Raven began to walk slowly, out into the open with Shadow by his side. He
blinked in the change of light and rubbed his eyes.
"When did I say she could follow me everywhere?" he mumbled. "Irritating little ..." He spied three people walking his way and quickly sneaked back into the alley. "Van Flyheight." Raven glared death at a brown-haired boy.
He wore a smart red and grey uniform, which had a large gap at his stomach showing his muscles. Van was the same age as Raven: around eighteen or so. He had his hair tied back in a very small pony. A blonde-haired girl with large crimson eyes accompanied him. She wore a pink tunic, which had a white sagging collar and short sleeves. The other was a blonde man who looked very important with his green uniform and shield padding. He was a little older than them. Van laughed hard at the look on Thomas's face as Fiona brought out a container of salt from her bag and poured a handful- worth into her drink.
"Fiona, there is more salt in that cup than coffee!" Van laughed.
"Salt in coffee?" Thomas's mouth hung open as he watched Fiona put the coffee to her mouth and take a sip.
"Mmm, you want some?" asked Fiona as she held the cup over to Thomas. "It's really good!"
"Ha, ha. No, thank you, Miss Fiona!" said Thomas nervously pushing the coffee back in to her hands. Fiona smiled sweetly and took another sip. Van still laughed at him as they walked by the alley. Raven waited until the group rounded the corner before walking back out from the alley.
"Hmph." Raven folded his arms and walked the other way with Shadow following at his back. He made his way into the market place. It was very busy and would have been hard for many people to squeeze there way through the crowd, but not raven -- people knew his reputation too well and stayed clear of his path. No one laid a glimpse on him as he walked by. There was a lot of noise as squabbling individuals filled the path behind him.
A pair of aqua eyes appeared, which narrowed on Raven as they scanned the busy streets. A grin appeared on their owner's lips. She pushed through and quickly forming crowd. She felt a weak push by her side as a child with black hair stepped out in front of her. He backed into her with a possible questioning of wither he should take another step forward. His eyes became fixed upon the same object as she did. The boy's clammy hands searched his pockets. Shaking they retrieved a gun and took aim. Looking to where he was aiming her heart skipped a beat. Time had slowed ...
"RAVEN!"
Raven walked on as he heard a shout from behind him. He half turned to see Reese running at towards him with a panic-stricken face.
"What the--?"
They hit shoulder to shoulder. As Raven fell to the ground, he heard a gunshot and an ear-piercing squeal fill the air.
"REESE!" He heard the words fly from his mouth without thinking. He hit the ground. A hard thump landed next to him. He blinked, frowned and slowly pushed himself up onto his knees. He looked to where a child stood with a gun in his hands. The child didn't move. He had lowered his gun with sweaty hands and stared traumatized at the bloody body lying by Raven. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone except Raven.
Raven didn't even glance at Reese. He didn't even check for a pulse. He moved into a runner's position and had his hand touching his gun. He made a movement to start the chase when he felt a cold clammy hand grab his sleeve.
"Huh?" he looked down to see Reese. Her eyes pleading for help.
"Ra-ven," she gasped.
Raven scowled at her. He let go of his gun making it drop back into his pocket. He put his hand on hers intending on flicking it off him like a fly. Reese gasped and forced her face into a weak smile. Raven stopped. He stared into Reese's eyes. His skin went paler. Her hand began to loose its grip on his clothes and she began to slowly close her eyes. As her hand slipped through Raven's fingers, he made a start to grab her arm, but stopped.
'No, don't. You don't like her,' he thought. 'You can't like her.'
Reese's whole body became heavy as her head lolled to the side. Raven looked back up to the boy with the gun. Raven stood up putting his hand back on his gun.
"You,"he breathed and laughed slightly, stepping over Reese's body. "You thought you could shoot me?"
"When did I say she could follow me everywhere?" he mumbled. "Irritating little ..." He spied three people walking his way and quickly sneaked back into the alley. "Van Flyheight." Raven glared death at a brown-haired boy.
He wore a smart red and grey uniform, which had a large gap at his stomach showing his muscles. Van was the same age as Raven: around eighteen or so. He had his hair tied back in a very small pony. A blonde-haired girl with large crimson eyes accompanied him. She wore a pink tunic, which had a white sagging collar and short sleeves. The other was a blonde man who looked very important with his green uniform and shield padding. He was a little older than them. Van laughed hard at the look on Thomas's face as Fiona brought out a container of salt from her bag and poured a handful- worth into her drink.
"Fiona, there is more salt in that cup than coffee!" Van laughed.
"Salt in coffee?" Thomas's mouth hung open as he watched Fiona put the coffee to her mouth and take a sip.
"Mmm, you want some?" asked Fiona as she held the cup over to Thomas. "It's really good!"
"Ha, ha. No, thank you, Miss Fiona!" said Thomas nervously pushing the coffee back in to her hands. Fiona smiled sweetly and took another sip. Van still laughed at him as they walked by the alley. Raven waited until the group rounded the corner before walking back out from the alley.
"Hmph." Raven folded his arms and walked the other way with Shadow following at his back. He made his way into the market place. It was very busy and would have been hard for many people to squeeze there way through the crowd, but not raven -- people knew his reputation too well and stayed clear of his path. No one laid a glimpse on him as he walked by. There was a lot of noise as squabbling individuals filled the path behind him.
A pair of aqua eyes appeared, which narrowed on Raven as they scanned the busy streets. A grin appeared on their owner's lips. She pushed through and quickly forming crowd. She felt a weak push by her side as a child with black hair stepped out in front of her. He backed into her with a possible questioning of wither he should take another step forward. His eyes became fixed upon the same object as she did. The boy's clammy hands searched his pockets. Shaking they retrieved a gun and took aim. Looking to where he was aiming her heart skipped a beat. Time had slowed ...
"RAVEN!"
Raven walked on as he heard a shout from behind him. He half turned to see Reese running at towards him with a panic-stricken face.
"What the--?"
They hit shoulder to shoulder. As Raven fell to the ground, he heard a gunshot and an ear-piercing squeal fill the air.
"REESE!" He heard the words fly from his mouth without thinking. He hit the ground. A hard thump landed next to him. He blinked, frowned and slowly pushed himself up onto his knees. He looked to where a child stood with a gun in his hands. The child didn't move. He had lowered his gun with sweaty hands and stared traumatized at the bloody body lying by Raven. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone except Raven.
Raven didn't even glance at Reese. He didn't even check for a pulse. He moved into a runner's position and had his hand touching his gun. He made a movement to start the chase when he felt a cold clammy hand grab his sleeve.
"Huh?" he looked down to see Reese. Her eyes pleading for help.
"Ra-ven," she gasped.
Raven scowled at her. He let go of his gun making it drop back into his pocket. He put his hand on hers intending on flicking it off him like a fly. Reese gasped and forced her face into a weak smile. Raven stopped. He stared into Reese's eyes. His skin went paler. Her hand began to loose its grip on his clothes and she began to slowly close her eyes. As her hand slipped through Raven's fingers, he made a start to grab her arm, but stopped.
'No, don't. You don't like her,' he thought. 'You can't like her.'
Reese's whole body became heavy as her head lolled to the side. Raven looked back up to the boy with the gun. Raven stood up putting his hand back on his gun.
"You,"he breathed and laughed slightly, stepping over Reese's body. "You thought you could shoot me?"