BXBX NOVEL Chapter 172 Plan B
As his troops abandoned pursuit, Dale knew that a second course of action was needed. He knew Quaid very well. So, he guessed that a Plan B was already in place, since it was obvious that Plan A had been a complete bust. So, all he really needed to do was sit back and watch his governor swing into action.
Meanwhile, in his tank, Xzavier noted from his rear view mirror that the soldiers following him had suddenly dropped back. A deep frown darkened his already worried countenance, as feeling of unease crept up on him.
"This isn't good..." he thought to himself. "This isn't good at all."
Any amateur would have rejoiced seeing that their pursuers had suddenly dropped back. But Xzavier saw through the smoke and mirrors. He knew something was wrong.
His training as a Special Forces officer transcended the limits of mere physical training. Xzavier was well adapted to battle, and consequently, he had the chilling ability to see things from the perspective of his enemies. And right now, Xzavier could tell that something was off. His alterca with Dale and his small army taught Xzavier one thing about this enemy- they were relentless. It was almost as if they were so determined to catch him that they were willing to lose any and everything else.
Xzavier had expected them to shy away when they saw the tank, but they didn't. He had also expected them to desist from the chase when all their attacks had gone south. When he finally began his own assault with the high caliber rifles, they had stubbornly remained on his tail. Xzavier noted all of this and kept them to himself. So, when he saw that they had chosen to abandon the chase, and just when he was close to the gates, he knew that there was something afoot. Something that he just wasn't seeing yet.
Babara on the other hand saw that the attacks had ceased and started to feel the tide of victory rise within her. Her head began to swell with pride, and relief. One would have thought that she had actually fought or at least, contributed to the victory. But that wasn't her concern. She saw that her pursuers had virtually called off their chase, and this gladdened her exceedingly. That had been a pretty intense experience for her. It was the closest she had ever come to real battle, and she was high on the adrenaline.
Babara felt like screaming at the top of her voice. She felt like sticking her head out of the tank to mock the enemy, biding them to come and have a taste of some more destruction. Finally, escape was so close that the could literally see it. The city's gates were in sight and they were very close to dashing off into the sunset. It wasn't her fault per say. Babara had a very sound mind, and her powers of reasoning were way above the average. Normally, her productive paranoia would have been able to pick up on something.
But her head was stuck in the clouds. There were just too many emotions clouding her judgement. It was the first time she had been in an intense situation like this. She was more than eager to get out. And with this eagerness came her inevitable lapse in judgment. She had seriously underestimated just how badly Quaid wanted Xzavier. But fortunately, Xzavier didn't share her naivety in this respect.
Every single decision that Xzavier had taken in the past had been a product of careful consideration. So, his decision to procure the tank instead of his trusty armored motorcycle hadn't been an emotional one. Sure, he had actually been in his feelings at the time, but ultimately, that decision had been influenced by one major factor- Babara. Xzavier knew that it would have been difficult for him ride his motorcycle, while trying to protect Babara as he also tried to evade his swarm of attackers at the same time.
It just wasn't practical. There was also the fact that his armored motorcycle wouldn't fit into the winding streets of the city. All of these varaibles had been factored into Xzavier's plans. Hence, the tank. And so far, Xzavier had no regrets about this decision. However, as Xzavier mentally ruminated on the cascade of decisions he had made in the last few hours, he knew that all of that didn't truly matter. More clearly than ever, he saw that the key factor in this equation was the old man standing in his way- Laddie.
This was no figure of speech representing a hinderance. The senior mage was literally standing in Xzavier's way like a demonic strongman, blocking his way, preventing him from moving forward. Laddie being present there was iconic. There he stood, the most powerful mage in Victoria City, stationed at the entrance into the city, acting as the last line of defense between the'vandal' Xzavier and his getaway. Actually, he wasn't acting. Laddie was indeed the last and only line of defense.
And he alone was more than enough.
The whole scene looked kind of cliche; the grand mage's wind were fluttering in the wind, casting him in some kind of mythical light. Since the gate of the city faced towards the east, the golden rays of the rising sun made him appear like a kind of strange ethereal figure, augmenting his role here and his already respectable reputation. The whole thing really seemed a bit derivative to Xzavier. Like it had been torn out of a scripted scene in an ancient text.
But nonetheless, as crazy as it might have seemed to Xzavier, he couldn't deny the fact that this was his reality. This was his own life or death situation. There was no way around it. This confrontation was unavoidable. On some level, Xzavier and Laddie had known this along. Both men represented the very best magic and technology had to offer. And because they both knew that they were somewhat regarded as gods in their own spheres, they secretly longed to battle it out. To see who would prevail. To see who was superior.
They had both gotten the opportunity they had been looking for. It was now time so go all out. With these thoughts raging through both men, Xzavier decided to get rid of the obstacle. After all, he was only just a man. Thus, keeping his eye on Laddie all through, Xzavier, loaded the cannonball and launched it at the old man. Xzavier was no fool, this was merely to test the waters. He knew the old mage wouldn't be easily killed. At least, not with an ordinary direct attack.
The cannon ball wheezed through the air, flying straight at Laddie. Xzavier kept his eyes locked onto the old man. He held his breath in expectation for what was to come. In that moment, it seemed as if time slowed down. Xzavier watched in slow motion as the cannonball surged furiously towards the static mage. But even at that, Xzavier still wasn't able to follow what happened next.
Like a mirage, like a shimmering unstable formless entity, right at the very last moment, the old man vanished without a trace! Xzavier's eyes widened in surprise, hoping it was just some illusion or optical anomaly. He was wrong. The swish of the cannonball rushing through the entrance of the city, as well as the resounding boom was all the proof Xzavier needed. The mage had actually disappeared into thin air! Xzavier wasn't imagining it at all!
Xzavier hadn't seen or witnessed anything close to teleportation before. It defied all the physical laws, as well as logic. And yet, before his very eyes, he had actually experienced the unforgettable. How?! He had been right there, until suddenly- he wasn't. Xzavier was no stranger to magic. He had actually fought some pretty skilled mages before, which had laid the foundation of his combat experience against magic.
But again, Xzavier had to remind himself that this was no ordinary mage. This was Laddie, the most skilled of them all. As far as this battle was concerned, all bets were off. Anything could happen, and everything was permissible. Xzavier zoomed into the crash site through his scope, and saw that the cannonball had sped right through the entrance and crashed into a small hill on the far side, causing a loud blare in its wake.
With this attack, Xzavier had established one fact; the tank was next to useless against Laddie. It was time to change strategies. But in order to do that, he had to get up close and personal. Xzavier had the perfect gear for this; his custom black fitting suit. In an instant, Xzavier transformed and got rid of his regular clothing. Feeling the reassuring fabric against his skin, as well as the oddly comforting black color of his battle gear, Xzavier began to ease into the whole scenario perfectly.
He was getting back to his former self, and it felt damn good.
Totally ignoring Babara, he opened the top hatch and climbed out of the tank. Laddie watched him from his new location which was not all that far out. Immediately Xzavier revealed himself as he stepped out of his death trap, any other enemy would have taken the opportunity to attack. After all, Xzavier had thrown the first punch. But Laddie wasn't like other enemies.
He radiated a confidence that stemmed from his own deep well of skill, wisdom and experience. There was really no need for him to condescend to such lowly tricks. He considered himself way to dignified for that. Xzavier seemed to have perceived this, as he made his way towards the old man. Honor was a prized virtue. And it was extremely scarce in this era.