Clenching her teeth, Lina dropped her hand, unsheathing her sword. With a flick of her wrist, she cut the loop of string around her ankle before pushing herself up, holding her blade pointed at Jeko. He cringed, "Swords are so...bleh." Throwing his arms up, he grumbled, "I mean, they're all so elitist. What's the point of being the best swordsman in the world if the best isn't also the strongest person in the world?"
Lina's gaze remained hard, before her stance faltered. She planted a wrist on her hip, grumping, "Are you stupid?"
Jeko shrugged. Lina took a breath, before shifting her footing and charging ahead. Just as she started to get close, she felt a tug at her elbows, before her arms were suddenly wrenched back. Feeling a pull, she looked up, seeing strings leading from the rafters and to Jeko's hands. Arms suspended above her, she flailed a bit as Jeko got closer, cackling.
"You really have no idea what you're getting in-"
As Lina put more weight on the strings, Jeko's arms were pulled up. As his eyes widened, he fell forwards, Lina kicking up at him, her knee jamming into his face. His hands loosening, Lina let her arms fall, flipping the grip on her sword before aiming to stab down at Jeko. A poke to the foot had him slipping to his knee, and a stab to the torso had Jeko wailing, red bits flying into the air. Smelling blood, Lina pulled her sword back again, Jeko...laughing.
He wore a metal plate under his red shirt. With a flick of his wrist, a bottle flew from the shelf and towards Lina, who slapped it out of the air, letting the liquid splatter alongside the glass on the wooden planks. As Jeko began to retreat, she followed, but as she did, her foot stuck. Looking down, she saw that the liquid had become adhesive, stopping her.
Raising a finger, Jeko insisted, "Wait right there." Rubbing his hands together, he headed over to a dusty chest, giggling. "Been wanting to try this forever." Almost daintily, he brushed off some of the dust before pulling a necklace out from under his torn shirt, fiddling with the locks.
Slipping her foot out of her shoe, she freed herself, creeping forwards slowly. As he finally opened the last lock, Lina grabbed him by the hair and shoved him down, pinning his head against the chest.
"Oh," He said, only mildly engaged. As she raised her sword, aiming it to his neck, he muttered, "Is this about the money? Because Goldenrod was supposed to hash that out with Cheese."
"It's self defense," Lina muttered.
"Hey girlie, you busted in here!"
Lina smacked his head into the chest again, making him grunt. "You're the disgusting creep! Give me one reason I shouldn't."
"Just one? I mean, it's not like you've killed anyone before." Jeko grinned, "Can you handle it? You look like you're going for my throat. You ever heard sputtering, gurgles of someone trying to breath with a cut in their throat? Oh, you get to watch the light fade from my eyes! And if you don't hurt my throat too bad you might even get a death rattle!"
Shivering, Lina hissed, "What is your problem?"
Jeko's grin twisted. "You're out of your depth. I don't know what backwater carefree happy-pelago you came from, but this isn't a game."
The grip on Lina's sword tightened, but her other hand moved first, slamming Jeko into the chest. Again, again, again. Again. Again. Again. He started to bleed. Again....again.
"Oh, losing interest? I didn't feel that one," Jeko laughed, teeth stained red.
Again. He coughed. "There it is."
One more and he started to go limp. Swallowing, Lina backed up a bit, and he started to slip, falling to the ground. Letting out a sigh of relief, she stood properly.
Jeko hacked a glob of blood. "I can't believe it worked."
His hand shooting up to the corner of the unlocked chest, he thrust it upwards. As it cracked open, a mechanism fired, the lid popping open. A quick series of clicks were followed by an array of ropes, weighted on the ends. The ropes met her and the weights made the rope coil around, pinning her arms to her body awkwardly, sword pressed against her cheek. Another click had her trying to stumble away, but she couldn't escape as a net came over her, the lower weights starting to tangle her feet.
Sitting up, Jeko noted, "Eh, the net was overkill." Standing, he raised his foot, delivering a swift kick, Lina dropping to the ground as she tried to struggle. She heard him spit, and watched as a tooth hit the ground in front of her. "Man, you aren't fun at all... I'll have to make my own fun."
---
Kuhn made his way down to the storage area after his encounter with the pirate girl, whom still had not given him her name. What a rude girl. And how dare she bring up Whitney. He had gotten the coupons out of Goldenrod's office - the guards were occupied with the intruder downstairs. Kuhn casually walked down the stairs, heading for the dispensary. He could feel his condition was already starting to spread. His eye hurt, and so did all of his left side. His fingers felt a little tingly, but as he flexed them his leather studded gloves stretched with his skin. He felt his revolver on his hip, a sense of relief washing over him, the revolver in his hand. Heading down, he peaked into the secondary large hall, commonly referred to as "The Slightly Less Large Hall". As he did peek in, his did see the blonde guy - the one in the jail cell fighting against the drunken swordsman, and he was giving him a run for his money.
He was about to draw his gun, till Isaac saw him in the glimpse of his eye, and waved him off. This was apparently some kind of battle of honor. Kuhn grinned. Maybe da idiot swordsman isn't so dishonorable after all.
He made his way to the basement, much to his dismay, there laid knocked out guards. The two idiots upstairs couldn't have fought here? He began hurrying making his way towards the dispensary. Where he found the small old man behind the armored counter. "Sup' Bob."
Flip Flip It's Kato.
"Sure it is, Bob."
"Here's this week's voucher. Bossman threw in a little extra."
flip flip My brother never throws in extra.
"You right. I had to work my ass off for these."
Flip Flip Flip I can't give you your meds, the storage is off limits.
"Come da fuck again"
"There's some idiot causing problems. He's beating the guards. Annoying Honcho, too." Kato spoke, putting down the flip book. Kuhn slighly shocked - hearing Kato speak for the first time. His demeanor got serious again as he headed away from the desk. He pulled out his revolver as he headed towards the storage area."
"I'll take care of him." He promise. "Whatever." Kato responded.
As he got further in, he heard the cackling of the bird. One of these days, I'm going to make target practice out of you..
---
"I know you're here somewhere!"
As Macario roared, a panicked Quartz goon cowered. He shook, daggers looking small in his hands.
Then, Macario slapped a palm to his face. "I'm yelling at a briefcase..."
"A briefcase!?"
...
He clapped his hands over his mouth.
A few minutes later, as the goon was lying in a pile of scrap wood (formerly an old desk), he brushed his hands off, letting out a sigh.
Kuhn made his way into the room as he heard the loud crash of the desk breaking. "Hell was dat?" He asked, peering around the corner, seeing the broken desk. Turning towards Macario's larger shape, he quickly leapt at the foe, whipping him with the revolver across the back of his head.
Head lurching from the blow, Macario grimaced in pain, before standing up straight. Turning his head over his should, not feeling the bit of blood starting to drip down his straight black hair, he hissed, "OW."
The barrel of the gun looking him down. "Freeze." The man behind the revolver commanded, his hat obscuring most of his face, a couple of his ginger locks falling over it. "Or eat lead."
"Oh, it's you. I've heard of you. Good shot. Worse with words."
"Yeah, well. I've never even heard of you, so you're bad."
Truly, the gunner's wit had no end. He realized how poor his comeback was, cocked his gun by pulling the hammer back and sighed. "Know what? Screw you. Get out of here. This instance, or I'm going to put you down."
"Wait, you weren't even primed to fire? So I could have just, like, hit you and been perfectly fine?"
"That's not how gun works, idiot. I could've blown your head off. I did that to prove a point. Is this your first time being held at gunpoint?"
Shifting to face him, Macario said, "Nah. I was just hoping to get out of a fight, but with you I might not want to let up." Standing still, he demanded, "I'm just here for my briefcase, and...shit, what was the girl's name again..."
"Don't you say it."
"Say what?"
"Don't what me. Her name."
"Well, I don't remember. That's the problem."
"I'm done with this." Kuhn said, pulling the trigger on his revolver, the chamber exploded as the bullet was sent through the barrel shining with it's bronze hue as the burning hot metal collided with Macario's head. He was forced back by the impact, but he did not fall, buckling against the shot as blood stained his face.
Pulling back his fist, he growled, "Xun!"
Kuhn felt the gust of air pass over him, the wall next to him shattering as if struck by a cannonball, his duster fluttering from the pressure, blowing in the wind, he held his hat in place with his free hand. Using his one finger, he spun the chambers on his revolver changing the ammo type and firing.
Gritting his teeth, Macario accepted the bullet, wishing he hadn't purposely missed, even though his forehead still burned with the heat of the last one. However, he underestimated this one, his shoulder starting to burn, quite literally. Throwing off his coat, forcing himself into his black tanktop, he balled it up before chucking it right back at Kuhn.
As the burning coat came flying towards him, Kuhn fanned the hammer on his revolver, each bullet tearing through the coat and going for Macario. There was another dragonbreath and bronze bullets, plus two hard rubber projectile, much harder than steel but meant to cause blunt damage, not piercing. Only small shreds of the coat remained after the four bullets had thorn through it. His pistol empty, Kuhn was quick to roll forward towards Macario, drawing his shotgun, meeting him point blank, as Macario had taken the opportunity to move forward, his arms jittery limply at his sides. The barrel of his shot gun jabbed against Macario's ribs, as Macario pulled his arms up. "Dui!"
The gun went off, rubber bullets hitting Macario's side full force, knocking the wind out of him. His left arm spasmed, but his right arm continued to fly, showering Kuhn with a flurry of blows, raining down on his head and side.
Kuhn ducked under the initial blow, Macario's fists gracing his hat, but as Macario aimed for his side, he got hit in the side of the head on the ear, as he was sent sideways, against the wall on the rather narrow pathway. Grunting, Kuhn heard ringing from the hit. Lightning quick, Kuhn had reloaded the two barrels in the shotgun, charging Macario again. Feigning a kick, Kuhn used the momentum from the fake-kick to leap into the air, rolling off of Macario's back and putting his gun against his shoulder, firing again.
Macario staggered forwards, a hand going to his new wound, a fresh speckle of bruising starting to form. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a pair of chairs, tossing them one after the other at Kuhn.
Kuhn was surprised by the chairs being throwing his way, he dodged the first one, the second one hitting him, sending him sliding backwards, his arm in front of him, parrying the chair. "WHO DA HELL THROWS CHAIRS?! WHAT KIND OF CHILD ARE YOU?!" Kuhn shouted.
Kuhn's words echoing through the cramped halls of the storage area, Macario was running off as he grumbled, "I don't have time for this..."
Turning a corner, he quickly realized, "Shit. I have no idea where I'm going."
Recovering from the chair, Kuhn looked down the hall as Macario rounded a corner, the bigger man ran too quickly for Kuhn to pull up his rifle. Instead, he bolted after him. He couldn't let this guy stay down here, it would turn ugly. Reloading his shotgun with different rounds, he made sure to reload his pistol, as well.
He appeared around the corner, seeing Macario's heel as he turned right - towards the main desk.
As Macario stumbled back to the start, he let out a sigh of relief. "Lucky." Stomping back up to the window, he slammed the butt of his fist on the wall. "Give me my stuff you damn geezer!"
Kato messed with his flip book. Flip flip flip flip flip flip...
"...Stop fucking with me!"
Kuhn stepped out, his gun trained on Macario. "How about you stop." Kuhn ordered, as Kato flipped his book, before making a frustrated grimace. "You better deal with this brute now," Kato told Kuhn.
"You can talk you son of a..." Macario grumbled. Stepping back from the counter, he turned on Kuhn, still a fair distance away. Rolling his fingers, flexing his hand, he said, "Look pal, unless those are real bullets in your gun you can stop wasting my ti-" as a gunshot erupted, killing a small insect sitting on his shoulder. Kuhn scoffed. "I'm through with you." Cocking his revolver, he fanned the hammer as the five bullets were fired at the scholar.
As the first shot had fired, Macario twisted his body to the door leading into the quartermaster's room. "Gen!" The door buckled under his blow. Though reinforced, a fist sized hole erupted from the center, the rest of the door caving in as it was loosened from its hinges, falling in. Macario's feet followed through on the momentum, and he stumbled through, though not before two bullets hit him in the shoulder and arm. This time, however, the razor sharp bullets tore into him. One came out of his arm, leaving a nasty gash, but the other stopped in his shoulder.
Coming to a stop inside the room, Macario growled at Kato, "Stop screwing around a give me-"
Kato was stalwart. Still in his chair, he sat by a large safe, the innards partly visible through the glass, though the inside was not lit. However, there was a button on the side. "If I hit this, everything inside is as good as gone."
Kuhn darted through the door after Macario, rolling on the ground, he stood on one knee as he fired his shotgun he had pulled while rolling, the two pellets from the gun split, revealing two metal nets that encased Macario. Trapped, he growled, "Are you even trying?" Using his size to his advantage, he grabbed the nets and held his arm up as high as he could, giving him just enough room to eke his other arm out, pulling his fist back. "Xun!" he cried, air collapsing as he punched towards Kuhn.
"Is your face even try- UGH!" He was cut off by the blast of wind that hit him, sending him airborne, flying several meters, even through the wooden wall in the back, where he rolled to a stop. Cursing as he crawled onto his feet, his hat laying on the floor next to him.
Throwing the nets off of himself fully, Macario turned on Kato, stomping closer.
Kato hit the button.
Within the safe, a spark flew, striking a bit of sulfur, engulfing all within the safe in flames. Macario struck Kato, the punch laying him flat, before he began to roll his fingers once more. "Gen!" Striking the corner of the safe. The corner itself only bent, but the side underneath cracked. As air let in, the fire expanded, bursting out of the cracked side, Macario hopping back as flames and shrapnel burst out of the safe.
As the safe burst into flames and the explosion was heard, a quiet rage rose within Kuhn. Anger he hadn't felt in years boiled inside of him. As he readied his rifle, light gleaming off the barrel, Macario stepped back into view beyond the doorway. Noticing Kuhn, a bit of sweat beaded on his forehead. "My bad."
---
Lina thrashed against the bonds, but they weren't being cooperative. As she tried to wiggle her sword in hopes of loosening something, she felt Jeko grab it, pulling it away. The hilt failed to pass through the net, so instead he fastened to the net with a number of strings. Lina could barely reach it, but she couldn't move it out of the net, and the blade only tapped the ground helplessly.
"You...what is this even for!?" Lina growled.
"Thieves. I practically brag about the valuable shit I keep. I mean, it's bullshit, but if someone were to see the big ol' chest...heh heh heh, they'd be adding to my collection."
Lina grimaced: what the hell was wrong with this guy? Some of the bonds were starting to loosen, but there'd no way she'd be able to get out under Jeko's nose, and her sword was still trapped...
"Hmm, operating on live patients never goes well, but sedation kinda defeats the point!" Focusing on her sword again, she poked at the nearest shelf, only barely tapping a bottle. A moment later, Jeko giggled, "Oh, that one? Ehehehe..."
Jeko came over, grabbing the bottle, his hand narrowly avoiding a light stab from the sword. Popping the top off, he chortled, "You'll like this one."
As Lina continued to struggle, she felt a slight drop of liquid on her back, which quickly began to tingle. Then it felt like she'd been stabbed with a fire poker. Her teeth gnashed as she tried to flinch away, but it did her no good. Though she tried to restrain herself, she couldn't help but let out a few screams of pain.
"Ehehehe, like that, do ya?"
Drip, drip. Lina's thrashing because more intense, and her screams became more akin to snarls, her voice starting to crack. She felt her eyes flash with fire as those spots on her body burned.
"Oh~ Didn't expect you to scream like that."
With a guttural snarl, Lina kicked her legs, spinning so that her head faced Jeko, barely rolling onto her knees. Pulling back her sword, she gnashed at the string with her teeth as another drop of acid descended. It splashed against her sword before bouncing onto her shoulder. Her sword free, she turned her pain into fury as she stabbed forward. Her blade jammed into the iron plate, failing to poke through but the force knocking Jeko back, making him gasp. The acid splashed, splattering onto his foot. "Eeeyaaah!" he yelped, hopping back, trying to kick off his shoe.
As the wooden flooring steamed, Lina crawled after Jeko. Her bindings caught acid and she finally pulled herself free, standing tall, her back still burning. Jeko's hand floundered at a bottle that seemed to be filled with a powder. Looking into her eyes, he remarked, "Enjoying yourself?"
Teeth bared, Lina stomped forwards, blade flashing. She jabbed it into Jeko's chest, hitting metal. Then again. Again, again, again. The force of the blows had Jeko's arms at bay, unable to grab onto any of his traps or tricks. Again, again, again. Foot planted as Jeko was backed against the window, she gave one last strike, finally piercing his iron plate. Blood spurted as Jeko was forced through the glass, falling out of sight, out of mind.
Breath starting to steady, Lina felt the pain of the acid once again. Spotting the bottle of powder, then Jeko's burned shoe, she dared to scramble over and open it. Taking a breath, she dabbed a little onto her shoulder. Instant relief. She wasted no time in applying it to her other wounds. As most of the pain had subsided thanks to the neutralizing agent, she took a few deep breaths, before biting back tears.
Sniffling, she stood properly, grunting defiantly, "How's that!?"
---
A number of strings keeping him from plummeting to the ground a few stories below, Jeko swayed gentley, blood staining his front, a bit of glass embedded in his back, hands hanging limply.
"Bitch."
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