Part 41
The two of us got all of half a block down by the time the cops pulled up. That wasn't really surprising. Foot speed vs car speed, and we weren't exactly booking it. the odds of them actually spotting us were pretty much assured.
But that didn't really matter. I mean we were just a couple of people walking down the streets, the only 'costume' on us our masks, and we were facing the wrong direction. The odds of them actually pulling over and stopping us were minute.
Or so I thought.
The police cruiser pulled up behind us, pulsing it's siren once.
Taylor tensed.
"It seems the authorities are going to be insistent after all," I uttered just loud enough for her to hear.
She looked at me, features entirely concealed by her expertly crafted chitinous full, facial mask.
I looked back with only a tiny cut out of felt to preserve my own identity.
Not my best showing... though maybe I could augment that a little bit?
Drawing in a deeper breath, I let energyflowthough my eyes, forming a new, sensitive lens over my own.
At once I was more aware of the power my partner bore. Saw it glowing in intricate, difficult to discern pasterns across her form and the insects perceivable in my own minuscule range.
"Hello there!" a voice called out from the car, overtly friendly but with just a hint of the barking threat of command.
I turned to face them with eyes full of wyldfire, "Good-evening officers! It seems we're not the only ones late to the party," I commented with a wave behind us.
The man in the passengers seat seemed a bit taken back. "Oh-uh... hi," he said lamely, bravado taken out of them at once, "Any idea what happened back there?"
I shook my head, "The two of us came running as soon as we heard the gunfire, but we didn't make it in time either. Ran into Oni-Lee a bit distant, but he got away."
The lines came with almost frightening ease. Words drawn from dozens of sources of inspiration written out in another lifetime. A bravado I wasn't sure was entirely false. A confidence and skill that I just plain didn'thavehalf a weak ago.
It was like going onto autopilot, the same sensation I had when I fought Oni-Lee, only this time without the end goal of stabbing anyone.
Hopefully.
"Any idea where he went?" the cop asked, having seemed to regain his composure. His partner was sitting silently behind him watching the two of us through expressionless sunglasses.
Sunglasses at night. Someone's trying to be a badass.
Like I was one to talk.
"Not quite sure. Teleporting's bad enough without leaving a clone behind to keep you from noticing. He was injured though," to put things lightly. "Probably heading back to 'friendly' territory."
"There were new empire tags over the place," Taylor interrupted. "And blood on the ground," she pointed in the direction we saw the spay.
Why Thank you Taylor for making it seem like we knew a lot more then we actually did.
Sure enough the officer jumped right on that. "You saw blood on the ground?"
