Abare Black
Member
:: Jack & Will ::
Through a pair of solid black eyes, XanBullion stared down wind to the woman who'd fired the warning shot. Even in those first seconds, the Xanmare could tell something wasn't right. This stranger wasn't like the others. It didn't smell fear in her. She didn't run, didn't scream, just stood there clutching tightly to those two loaded pistols. XanBullion turned its head slightly, for a moment locking eyes with the victim it held. The man remained elevated high off the ground, trapped in the relentless grip of the creature's hand. Next those dark eyes shifted back to the lone Jacklyn. These two were drastically different, it noted. One stood without fear while the other squirmed. Tear drops could be seen sparkling on the man's cheeks as he prayed internally. Jack's face, however, was as hard as stone beneath that rising sun. XanBullion had a choice; the weak or the strong.
After a moment of silent contemplation, the Xanmare thrust its arm forward, sending the man flying like a leaf in the wind. He landed on his back against the hard concrete sidewalk several feet away, completely forgotten. Jack, XanBullion felt, would be a challenge. The man who'd once trembled in its grasp would've been far too easy a kill. One effortless motion and his neck would've snapped. To conquer the one in the distance would've provided a rush. The choice was easy.
"I gave you an out.", Jack informed the fallen man in an emotionless tone. "Now take it. Leave while you still can."
"Lady, you're.... you're crazy!", the man uttered as he picked himself up from the ground with trembling hands.
"So I've been told."
Soon enough, rapid footsteps carried that man away, leaving Jack alone to face the Xanmare. She made a slow advance toward it, gripping and ungripping the weapons in her hands. The sun's light seemed to dance across their polished black metal as she grew nearer to the creature. A gentle breeze began to blow through her long blonde hair as a few words fell from her unglossed lips.
"I don't know what you are or why you came.", Jack said softly to the Xanmare. "But your kind has no place here."
With that, Jack aimed both guns at the towering Xanmare and opened fire. One bullet after another was launched from the chambers; the loud pops created from their discharge serving as music to her ears. Sparks flew and smoke began to rise. Jack's vision was clouded, but still she fired. Over and over she pulled those triggers. A sense of rage filled her ocean blue eyes; her teeth clenched tightly as ammunition filled the air.
The shower of hot lead rained down upon XanBullion, but in the end it had been wasted effort. The creature's thick, clawed hand blocked the incoming bullets, deflecting them. From behind the cover of smoke, Jack could hear the tiny golden shells dropping to the pavement. And as that smoke cleared, she saw her enemy still standing tall. With an irritated huff, she tossed the guns aside. Both were released from her hands, clanging as they fell to the street.
"Fine.", she muttered. "I guess we'll just do this the hard way."
Charging after an unknown enemy is poor tactics, but that didn't stop Jack Thorne. She'd never been the type to think things through. Instead she allowed her emotions to guide her. The woman thought with her heart instead of her brain and most times that landed her in a world of trouble. The saying 'Look before you leap' had been drilled into her head a thousand times by friends, parents, police officers, but still Jack couldn't quite grasp it. She was a loose cannon; brave to the point of stupidity, most believed.
One particular incident in grade school painted a perfect picture of the woman she would one day become. Her mom had been called to the principal's office to find little Jacklyn sitting before her with blood stained hands. She dawned a black eye and dirt covered clothes, but not a hint of regret was seen on her face. As it turned out, she had attacked a sixth-grader for taking her friend's lunch money. It wouldn't sound so surprising were it not for one minor detail. Jacklyn was in Kindergarten at the time! She had been tiny in comparison to the beefy sixth-grader, but that didn't stop her. Height be damned, she had charged across that sunlit playground with every intention of beating the tar out of him. Her mom hoped her lack of judgment was just a phase, but sadly that wasn't the case. Twenty-three years later and she was still the same short sighted hot head that sat in that office. XanBullion towered over her just as that fat bully once had, but did Jacklyn bother to stop? Did she even consider the consequences of her actions? Nope. She just kept right on, full speed ahead.
Once reaching the Xanmare, Jack threw two rapid punches; one with each hand. As her fists collided with its rough skin though, she found herself out-powered. The force of her blows had once knocked the teeth from a drunk's mouth, leaving them piled on the floor of the bar, but against a Xanmare, they proved quite ineffective. Before she could come up with a Plan B, Jack felt herself swept off her feet by the creature's swinging scorpion-like tail. Its quick motion had taken her legs out from under her, sending the blonde crashing onto her back against the pavement. Jack's brilliant idea: fight first - think later, had just bitten her in the ass.
From her spot atop the warm street, Jack stared up at the creature looming over her. XanBullion's dark eyes were locked onto her; its shadow cast over the woman's body, blocking out the rising sun. She gasped as she watched its clawed hand raise into the air. Thorne had mere seconds to act. Drawing breath deep into her lungs, she rolled out of its path. The moment her body had cleared, she heard the sharp claw smash against the pavement, busting it into pieces. One second slower, Jack knew, and she would've been history.
Wasting no time, the woman jumped back to her feet. Spinning quickly, she delivered a kick to the creature's stomach. Though faint, she did hear it moan as her shoe slammed into its blood red torso. This move had only succeeded in making the Xanmare angry though. Jack quickly ducked as she caught sight of its tail swinging around again. She felt the air rush by her as that tail flew over her head. Once rising again, she attempted to throw another punch. Her arm was caught by XanBullion's hand; its grip tightening quickly around her wrist. Jack felt a sharp pain shooting up the right side of her body as the enemy jerked her close. There were only inches between them; XanBullion's chest heaving in and out in Jack's face. Its grip was relentless on her arm. Its hand felt as if it were made of cast iron in those moments that followed. She was trapped.
Throughout her life, Jack's big mouth and lack of forethought had gotten her in quite a few fights. None had been as potentially lethal as the one she found herself in at that time, but still her history had taught her a thing or two. She'd learned to think fast. It was the only way she could survive in the world. With her free hand, Jack dug into the pocket of her faded blue jeans. A seriousness spread across her tanned face as the seconds ticked by. Finally, her search was a success.
XanBullion gave a primal growl; its grip on her hand suddenly releasing. With her free hand, she had drawn a small knife from her pocket and drove it into the side of the giant horned beast. Jerking it out once again, Jack ducked and rolled across the ground, distancing herself from the Xanmare. In her movements, she could hear its agonizing growls and snarls. Once coming to a stop, Jack rose to her knees and gazed down at the knife that had saved her. Its small blade was covered in a strange substance. It vaguely resembled human blood, but not an exact match. The thickness was the same, but the color was darker; almost black as it ran down the shining silver blade. This would've been interesting to the doctor locked inside XanBullion, but Jack didn't care at all. All she wanted was to see that substance cover her hands as she watched the creature leave the world once and for all.
Through a pair of solid black eyes, XanBullion stared down wind to the woman who'd fired the warning shot. Even in those first seconds, the Xanmare could tell something wasn't right. This stranger wasn't like the others. It didn't smell fear in her. She didn't run, didn't scream, just stood there clutching tightly to those two loaded pistols. XanBullion turned its head slightly, for a moment locking eyes with the victim it held. The man remained elevated high off the ground, trapped in the relentless grip of the creature's hand. Next those dark eyes shifted back to the lone Jacklyn. These two were drastically different, it noted. One stood without fear while the other squirmed. Tear drops could be seen sparkling on the man's cheeks as he prayed internally. Jack's face, however, was as hard as stone beneath that rising sun. XanBullion had a choice; the weak or the strong.
After a moment of silent contemplation, the Xanmare thrust its arm forward, sending the man flying like a leaf in the wind. He landed on his back against the hard concrete sidewalk several feet away, completely forgotten. Jack, XanBullion felt, would be a challenge. The man who'd once trembled in its grasp would've been far too easy a kill. One effortless motion and his neck would've snapped. To conquer the one in the distance would've provided a rush. The choice was easy.
"I gave you an out.", Jack informed the fallen man in an emotionless tone. "Now take it. Leave while you still can."
"Lady, you're.... you're crazy!", the man uttered as he picked himself up from the ground with trembling hands.
"So I've been told."
Soon enough, rapid footsteps carried that man away, leaving Jack alone to face the Xanmare. She made a slow advance toward it, gripping and ungripping the weapons in her hands. The sun's light seemed to dance across their polished black metal as she grew nearer to the creature. A gentle breeze began to blow through her long blonde hair as a few words fell from her unglossed lips.
"I don't know what you are or why you came.", Jack said softly to the Xanmare. "But your kind has no place here."
With that, Jack aimed both guns at the towering Xanmare and opened fire. One bullet after another was launched from the chambers; the loud pops created from their discharge serving as music to her ears. Sparks flew and smoke began to rise. Jack's vision was clouded, but still she fired. Over and over she pulled those triggers. A sense of rage filled her ocean blue eyes; her teeth clenched tightly as ammunition filled the air.
The shower of hot lead rained down upon XanBullion, but in the end it had been wasted effort. The creature's thick, clawed hand blocked the incoming bullets, deflecting them. From behind the cover of smoke, Jack could hear the tiny golden shells dropping to the pavement. And as that smoke cleared, she saw her enemy still standing tall. With an irritated huff, she tossed the guns aside. Both were released from her hands, clanging as they fell to the street.
"Fine.", she muttered. "I guess we'll just do this the hard way."
Charging after an unknown enemy is poor tactics, but that didn't stop Jack Thorne. She'd never been the type to think things through. Instead she allowed her emotions to guide her. The woman thought with her heart instead of her brain and most times that landed her in a world of trouble. The saying 'Look before you leap' had been drilled into her head a thousand times by friends, parents, police officers, but still Jack couldn't quite grasp it. She was a loose cannon; brave to the point of stupidity, most believed.
One particular incident in grade school painted a perfect picture of the woman she would one day become. Her mom had been called to the principal's office to find little Jacklyn sitting before her with blood stained hands. She dawned a black eye and dirt covered clothes, but not a hint of regret was seen on her face. As it turned out, she had attacked a sixth-grader for taking her friend's lunch money. It wouldn't sound so surprising were it not for one minor detail. Jacklyn was in Kindergarten at the time! She had been tiny in comparison to the beefy sixth-grader, but that didn't stop her. Height be damned, she had charged across that sunlit playground with every intention of beating the tar out of him. Her mom hoped her lack of judgment was just a phase, but sadly that wasn't the case. Twenty-three years later and she was still the same short sighted hot head that sat in that office. XanBullion towered over her just as that fat bully once had, but did Jacklyn bother to stop? Did she even consider the consequences of her actions? Nope. She just kept right on, full speed ahead.
Once reaching the Xanmare, Jack threw two rapid punches; one with each hand. As her fists collided with its rough skin though, she found herself out-powered. The force of her blows had once knocked the teeth from a drunk's mouth, leaving them piled on the floor of the bar, but against a Xanmare, they proved quite ineffective. Before she could come up with a Plan B, Jack felt herself swept off her feet by the creature's swinging scorpion-like tail. Its quick motion had taken her legs out from under her, sending the blonde crashing onto her back against the pavement. Jack's brilliant idea: fight first - think later, had just bitten her in the ass.
From her spot atop the warm street, Jack stared up at the creature looming over her. XanBullion's dark eyes were locked onto her; its shadow cast over the woman's body, blocking out the rising sun. She gasped as she watched its clawed hand raise into the air. Thorne had mere seconds to act. Drawing breath deep into her lungs, she rolled out of its path. The moment her body had cleared, she heard the sharp claw smash against the pavement, busting it into pieces. One second slower, Jack knew, and she would've been history.
Wasting no time, the woman jumped back to her feet. Spinning quickly, she delivered a kick to the creature's stomach. Though faint, she did hear it moan as her shoe slammed into its blood red torso. This move had only succeeded in making the Xanmare angry though. Jack quickly ducked as she caught sight of its tail swinging around again. She felt the air rush by her as that tail flew over her head. Once rising again, she attempted to throw another punch. Her arm was caught by XanBullion's hand; its grip tightening quickly around her wrist. Jack felt a sharp pain shooting up the right side of her body as the enemy jerked her close. There were only inches between them; XanBullion's chest heaving in and out in Jack's face. Its grip was relentless on her arm. Its hand felt as if it were made of cast iron in those moments that followed. She was trapped.
Throughout her life, Jack's big mouth and lack of forethought had gotten her in quite a few fights. None had been as potentially lethal as the one she found herself in at that time, but still her history had taught her a thing or two. She'd learned to think fast. It was the only way she could survive in the world. With her free hand, Jack dug into the pocket of her faded blue jeans. A seriousness spread across her tanned face as the seconds ticked by. Finally, her search was a success.
XanBullion gave a primal growl; its grip on her hand suddenly releasing. With her free hand, she had drawn a small knife from her pocket and drove it into the side of the giant horned beast. Jerking it out once again, Jack ducked and rolled across the ground, distancing herself from the Xanmare. In her movements, she could hear its agonizing growls and snarls. Once coming to a stop, Jack rose to her knees and gazed down at the knife that had saved her. Its small blade was covered in a strange substance. It vaguely resembled human blood, but not an exact match. The thickness was the same, but the color was darker; almost black as it ran down the shining silver blade. This would've been interesting to the doctor locked inside XanBullion, but Jack didn't care at all. All she wanted was to see that substance cover her hands as she watched the creature leave the world once and for all.
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