Another Boring Day - Part 2

“Time for fun!” Colette took off in a hurry, charging towards the alley right after she heard the noise.

Karim then glared at the smirking person still hunched very close to her, but she could get almost nothing from her expression.

“Ya first, partner.”

“We’re talking about this later.”

The obsidian-colored khopesh appeared on Karim’s hands as she turned away from her partner and went after the muscular inquisitor with Anna going right after. The redhead was the only member of the group that had a weapon that couldn't be summoned though.

Either way, the alleyway they took was more like a small pedestrian path than a proper dark alley made between buildings. It was a tight and paved isolated area, but it was still bright and even had some decorations and shops around.

While moving through the silent area, the trio went deep into the alley and eventually reached the origins of the noise. There, two fox shrine maidens were huddled together on the ground.

Three hooded figures stood around them in a fighting stance with a bigger number of knocked-out figures around them. The two were also surrounded by a barrier of glowing paper strips, but they weren't safe still.

For one, there was a pool of blood below the two maidens, one that seemed to be caused by a bullet wound on one of the girls. It also seemed that the other kitsune was keeping both the barrier and her companion alive all by herself. And the glare she gave when the trio arrived wasn't pretty too.

They didn't have the time to explain anything though, even more when their arrival prompted the three standing figures to turn and flee.

“Col!” Annabeth shouted from behind before pointing her head to the roof of the buildings.

The toned inquisitor nodded in an understanding as she stopped running in a sudden move and held her hands together over her knee. Such a move confused Karim, but she continued moving and overtook the two inquisitors. She didn't have the time to lose on them since she was focused on the wounded maiden covered in barriers.

Even her focus was unable to hold when she saw a redhead flying above her head though.

Annabeth used the strength of her brunette friend to catapult herself up the roofs, landing in a perfect way before moving forward again. Her parkour-like moves kept getting speed and she was soon moving as fast as when she was down in the alley.

Meanwhile, while Anna was doing high-speed parkour, Colette was also picking up speed after leaving her position. She started running as fast as she could with abnormally high acceleration, dashing by Karim’s side and over the kitsunes in a moment.

Anna was pointing orders to her friend on the ground even while the space between the two was growing, but that was expected. She had a target and was willing to risk a pick-off to get it. Someone who was able to get a gun and wound a fox demon wouldn't be a normal thug, so she had to capture one of them fast.

In the best case, this person would even have some information that would help their main mission. But of course, getting this much would only matter if they did so before any other authorities.

Letting the three hooded figures have a headstart was bad, but the inquisitors were managing to lower the difference. They still took a little too long and, in the end, the two groups only got into engagement range almost at the end of the alley.

Worse than that, the three figures were giving signs that they would split the moment they could.

“Which?!” Colette shouted to the girl above her in hopes that Anna already had an idea of who was the leader. The redhead then focused her eyes the best she could and answered with the little certainty she could.

“Take the middle one alive!” Annabeth shouted as her tattoos started to glow again. “I’ll get the other two.”

“Got it!”

With her orders set, the brunette forced her legs further, cracking the pavement behind her in exchange for a massive boost in speed. In contrast to her, Anna came to a full stop and knelt on the roof she was, taking aim with her revolver as the three targets reached the exit of the alley.

Before she could fire, or Col could punch her target, the only of the three hooded figures who didn't turn to flee at the exit of the alley turned around. And as unexpected as it was, what the figure had in hand was just an improvised pipe gun instead of any decent weapon.

And so, a loud gunshot coupled with two quieter ones rang across the alley.

Two figures fell with wounds in their knees and a hail of small metal pellets hit the huge gauntlets Col was using to shield her body, but that was it. The damage wasn't enough to break the inquisitor's defenses, so the last hooded figure was tackled and held to the ground in less than a moment.

“Nice try, bastard, but you’re a fucking century behind if you want to take me head-on.” The brunette said while pushing the figure’s arm almost to breaking point. “Now if you could… What?!”

But before she could dislodge said arm though, a clicking sound came from beneath her, one that she could easily recognize. And the next moment after hearing so, Col jumped to the side in a rush as all beneath her exploded.

Her attempt to dodge was a little too late though. 

The explosion threw her far away, hitting the nearest wall with ambers on her clothes. And while she was still hazy with the impact, even if not very hurt at all, pieces of the blown-up figure started to rain back to the ground.

There was no blood or entrails following these body parts though, as if they weren’t from a living creature, to begin with.

“Y'good, Col?!” Anna asked while moving to the roofs closer to her friend’s position.

But as she was doing so, a small bright spot called her attention from up in the sky. It went away too fast to be identified, but she was sure something was there still.

“Someone observing us?” Anna asked herself while staring in the general direction of what she saw, but shook off the thought soon enough as she had to see if Colette was well.

It didn't take long for her to reach the building above Colette and the brunette herself seemed to be fine, except for her expression.

“This is bloody gross…” Col said while looking at what was probably a head that fell in her hands.

“Why ya holdin’ a decapitated head, Col?”

“This is some kind of fake, but…” Colette answered before turning her gaze up to where Anna was. “Aren’t you getting down anytime soon?”

“I can’t.”

“You can’t? There are more enemies?!” The brawny inquisitor threw away the doll head in her hands and assumed a fighting stance once more. “Which direction?”

“Nay! No enemies anymore. I just can’t find some stairs down...” Annabeth answered in an ever-dimming voice that only brought exasperation to her companion. “Can ya find somethin’ to lower me?”

And this exasperation ended up boiling right away as she stared at the girl who could take a fireball head-on but was unable to jump from a two-floored building.

“ARE YOU A FUCKING STUCK CAT OR SOMETHING?!!!”