Panic

"Fuck!" Sophia gasped, slipping on wet moss that clung tightly to rock floor. She caught herself with her hand, which then promptly slid forward on the moss as well, sending her onto her side on the ground.

"Now, now," said Bates, stepping up to her. He leaned down and caught her elbow, his shot gun held idly at his side, pointing at the ground. "Don't much such a fuss about it, you are not a child."

"Let me go you creep," Sophia spat, turning around sharply to try and pull her elbow away, but his grip was too tight. Sharp toned horns were playing low, creating chords of tension that Sophia could feel in her back.

Bates was gazing at her evenly with amethyst eyes that appeared to glow in the dim lighting. There was a pleasant smile on his face, but Sophia had yet to see him without one. His fingers dug into the collection of nerves on her elbow, and she let out a staggered yelp as she lost feeling in her forearm and hand.

"You see," he said as he hauled her up to her feet with no apparent effort on his part. "You are quite fun to chase, very willful. However, that time is--"

"Sophia," yelled Conrad, who had just found a way around the cave in that Sophia still thought Bates triggered. He had his broadsword drawn now, which, despite Sophia being used to the idea of him having it, still looked strange to her since he was wearing casual office attire. "Damnit Bates, let her go."

A vibrating fanfare of higher horns took over in Sophia's mind.

"You're a bit late, dog," Bates answered, sneering through his smile. "You're simply using her like everyone else."

"It's her choice," Conrad said, before he took one step and chucked the broadsword. It shot forward, the blade slicing the air with a high whistle that rang above the fanfare.

Bates was forced to disperse into shadows, not having the time to take Sophia into the maneuver. The blade sank into the stone wall right beside her head right over her shoulder. It nearly sliced her pigtail off.

In a single blink Bates was back, behind Conrad, the barrel of his gun hovering only a half foot away from his back. Conrad was mid-turn when the blast resounded through the cavern, and Sophia covered her eyes with her forearm. Half to defend against the flash from the gun, half to not have to see Conrad's torso blown out.

"Shadow bullets," said Conrad. "Clever, won't leave any kind of bullet or shot to find. Eats away at the flesh to hide weapon type, and even if the victim survives, you can find them again."

Sophia looked up quickly to see Conrad standing with his hand held flat out at Bates, palm facing the black coated man. The skin was smoking, but Sophia could barely see gold flecks woven into the veins in a runic circle. She rested a hand on her shoulder, where she remembered Bates cutting her with that black edged blade.

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