Virtually Existent

Chapter 04 - Blood Red

Eli kept low along a chest high wall, creeping up the street as he stayed low to the end of the wall where he peered out into the street carefully. A flash of light, and he just barely pulled his head back into cover as the shot rang out. He swore under his breath and touched his ear, pulling his hand off with a coat of blood.

Eli retrieved his knife, angling it so that the shining metal revealed the street beyond and looked in to the reflection, investigating each window and alcove with absolute care. After a long period of searching his blade settled on a figure, still gazing down their rifle's scope awaiting Eli's next move from their vantage point atop a three story office building at the end of the street.

Replacing his knife in it's sheathe, Eli sat down with his back on the wall to think. The sniper might have just taken a lucky shot that very moment, or maybe they had been tailing him for entire blocks. He was pinned down, and angry at himself for letting it happen. They both knew they wouldn't be going anywhere, so all they could do was wait or move to engage one another at a closer and much more dangerous range.

Minutes later Eli twirled the knife through his fingers, moving it skillfully amongst his digits as he waited for something, anything, to happen. More time passed, and the sniper still had a huge field of view while Eli remained with no other options for cover. As Eli's occasional glances into the street revealed, the stalemate was going on and on.

After waiting for all that time when something happened Eli was greateful for the opportunity, even if the only outcome would be violence. A huge flash of light filled Eli's vision that made his eyes ache and his knife immediately found itself probing the street to see a small metal sphere bounce out. Eli shielded his eyes from it's flash and then immediately after dove over his cover, charging towards the origins of the flash grenades.

Over the wall, keeping low as he charged across the street. Eli rounded the building's corner and immediately came in contact with the aggrivator, armed with a flash grenade and a surprised look. Eli dove on him, bringing his body down hard against the ground with enough force to send the grenade bouncing off while keeping his own momentum up, rolling to a stand and arming himself with his knife while his red haired victim was still groggily recovering. 

Despite the rough introduction, Red Hair still moved first when the fight truly began, dreadlocks lagging behind when his machete swung out violently at Eli. They were both fast, Eli hopping backwards and parrying with his knife in the one movement only to take a slash across his chin with his foe's follow up attack. Thinking he had his foe backpedalling, Red Hair brought his machete up, bringing it down at Eli's neck decisively.

Eli changed his momentum completely and moved under the machete to grasp onto his foe's hand. Red Hair screamed out as Eli drive his knife into his hand, twisting it violently to relieve him of his machete. Red Hair roared, his face curling into one of absolute rage as his undamaged hand curled around the grip of a handgun. Eli's quick thinking sent him diving to the side as Red Hair opened fire, rolling as he landed only to leap further away. Red Hair's handgun clicked meekly as it's ammunition ran dry moments later, having only grazed Eli's calf for all the effort.

Red Hair let out a growl that was truly beastial, hurling the heavy handgun at Eli without thought onle for him catch the weapon and return it with his full strength, forcing Red Hair to cover his face instinctually. The gun slammed hard into his brutalised hand, digging into the bloody wound deeply. Red Hair screamed, this time not of rage or frustration but of pure pain. Eli's blade darted through Red Hair's weak attempts at defense, stabbing through into his heart over and over. 

Eli pulled himself away from Red Hair's corpse, wiping his blade across the cement ground in exhausted strokes before carefully replacing it in it's sheathe and getting to work looting the body. Red Hair hadn't brought a lot with him but Eli considered the gun for a moment. He picked it up and felt it's immense weight, determining it was not worth taking in that moment. Next was the machete. Unfamiliar, harder to manuever, and couldn't be used to stab which made it absolutely useless while Eli still had his knife. The only thing he took from Red Hair was the two flash grenade pickups and a slight wound before moving on.