"Ugh," Sid groaned, propping herself up against the travel wagon while Lucient tended to her leg wound. "Guess that was stupid of me."
"You took that shot on purpose," Lucient pointed out while dabbing a cotton ball with mild soap around the wound. The bullet that hit Sid didn't penetrate the skin, but left a nasty gash after grazing across her leg.
Sid huffed. "I could've easily dodged it, but it was on course for you, too. Wasn't the brightest move, but I'm keeping my word to keep you brats safe."
Lucient picked up the gauze, frowning at it. "Yeah, but Melissa got separated from us."
Sid gritted her teeth worriedly. The sand was still whipping around the town, and she could hear the faint sound of gunshots through the blustery winds. "I need to help her."
"Not with this injury," Lucient pointed out.
"Kid, if you think this sucks, you should've seen my month in Hell." Sid glared. "Still, it might actually be a good thing we're hearing gunshots."
"How so?"
"If our target is hunting Melissa, they're struggling to keep her down. Melissa's resisting. She's playing smart and keeping our target on his toes. For the time being, she has everything under control."
"I see, but for how long?"
"That I rather keep in the dark." Sid reached over to Godfrey's harness and unhooked him. "Godfrey, get in there and save Melissa."
Lucient's eyes widened. "Godfrey?"
Godfrey exhaled through his nostrils. "{Do not worry. I will have that criminal twenty feet under once I am through with him.}" He reared his forelegs up, neighing a mighty battle cry, and charged into the sandstorm.
Lucient blinked in confusion. "Will he be alright? He doesn't look like the type capable of dealing with gunmen."
"Godfrey's tough. You should settle your worries onto Melissa's safety instead." Sid glared worriedly. "There's no telling where in town she is, or how long she can hold out on her own."
It had been five minutes into the fight, stuck in a fleeting stalemate as both fighters kept a distance from each other. One on foot, the other on the rooftop. Only one side had the advantage in distance, while the other struggled to stay on top of the conflict.
Melissa, taking to the shelter of the alleyways as best she could, huddled between some boxes with one hand on her knife. The gunshots had stopped for some time. Amos, by her guess, was taking his time with his shots. That much was certain to her.
Melissa squatted lower, taking a moment to breathe. She looked at the bullet holes in her cloak and grimaced. "I may be way over my head with this, but what choice do I have?" She looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun's rays. "At least the sand's not blowing as hard over here. I had to run pretty far, but I got out of his Sandstorm's immediate range. But where is he?"
Melissa poked her head out from the boxes, peering at the streets. The sand blew through with particles scattering into the alleyway. Melissa ducked back and took the time to compose her breathing.
"Okay, first rule of stealth: the key to making yourself invisible is to control your breathing. Mastering of the technique will erase your presence from the enemy." She gulped. "Yeah, sure, against an opponent who can see without eyes. That will surely help." She took a deep breath and sighed.
"Okay Melissa, do not act pessimistic. I cannot go in swinging without a plan. I need to figure out my opponent's method of attack, their mindset, and their weaknesses. Ugh, but what weaknesses? He seems to have perfect senses. How was he able to do that?"
Melissa pressed her back to the alley and sighed. "Think, think, think. Sight is out of the question, so is hearing. There is no way he could hear me over all the sandstorm, unless his hearing is strangely acute. Smell? Taste? Definitely neither of those. What about touch? That makes no sense, either." Melissa narrowed her eyes. "Inherited Will?"
She barely knew much of the strange ability, or if it's truly some mystical ability passed through bloodlines. Jason himself didn't sound sure of the origins, only what was written in history. Her knowledge was limited to what he said, but that could mean a load of things. What did it do in a fight?
Regardless, there were issues with the possibility. One, for all the drama around it, this particular occurrence seemed to bland to be some spiritual enhancement. Two, despite Melissa's better judgment, she failed to believe some random gunman was anything that special, much less an inheritor of a powerful knight's will.
Melissa glared. "So, not Inherited Will. Jason better give me a rundown on it just so I can understand what is so special about it." She peeked out from the boxes again. "Amos is being quiet. What could he be—"
The sandstorm suddenly blew through the alleyway, catching her off guard. She covered her face, but some sand found its way into her open mouth. She hid under her cloak and spat on the ground in disgust.
"Disgusting! Eww! My taste buds have been desecrated enough!"
"There you are."
Melissa gasped and immediately started running. A gunshot went off, followed by a bullet striking her previous position. Melissa tumbled across the ground, but quickly got back on her feet and dashed out onto the street. A second gunshot followed, nearly grazing her heels.
"Eep!" Melissa turned right while pulling out her bow. "Where is he?" She tried to look up, but the sand kept getting in her face. "Ugh! This is so annoying!"
Another shot went off and fired into her path. It missed only because Melissa accidentally slowed down to rub her eyes. She shrieked, slipping on the sand and falling on her back. Expecting a gunshot, she rolled and narrowly avoided another bullet.
"Where are those coming from?!" she cried aloud. She raised her ears, trying to pinpoint his location, but all she got was distorted sounds over the winds. "This is crazy. I cannot see, hear, or—"
A shot fired from behind and, to her horror, grazed across the left side of her uniform. It teared it open, but miraculously missing the skin. She stood still, petrified, while staring at what could've been a grievous wound.
"W-W-What…?" Melissa chattered fearfully.
"Darn it," Amos' distorted voice spoke up through the sand. "Did I hit her or not?"
Melissa recovered from her shock at the sound of his voice and quickly jumped to the side, predicting another gunshot she narrowly avoided. That was the sixth shot. He's empty now!
Melissa turned and hightailed it. "Bounce!" She poured power through her legs and took huge strides through the street, kicking up clouds of sand behind her. "For the love of Arceus, my beautiful legs, get me out of here!"
She took shortcuts between some buildings, heading deeper into the town, and getting farther from the sandstorm's range. The sand particles lightened up as she got farther from the eye of the storm.
She looked over her shoulder and inspected the rooftops. "I do not see him. Perhaps I gave him the slip." She pressed her back up to the front of a store and peeked around the corner. "No, it cannot be that easy. This bounty hunter has killed before, I know it. He may not be the type you can lose so quickly."
She bared her teeth, subconsciously rubbing the tear in her uniform. Though her body was spared of the shot, she could imagine the pain of searing hot metal firing at high speed and tearing into a chunk of her flesh on impact. The pain, though unfamiliar, terrified her through abstract thought alone.
The bullet, a tiny knife that can stab any target from any distance. The gun, the bullet's hilt, should only be wielded by those who know how to maneuver their weapon. It had to be as seamless as a dance, executed with the utmost skill and grace.
"Weapon development is terrifying," she mumbled. "And Jason said this was a nuisance to the Foresters? Preposterous. Does he expect me to believe such a deadly weapon equates to some tedious inconvenience like a dress one size too small or a carriage trapped in the mud? Those are problems that can be solved. This? This is a hellish nightmare that I dared myself to solve on my own! What have I done to myself?!"
Something suddenly whipped across her cheek, delivering a hard, resounding smack. She froze, ignoring the stinging in her face, and looked down at the offending object. It was nothing more than her own quivering hand, fingers clenched up.
Melissa leaned back against the building she hid behind and sighed shakily. "Right. I should not be panicking at a time like this. This is not some silly kids game where the loser must carry out a five minute penalty. This is life or death."
Melissa slapped both her cheeks, getting the blood pumping in full, and peeked around the corner once more. Her eyes widened upon catching sight of the Gligar jumping between the rooftops, heading toward her direction.
"Okay, how long have I been waiting here? At least a minute. Loading a gun with pincers, I imagine, must be difficult. It must take him some time to reload the gun. He fires rather regularly, maybe every five seconds. Though, he fired more often in the start. What was the difference between those moments? I was hiding."
Melissa lingered on the thought, then narrowed her eyes. "No…I was standing still. He took his time to fire while I was evading his shots, but fired more if I was standing still. There's a pattern there, I hope. But why? If he's not using his natural senses, something is allowing him to detect my presence. Whatever it is, is it possible me moving around too much forces him to take guesses on his aim?"
"I could hear the gunshots, but I was able to avoid them. I couldn't tell where they were coming from or how they could see me."
He managed to fire in Petra's general location, but she mentioned his shots being way off half the time. However he is detecting me, there must be some sort of delay with positioning. A brief lag in his senses. He wouldn't be able to hit someone as fast as Petra. The lag would be too wide. She glared. But if that's the case, something he said early confuses me.
She didn't have time to dwell on the thought as the sandstorm came through. Melissa took off running, just in time as a bullet shot the building she was just at.
There is a delay! Melissa gasped. Oh my goodness, did I actually figure it out? So cool! I am so going to brag about this to Jet! She yelped, narrowly avoiding another gunshot. Right after I survive this ordeal!
"Try dodging this one, bunny girl." Amos fired off another shot. From the sound of it, it came from Melissa's left.
But with this guy—
Melissa slid onto her back as the bullet instead flew from her right. She got a brief glimpse of the bullet wrapped in a funnel of sand before flying off into the veil of earth. Melissa rolled back onto her feet and kept running.
He can fire from any direction. Even if I know where he is firing from and about the delay, I can only predict where he will shoot. This guy is not stupid, though. Eventually he is going to change things up to throw me off more. Those bullets move too fast for me to keep track of them.
She pulled her hood over her eyes and glared at the rooftops. With what little visibility she could get, she saw Amos following from above, hopping between rooftops with his gun trained on her direction. She saw him raise his pincer and slam it on the hammer.
He stays consistent with his shots. As soon as he fires, if I can dodge this one—
The bullet flew from the muzzle, wrapped in a green aura. The bullet followed a swirling path of sand and curved from Melissa's right, looping around and flying straight for her back. Melissa threw herself to the left, dodging the bullet by a hair, then whipped out an arrow as she slid across the sand.
"Take this!" She fired an arrow at Amos.
Amos reacted to her shout and dodged to the right, but winced as the arrowhead grazed his cheek. He stumbled for a moment, then caressed his cheek. A trickle of blood seep from the wound.
"She could've actually gotten me in the face if the sands weren't whipping around." Amos bared his teeth. "Damn, this girl must be bloodthirsty. Since when do Foresters go for risky kills like that?"
Melissa could just barely hear him since she was in front of the building he stood on, and her face turned white as a sheet. I nearly broke Sacred Law 4.
"Oh well, what does it matter?" Amos spun his revolver around. "I have to admit, you're holding out better than most of my other targets. You're a lot faster than them." Amos smirked smugly. "Then again, what would you expect from some pathetic female? For all I know, that speed is pure fear. Just the way I like my women: pathetic and cowardly."
Melissa's jaw immediately dropped at his comment. E…Excuse me?!
"Shnee-heeheeheehee! What's the matter? Got nothing to say?"
Oh, I got plenty to say to you, you sexist jerk! Melissa nocked another arrow. "You know, I didn't want to make this anymore violent than it needed to be, but I suddenly need to punch that stupid face of yours."
"Come now, not even a little fear? It's much more attractive than that stupid seduction shit you tried to pull."
"I'm new, alright?! Give me a break!"
"Enough!" Amos aimed his gun and slammed on the hammer.
Melissa tensed her legs. He has two shots left. Which way is he firing?
The bullet flew from the barrel and looped into the sand. Melissa tried to follow the trail, but it vanished among the sand. By unfortunate instinct, Melissa took her eyes off Amos right as he went for his last shot. He spat a purple sludge onto the barrel, then took aim.
"Razor Wind!" Amos fired, followed by a wide funnel of sharp winds.
Melissa heard his cry before the gunshot and just barely dodged the bullet. However, the Razor Wind expanded outward once the bullet hit the ground, spraying sharp needles of air into Melissa, as well as bits of the purple sludge from the bullet.
Melissa cried out as the needles slashed her skin and drew blood. The cuts were shallow, but nonetheless painful. She fell onto her back and cradled the cuts, biting back her tears.
Amos spun his revolver and laughed. "Shnee-heeheehee! You have pretty good hearing. Guess it's an unfortunate habit to say my attacks before using them, but I suppose you can't think straight with the threat of a bullet coming your way."
Melissa pulled herself up and glared. "How did you—"
"—set up a Razor Wind that fast? Please, you think I have time to wait for it to charge?" He raised his pincers. "I am Amos of the Blind Luck, fool! I play all the odds to my favor!"
Melissa growled. Charging it up beforehand. Great, if I wait too long, he will have one of those set up on me. At least these cuts are only shallow. But now that he is out of bullets—
Melissa crouched down and sprung upward, catching Amos by surprise. Melissa pulled out one of her spicy gas pellets and chucked it at him. Amos foresaw her attack and managed to avoid the pellet before it exploded. The winds blowing in his direction caught a whiff of the cloud, which he then smelled.
"Agh!" He covered his nose. "A little of that stuff burned my nostrils!"
Melissa grabbed to the roof gutters and pulled herself up. I cannot let him reload. I need to move fast. She dashed at him while he was stunned. Knock him out in one punch. You can do this.
Melissa stopped in front of Amos and threw her weight behind her punch. However, the arc was too wide, something Amos picked up on immediately. He blocked her arm, easily stopping her attack, and rammed her foot into her gut. Melissa gasped and stumbled back, clutching her midsection and trembling at the knees.
Amos jumped back and pulled out a vial from under his vest and popped the cork off. "No time to reload, so this'll do." He dumped what appeared to be black powder into his mouth and swished it around for a few seconds. He then opened the gun's chamber and spat green slime into it.
Melissa, upon recovering from her injury, looked up and gasped as Amos took aim at her. She managed to sidestep one of the shots, but Amos immediately followed it up with a second shot that got her right in the neck. Melissa's eyes widened in horror as a stinging pain inflamed from her neck to her head.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Melissa fell onto her back, flailing about in agony while gripping her wound.
Amos spun his gun, then aimed again. "How about some more?" He fanned the hammer four more times, unloading the full chamber into Melissa. All four shots nailed her in the torso, arms, and legs.
Melissa's back arched as she cried out in a bloodcurdling scream. Her whole body seethed and howled like it was on fire. The sand-covered rooftops only seemed to aggravate her wounds as she rolled around. The pain was indescribable, unlike anything Melissa had ever experience. It topped even the pain inflicted upon her during her fight against Jet. It felt like someone slapped her on a terrible sunburn, repeatedly and deliberately, all for the malicious enjoyment to watch her recoil.
It seemed only Amos found enjoyment in her suffering and pitiful rolling. "Geez, I've seen tougher guys walk off those kinds of hits. As expected, another weakling." He opened the chamber and started putting bullets in. "I better start by taking out your legs first. Those are a considerable problem."
Melissa flopped onto her stomach with tears drizzling down her face. This pain is excruciating. What did he hit me with? She moved her hand from her neck wound and, after taking a few second to calm down, noted the green coloring on her hand. It stung, but not as bad as the initial contact. No blood? Those were not bullets?
She checked her body again and noted that, aside from the possibility of welts forming, she wasn't bleeding. Nothing but green slime that felt acidic.
This must be a Poison-Type move. But which one? Melissa looked over her shoulder and noticed Amos nearly finished with reloading his gun. He has means to keep opponents at a distance or temporarily disable them to land killing shots. But even so, I know he has a weakness. Question is, what?
Amos set the chamber, then raised his gun. "Now, which leg to start with?"
Melissa reached into her pouch. I need time to think. She flicked a pellet from under her cloak, exploding it in front of Amos.
Amos instantly recoiled from the cloud, already detecting the burning stench of the spice cloud. "Not this shit again."
Melissa picked herself up and limped ahead, throwing herself behind a large chimney. She pressed her back to it and took a small breather before pulling out an arrow.
This sand is not making it easier to fight back. If Jason were here, I imagine he would have knocked this guy out by now. Jet would've drowned him and clobbered him in the head a dozen times over. And if Sid were here…well, I bet she would do something super impressive.
Melissa jumped as a bullet struck the corner of the chimney. She could hear Amos' annoyed shouts, something about the spice cloud throwing his aim off. No matter how good his strange senses were, any irritant threw off concentration.
Cannot waste my time thinking about the possibilities. Now think, what Poison-Type move could he have used? It had to be an attacking one. Another bullet grazed the chimney. Green toxic slime. If I remember correctly, is that not the general appearance of…Venoshock?
Two more bullets flew by, curving around the chimney, but barely missing their mark. Melissa nocked an arrow and pushed herself up.
I believe I saw him eat something before spitting into his gun. It must have been some alchemical elixir to give Venoshock the extra kick. But, hold on, does Venoshock not do more damage when against a poisoned victim? That certainly would explain the pain, but when was I—
Her eyes widened, recalling the Razor Wind attack from earlier. The wind needles carried traces of the purple sludge tipped on the gun's barrel.
Toxic! He used a small trace of Toxic that got onto my cuts! Melissa winced and felt her forehead. N-Now that I…think about it, I suddenly feel a bit woozier. She stumbled a bit, but held her ground. It is only a little poison, but I can feel the fatigue. I cannot let any more of those Venoshocks hit me.
She peeked around the chimney to fire an arrow, but yelped as a bullet tore off a chunk of the chimney.
Actually, I should worry more about the bullets!
The irritant finally flushed from Amos' nostrils, allowing him to focus on Melissa again. "This time, I won't miss."
I need to get close. Melissa thought for a second, then gulped. I am going to pull a stupid.
"Now!" Amos slammed on the hammer.
Melissa suddenly bolted towards Amos, pulling out her sword. Amos fired, this time in a straight line. Melissa raised her sword and braced herself as the bullet bounced off the blade. She endured the impact, though it did rattle her, then lunged at Amos.
She knocked Amos to the ground and pinned his arms down. "Enough! You're under arrest!" she yelled.
"You're the farthest thing from the law, missy!" Amos bent his knees and kicked her off. Melissa landed on her back, but rolled back onto her feet and lunged again, grappling Amos' arm and twisting the revolver out of his pincer.
Amos sneered. "You want to fight? Toxic!" He inhaled and attempted to spit in her face.
Melissa quickly grabbed her dagger and flicked it in an upward slash, hitting him across the chest. Amos gasped, throwing off his aim and knocking him back. Melissa held the dagger out and thrusted the blade at him, but he caught it in his pincer and stopped it.
Amos bared his teeth at her. "Girl, you got some nerve pulling that shit on me."
Melissa glared. "Says you. Copycat!" A purple aura surrounded her as she reared her head back and spat in Amos' face, landing her mark.
"Agh!" Amos stumbled away and covered his face. "You bitch!"
"HA!" Melissa tackled his midsection and threw them both off the roof. They hit the street, with Amos taking the brunt of the landing. Melissa flew off onto her back, but picked herself up soon after. She reached for her dagger when—
"Razor Wind!" Melissa gasped breathlessly as the sharp winds slashed her across the back, ripping the back of her uniform and leaving two large cuts going all the way up to her shoulders. She collapsed onto her front, unable to scream from the pain.
Amos picked himself up, panting heavily. "You…really…are getting on my nerves, girl. How long do you intend on running? Is the safety of that damn princess really so important that you're willing to put your life at risk? I swear, you Foresters are motivated by some stupid ideals. All this effort and for what?"
Melissa gritted her teeth. "Shut up…" Her voice was hoarse, strained from holding back the pain welling up in her.
"You said you were new, right? Let me give you a crash course on life, brat. People like you die for holding onto stupid ideals like this. Better to just let ideals die. We are all driven by selfish desires. That's what guys like me want in this world. Whether it be tangible or some goal, holding onto those shitting ideals will only get you killed. Is holding the princess hostage worth all this trouble?"
"I said shut up…" Melissa growled, pressing her hands down and trying to get up.
Amos sighed. "What did I expect from some stupid Buneary?" He turned and waved his pincers at the roof. The sand swirled around and knocked his gun onto the street. He walked over and picked it up. "You had your fun, but it seems you won't talk. I'll just have to go after the Espeon and Drilbur next. Tch, unless she's already gotten to them, which makes this all the more boring."
Melissa raised her ears. She? Does he have a partner?
Amos placed bullets into the gun's chamber. "I guess we'll have to cut our fun short. It's been nice playing with you, but business comes first. I'm sure you can understand."
I understand clearly. Business does come first. Melissa growled under her breath. Her muscles burned with exertion as she pushed herself onto her feet. This is not where I fall, Amos of the Blind Luck. Though you do not know it, I am learning more and more of the real world from your example.
Amos turned his gun on Melissa and prepared to fire. "I'll spare you the pain and nail you between the eyes. It'll be a painless, quick death."
Ignore caution. When your life is at stake, injury becomes a secondary concern. Melissa glared, crouching down. I need to get out of the sand and find cover. Somewhere to escape from him.
"May Yveltal guide you safely into the afterlife!" Amos yelled, swinging his pincer down on the hammer.
Suddenly, Melissa's legs burst with strength and rocketed her out of the street. Amos was taken aback by this, sensing the Buneary flying towards one of the buildings.
"No, is she trying to get inside and out of the sand?" Amos bared his teeth. "Hell no! U-Turn!" He fanned the gun's hammer and unloaded the entire chamber.
Melissa lunged at the building, but gasped as the bullets shot the deck, nearly hitting her. She stumbled back and took off to the shop on the other side of the street.
Amos pulled out another vial and dumped the contents in his mouth. He spat Venoshock into his gun and fired poison bullets at Melissa. Once again, the shots riddled the front entrance, forcing Melissa to turn away.
What has gotten into him?!
Amos spat into his gun again, shouting, "You aren't going anywhere, you hear?!" He fanned the hammer again, sending curve shots all over the street.
Melissa found herself doing amateur gymnastics as she dodged the poison bullets. Some came dangerously close to hitting her, but she got by a hair's worth. Amos continuously spat into his gun, constantly loading back up on the explosive powder. With how fast Melissa was moving, it made it all the harder to predict where she would land.
Three shots managed to catch Melissa from all sides, so she sprang into the air, letting the bullets collide into each other. What set him off all of a sudden? What is wrong with me going inside a building?
"Shnee! You idiot!" Melissa craned her neck down at Amos. "You don't just jump into the air. You left yourself wide open. Unless you're secretly one of Spring-Loaded Harriet's disciples, I've got you in my sights!" He jammed one bullet into the gun, then fired.
Melissa gasped and tried torqueing her body. She spun just enough to avoid being shot through the stomach. However, she couldn't completely avoid it as the bullet nicked her in the side. Blood and fur sprayed from her left side, scattering through the sand.
"GyaaaaAAAAAHHHHH!" Melissa screamed her heart out. She sailed onto the roof of a building and landed on her front. She clutched her side as she continued to scream and wail in pain. It exceeded whatever pain she felt from the Venoshock, not helped by the warm blood soaking her hands.
Amos glided up onto the rooftops and approached her, calmly reloading his gun. He sighed in relief. "Yeesh, I finally got you. I suppose this is your first bullet wound."
Melissa bit into her collar, trying to muffle her screams. She pressed hard on her wound, both to keep it seal and to keep sand out. She could only look up with wet, fuzzy eyes at the blindfolded gunman, staring at him in a pitiful request for mercy.
Amos sneered. "You really are some useless dope they picked up off the streets. Tch. Putting you out of your misery is an act of Arceus at this point." He aimed his gun at her forehead. "Stay still. I'll put you out of your suffering."
Melissa grinded her teeth into her uniform. Despite the odds, her mind remained focused on the objective. I need to clean the wound and get it patched up. I can't think with all this sand blowing around.
Amos glared. "Any last words?"
How is he tracking me like this? And why did he act so violent when I tried to get out of the sandstorm? Melissa chewed harder into her uniform, then eased up as a revelation dawned upon her. He's wearing a blindfold. Every time the sandstorm comes, he always sees me. Is it possible he's…?
"Any day now," Amos said, poking her with the gun.
Melissa clenched her teeth. I will not falter. Not to the likes of you!
Melissa bent her legs and rammed her feet into his gut. Amos recoiled, feeling the air shoot out his lungs. He stumbled back, holding his stomach while his gun faltered away from Melissa. She shuffled towards the edge of the roof, still clutching to her wound. She reached into her pouch for a pellet.
Amos managed to get his breathing under control and saw her fleeing. "Hey!" He raised his gun and fired.
Melissa preemptively kicked off the roof and avoided the bullet. She sailed over the street, now at the mercy of gravity. Amos took off and glided overhead, taking aim at her freefalling form.
"No escape now," Amos pointed out.
Melissa worked up the nerve to scoff. "Yeah, seems like that, doesn't it? But sad to say, despite this wound, I'm in control of this fight now!" During the freefall, she had tossed the pellet in the air. It fell with her, close to her feet. She arched her leg, then kicked the pellet straight into Amos' face.
A cloud of green smoke exploded into him, completely obscuring everything. "What?! What is this stuff?!"
Melissa landed on her back, aggravating her wound more, but she fought the pain to get up and start running. However, at the last second, she turned and took off running the building of the roof she was just on, throwing herself through the doors.
Amos swiped through the smoke and glared through his blindfold. "Where is she?!" He turned to the opposing building. "She must've went in there." He landed and took aim. "Get out here, you damn rabbit!"
Melissa listened to Amos' frantic gunshots outside, glad he took the bait. He assumed she darted into the building opposite to them. How long that would trick him was up to fate, but it gave Melissa time to pull herself together.
She pulled herself up and limped towards the counter of the saloon she, thankfully, landed in. The patrons sat stunned at their tables as the bleeding Buneary pulled herself onto a stool, facing the speechless Sudowoodo bartender.
"Cold water…washcloth…soap…now!" Melissa growled.
"Ah! Yes, ma'am!" He dashed off, then returned with the requested items. The water was held in a bucket.
"Set it on the floor." Sudowoodo bent over and set it in front of the counter. Melissa slid down from the stool, grabbed the bucket, and gently poured the water over the wound, rising out some sand particles and other dirt. She winced at the pain, but kept her composure.
She applied the soap to the washcloth after damping it a bit, then cleaned around the wound, trying to avoid putting the soap directly on it. Once it felt sufficiently cleaned, she tore off the sleeves of her uniform and tied them around her waist as best she could.
I am grateful…it is not a large gash. This should suffice for the time being. Melissa sighed and rested her head against the counter, eyes closed, taking a moment to catch her breath. Hopefully Shade has some weird alchemy potion for the healing, or he at least knows how to stitch a wound.
"Crap, what's going on out there?" Melissa opened one eye and saw the patrons gawking at the chaos outside as Amos riddled the opposing building.
He is going to realize I am over here eventually. Melissa sat herself up, keeping pressure on her wound. At least now I understand the secret to his omnidirectional targeting. The second I threw that pellet in his face, his concentration broke.
She shook the sand off her cloak, then ran her free hand through the particles as they fell.
He can sense the movement within his Sandstorm. Everything that pushes against the sand shows up, painting a three-dimensional image of the landscape, or so I believe. That explains the delay. It could be a form of echolocation, like a Zubat's. The information he is getting does not come immediately. Every time I move, what he is actually seeing is lagging behind. I am actually ahead of whatever he is seeing, so he must adjust his shots. He could not hit Petra because she moved far too fast to predict against the lag. He's compensating for his vision.
Melissa glared suspiciously. But is he actually blind? Surely, I would believe the blindfold to be for shielding his eyes, but there are infinitely better options than limiting his sight. Not to mention, he should be able to see through the sand without trouble. And then there is that suspicious thing he said, right from the start.
"A little Buneary like you should be easy pickings, but I need a suitable hostage first."
He identified me as a Buneary. Granted, there is a possibility he has a partner, but that just seems like such an odd thing to mention. Plus, if my theory on his Sandstorm is correct, how did he pick me out among the others? I was beside Lucient and Sid, or at least within the same range of them. How would he know what I looked like if he is seeing a featureless void?
Melissa pulled herself, wincing as her wound flared up a bit. No, there is something very wrong about all this. I know he is not blind, but why use such a strategy? It seems like it only puts him at a disadvantage for a problem he does not have. Unless…his vision is the actual problem.
Melissa narrowed her eyes, focusing in as the shooting outside started to calm. "I think I finally understand. Amos of the Blind Luck, it seems you have one major disadvantage that's been sitting in front of my face the whole time."
"So, you are writing a book, Theobald?"
Theobald smiled, turning away from the board. "Ah yes, I am. Spent many years of my life learning the customs of the ten kingdoms and taking inspiration from them. You could say it has a little bit of everything in it. I hope to make a series."
Melissa set her quill aside and leaned forward. "What is it about?"
"A thief. A young thief who steals rare treasures from the rich for her personal gain, only to find herself wrapped in a dark conspiracy she never asked to be a part of."
Melissa raised her brow. "Sounds contrived."
Theobald laughed. "How so?"
"Why would a thief bother themselves with a conspiracy? They are criminals who act off selfish deeds. It sounds farfetched for anyone to get involved in something that does not concern them. Why would a thief care?"
Theobald crossed his arms, smirking. "Do you presume a thief has a one-track mind?"
"Anyone who turns against their kingdom to carry out their selfish goals is not someone who would seek to settle an equally corrupt matter. Good is good, evil is evil. A thief is evil."
Theobald chuckled. "Melissa, I'm afraid that's another narrowminded judgment on your part."
Melissa pouted. "Was it not you who forced upon those heroic epics on me? I have made judgment on the crude behavior of those heroes, yet you claimed they were heroes. If one's personality does not dictate their role in morality, what does?"
"Melissa, those epics were from a long time ago. They come from a culture with different values. Those epic heroes, despite their immoral personalities, demonstrated strength. Strength was valued above all else in past cultures. That behavior was almost expected of epic heroes."
"Then why would you make a main character a thief?"
"What is a thief but an individual opposing the rules of society?"
"But the rule of a king is just and absolute. Those who oppose order will—"
"Melissa, remember that story we read regarding the tyrannical king?"
Melissa shut her mouth immediately, then sunk back into her chair. "W-Well, yeah, but—"
"Keep in mind, despite the prior context I gave you, the main character of that tale was, in fact, a criminal. They opposed the rule of a kingdom and performed illegal actions within the kingdom, yet he was made as the protagonist. The rightful ruler of that kingdom. So tell me, what is a thief but one who opposes an order?"
Melissa sunk into her chair, staring down at her dress. "I…do not have an answer to that."
Theobald smirked. "And that is precisely the kind of person Harlow is."
"Harlow?"
"The name of my main character. She's a bold, resourceful young lass who utilizes her wits to get what she wants. She's fearless, strong, intelligent, and idealistic of a future where she can live freely."
Melissa smiled a bit. "Is that right? What was the inspiration for the character?"
"Merely an old Nidoking's belief on justice, or what's left of it." Theobald sighed and shook his head. "Fact is, terms like justice lose weight when you break down the concept by the particle. Sometimes justice is nothing more than an idealist's lie."
Melissa raised her brow. "An idealist's lie?"
"Heh. Perhaps not the time for this discussion. Your father will have quite the conniption if he heard me tarnishing the kingdom's values for justice." He picked up his chalk and returned to the board. "Now then, going back to the lesson…"
Melissa stared down at her paper thoughtfully, pressing her quill down and bleeding ink through the page. "Theobald?"
"Yes?"
"Do you suppose…I could be as great as Harlow?"
Theobald smiled. "Well now, I don't know. That's up to you, my dear. I say there's a little bit of Harlow in all of us. Though her actions are questionable, it's her ideals that should be emulated. Perhaps you can find something to emulate with Harlow."
"Emulate with Harlow, huh?" Melissa closed her eyes, sighing through her nose. "Emulate like Harlow…"
Amos panted tiredly, having gone through an unnecessary number of bullets and likely scaring off the people inside the building. The windows were shot out, the doors were blown off, and the awning resting over the front porch had collapsed in half after destroying one side of supports. The sand whipped around him, bouncing off everything in the radius. With those sand particles, vibrations echoed through Amos' mind, painting the landscape in waves. The entire town within his Sandstorm was revealed to him. Though details were scarce, the shape of everything was accurate, from the buildings to the people—especially his prey.
"Where did that wench go?" he mumbled as he reloaded his gun. "Did she give me the slip while I was distracted? I doubt she held out for this long." He focused on the building behind him. "Then she must've gone in there instead. I'll have to play it safe. Using Sandstorm in an enclosed space like that recklessly will make things difficult."
He turned and pointed his gun at the saloon. Right as he placed his pincer on the hammer, he halted. Something entered his sand as they exited the saloon. The shape instantly caught his attention, one too familiar to him.
He huffed. "Oh? What's this now?"
Melissa stepped down from the saloon porch and stood beside a group of barrels. With an arm holding her side and hands stained with her blood, she glared at the Gligar with an unfamiliar coldness.
"Finally came out of your own volition? I must give you credit, you're actually braver than you sound, or maybe you're just stupid. You know what? I prefer the latter option. Shnee-heeheeheehee!"
Melissa snorted. "Cute."
Amos paused, then glared back. "Someone's not in a mood to talk. Fine." He raised his gun. "So, how do you want it? Through the forehead or the heart?"
"I've already won this bout, Amos."
Amos smirked. "Cockiness is unbecoming of you, precious. It's an unattractive feature."
"I was mentored that upon learning the opponent's weakness, you've already won the battle. Therefore, victory is mine."
Amos groaned. "You Foresters have a knack for being self-righteous about yourselves. My weakness? Oh dear, do you have a bucket of water to dump on me? Or perhaps a handful of ice cubes?" Amos grinned. "Come now, surely you aren't that stupid? That Toxic you dealt to me won't do anything. I have Immunity as an ability. And I doubt you have any moves capable of harming me."
Melissa glared. "And you're absolutely right. Which is why I'm going to beat you in one punch."
Amos threw his head back with laughter. "One punch? You? Shnee! You're a natural at cracking jokes, missy! Tell me another!"
"Why does the blind man wear a blindfold?"
Amos, taken aback by the comeback, raised his brow. "Excuse me? I don't know that one."
"I'm only asking. It has me curious. I wonder about your need for that blindfold. Are you sensitive about your eyes? Are they unsightly? Oh dear, or is that the reason you have such vitriol for women? Poor dear, were you mocked because of your eyes? Are you really that ugly?"
Amos bared his teeth. "I'm waiting for the punchline, bitch."
Melissa grinned. "There's a mirror in the saloon behind me. You'll find your punchline there."
BANG!
The bullet whizzed past Melissa and nailed the post supporting the saloon's awning. Melissa didn't flinch, though she did return to glaring. Amos scoffed, then settled his pincer on the hammer again. "The next one will kill you."
"So aggressive~. What's wrong? Is that not why you wear the blindfold?" Melissa pointed at him. "I know the secret to your omnidirectional vision, Amos. You use the sand particles in the air and map out everything via vibrations. It seems to work better in sandstorms, otherwise you would've been able to track my footprints when I was running."
Amos scoffed. "You think knowing the trick will save you?"
"Here's the puzzling dilemma: why have such a technique? You call yourself Blind Luck, but why is that? Furthermore, it's quite baffling you could identify my species despite lacking visual indication. For all you know, I'm actually a male Bunnelby with an unusually high voice. No, you know the truth because you saw me among my friends with your own eyes."
Amos sneered, growing irritated. "What's your effing point?"
"As I asked: why does a blind man wear a blindfold? I imagine it's to hide the unsettling appearance of the blindness, but perhaps your particular blindness is nothing to do with vision distance or clarity. Perhaps this technique of yours…is actually a crutch."
Amos growled. "Alright, you've had your piece!" He raised his pincer. "To hell with you!"
"Just try it!" Melissa yelled. "I'll drag you down with me!"
Melissa suddenly kicked the barrels next to her and swiped the lid. Right as Amos was about to fire, Melissa leaned on her heels and spun, waving the lid around like a large fan. Amos felt a strong breeze flying his way, but it wasn't anything to break his concentration.
However, much to his shock, Melissa suddenly vanished from his mind. The sand encompassing her scattered, leaving a blank blotch before him.
"What are you up to?!" Amos slammed twice on the gun and fired into the blank void, but he heard no screams from her. He went for another shot until something clonked him square in the face. The sand revealed it was the barrel lid. "Gah! You bitch!"
Something else flew from the void. It took Amos only a second to identify it as a cloak, sailing over his head. He raised his gun and fired twice into it, one in the hood and one in the center. The cloak fluttered to the ground and went flat before his feet.
"Empty?"
The sand filled the blankness in his mind, but the Buneary had vanished completely. Shocked, Amos stumbled back, waving his gun around the street. Melissa had straight up vanished before him, completely evading his senses.
"H-How did she do that? Did she run back inside the saloon? No, that's too simple. I would've noticed her movement if she ran back in. But how? Buneary don't just vanish into thin air." Sweat formed over his forehead as his breathing hastened. "Pull yourself together. She's just one weak rabbit. You can take her."
He kept backing up and up until his heel touched the porch of the building he shot up. He felt a cold chill running down his spine, anxiously waiting for her to pop up and scare him.
"Where are you?" he mumbled, keeping his chattering limited.
I'm right behind you.
A mere two feet behind the Gligar, Melissa glared him down, silent as a Slakoth. Her breathing stayed silent and rhythmic, masking her presence almost seamlessly. The awning Amos shot out acted as the perfect cover against the sand, masking the space she stood in.
Right when Melissa nailed him with the barrel lid, and when she threw her cloak, she bolted across the street. Amos, having been dazed and too focused on the cloak, couldn't properly read someone fast like Melissa sliding by. Her exertion did cause her wound to squirt more blood, but the pain was numb to her. All that she cared about now was putting Amos in check.
Melissa glared. I wondered why someone would use such a technique that limits their shooting. Then it struck me. What if it's not a limit, but an alternative to something worse? It's well past high noon now, but the sun is near its highest peak. Nothing can escape its rays, not even you. Why?
Melissa suddenly lunged, grabbing hold of the blindfold and kicking Amos in the back. The white cloth slipped off with ease as Amos tumbled over him and spun onto his back. And, without his consent, his bloodshot eyes flew open, exposing him to the daylight.
"Because you're sensitive to sunlight!"
"AAAAAHHHH!" Amos threw his head back and covered his eyes, flailing about on his back. "You damn bitch! AGH!" His eyes already began to water, streaming down his face. "Freakin'—I can't see! AGH!"
Melissa tossed the blindfold aside. "It seems the normal daylight is too strong on your eyes, so you have to stay in the shade. My guess, you spotted me on the street, likely in another building, and singled me out before putting on the blindfold."
Amos aimed his gun unsteadily at her. He tried to target her head, but the daylight overpowered everything else, flooding it in an intense light. He could barely make out her shape through squinting. "Y-You're dead! You hear me?!"
Melissa scoffed. "Is that right?" She took a step forward. "I'm right here. Do your worst."
Amos bared his teeth, rubbing vigorously at his eyes. "Damn wench! Just who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Who am I?" Melissa narrowed her eyes. "I'm the rookie of the Foresters who will make a difference in Virdis. Commit it to memory after you're sent away for your heinous crimes."
Amos closed one eye tightly. "Who…?"
"My name…is Harlow. And I'm here to raise havoc among the kingdoms, just like with Verde."
Amos had to close both eyes to filter out the light, seeing nothing but colorful spots that ruined his mental image through the sand. He lost control of the Sandstorm as it fizzled out. "I won't lose here…"
"You have one bullet left."
"Harlow, the rookie thief. I'll riddled you with holes."
"Try me, if you're feeling lucky."
A tense atmosphere hung between the two as the last of the sand rained down. Amos, now losing control, snarled quietly with a shaky aim and blurry vision. Melissa (Harlow) stared down the sharpshooter with an unwavering coolness, arms hanging loosely by her sides.
Both remained still, settling into the ground they stood on. Hardly a muscle twitched in their quiet standoff. They were waiting, in sync with one another, for the time to end it all. Who had the fastest draw? The blurry-eyed sharpshooter or the quick-witted rookie?
The winds calmed in face of their standoff, freezing in time until the time draws to strike.
The clouds lingered in place.
The sounds vanished from their thoughts.
The world ceased to be.
It was the sharpshooter and the rookie. There was nothing else.
They waited to strike.
…
…
…
…woosh!
Amos roared and slammed his pincer on the hammer. Melissa rocketed forward with Bounce. For a split second, Melissa and the bullet crossed paths, nearly meeting each other dead on. All thanks to Amos' debilitating vision, though, the bullet was off course by a hair. It tickled the fur on Melissa's cheek while her resolve carried her forward, undeterred by the projectile.
She reared her fist back, clenching it tightly, and swung with the best battle cry she could muster. Amos, in a state of shock, couldn't move his legs before the fist came barreling into his cheek. Melissa used the momentum of her Bounce to put everything into her punch, digging hard into his skull. Time seemed to freeze for both of them, locked into the exchange. Amos' face corkscrewed as Melissa twisted her wrist.
With a fervent roar, she sent Amos flying into the barrels, crushing them on impact. His gun went flying through the air and landed in the sand. The glass vials he carried in his vest cracked open and spilled out over himself. The food and water contained in the barrels spilled out over his limp body.
Not only was there a huge mark across his face, one of his fangs got knocked out with blood running from his mouth. His eyes were rolled back into his head and twitching. The left side of his face was slightly distorted from the punch, too.
Melissa stumbled back, glaring over her opponent stoically. She let the adrenaline in her system run its course, then took a deep breath. After a moment of silence, she immediately grabbed the hand she punched with and started crying.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" She waved her hand around almost comedically. "That looked so much cooler in my head! Why did no one tell me punching hurt?"
She spent a few seconds complaining about her hand before once again looking at Amos' unconscious form. She blinked as the realization of the outcome dawned on her. Amos was down and she was still standing.
"Did…Did I actually win?" She blinked twice, then grinned. "I won. I won! I won my first fight! Haha! Yes! I did it, I did it! Yes! Who is number one? I am number one! Take that, nonbelievers! I am—oop, not feeling well…" Fatigue claimed her body instantly, knocking her onto her back.
She panted hard, but kept smiling at the sky. "Heh…go Harlow." She raised her fist towards the sun. "Guide me well, Mother. I will…not yield…" Sleep enveloped her mind and drew her into slumber. She snored soundly in the sand amidst the destruction around her.
Eventually, one observer came out of hiding. Having just caught up with the confrontation, Godfrey resisted to end the fight himself when he saw the bold state Melissa exhibited. He recognized the sheer will in her determination and decided to let it play its course. He was glad to not have intervened.
He bent down, grabbed Melissa's collar by his teeth, and carefully lay her on his back. He snorted amusingly. "{The people outside of Subterra truly are fascinating. I am blessed to have witnessed your strength.}" He looked upon Amos. "{Perhaps it is best I had not interfered. If you were able to knock him unconscious, I am afraid he would be permanently crippled had I took over.}"
He turned and trotted down the road with the Buneary in tow. He looked back at her and noted how she still smiled even battered and asleep. They both knew she earned her victory.