"A church? You brought her to a church?" Ky felt his fury resurfacing. His eyes were fixed on the building with fire in them before he snapped his head to Jonas."You commit a crime and you bring her to a this holy place? What are you trying to do? What are you trying to prove?" He had to clench his teeth to keep himself from shouting.

Jonas swallow hard. "I'm just following what my uncle says. I don't know exactly why he brought her here. You'll have to ask him."

Ky narrowed his eyes. "You were just following orders. Haven't you heard of something called morals?"

The boy grimaced as if those words had gotten to him. He stared at him, then began to open his mouth to defend himself, but Ky stopped him with a wave of his hand and a shake of his head.

"Let's get this over with," he said, and turned his attention to the building again. He saw one familiar hunter from before standing in front of the steps like a guard, armed with a loaded bow by his left thigh, but it wasn't the man Ky wanted. It was a smaller, brown-haired man. He was the only one standing outside the doors.

The church was quaint and charming, with a brown shingle roof that sloped sharply on both sides. It had a tall steeple, crowned by a white cross. Its walls were white. There was a set of pale stone stairs that lead to a pair of white doors. It was your typical small town church, the kind you would see in a postcard. It was untouched by neighboring buildings. There was another soul around, although Ky did notice three saddled horses standing beside the left side of the church.

Ky took a deep breath and slowly let it out, preparing himself for what was about to come. His heart was already starting a deep, steady beat—or was that Dizzy making it beat like that?

"Are the rest inside?" he asked.

"I suppose," Jonas said. "There would be at least two guarding the room."

Ky nodded and kept his eyes on the church. He found it odd that Dizzy hadn't defended herself yet, knowing how she had handled the woman in red. He had a feeling these men would mean nothing to her, but then again, perhaps she didn't want to hurt them after all they were doing to her. She knew what she could do, and now she was just holding back—something she had been telling him about.

If I am the one to resort to violence, he thought, then let it be me. Let me be the one to blame.

"If you're ready, then so am I," Ky said, then passed Furaiken to the boy. He looked on at the impressive weapon as if he were giving it to him as a gift. His eyes stared at the handle and forked hilt while both hands wrapped around the length of it.

"Wow. It's heavy."

"Just don't drop it," he said. "And make sure I know where it is." He watched Jonas nod. Ky then turned his head and pointed his chin towards the small church. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go." He then started forward. The boy quickly followed and took him by the elbow to make the staged surrender a bit more believable. Ky kept his head high, his shoulders slumped forward a bit for a defeated affect. His eyes were fixed on the man guarding the front of the church. The man guarding the church picked his head up and watched them approach the moment he noticed them. He shifted on his feet and tilted his head while the teenage boy was bringing the Gear that had turned the whole town to panic by the arm.

"Jonas?"

The boy lead him up to the man. "He's surrendering."

The man looked at the boy, then his hazel eyes fell upon Ky's face. He looked at him suspiciously, hateful and arrogantly all at once. Then, a grin ticked at his lips. "Surrendering, huh? Figures. We were beginning to wonder how long you were going to last."

Ky stared into the man's eyes, which made him take a step back from that beastly glare. They made him sneer, but he soon broke the contact and found the human eyes of Jonas instead.

"Bring him inside. Evan will be glad to hear about this."

Jonas nodded and began to lead Ky towards the doors of the church. But before he could take his second step, the older hunter grabbed him by the other elbow and drew himself close enough so Ky could smell his breath. If he had the nerve and Dizzy's life wasn't on the line, he would have slapped him.

"Don't try anything funny."

Ky forced himself to keep his temper under control and kept his eyes away. "I don't plan on doing anything."

The man sneered at him again and gestured the boy inside. Once Ky felt his other elbow freed, the two made their way inside the church. He inhaled silently, getting a heavy whiff of essence and candles in his nose, while he began to pray under his barely mobile lips for Dizzy's safety and for forgiveness for the actions about to come.

He continued the words even as he saw Evan Redd and the rest of his men standing on the far left side of the church. Evan was watching them enter. Ky felt his heart pound harder then. A part of him wanted to snatch Furaiken from the boy and forgot about the whole plan, but he couldn't shed any blood in this holy place. He continued his prayer until Jonas brought him up to the hunters standing outside a dark mahogany door several paces from the steps to the altar. All three of them were facing them. All of them were armed.

"What is this?" Evan asked the boy.

"He came here to surrender," Jonas said.

"Surrender?" The man stared at his face and glowered at him as if in disgust.

"Yeah," Jonas said, "He came to me in the streets, gave me his sword here and surrendered."

The man looked between the two of them, not looking quiet convinced it seemed. "Just like that?" He then narrowed one eye at Ky. "You were muttering something when you walked up here. What were you saying to my boy?"

Ky returned the look. "I was praying. This is a house of God—but perhaps you are unaware of that fact."

One of the men by Evan snickered. "A Gear who believes in God—"

"At least I have more respect for this place than you do. I hope God may have mercy on you all for what you are turning into this holy place."

Evan stared at him for a long moment. "What do you really want, Gear?"

"I want to make sure Dizzy is alright. It's why I am surrendering. So, to ensure Dizzy's safety, I surrender to you."

"What are you really up to?" the man who had ridiculed him earlier asked. He was a big man, possibly a few inches over six feet. Ky remembered him clearly. "This is even more crazier than what you tried to pull earlier."

Ky shook his head. "This is all for her. I care about her. Monsieur Redd, haven't you cared about someone in your life—even once? A wife? Your nephew?" He glanced at Jonas beside him.

"Gears killed my fiancé during the war," Evan said. "And they killed that boy's parents, too, leaving me his only surviving family member."

"Then you would do anything to assure his life and safety," Ky said. "Even surrender to the enemy who wants nothing but to kill you? Most men understand the meaning of love."

Evan turned his eyes down a moment, then picked them up again to his level. He then raised his crossbow to Ky's face, with the arrow inches from his forehead. Evan's finger was on the trigger, but Ky didn't flinch or show any concern that he could be seconds from having steel slice through his skull and into his brain. He calmly stared back at the man.

"You wouldn't really do that, would you?" Ky asked. "Kill someone in the presence of God? Could you really shed blood—even Gear blood in these holy walls?"

Evan's lips formed a sneer.

"He's just trying to get to you, Evan," one hunter said.

"If you plan on killing me, please, do it outside. And let me see Dizzy first."

Then, Evan snapped the crossbow down, that ugly sneer still on his weathered face. He stared at him a few more seconds before he turned his head to Jonas, nodding him to the side. "Jonas, move. Make sure he can't get that sword."

"Yes, sir. I'll leave it out here."

Ky watched through the corner of his eye as Jonas sidestepped from him and leaned against the wall by the door. By then, Evan reached behind himself with a free hand while he kept his aim on Ky. He released the lock, then turned the knob. He opened the door to reveal a small, dim and cluttered room. It looked like a storage room. There were metal shelves on each side of the wall, filled to the brim. It almost seemed as they were about to topple over. There were boxes piled up in the corners.

When the light bleed into the room and settled across the wall like a spotlight, that was when he saw her. Dizzy was sitting against the wall, her legs drawn up close to her body, and her wings drooping. He never saw them droop before. He saw a few feathers scattered around her on the floor. She kept her head ducked, keeping him from seeing her face, even though he was standing right at the doorway. There was something around her wrists.

She looked broken.

That gave him the hint to step forward into the room. He kept his eyes on her, watching carefully for any sort of distress. "Dizzy?"

At the sound of his French-laden voice, she quickly picked her head up, a glimmer of hope on her face. "Ky!" she cried. He saw tears immediately build in her light red eyes.

That was Ky's cue. He quickly moved to her within a few strides, and she came fluidly into his arms. It was as if she commanded him to hold her. He squeezed her tightly and felt her fists against his chest. And for once in his life, wrapping his arms around her meant something.

"Are you alright?" he whispered to her, as if he were talking to a startled child.

Slowly, she picked her head up to him, keeping her body pressed to his. He had never been so close to her before. He saw tears pouring from her eyes. There were tear stains on her cheeks.

She's been asking about you, you know. She's been crying.

She nodded, then said, "Yes. I want to go home."

He wiped away a few tears with his thumb, then noticed a scratch at her cheek and a nasty looking scuff on her bare shoulder. He wouldn't call that a few scratches. He began to move a hand towards it, but couldn't bring himself to touch it, fearing it would hurt her. Instead, he let his hand find something else to grope. He went for her hands, but found them tightly bunched and saw chains wrapped around her hands and wrists. He stared down on them and let his eyes follow the end of the chains to the floor where they were tied to a pipe against the wall.

Tethered. They had her tethered here like an animal!

He turned his head towards the hunters and showed them the chains around her. "What is the meaning of this?" he shouted. The sudden rise in his voice made Dizzy duck her head and wince.

"We weren't going to let her roam free in this room like a guest," Evan said. "She's a prisoner. What would keep her from breaking that door and attacking my men?"

"You bastard!" Ky snapped. "She won't hurt anyone!"

"She's a Gear," Evan said.

"Or so you say. Just get these things off her!"

Evan crossed his arms and shook his head. "Don't you know what it means to be a prisoner? You don't make demands."

Ky narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Baise-toi."

"What did you just say to me?"

To keep himself under control and coming up with anything more vulgar, in which he was very capable of, Ky turned his head away and looked at Dizzy. He kept his back to the hunters, ignoring them. Oh, how dearly he wanted to kill them—

"Lock them up."

Ky looked over his shoulder as the door closed behind them, with darkness soon taking over his vision, leaving his eyes to adjust. He only saw shadows and outlines. And there was Dizzy. He felt her beginning to tremble.

He soon pulled his head back, keeping an arm around her back. He raised a hand up and searched the air above him until his fingers were laced by a cord he was looking for, and pulled it. The room was flooded by a low, dull yellow light that seemed to be on its last ounce of energy. But at least now, he could see her, and she would no longer have to be in the dark. That's all he wanted for now. She picked her head up and looked around once she noticed the light.

"Is that better?" he asked her, keeping his voice low. There was a possibility that the hunters could come in and break the lightbulb to keep him from doing it again, but he didn't care.

With her tear stained face, she looked up at him. "Yes. Thank you." A few fresh tears fell from her eyes. "What do we do now?"

He wiped at the tears while he said, "We wait."


"Evan, I don't get it. Why don't we just kill them right now? The female's tethered and the male's disarmed. It's like shooting fish in a barrel." Jag raised his arms and bent them so it looked like he were holding an invisible crossbow, then ticked his index finger back. "Right between the eyes."

Evan Redd turned his head and stared at the face of the storage room door. He then notice the light come on from the gap under the door. He frowned at it. He heard the two Gear's voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Not yet," he said. "That male, he's up to something. I can smell it." He turned his attention to Jonas who was standing by the door with the male's sword propped in front of his chest, both hands holding it. It made the boy look like a disarmored knight guarding his post. The sword almost suited him. "Jonas, what did he say to yo when he found you?"

"He, umm—he came up to me in the street, told me he wasn't going to hurt me and said he wanted to surrender. He said he was doing it for her. I think what he said was true." He shrugged. "He cares for her. Didn't you see?"

"He's a damned Gear," Evan growled then looked at the face of the door again. "Something's going on in that head of his." He then looked at Jonas. "Jonas, you keep that sword away from him. In fact, why don't you take it to the station? He'll have less of a chance of getting his hands on it if he is planning on something. He won't have anything to channel his magic."

The boy shifted. "Are you sure?"

Evan frowned at him. Jonas had rarely questioned him—until now. "What's wrong with you today, boy? That female's gotten to you, hasn't she? How many times do I have to tell you, she isn't human. Those tears you saw earlier? They're fake—just like him." He pointed a thumb to the door.

The boy looked like he were about to speak, to try to defend his belief that she held some sort of innocence or she was somehow human, but he didn't. He turned his head away, resuming that guard-like stance. "Alright, I'll do it."

"I'll do it." Jag said, and stormed up to the boy. He snatched the sword right out of his hand, but he didn't stop. While he walked towards the back of the church, looked over his shoulder at Evan. "I think they've gotten to your boy, Evan. And that female started it. Kill her, Evan." His voice echoed off the walls.

He watched as the tall man continued down the aisle and to the doors. The boy didn't take his eyes off Jag as he carried the sword away, as if he longed for it. Evan couldn't help but think he was beginning to lose his loyal nephew he raised as a child since the death of his parents and taught him how to embrace his magic. And for what? All because of two trickster humanoid Gears? He never thought he could lose him to Gears, but then again, these weren't typical Gears.

Jonas never took his eyes off Jag, even as he moved outside. But soon, Jag pushed one door open again and shouted, "He's not alone! He's not alone! There's another!"

Then, Evan bristled. He snapped his head to the other man nearby, Rene, a younger hunter in his twenties. "I knew it was a trick."

"But there were only two. Where did this one come from?"

"The male must have called for another while he was in the streets somehow. We've got to keep it from getting inside." Evan then took off, grabbing Jonas by the wrist as he went. He dragged the boy with him until he got through the doors. The last thing he wanted was to leave him with those two other Gears. Rene followed. When he got outside, he let go of him after seeing the new Gear.

He stopped and stared at the figure standing before the steps to the church, nearly in a face-off stance with Kain, whom he had left to guard the doors. The five of them stared at the figure below, blocking his path. This one had to been called by the red-haired male. He looked just like him, except this one was blonde. He even wore a fake Sacred Order uniform and carried a sword like the other's, too. It must have been his brother.

"Damn Gears," Evan muttered under his breath as he looked at it.

Then, the Gear spoke, his voice just like the red-haired male, except this one's accent wasn't as thick. "You men! I am Officer Ky Kiske of the IPF. I was given information that there was a kidnaping involved." He looked at the group at the top of the steps, then pointed a half gloved finger to Jag. "Where is the owner of that sword?"

No one spoke.

"I was informed by the owner of that sword there was a kidnaping," the Gear went on. "Are you the hunters of this town? If you are, I have reason to believe you are guilty of this crime."

"First Gears who pass themselves off as human," Evan muttered. "Now Gears passing themselves off as the police. What's this world coming to?"

"I say we kill them all," Jag said. He then raised the black and red sword over his head. "Hey Gear! You want your brother? Come and get him!"

The blonde passed him a dumb look. "Did you just call me a Gear?"


Ky watched the door as he sat on the floor with Dizzy, her head on his shoulder. He kept his eyes on the gap below the door, watching the shadows. He listened to the hunters' voices, heard them speaking about them. He even began to hear that Jonas was starting to be suspected. And then there was shouting. Their footsteps fled the door. All of them.

Ky lifted his head and shifted on his hands. "Something's going on out there." He slowly pulled himself up to his feet and walked to the door, listening. "I can feel it. Can't you?" He looked behind himself at her. She said nothing and just looked at him. "Something's—" He then placed his hands on the door and pressed an ear against it. He heard nothing but the silence of the church at first. Even the presence of the hunters were faint.

"What's going on?" Dizzy asked.

Ky pulled his ear away from the door. "I don't know." He then drew a hand down to the knob and tested it, but it was locked. "Come on, Jonas," he muttered under his breath.

His eyes grazed over the door from top to bottom, looking for any sign of weakness. His mind wondered if there was a possibility that he could break the door down with a few rams to the side of it. If no one was guarding the door, then it would be the perfect opportunity.

He began to consider, and that consideration became a decision. He kept his eyes on the door and began to step back, but then, he heard a loud bang echo through the church. He heard the men yelling.

There was something in the air. It began to feel like tension.

"Ky, what was that?"

He kept listening, then heard what sounded like footsteps approach the door in a full run. His eyes fell upon the floor where he saw shadows at the gap of the door. And then, there came a loud bang across the front of the door as if something had hit it. Ky's heart jumped and he heard Dizzy shriek.

Keeping his eyes set forward on the door, Ky backed up slowly until the back of his legs were in front of Dizzy. Whoever or whatever was trying to come through that door would have to get through him first if they were after Dizzy.

He listened again as the footsteps retreated, then charged forward again. He prepared himself, watching the door fly open and reveal a figure in white. More light flooded past the figure as he gathered himself, standing up straight after the brutal charge. But soon, Ky noticed who he was. The armored shoulders, the white outfit, the blonde hair—

Shit.

Ky dropped his arms as he stared across at his original.

Before neither of them could say anything, one of the hunters ran up to the blonde man and jumped on his back, making him bow forward with the extra weight on him. He quickly thrusted his elbow into the man's face, and threw him. "Forgive me," he said as he looked back. The man's crystalline blue eyes soon turned back to the two Gears in the room. "Are you two alright?"

Ky never thought his original would have ever asked that question to him.

Behind him, Dizzy peeked out past his legs. "Yes, we're fine. Are you here to help us?"

"Yes," his original said and took a step closer.

"You followed me," Ky said with bitterness in his tone and his brows lowering.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I had to. Besides, I think you needed the help."

Ky's lips fell into a frown. He was beginning to like him less and less. "If you want to help someone, help Dizzy." He then sidestepped out of the way to reveal her plight.

His original moved closer to her and examined the links around her wrists and hands. "Chains?" His original frowned then looked into her eyes. "The best I can do is cut those off for now. Once I get you past these men, we can get them off." He then stepped aside and eyed up the links trailing to the pipe against the wall. Ky watched as the young man raised his sword and brought it down in an execution-style swing. The white blade cut through it easily, slicing the metal links in half. Afterwards, the blonde looked between the two. "Now, quickly, follow me." He then glanced at Ky. "And I still expect to see you. We aren't finished." He then turned and headed out the door. Ky passed Dizzy a glance before he wrapped an arm around her and took off after his double.

While they made their way out to freedom, he turned his head to the man his original had thrown to the floor. He was on his hands and knees, with one hand cupping his nose and mouth. Ky briefly saw blood between his fingers. His original had possibly broken his nose.

He kept Dizzy close to his side, listening to the chain rattling as she ran. He'd hate to take her outside with those things binding her, but right now, they had no choice. Even without his sword, he would protect her any way possible, even if it meant with his life.

His original charged the doors, barging his way out, with Dizzy and Ky following a few paces behind. He braced a hand out as he shoved the incoming door back open, while his original leapt down the steps to face the men before them. Ky halted only momentarily to get his bearings and to find a clear path out. But the moment he stopped, a searing pain suddenly surged through his knee, and sent him into the ground. When he landed, he saw an arrow shaft sticking out from the side of his knee. The arrow head was nearly tucked under his knee cap. That only meant—

He picked his head up and saw Evan Redd standing with his crossbow aimed at him, ready to fire another. He felt this one aimed at his head. And Dizzy knew it, too.

"Ky!" She stepped out in front of im, placing herself between him and the next arrow. "Stop it! Don't hurt him! Leave him alone!"

Ky's heart felt like it cracked when she got in front of him. Just how was she going to defend herself and him when her hands were bound?

"Dizzy, don't," he whispered.

She didn't seem to notice him anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the man by the base of the stairs. She was almost watching him like a predator. He saw her green wing twitch. He had a bad feeling about this.

Dizzy was angry. And when Dizzy got angry, so did Necro.

A part of him wanted her to unleash Necro's rage upon that man, but then again, this was innocent Dizzy. Why should she be responsible for someone's death?

Could he let her? Could he let her kill the man who kidnaped her and saw her nothing more than an animal? Would this be just revenge?

He saw the man taking aim on her.

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. He—

Dizzy bowed forward, with her wing snapping out until they were fully extended. A few feathers came loose. Ky kept his head down though and focused on the man across from them. He watched as he stared at her, his eyes bulging and his mouth open as if he had grown suddenly afraid of her.

Dizzy screamed, but it wasn't a normal scream. It sounded distorted and—inhuman. Had she already let Necro take over?

He heard the chains rattle, then the next thing he knew, he something hit him, making him recoil and bring a hand up to shield himself. Something hard hit his thigh and bounced off onto the step. He looked and saw it was link belonging to the chains. And there was more of it around her.

He looked up and saw a few of the men stop and stare at the creature at the top of the stairs. One joined Evan's side, a tall man—and Ky saw that he had his sword.

Evan Redd pointed a finger up towards Dizzy. "Kill the she-beast!"

The man beside him began to start forward, and at that time, Ky noticed he was no longer looking at the back of Dizzy's legs, but a green cloaked figure. Necro.

The tall man with the military cut skidded to a halt at the base of the stairs when he saw the new figure in place of the Gear hybrid. But he had gotten too close. By the time he stopped, it was too late to turn back. Necro pulled back on a bow Ky couldn't see and released it, sending the magic-charged arrow into the man's chest. It seemed to split into three as it hit him. The man fell backwards a few feet, literally lifted off his feet and landed on his back. Ky's sword flew out of his hand, spinning, and landed nearby. He stared at it.

"Jag! That thing killed Jag!"

Necro then stepped down the stairs slowly towards the other men. Ky sat up straighter and watched. The men before it began to back up, even Ky's original. He saw Evan Redd take a step forward and pull back on the trigger on his crossbow. The arrow hit Necro, but not its body. The being looked at its bow where the arrow had lodged itself, then back on Evan. It slowly reached into its cloak and pulled out an axe from beneath it. It began to advance on the group of men.

Ky meanwhile tried to pick himself up, but was sent back down on his backside, crying out in pain. He grabbed for the arrow shaft sticking out of his knee, and pulled. He gave another scream as it came out, then placed a hand upon the wound. He felt the pain and the magic coursing through his knee.

Damaged or not, he still had to stop Necro. He forced himself into a stand, stumbling at first before he managed to stabilize himself. He put his weight onto his good leg before he stepped forward and limped down the stairs. He nearly lost himself twice, but at least he kept himself from falling.

Once he reached the bottom and got his feet under him, Ky watched Necro advance, its back to him. "Necro!" he called to it. "Necro!"

The being didn't listen to him and took a few more steps before swinging its axe. The men scattered out of the way. He saw his original in the crowd again. And Jonas beside him.

Ky limped forward and towards the dead man laying on the ground. As he approached, he saw his upper chest had been torn open. There was a hole the size of his land, revealing a window into the mangled flesh within him. He even saw crushed bone. But Ky wasn't interested in the dead man, it was his sword. He stumbled forward and snatched it from the ground.

He picked his head up and looked to Jonas and his original again. Noting Necro's position, he limped towards them. He grabbed Jonas by the arm, using him as balance and to get his attention. "Jonas, get inside the church."

The boy looked at him and shook his head. His face was pale. "This wasn't the way it was supposed to go."

"I know. Just get inside. You'll be safe there. Now." He pointed him away.

The boy hesitated, but thankfully, he did as told. Ky watched him a moment before he turned his head to Necro. The being slashed its axe at Evan but the man ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated. He noticed another hunter was missing.

"Can you do anything?" his original asked beside him.

"I don't know," he said as he watched Necro and Evan size each other up. "This isn't Dizzy. But I might be able to call her back down." He limped towards Necro then. He watched as the being swung again, with Evan scattering to the side, nearly going on his hands. Ky actually wanted Necro to kill him, but he couldn't help but think about Dizzy. He couldn't let her be guilty. "Dizzy? Dizzy!"

Ky's attention was pulled away suddenly when he heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching nearly at full speed. He turned his head to see two horses charging at him with the two remaining hunters, even the one with the broken nose. His original was in their path, too. He looked behind himself and dove out of the way, just escaping a sword aimed at his back. It left them to focus on his clone after they passed him.

They charged towards him side by side, but the formation was broken by the hunter's horse on the left. It suddenly wove to the left, missing Ky completely. "Stupid horse! What are you doing? You made me miss!" The hunter pulled on the reins to get it under control. Ky grinned and turned his head to get his attention back on Necro. Luckily—or unluckily—he hadn't killed Evan yet. He was still evading its swings.

While his attention was away, he neglected to notice the rider with the disobedient horse charging him again. When he turned his head, he saw the dark horse nearly in his face, and Ky instinctively swung. Blood was sent into the air. He heard the horse squeal and collapse to the ground. Its rider fell to the ground beside it after being thrown.

Ky looked at the fallen horse by his feet. Its neck was slashed open, down to the muscle. He found himself staring at it. It was dark bay in color—a dark brown, almost black with black on its lower legs and a black snout. There were a few features that looked eerily familiar. It looked just like—

"Nora?"

"Behind you!" his original shouted.

Ky turned his head to see the other mounted hunter charging him, his sword raised to strike. He was beginning to swing at him, but something hit the man across the side. It was a bright light, almost blinding—and not just a light, but electricity. Magic. He felt it. The man screamed and fell off the horse, landing in a dull thud on the ground.

Ky turned his head to his original. He saw his white Furaiken wavering with his magic along the edge.

Saved by the enemy—

His original then pointed towards Necro and Evan. "Bring her through."

Ky nodded and moved back towards the green being and the dodging hunter. Evan had his aim on the creature and fired, only to be swung at by Necro. Ky focused on its exposed back while its blade imbedded itself into the ground after the swing. He rushed forward in a hard limp and leapt onto its back as it began to straighten itself again. He wrapped an arm around its neck while the other held tightly onto his sword. "Necro, stop—"

The creature threw him into the ground, with him landing several feet away on his back. The small of his back hurt, but pain no longer mattered when he noticed Necro moving towards him. He stared at the cruel red eyes from under its hood and the twisted face that matched them.

Ky held his hand out in a weak attempt to stop it. "Necro! You know who I am! I am not your enemy!" He felt his muscles tense as the creature began to raise its axe over its head. Was this the way he was going to go? Killed for trying to protect Dizzy, even her innocence? As he looked at the blade, he remembered how she laughed when she played with Nora. He remembered setting her leg on the floor of his cabin, how her body just seemed to glow against the fire—

Necro brought the axe down, with it slamming into the ground beside him. Ky shifted his hip and braced himself closing his eyes tightly, but didn't feel pain or his own blood surface from his flesh. He opened his eyes and saw the blade stuck in the earth, a foot away from slicing into his organs.

His eyes wandered up, following the handle of the large axe. He saw Necro bent forward, that gruesome face staring at him from under the shadows of its face. It then stood and stumbled backwards. Green feathers drifted from under its robes and into the air. Ky's eyes followed them, and then, Necro dropped to its knees. But when Ky looked at it, it wasn't Necro beside him, it was Dizzy. She was sitting on the ground with her hand on her head, swaying slightly. She looked rather dazed.

Ky sat up. "Dizzy." He reached a hand for her.

His ears then caught the sound of a man running at full speed, and picked his head up to get a glimpse of white fly past his vision. His original jump in front of them. He skidded slightly but kept his footing. He stood in front of them with his arms spread. "That's far enough!"

Ky wasn't sure what he was doing at first, but then he noticed Evan Redd approaching with his crossbow aimed on him.

"You want an arrow in your head, Gear? Move!"

"For the last time, I am not a Gear!" he shouted. "I'm Officer Ky—"

"Shut your mouth!" Evan swung his fist at the blonde, but failed to hit his mark. His original grabbed the man by the wrist and threw him into the ground. Even though Evan weighed more than he did, he made it look easy. His original quickly kicked the crossbow out of his hand after he landed, sending it flying across the ground.

"Bastard!"

Evan lunged up as his original stood over him. He threw another punch at the man's face and also went for the arm holding his sword. Ky didn't need to watch to know the outcome of that brave dare. He turned his head to Dizzy and took her wrist. He began to pick her up slowly, making sure she could stand.

"We need to go now. "

She still seemed dazed but at least she was alright. She glanced over to the two fighting men, which seemed to get more furious by the second. "But—"

He pulled on her lightly. "Don't worry. He'll handle it from here." He then pulled on her harder and took off running. He felt her hesitate, but she didn't stop once she got going. They couldn't stop. It was the perfect opportunity to get away—the innocent Gear and the criminal—