Blood and Gunpowder - Finished

[Deleted]

It had nearly been a botched job. But Kutya's record would remain good among the dark whispers of her potential employers. The shifter was dead. It was a bear, out of place in this sort of desert. But then, so was she. So were the two massive white dogs who panted with her under the shade of a lone, sickly tree about a hundred yards off the road. Distantly, she could make out the hazy outlines of buildings. Carefully, she peeled up the hem of her black t shirt, sticky with blood. The gauze beneath it was scarlet. Teeth clench against sound she shakily reached into the backpack propped up next to her and pulled out a medical kit. Streaks of blood smeared the inside and outside of the kit but she was blind to the further mess she added as she fumbled out a few alcohol wipes and another packet of gauze. Carefully she peeled the soaked gauze away, dropping it into a plastic bag sitting at the ready nearby. The skin beneath was cleaner than the rest of her. The claw marks raked across the left side of her abdomen still bled sluggishly around the medical staples she'd used to close the gashes.

In silence, she cleaned the area gently and pressed a fresh pad of gauze into place. It was an effort to secure it with a few wraps of medical tape and by the time she put the rest of her trash in the plastic bag her vision has clouded and gone fuzzy, dark around the edges. She tipped her head back against the tree, breath hissing between her teeth as she forced herself to breath slowly and carefully. One bloody hand crept out and found the thick ruff of the larger of the two dogs, tangling her fingers in the wavy fur. The dogs too wore speckles of blood and were more brown from dust than their initial white. Neither were injured though, and she was grateful.

She had underestimated how fast the thing would move, if she didn't drop him in one shot. She hadn't had a chance to reload and only Vedo's warning snarl had kept the initial attack from ruining her then and there. It had been a vicious but thankfully short melee ended when she managed to free her sidearm and unload into his chest. She'd managed to cut off the head and burn the body before she'd lost too much blood. A quick message sent by satellite phone to confirm the deed was done and then she was on her own.

Well, not quite.

The two dogs stood guard over her as she repacked her backpack and changed out her t shirt and bra for a clean, unbloodied set. The waistband of her black cargo pants was stiff with blood as well, but she doubted anyone would be able to see it under the hem of her shirt. Anyone who could smell it she didn't care about anyway. A little water from her canteen went to clean off her hands, arms, and face as best she could without a mirror. She was still covered in smaller scratches and abrasions, and her body ached as though bruised from head to toe but at least she didn't think she would send anyone running to the police now. Especially not with the sun going down. She found the small baggie of money buried in the bottom of the back and stuffed a handful of bills into one of her pockets. Her large pistol found it's way into her pack. Her smaller one was still strapped to the small of her back, hidden but easy to reach. The rifle was packed into what looked like a case for a large tripod or other camera equipment.

Painfully she shrugged into the pack and shouldered the rifle.

When she began to move the two dogs came to attention and at a quiet command they stood by her, one on either side. With a hand on each sturdy back she pushed herself to her feet. She wavered a moment, vision blurring. Then the world steadied and she focused on putting one foot in front of the other, angling towards the road. The dogs heeled her, both on the left, the smaller somewhat behind the larger.

[SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER]

Time seemed to slow around her.

Everything and everyone was freezing in place. When it had first happened, way back then, it was odd to say the least. She had only intended to go for a quick jog, after all, but instead found that she was running without the world moving with her. Now, she knew it was only because she was moving so fast, the world couldn't keep up with her.

And she loved every bit about it.

What better way to relax, then running around, and capturing people in odd moments, one would usually only see through luck? It was rather amusing, and the fact that she was able to interact with things normally, only made it all the better. But if there was one thing that was a bother about her power, it was the need to accelerate and decelerate.

Something as simple as unbuttoning someone's shirt, would require her to run back around for more than a dozen times, if she didn't want the world to move in place again. Which sometimes wasn't really a choice at all. Even with the power of speed, she was only human, after all. She got frustrated like anyone else, and it was this frustration, that could make her phase out of this frozen world, and back into reality. But that could be resolved with concentration on what she was trying to actually do here.

What was more actually likely to happen, is that her legs would get tired of running. She might have been young, though that would only help her to an extent. Which was why she was outside of 42nd Street, and was now in the middle of the desert. The world had phased back to reality, and her legs were aching. It would be some time before she could comfortably run fast enough again, without the world phasing in and out of motion, every couple of seconds. On the bright side, she at least had something to drink.

Brookings might have been a town in the middle of nowhere, Nevada, but just about every town at least had some sort of convenience store. And this 30 ounce cup of slushie, was exactly what she needed to make her time out here comfy. She only wished the weather could be better.

Guess that was one part of home, which still followed her around.

[Deleted]

It was proof of how out of it she was, Katalin thought, that Vedo noticed the girl on the road before she did. One minute the road was empty and the next the big white dog had huffed soft noise and there she was. The hunter considered her options for a moment, but since she was intending to walk along the road and the girl seemed to be in no hurry as she strolled along the middle it was inevitable that she would eventually see her. So Katalin mentally prepped the minor, casual lies that would explain her relatively dishevelled state.

She could feel the long whisps of hair that had escaped her braid fluttering along the side of her face in the hot breeze. She couldn't smell herself but she guessed it was pretty ripe. She'd been in the desert for what? A week total? She tried to count the days of stalking but they blurred together in her mind. Later she would be able to count them clear and sharp but at the moment all she wanted was a motel with internet so she could call in a care package and rest.

"He-" She started to call out but the sound caught in her throat. Coughing (and wincing a little at the pain in her stomach), she tried again. "Hey!"

She was close to the road now and she carefully worked her way up the embankment on the side. She was almost level with the young woman who she now saw was a girl who couldn't have been much older than one of her sisters. A slightly smile tugged at her lips despite herself, lightening her usually grim, stern expression.

"Could you tell me where to find a motel here?" Though her English was fairly good, her accent made the words throaty and unmistakably foreign. "I got lost in the desert." The last was offered up as an easy excuse. She didn't elaborate. Good lies were left simple and let people draw their own assumptions. Katalin was an excellent liar at this point. She reached down and rested her hand on Edes head- the younger of the two dogs pressed closer to her, watching the teen with dark, protective eyes. Vedo was busier watching the rest of the road, trusting his mistress to handle herself.

SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER

[SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER]

Being young wasn't bad.

For someone who was only a borderline teenager like her, it usually kept people from involving themselves into her business, on the chance that she was stuck somewhere, without an adult around. After all, high school was usually considered a time where people awkwardly tried figuring themselves out. So if an excuse was ever to be needed, rebellion was an obvious one. Something which some people might say that her appearance matched.

The bottom of her shirt was cut into pieces resembling paper strips.

While her jeans were torn in various spots, in what media considered to be fashion, and cute. There was also the black lightning bolt streaks on the sides of her hair, which although was noticeable wasn't that out of the ordinary. And it was only for that reason, did she usually not bother with covering it up.

Especially not in a place like the academy. This lady had been no different. Her disheveled appearance was odd, and it really looked like she had been through a lot, but people came to Brookings for a reason. Whether or not she was gifted with powers, wasn't really any of her business, although if she was, they would meet again at the academy anyway. For now though, she had simply waved at the figure coming towards her, taking a sip from her drink, as she took a seat on the ground.

 Had her legs not been tired, she would have ran away, and acted like a mirage.

Of course, that was assuming the lady wasn't injured. She didn't like offering help, if she could get away with it, since being a hero wasn't something she wanted, but ignoring someone in need would be wrong. Though she would need to go for a run after, to keep from feeling all down.

Something she was beginning to quickly feel, once she saw the dogs that were with the lady. It was a shame she didn't have actual water with her. The sugar in this slushie would be bad for a dog to taste. Poor things, being out in the desert, for who knows how long. Biting her lip, she nodded, and stood back up after some effort.

Guess this means she would actually have to walk all the way back to Brookings. Assuming this lady was going to decline her offer of being a tour guide, for whatever reason. It wouldn't really matter to her, long as this guilt creeping up on her, would go away the quicker she helped.

"In that direction, but that's really no help. I can show you the way, if you'd like?"

The lady might have had an accent with her English, but she wasn't the only one. A couple of years here in Brookings still had yet to touch her British one. And since she was already trying to be polite here, although it was still mostly for the dogs, might as well go all the way.

"Care to take a sip?"

[Deleted]

Sitting in the middle of the road, some kind of weird lightning streak in her hair- probably a little punk. She recalled her last trip back to Hungary (how long ago now? 8 months? A year?) and how her sister Petra had begged for help dying her normally brown hair, just a shade lighter than Kat's own, neon pink. Even knowing their parents would disapprove, Katalin couldn't resist. It had been messy and fun and absolutely worth going to bed without dinner. Because under their roof Kat was more than content to still bow to her parents rules, and the consequences of breaking them.

In that direction

The hunter resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course it was in that direction. The only civilization in sight was in that direction. At least she acknowledged that it wasn't helpful, though Katalin wasn't too keen on a tour guide. Still, she wanted to get somewhere she could den, clean herself and her dogs, and figure out what to do next. She did note the girl's British accent in passing, adding it to the catalog of information she kept on anyone she came across. It was habit.

"No, thank you." She shook her head, lifting both her hands to scrape her hair back out of her face, grimacing a little at the feel of the grime and oil. Oh yes, she would be glad to be back in civilization for once. "If you can just give me directions you do not need to escort me. I am sure you have better things to do."

Edes growled low in his throat, still nervous from the smell of blood that hung in the air for his sensitive nose. She had only had him with her for a year- less, however long since her last trip home. He had been keyed up since the fight, and even Vedo's steady calm hadn't managed to soothe the younger male who was still on edge and suspicious of everything.

"Csend," she commanded, her voice quiet but stern. The large white dog ceased his noise immediately. "Sorry." She offered the word as a matter of politeness to the younger girl, but didn't offer an explanation for the dog's aggression.

SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER

[SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER]

"If you're sure."

Guessed it couldn't be helped. Shrugging in response to the lady declining her offer, she had taken another sip of her drink, before turning towards the direction to the town. Besides stocking up on gas and food, 42nd Street really didn't have much to it, other than being the only entrance and exit to Brookings. The lady and her dogs were still going to be walking for a long while, assuming they didn't hitch a ride, or get help from someone supernatural. Wasn't a pleasant thought, knowing this would go on.

"You can get to 42nd street if you keep walking, though there's nothing really there, besides a diner and station. It'll still be another 5 miles before you can get to Brookings."

And with those directions given, she had plopped back down onto the ground. The lady wasn't exactly wrong, when she said she had something better to do. She just couldn't really do it right now, unless she wanted her legs to feel all sore. But if there was one thing about her, that people came to know, it was that she was impatient.

Sitting here long enough until she felt like she was going to be fine, was going to be awfully boring. Even with the mild amusement that talking really fast could bring. In all likelihood, she would probably give the lady half an hour at most, before speeding past. Because right now, she was missing out on so many potential pictures.

"I'm sure it's just the weather."

The dogs barking, had snapped her out of those future plans, though really only for a brief moment. Curious as she might be about another language, there was really no need to keep them waiting. Especially with how long they still had to go, before reaching town. So her eyes drifted away from the group, and she played with the bottle's straw.

Mildly amusing.

(OOC: Changed 100 miles to 5.)

[Deleted]

(well, I mention in a couple of posts that Brookings is within sight XD So let's just pretend it's another amount of miles more appropriate, say... 5?)

Katalin waited with as much patience as she could muster as she listened to the girl talk. When she was done she nodded and turned to walk on as the girl sat back down. It didn't matter how far it was, she just had to figure out how to make it. Maybe if she got lucky and she'd be able to hitch a ride.

"Thanks." She called over her shoulder as she walked away, the dogs securely at heel. She could feel the slow trickle of blood begining to slide down her skin again and pool over the waistband of her jeans but she ignored it, moving slowly and carefully. The faster she got to civilization, the better off she would be.

(Not sure where to go with this so I figured we could just end it here?)

SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER

[SKYLAR ELIZABETH HUNTER]

◀

The lady had left. Gone with her dogs, and headed back towards town, which was still another 5 mile walk. And so, she had waited, doing her best to keep busy, until it felt like half an hour had gone by. Between sipping on her drink, and purposely rambling words that sounded funny all sped up, it shouldn't be a surprise that she got bored again. And when she was bored, she started thinking. And when she started thinking, it led her to places. Places she didn't like going to. Like how the world didn't get any better, even though people like her existed. Then there was the obvious answer of making things better herself, and setting an example. It might have been true, but sometimes, it was better not to face reality. She was just fourteen, after all. Even with a gift like hers, there shouldn't be a need for her to go around stopping crimes. She was young. And kids like her were supposed to have fun. Enjoy life even. Not think about things yet to come. Things that meant leaving old things behind. Sluuurp. The sound of her straw sucking at nothing, signaled that her slushie was all gone. A total of 30 ounces, gone. And she had previously taken just little sips too. All just to make the whole thing last longer. Being out here in the sun, trickled some sweat, which ran down the back of her neck, and sides of her forehead. It was times like these, that she sometimes questioned not tying her hair up. But only briefly. She wiped away at the sweat, rubbing it on her jeans, if only to keep her palms dry. Of course, none of this would be a problem, if she went for a run. Something that she had been agonizing over, even when the lady was here. Feeling up her ankles, she found them still a bit sore, but it wasn't too bad, and were at least in better shape than it had been before. With that, she had stood up, and ran. The sun was still beating down her back, and her breath was being taken away, as she pushed herself towards the speed she needed. Time seemed to slow down, as she left this moving world of trouble, for one that didn't move at all. And she was happy. (OOC: Yeah, if you didn't have any plans, that's fine. Thought this was going to lead to more hunting.) PYXIS ★