Consequence

RE, Ch: 3- Unexpected Encounters

Cover art created by LowkeyKosmic

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Shit.

'Shit shit shit' This was not good, this was very bad, this was no good, very, very, very bad.

Rainbow Steve yelped as a fireball was tossed his way, in the corner of his vision was was a madman. He possessed red eyes and black hair, he was grinning like what he was. 'Dark Steve' Rainbow's mind helpfully, or not so helpfully provided; Nightmare Steve's right hand man.

This was supposed to be a simple scouting mission, their enemies were not supposed to be here.

All Rainbow could do was run, he'd exhausted his speed trying to run Green Steve and Purple Steve somewhere safer to wait, if they could all get to the same place, Purple could teleport them farther away, but they'd been forced to scatter and just getting to those two had been hard enough.

Now, exhausted of energy he was forced to be running at normal speed. He could only hope that yellow managed to get Blue Steve and Red Steve to the alcove they'd agreed to gather back at in case things went wrong.

Dark Steve was the only one they had seen - the only one they could see - but the wicked man wasn't alone, he never was.

Rainbow had to be reminded of this, was reminded of this when a hard shove from his right side had him tumbling through tree roots and long dry grass, a faint shimmer was his only clue that his attacker was in fact there, just invisible.

How long had he been running alongside Rainbow Steve? How long had he anticipated where and when he'd knock him over? Rainbow found himself in a ditch when he scrambled to his feet; it seemed like a river ran through here in the spring, when the rains flooded the forest floor and the water had nowhere else to go.

Rainbow Steve was much like the water, down here: he had nowhere to go.

Dark Steve was in the ditch with him, the shimmer of whoever was invisible flitted back and forth on the ledge of it, ready to cut him off if he ran down it or pull him back in if he tried to climb out.

This was the closest he'd ever been to an enemy..

Rainbow took a measured step back for every step that Dark Steve took towards him, he didn't know how long he could keep that up, how long the black haired man would let him. Rainbow Steve thankfully never had to find out.

"Leave him."

An all too familiar voice carried on the light breeze, it was one he hadn't heard in two weeks; but how could you forget a voice so smooth..? Rainbow Steve stopped backing up, all well, as Dark Steve had also stopped approaching; whipping his head towards the voice, indignation in his eyes. "But-"

"We've done what we needed, let's go." Nightmare Steve walked into the trees then, disappearing into the thick foliage as he effortlessly wove between trunks and bushes.

He was gone as quickly as he appeared.

He hadn't so much as glanced in Rainbow Steve's direction.

The bushes rustled as the shimmering form followed Nightmare Steve's path, it was only Dark and Rainbow Steve left for a few moments, but soon Rainbow Steve found himself alone when Dark Steve's form blinked out of existence; after shooting a glare at Rainbow.

Seemed he'd rather teleport than walk.

Rainbow Steve felt oddly numb, his heart was still racing in his chest, his chest was still heaving with heavy breaths, his breathing was erratic. Rainbow tried to take another step back, fear was stubborn to loosen it's vice grip on him. He found himself stumbling over his own feet, crumpling to the ground.