Salamander’s eyes flicked between him and the woman.
Salamander was 5’9”. Had to aim low. Grip still awkward on the guns and sweating, so not quite used to it. Aim would be off by an inch, maybe two, unless Salamander got lucky. Would shoot the nearest threat. Kill shot obviously but head or heart?
“Oi, what’s going on out here?” Kenshin gritted his teeth at the sound of Jiro coming out from the kitchen. Of all the times for him to take his break. Kenshin heard the hum of body armor. Salamander’s eyes twitched over to Jiro and Kenshin shifted his foot quickly to grab Salamander’s attention at the same time Saitou bellowed:
“GET DOWN!”
Salamander’s eyes widened.
Fear
Headshot.
Kenshin jerked himself back a moment before Salamander pulled the trigger. The sound roared in his ears and he felt fine dust of drywall against his face. He groped at his side.
Nothing there. Sakaba-- no he needed Kitetsu He needed his katana. Salamander had eight in his gang and never went alone.
Where had he put it? Susanoo-san’s office.
Of course.
Don’t die, he thought at the cop before darting forward, shots snapping through the room. He grabbed Jiro by the collar, who shrieked as Kenshin dragged him behind the counter and shoved him under it.
“Stay down and keep quiet.”
He took half a second to shake an epi pen from his sleeve and press it into the soft bend of his arm as he rushed into the kitchen. Doro-san was coming out. A shotgun in his big hands. No! No! People needed to stop getting in the damn way! The office door was swinging shut.
“Don’t!” Kenshin said.
“Move it, kid,” Doro-san said. “Go hide.”
Kenshin was about to tell him to stop when he heard the office lock click. Damnit! Doro-san had made it out. There was a shot.
One
Single
shot.
Doro-san had been a good person. And there were more good people in danger. Teeth clenched, Kenshin bolted for the office door. He grabbed a frying pan and swung it for the glass pane as hard as he could. The glass shattered and he slammed into the door, standing on the balls of his feet to push through the gap toothed window and unlock the door.
In a heartbeat he was inside. There was Kitetsu, resting in its black cloth bag, propped up against the shelf. He reached for it and the hit kicked in the moment his fingers wrapped around the sheath. Kenshin closed his eyes and a shuddered. Liquid energy was flashing through him, coating his veins like silk and gold. It pulled through him. Heated him. Energy pricked at the underside of his skin until he could feel it pulsing in the very air around him.
He pulled the katana from its bag. He felt like he could see again. A limb had been given back. The sheath settled against his palm, cool and welcoming, and for a moment he was Kitetsu, inside and out, the hard wood of the sheath, the worn cloth of the hilt, the blade inside, sharp and waiting.
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Date: 2012-04-10 01:26 am (UTC)Salamander was 5’9”. Had to aim low. Grip still awkward on the guns and sweating, so not quite used to it. Aim would be off by an inch, maybe two, unless Salamander got lucky. Would shoot the nearest threat. Kill shot obviously but head or heart?
“Oi, what’s going on out here?” Kenshin gritted his teeth at the sound of Jiro coming out from the kitchen. Of all the times for him to take his break. Kenshin heard the hum of body armor. Salamander’s eyes twitched over to Jiro and Kenshin shifted his foot quickly to grab Salamander’s attention at the same time Saitou bellowed:
“GET DOWN!”
Salamander’s eyes widened.
Fear
Headshot.
Kenshin jerked himself back a moment before Salamander pulled the trigger. The sound roared in his ears and he felt fine dust of drywall against his face. He groped at his side.
Nothing there.
Sakaba-- no he needed Kitetsu He needed his katana. Salamander had eight in his gang and never went alone.
Where had he put it? Susanoo-san’s office.
Of course.
Don’t die, he thought at the cop before darting forward, shots snapping through the room. He grabbed Jiro by the collar, who shrieked as Kenshin dragged him behind the counter and shoved him under it.
“Stay down and keep quiet.”
He took half a second to shake an epi pen from his sleeve and press it into the soft bend of his arm as he rushed into the kitchen. Doro-san was coming out. A shotgun in his big hands. No! No! People needed to stop getting in the damn way! The office door was swinging shut.
“Don’t!” Kenshin said.
“Move it, kid,” Doro-san said. “Go hide.”
Kenshin was about to tell him to stop when he heard the office lock click. Damnit! Doro-san had made it out. There was a shot.
One
Single
shot.
Doro-san had been a good person. And there were more good people in danger. Teeth clenched, Kenshin bolted for the office door. He grabbed a frying pan and swung it for the glass pane as hard as he could. The glass shattered and he slammed into the door, standing on the balls of his feet to push through the gap toothed window and unlock the door.
In a heartbeat he was inside. There was Kitetsu, resting in its black cloth bag, propped up against the shelf. He reached for it and the hit kicked in the moment his fingers wrapped around the sheath. Kenshin closed his eyes and a shuddered. Liquid energy was flashing through him, coating his veins like silk and gold. It pulled through him. Heated him. Energy pricked at the underside of his skin until he could feel it pulsing in the very air around him.
He pulled the katana from its bag. He felt like he could see again. A limb had been given back. The sheath settled against his palm, cool and welcoming, and for a moment he was Kitetsu, inside and out, the hard wood of the sheath, the worn cloth of the hilt, the blade inside, sharp and waiting.
A shot boomed and rolled like thunder.
Time to go.