CHAPTER 55: The Washington Incident - Part V

CHAPTER 55: The Washington Incident - Part V

Fénix and Adam remained in the center of the room, the sound of their movements echoing like thunder through the White House. The fight had escalated from initial exchanges to a brutal display of strength and speed. Both were covered in minor wounds, but the true confrontation was only just beginning.

Adam let out a roar and lunged at Fénix, extending his metallic, gleaming claws. With quick, precise movements, he tried to tear into Fénix's flesh, forcing him to retreat while dodging and blocking with difficulty. However, in a moment of desperation, Fénix surged forward and headbutted him directly in the face.

The impact resonated, but the pain was greater for Fénix, who staggered back with blood streaming down his forehead. Adam, barely affected, wiped a small trace of blood from his lip and smiled sadistically.

"Is that all?" Adam said, with a laugh that chilled the blood.

Without wasting time, Adam took advantage of the distraction. His claws flashed, and before Fénix could react, he drove them into his left eye. Fénix's scream filled the room, a sound of agony and rage. Adam twisted his wrist, tearing out a portion of the ocular tissue and leaving Fénix blinded on one side.

"Does it hurt?" Adam asked with a twisted smile. "This is only the beginning."

Before Fénix could even process the pain, Adam sank his claws into his abdomen. The flesh tore under the force of his attack, and blood began to flow rapidly. Fénix's internal organs suffered severe damage: a perforated stomach, a partially torn liver, and internal bleeding that began to drain his energy.

Adam grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing. His fingers began to slowly squeeze, blocking Fénix's airflow.

"You know what's funny about all this, Fénix?" Adam said, leaning close to his face as Fénix struggled weakly to break free, his body twisting. "No matter how strong you think you are, you've always been a pawn. A tool for Enid, for life, for fate... And now, not even that. You're just a corpse waiting to fall."

Fénix, gasping and grimacing in pain, tried to speak, but only a trickle of blood came from his mouth. Adam squeezed a little tighter, savoring the moment.

"Tell me, Fénix... What does it feel like to know it all ends here? That you will never be enough..." Adam's eyes shone with madness as his claws dug in a little deeper.

Yet, even in that state, Fénix managed to articulate a few words, broken and weak:
"I'm... not... done... yet."

Adam continued to press hard on Fénix's neck, the muscles in his arm tensing as he enjoyed the feeling of absolute control. Fénix, fighting for breath, his face disfigured by pain and covered in blood, managed to gather the little energy he had left. With a weak but defiant movement, he spat a mixture of blood and saliva directly into Adam's face.

Adam's face twisted into a mask of fury. Wiping the blood with the back of his hand, he growled:

"Damn insect!" His voice resonated with contained rage. Without hesitation, he delivered a brutal blow to Fénix's stomach, right where he had already pierced him with his claws. The impact echoed through the room, and Fénix let out a choked cry, doubling over as a wave of agony washed through his body. More blood began to pour from his mouth, dripping onto the floor.

Adam smiled coldly, enjoying the spectacle. With a casual movement, he threw Fénix aside like a rag doll. Fénix's body flew several meters before crashing into a wall, leaving a crack in the concrete before falling to the floor. He lay motionless for a moment, barely breathing, his gaze fixed but clouded with pain.

"I'm not going to kill you yet, Fénix," Adam said, shaking his hands as if ridding himself of something annoying. "You can still be useful to me... for something."

Adam turned to Lucian and Vanessa, who were watching in horror at what had just happened. Both were exhausted, their bodies wounded and their breathing ragged, but they remained standing, trying to muster their courage. Adam walked slowly toward them, his posture relaxed but laden with threat.

"You know what's the funniest thing about all this?" Adam said, looking at the two with a cruel smile. "It's not that you think you have any chance against me... It's that I'm going to kill you right here, in front of him."

He gestured toward Fénix with a nod of his head, his tone mocking.

"I want that vermin to have one last image before his world completely collapses. The face he'll make when he sees me tear you apart will be something I'll remember forever."

Lucian and Vanessa exchanged a quick glance. They were terrified, but the idea of surrendering had never been an option for them. They prepared for the inevitable, even though they knew the odds were completely against them.

In the dark and silent bunker, the fight was coming to an end. Lucio, breathing heavily, held his sheathed sword, covered in blood and shreds of flesh. Before him lay what was once Irene, now a disfigured monstrosity. Her head, split in half, still twitched, emitting grotesque spasms before finally falling still.

Lucio took a step back, staggering. His body was on the verge of collapse: the left half of his torso was completely stripped of skin, revealing bloody muscles and exposed fibers. Blood gushed from the wounds like a slow river, soaking his torn clothes and forming a puddle under his feet.

"Damn it... This... this was... insane," he murmured in a broken voice, his tone saturated with exhaustion and sarcasm.

Sheathing his sword with clumsy movements, he began to walk toward the elevator. Each step was a challenge, every muscle in his body protested in pain. His vision was blurry, and the world around him seemed to spin, as if he were about to collapse at any moment.

"A vacation... that's what I need..." he thought aloud as he dragged his feet. Each word was a titanic effort. "With a beach, sun, and a piña colada in hand... I don't care if it's a cheap resort... Just... something peaceful..."