A Nighttime Scene
Feb 12, 2010 14:50:13 GMT -5
Post by Michelle on Feb 12, 2010 14:50:13 GMT -5
Her night had started out the way it always had: standing in the Wayside Bar, keeping an eye on the customers to make sure that they didn't step out of line and start causing trouble. For the most part, she didn't have to do more than simply watch them, and the few times someone had started something it had quickly calmed down when she marched up to them. Tonight had been one of those calmer nights, and on the whole she very bored.
The boredom did not last.
The customer had looked a bit out of place when he waltzed in--his entire manner spoke of someone that didn't normally show up in places like this. As it turned out, it was a facade--he'd actually been a mercenary sent into take down someone. She recognized the signs before it was too late, sprinting across the room and vaulting over a table in an attempt to catch him before he pulled the gun he'd started reaching for.
But even this sort of thing she was used, after a fashion. What happened next was entirely new.
Perhaps sensing the movement behind him, he suddenly ducked and rolled, Michelle quickly twisted out of the way as she expected a gun to be levelled at her. No shots rang out, some people were screaming and others running. When she about-faced, she saw why: the man was a werewolf, and had shifted form into a strange man-beast. Michelle allowed herself only a short moment of surprise, before her reflexes kicked back on. Out came both of her custom heavy pistols, and she rapidly fired at the beast as it roared across the room toward her.
The higher calibers were doing nothing to the monster. As she retreated, heading out side, she wryly thought that she shouldn't have turned down an offer of silver bullets when she'd gone to buy a box a week ago.
She ducked into a nearby alley, vaulting more than climbing up the ladder of the fireescape, and at last reaching the roof of the building next door to the bar. It was higher, and while the monster was still climbing up, she shot out the support struts of the firescape, causing it to fall and crash into the alley below. The werewolf somehow clung to the side of the building, and cursing, Michelle headed across the building, jumping over the gap between it and the next one.
The chase continued for some time, Michelle trying as many different tactics as she could to at least slow the thing down. Nothing seemed to injure it. It wasn't until she caught sight of the spires of one of the smaller chapels in the city (though in the case of this one, small only in comparison to Notre Dame). Hadn't she heard of a certain little church around here that had a rather unusual construction material used for the spires? An iron/silver alloy?
With a grim smile she launched herself off the apartment building, and for a heart-stopping moment there was nothing but her and empty air. The jump was a strong one, and she landed on the roof of the chapel, sliding a bit on the angled surface. Situations like these were the only ones where she actively disliked vaulted ceilings, moving carefully, which slowed her pace, she circled the spire until she found a handhold, and started to climb up. It was just in time, as her pursuer had caught up and was already on the roof below.
She'd just reached the very top when a clawed hand grabbed her around the ankle. The strength and dexterity of that hand was incredible, and it almost succeeded then and there in pulling her off the spire and sending her plunging down to her death. Shaking with the strain of holding on with one arm, with the other she grabbed the spiked end of the spire and snapped it off. At last letting go with the other hand, she quickly grasped the spike in both and stabbed as hard as she could into the creature's chest.
Both of them fell onto the sloped roof, and both started sliding down toward the edge. The werewolf was twitching as it went, blood pouring out of it's mouth. Michelle scrabbled for purchase, slipping as the tiles were now slicked by the werewolf's blood. At the last, she managed to grab onto the rain gutter, dangling high above the cobblestones below as the body of the creature landed with a sickening thud and crunch. She didn't dare breathe a sigh of relief until she'd climbed back up and was standing again.
Whatever the thing's intentions had been at the bar, it had been thwarted. Pleased that she'd at last done something like this simply for good instead of money, she made her way to her apartment, needing to wash the blood off before returning to work.
I didn't think a conflict with a monster would be that exhilirating. I could get used to it.
A seed of an idea began to take root.
The boredom did not last.
The customer had looked a bit out of place when he waltzed in--his entire manner spoke of someone that didn't normally show up in places like this. As it turned out, it was a facade--he'd actually been a mercenary sent into take down someone. She recognized the signs before it was too late, sprinting across the room and vaulting over a table in an attempt to catch him before he pulled the gun he'd started reaching for.
But even this sort of thing she was used, after a fashion. What happened next was entirely new.
Perhaps sensing the movement behind him, he suddenly ducked and rolled, Michelle quickly twisted out of the way as she expected a gun to be levelled at her. No shots rang out, some people were screaming and others running. When she about-faced, she saw why: the man was a werewolf, and had shifted form into a strange man-beast. Michelle allowed herself only a short moment of surprise, before her reflexes kicked back on. Out came both of her custom heavy pistols, and she rapidly fired at the beast as it roared across the room toward her.
The higher calibers were doing nothing to the monster. As she retreated, heading out side, she wryly thought that she shouldn't have turned down an offer of silver bullets when she'd gone to buy a box a week ago.
She ducked into a nearby alley, vaulting more than climbing up the ladder of the fireescape, and at last reaching the roof of the building next door to the bar. It was higher, and while the monster was still climbing up, she shot out the support struts of the firescape, causing it to fall and crash into the alley below. The werewolf somehow clung to the side of the building, and cursing, Michelle headed across the building, jumping over the gap between it and the next one.
The chase continued for some time, Michelle trying as many different tactics as she could to at least slow the thing down. Nothing seemed to injure it. It wasn't until she caught sight of the spires of one of the smaller chapels in the city (though in the case of this one, small only in comparison to Notre Dame). Hadn't she heard of a certain little church around here that had a rather unusual construction material used for the spires? An iron/silver alloy?
With a grim smile she launched herself off the apartment building, and for a heart-stopping moment there was nothing but her and empty air. The jump was a strong one, and she landed on the roof of the chapel, sliding a bit on the angled surface. Situations like these were the only ones where she actively disliked vaulted ceilings, moving carefully, which slowed her pace, she circled the spire until she found a handhold, and started to climb up. It was just in time, as her pursuer had caught up and was already on the roof below.
She'd just reached the very top when a clawed hand grabbed her around the ankle. The strength and dexterity of that hand was incredible, and it almost succeeded then and there in pulling her off the spire and sending her plunging down to her death. Shaking with the strain of holding on with one arm, with the other she grabbed the spiked end of the spire and snapped it off. At last letting go with the other hand, she quickly grasped the spike in both and stabbed as hard as she could into the creature's chest.
Both of them fell onto the sloped roof, and both started sliding down toward the edge. The werewolf was twitching as it went, blood pouring out of it's mouth. Michelle scrabbled for purchase, slipping as the tiles were now slicked by the werewolf's blood. At the last, she managed to grab onto the rain gutter, dangling high above the cobblestones below as the body of the creature landed with a sickening thud and crunch. She didn't dare breathe a sigh of relief until she'd climbed back up and was standing again.
Whatever the thing's intentions had been at the bar, it had been thwarted. Pleased that she'd at last done something like this simply for good instead of money, she made her way to her apartment, needing to wash the blood off before returning to work.
I didn't think a conflict with a monster would be that exhilirating. I could get used to it.
A seed of an idea began to take root.