AN: You might want to go back a couple chaapters, six or seven, and reread until here. I didn't post them up before, no idea how they didn't get up, but I'll roll with it. so, if you wouldn't mind, thanks.
Wolf gets to a set of doors, easily seeing the red painted walls. She knows well enough it isn't paint, and opens the door carefully. The first thing she sees is a figure on a rope. "Storm, get him down." She takes cover behind the wall, looking into the room with the door open as Storm Shadow takes Ripcord down from the ceiling. "Once you get him, leave." Both turn a look on her.
"We can fi-" Rip's cute off by a gurgle, his body jerking with a loud gunshot. Storm takes Ripcord into the room, hoping for some form of supplies while he's in there. Wolf takes her blunt weapon, twirling it around as Rider smiles his charming smile, taking his sweet time and reveling in his work. She must admit there is beauty in it, but not enough for her to admire him for it.
"You sure do take long enough." Wolf closes her eyes. Rider has always been able to evade her, and for once she isn't surprised to hear him above her. Wolf knows it's best to stay still, not give away she knows where he is, even if he knows she knows. "I almost thought I'd be here all night. Alas, I guess not everyone can be as quick as me." She can feel his breath on the back of her neck as the lights go out.
"I need a light," Storm Shadow calls.
"I told you to leave." Wolf swings the weapon at where she assumes his head to be as the emergency lights go on, lighting the hallway in red. Now she can admire Rider for his work for once. A sharp pain on her cheek sends her back into a wall, the force behind it incredible. Wolf spits out a metallic taste, bringing her hand up to her cheek to find a gash slowly bleeding.
Wolf spins, keeping the wall at her back in a way Rider can't use to his advantage without her knowing and being able to avoid it. There's a long silence where it's just her and the sound of Storm Shadow trying to keep Ripcord alive, even if just barely, until they can get further help. "It's funny how shooting a someone in the gut can kill. It's funny how shooting can kill at all. A small projectile flying at high speed through the air so it's almost invisible to the naked eye. Funny." She sees him then, and wishes she had a gun. "Now, because I believe in fairness in battle, I'll make sure you don't have any... distractions."
Wolf takes a moment to register what he said before running to Storm Shadow and Ripcord, standing in a defensive position. Storm takes the gun from Rip, putting it in Wolf's waist band. "I can't keep him alive much longer. Make him pay for Scarlett and for Ripcord." Wolf doesn't need to be told again. He has to pay for many things, but to atone for their deaths is surprisingly high on her priority list.
"I see. You want a distraction. Fine," he says, and something brushes her cheek on purpose. "I can play all day. I have orders to make it long and painful." She moves away from Storm Shadow and Ripcord, dodging another bullet. Wolf waits a moment, and just barely moves out of the way of another shot, finding the source. She retaliates, getting on one knee to fire back.
Wolf hear a click, but it isn't hers. Rider moves again, lost in the sea of red. She follows his footsteps until they stop abruptly, and then she listens carefully, trying to sniff him out. A soft whish of a knife forces her to turn around, striking with the blunt weapon. Rider makes a noise of pain, falling down to the floor. Wolf stands above him, pointing her gun down at his shoulder where she hit him with the other weapon a moment ago.
Rider pulls her foot from under her, and Wolf lands in the splits beside him, gun shooting. He gets the upper hand, kicking her down before slamming his foot down on her leg, nearly breaking the bone. Wolf gets up, barely able to stand from the flaring pain. She uses the wall for support, using her katana as a last stand. Her hand gropes for support until she can make sure her leg is functioning correctly.
Wolf loses sight of Rider and goes to Storm Shadow and Ripcord, who is only barely hanging on. "Hurry up and leave. I don't think he wants to play games anymore," Wolf says, hiding her limp as best as she can until she can fully ignore the pain. She helps Storm Shadow up, then Ripcord. She leads them to the door then lets go.
Wolf turns to come face to face with Rider. He wraps an arm around her waist, drawing her close enough so she can feel the outline of a blade in his waistband. "You never were one to be too cruel. I saw you at your cruelest, and it was incredibly boring." Their steel eyes stay together. Rider flicks his light hair from his face, and Wolf wishes for a plan of any sort. "Too bad. I could have made so much more of you."
Without saying anything, the ravenette bites into his shoulder, somehow ripping through the fabric and protection there. She comes back with blood staining her mouth, a small step of fresh hanging from her teeth. She spits out it. "How's that fire cruel, Rider?" His face takes an expression of rage and as he throws her to the side like a doll.
Arctic Wolf slams against the wall, blood over her teeth and mouth, some of it hers, some of it not. She falls to the floor, breathing hard as the figure stands before her, tall and ready for the kill. She gets to all fours, baring her teeth as she grabs a near by pipe, bringing it up with a war cry. He dodges the pipe, and she advances, her movements sloppy and her thoughts focused on one thing for the time being until she can regroup.
Survival.
The word repeats in her mind until it becomes an order from a client. She takes the katana and pipe, alternating between the two in attack. Wind Rider has to keep fighting until he draws his blade, and Wolf takes her pipe to hit him hard over the head, greatly understanding his strength. He holds her katana back and has a hand taking the pipe from coming any closer.
Wolf pushes Rider back a few inches to begin her attack again, but she's unsure now. Rider hooks his foot around her leg, dressing it fun underneath again. This time, Wolf lets out a howl as it breaks, going at him with the katana and managing to cut him. Rider find though, knowing he has her beat in this. He kicks the katana away, raising the knife high above his head.
The ravenette kicks and thrashes underneath him, but to no avail. She reaches for the nearest weapon, a pathetic excuse for sharp glass. He flips the knife over in his hand. The knife comes down and Wolf's eyes fly closed at the pain. This is divergent from before when it was training. Rider smirks down at her. "I was good enough, don't you think? I should be future head anyway, you bitch. You always wanted what want yours, didn't you?" He grabbed Wolf by her hair, but she can barely feel it. His words are muted and his face sends in her vision as if by magic. "But a blade in the heart was always yours." Rider leans down with just a brush of the lips. "How good we might have it had it..."
He drops Wolf, taking the knife with him.
Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes have already sent a distress call to anyone who might be listening, and all that's left now is to help Arctic Wolf fight Wind Rider. Snake checked Ripcord, saying he would be okay as long as someone monitored him and kept up with his state of being. "I'll go help her. You're better at this than I am, anyway."
Snake Eyes gets up to go through the cameras to make sure Wolf isn't on her way back already. Storm is already out of the door, leaving Snake to hope she's fine for his sake. Seeing a girl like that go down... It'd be hard to see for even Snake Eyes, and she rarely spoke of or to him. His opinion of her is little to nothing, just from the movie night and what the girls have said. Of course, there's also the part where he would watch the cameras for everyone to rest...
He pushes the thoughts away, continuing through the footage while keeping an eye on Ripcord. He's a bit away from Scarlett, and she's covered with a sheet. Hopefully he doesn't plan on waking up anytime soon. Snake eventually finds the camera, expecting some type of dramatic scene where Arctic Wolf is alive and fighting Wind Rider with some type of startling revelation. He does not, however, expect for her to be bleeding out on the floor.
He finds Storm Shadow a moment later, just a few meters away and walking rather briskly. Snake has found Storm doesn't always like to run, and walking is just easier on everyone. But he does have both katanas at the ready when he goes inside the room, searching for the short ravenette lying a few feet in front of him.
Snake checks the entrance, a blossoming hope inside as he sees the reinforcements.
Time passes. Whether they're hours or minutes, Wolf doesn't know. She's too numb to know the extent of the wound, almost like she's stuck in glue and only way to move is by your head and fingers. But she doesn't want to move only that. Wolf knows it's a terrible idea, but going to sleep sounds so amazing and sweet right now. Her eyes flutter as she fights to stay awake at least a little bit longer.
The door opens behind her, and a man appears to be looking anywhere but the ground where she is. Wolf tries to reach out to him. "S..." Wolf coughs on something thick in throat. He looks down then, as if he's been dreading this moment when the body he saw would ultimately be her. He comes next to her, and helps her sit up. Wolf rolls over a bit and coughs out the blood clogging and choking her.
"Let's get you to Snake." Storm starts to help her up, but she brushes her hand on his arm.
"This... end... for me." Wolf smiles up at Storm, something so genuine and not terrifying and not giving Storm the goosebumps and making him a bit uncomfortable. It's real and pretty and makes all of this seem a bit better in some odd, twisted away. But, Storm finds, just because she's ready to give up doesn't mean he is. Storm picks her up in his arms, carrying her out of there.
Wolf feels sluggish, her eyes trying so hard to close. She just doesn't want to die in Storm's or anyone's arms. She doesn't want to die at all. Wolf can feel a fit threatening inside her, but she'll never have the energy to do it. She's facing death in the face right now, spitting at him just so she doesn't die in anyone's arms or anyone's care. It would tear him up inside, she thinks. People are always so fragile.