*Content Warning: Depictions of firearms in illustration and in episode*
Noel let out a fearful scream, but nothing happened more than a clicking from the mechanism.
Lance let a half smirk crack on his lips. He spun around, using the momentum to wrench the weapon from the surprised gunman. Holding the rifle by its barrel like a bat, Lance swung, bashing the gunman on the side of his head.
“Everyone! RUN!” he yelled as the criminal’s now unconscious body hit the ground.
People all around got up in a chaotic frenzy: people yelled and some wrestled and beat down several of their would-be captors as the Ouroboros tried in vain to use their firearms. The crowd pressed towards all of the exits, overpowering the weaponless gang members and opening the doors to escape. Lance, Adam, and Scott helped several people around them to get up before following the mass exodus. Lance stopped and turned back for a moment, grabbing and unplugging his console before continuing to escape.
Angry and confused as to what had just happened, Striker screamed into his radio.
“Go to the backup plan, you incompetent fools!”
Several of Striker’s men pulled out cylindrical devices, twisting them and tossing them at the crowds. Flashes burst as they went off, blinding people and giving the advantage back to the bad guys. One of them who was still in the middle of the auditorium found Lance’s device and the Ouroboros which Lance had knocked out, who was now starting to come around again. The dazed man murmured something incomprehensible to his team-mate.
“What? Are you okay?” asked his buddy.
He still couldn’t manage understandable words but pointed at the contraption. The standing gunner looked it over and it registered in his head. He stooped down and yanked the cords between the devices and threw the transmitter box. He checked his weapon, firing it at a wall, then grabbed his radio.
“Weapons are back!” he announced.
“Someone made a jammer of some kind.”
“So much for advanced electronic weapons,” came a comment on the radio. “Thanks, GenTek....”
The man helped his partner up, handing his weapon back, then looked over to see where the other Ouroboros had retrieved a large number of hostages.
“Someone has a serious death wish....” stated Striker, saying it loud enough that the people they had recaptured could all hear.
Down the hall, Adam was hanging back while Lance was farther ahead, the two helping several others direct people out safely. Adam looked back to see several people from the end of the crowd being grabbed by the gang members. He ran ahead to try to get Lance.
“Lance!” he called several times over.
Lance had stopped at a doorway to watch people through. Hearing his name, he turned to Adam. He was about to ask what happened when the rattling fire of a semi-automatic weapon answered his question.
“Bad guys have their weapons back,” he said as Adam reached where he stood.
“I knew it wouldn’t be too long before someone figured it out.”
“That’s not all,” added Adam with a grave tone.
The end of the mass of people reached them with several either yelling or crying fearfully, one of which Lance recognized as one of Melody’s sisters.
“They took them again!” she sobbed as she saw Lance.
“We’ll get them back,” stated Lance.
“Don’t worry. Just follow everyone else and get outside.”
The girl nodded, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and continued down the hall.
Adam and Lance now stood alone.
“What are you thinking?” asked Adam.
“What are we doing now?”
Lance darted down the hallway back towards the auditorium.
“I don’t know yet. I’ll figure it out along the way,” he replied briefly.
Adam caught up to his friend and held him back.
“Dude, you know I’ve got your back, but they have us actually outgunned! We need a plan.”
Lance looked his friend in the eye.
“I know,” he replied.
He looked down the hall, searching for something they could use.
“Someone called the police, right?” asked Adam.
“I’m sure someone has by now and that they might even already be out there, but I told Scott to as soon as he was able,” Lance answered.
He reached in his pocket and pulled out his now sloppily folded and crinkled brochure.
“What are we going to do?” repeated Adam.
“We need something to even the odds,” stated Lance.
“It didn’t look like they had any special optical gear: if we can do something about the lights, there are thermal goggles we could use down the hall…. That would be a start at least.”
“How about a smokescreen?” asked Adam.
“I know a way to make some smoke bombs and there is no telling how dark shutting the lights out will be since there are windows through some of the halls.”
“We can do both then,” said Lance. "I'll worry about asking how you know how to make smoke bombs later… Either way, we might have enough cover around to sneak up on some of them in the halls. The smoke can even be used as a diversion as well, but we need some other things too.”
“How good are you at throwing stuff?” asked Adam.
“Depends on what I’m throwing: why?” replied Lance.
“Magnets -- big ones,” stated Adam.
“Like commercial grade that could easily snag their guns and stuff.”
“That would be handy,” noted Lance.
“Aren’t those near the meta-steel projects?”
Adam nodded.
“Well, we need to get busy,” said Lance.
“We are running short on time.”
Lance took off with Adam trailing him, both moving quickly but quietly.
“You know we are crazy to be actually doing this, right?” asked Adam. "And you're over here asking why I can make smoke bombs."
“Isn’t crazy your thing?” replied Lance, a question for a question.
“True...” confirmed Adam with a smile.
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