Chapter 146 Free-for-all
After Xavier revealed that he had killed for the first time and told his 5 unit leaders, including Zack and Karim, that they may have to do the same in the future, there was a moment of silence. The atmosphere was difficult to read, but it eventually became awkward with them all sitting around Xavier, who was injured and had just been interrogated by them.
They hadn't taken the time to consider how he had felt, which they regretted. And after hearing that he hadn't managed to sleep and had done it with the Outlaw Gang's best interests in mind, they felt terrible. In his situation, they likely would've wanted to do the same but would have also struggled to do so. Remaining calm despite having his life on the line and fighting trained assassins in a pitch-black environment was not something that many could claim to be capable of.
And in the end, he saved 3 lives that would benefit them, as well as his own, so they couldn't say that he was wrong for what he did. Meanwhile, it wasn't like they would have even if he was, and in the process, he had gotten shot twice.
The least they could do was ease the burden on his shoulders as much as they could. However, he ended up being the first to speak after the room fell silent and he had pulled them all out of their deep pondering.
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"Why's everyone so quiet and serious?" asked Xavier, trying to bring back the jovial atmosphere that usually surrounded him.
Not receiving an answer, he slapped Achara on the back of her head.
As soon as he did, she snapped out of the daze she was in. Deep in thought, Xavier could tell she was thinking about everything that had happened in the past with Nora and also noticed that Sam was in a similar state.
"Hey! Asshole!" she yelled.
Then the usual bickering began.
Trying to hold her off of Xavier, Connor could tell that it had been hard for his friend to even slap her and move, let alone fend her off. But as he attempted to do so, he knocked over a small plant that Achara had been tending for a few months.
Turning to her giant oaf of a friend, Achara set her sights on her new target. She unleashed a flurry of punches his way, which he blocked with ease and wasn't fazed by in the slightest.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"
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Sensing Xavier behind him, Sam instinctively spun around with his leg out, aiming to strike Xavier's jaw with the heel of his foot. However, before he had even lifted his leg, just from his stance, Xavier saw the attack coming from a mile away. His Martial Arts Talent and Gangster Instincts were invaluable to him when doing so. Unknowingly, Xavier was starting to synchronise the use of all he had gotten from the system, potentially enhancing their abilities, and in turn, his own.
Leaning to the side ever so slightly and shifting to the side, Xavier narrowly avoided the kick without making any sudden movements or straining his body. Meanwhile, Sam was knocked off balance and baffled as to how his kick hadn't landed.
If Xavier had blocked or dodged it by making a large movement, he would have been able to respond with a second attack or back away. However, his target hadn't done either. That led him to believe that his attack would succeed and that he could follow through.
Even Connor and Achara had frozen, worried that Xavier was about to be knocked out by the kick, expecting the same as Sam, seeing how slowly he had moved. And yet, he was completely unharmed and continued approaching them as if nothing had happened.
Taking a split second to understand what had just happened, they realised that Xavier had moved before Sam had even attacked. He was also so confident in his judgement of distances that despite only leaving an inch between himself and Sam's kick; he didn't even flinch.
How that was even possible? They were unsure. But Connor and Achara were eager to test whether it had been a fluke, despite the fact that he was injured.
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Working together to catch Xavier off guard, Connor charged at him from one side, while Achara prepared to attack him from another.
No one could dodge 2 attacks coming from different directions without making large movements, right?
However, Xavier saw their intentions in their eyes. Then, watching all the minor twitches and movements of their muscles, he gauged the type of attack they planned on using against him. Once he did, all that was left was to find a position in which none of their attacks would land.
But this time, he also noticed that they had caught on to what exactly he had done against Sam. They weren't sure how to replicate it, but it was enough to have an indication of how it was done. Meanwhile, Sam had also gotten up to attack Xavier from behind, slightly embarrassed by how easily Xavier had avoided his attack, but more overcome by awe.
The 3 of them wanted nothing more than to learn from Xavier and improve, and what better way to do so than to test their boss's limits?
Sam, who was usually docile and laid back, was always fiery, focused and passionate about combat. It was the same with easy-going Connor and emotional Achara.
However, after what happened when the 3 of them attempted to attack Xavier simultaneously, they doubted that catching up to their young boss was ever possible...This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com