Jasmine POV
We moved quickly through the utility hallway, weapons at the ready, each of us staying in formation. The silence in the corridor was almost suffocating, broken only by the faint sound of our footsteps and the occasional clink of metal on concrete as one of the gang bangers shifted their weapons.
I led the way, keeping my pace steady and purposeful. The map of the mall was burned into my mind. Viktor's store was on the 3rd floor, and we needed to get there before the goblins realized we were close. The narrow hallways made it hard to see ahead, and every door we passed made me more paranoid. The last thing I wanted was to lead us into another ambush.
"Keep tight," I ordered as I glanced behind me. Nicole's team was right on our heels, moving fast but with the controlled precision they were known for. Even if they didn't fully trust me, they trusted Nicole, so they followed orders. That was all I needed.
When we reached the stairwell to the 3rd floor, I held up a hand for the group to stop. The door to the stairwell loomed before us, and I could hear the faint sounds of scraping feet and growls beyond it. I signaled for Mitch's group to take point, and he stepped forward, his crowbar ready. The noise from behind us was growing louder, and the time for caution was running out.
I nodded to Mitch, signaling him to open the door carefully. He did, just enough to peek through. A low growl came from the other side, and I could see the fear in his eyes before he turned back to me.
"Goblins," he muttered under his breath, keeping his voice low. "A lot of them."
I couldn't afford to let hesitation creep in now. We had to move, and we had to move fast. "We go through," I said firmly, voice cutting through the tension. "I'll take the lead."
The door creaked open, and I stepped through it first, my fire axe held tightly in my hand. The hallway outside was dimly lit, but I could make out the shapes of several goblins huddled near the stairwell. They hadn't noticed us yet.
I raised my axe.
Then, with a swift move, I lunged, taking out the first goblin before it could make a sound. It wasn't enough to stop the others, though. The pack turned in a flash, snarling and hissing, their sharp teeth bared.
I didn't stop. I brought the axe down hard, slashing through one goblin's shoulder and aiming for its head. The creature staggered back, but the others were already on us, surrounding us in an instant.
"Move!" I shouted to the others, my eyes scanning for an exit. "Push through!"
Nicole's voice cut through the noise as she barked orders to her team. "Logan, Briar—take left. We need to clear a path! Sato, focus on the stragglers! Stay tight, people!"
Logan and Briar immediately split off, covering the left side of the hallway while Hirose and Sato stayed close to Nicole, keeping the pack at bay with a combination of quick, tactical strikes.
I swung my axe again, cleaving through another goblin's leg and forcing it to the ground. Blood sprayed across the hallway, staining the floor.
"Watch your back!" Nicole yelled, signaling with a sharp hand gesture. "Devan, Laney—keep the rear secure. No one gets separated!"
I saw Devan and Laney fall into position, flanking their team, guns ready in case we get overwhelmed and have no choice but to shoot. Briar's taser crackled as he took down another goblin, but there were still too many to make it easy.
"Keep pushing forward!" I shouted, feeling the urgency now. We couldn't let the goblins pin us down. "We're almost there!"
Sol's hand grasped mine, his grip steady but intense. I looked down to see him clutching the goblin's knife he'd grabbed earlier. His face was devoid of fear now, the shock from before fading as he adjusted to the situation. He moved like he'd been trained, quick and efficient. He was focused, not on the chaos, but on the fight at hand.
Sol didn't hesitate. With a sharp, practiced move, he stepped forward, his small hand bringing the knife down into a goblin's side with swift precision. The goblin screeched, but Sol barely flinched as he twisted the blade, dislodging it from the creature's flesh and making a clean strike to its throat.
"Nice work, Sol," I said quietly, my voice firm but filled with a strange pride.
The kid wasn't just surviving; he was becoming a fighter. I hope the rest of my kids are doing fine also.
Nicole's voice came again, commanding and firm, shaking me out of my thoughts. "Move up! We should be almost there at Viktor's store!"
"On it!" I snapped, leading the charge forward once more. I felt the tension in my shoulders begin to lift as we neared the store. The goblins were still fighting, but they were falling one by one. The teamwork from both sides was relentless.
"We're almost there!" Nicole called again, her team in full combat mode. "Stay tight!"
The gang bangers, Mitch's group, and Sol were moving just behind us. But every time we took down a goblin, it seemed like another two took its place.
It was becoming clear that the further we pushed forward, the harder the fight was getting. But we couldn't stop now—not when we were so close to safety. I took out my molotov and lit it. I threw it behind us, which was the signal for the others to throw theirs. The molotovs erupted, making a wall of fire which stopped the goblins from following us.
With one last push, we reached Viktor's store, and he had his doors close and his gate down. I knocked on the side of the door in a specific pattern, as I had done so many times before. First there was no movement and I could feel the nervousness of the people behind me. I pushed my ear to the door and I could hear whispering and finally movement.
The door opens, and there, standing in the threshold, is Viktor. I barely had to look up before a grin spread across my face. Viktor Mikhailov, the Russian mountain of a man who'd been my ally—and sometimes my only ally—through many of the darkest days. His presence always felt like a warm, slightly boisterous wind, and right now, I needed it more than ever.
"Didn't think I'd see you again, Medusa," Viktor says, grinning ear-to-ear. His voice booms out in a way that's almost too loud for the situation, but it's a familiar sound, making me smile. His large frame filled the doorframe, his thick braided beard and topknot giving him the unmistakable appearance of a Viking. Even though I had seen him do the most brutal things in the past, there was still something comforting about his ridiculous humor.
I held his gaze, cool and unflinching. "Name's Jasmine now," I said, my voice steady, though I couldn't help but feel a small measure of relief seeing him.
Viktor chuckles, slapping his hands on his knees in a booming laugh. "Jasmine, huh? Still you, just with a better name! Doesn't change much," he says, the deep chuckle filling the space between them. He eyes the team behind her, noting the unfamiliar faces. His sharp blue eyes flick from Nicole's team to the others, sizing them up with a quick glance. I knew he could immediately tell that Nicole's group was military, which is concerning.
"They bringing trouble?" Viktor asks, raising an eyebrow. He's always been the one to joke around, to keep things light, but underneath the surface, he's calculating. He doesn't trust easily which I agree with him fullheartedly.
I gave him a half-shrug, not wasting time with unnecessary details. "Only if they start it."
Viktor smiles widely, though there's an edge to it. "I like you, Jasmine. Always had a knack for making things interesting."
Without another word, Viktor opens the gate and then steps back inside, leaving the door wide open, allowing us to follow. I look back at Nicole to see her contemplating before sighing deeply.
The group files in after closing the gate, a little more wary than they would have liked, but once inside, everyone was shocked in disbelief. Viktor's store—Valhalla's Vault—was a mess of brightly-colored anime figurines, stacks of gaming merchandise, and a display of medieval weapon replicas. The air smelled faintly of incense and old books, a strange mix of nostalgic charm in a world rapidly falling apart.
Inside, there were survivors huddled together in various states of fear. Whispers filled the air, low and nervous, and some looked at us with wide eyes. "Why'd you let them in?"
"They might have led the goblins here. I should have stopped him."
"Wait, they have guns. Maybe they are the police."
Viktor slammed the door shut behind us, his deep voice cutting through the murmurs like a clap of thunder. "There's no time for fear now. We're all in this together!" He called out, slapping a hand onto my shoulder with that classic, bone-crushing grip of his. "What, you thought this was a VIP club?" He laughed heartily. "We've got goblins to worry about, not some rumor mill!"
I give a slight nod of thanks and scan the room. Viktor has his quirks—he's loud, boisterous, and prone to quoting cheesy anime lines—but when the chips are down, he's as reliable as they come.
He turns to Nicole, his eyes sparkling with an almost mischievous glint. "Alright, I've got snacks in the back, but I doubt anyone's interested in food right now. How about we get ready for the next round, eh?"
I raised an eyebrow, catching the edge of sarcasm in his voice. "Still the same, Vik?"
"Always," he grinned. "Just bigger. And with more weapons." He patted the array of knives strapped to his arm and then gestured to the impressive display of crossbows and blades hanging from the walls. "And I've got a bit more 'security' than before."
Despite the chaos and tension, I couldn't help the small grin that tugged at the corner of my lips. Viktor, in all his ridiculous glory, was a constant. No matter how much the world crumbled, he remained... Viktor.
The survivors around us seemed reassured by his loud, infectious personality. But I knew better than anyone that beneath that playful demeanor was a combat machine—just as lethal and efficient as he had ever been.
I looked around at the survivors huddled in the corner, some whispering nervously, others just staring at us. It didn't matter. We needed to keep moving, plan our next move.
"Thanks for the help, Viktor," I said, my voice low but sincere. "We need to regroup, and this is the safest spot for now."
He grinned, giving me a mock salute. "No problem, Jasmine. I'll make sure everyone's got a good spot to sit. Just don't expect me to babysit you."
I met his gaze and nodded. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Viktor slapped his hands on his knees with a final chuckle. "Alright then! Let's get you all set up. There's time to lick your wounds, but we won't have long."