Flash didn't hear those words. He threw himself into the attack again. Gerard met him without a smile this time. The two warriors spun in a whirlwind of gunfire, strikes, and dodges.
The air trembled from the roar, the floor cracked under their feet, and the fire of madness burned brighter and brighter in Gerard's eyes.
"You're only delaying the inevitable!" Gerard shouted, delivering a powerful kick that Flash blocked with his forearm.
"You must obey me!"
Flash answered with a short but devastating uppercut that snapped Gerard's head back.
"Everyone will see you fall," Flash growled through clenched teeth.
The battle continued, and with every exchange of blows it became clear,this was no ordinary fight.
Suddenly, Flash stopped in the middle of the chaos. For a fraction of a second, everything froze. Even the dust in the air seemed to hang motionless. Gerard took a heavy breath and stepped back, gripping his pistol in a bloodied hand.
"What, ready to surrender?" Gerard sneered.
Flash slowly raised his head. His eyes, usually filled with restrained kindness, now glowed with a deep red light. A light, almost boyish smile touched his lips.
"There's no point hiding anymore," he said quietly.
"It's time to show how simple this all really is."
In the next instant, everything turned into a blur for the others. Flash disappeared. For a moment he simply ceased to exist in one place and appeared in another. Gerard didn't even have time to turn his head before Flash's fist slammed into his jaw with such force that the villain's body was lifted off the floor and flew across the entire hall, crashing into an iron column.
The metal bent with a painful groan.
"Gideon! Bruno!" Flash shouted without slowing down for even a moment.
"Cover the flanks!"
Gideon, positioned at the entrance, nodded and opened heavy fire with his pistols. Short, precise bursts forced Gerard to stay low, not allowing him to get up.
"Got it, boss!" Bruno roared, taking position on the left. His machine gun thundered like lightning, creating a wall of lead that cut off Gerard's escape routes.
"Keep him in the center!"
Susie, standing slightly behind, closed her eyes and raised her hands. Her lips whispered ancient words. Thin, shimmering threads of energy rose from the floor and wrapped around Gerard's legs like invisible roots.
They didn't cause harm, but they slowed every movement, created microscopic interference in the air, distorted bullet trajectories, and disrupted his balance.
"Don't let him recover!" she gasped, feeling the magic drain her strength.
"I'm holding him!"
Gerard roared, trying to tear free from the bindings. He fired blindly, but Flash was already there.
Flash moved as if he already knew where his opponent would be. The pistol in his hand seemed like an extension of his thoughts, shot, turn, elbow strike, shot again. Gerard barely managed to block and retreat.
At the same time, in the police station, at the far end of the hall, Ethan stood. His eyes were closed, his palm pressed against the seal. Through the magical connection, he sensed Gerard there, along with Susie and the others.
"Shit…" Ethan whispered, opening his eyes. His voice trembled.
"Something's happening. I need to get there…"
Flash heard the warning even through the roar of battle. For a moment, his gaze met Gerard's. Behind the mask of fury, something truly wild appeared in those eyes.
"Then we'll hit harder," Flash replied calmly.
He accelerated even more. Now even his own team could barely track him. A red lightning bolt darted around the hall, striking from different directions at once.
Gerard screamed in pain and rage. His body was covered in bruises and welts, yet he was still smiling.
"You've only angered me… and her!" he wheezed, spitting blood.
"You will all… become the first victims!"
Susie strengthened her spell. Gideon and Bruno continued pouring lead into the area. Ethan watched the seal with intense focus.
The battle reached its climax, and the darkness in Gerard's heart rose higher and higher, responding to every flash of Flash's true power.
Meanwhile, what was happening with Ethan…
Hale entered the huge hall. Chandeliers sparkled above the guests' heads, soft and refined music played, and the air already trembled with tension. He stopped in the center, slowly removing his black gloves. His voice, amplified by a hidden speaker, rang throughout the room:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the evening is over. Everyone remains in their places. Any attempt to leave the hall will be considered resistance."
A murmur ran through the crowd. One of the guards reached for his weapon. Hale was already moving. One strike and the first guard collapsed.
The second shot was intercepted mid-air, the pistol twisted out of the man's hand with a crunch of bones.
"A-A-A-A!!!"
Guests screamed and rushed for the exits, but the doors were already blocked by heavy steel shutters. Hale walked through the crowd like a wolf among sheep, stopping everyone who tried to run.
"No one leaves," he repeated calmly.
"Gerard's orders."
In another part of the building, things unfolded differently. Ethan stood in the center of a huge circular hall, surrounded by hundreds of red eyes.
The seal on his hand burned like a hot iron, warning him of danger, but it was already too late. The trap had snapped shut.
"You are all… just pawns," Hale hissed, raising his hands. "And I will absorb every one of you."
The Luft around him began to thicken, preparing for the strike.