[Episode] Playing Poltergeist

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One of the guns poked far too close to the rat’s nose. “You are surrounded! Surrender now or-!” The ultimatum was cut short by a fearful squeak. “I surrender!” To underline the claim, he meekly lifted his empty hands besides his head. Needless to say, the gesture garnered puzzled stares.

“Wait, what?”

Richard nodded eagerly, donning the most charming smile he could, given the circumstances. “Indeed. You got me fair and square, see. So I surrender.” His honeyed words were spoken with haste, as if he was scared to draw a breath. Well... Maybe he was.

Finally, the armed assailants lowered their weapons. One scratched the back of his white cap, muttering beneath his breath in mild disbelief. Perhaps even disappointment. “O-oh... Okay... That was easier than expected...” A snarkier marine, on the other hand, mused that this was pretty much exactly as easy as he expected.

While one of the fine heroes started going through his pockets for a pair of cuffs, the others huddled together to whisper. They still didn't quite believe this. Was this guy really worth that bounty? One reminded the others that it could’ve been just because of all the damage caused by that plague incident.

Meanwhile, Richard’s expression soured. He averted his gaze with a toothy frown, mumbling bitterly. “Why is that the story everybody shares...?” His sly hand carefully swept the ground beside him. “You work as a doctor for twenty years and nobody remembers, but you accidentally unleash ONE plague...” Searching, searching... And finding something handy.

See, the human body was a shoddily constructed, little thing... It had several weak points, highly susceptible to even the tiniest injury. No amount of training could change that. You couldn’t harden your kidneys, diaphragm... Or arteries.

With the deceptive swiftness of a biting rat, the criminal suddenly sprung up and lunged at the closest soldier. Glass gleamed in his grasp. A spurt of blood was followed by a pained shriek. As the poor victim recoiled, the assailant helped him along... By shoving him right into his buddies.

Rather than stick around and fight though, the coward immediately legged it. Glimmering glass shards fell from his clothing. The bloodied spots left behind had already stopped trickling. Thanks to the chemical cocktail coursing through his veins, he healed quicker than the average crook. A lot quicker.

Camaraderie was strong among the startled soldiers. Instead of giving chase, they immediately went to help their friend. One dashed off to drag the medic over here, while another sprung for the door. “Sir!” He shouted into the hall...

...Only for the Lieutenant to burst through another window and land onto the yard.

Inside, the butler audibly groaned. “We have a door, good sir... Please use it...” His lament went largely unnoticed, as the confused crowd was focused on the growling beast chasing seemingly nothing.

Words: 474
Total: 9820

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Gaudy garden gnomes and lawn ornaments were a mere blur at the edge of Richard’s vision, as he sprinted across the yard on wings of desperation. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, he found a moment to curse the kind of person who thought bigger was better. This thing was a nightmare to landscape and escape.

It felt like running in a dream. The edge of the hedge didn’t seem to approach at all. Worse yet, all of a sudden a grim shadow appeared over the rat, like the silhouette of a hunting owl drawn against the moon. He barely had time to make the mistake, to glance over his shoulder. A muttered curse got stuck in his throat.

Reminiscent of a white and blue cannonball, the Lieutenant came crashing down. His powerful elbow dug into the target’s back with a chorus of cracks. The impeccable green lawn was torn asunder on impact. A pink, plastic bird was an unfortunate casualty.

As the dust settled, the marine picked himself up without so much as a straw of grass on him. Even dirt failed to latch onto him, as if his uniform was shielded by an unseen armor. [npc=navy]“Richard Maxwell.”[/npc] He spoke with the cold confidence of a champion. [npc=navy]“If you are still conscious, you are under arrest. You will no longer be able to run. Or walk for... that... matter...”[/npc] His confidence wavered and the flow of words dried up.

Slowly...

Shakily...

The living lump of dirt and grass stood up again. [ass=The PoV is a bit confused here. It's why it's generally best to stay locked to a single character's PoV (especially within a single scene or post.]Pain radiated down his back, to his very toes... Which was a good thing, believe it or not. When all the sensations vanish, that’s when you should be worried, see. For a brief moment there, he was sure he’d been down. Yet his body was still moving.[/ass] Like Lady Luck herself had granted her another chance, another roll of the dice.

Briefly, the two fighters stared at each other in shared disbelief. Neither side was quite sure what had just happened. By all rights, this should have been the end...

The Lieutenant was the first to regain his composure. [npc=navy]“I see... So this is why you have your bounty.”[/npc] Arms spread and open palms facing the foe, he took a stance resembling a wrestler. [npc=navy]“No longer will I underestima-hurkh?!”[/npc] So much for that claim.

Moving like a man possessed, the slippery rat closed the distance. He shoved a large clump of dirt and grass down the opponent’s open mouth. It may have not done any damage, but it certainly sent the foe reeling.

While the hunter was trying to cough out the choking hazard, the prey beelined for the hedge. Skidding several dozen feet along the grass had certainly brought it closer. Flailing vigorously, he burst through the leafy barrier and scaled the iron fence behind it.

Pure adrenaline fueled the criminal’s thoughts. Suitcase. Needed the suitcase. Then run into town. Vanish in the alleyways. Good plan. Best plan. Or so he repeatedly assured himself anyway.

Naturally, the crook hadn’t forgotten his partner in crime either. Of course not! In fact, he gave her existence exactly one thought... It was the faint hope that she wouldn’t show up and he might keep her share as well. The money weighed oh so heavily in his pocket.

Unfortunately for the greedy rat, Lady Luck heard his prayers...

And she had different plans.

Words: 563
Total: 10 383

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Suitcase. Got the suitcase. The frightened rat was shedding his disguise rapidly, revealing the sweat-stained dress shirt beneath. His hands scrambled for the locks of his trusty friend. A couple of clicks later, he got his arsenal back, along with his usual jacket.

A sudden voice made Richard recoile with a strangled yelp. “Gah!” He staggered a couple of steps away from the grinning phantom, clutching his chest weakly. “Goodness, you sca-hem, startled me. Need to put a bell on you...” He muttered beneath his breath, trying to scrape his shattered nerves back into a tidy pile.

Then the question properly sank in and the crook struggled to find a smile. Along with an excuse. “Errr... Nnnooo, of course not! In fact, I was just waiting for you!” He lied through his sharp teeth. “And now you’re here. Safe and sound.” Slowly, carefully, step by step, he inched away from the girl. “Soooo... Goodbye!”

Before the rat could turn tail, however, another silhouette came flying over the fence like a boulder from a trebuchet. It landed right in front of him, cutting off the escape routes drastically. “Eep.” With a fearful squeak, he reflexively stabbed both hands into his deep pockets and rummaged furiously. Come on, come on...! Which ones...?!

[npc=navy]“Stop right there, criminal scum!”[/npc]

The Lieutenant lunged, but his attention was stolen by a glint of glass suddenly sailing across the air. A vial sloshing with suspiciously murky liquid threatened to fly over the hedge. Going after it would leave no time for pursuit... In a split-second, he made his choice.

Just before the vial could hit the ground, the brave marine closed the distance. Sliding along the grass, he snatched the weapon from the air before it could shatter. If there had been a crowd, it would’ve gone wild from the perfect catch.

Unfortunately, another glint drifted just past his head... And clashed against the tough ground. His eyes widened. It felt like time itself slowed down to watch the tragedy. Orange liquid flared into a massive explosion, swallowing the man and a good portion of the hedge.

Richard shielded his face with the suitcase, staggering from the shockwave. Burning liquid splattered against the grass at his feet, setting it ablaze. As he dared to peek at the results, he froze. From the inferno emerged a figure grim like the reaper himself.

With a panicked shriek, the rat spun around and ran for dear life. For someone lugging around a huge suitcase, he was surprisingly swift on his feet. If Aya gawked for too long, she would be left biting his dust.

Meanwhile, the blackened figure’s glare narrowed. He glanced around, considering his choices. [npc=navy]“Hrm...”[/npc] Without wasting another moment, he bellowed a mighty command. [npc=navy]“Men! Get buckets and shovels! Put out the flames! Evacuate the building!”[/npc] The safety of the guests came first.

However, the hunter glanced down at his hand. A glass vial glinted in the moonlight, a vial that had been in the criminal’s possession. His grip tightened, clutching the crucial clue in his grasp. This hunt was not over... Merely postponed.

Down the trail towards the town, the rat finally slowed down to a scampering jog. His dash all the way over here had been undoubtedly superhuman. He was a credit to his race. Namely, the hundred yard dash.

Upon reaching the first brick wall at the edge of the town, the crook took the chance to stop and catch his wheezing breath. All these near-death experiences were bad for his health... He thought, while digging into his pocket for a carton of smokes.

Richard took a cheap cigarette between his lips and continued rummaging through his pockets. Now where was his lighter again...? His hands hit a thick stack that didn’t feel familiar. He pulled out the payment for the exorcism. It did bring a smile to his face, but didn’t quite spark his smoky vice.

Words: 652
Total: 11 035

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Before the crook could find his lighter, a helpful spark in the dark lit his vice. “Oh thank-GAH!” His polite reflex was cut short by the startling realization. Coughing and sputtering gray haze, he recoiled away from the miffed mink.

Backed against the brick wall, the rat clutched his chest, trying to keep his heart from pounding through. Call him paranoid, but he was starting to think the mischievous girl was scaring him on purpose. What had he done to deserve this? ...A rhetorical question, no need to answer.

Listening to Aya’s reasoning, Richard mulled over his options. He could simply pay up and hold his end of the deal. Alternatively, he could risk the wrath of Mushiba and his mink assassin... And for what? A fat stack of Berries? Okay, there was only one option here. He just needed a moment to convince himself it was the first one.

...Well, she did make a fair point, he needed friends.

The entrepreneur let out a hazy sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine, fine... A deal’s a deal.” This whole hustle would’ve been impossible without her contribution. He started counting through the bills with the swiftness of a seasoned dealer. Hundred thousand, two hundred, three hundred... His nimble fingers moved like clockwork.

Splitting the stack evenly, the greedy rat hesitated briefly. A bubble of imagination formed above his head. It painted a vivid image of his hard-earned money growing wings and flying away, while a shady critter cackled madly in the background. Painfully vivid.

Reluctantly, the sharp-dressed crook pushed one half into the open paw. “A fair split, just like we agreed.” As he let go, he felt himself die a little inside. “A pleasure doing business with you, friend.” And it certainly showed in his hollow gaze, which was still focused on the money.

Richard pushed the pain of parting down to the bottom of his mind, much like he stuffed his cut into his pocket. He could respect a fellow entrepreneur who knew how to hustle. Furthermore, having her as a friend was far more profitable than having her as an enemy... Not to mention easier on his poor heart.

The gentleman adjusted his tie and glanced around nervously. No search parties... Yet. “Now, as much as I would love to stick around and chat...” He was already back to his polite lies, a force of habit, really. “...I believe it’s best to split up and lay low for a while. Until the heat dies down, see.” He carefully snuck past the intimidating girl.

“So, with our... business... concluded, I bid you goodnight.”

However, after a couple of paces, the rat stopped at the entrance of a murky alleyway. “Oh and if you happen to see Mushiba...” He glanced over his shoulder. “...Could you not mention what happened tonight? He doesn’t need to be bothered with measly minor details, right? Right...” With that mutter, his silhouette vanished into the shadows.

It had been a profitable night for both parties involved. Sure, there may have been some setbacks, but no plan ever survives first contact. Fortunately for the two hustlers, it had all worked out in the end. No loose ends remained to bring them back together sooner than either of them might expect... Right?

Right...

Words: 547
Total: 11 582

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