Disclaimer: If I owned FF7, then I probably wouldn't be writing this.
Authors Note: Alright, this chapter should have been longer than it is now. I'm still swamped with schoolwork and other crap, so I haven't had too much time to write. Hopefully by next week, I'll be able to update with longer, better quality chapters. Until then, support this story with your reviews, comments.and other stuff.
~z_lancer
[Gone!] I stood there puzzling over how someone could have gotten away from me so easily. [I can't believe it. I was right behind him!] I could find no plausible way in which he could have escaped. Not even the most skilled ninja could have just disappeared like this one did. The alleyway was way too long in length to run down without me getting at least a glimpse of him, and where he had gone. There were no windows in the back alley, and I had checked all the nearby doors. All of them were locked tight. Escape to the roof again also seemed out of the question. There were no fire escapes or anything of that sort on any of these buildings. And they were spread too far apart for any kind of wall-to-wall jump. No manholes to escape through either. I had also checked every trashcan and any other hiding place I could think of. Nothing. So why is it that I can't find him? No normal person could have outrun me like that.at least without the aid of materia.
"If that's the case, then it's too late now," I muttered. If whoever it was did have some kind of speed enhancing materia (which is very likely), then he's probably long gone. I had spent too much time searching around this place to have any hope of capture. [There's nothing I can do now. It's too dark. Maybe I'll come back in the morning to check for clues.] I stopped to think about it. [Maybe I shouldn't.] I began walking back the way from which I came. The night seemed to have gotten even quieter, darker. Unsettling.
It's funny. I should be racking my brain right now, figuring out my next move in recovering my bounty. Hmm.actually, he's not even really a bounty. I haven't seen his face, so I don't even know if he's wanted, or that I'll get anything for his capture. [Maybe he's just a small time thief. ] But still, the fact that he had evaded me should be enough to get me obsessed about finding out who he is. Instead, I feel nothing. No remorse, no frustration, just apathy towards his existence. I didn't even care that he was sneaking around on someone's roof. [So what's wrong with me?] I stopped at the trashcans where the cat had jumped out at me and remembered the bite on my leg. The pain had stopped already, and from what I can tell, it had already healed. [Hope that cat didn't have some kind of disease. What do I care? The mako will take care of any of that, just like it healed the skin.] Being infused with mako does have its advantages. [On the other hand, people always know you're different.] I took a moment to look for the alley cat, even though I knew that it was probably long gone. [Probably found some other trash can to hide in.] I moved on.
I turned the corner to where the back alley entrance stood in sight. A new thought came to me at that time. [If he does have material, and knows how to use, then he could be very dangerous. The people here may be in danger.] I sighed. [I'm putting too much thought into this. Let the police handle it. I'm on vacation. Hmm.] I never used to be this way. Sure, I always acted like I didn't care, mostly because I was scared. In reality, I had always wanted to be the hero. My nature is to help others. I think that was one of the reasons I helped Barret and the poorly organized AVALANCHE even though I knew the pay would suck. The other reason was for her. [Maybe my apathy has to do with my lack of sleep,] I thought as I moved on, [or maybe being alone for so long is really getting to me.] A cool breeze blew past me as I neared the end, helping me clear my head. [I need to stop thinking. Period.]
Just as I was about to walk back into town, some voices from around the corner alerted me. I stopped, and then crept up along the rough, brick wall to listen.
"Do you have it? Is it done?" came a harsh, demanding voice.
"I.I---" a small shaky voice spoke. It sounded familiar. But I can't seem to remember whom it belonged to.
"You know how the boss hates tardiness," a third man spoke. This one had a smooth and charming accent of a voice. But, I could sense the venom behind the glib speech.
"Yes I know, but---ahhh!" I cringed as the shaky voice was cut off by a sharp slap, but didn't try to intervene.
"Filthy mongrel! You've wasted enough of his money!" the first man's voice was shouting now.
"Calm down Rin!" the third man said sharply, "Do you want to wake the whole town?"
"Now my dear professor," the same man continued on, "Have you not been given adequate time to finish the project?"
"There.there have been some complications. I--I need more time," whimpered the person I assumed to be the professor.
"Ah, we've been through this already. Twice now you have asked my employer for a significant extension in time, and twice now he has been generous enough to give it to you. But now, his patience runs thin. And I for one am also quite disappointed in your progress."
"Just a little more time and it'll be finished. I promise---"
"As you have done so many times before," interrupted the glib voice, "But it looks like you can't be trusted. You know, for every second you delay the project, our employer loses funds? Did you really think you could cheat him and squander his money?"
"I'm trying to get it done! It's a very complicated process!"
"Then perhaps you need to be persuaded to work a little harder. Rin, persuade this gentleman."
"I'm gonna enjoy doing this," said the first voice, followed by the cracking of knuckles. I was about to turn the corner and step in when the professor spoke.
"No! You can't touch me! I'm the only one who can finish the weapon!" this was said with confidence, "If you injure me, then I won't be able to finish it. And I don't think the boss will be happy about that!" A long silenced followed. I guessed that the two men were contemplating what to do. Suddenly, a telephone rang.
"It's mine," said the smooth voice. There was a short pause, which I assumed was the man listening to the voice in the telephone. "Yes sir," the man finally said.
"Was that the boss?"
"As a matter of fact, it was. The boss has some.unexpected news. It seems that you are not as 'untouchable' as you think you are."
"What are you talking about?"
"The boss has found a replacement for you."
"Looks like you've just been fired," said the first man.
"Wha.what about me?"
"We've been told to 'take you out of the picture'."
"N.no!" A laugh erupted from the man named Rin.
"Sorry professor. It's just business," this was followed by the cocking of a gun. I'd heard enough. They're about to kill this guy. [Time to make my entrance.]
"Sure are a lot of stars out tonight huh?" I called out, turning the corner. It wasn't something I'd usually say to.anyone, especially not some guy with a gun. But, I didn't have time. I needed to draw the attention of the two guys away from the victim. The firing of a gun immediately followed my comment. The silenced bullet struck the wall to my left, missing me by inches. My Mako eyes peered through the darkness and spotted the three men about 20 feet away. Before the gunman could get off another shot, I cast an ICE spell on his arm, freezing both the appendage and the pistol.
"Arrgh!" I heard him cry.
"Who the hell?" the man I assumed to be Rin drew his gun. I walked toward him despite the immediate danger I was in.
"Stay back! Don't take another step!" he shouted, pointing the weapon at me.
"You don't need the gun," I said calmly without slowing down. I really didn't know what I was doing then. This guy was pointing a gun at my face, and I was almost certain he would not hesitate to shoot. [What the hell am I doing?] I stopped suddenly, "You don't need the gun," I repeated. He didn't move.
"Put the gun away Rin," said the man on his left. It was the guy who shot at me. He was busy thawing out his arm with a FIRE materia.
"But sir!" Rin began.
"Put it away!" the other man repeated more forcefully. To my relief, he did as he was told.
"Who are you?" asked the same man asked me.
"I don't think you need to know that," I replied. I began to walk forward again.
"Well aren't you the mysterious one," laughed Rin, "Look, we're trying to do a job here. So why don't you move along and let us finish up?"
"What kind of 'job' are we talking about here?" I was close enough to see their faces now. The one named Rin wore a blue suit with a black tie. It reminded me of something, I just couldn't remember then. He was half a head shorter than me. His brown hair grew out long in the back, and was tied up in a short ponytail. He looked surprisingly young, probably around 19 or 20.
"Why don't you mind your own business?" he retorted. I saw the man to his left had finally thawed his arm out. He stood a little taller than me, and also clad in a blue suit. I'd seen his face somewhere. The short, well-groomed black hair, the slick and confident look.
I smiled, "Actually, I think this is my business." I turned to the taller man, "You're a wanted man, Mr. Ross." His eyes widened in surprise. I had seen him before, on wanted posters in Calm, Costa Del Sol, and Junon. Cervantes Ross, a thief, murderer, a master at manipulation.
"There's a 10,000 Gil reward on your head." I said.
"You.you're that bounty hunter!" stammered the voice of the professor. [Was he still here? If I were him, I would've taken this time to make my escape.] I turned to tell him to get away, but stopped before the words could come out. [What the.] It was the clerk at the inn. Not the female night-clerk, but the one who had checked me in yesterday. [How did he get into such a mess?]
"I don't think you want to get involved with me. Even if you are a bounty hunter," said Ross. [This isn't going to turn out well,] I thought, [Well, what did I expect?] My hand went to the hilt of my sword. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rin reach for his gun. With a swift kick, I knocked the gun out of his hand before he could point it at me. Then, with one quick movement, I drew my sword and smacked Cervantes' right hand, disarming him as well. Both weapons landed out of range of their owners and skidded somewhere into the darkness. The inn clerk finally came to his senses and began to run. The other two men stared at me in disbelief. Ross was the first to recover. He suddenly drew the long sword hidden in his overcoat.
"You're good," he smirked, "but no one's been able to take me in yet."
"Then you'll wish me luck won't you?" I replied curtly. He attacked, sending multiple sword thrusts at me. I blocked them all with the metal of my wide blade. I had the impression from the very beginning, but it was when he landed a skillful blow on the steel plating on my left shoulder that I knew for sure that this was not an amateur swordsman. If the street lighting were not as dim as they were, he might have hit something more vulnerable. I barely had any chance of getting in an attack, as I spent most of the time trying to defend myself. His attacks were swift with multiple blows at once. The fencing technique he had adopted was one that I was not familiar with. [Damn, this guy's too fast. Got to think of a way to slow him down.]
I saw Cervantes take a quick glance over my right shoulder without stopping his assault. [Shoot! I forgot about the other guy.] Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Rin had drawn his own blade, and was only waiting for a signal to join in. [I should have been watching him too. What a stupid mistake. He could have easily killed me then.] I shifted my position so that I could get both men in my sights.
"This could go on all night," Ross said after a while, "But, unfortunately, we don't have the time. Rin! Let's finish up here and get going."
"Gladly," I heard him reply. I was in a bad position. I could barely handle this one guy, and another was about to join in. [And if Rin's half as good as his leader, then I'm toast.] Rin suddenly rushed my right side with his sword ready to strike. I had only a second to make my move.
The ICE materia slotted in my sword glowed as I cast an ICE spell on the ground under Rin. The portion of paved ground froze over instantly. The attacking Rin lost his balance and was thrown onto the ground, dropping his katana in the process. I jumped out of the way just before he slid into Cervantes. The second man began to fall. I wasted no time. I swung my Buster Sword at the long sword in his outstretched hand. The blow sliced his blade in half.
The two men lay groaning in a heap on the ground. I stood over them, panting. I had to use my sword to support me. I suddenly felt tired and weak. I probably looked that way too. [Did I overexert myself?] I wiped the sheen of sweat on my forehead with my right hand.
"You're coming with me," I said to Ross. He reached for Rin's discarded katana. I kicked it away before he was able to reach it.
"What the hell do you want?" Rin glared at me.
"I already told you, I'm taking him in!" I replied, pointing at Cervantes.
"Look bounty hunter," sad Cervantes, "What ever amount you are being paid for my capture, I'll pay you double to let me go."
"Sorry," I replied, "I don't deal with criminals."
"Think this through," his voice was even, no hint of fear, "You're going to be paid more for doing less. You won't have to be bothered with the trouble of taking me all the way back to---where ever you're going to take me. Make the smart choice. Let me go." I had to admit, he made it sound so good. But, my mind was already made up. I'm not going to let this good go. And maybe I'll get a little extra for his accomplice here.
"Like I said before. I don't deal with scum," I held my sword out with both hands, "Now, are you going to come quietly, or am I going to have to cut something off?" Cervantes smiled, and Rin spat at my feet.
"I tried to reason with you," said Ross, "But, I'm afraid you've forced my hand." He was looking past me now. I felt a presence behind me and I began to turn around. It was too late. Smack! A sharp pain shot through me as someone connected the hilt of a sword with the back of my head. I dropped my sword, and with a grunt, fell to the ground.
That blow would have knocked any normal person unconscious. But me, a mako infused individual was able to stay awake. The shock had not ceased yet as my body refused to respond. At first, I thought I was paralyzed, but then felt the feeling slowly coming back to me.
"What took you so long?" I heard Rin's voice. There was no answer from the newcomer.
"Let's go," Cervantes said.
"What about him?" I knew Rin was referring to my limp form.
"Leave him. He's not gonna to be going anywhere anytime soon, with the beating he got. I'm surprised his skull didn't cave in." I heard two pairs of footsteps begin to shuffle across the pavement.
"Too bad," it was Rin, "I wanted to finish you off, but it looks like you'll be having enough troubles.like breathing." With a laugh, he too began to leave.
Authors Note: Alright, this chapter should have been longer than it is now. I'm still swamped with schoolwork and other crap, so I haven't had too much time to write. Hopefully by next week, I'll be able to update with longer, better quality chapters. Until then, support this story with your reviews, comments.and other stuff.
~z_lancer
[Gone!] I stood there puzzling over how someone could have gotten away from me so easily. [I can't believe it. I was right behind him!] I could find no plausible way in which he could have escaped. Not even the most skilled ninja could have just disappeared like this one did. The alleyway was way too long in length to run down without me getting at least a glimpse of him, and where he had gone. There were no windows in the back alley, and I had checked all the nearby doors. All of them were locked tight. Escape to the roof again also seemed out of the question. There were no fire escapes or anything of that sort on any of these buildings. And they were spread too far apart for any kind of wall-to-wall jump. No manholes to escape through either. I had also checked every trashcan and any other hiding place I could think of. Nothing. So why is it that I can't find him? No normal person could have outrun me like that.at least without the aid of materia.
"If that's the case, then it's too late now," I muttered. If whoever it was did have some kind of speed enhancing materia (which is very likely), then he's probably long gone. I had spent too much time searching around this place to have any hope of capture. [There's nothing I can do now. It's too dark. Maybe I'll come back in the morning to check for clues.] I stopped to think about it. [Maybe I shouldn't.] I began walking back the way from which I came. The night seemed to have gotten even quieter, darker. Unsettling.
It's funny. I should be racking my brain right now, figuring out my next move in recovering my bounty. Hmm.actually, he's not even really a bounty. I haven't seen his face, so I don't even know if he's wanted, or that I'll get anything for his capture. [Maybe he's just a small time thief. ] But still, the fact that he had evaded me should be enough to get me obsessed about finding out who he is. Instead, I feel nothing. No remorse, no frustration, just apathy towards his existence. I didn't even care that he was sneaking around on someone's roof. [So what's wrong with me?] I stopped at the trashcans where the cat had jumped out at me and remembered the bite on my leg. The pain had stopped already, and from what I can tell, it had already healed. [Hope that cat didn't have some kind of disease. What do I care? The mako will take care of any of that, just like it healed the skin.] Being infused with mako does have its advantages. [On the other hand, people always know you're different.] I took a moment to look for the alley cat, even though I knew that it was probably long gone. [Probably found some other trash can to hide in.] I moved on.
I turned the corner to where the back alley entrance stood in sight. A new thought came to me at that time. [If he does have material, and knows how to use, then he could be very dangerous. The people here may be in danger.] I sighed. [I'm putting too much thought into this. Let the police handle it. I'm on vacation. Hmm.] I never used to be this way. Sure, I always acted like I didn't care, mostly because I was scared. In reality, I had always wanted to be the hero. My nature is to help others. I think that was one of the reasons I helped Barret and the poorly organized AVALANCHE even though I knew the pay would suck. The other reason was for her. [Maybe my apathy has to do with my lack of sleep,] I thought as I moved on, [or maybe being alone for so long is really getting to me.] A cool breeze blew past me as I neared the end, helping me clear my head. [I need to stop thinking. Period.]
Just as I was about to walk back into town, some voices from around the corner alerted me. I stopped, and then crept up along the rough, brick wall to listen.
"Do you have it? Is it done?" came a harsh, demanding voice.
"I.I---" a small shaky voice spoke. It sounded familiar. But I can't seem to remember whom it belonged to.
"You know how the boss hates tardiness," a third man spoke. This one had a smooth and charming accent of a voice. But, I could sense the venom behind the glib speech.
"Yes I know, but---ahhh!" I cringed as the shaky voice was cut off by a sharp slap, but didn't try to intervene.
"Filthy mongrel! You've wasted enough of his money!" the first man's voice was shouting now.
"Calm down Rin!" the third man said sharply, "Do you want to wake the whole town?"
"Now my dear professor," the same man continued on, "Have you not been given adequate time to finish the project?"
"There.there have been some complications. I--I need more time," whimpered the person I assumed to be the professor.
"Ah, we've been through this already. Twice now you have asked my employer for a significant extension in time, and twice now he has been generous enough to give it to you. But now, his patience runs thin. And I for one am also quite disappointed in your progress."
"Just a little more time and it'll be finished. I promise---"
"As you have done so many times before," interrupted the glib voice, "But it looks like you can't be trusted. You know, for every second you delay the project, our employer loses funds? Did you really think you could cheat him and squander his money?"
"I'm trying to get it done! It's a very complicated process!"
"Then perhaps you need to be persuaded to work a little harder. Rin, persuade this gentleman."
"I'm gonna enjoy doing this," said the first voice, followed by the cracking of knuckles. I was about to turn the corner and step in when the professor spoke.
"No! You can't touch me! I'm the only one who can finish the weapon!" this was said with confidence, "If you injure me, then I won't be able to finish it. And I don't think the boss will be happy about that!" A long silenced followed. I guessed that the two men were contemplating what to do. Suddenly, a telephone rang.
"It's mine," said the smooth voice. There was a short pause, which I assumed was the man listening to the voice in the telephone. "Yes sir," the man finally said.
"Was that the boss?"
"As a matter of fact, it was. The boss has some.unexpected news. It seems that you are not as 'untouchable' as you think you are."
"What are you talking about?"
"The boss has found a replacement for you."
"Looks like you've just been fired," said the first man.
"Wha.what about me?"
"We've been told to 'take you out of the picture'."
"N.no!" A laugh erupted from the man named Rin.
"Sorry professor. It's just business," this was followed by the cocking of a gun. I'd heard enough. They're about to kill this guy. [Time to make my entrance.]
"Sure are a lot of stars out tonight huh?" I called out, turning the corner. It wasn't something I'd usually say to.anyone, especially not some guy with a gun. But, I didn't have time. I needed to draw the attention of the two guys away from the victim. The firing of a gun immediately followed my comment. The silenced bullet struck the wall to my left, missing me by inches. My Mako eyes peered through the darkness and spotted the three men about 20 feet away. Before the gunman could get off another shot, I cast an ICE spell on his arm, freezing both the appendage and the pistol.
"Arrgh!" I heard him cry.
"Who the hell?" the man I assumed to be Rin drew his gun. I walked toward him despite the immediate danger I was in.
"Stay back! Don't take another step!" he shouted, pointing the weapon at me.
"You don't need the gun," I said calmly without slowing down. I really didn't know what I was doing then. This guy was pointing a gun at my face, and I was almost certain he would not hesitate to shoot. [What the hell am I doing?] I stopped suddenly, "You don't need the gun," I repeated. He didn't move.
"Put the gun away Rin," said the man on his left. It was the guy who shot at me. He was busy thawing out his arm with a FIRE materia.
"But sir!" Rin began.
"Put it away!" the other man repeated more forcefully. To my relief, he did as he was told.
"Who are you?" asked the same man asked me.
"I don't think you need to know that," I replied. I began to walk forward again.
"Well aren't you the mysterious one," laughed Rin, "Look, we're trying to do a job here. So why don't you move along and let us finish up?"
"What kind of 'job' are we talking about here?" I was close enough to see their faces now. The one named Rin wore a blue suit with a black tie. It reminded me of something, I just couldn't remember then. He was half a head shorter than me. His brown hair grew out long in the back, and was tied up in a short ponytail. He looked surprisingly young, probably around 19 or 20.
"Why don't you mind your own business?" he retorted. I saw the man to his left had finally thawed his arm out. He stood a little taller than me, and also clad in a blue suit. I'd seen his face somewhere. The short, well-groomed black hair, the slick and confident look.
I smiled, "Actually, I think this is my business." I turned to the taller man, "You're a wanted man, Mr. Ross." His eyes widened in surprise. I had seen him before, on wanted posters in Calm, Costa Del Sol, and Junon. Cervantes Ross, a thief, murderer, a master at manipulation.
"There's a 10,000 Gil reward on your head." I said.
"You.you're that bounty hunter!" stammered the voice of the professor. [Was he still here? If I were him, I would've taken this time to make my escape.] I turned to tell him to get away, but stopped before the words could come out. [What the.] It was the clerk at the inn. Not the female night-clerk, but the one who had checked me in yesterday. [How did he get into such a mess?]
"I don't think you want to get involved with me. Even if you are a bounty hunter," said Ross. [This isn't going to turn out well,] I thought, [Well, what did I expect?] My hand went to the hilt of my sword. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rin reach for his gun. With a swift kick, I knocked the gun out of his hand before he could point it at me. Then, with one quick movement, I drew my sword and smacked Cervantes' right hand, disarming him as well. Both weapons landed out of range of their owners and skidded somewhere into the darkness. The inn clerk finally came to his senses and began to run. The other two men stared at me in disbelief. Ross was the first to recover. He suddenly drew the long sword hidden in his overcoat.
"You're good," he smirked, "but no one's been able to take me in yet."
"Then you'll wish me luck won't you?" I replied curtly. He attacked, sending multiple sword thrusts at me. I blocked them all with the metal of my wide blade. I had the impression from the very beginning, but it was when he landed a skillful blow on the steel plating on my left shoulder that I knew for sure that this was not an amateur swordsman. If the street lighting were not as dim as they were, he might have hit something more vulnerable. I barely had any chance of getting in an attack, as I spent most of the time trying to defend myself. His attacks were swift with multiple blows at once. The fencing technique he had adopted was one that I was not familiar with. [Damn, this guy's too fast. Got to think of a way to slow him down.]
I saw Cervantes take a quick glance over my right shoulder without stopping his assault. [Shoot! I forgot about the other guy.] Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Rin had drawn his own blade, and was only waiting for a signal to join in. [I should have been watching him too. What a stupid mistake. He could have easily killed me then.] I shifted my position so that I could get both men in my sights.
"This could go on all night," Ross said after a while, "But, unfortunately, we don't have the time. Rin! Let's finish up here and get going."
"Gladly," I heard him reply. I was in a bad position. I could barely handle this one guy, and another was about to join in. [And if Rin's half as good as his leader, then I'm toast.] Rin suddenly rushed my right side with his sword ready to strike. I had only a second to make my move.
The ICE materia slotted in my sword glowed as I cast an ICE spell on the ground under Rin. The portion of paved ground froze over instantly. The attacking Rin lost his balance and was thrown onto the ground, dropping his katana in the process. I jumped out of the way just before he slid into Cervantes. The second man began to fall. I wasted no time. I swung my Buster Sword at the long sword in his outstretched hand. The blow sliced his blade in half.
The two men lay groaning in a heap on the ground. I stood over them, panting. I had to use my sword to support me. I suddenly felt tired and weak. I probably looked that way too. [Did I overexert myself?] I wiped the sheen of sweat on my forehead with my right hand.
"You're coming with me," I said to Ross. He reached for Rin's discarded katana. I kicked it away before he was able to reach it.
"What the hell do you want?" Rin glared at me.
"I already told you, I'm taking him in!" I replied, pointing at Cervantes.
"Look bounty hunter," sad Cervantes, "What ever amount you are being paid for my capture, I'll pay you double to let me go."
"Sorry," I replied, "I don't deal with criminals."
"Think this through," his voice was even, no hint of fear, "You're going to be paid more for doing less. You won't have to be bothered with the trouble of taking me all the way back to---where ever you're going to take me. Make the smart choice. Let me go." I had to admit, he made it sound so good. But, my mind was already made up. I'm not going to let this good go. And maybe I'll get a little extra for his accomplice here.
"Like I said before. I don't deal with scum," I held my sword out with both hands, "Now, are you going to come quietly, or am I going to have to cut something off?" Cervantes smiled, and Rin spat at my feet.
"I tried to reason with you," said Ross, "But, I'm afraid you've forced my hand." He was looking past me now. I felt a presence behind me and I began to turn around. It was too late. Smack! A sharp pain shot through me as someone connected the hilt of a sword with the back of my head. I dropped my sword, and with a grunt, fell to the ground.
That blow would have knocked any normal person unconscious. But me, a mako infused individual was able to stay awake. The shock had not ceased yet as my body refused to respond. At first, I thought I was paralyzed, but then felt the feeling slowly coming back to me.
"What took you so long?" I heard Rin's voice. There was no answer from the newcomer.
"Let's go," Cervantes said.
"What about him?" I knew Rin was referring to my limp form.
"Leave him. He's not gonna to be going anywhere anytime soon, with the beating he got. I'm surprised his skull didn't cave in." I heard two pairs of footsteps begin to shuffle across the pavement.
"Too bad," it was Rin, "I wanted to finish you off, but it looks like you'll be having enough troubles.like breathing." With a laugh, he too began to leave.