Aim for the Head

Nine let out a small grunt as she landed down on the stairs. She looked to the stairs leading upwards and grimaced as she heard the steady footfalls of the still living target. The fact that he was still walking after a shot from Vigil confirmed her fears that he was something beyond human. She hadn’t been prepared for someone empowered by genetics or whatever force made him stronger. Well, mentally prepared. There wasn’t much more she could do in terms of her equipment to face off against the damn super humans. Vigil would have to cut it for now, but she doubted she’d actually get the kill, which means she needed evidence, something good enough to be held against him. Proving he was empowered in itself wouldn’t be enough, she needed something more…

There was no time to get that now, she needed to act. She slammed herself through the door on this level, grunting as she pushed it shut. She didn’t have long to act, she needed to do something. She quickly darted down the hall of this floor and turned, pointing Vigil at the door. There would only be one way for the man to enter, one way to shoot. She needed more time and for that she needed to do more damage.

Flipped the switch on Vigil she readied her rifle, planning to fire off one of the beam shots, a powerful blast of energy that could cut through steel. Against flesh, it was especially devastating. If this didn’t put the man down she wasn’t sure what would. If Frederick came through that door, provided he did nothing to stop the shot or misdirect it, Nine would pull the trigger and fire her shot right at the center of the door, the beam 3 feet in diameter. If he didn’t, she would hold her fire and listen, waiting to see what would happen.

Frederick continued down the steps, picking up the trail of the assassin's prominent scent. The robust aroma of gunpowder, the pungent scent of body odor, and the all too familiar smell of adrenaline. Even from here, he could listen to the sound of a heart pounding, the heart of a professional whose job has gone sideways, and fast.

His steps approach the door, and before pushing through, he pauses to listen. There was a pair of footsteps he could hear, but it seemed as though the heartbeat had slowed down.... as if the assailant had somehow calmed themselves.... or prepared themselves. His hand slowly reached forward and grasped the handle before clicking it open.

His sensitive ears picked up the clicking of the mechanism inside of the door, and as the door began to open slowly, he picked up at the last second a second click, of a trigger. He had only a split second to shift out of the way, however even he wasn't fast enough. The beam was like a shot of light, and burned through the partially closed door like it was nothing but paper. Unfortunately the beam also cut right through his outer ribcage, basically disintegrating the living flesh in mere seconds.

Despite the fact this beam cut through his body like jello, he did not yell, scream, or even grunt in pain. His heart rate increased significantly, his eyes dilated, and his breath became erratic and heavy. His body would slump to the floor as he leaned against the wall, blood squelched as it left a trail against the white backdrop. There he remained, the door dangling off of splintered wood as blood pooled around him and around the corner of the doorframe.

Nine let out a sigh of relief seeing that her mark was at, for the moment, stunned? Injured? Maybe more. A normal person would be dead, but her senses were telling her this man was far from down. She couldn’t waste any time trying to determine that and she sure as hell didn’t want to get closer to him to find out. Though, the fact that he was so injured…well, either she had just succeeded in her job or she had just found evidence of something they could use to hold over his head. That he was beyond human. Something that if sold to the right sources could prove as a disadvantage.

She reached to her visor, the AI unit coming online, and zoomed in on Frederick, taking a few snapshots, recording him. An injured man still breathing after all of the abuse. It was unsettling, though, that he did not react much outside of the labored breaths. There was always a scream or a yelp, a cry for help. Information like this, a man who could live through this, sold to the right sources could be comprising. Although, on the other hand…he wasn’t going anywhere.

She seemed to ease a bit, raising her visor to look at him. He seemed pretty immobile. There was no guarantee that he was going to be moving…why waste the chance? She rose up Vigil again, the scope pointed right towards his head. She let out a small breath and pulled the trigger, firing a normal shot right for his forehead. She smiled a bit, “Hey, if it means anything, this was just business.” She’d straighten up, shifting Vigil back to her back, regardless of whether or not the shot actually hit. He was done anyway. She was sure of that. “If you do manage to live from this, well…good for you. I got what I needed so I will leave you be. Unless I’m ordered otherwise. Regards from Chimera. Was paid to say that too. So…bye.”

Frederick's chest would rise and fall, the pace rapid for a moment than slow, showing that he was having trouble regulating his breath as the blood flowed from his side. He placed his hand on the open wound, applying pressure as he tried to slow the bleeding and control himself. The shot before was minor compared to this, and he found his system slowly creeping into a state of shock. He couldn't feel any of this, but that didn't mean it wasn't impairing his physical abilities. With a shakey hand, he attempted to push himself up from the wall but failed as he slipped the mere inch and a half he managed to lift up off the floor.

He took a moment, hoping that his natural healing ability would at least do the job enough to bring back his strength to move. After a moment he inhaled sharply, at first thinking his ability was kicking in, which it was, but then realizing that the wound was much more severe then he originally thought. His mind began to fog up as his pupils sharpened, his focus increasing exponentially. His mouth began to salivate, and his hair stood up on the back of his neck, suddenly leaping from his sitting position only seconds before the second bullet ripped through the wall where he was on the floor.

Despite the wound, his physical attributes had increased beyond that of a human. His blood was still pouring from him, splattering on the wall as he leapt up to avoid the second shot. Once on his feet, he pushed through the damaged door and focused his sight on the assassin. His facade was different; his mouth was salivating, his eyes were sharper slits, and he was bearing his teeth. Regardless of the lack of an actual transformation, he looked as if he were a feral wolf now, and his eyes were set on her. Without so much as a warning, he pounced, lurching down the hallway towards her with terrifying agility, the clear intent to kill in his lifeless, wolf like eyes.

Just a few feet from his target, an unfortunate guard pushed through the door with his gun drawn. He had apparently heard the gunshots and was their to investigate for a potential threat, thinking it was related to the earlier incident. The poor man only had enough time to look to the assassin as she was packing up her weapon, his eyebrows raising in surprise. He didn't even have time to point his weapon towards his target before Frederick pounced on him like a vicious puma. The newly enraged man was no longer in complete control of his actions, as he began to rip into he guard without remorse. His fingers dug into him, pulling slabs of flesh off and tearing into his body to reach the organs. Once he was in there, he began to pull out and without even hiding it, eat the heart and liver right in front of his assassin. As he consumed the freshly pulled flesh, the assassin would notice that his gaping side wound would begin to swiftly heal shortly after he ate the innards.

Well, this was both fortunate and unfortunate. On one hand, her target was still kicking and was something far beyond human. That in itself may pose troublesome. On the other hand, some unfortunate bloke had taken the shot for her and that meant she’d still be able to get out. Also! She was getting a good view of the fact that he just murdered someone, ate them, and was healing from that. Her visor recorded it all and it’d be more than enough to hold above his head, a bargaining chip that they could use against him. This was perfect.

Now all she had to do was get out. It should be easy enough given her skillset, she had done this hundreds of times before.

She’d take a few steps back from him, keeping the rifle in hand, eyeing the man carefully. “Hungry, aren’t you? Listen, we're done here, so maybe we just leave each other be, yeah?” She’d say, though there was little humor in her tone. It seemed more matter of factly rather than attempt to jab at him. She was far from tired and she was a fast runner, but this thing…it might prove difficult to escape from. She had to be smart now, especially since he was so engaged with his meal. Who was she to try and go on yammering with a hungry animal?

Not here, that she was sure of.

She reached behind her back and pulled out a smoke grenade. With a quick pop and drop, she left it at her feet and explosion of smoke filled the area around her. At the same time she’d shift back into her invisible state, turning, and beginning to dart down the hall. She did her best to make as little noise as possible, her rifle firmly gripped in her hands. Every motion she made was made with great intention, every thought calculated. The window, her exit, wasn’t too far away, but she’d still after burst through it. Windows at this height, in these kinds of buildings, were tough. Usually bullet proof, but…

As she ran forward she’d lower herself and slid forward her rifle pointed at the window. With another powerful burst of energy cut through the air. A beam which Frederick would most certainly recognize. Unless the glass was strong enough to stop such a powerful beam of energy it would shatter, or more likely melt under its high power. Now, all she needed to do was make it through there.

Rolling forward from the slide she stood up and continued the race down towards the now, hopefully, burned through window. If Frederick decided to follow through and chase her she’d at least have danger sense to warn her. She may just be able to dodge out of the way of his form of attacks.

His clothing was saturated with blood, droplets falling from his face and lips as his gaze moved up to his assassin. There was still a chunk of viscera hanging from his mouth, akin to the site of a tiger feasting on a gazelle. His eyes were still as lifeless and cold as before, but also held a more ferocious tone to them. His form was hunched over the corpse, the muscles in his physique taut and firm from his current state, really showcasing how physically fit and shredded he truly was beneath his suit.

He had no response to her quip, just staring at her with lethal intent as the rabid animal he was currently. His mind had long since fogged up and he was no longer using his intelligent mind, now working purely on instinct. His fingers gripped the corpse beneath him, digging into the flesh as the tension built in the air. His eyes narrowed as his limbs would tense up, ready to pounce on his prey. Without so much as a snarl, he finally leapt from the ground like a leopard, beginning to lurch down the corridor after her.

The smoke filled the corridor swiftly, temporarily blinding him and snuffing out his sense of smell. He would cough and hack sharply, having inhaled a bit of smoke in the rush. This only stalled him for a moment, jumping through the smoke and continuing the pursuit after his aforementioned prey once his senses were cleared up. She would probably note that his senses and physical prowess have increased exponentially. He sniffed at the air, picking up her scent with ease as he dashed after her, even though she was invisible.

The window was indeed nearly impenetrable, a precaution Frederick was sure to install in case of such a situation. The beam would ricochet off the window and burn through a nearby wall and a few pieces of furniture in the other room. Even if he hadn't picked up her scent, the beam shot would have betrayed her position regardless. He was now honed in on her as he ran full speed down the hall towards his target. As he approached, she would hear him panting and huffing as he exerted a sufficient amount of effort to make his strides count.

The strength of this assassin was unknown to Frederick, but he himself possessed sufficient strength, giving him an advantage towards any normal targets. This didn't help him against any weaponry she possessed, given she clearly had some high tech, highly advanced weapons that could seriously hurt him. Once he was in range, the animalistic man would lunge towards his target with teeth bared and eyes full of lethal intent. At this point, if he wasn't incapacitated, he would most definitely.kill his target without remorse.

Well, she expected as much. It was incredible, absurdly rare and unlikely that someone had really developed a glass that was stronger than steel, even as strong as steel, that was almost baffling. But either way, she was trained for such things. She was used to being trapped in areas where she didn’t quite have the most obvious way out. She had been in rougher situations anyways, she just had to outsmart a mad beast. That’d be easy enough. As it stood, he was still coming after her, at a…very quick pace. Oh, he was about to lunge, good.

She rolled forward, just barely missing that lunge and those dangerous teeth. Her danger sense had come in just in time. She was lucky to have such a trait; it’d come in hand for dealing with him and dodging such attacks. As dangerous as he was, she still had the edge. She still had the dexterity and senses to dodge such attacks direct attacks. There was no grace or edge to it. He truly was just a savage beast with no class. A wolf in sheep’s clothes of sorts? Maybe. She’d think about it more later. There would be time for such association when she was back at the base.

As she recovered from the dodge, just barely recovered and then jammed her shoulder into the door next to her, bursting into the room. Though, of course, she would stay there. It wouldn’t do much, but she’d slam the door in the wolf’s face, all the while still stealthed. Thankfully, it was all calculated. Actions to buy herself simple seconds. The room she had slammed into was a calculated measure too. It was the room her beam had cut through, leaving a nice smoldering hole in the wall at the other side. She quickly darted towards and sprang forward, making herself as thin as she could and rolling into the hall once more, landing with a graceful silence. Between the scent of smoldering wood, her being invisible, and the quick diversion she was hoping that’d be more than enough to lose him just for now.

But regardless, of whether she had lost him properly or not, she’d begin quickly, quietly, down the hall. There was an elevator at the end and it’d be the way down, she’d be able to use it to get to the entrance and chances of a chase down there would be easy enough to evade. He would drop and she could grapple to somewhere. Even if he did pursue she’d be able to ascend back up easy enough. All she needed to do was force it open, not too hard given elevators were made for such things. She’d grip the openings and begin to open it, hoping there would be no creaking. Given that she got it open enough for her to fit through she’d quickly slip on in.

His lunges were frighteningly violent, and beastial as he pursued his target without remorse. His fingers dug into the walls he hit, intended for his target, trying to follow her as best as he could. Upon his final pounce, his face had slammed hard into the door she narrowly escaped behind, scratches and claws seemingly try to gnaw their way through. His attention then turned to her after she skillfully dived through the previously burned hole and back into the corridor.

His teeth were still bared, blood dripping from his canines as he began to hunt her yet again. The corridor was short, and it felt even shorter as he closed in on his target. She was clever, and stealthy which gave her those precious few seconds to reach the lift. As the metal doors shut, the feral man would give one last burst to lunge forward and attempt to grab her. He was short by just the smallest split second, the doors shutting on him and leaving her safe in the lift for now.

The elevator wasn't silent, playing soft muzak as it descended to the lower floors. The pursuit had seemed to end, giving the assassin time to breath and relax. Unknown to her, on the higher up floors, Frederick had began to come down from his blood lust. His meal of the unsuspected guard from earlier had finally digested properly, bringing him out of his feral state as his wounds finally finish healing up. The cold man would take a moment to breath in and out, letting his body do its job and properly heal up before heading to the staircase. He slowly makes his way to his penthouse office to fully recover.

Once the lift opened up at the ground floor, the assassin would notice the clean up crews and authorities still about. However the panic seemed to dissipate, and the guards seemed to have given up the hunt for the intruder. Hazmat suits came with their equipment, sweeping the initial explosion site for any radiation or shrapnel of unnatural origin. This was obviously a cover, as the suits were actually here to clean up any hazardous waste, including the guard that Frederick had so mercilessly torn apart and consumed. Anyone worth their salt in espionage or criminal underworld tactics would know these suits upon first sight.

It had been a long descent down and Nine hadn't realized how tired she had actually been from her conflict with the man above. She could feel sweat run down her neck and found a rare shortness of breath. It had been awhile since anyone had actually given her such an intense workout. She really needed to find a better way to fight these kind of people. There was only so much her sniper could actually do. She either needed a better weapon or needed to ascend. If only those freaking spirits would get off their ass and realize all the hard work she was doing...

But no matter. The feeling of exhaustion was some countered by a wave of relief, washing over her like a nice, cooling breeze. With her stealth suit engaged and the overall security lessened she was done. The job was over. She just had to walk out of the building and head back to base. Evidence found and there was nothing more she could do. Her gun could only damage a regenerating monster so much before it'd burn out, and then...well, she didn't think on that. The feelings of success were all that mattered now.

With a small exhale, she strapped the gun to her back and carefully moved around the edge of the room. She waited for a gap in the crowd to exit out of the main doors and then started down the street. The streets were busy, though she had traversed them plenty of times to know how to avoid people, heading in the gaps between them, going through back-alleys, and so forth. Soon enough, she was at her ride a couple blocks away. She stepped into the back of the airconditioned car and the driver, with a small tip of his hat, started off.

Time to go home.