The feeling of adrenalin rush was almost the same as sex to Zhao Yunlan. He was one of the first hunters the substance was being tested on, so he knew exactly what was going to happen after he injects himself, as well as all the possible side-effects. Some of which being: hightened aggressivity, lowered sensitivity to pain and emotional depravity... all actually very much wanted during combat. Along with these came the ability to use vampire hunters' hightened senses and trained bodies to its maximum for the duration of approximately 2 minutes. After that came immense exhaustion and sometimes even collapse due to dehydration and hypoglycemia.
For the Chief of SID offering his health to such science was a done deal. Hunting vampires was his job, his hobby, his whole life. He grew up as an orphan in a state institution, training to one day become a vampire hunter and that he became. There was no sad story of why he hunted these monsters day and night, he simply didn't know of any other life. Maybe the reason why he got involved with Shen Wei was to successfully finish today's hunt and maybe... maybe because he finally learnt something different... something worth exploring?
Of course, now there was no time to think about bed-time fairy tales. Neither was there a time to think more than 2 minutes ahead. Downstairs they were already 4 hunters down, of which one seriously injured and 3 dead, so the fight was getting personal. He searched one of his fallen comrades for some close-combat silver while shooting a vampire that was pushing another hunter towards the wall. The created opening allowed his female collegue to stab the monster through his cold heart.
"Yes! Go for it, Zhu Hong!" He rejoiced and threw himself into the heat of the battle as well.
Zhu Hong's eyes shone as she wiped blood splatters from her beautiful face, smiling at the encouragement. Her blood was boiling just like the Chief's and at this very moment, she, too, much more resembled a thirsty vampire rather than an official government-approved soldier. She quickly jumped at another vampire, her lips moving slightly as she counted her 120 seconds.
Evading a huge piece of furniture while retreating a few steps back, Zhao Yunlan felt long nails dig into his right arm. Felt but his pain threshold was near nonexistent under the drug's influence so he held the hand of the attacker in place, using the fact its nails got stuck in his owm flesh to his advantage. Then he pointed his gun at the vampire's chest and fired from this close distance, opening a hole inside the monster.
Looking around as the dead body slid down on the floor, the SID Chief quickly scanned his surroundings. He was a whole minute in and there was not much progress. Yes, for now it seemed the hunters were starting to get the upper hand but that will completely change in the next minute when they run out of adrenalin rush. A second dose of the drug was almost suicidal, so each only carried one.
Zhao Yunlan focused on the main problem of this party. The Lord and his now only 3 bodyguards. One of them held around some sort of telekinetic shield, repelling all of the hunters' shots, one kept fighting anyone who dared to approach them, protecting the others and one knelt with one hand on the floor. The Lord stood in the middle, shooting ice wherever. And as a whole they were slowly moving towards the downstairs exit.
That was the moment, they all could feel the start of the tremors.
'Fuck! He's moving the ground under the mansion!'
"Take him down!" Zhao Yunlan yelled at Chu Shuzhi up on the stairs and pushed away a vampire in front to quickly stop the impending catastrophe.
Another hunter managed to get to the vampire faster but as he ran out of adrenalin at that very moment, he collapsed on the floor right in front of the Chief. Zhao Yunlan caught his collegue, also feeling the fatigue approaching fast but he still aimed with his hightened senses and pulled the trigger. However, a stronger tremor caused him to miss and then he heard the walls around crack, the sinistrous maps of damaging on the walls as well as the ceiling already visible. He braced himself and covered his collegue's body with his own to protect him.
* * *
It hurt. Everywhere. Which meant, he already ran out of his drug. It felt like he had been squished by the heavens, a whole world now resting on his back in a total darkness under the ruins. Some sort of liquid trickled down the side of his head and neck, most likely his own blood.
The only positive thing he could discern, was a steady heart beat of his fellow hunter that he felt under himself. His ears rang and he could barely hear anything else. Only the tips of his fingers could be moved a few milimeters, which gave him the hope that if his spine got smashed as well, at least he won't be eating his meals with a straw for the rest of his life.
Trying to imagine the positioning of his fellow hunters right before the collapse, he thought there might be hope for at least Zhu Hong who looked like she managed to hide under the stairs and the others on the balcony and staircases... assuming at least the framework of the mansion held on.
Through the strong pounding in his head he tried to conjure any kind of a reasonable thought, pondering whether he should cry for help to indicate his position under the ruins. Who's going to come first for him, a hunter or a vampire? However, he doubted that at this very moment there would be vampires with so much time on their hands, they would want to spend it on getting their dinner from under the heaps of rubble. Maybe he should have stayed in bed earlier this evening, waiting for Shen Wei to come back? The pain he felt when the vampire bit his neck with no compromise now seemed like a rather nice alternative to how all of his skin now was just one unbearable pain.
"I wish I died during that amazing sex..." Zhao Yunlan mumbled, exhausted, his eyes closing.
* * *
Chu Shuzhi threw a side-ways gaze at the vampire who was trying to help him search for those burried under the collapsed ceiling. The vampire's cheeks seemed somewhat redder upon finally hearing a sound of a living person from under their feet.
"Guys! Boss is here! C'mon!" The bear-like vampire hunter, doped with adrenalin started to dig through the ruins.
Shen Wei himself hurried to help him, his telekinetic powers greatly appreciated even now. Though he had managed to smash most of the huge parts of the ceiling as it was coming down with a wave of his arms, the rocks falling down were still enough even for the vampires downstairs to be smashed under. Hearing Zhao Yunlan's voice utter obscenities felt like a drop of hope in the middle of a sea of despair.
Both Shen Wei and Chu Shuzhi fought the heaps of debris and ruins of girders until they finally dug out the Chief of SID along with another vampire hunter. They quickly layed both on the remains of now uneven floor, waiting for other hunters to bring in stretchers. The place was now beggining to swarm with SID members and other units' hunters, no vampire aside from Shen Wei in sight anymore.
"It's... nice... to breathe again..." Zhao Yunlan uttered then coughed slightly, immediately grimacing in pain.
"Don't talk!" Shen Wei's concerned voice made the hunter turn his head towards him. "Your ribs are probably broken." Shen Wei started to gently examine the careless vampire hunter.
"You're still here... hrrrnn... you should go... if I faint... who's going to vouch for you... nnn... who else is here...? And why is it so... fucking... dark? Hmm?" Zhao Yunlan tried to reach with his hand to where he guessed Shen Wei was.
Shen Wei looked startled and turned his sight towards Chu Shuzhi who frowned. "It's not that dark... I can see just fine..."
"Well, good for you..." Zhao Yunlan winced again as he let out a deep sigh. "I can't see shit..."
* * *
Aaaaaaand update! A strange choice of a song for this chapter? Somehow it seemed to have exactly the kind of cheerful/psychopatic energy with which Yunlan threw himself into the raging battle. I'm not very satisfied with how I managed the fighting but I'm just not that great in action scenes, really. BUTT! Practice makes perfect, right?
And it's true I have not yet worked with the very much beloved part of Guardian where Yunlan loses his sight... It wasn't where I was going but I thought it the perfect end for this episode! I have no definite direction for this story anyway. XD
And I love writting badass Zhu Hong. I guess, both in the original story (still waiting for the whole translation though...) even in the series... she just seems to me like such a damsel in disstress with great but unexplored potential... I know in the series she does rise to the top in the end but still... I would like her more badass. XP Like in Teach Me Magic - had to write my ideal version of Zhu Hong. XD
So enjoy!