Back in 2016, I wrote Bullets, a story I've been creating for about 10 years now. I poured my heart and soul into it, and gained some friends and fans! As I reread what I've written, I realize a lot of plotholes are present, I forgot plot points, and the writing is kinda cringy. So here we are, almost 2 years later, and I've decided to rewrite Bullets so it makes more sense, and is clean and easy to read. I will be continuing the series over again, cutting some stuff out and adding new stuff in, so you can enjoy my story without having to go: "Wait, that doesn't make sense." So, with the help of my amazing girlfriend, Dani Chmielewski, here it is: The new and improved Bullets: Chapter 1

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Parker

The evening air was cool, a slight breeze blowing little wisps of hair into my face. I reached up and brushed the unruly strands behind my ear as I approached the concert hall. The city felt alive and busy, just the way I like it. I made my way inside and collected my ticket at the box office, not in any hurry to get to my seat. There's a moderate amount of people out tonight which is kind of shocking. 'Who knew so many people in this city liked the orchestra?' I thought to myself. The lights blinked in the lobby signalling guests to find their seats as the performance would be starting soon.

The auditorium buzzed with excited chatter from the audience, there are rumours that this is going to be a really big performance. These people just don't know how big of a performance they're in for. As I made my way down the aisle toward my seat, I glanced down the row to make sure my partner was in place.

"Ready for the show?" I asked, speaking into my earpiece. I heard a quiet chuckle in my ear.

"Oh, you know it Old Man. I'm always ready for the orchestra." Jonathan's grin evident in his voice, knowing how much I had hated the nickname. I quietly took my seat and waited.

The show was in full swing by now, the music delicate but busy. Normally, I'd be put at ease by the gentle melodies and beautiful concertos but not here, not now. My hair kept falling into my face. I really should've tied my hair back. I mentally kicked myself, as I tucked the loose strands out of the way. I took a glance back at John who was surveilling the area. The music picked up and got louder so I took the chance to talk.

"See anything?" I asked into the earpiece, my voice hushed under the orchestra's growing volume.

"Nothing yet. You'd think wearing a bright red cloak would make someone easier to spot." He grumbled.

"Not to mention the two giants walking next to him at all times." I added on, getting a scoff in response.

We'd received a tip that a local terrorist group known as "The Red Cloaks" were planning an attack at the concert hall. No info was given as to why, all we got were a date, time, and location. We were hoping we'd catch sight of their leader, a young boy named "Red" but no such luck. Then it hit me.

"John."

"Yeah Parker?"

"I just realized. That anonymous tip we received? Well, it was awful specific with the date and time." I paused, waiting on John's response.

"It's a trap." He said, realization and a hint of dread in his voice.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion to the right. The curtains fell from where they hanged and they revealed a large hole in the wall, exposing the street outside. The auditorium filled with screams of terror as members of the audience panicked and began rushing out of the hall. Outside you could hear frustrated honks from confused drivers and shouts from shocked bystanders.

As I got up from the floor, I saw three silhouettes on the stage. On the left was a man called Oliver, his long black hair slick and straight. On the right was Randall, bald as ever. The two men had bandannas over their eyes and were dressed in sleeveless red shirts, armed with two swords each. In the middle was a cloaked boy, whose name matched the color of his garment. Red.

"Parker? John? I didn't think I'd see you here." Red grinned mischievously, "Oh, who am I kidding? I totally did." Red sneered at us in a childlike voice. Red giggled and pointed at John and me. The gesture caused Oliver and Randall to unsheath their swords and quickly start advancing toward us.

Red has somehow gained total control over Oliver and Randall, we came across this information a while back and we've never gotten close enough to sever the connection. This was our shot. John and I very nearly missed the first slices from the pair's weapons and quickly made our way to the stage, dodging blades left and right. Jonathan was the first to draw his gun and aimed it at Red, who only chuckled. John took this chance and fired at Red, but the bullet never made contact because Oliver moved in with an impossible quickness and sliced the bullet in two.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Red retorted, wagging his finger in a taunting manner, "Jonathan, guns aren't toys! You should never point one at someone! What if I had gotten hurt?" Red reprimanded, a stone cold expression on his face. The seriousness was short-lived though, as Red began roaring with laughter at his statement. John's face grew hot with anger.

"Haven't you realized by now? Guns are useless." Red remarked, an evil little smirk crossing his features. I glanced over to John, we shared a knowing look.

"I'll take Oliver and you take baldy. Got it?" John ordered, tossing away his gun. I nodded as I sprinted toward Randall. He swung the blade in his left hand and I jerked to the side in an attempt to dodge the blow, but Randall was too fast and managed to cut my shoulder. I couldn't tell how deep the cut was, but I hardly noticed as the adrenaline rushing through my body dulled the pain. I ran to Oliver's right and kicked him in the side of the head, making him stagger a bit.

Then John ran at Oliver. He ran close enough so Oliver would try to take a slice at him, but ducked just in time and slammed into Oliver's stomach at full force, causing him to fall. As John stood back up, Oliver swung his sword at him, trying to get in a quick slice. John jumped back just in time, but not before getting his tie sliced in half.

"We really have to start wearing bow ties." John yelled at me, causing me to smirk.

"I was just thinking the same thing." I replied.

Suddenly, another slice at John, this time hitting his leg. He tried jumping back, but once he put pressure on his wound, the pain overwhelmed him. Instead of hitting the landing, he landed on his back.

"This isn't working, we have to try something else." He said holding his leg. John took off his black suit jacket and ripped the fabric and tied it on the wound to stop the bleeding. The gears in my head started to turn. We needed a plan.

I gestured at Red, and John nodded in understanding. I helped John back up and we sprinted toward the duo. They tried slicing at us, but they ducked under and kept running straight toward Red. Before he could react, I was in front of him and kicked him in the face, as John swept his legs from behind. Red fell back and hit the ground hard. He put his hand on his head trying to balance at himself, getting blood from his temple all over this hand. He started laughing. "Is that all you guys got?" He said to us, flashing a mischievous smile.

Red didn't try to get up, he just sat up and crossed his legs. He was still laughing like he remembered a joke someone told him once that he only just understood. John walked over next to me, and we both looked down on him triumphantly.

"Who's laughing now?" John asked, cockiness laced in his words.

Red stopped laughing for a second. Red was a young kid. Maybe not even 20. He was childish but was completely crazy. He had a personality that makes him very likeable, if only he wasn't a crazy serial killer terrorist. He clapped his feet together with a smile on his face.

"After all this time, all the times we've played together, you two really think you've got me beat?" Red giggled.

My instincts kicked in and I grabbed John and jumped to the side as the sword-wielding duo tries to turn them into diced meat. I attempted to land on my feet but the adrenaline keeping me going wore on off and my shoulder began to hurt like hell. It was deeper than I had thought. Pain shot through my body, causing me to land hard on my side.

"That was way too close." I said. I got up holding onto my shoulder. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. John's cut would open up more if he got up. Red laughed and clapped his hands together, celebrating his apparent victory.

"Well, that was fun! I always enjoy playing with you two. Let's do it again soon!" Red stood barefoot and started walking away with his bodyguards. It was over. I looked in the theater. I couldn't imagine how many people got hurt. "Shit." I whispered, agency and emergency vehicles beginning to surround us. I helped John to the ambulance, and we were driven away from the scene, defeated and discouraged.

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I'm getting ahead of myself. You don't even know who I am. My name is Parker Hay. John and I have both been assigned by the government to apprehend the terrorist organization known as The Red Cloaks. Despite only being comprised of 3 members, Red, Oliver and Randall, they're currently the biggest threat against our organization. No one really knows what their motives are, all we know is they love randomly screwing with the government, John and me especially. No matter how many times we fight them, they just slip out of our grasp and get away every time. It's annoying. It's almost like they had some sort of power that was helping them.

John and I were in the medical ward at the government headquarters, when our chief walked in. Since we don't really know his name, we just call him Chief. He was an intimidating figure, easily over 6 foot (causing him to have to duck to fit under the door) and seemed as if he never stopped working out or training, giving him a very powerful and frightening demeanour. "So, they got away?" He asked, staring at both of us. John hung his head as I piped up. "Yes, sir. They got the upper hand at the last moment and got away before we could apprehend them. It's my responsibility, I'm sorry." I said, never breaking eye contact, afraid that if I did, he would interpret it as fear.

Finally, he sighed and rubbed his bald head. "You know, this would normally be the point where you two would be dismissed from this case. Neither of you has produced any reason why you should be assigned to this." He said in a stern voice. Before I could try to defend us, he held up his hand and I went silent. "But I like you two, so I'm giving you another chance. Get some rest, tomorrow is another day." He walked out without another word, leaving us lucky to even still have a job.

-

John and I were taking the elevator up to our rooms. Every agent in the government has to stay in an apartment, however, they were all pretty small. They have some pretty incredible views though. It was a silent ride up as we watched the numbers go up. Neither of us wanted to talk about what had happened. Finally, John broke the silence.

"We were so close. Every single time, we get so damn close. But it's like they're just out of our reach." John whispered to no one in particular. I pat John's head. "You were fine. Don't worry about it." He responded, smiling. Silence again.

"It just doesn't add up. They were faster than bullets. How is that even possible? How do we fight that?" John said, louder this time. Parker sighed, running a hand through his long white hair. "I don't know John. I don't know." It remained silent until the elevator dinged, slowing down until eventually it stopped moving all together and the doors opened. We both walked to our rooms without so much as another word to each other. It's taken a toll on both of us.

I walked into his apartment and flicked on the light. The whole room was white, it almost looked like a prison. Sometimes it felt like it. Parker's room had a large window with a beautiful view of Crosa city. Its lights shining against the night sky. He walked into the kitchen and opened a can of soda. He turned the lights back off. "I need some sleep." He said to himself.

I sat down in the chair next to the window, staring at the city lights. Something was off, I could feel it. John was right, how could they be so strong? How were they getting so fast? What was their goal? But then, an even scarier question popped into my mind: What's going to happen if we can't stop them?. I finished off his soda can and tossed it to the trash and missed. I flopped onto his bed exhausted. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

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I wanna thank my only Patreon supporter: @Gorogok!! He's been very supportive, and my first Patron! I also wanna thank my amazing girlfriend Dani for supporting me and helping me do this.