Here There be Witches

Untitled Part 29

IM BACK BITCHES, BASTARDS AND CRYPTIDS

and perfect timing too because I have nothing else to write for Your Name is Precious, The Monarch Project, or Stay for a Drink for now but im still on a writing spree and i was going stir crazy with nothing to write about

"Sorry we're late!" Tsubaki said.

"We caught up!" Blackstar exclaimed. "We--no, I--win!" The assassin cackled loudly, completely oblivious to the enemy staring at him. Anara's head shot up (to his immediate regret; it made pain spike through his skull) to see Blackstar with Tsubaki as a small sword in his fist, standing where Kid had just been, the poor other teen forced to the ground next to him.

Kid recovered quickly though, immediately jumping up to scream at their friend. "No you idiot!! The enemies with the black blood are further ahead!"

"What?! That's not good!" Blackstar looked as upset about this news as he would about losing a basketball game. Actually, scratch that, he'd be more worried about the game. "What are you doing here then?" He finished, rudely.

Kid fumed from beside him as the shorter boy turned to the Wolfman. "Woah! Where'd you come from?" At least after the pair's interruption Kid could refocus on the enemy, and with the break in the flow of battle Anara had time to collect their thoughts without worrying about someone potentially getting hurt.

"Look Kid," Liz piped up. "That guy has a ball and chain on his left foot only!"

That did the trick. Kid's eyes darkened at the sight. "So he does. It disgusts me!"

Blackstar whipped out an accusatory finger to point at the Wolfman. "Hey you! No one is allowed to stand in my way!" As if the assassin wasn't stealing Kid's and Anara's foe (they were grateful for the help, really), Kid instantly went on the offensive with him, providing backup cover fire as the blue haired boy charged. From his crumpled spot in the rubble of the column, Anara pushed himself to one knee, balancing on the ball of his other toe so he was ready to spring into action again, but indecisiveness paralyzed him. Should he and Kid stay with Blackstar to lessen the chance of one of their friends dying, or prioratize the Kieshin? Should Anara just jump in recklessly like the first time and risk getting obliterated, or try to strategize, even though their best best was still the eye and the Wolfman would undoubtedly be on guard against those attacks? What if they just got in the way? What if they didn't help and someone else got hurt?

Then there was a massive chunk of debris being hurled right toward him and he leapt out of the way with a shriek, making it by the skin of his teeth. He stared at where he had almost become bloody mush, huffing and blinking rapidly, still crouched on all fours. Dammit, he needed to focus! Do something! Anything!

They were still paralyzed. Unknowingly being their saving grace, Kid spoke up from slightly in front of them. He had stopped firing and lowered his pistols, but his eyes were still focused on the one sided duel between Blackstar and the Wolfman. "Anara, take a look at that." They obliged, eagerly. "He never tried to avoid either of our attacks, but he's desperately trying to avoid Blackstar's. Why?"

The witch squinted, as if it could help them think. "Could it be Tsubaki's enchanted sword mode? He'd not using it now, but he saw it at the bridge." Anara couldn't remember how that instance had ended, he was pretty sure Blackstar hadn't gotten in a single attack, but it was still very obviously different from typical weapon-meister pairs, and maybe the immortal had encountered it before.

Kid didn't respond for a moment, then he gasped. "Oh!" Without another word, he lowered his guns completely to his sides and walked calmly up to the pair.