Caitlyn stiffened as she felt the pressure against her back, pressing between her shoulder blades, two pipes that stood alongside each other, she quickly recognized what it was, a double-barrell shotgun.
A voice came from the one pointing the gun at her, a low toned muffled voice that said.
"Freeze, Sheriff"

Her heart stopped for a second, and then started beating as fast as it could. Trying to rapidly analyze the situation, she thought about what were the man's intention, some of King's man retaliating his boss arrest? Maybe he was acting by order of one of the other three emperors? Or.. Caitlyn threw away those thoughts about his motivation because she realized she had one priority, that was getting out of this alive. She checked the resources she had on hand, and mentally cursed, she had left everything but her rifle on the case, all that involved close combat, her teaser, the stinger, everything. Caitlyn was at a crouching position, which made a quick turnaround even harder. All those thoughts that passed through her head in merely some seconds, made her come to a conclusion, there was no escape.

She's got careless, careless because of the success of the arrest, that she didn't even think about a retaliation this fast, she didn't even cogitate that these children were only a decoy, a decoy leading to a trap, a trap which she'd dived in, and now she was going to pay the price.
She felt a knot form on her throat, anger fell over her, as she remembered how that bastard had called her "Sheriff", as if it was some kind of mockery. But then Caitlyn just lowered her head, giving up. "So this is my end?" she whispered to herself "it's a goddamn double barrel, it'll pierce my chest like it is nothing" her eyes were heavy with tears, she just closed her eyes and waited.

"Release the children"

Caitlyn almost turned around, astonished by his words she blinked twice "W-What?" she said reluctantly

"Release those children, now" he repeated calmly

Caitlyn mumbled on her movements but managed to lean forward and started to loose the net that bound the children, her mind going a thousand miles per hour

"So he's really here because of the children? Just to save them?" she asked herself "Or.. Maybe he just does not want any witness" that idea made her efforts to release the children slow down, but she quickly picked up the pace, doing her best to keep calm.

After a while, she managed to loose the net, and the children hastily got out.

"Go, all of you, stay together and hide" the man said in a no-question tone

The three of them ran out of the alley, their steps fading in the distance

"Get up" he ordered

Caitlyn slowly got up, refraining the urge to pick up her rifle

"Now walk" he continued

She walked slowly still feeling the gun aimed at her back The short clatter of metal resounded as the man picked up the device that the children had left on the ground Caitlyn continued walking until she was very close to one of the walls of the alley, she was standing with her arms on the side of her body, she would take that moment to act and take down that guy, in the spam of a second she mentalized what she would do: first, she would hastily turn around and push the gun against the man's stomach, taking his hand of the trigger and making him flinch, then she would take the gun from him and reverse the situation, simple and effective, she held her breath.
*Clic*
Caitlyn looked at her wrist, puzzled at the handcuff that dangled with the other end still opened She turned to him, the man stood a few feet away from her, the gun still pointed at her direction.

"Now, cuff yourself to that pipe" he pointed with the shotgun to a pipe that stood alongside one of the buildings' wall.

Caitlyn stopped and fitted him, he wore dark boots with pants in the same color, a dirty white coat that stood almost at his knees, covered a dark blue shirt. On his hands stood a pair of black leather gloves that loosely held an old but well polished shotgun, the stock was made of ebony wood, that shone with varnish, all the metal parts were of a light color, but with stains that pointed its oldness.
But what caught most of Caitlyn's attention was the weird mask he was wearing, it consisted in a hood that covered all of his head and neck, and a mask that resembled a bird, with a long dark beak and eyes that were googles with dark lens.
She glared at him, still standing next to the pipe, Caitlyn noticed that he stood diagonally to her, as if he was trying to the alley's entrance without having her out of his sight.
He figured out her stubbornness to bind herself. With four long steps, he approached her, supporting the gun on his waist, he grabbed her cuffed wrist and pushed it close to the pipe.

"Close it" he said, in a more dangerous tone than before.

Caitlyn felt a chill on her spine feeling the gun pressing to her midriff, she slowly held the handcuff and closed it around the pipe with a click.
The man glared at her, he sighed with relief and stepped back Still in his wary standing, always looking at the entrance, he took out the device from his pocket and quickly crouching, he put it on the floor a few feet away from her.

"Thank you for not making this difficult, Sheriff" he said with what seemed real gratitude.

"Oh, you're welcome" she answered with sarcasm

He cocked a brow under his mask, and smirked

"But I think I'll be taking this" he said picking her rifle and observing it

"W-what?" she was shocked "Why'd you take my gun?"

"Just a little souvenir" he answered with a chuckle "Farewell, officer Caitlyn"

He attached both guns to a small backpack that he was wearing and started to climb the fire exit of one of the buildings Caitlyn was desperate with the sight of him stealing her beloved rifle, she fumbled through the pockets of her skirt, but didn't find the keys to the cuffs.
On the top of the edifice, he looked at her again.

"Oh, And by the way, my name is Crow" he said with a slight laugh and left

She looked at him and cursed, quickly searching around for a way to get out of there and chase down that bastard. Then she saw it, next to the device, a pair of small metal keys.
She stretched as much as she could and was able to reach it with her foot, grateful for always wearing shorts beneath her dress, she brought the keys next to her and picked it up, quickly unlocking the cuffs and running out of the valley, still hoping to see the man jumping on the buildings.
Seeing the city's map on her mind again, she ran through all the block, expecting to see that masked man jumping from one build to another. But she saw nothing.

"DAMN IT" she said angrily.

Tapping her foot on the ground like a child. She paced back to the alley to retrieve the device.
With it in her hand, she gripped it tightly while talking to herself.

"You stole from the wrong person you petty thief" walking out of the alley she continued "I'm going to clip your wings in no time, you filthy crow"

Far away from there on top of a fancy church, with the mask laying on his side, the man fitted the sniper rifle.

"Why the hell I stole this?" he said to himself, with a slight laugh.