Zenith’s Tower - Chapter 11

“Have you not heard? There have been some rumors that a few people might have come out of the tower. Apparently, they use like swords or superpowers now and can fight the monsters better than even the military can. The government is gathering them up to use them to fight monsters.”

A young man, around Ellis’s age, explained to him.

“I don’t know if I believe it though. There’s no way a person can kill any of those things by themselves. Guns barely work against them.”

Another from the circle of people chimed in.

“What if they did gain powers that made them able to fight monsters? I would definitely go in there if it meant I could come out with superpowers and fight monsters!”

A boy exclaimed as he pretended to shoot magic from his hands.

Ellis put his hand on his chest and glanced at the ground.

I can’t get discovered. If they force me to fight monsters for them, I will have no way to get the $10,000 I need to pay for my mother’s hospital bills.

“You okay, man?”

One guy asked looking at Ellis with a concerned expression.

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. It’s crazy to think about people getting out of there… but thanks, see you later. Stay safe.”

Ellis said as he turned around and left. He made his way through the destroyed remnants of the city toward Super Surplus-mart.

How is the government finding these people? Do they already know about me? I hope Arya made it out and that she isn’t being used to fight off monsters. I can’t imagine escaping the Tower and then having to go straight back to fighting monsters. I wonder how many made it out?

As Ellis neared Super Surplus-mart, the destruction got worse and worse. He began thinking that it was most definitely destroyed. How could one building still be standing when everything around was gone? He was still hopeful though because he desperately didn’t want to have to go back to that warehouse, but it was looking more and more likely. On his way to through the edge of the city, he passed multiple people dressed in similar clothing cleaning up the rubble and garbage in the streets.

Maybe the city hired people to clean up the city and because a lot of people lost their jobs.

Ellis rounded a corner and the shop came into view… or what was left of it. The roof was caved in and one of the corners of the building had been smashed in.

“Shit!”

Ellis mumbled to himself.

Damnit. Now I have no choice. Unless I can find work cleaning up the city like everyone else, but I doubt I would get paid as much as I would at the warehouse.

Ellis reluctantly headed toward the warehouse which was on the other side of town near his apartment. When he got there, he found the building completely unharmed.

Of course, this place is perfectly fine.

Ellis rolled his eyes as he made his way in through the back door. Bludge, his main boss, was around the corner in the office. Ellis walked over to him and as soon as Bludge saw him, his eyes narrowed like that of a crow’s, narrowing down on its prey. Ellis noticed the change in his demeanor but chose to ignore it. Wuxiaworld for visiting.

“Hey, I know that I’ve been gone for a while. I had an emergency that I needed to deal with. But I was wondering if you guys still needed the help if I could get my old job back.”

Ellis said with as much confidence as he could muster. Bludge showed a hint of bloodlust before he went back to normal and an ingenuine smile crept across his face.

“Yeah sure, we could always use you.”

He said with a malicious smile beckoning Ellis into the back.

“We just have to make sure that it’s okay with everyone else first.”

Bludge said with a sinister tone.

Ellis didn’t trust him at all but if they did try to beat him up at least he could defend himself this time. Bludge led Ellis into the warehouse where Smirk and Knox were standing around. Rip was driving a forklift with a big crate hoisted into the air. Bludge waved at them and they all stopped what they were doing to see what he needs. Rip hopped down from the leaving the crate still suspended in the air.

Well, that’s probably against OSHA laws, but I’m sure they don’t care.

Ellis thought to himself.

The other guys realized Ellis was with him and their expressions turned sour. They all walked forward with disgusting looks on their faces and Bludge who was standing behind Ellis pushed him toward them aggressively. Ellis wasn’t going to stand for being tormented by them anymore and automatically snapped back at him as he slapped Bludge’s arms away.

“What the hell was that for?”

Ellis said starting to get angry.

“You really think that you can just waltz in here after not showing up for a month and just get your job back? Our time is money and you wasted it. How are you gonna compensate us for all the work you missed? I see you gain a bit of muscle; you think that makes you hot shit? We’re still gonna beat you into a pulp.”

Bludge hissed at Ellis.

Well, this didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to but, I can’t say I’m surprised.

Ellis thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes looking at them ganging up on him. The four guys surrounded him leaving Ellis with only one choice. His only way out was to fight them. They had always been rough with him but this time their actions showed that they wanted to beat him to death.

Ellis decided to strike first and jumped forward at Rip pushing him with all the force he could muster. Rip was sent flying backward into the forklift rocking it with enough strength to send the crate held by it tumbling to the ground just a step away from Rip.

Crash!

When the crate hit the ground, various guns scattered across the floor in every direction. Ellis’s eyes grew wide when he saw all the weapons.

Shit… I knew this place was sketchy, but I didn’t think they stored military-grade guns.

Rip pushed himself up from the ground with a groan. He looked more angry than injured. Ellis looked around and saw his assailant’s eyes shift from the guns covering the ground back to him. An intense murderous aura seemed to radiate from them.

They’re definitely gonna kill me now.

Ellis leapt backward to create some distance from them. When he landed, he noticed Bludge had pulled a pistol from his waistband and had it pointed at Ellis. Ellis’s eyes widened as time seemed to switch into slow motion.

BANG!

A shot rang out and Ellis watched a bullet head straight for his face in slow motion. He barely had time to react, but he managed to tilt his head to the side as the bullet grazed his cheek ripping it open. At that moment Ellis was extremely happy that he had gone through countless life or death experiences in the Tower and had become so much stronger. If this was the him from before he would be lying dead in a puddle of blood and brains on the floor from that shot.

Bludge watched the scene unfold in front of him in astonishment and thought to himself.

There’s no way he dodged that; my aim must have been off. Yeah. That must be it.

“Once we kill you, we’ll have our way with your lonely little sister. She came here looking for you a few weeks ago, told us exactly where she lived in case we saw you.”

Bludge licked his lips as he snickered wickedly and took aim once again at Ellis.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Three rapid-fire shots pierced the air heading straight for Ellis’s chest. This time Ellis was prepared and contorted his body to the side narrowly avoiding all three shots.

What the hell? There’s something different about him. He seems like a completely different person.

Bludge unconsciously took a step back before yelling out to the rest of his crew.

“Guys, light him up!”

Ellis didn’t realize it, but his face had twisted into an inhuman expression and a bloodthirsty aura had overcome him.

Ellis rolled to the side toward one of the guns lying on the ground near him and picked it up mid-roll before hurling it at Smirk’s face.

Smack!

The gun slammed into Smirk’s mouth with so much power it knocked out his teeth and sent him crashing to the ground unconscious.

The three thugs left all began simultaneously firing in Ellis’s direction.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Gunfire continuously sounded making hearing anything, even a thought, impossible.

Smoke rose from the ground obscuring the area Ellis was standing and the sound of gunshots finally stopped.

“There is no way that he survived that.”

Knox grinned confidently.

Bludge was more skeptical as images of Ellis seemingly dodging bullets replayed in his head. When the smoke cleared his fears were realized and his eyes widened with panic.

“Where did he go?”

Bludge screeched out frantically looking around for any trace of Ellis.

Ellis came plunging down from the air wielding a broken piece of wood aimed straight for the side of Rip’s head.

“Shit! He’s abo-…”

Smack!

Rip’s face burst open in a spray of blood as the wooden plank collided with his face sending wood fragments everywhere. Rip collapsed to the ground unconscious with a face full of splinters.

“Damn R.I.P., dude.”

Ellis laughed looking like a madman as blood from his wound continued to soak his face. Ellis turned toward Knox who was charging at him with a knife in his hand. Knox sliced the blade at Ellis’s throat. Ellis dodged the strike effortlessly and swung what was left of the chunk of wood upward slamming it into the bottom of Knox’s jaw. Knox’s eyes turned white as he plummeted to the ground like a rock.

Ellis turned expecting to find Bludge running at him but saw him nowhere.

Did he really run?

Ellis glanced around the room and spotted Bludge getting into the forklift.

“Ahh. There you are.”

A twisted smile formed on Ellis’s face as blood continued running down his face. Before Ellis could approach Bludge, Knox grabbed onto his leg and stabbed his knife right through it. Ellis grimaced in pain. Bludge was already in the forklift and was barreling toward him. Ellis tried to jump out of the way, but Knox would not let go of his leg. He had no choice.

Ellis then bent down and wrapped his fingers around Knox’s face before he gathered 1% of his anima into his palm, electrocuting him until Knox fell limp. Ellis then sidestepped out of the way just in time and the forklift smashed into the wall behind him.

Bludge crawled out of the forklift with half of his face bleeding and tried to shoot Ellis again. Ellis walked toward Bludge, dodging every bullet narrowly with hatred in his eyes.

Click!

Bludge’s gun clicked as the firing pin hit nothing.

Click! Click! Click!

Bludge desperately pulled the trigger repeatedly but to no avail. Ellis was right in front of him.

Ellis kicked the gun out of Bludge’s hand and picked him up by the throat. Bludge’s feet dangled in the air as he struggled to get out of Ellis’s grasp, but he didn’t budge.

“You can’t kill me, you worthless piece of shit. You don’t have it in you.”

Bludge gasped for air between every word before he spat on Ellis’s face.

Ellis wiped the spit from his cheek.

“Wanna bet?”

In one swift motion, Ellis slid his hand up to Bludge’s chin, grabbed the back of his head with the other and twisted.

Snap!

Bludge fell to the ground, lifeless.

I guess I need to find a new job.