Chapter 177
Buzzcut entered his home with all the grimness and gravitas of a man marching to his own execution. He struggled with the bag of cleaning supplies under one arm and closed the door behind him.
With an audible sigh, he hung his keys on the steel hook beside the door, then stopped.
For a moment, he didnt move. Stayed rooted to the spot behind the plasterboard and cocked his head as if he was listening for something.
Id told Azure to pay special attention to the entryway, make sure we unsettled nothing, avoided setting off any unknown triggers. And my summon had followed through. Absolutely everything was exactly the way Buzzcut had left it, down to every speck of dust, the angle of the doorknob, and the small pile of dust behind the door.
Yet somehow, he knew.
Buzzcut reached out slowly for the light switch. As soon as he flicked it, activated as the leg of one of the hall shelves gave out, spilling out dozens of books as it fell sideways.
Buzzcut dropped the cleaning supplies in his arms and jumped backward with a startled shout.
I waited until the complex black and silver sights of perfectly aligned with my target. In the darkened house, the proceeding arrowhead glowed a dull green from Saes enchantment. It was subtle, only a faint shimmer in the shadow.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
At this range, it didnt matter that my skill with the bow was lacking in comparison. I needed the stopping power, and as long as the target was standing still and Id successfully baited out , I had him.
I loosed the arrow.
Buzzcuts head snapped to the side and he stumbled back against the door, back slamming into it as he reached up in shock towards where the arrow had pierced his neck. He wasnt bleeding much. A shot through the throat was debilitating enough to make this a hell of a lot easier than it would have been otherwise.
There were precious seconds before his abilities kicked in. Maybe less. I dropped the larger, unwieldy bow and activated The crossbow was in my hand in seconds, and I pulled the trigger, aiming for center mass.
Buzzcut threw himself to the side, falling over. The bolt narrowly missed, lodging itself in the wall.
I scowled. Perception was such a double-edged ability. Fantastic if you were the only one who had it, infuriating when everyone else did.
Audrey dropped from her hiding place on the roof and tangled herself around Buzzcuts upper body, using all her attack and mobility vines to lash his massive arms to his sides. Instead of reloading and risking another miss, I changed tack again, dashing the short distance from the far end of the room and slamming my knee into Buzzcuts face.
His nose flattened like it was made of construction paper, head bouncing back against the wall.
When I tried to repeat the motion, Buzzcut lashed out and kicked my foot out from underneath me. My entire leg felt like someone had hit it with a sledgehammer, and I was suddenly airborne, rotating at a speed more than fast enough to break my neck if I landed wrong. Instinctively, I twisted mid-air to alter my trajectory and landed jarringly on one knee.
Buzzcut roared. Audrey bit him, sinking her many teeth into the nerve cluster on his shoulder. Instead of running or focusing on the plant tearing his flesh away, Buzzcut forced his way to his feet, bent at the waist, and charged, bowling me over.
All the air went out of my lungs as he landed on me, a few of Audreys thorns catching my armor and digging into flesh where the armor was torn.
Buzzcut roared again, spittle flying into my face. This time, his voice was more raw, guttural. His shirt strained as his muscles swelled, the fabric growing tauter until it split across the seams, buttons popping free.
I drove the meat of my palm into Buzzcuts ruined nose. He reeled back, sunglasses flying off his head. His considerable weight shifted off me, and I snatched from my inventory, stabbing it straight towards his chest.
Instead of sinking in, there was an audible scrape, and I nearly lost my grip on the blade as it recoiled across his body.
Shit. Too late.
I got a leg free and planted a foot against his chest, using all the strength I could muster to dislodge myself. Tile squeaked beneath me as I slid backwards. Using a mix of my abilities, I landed two more of Saes poisoned bolts in Buzzcuts legs.
Whatever protection ability he was using, Id hoped it followed a logical order. Started around his chest and vitals, but initially left his extremities and lower body unprotected until it fully kicked in.
One bolt bounced off his shin, leaving a deep gash. The other sunk directly into his knee.
Bingo
Buzzcut howled. His anger was tinged with pain and fear. But he wasnt folding. He bent forward and there was an audible creak from the vines. A series of explosive pops filled the air as Audreys vines frayed and snapped, Buzzcuts mass growing more pronounced.
Now.
A lithe form flew through the darkness. In her altered, feral form, Talia gripped Buzzcuts leg in her jaws, growling loudly. In the short time it took her to join the fray, the magical protection had spread down Buzzcuts body and Talias teeth barely sunk in.
Finally freed from Audreys vines, Buzzcut grabbed Talia by the scruff of her neck and threw her across the room.
You have no idea Buzzcut wheezed, his voice deep and altered.
Banter was for children. I had no intention of letting him finish.
Still straddling Cameron, Sae released her hold and leaned back, gasping for air. Ho-lee shit.
Good job. It sounded awkward, but I wasnt sure what else to say. Seeing Buzzcut defeated after all the buildup felt strange, somehow.
For a second, Sae heaved between words, I thought we were gonna need the tank
Buzzcuts eye shot open. It was glowing redthe whole eye, no visible sclera to be seenand he screamed. Sae tried to grab him, but he threw her off easily, standing to his full height. Between the eye and the dark veins that lined his face, he looked more demon than human now.
Fuck
Sae was further into the living room, laying smack in the center of the outline where the couch once sat. She was forcing her way to her feet, but her movements were stilted. Either she was stunned or shed injured something.
Regardless, shed be slower than before.
I needed to end this quickly. With a precious few seconds, I studied the kitchen furtively, looking for anything I could use. It was more or less a wreck. The fridge was overturned, and just beyond the fridge, the torn up marble countertop leaned against a pantry next to the stove like a stone tent. The pieces were all there, but I needed to put them together.
Buzzcut took a menacing step towards Sae.
Lacking a better alternative, I pulled an umbrella out of my inventory and tossed it on the floor in front of him. Thanks for this, by the way.
Slowly, Buzzcuts head tilted down, not comprehending. Then his mouth widened in a rictus of anger, and he lost all interest in Sae.
I didnt bother looking back. Instead, I sprinted into the kitchen and reached towards the back of the stovetop, in the guise of pushing against the wall for momentum. I turned the stove on and redirected myself in the same motion, hoping the ploy wasnt too obvious. I dove into the open space between the counter and the wall.
Buzzcuts footsteps thundered behind me, picking up pace. From his perspective, hed cornered me.
I covered my ears and shielded my head with my arms.
activated for the last time. The resulting explosion was deafening. I heard something that sounded more like it came from a bear than a human. Bits of marble and pulverized stone rained down on me as the sheet of counter fell to pieces.
I emerged from my improvised shelter to find Buzzcuts once tidy house a derelict mess. The cupboards and counters were awash in a circle of flame that radiated outward from the stove, where the jagged and blackened remnants of a propane tank sat in the stove's base.
Sae staggered towards me. You didnt die.
It was a minor miracle I hadnt. Even with the considerable work Id put in reinforcing the stoves metal interior with probability cascade, redirecting the blast forward, most of what Id done was theoretical. Something we could fall back on if everything went sideways.
Still, Id had no intention of being this close to it when it went off. I reached up towards a wetness on my cheeks and my hand came away red. My ears were bleeding.
Buzzcut was slumped over in a pile of rubble. Hed flown clear across the full span of his open-plan home and was half buried in a now-crumbling wall. His face was a mask of blood, his body slowly returning to its original size.
Once I was positive I could walk without falling over, I crossed over towards him, turning back to speak to Sae. We need to go. That wasnt exactly subtle.
Buzzcuts chest was rising and falling. His breathing was shallow, but he was still alive.
I stood over our target and pointed my crossbow at his head. It would be so easy to pull the trigger.
Slowly, I lowered the crossbow and sighed. Big picture?
Big picture. Sae confirmed. She didnt look any happier about than I was, but there was something else in her expression. Relief, maybe.
Get the curtains.
I pulled up my social UI and sent a message.
Kinsleys door appeared where the refrigerator used to be.
You sure about this? Sae asked. She grabbed Camerons leg and unceremoniously dragged him towards the exit.
I reached out towards my fallen summons, returning both Talia and Audrey to the void, then went to help her. More or less.
Great. Exactly what I wanted to hear right now. Sae glared at me.
Whether or not he talks, Azure will pull something useful out of him. Eventually.
It feels like an unnecessary risk. Sae grunted.
Sunny put a price on his head. Aaron sold him out. I mused. He doesnt know it yet, but I might be the last friend he has in the world.
