CHAPTER 94: Recriminations

CHAPTER 94: Recriminations

The tension was palpable in the air, so thick you could cut it with a knife. Phoenix, Vanessa, Lucian, and Enid were gathered in the living room. Enid, standing with her arms crossed and an expression of frustration on her face, observed each member of her team with a mixture of disapproval and concern.

Phoenix was sitting in an armchair, his torso bare, displaying his bandaged shoulder and his freshly stitched eyebrow. Lucian and Vanessa stood to the side, waiting for the storm they knew was about to break.

"What the hell happened in there?" Enid snapped, her voice laden with authority. "It was supposed to be a simple infiltration: grab the documents and get out! How did we end up with Phoenix nearly dead and an enhanced vampire running loose?"

Phoenix let out a sarcastic laugh, clearly not taking the situation as seriously as Enid. "Well, dear, I also thought it was going to be a quiet day. But you know what? I'm not used to having to wait for my shoulder wound to heal or to spend two weeks with stitches in my eyebrow."

Enid shot him a withering look. "Don't you get sarcastic with me, Phoenix! Do you realize how close you came to ruining the entire plan? What if Alex had decided to follow you? He could have found us all!"

"Oh, right," Phoenix replied, leaning back in the armchair and raising his hands with a wince of pain as he moved his injured shoulder. "Because clearly the most important thing here is keeping the plan intact, not the fact that a vampire out of nowhere impaled my shoulder. Oh, and of course, they somehow also figured out how to stop me from regenerating. Nice touch, huh?"

Vanessa intervened, trying to calm the situation. "Look, Enid, I know this didn't go as we expected, but it's not Phoenix's fault that Viktor set a trap. We couldn't have foreseen that he would have an enhanced vampire waiting for him."

"That's true," Lucian added, nodding. "And Phoenix did what he could. If it weren't for him, that Alex guy might have gotten away with the documents. Now, at least we know they have a new dangerous project in the works."

Enid let out a sigh, clearly trying to keep her composure. "It's not that I don't understand the situation," she retorted, "but we're playing with fire here. And every mistake could cost us dearly."

Phoenix looked at her with an expression mixing defiance and weariness. "Look, Enid, I get your point. But what do you want me to do? Ask Alex to sit down for a coffee and chat about how not to kill us? Because, believe me, I don't think he's the type to be calmed by a good chat."

Enid gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed by Phoenix's attitude. "No, but I did expect you to be a bit more careful. This isn't just about you, Phoenix. It's about all of us."

"Right, right," Phoenix murmured, standing up with a wince of pain as he moved. "All for one, right? Just remember that if I die, you'll be the one who has to explain it to Alucard... and you know how much he likes to ask questions."

Vanessa and Lucian exchanged glances, noticing how the conversation was escalating. It was evident that both wanted to intervene before things got out of control.

"Guys," Vanessa began, in a calm voice, "maybe we should leave this conversation for when we're a bit more rested. We've all been through a lot today, and we're clearly not in our best state to argue."

Lucian nodded. "Vanessa's right. Let Phoenix recover a bit, and then we'll discuss how to deal with the Alex and Viktor situation. For now, we all need a breather."

Enid exhaled deeply, nodding reluctantly. "Fine. But this isn't over. We're going to have a more serious talk about how we proceed from now on. We can't afford to keep making mistakes."

Phoenix smirked, with his typical air of defiance. "Oh, I'm sure it will be a lovely chat, Enid. Be sure to bring your best scolding tone."

Enid simply glared at him, while Vanessa and Lucian tried to contain their laughter. Phoenix, with a pained expression on his face, headed towards his room to rest, leaving Enid, Vanessa, and Lucian to ponder what would come next.

Phoenix withdrew from the living room with a weary gesture, dragging his feet towards his room. Every step reminded him of the intensity of the pain in his shoulder, that deep ache that seemed to throb with every heartbeat. Upon entering the room, he closed the door slowly behind him, leaving behind the noise of the conversation that still echoed in the living room. He let out a heavy sigh, one that seemed to carry all the accumulated frustration and exhaustion.

He collapsed onto the bed, which creaked under his weight. Immediately, the pain in his shoulder intensified. Phoenix gritted his teeth, a grimace of pain on his face. The makeshift bandage was tight against the wound, but not enough to soothe the searing pain. He could feel the fresh wound burning and throbbing, as if the flesh itself was rebelling against him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain, but it was useless; the pain was relentless.

As he breathed deeply, his thoughts drifted back to the conversation with the doctor a few hours earlier. He remembered the doctor's words as if he were hearing them again:

"Look, Phoenix, this isn't a common wound. Your body's regenerative capabilities are nullified by Alex's attack. You're going to need absolute rest. No training, no missions, nothing that puts strain on your body for at least six weeks, maybe more. There is no other option."

Phoenix frowned, staring at the ceiling. He felt as if time itself had stopped. Six weeks. A month and a half, maybe more. For someone like him, used to constant action, it was a sentence worse than death. Doing nothing, just resting, while the world kept turning, while his enemies kept moving pieces on the board, while Enid continued to run operations... all without him.

"Damn it..." he murmured under his breath, with evident frustration. He knew it was necessary, that the doctor was right, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.