Paint it Another Colour

Chapter 48

Alfred was completely lost. He had been with people, but had got to the point where he couldn't deal with Kyung Soo anymore, and had stalked off in the opposite direction to where the others had been going. No one had gone to call him back, so he'd carried on walking and found himself probably at the far end of the building, alone, facing numerous blank walls and with no idea where the hell he should go. He was starting to wonder whether he could have put up with Kyung Soo when there was a laugh from the other end of the corridor. He didn't want to turn around. He knew who was there, or had a better idea of who it was than of where he should go, but turned anyway. It was better to face the threat than look away from it.

Allen stood at the other end of the corridor, baseball bat balanced across his shoulders with the nails still sticking out of it. Various bits of tape and bandaged were wrapped round it at specific points as though it had cracked or splintered, or was weakening from all the beating it took. Some of the bandages looked old, with red-brown patches long since dried up encrusting them, and tears or holes in the gauze. However many bandages or tape were there, it was still something that could kill. Alfred still remembered the pain when it had smashed his arm. That was just his arm as well.

"Haven't seen you in a while" Allen smiled, almost reassuringly. "How've you been Pork Chop?"

Alfred pulled  a face at the nickname and reached into his jacket for his gun.

"Oh please" Allen rolled his eyes. "Let's not get that thing our again. It gives you an unfair advantage don't you think?" Alfred didn't respond. "You could kill me from all the way over there. Shoot me dead, and I would still have to take several steps to even get within hitting distance."

"So?" Alfred shrugged. "Who says we fight fair?"

"Who says indeed?" Allen grinned again, peering over his sunglasses. "But you should put down the gun."

Alfred didn't respond, just pulled the gun further out of his jacket.

Allen scoffed and started walking forwards, dropping the bat to drag along the floor, the nails tearing up the carpet. Alfred pointed his pistol at him.

"Stop or... I'll shoot." He tried to conceal the fact that his hands were shaking.

"See, that's exactly what I mean" Allen sighed, still walking. "You kill me from there, I can't." A look flashed across his face that froze Alfred where he was. "Or can I?" Allen raised his arm and threw the baseball bat at him, spiralling it through the air. It took Alfred a moment to realise that it was coming at him and another second to drop. The bat smashed into the wall behind him, leaving a huge crack in the plaster and a dent in the brick work.

Alfred coughed, shaking bits of plaster out of his hair and glanced up. Allen was coming at him, running down the hall and scooping up his bat where it had bounced off the wall and landed. Alfred leapt to his feet and fumbled around with his pistol again. He pointed it at Allen again, trying to shoot straight with his still shaking hands and fired.

The bullet missed by miles. Allen didn't even flinch. It was all too much for Alfred. It was all too much like last time. He staggered backwards, almost dropping the gun, almost falling. By that time, Allen was within hitting distance, and swung his baseball bat at him. Alfred yelped and ducked the blow, attempting to do so for the next couple that came his way. Allen didn't seem phased by it, and just continued in the same pattern until Alfred could almost predict where the bat was going to come from next. He was almost getting used to it, nerves almost calming down, until Allen changed the pattern completely and aimed from the other side. Alfred had no time to try and avoid it this time, and so instinctively put his arm up to defend himself from it.

It was only after the bat had smashed through his arm that he realised his mistake.

Alfred screamed and pulled his arm to his chest, dropping his gun to the floor, feeling all the bones splintering, shattering, sliding loosely about, the arm now about as useful as a chocolate fire guard.

"Idiot" Allen shook his head, both hands raised to shoulder level. "It's a bat. With nails sticking out of it. Why did you go and do that hey? Didn't you do that last time?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Slowly, he bent down and picked up Alfred's discarded gun. "Would you look at that. I have here a cheating weapon!"

Alfred's eyes widened and he made a weak attempt to grab at it with his other hand. Allen stepped backwards out of the way and held it up. "So, how does it work again?" He clicked off the safety which had turned on when it had fallen. "You do this right? Then... this?" He rested his finger on the trigger. "And then... this..." He pointed the gun forwards, aiming it at Alfred's head. Alfred stayed completely still, staring, shocked, terrified at the barrel. "And then..." Allen fired and watched the bullet fly through Alfred's head, burying itself in the wall behind it. "That" Allen laughed. "It's fairly easy that isn't it? No wonder you use it. Might keep this." He tucked the gun into his belt and walked down the corridor, humming triumphantly.

"Shut up"

He glanced to the side as he passed the end of another corridor and grinned at Luciano as he came up it towards him. "Hey Luci."

"Shut up" Luciano hissed again.

As he got closer, Allen noticed his arm curled around a circular, auburn object, squirming to no end. It took Allen a while to notice it was Feliciano.

"How did you find him?" Allen bent down and peered at Feliciano. He had a black eye and a cut on his forehead, but was most definitely alive and conscious.

"Hm?" Luciano gave him a disgusted look. "Don't act like he's just something you'd find in a shop. He's a threat. A slow threat, trailing behind the people he was with, but still a threat, and people need to acknowledge that."

He looked Allen up and down and then gestured with his free arm to the gun at his belt. "Don't suppose I could use that could I? Bastardo made me drop my knife."

"Why does everyone use knives?" Allen sighed, handing Luciano the gun. "It's so uncreative."

"You nailed nails into a cricket bat" Luciano shouted. "You can't talk."

Allen shrugged. "It's unique."

Luciano muttered something under his breath an pressed the gun to Feliciano's forehead.

"Last words?" Luciano hesitated and then laughed. "Oh wait, I forgot. We glued your tongue didn't we?" He laughed again and fired.

Agh!!!!!!!! Terrible chapter!!!! I'm so sorry everyone! This chapter was awful!!!!!!!!! I feel like my standards are dropping fast! I promise the next one will be better!
MiddleEarth4eva