[ftm] 11.4 - clash of power
ooc: It's an image challenge, but the muse got inspired. :P
“You’ve gotta stop.”
“You gotta split.” His voice was calm and even, despite the fact that his limbs felt strangely hollow, weak from the effort of his latest kill. The warmth of blood on his hands was invigorating, comforting.
“I’m not gonna let you keep doing this, man. She wouldn’t want it.”
Ryder looked up from his blade and into the eyes of the man who ought to have been cheering him on. Tommy Karras had absolved him of his sins, or come as close as he was likely to get. It didn’t quite fit, why he was there now to stop him.
Especially when the latest Immortal was dead at his feet.
“Ry, listen. I know what you’re doin’, and I appreciate it. I know she does, too, wherever she’s at. The cops are on this, though. They’re on her murder, and if you think they won’t tie you in somewhere, find out what you been doing? You’re crazy.”
He paused, glancing down at the headless body at his feet, then back up at Tommy incredulously. “I am crazy.”
He went back to cleaning his sword until Tommy walked up and grabbed his arm.
“I’m not lettin’ you go to jail for her. Not for this.”
It should have bothered him more that he so easily stepped back and laid the tip of the sword, still wet with blood, against the hollow of his throat. It should have disturbed him that the white noise arrived, the quiet void that came and filled his mind with shadows, his ears with static and let him kill with a perfect sense of peace.
“I’m not lettin’ you stop me from keeping my promise.” He replied quietly, adding a little pressure to the blade. He watched a drop of blood form at the tip, felt it waiting to touch his fingers.
“You won’t kill me for this, Ryder. You’re not that man.”
Ryder hesitated for six seconds. Then he sighed and nodded, letting the sword fall away from Tommy’s throat. The blood was a small, perfect black bead in the low light of the alley.
He waited six more seconds before he lifted the weapon and chose his mark, running Tommy through and back a good three feet, stopping only when a wall got in his path.
Reaching into the pocket of Tommy’s jacket roughly, he found his cell phone and shoved it into his hand.
“Call 911, get yourself outta here.” He instructed coldly. “You’ll bleed to death if you don’t…you got time, and you still got strength.”
He could see the confusion in the other man’s features. Ryder smiled, shrugging.
“I believe.” It was a mockery of what Tommy Karras stood for, but he believed in what he was saying. In his heart of hearts…he knew he was doing the right thing.
Releasing Tommy, Ryder stood and waited for several moments before the noise behind him deferred his attention for that crucial second. When he turned back around, Tommy was gone.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he went back to cleaning up his mess. Tommy could take care of himself…and he had a lot of work to do if anything Karras had to say was true…
Muse: Mays Ryder
Fandom: Highlander (OC)
Words: 540
“You’ve gotta stop.”
“You gotta split.” His voice was calm and even, despite the fact that his limbs felt strangely hollow, weak from the effort of his latest kill. The warmth of blood on his hands was invigorating, comforting.
“I’m not gonna let you keep doing this, man. She wouldn’t want it.”
Ryder looked up from his blade and into the eyes of the man who ought to have been cheering him on. Tommy Karras had absolved him of his sins, or come as close as he was likely to get. It didn’t quite fit, why he was there now to stop him.
Especially when the latest Immortal was dead at his feet.
“Ry, listen. I know what you’re doin’, and I appreciate it. I know she does, too, wherever she’s at. The cops are on this, though. They’re on her murder, and if you think they won’t tie you in somewhere, find out what you been doing? You’re crazy.”
He paused, glancing down at the headless body at his feet, then back up at Tommy incredulously. “I am crazy.”
He went back to cleaning his sword until Tommy walked up and grabbed his arm.
“I’m not lettin’ you go to jail for her. Not for this.”
It should have bothered him more that he so easily stepped back and laid the tip of the sword, still wet with blood, against the hollow of his throat. It should have disturbed him that the white noise arrived, the quiet void that came and filled his mind with shadows, his ears with static and let him kill with a perfect sense of peace.
“I’m not lettin’ you stop me from keeping my promise.” He replied quietly, adding a little pressure to the blade. He watched a drop of blood form at the tip, felt it waiting to touch his fingers.
“You won’t kill me for this, Ryder. You’re not that man.”
Ryder hesitated for six seconds. Then he sighed and nodded, letting the sword fall away from Tommy’s throat. The blood was a small, perfect black bead in the low light of the alley.
He waited six more seconds before he lifted the weapon and chose his mark, running Tommy through and back a good three feet, stopping only when a wall got in his path.
Reaching into the pocket of Tommy’s jacket roughly, he found his cell phone and shoved it into his hand.
“Call 911, get yourself outta here.” He instructed coldly. “You’ll bleed to death if you don’t…you got time, and you still got strength.”
He could see the confusion in the other man’s features. Ryder smiled, shrugging.
“I believe.” It was a mockery of what Tommy Karras stood for, but he believed in what he was saying. In his heart of hearts…he knew he was doing the right thing.
Releasing Tommy, Ryder stood and waited for several moments before the noise behind him deferred his attention for that crucial second. When he turned back around, Tommy was gone.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he went back to cleaning up his mess. Tommy could take care of himself…and he had a lot of work to do if anything Karras had to say was true…
Muse: Mays Ryder
Fandom: Highlander (OC)
Words: 540