“How much longer,” whined the voice in everyone’s ears. “We don’t have all day y’know, pick up the pace! You don’t have to walk everywhere just to look cool!”
“It’s not about looking cool.” Frank held a finger to his ear, slightly irritated. “You come in here and sprint around the next corner when a guy with a gun could be takin’ a piss. You might see something you didn’t want to. That’s no fun for anyone.”
At this M internally cringed, haunted by the distant memory of accidentally walking in on her grandfather sorting through his ablutions. That was the last time she didn’t knock before entering a room. Or a server, in fact. It was why she always let her targets get a tiny head start before she virtually pummeled their systems. Just in case.
“Get the van ready to run,” Prince ordered, snapping M out of her reverie. “Who knows what nuisance these thugs have brought with them. We should be ready to flee when we arrive.”
“Like hell we’re running with our swords between our legs! Whatever firepower they got, let’s double it right back at them. No, triple it. No, PENTIPLE IT!” Blood shot back, glaring at Prince at the mere hint of a retreat.
“Speaking of running,” M interjected, “Just a heads up. There are a few troops stationed outside. There's a side exit if you want to avoid conflict altogether.” She informed the group.
“DID YOU NOT HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID!?” Blood screeched. “We are not running away! We are gonna fight even if they outnumber us by the hundreds!”
Prince let out a small sigh at Blood’s antics as everyone collectively ignored the bloodthirsty assassin. Instead he directly addressed M. “How many do you assume are there?”
“Must be a couple hundreds out there. Military training, I'm guessing.” Her eye was quickly accessing the situation outside. “Y’know, the brawns but no brains type. You guys have the element of surprise, but with that big a group…” She trailed off, the others getting the hint.
“Doesn't matter. We're fighting.” There was a hint of finality in Blood’s voice. From experience, the Vigilante knew that she wouldn't budge from her decision. She'd made up her mind.
Prince did not say anything for a while, he just appraised Blood as if she was a priceless exhibit in a museum. His eyes searched hers, it bore into her very soul. He stared, a deep stare. The cold eyes would've sent a shiver down any normal human’s spine, but not Blood. She glared back, holding her ground.
Finally the de-facto leader of the most ruthless organization of the city stopped. He turned around, his long overcoat billowing with the chilly night's air. Finally he spoke. “Anyone who wants to stay with Blood is welcome to, the rest follow me.”
Everyone except Lucifer followed his lead and they slowly exited the metal-walled storehouse. The groans from the inside were increasing with each step they took away from it. The Vigilante strode out amidst the chaos and went into the empty compound, briefly illuminated by the streetlights around the corner, their figures casting a long shadow into the dim compound.
Blood and Lucifer sat in silence for a while. Blood had not expected anyone to stay behind with her, it'd been a long night for all of them but she couldn't just let them walk away without a fight. It was rare that someone survived an encounter with the Vigilante. She had a reputation to uphold.
Blood shrugged, and signaled to Lucy to follow her. He huffed in indignation, but capitulated nonetheless, which was rather rare for him.
After walking for a while towards the exit, in an awkward silence, Lucy thought it might be a good idea to make some small talk. To dispel the pre-fight tension.
“So, did you get the goo out of your boots yet?”
Blood shot around, spinning on her heels, and held a knife to his throat, wild smile baring her teeth.
“Don't think for one second that because you stayed with me we get to be equals. When we find some goons, I want every single kill. You do not touch a HAIR on their precious little heads. A kill only comes around once in a lifetime. Well, their lifetime to be exact. And I won't…”
“Alright alright I get it,” he cried, hands in the air. “I just wanna let you know,” he stammered, “that…”
“You know nothing I don't know, maggot!” She put on the deepest voice she could, becoming an uncanny caricature of an abusive army sergeant.
“Yeah but…”
“Don't break eye contact, worm! You're weak! You wouldn't last a day out in Nam!”
With a quick flick of his wrist, Lucy flung a grenade from his belt and into the air, releasing a silent hissing sound. The red that splattered on Blood’s face made her break character, and looking around she was surprised by a crowd of hired guns, clad in black bullet proof armor.
They leaped out of the way as an orange cloud of sparks and bullets rained down on where they stood a second ago. Lucy flew through the air, twirling acrobatically, and Blood bounced across the helmets of the goons until she landed gracefully in a clearing surrounded by them.
“What did I just say!!”
“Whatever, I'm sorry! Just get on with it!”
Hmph. She was gonna cut him when this was over.
She twirled in place, surveying her prey. All stacked up. Sneaky, but slow as a group to fire.
She sharpened her blades against each other, sending a few sparks into one of the guns’ face.
This was gonna be fun.
She slashed her way out of the endless crowd. Her movement agile, every blow struck with grace.
Her trusty knives cut through many veins, blood pouring out of them like an endless river’s merry song, gushing and splattering everywhere.
The blood from her victims covering her from head to toe, her skills staying true to her name. She bathed in them, she glowed as the red liquid poured out from the hapless people’s body and onto her. She was a goddess that showed no mercy to those who angered her. Every orifice, every part of her body bathed in the red sacrifice of those puny humans.
They’d angered her, the cascade of bodies lying at her feet had got it coming for them. That much she knew, she neither cared nor wanted a reason to kill those miserable excuse of human beings. She did not need any excuse to make scums like those suffer.
She did what she pleased. It was in her very nature to do so, this, this exhilarating feeling, to her was the elixir, the very nectar she lived for.
This was the moment she rejoiced the most, blood dripping from her body, the blood of the countless she’d slayed obeying her every whim.
This was her true calling.
She was intoxicated by it all. In this moment of excitement, she cared for nothing but the ruthless execution of the people in front of her. She needed to feed the monster within her, she needed to kill and kill she did. In this erratic moment, she was calmer than she ever would be, the multitude of faces slowly turning to a single one inside her mind.
She was unpredictable in her actions. She danced bathed in the blood of her enemies, her knives were her props, the zombie-like corpses mere moment from death were her stage. She looked like a dangerous monster, her predator-like actions and her supernatural speed made her a formidable enemy, even when she was outnumbered by so many.
She struck without wasting a single second and without missing a single artillery. The blood-drenched demon moving towards her prey looked most inhuman. But in the fieriness of her eyes, there was something more human than anyone had ever seen of her. The anger visibly pulsating from her body, the rage evident in her face, she looked like a blood-thirsty demon. This was the moment when she was the most powerful yet the most vulnerable. She was a monster yet she was human.
She smiled as she pierced the heart of the last man standing, ignoring the cries and the tears. Her smile was terrible, it was bloodthirsty, it was evil, it was beautiful. She smiled and then visibly relaxed, for she’d fought, she’d won. She grinned for she’d struck every last one of the monsters down. Her grin grew as the calmness disappeared. She laughed for she truly was happy. The legion of bodies at her feet was sending her to a laughing fit.
Lucifer watched her from the corner he’d isolated himself in, something akin to a smile blossoming in his face. He struck a match and threw it down alongside a metallic orb. Moments later, the whole place lit up.
ns 172.69.6.248da2
and then Add to home screen.