
When we told the founders that we want to destroy the small and average-sized remaining facilities, it was only a part of a bigger plan.
Because what we really want, is to destroy the huntsmen's biggest facility in Asia, located in the province of Fujian, China.
So first, we scatter ourselves to attack from all over the world. We destroy their facilities, and pose a threat.
Second, the huntsmen will be finally forced to address what we're doing and exhaust their men and supplies to counter us.
Third, we continue the first step, this time, against more enemies, without dying.
And lastly, on our seventh day as white knights, we regroup in Fujian to attack.
It wasn't all we did, of course.
I, for one, was busy gathering information and researching about this big hidden facility they have in China while I was in the control room.
It was Amber who gave me the key to access CAP's private resources.
Natawa ako nang mahina.
Why would we settle for less when we could do more? Especially after what the huntsmen have done to the Academy and my sister.
We were still Omegas, after all.
We don't fire at the enemies to only threaten them.
We shoot to kill.