[IC] Night of the Comet (Camille Noir and I)

[Optimist]

Randal couldn't help but notice what interesting things Natasha's figure did, when she leaned forwards and put her elbows on the counter. He had to force himself to stop looking. A gentleman simply did not stare.

Randal chuckled as he grabbed another Coke and set it on the counter along with the other. "I didn't say I was paying for your motor oil ma'am, just a Coke. Are you trying to take advantage of my good nature?" He pulled a few dollars out of his pocket for the Cokes and then stepped aside to allow Natasha to pay for her motor oil.

Once she had paid for her motor oil, Rosco held out her change. He grinned at her, from under the bill of his cap. "Randy here's as good as any a boy you'll find. Your in good hands with him." Randal sighed. He could see that there would be rumors around town in the morning. He would have to fend off questions from a series of sisters and aunties.

---

Renee knew that the first law of law enforcement was never to give up your firearm. Knowing she was probably going to die, she decided to act. She lifted one foot and stomped on Mike's instep, even as she smashed her shotgun butt back into his stomach. He momentarily let go, and she ran forward, coughing, before turning around and firing both barrels at him. The shotgun sent both barrel through his chest, sending him backwards to crash into the wall and collapse.

She dropped the shotgun and drew her service revolver, as she stalked forward, pointing her gun down at his body. She knew he was dead, seeing as she could see all the way through his chest. She lifted the point of her gun, just as his dead eyes fluttered and he started to stand up. At the same time, something had crawled onto back and was in the process of chewing its way through her deputy's jacket.

[Camille Noir]

This time, Natasha was almost one-hundred percent sure that Randal had been checking her out, although like the other times she barely saw in time. Whether out of embarrassment or for the sake of propriety, he didn't look long enough for it to be considered staring, which Natasha appreciated as much as she liked receiving his attention itself.

She felt pretty silly for assuming that Randal was volunteering to pay for all of it, but his well-meant teasing put a smile on her face regardless of the slight embarrassment as she moved forward to pay for the motor oil. In response to the teasing, she gave him an easy-going smile and shrugged. "I'd say sorry, but a girl's got to take opportunities however they come these days, you know."

She took her change from Rosco with a smile that she tried not to let grow too much in the face of his blatant matchmaking. She gave him a nod as she pulled away from the couter and answered the older man as if she didn't notice what he was doing. "Sure, I feel secure already. Thank you for your help as well, Rosco."

As they left the store, Natasha shot Randal an amused and knowing look. "Seems like you've got quite a few cupids routing for you in this town."

---

A grunt left Mike as the deputy suddenly attacked, stepping on his foot and driving him backward via the butt of the shotgun into his stomach. He hadn't even the time to recover before she fired on him twice. At such a close range, the blasts from the shotgun had him stumbling back with the first shot and then clear off of his feet with the second.

For a moment Mike's body lay still as life quickly escaped it. His heart had stopped beating almost immediately, the shot to the chest having made the effect feel like an explosion, and the a bit of the breath from his lungs expelled from a moment later. After closing his eyes and taking the moment after the breathing ceased to grow accustomed, Mike moved into action, getting to his feet.

"You're causing more trouble than it's worth it to be, Renee. You should know better. I'm very disappointed. " Mike spoke once he had managed through the pain to get back upright. Though he now stood, he swayed slightly on the spot. Even though he could still talk and move, Mike's body wouldn't be of use for much longer, given the holes in his abdomen and the fact that his body would now begin decaying in Mike's death. "I don't suppose you'll drop the gun now, will ya? Pretty soon this talk will be over, with or without that gun."

[Optimist]

Randal chuckled. "Can't say as I mind, if they actually help me out, but the real problem is the gossip. You've only met Rosco, but you'll be the talk of the town tomorrow." He opened her truck door for her, but did not go so far as to offer to help her up into it. He almost wanted too, just to put his hands around her waist, but though he would be pushing things to far, to quickly. The only trouble was, if her damned car started, she would be back on the road and miles away in no time. He was not the sort to disable her car with intention to flirt, so chances where she would be gone sooner than later.

He chatted her up, as they drove back, asking if she wanted something else on the radio, what her favorite movies and books were, and the like. He thought that there was a classic rock station somewhere on the dial, but he knew that he would have to search for it to find it. As it was, he only had a local country station and the county news station programmed in. He wanted to get as many looks at her as he could, before she was gone, but did not take his eyes from the road. You never know what might come up out of the dark, be it a cow or some idiot racing their truck through the night, like he had been doing.

---

Renee stared at him, the gun all but forgotten and she slowly dropped it. What the Hell was happening? How was he still standing, let alone talking, with a hole in his chest? Finally she recovered her wits enough to draw her service revolver. She leveled it at him, and started firing into his head. She got off four shots, before she felt a pinch at her back, and then a sharp pain. Renee tried to reach around to see what was biting her, but could not get a look at it. Throwing herself backwards against a wall, she managed to dislodge a giant spider looking thing, but with only had six legs. It was the size of a grapefruit.

"Oh Hell no!" She started to run for the door, Mike and the murdered Molly all but forgotten. Renee was a brave woman, but she drew the line at spiders. Everyone has a phobia, and spiders were hers. As she ran, she heard a scuttling sound, and a small crowd of the little beasties cut her off at the door. She turned, and realized she was surrounded. She screamed, as they jumped at her, climbing all over her body. One latched onto her back, bite into her spin, and then everything started to make more sense.

She was still Renee, but she was also a host for the beings. They knew what she knew, at least somewhat, and she knew who they were and what they were after. "Come on boys" she said to the spiders. "We've got some shopping to do."