Fire and Smoke
In. Out.
He waited patiently for one of the targets to show up, his eyes scrutinizing his surroundings.
A sudden movement on the right. A ringing sound in the air.
The old man who was standing away from the shots startled, wondering how that was possible. He turned his head, looking in his direction with a bewildered expression.
One more to go, the former soldier noted mentally.
In. Out. In-
The breath and the shot were released at the same time. His remaining target fell.
He put down the riffle with satisfaction. Next to him, Cupid applauded excitedly –annoyingly.
"My hero! I knew you could do it! You're the best!" He refrained from snorting. Of course he was. He never missed. Unlike some morons, his name wasn't just for show.
The old man gave them their prize, smiling but a bit warily. The two of them knew that he was not supposed to be able to hit all of the makeshift targets, some of them appearing and disappearing too quickly for that. That was how it worked. Before he tried his luck at the shooting stand to which she had dragged him as soon as she noticed it, the crazy archer who served him as a partner and him had been watching a guy who tried and failed miserably.
But well, he wasn't just some guy. And he even did that with his eye-patch on.
The other woman, the one accompanying the guy who failed, stared at them as Cupid grabbed the bear plush that was half her size and not cumbersome at all, obviously disappointed. The marksman sent a smug look to her boyfriend. The latter glared at him. He waved cheerfully, and they walked away.
"This is so sweet of you!" the redhead beamed. Her smile was actually so bright he swore it could have powered the whole place. But thank God she did not kiss him! He could handle all the stupid names, although it made him feel as if he was dripping with honey, but not that.
"Don't imagine things, woman" he replied. "I didn't do it for you." That was true.
The team –if one could call their ragtag and slightly dysfunctional group like that- was currently on a mission to stop a dangerous criminal, but it turned out that they had stumbled upon something far bigger, and as they were waiting for more information from A.R.G.U.S to finish it and go back home, they had found themselves with time in their hands. During one of her explorations of the town, Cupid had spotted a fun fair and had asked him to go with her, pestering him for hours until he had finally caved in. As he had been reminded, shooting your partner is not exactly good for teamwork, no matter how insufferable they could be. So, here he was.
He glanced at the young woman who was looking at the stands, her eyes filled with wonder.
It had nothing to do with the fact that she had been the one to pull him out of the fuming rumbles after the building collapsed, as he had been told after he woke up at the hospital. No, that was something that only John would do, paying a debt; not him. As he told him once, he had no honor and was certainly no hero.
Nah, it had definitely nothing to do with that.