But two fists are no match for many hands, it just so happened that the weather was bad tonight; it was raining.
Number One was shot through the shoulder and leg, collapsing into the muddy water, the moonlight reflecting in his unyielding eyes.
Despite being on the verge of death and in a subordinate position, his eyes shone with a fierce brilliance, as if he were constantly thinking of leaping up to tear a piece of flesh from his enemy.
Number One knew he was about to meet his end here, but he was unwilling to accept it; even though the situation had reached its most critical point, he still felt he could hold on.
He could still fight back.
The enemy's firepower was so intense that he ultimately fell.
Just when he thought there was no way out left, a person rushed out and spread their arms to block his path.
Don't you dare hurt Number 1.
Thinking about it, even though No. 1 had a sharp tongue and would occasionally kick him, hit him, call him stupid, No. 1 was already his friend and his recognized partner; no one else was allowed to bully No. 1, he had to protect him.
So he rushed forward, shielding Number 1.
A sudden flame of rage surged within No. 1's rain-soaked eyes as he gritted his teeth. "Get lost! I don't need your pity. From the moment this mission was issued, we have been mortal enemies. Stop spreading your useless kindness here and get lost!"
Idiot, loser, trash, why did he come out at a time like this?
He only needed to hide well; with the opponent's combat power, he could have delivered a one-hit kill. Why did he come out?
No, I won't leave, because Number 1 is my friend, I can't just abandon a friend and leave by myself.
Chapter 76: Conan Live Day 35
It took a tremendous amount of effort to drag Number 1 out of the pile of enemies. Now, the entire city was searching for the two of them. His shoulder had been slashed once, his waist had been grazed, he was currently driving the stolen car through the enemy encirclement, charging toward the pier amidst a hail of bullets.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets were flying in from all directions; that group of factions was simply lawless. Even though it was nighttime and raining heavily, it wasn't as if there wasn't a single person around.
The government is here, the police are here too; they really aren't afraid.
27 had never touched a car before, but the moment he took the wheel, he sped forward as if possessed by a racing god, performing all sorts of high-difficulty stunts with ease, as if a master driver were driving for him.
A hole had already been punctured in the car roof. 27 took a moment to take his hands off the steering wheel and wipe the rain and blood from his face.
More than half of the enemies had already been dragged away by them, the number of pursuers was far less than it was at the beginning.
Number One was also an incredibly formidable person; he forced himself to vomit up the bullets, then stripped off his outer garment to bind his wound tightly, gritting his teeth to fight back, occasionally poking his head out from the passenger seat to take out one little punk at a time.
He even extremely calmly strapped bombs to himself, instructed 27 to jump from the car at his command, so that he could take over the driving.
This was clearly an attempt to perish together with the enemy, so 27 naturally refused to agree. He kept driving under Number 1's murderous gaze, making it clear that he had no intention of giving up.
No. 1 cursed several times, calling him an idiot and a fool, before pursuing the enemy with an even more ferocious, man-eating expression.
Suddenly, 27 saw in the rearview mirror that the enemy had the audacity to pull out a cannon, aiming it toward the roof of the car.
Good heavens!
No matter which kind of god-tier driver it is, show off your skills quickly; he can't hold on much longer.
Before he could even speak, the prayers of 27 seemed to have actually worked; his hands did not move according to his own will, but instead performed a series of inexplicable, erratic motions. Then, the car sped forward, swerving wildly to dodge bullets and shells, before flipping over a wall and flying directly onto the rooftop of a building.
A truly worthy flying car.
Even Number 1 looked at him as if he had seen a ghost.
27 screamed in terror, "Ghost! There's a ghost! There really is a ghost! Help!"
No. 1 was annoyed. Blood continued to seep from his mouth as he opened it to curse, "What are you screaming for? Didn't you do this to yourself?"
Only the wrongly accused know just how wronged they truly are.
27 was still screaming and shouting, "There really is a ghost! I don't know what's going on!"
No. 1 looked at the terrified 27, whose face showed no hint of pretense, then looked at his mechanical, precise driving, his gaze conveying a single sentiment: "Are you insane?"
The enemy was also left completely bewildered by this maneuver; they didn't realize this car had a flight function.
But high-rise buildings are not flat ground; walking was difficult, soon they could no longer keep going.
Deciding instantly, he opened the car door and picked Number 1 up to carry him down. Ignoring Number 1's struggles, he relied on his intuition to find an angle, then jumped down while holding Number 1.
It's okay, the flames will protect me.
In a place where no one noticed, 27's eyes turned a brilliant gold, filled with a sense of wit.
Number 1 only felt that 27 was crazy; he dared to jump from dozens of stories high, while holding someone at that.
Raindrops pitter-pattered against his face.
No. 1 began observing 27's face.
He felt like he was going crazy too; instead of looking for an opportunity to survive, he was watching to see what another idiot's face looked like.
He was twenty-seven, not very old, with a pair of pure, large eyes that usually looked at others as innocent as a little deer in the forest. His hair was spiked upwards, but it didn't look like the hair of a thug at all; instead, it was quite fluffy.
There was still a bit of baby fat remaining on his youthful face, he always looked like he was smiling at people, whether it was an awkward smile, a speechless smile, or a sincere one; he seemed to have no negative emotions at all.
This mysterious fellow has unconsciously replaced the original Number 27, adapting well to the situation; he is like a carefree little duckling every single day.
Despite possessing incredibly high combat power, he was just like those children who held nuclear weapons.
This person, why did this person come to save him? What benefit is there in saving him? He no longer has the strength to bring him food or glory.
Truly, deathly stupid.
What does jumping off a building together mean? A suicide pact? How ridiculous.
For some unknown reason, Number 1's racing heart gradually synchronized with 27's heartbeat, to the point where it was impossible to tell whose heart was beating.
Number 1 calmed down.
27's body was tense; without the help of flames, jumping down from above was still dangerous and fierce, he had to find an angle to land.
Where is it, where is it? If only Spanner's inventions were here at a time like this.
No, who the hell is Spanner again? Even Reborn hasn't figured that out yet.
However, thanks to that momentary distraction, 27 found a shed supported by tarpaulin, with vegetables and fruit underneath it.
I'm sorry, I'll pay you back later.
Thinking about this, 27 rolled over to protect Number 1 in his arms, landing on his own back and letting out a muffled groan.
There was no time to linger; he immediately got up, clutching No. 1 in his arms, headed toward a nearby area—a lawless zone that was chaos within chaos.
27 only stopped after finding an uninhabited, dilapidated building. He carefully set No. 1 down; No. 1 was already unconscious, his wound had been washed pale by the rain.
27 also lay down, panting heavily; he was in pain as well.
But after not resting for long, 27 discovered that Number 1 had a fever.
It's still raining outside; if he goes out to find medicine, what will No. 1 do if someone finds this place?
The feverish Number 1 is currently no match for anyone else.
Gritting his teeth, 27 took off his jacket. The short sleeves underneath clung to his body, faintly revealing the contours of his muscles. After wetting the jacket and wringing out the excess water, he placed it over 1's head.
Then, he held Number 1 in his arms, using his body heat to warm him. The two of them stayed like that, as if they were one, leaning against each other as if only the two of them remained in this place.
1 was actually still conscious; as long as a person like him wasn't truly dead, it was impossible for him to trust the outside world. He wouldn't sleep soundly; even the slightest movement would startle him awake.
So he had always had a strange feeling about what 27 had done to him.
Including physical contact, including the entanglement of their breaths.
This was the first time he had been this close to someone, an almost intimate contact. He could feel 27's soft skin, the slight breath, the other party's clumsy, soothing movements.
Gradually, those comforting movements became more practiced, as if memories had returned. 27 began humming a song, a simple children's song.
Idiot.
Idiot.
What a naive fellow.
At this moment, all one would have to do is abandon him, set a random trap using him as bait to escape, or even, if one were a bit more capable, take the enemy's head.
Why not do it? What is there to hesitate about? You aren't really playing those friendship games, are you?
In this false World 73, only oneself is worth trusting.
27 Number 1's head was practically smoking, yet he was still thinking about all sorts of nonsense; he simply used his own body heat to warm the other person, holding them in a tight embrace.
He switched to the other side of his clothes as soon as one side became too hot, constantly stroking the other's back and hair, murmuring, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm right here, no one can hurt you. Don't worry, I will protect you."
He was still in pain himself, yet he was comforting someone else.
Such a familiar feeling; he must have done this to others as well. It's a child, then—it must be a crybaby.
As he spoke, 27 also became dazed. He was wondering, who was he, where did he come from, did he have family or friends before?
I wonder if Number 1 will be okay, if they can escape. By the way, what is the name of the organization they belong to after they get out?
27 suddenly felt that this World 73 was so strange; he didn't know where to go, it seemed there was nowhere for him to belong.
Before fainting, a tall adult man appeared before 27's eyes; he wore a long black coat and had sharp features and an imposing gaze.
Get up. There isn't much time left. In ten years, the rocket launcher will lose its effectiveness. Get ready to save that police rat; you only get one chance.
Who is speaking?
Hmm, it seems to be what Number 1 looks like when he grows up.
By the way, he still doesn't know what Number 1's real name is, the Chrysanthemum Tea hasn't arrived yet.
Lost in thought, he completely fainted.
With his body injured, having been caught in the rain, having had close contact with a sick person, he naturally developed a fever as well.
When 27 woke up again, Number 1 was no longer by his side; instead, clean clothes, food, a box of fever reducers had been left beside him.
He rubbed his eyes and suddenly heard a sneer.
Looking up, he saw Number 1 fully dressed, standing there to block a large portion of the sunlight, allowing him to sleep better without the sun being too blinding.
“You're awake. Once you're up and have eaten a good meal, we'll go and kill that son of a bitch.”