Oops...

[leekspin]

WHO: Orihime, Axel, Roxas
WHAT: Trying to help someone out lands Orihime in hot water. What to do? Run like crazy!
WHEN: May 29, 2008 - Evening
WHERE: Clairbourn Streets

Comments

[red_travels]

Axel fought the urge to snort derisively. If this guy thought a pistol was gonna scare him, he had another thing coming. Axel hadn't been born in Brooklyn for nothing, after all. There was very little that scared the redhead these days, and guns handled by goons like these? Sure as hell didn't even factor in. Even thus, he swallowed the snide remark on his tongue and managed not to roll his eyes, instead holding up his free hand in a placating gesture.

"Oh, a thousand apologies, my good sir," he said with no small grain of facetiousness in his tone. "I shall most assuredly keep all inquiries to myself from now on..."

His expression shifted from a cynical smirk to something darker then, and he moved his second chakram back to his free hand. There were only six now, but it was pretty obvious they weren't just going to take his word for the girl's position and flutter off like good little thugs. Damn; it seemed the street punks in Clairbourn were a little smarter than the ones in Manhattan. If they had plans to look around, the girl would be found, and all of Axel's efforts would be for nothing.

He didn't like wasting his time, and he didn't appreciate it when people wasted it for him. His eyes narrowed. Axel didn't entertain himself an overly chivalrous man, but eight men against one little girl didn't seem like very sporting odds in the slightest. Whatever that girl had done to offend them, it surely wasn't punishable by whatever he had the feeling they had in mind.

He cleared his throat.

"Ah, actually, chief...I just got one more question, if you'd indulge me," he said then, his gaze still stony but his lips tweaked into a small smile. The man furrowed his brow, obviously irked by the fact that Axel was still talking, but apparently saw fit to allow the question. Axel smiled. "You ain't scared of fire, are ya?" he asked casually, tightening his grip on the chrakrams and feeling his knuckles pop softly. "See because...I don't really like that attitude you're taking with me... You barged in here on me, minding my own business, and I don't appreciate your rudeness. So...if you are scared of fire, I might suggest you and your boys move right along. Otherwise things might ah...heat up a bit."

Axel had recently done some personal upgrades on his chakrams--there was a small twisted wick that ran around the circumference of the wheels, wrapped in thread and doused in lighter fluid. He'd actually gotten the idea from the fireballs that kid Zuko had made, and the idea adapted quite well to the chakrams. He'd learned rather quickly in toying with the idea that standing still while wielding the blades aflame would just end in tears, but so long as he kept moving, the fire worked quite nicely to his advantage.

Maybe it was time to run a little experiment and see just how much of an advantage.

"However, if you're not," he added, his grin toothy and dangerous now, "then perhaps you and your boys'll stick around for some fireworks...?"

[leekspin]

Some of that confidence leaked away from those oily grins, and the men behind their leader shuffled somewhat uncertainly. Blades alone were only sort of unwelcome, but add fire to the mix? This was one creepy kid.

But the leader merely raised an eyebrow. "Heh... You think you're one tough @#$*, don't you?" He drew his gun with surprising speed, hammer cocked, finger on the trigger as he held it calmly, chamber aimed for Axel's head. "Let me give you one last warning, then. Out here? Ain't no one around to here these shots go off. Scamper away now, and I might let you go in one piece. It would be best to avoid bloodshed, don't you--"

"YAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!" An Orihime suddenly barreled into his side, hands outstretched to grab his gunarm. A shot went off, but his aim was thrown, and the bullet zipped harmlessly into the sky. Orihime wasn't satisfied, however, and sank her teeth into his arm for good measure. Sure she gave away her position, but she didn't want Axel to get shot!

The man snarled, gritting his teeth against the pain (she wasn't playing around when she decided to really BITE someone), grabbing a handful of her shirt near the shoulder to tear her off and throw her away. "Bitch," he panted...and smiled. "Take care of her. I'll get rid of this red-haired bastard," he said, locking his eyes on Axel.

[red_travels]

Axel hadn't really been too concerned when the man had drawn his gun. While he'd never been shot before, that was mostly because he'd usually been fast enough to dive out of the way. And when that had failed, Roxas was always around to cover his back. Well, Roxas wasn't available this time, but Axel wasn't too worried; he wouldn't be worried 'til someone held him down and pointed a gun at his head. And to do that? They'd have to catch him first.

He was about to make a sly remark back at the gunman when an unholy howl ripped into the night, and a flash of copper streaked through his line of vision. He could only watch in something like befuddled awe as the little girl he had left hunkered in the shadow of the tractor hurled herself at the man, sending the shot wildly into the sky, and then...sank her teeth into the man's arm.

....Colorado girls were nuts. Axel was convinced now.

But this wasn't the time to be impressed by the level of insanity the locals exhibited. 'Take care of her', the man had snarled, and that was really about all Axel needed as incentive to get serious. Well now that he was involved it would have been right assholian of him to just run away and leave the poor girl to her own devices. She had, after all, bit someone for his sake.

Axel chuckled and paused long enough to hang his chakrams on the little hooks that adorned either side of the belt around his hips to free up his hands. Then he reached into the pocket of his hooded leather jacket, pulling out a pair of fingerless leather gloves and carefully sliding them over his long hands. Then he fished into his pocket again, pulling out a lighter. "Last chance, boys," he said with a wicked smile, holding the lighter up and plucking one of the blades from his hip. "No? Gonna stick around?"

His smile was downright Grinch-like.

"Excellent," he purred, and flicked the lighter, touching the flame to the wick around the blades and sending a bright plume of golden-orange fire in a perfect circle around the chakram. He laughed again--he would never get tired of seeing that--and tucked the lighter back into his pocket, then reached for the other blade. "Still here?" he asked, looking impressed. "My, but you boys are ballsy. Have it your way."

He touched the second chakram to the first, lighting it ablaze as well.

He cast his eyes to the little copper-haired girl and then grinned, shooting her a quick wink before he turned his gaze back to the man with the gun.

"Let's see how nicely idiots burn, shall we?"

And he dashed forward so quickly the flames left motion-lines in the air behind him like contrails.

[leekspin]

So. Very. COOL! Orihime wanted to watch Axel and his flaming weapons more than just a moment, but she was on the ground, and those men were swiftly moving to bear down on her. She rolled up to her hip and threw out her leg to catch one in the back of the knees, sending HIM to the ground instead to buy her just enough time to get to her feet.

The leader's eyes reflected those bright flames as he swung towards Axel, body angled to the side as he clenched a fist. He was none too happy about losing the gun, but he didn't need it to clean up a little punk like this. For the sake of some girl! "Think you're a big damn hero..." he grunted as he lunged forward, aiming to connect his fist with Axel's jaw. He would learn soon enough that he just didn't mess with six men who had no reservations whatsoever about killing, raping, shooting, and/or hurting people.