The Zetta Sonic
Fire Breather

[Master of the flamethrowers. The name is better. From Bompeii.]

“What?” Alex frowned when he heard Emil's voice come back.

[That's his name. Alias names. Sure oes. Like Zetta Sonic.]

Alex rolled his eyeballs. That's not something that's surprising. The alias for law enforcement or secret agents like him also applies to criminals. Alex glanced at Gavin who was driving stably. They had just crossed paths with police cars from the opposite direction. On the ceiling, the news-carrying helicopter began to drift away. Nadira managed to expel parties other than the ICPA from there.

Feeling stared at, Gavin immediately replied. “No. I don't have a pseudonym. Secret identity, yes, when necessary. But, a fancy name like yours, no. No need.”

Alex tickled. He smiled while shrugging his shoulders. He hasn't spoken his mind yet but Gavin has understood. Next, Alex patted the badge he had pinned on his belt. Tiny black pieces covered it in seconds. His combat uniform has been repaired as before.

“No weapons?” ask Gavin.

“Some weapons need special permission. You must understand.” Alex narrowed even though Gavin couldn't see him behind the helmet.

“Do not start. My case is different.” Gavin grunts.

The blue car roared down the road, past the guardless post, making a sharp turn at the angle formed between piles of large containers. The heat has been felt since they entered the complex and it feels more piercing when they arrive in the open area where Bompeii is located. The figure of Bompeii could only be faintly seen among the flames mixed with smoke. He's still pretty far away.

[Warning. High temperature outside the vehicle.] Parana broke the silence as the two passengers were flabbergasted to see a huge blaze. [Should I find a new route to Safe House 72?]

“No need.” Gavin answered and looked at Alex. “With this much fire, I can't get any closer. We can all melt.”

“Not all.” From Zet-Arm, Alex knows that his uniform is still able to withstand the heat. “So, the plan was to silence the flamethrower and then you drove me home?”

“Taking you to a safe place.” Gavin. “You have fifteen minutes maximum before the Kloster get here.”

Alex took a short breath without answering anything. In his heart, he wished he could solve everything faster. The huge flames made him uncomfortable. When he got out of the car, he found Tiger's car was already next door. Tiger thrust a laser gun at him.

“You should rest after a long workout,” Tiger said.

“Come on this extra exercise.” Alex takes the gun and breaks into the flames.

Tiger threw his eyes at Gavin's car. The car fluttered in position and the driver seemed to have no intention of getting off. So, Tiger decided to go down and knock on the windshield. “We need to talk.”

Alex ran in the middle of the fire. It was like a turkey running in the oven except he wasn't a turkey and it wasn't an oven. The combat uniform tells him the temperature is rising. His skin can feel it too. So are his eyes. There's a vague poignant feeling there.

“Hello, Zetta Sonic!” Bompeii greeted him before Alex could search. “It's an honor to meet you here.”

“Am I that famous?”

“More than you know. Receive my greetings.”

Bompeii's voice sounded soft and sincere. Unfortunately, the greeting is not. He pointed his long gun at Alex. Huge flames shot out from there, burning whatever was in front of him. Fortunately Alex was ready. If there's a rocket, he'll be airborne. However, with such high temperatures, the rocket could melt. So, Alex could only roll over to dodge.

The flames did not disappear. Alex had to run after. At least he's faster. Otherwise, the fire will lick it. While running, Alex counts. He knew the time would come when the weapon stopped spitting fire. When the time came, Alex turned around. He pointed his gun at the opponent, aiming at the opponent's large backpack.

“I wouldn't have done it if I were you.” Bompeii spoke calmly ending with a small laugh. “There are many chemical ingredients in this backpack that could blow up all of us and your colleagues there. That was a suicide shot, agent.”

The opponent's words made Alex flinch. He whispered in his helmet. “Emil, identification. He's lying or not.”

[Not knowing.]

“What?”

[The backpack has a layer of carbon in it. I can't check what it's got. Could be right. It could be a bluff. If that's true, we can all be real roast.].

“Saran?” Alex asked again.

There was silence before Emil answered. [Capture him without a gun?] Emil's answer is more like a question than an answer.

Alex clucked in annoyance. He realized he was wasting his precious time. Bompeii again spewed fire from the long rifle. This forced Alex to run again. He finds a brown red container that has not been burned and decides to hide behind it. Bompey followed. The flames approached Alex as Bompeii moved.

Without help from Emil, Alex must find his own way. He forced his mind to work based on his observations. Bompeii can't run, he can only walk. That was pretty slow too. Looks like the backpack is pretty heavy. The gun was spitting fire and should be avoided. His own combat uniform had warned him not to approach. How do you stop it without coming closer?

Alex could have shot the hose that connected the gun and the backpack. The problem is, there is no guarantee of security. If Bompeii was serious about his talk earlier, shooting the hose would make the chemical ingredients scatter. The leak could also result in another explosion. While staying in his position and feeling the heat getting closer, Alex realized the writing on the large container opposite.

GR-72.

“Gavin River's. Safe House 72?” alex told himself. Without a second thought, Alex ran again. He forcibly unlocked the container key and then entered. Alex is greeted with a roar of alarm and a red light spill. Looks like his actions have triggered the security system to work. “Come, just this soon?”

On the one hand, Alex complains about a security system that is not at all safe for him. On the other hand, the security system is a marker that he has found Gavin safe house containers. The container was much narrower than his shadow. Plain hallway, bathroom on the left side then open room at the back complete with a simple bed and kitchen.

“Since when was the container only this short?”

Alex ran across the container. He touched the side of the wall at the end. There's something behind it. His fingers managed to find a tiny crack that opened the secret panel. Half of the container end wall shifted, showing another room filled with weapons and technology. Alex took a handgun. It seemed like it was safer to use in this kind of condition.

With the gun in hand and the roar of the flames that could be heard, questions returned. He might be able to find the required weapon but had yet to find a suitable target.

What about his head?