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There was a faint chuckle behind him. Proteus' magically enhanced senses picked it up easily and it took about a microsecond for him to recognize that sadistic chuckle...Darren. Proteus slowly turned around, and his ex-squad leader came into view. He was tall and athletically built, even for an elf. He was broad shouldered, finely sculpted, fast and strong; the pinacle of Tir Ghost training. He was clad in traditional dark form fitting armour and had a small harness over it on which Proteus could see a handgun, some communications equipment and some small pockets with other assorted items which could come in use. The sneer on his face betrayed his arrogance.
"Where's the Seal?" he said quietly. Proteus could hear him perfectly even though the wind was rustling in the trees around them. It was getting uncomfortably warm in his full camouflage suit as the afternoon sun warmed up the forest around them. The thick sequoia trees around them provided them with quite a bit of shade, but also with quite a bit of maneuvering room. The ground was hindered by ferns and other assorted shubbery. The Native Americans had done well in restoring the lands here.
They were standing about 20 meters apart, sticking out about halfway out of the shubbery. Tension.
The last time they had encountered each other, Darren had tried to take out Proteus and his two friends by double Uzi fire, Proteus was sure that Darren wasn't here on friendly terms. He had still been dispatched to retrieve the rogue Ghost and bring him back to Tir Tairngire, Darren was subject to personal shame for losing one of his squad members.
"I don't know." Proteus replied.
"You know that either you, or the Seal comes back with me to Portland." Darren whispered, barely audible for Proteus' enhanced hearing to pick up as a gust of wind rushed through the roof of leaves to disturb the shrubery far below, on the ground.
.: 00:00.000
And then he moved.
Running a few, short steps through the shubbery, about halfway between his original position and his target, Darren jumped high towards Proteus, sailing through the air, aligned slightly sideways pushing the ball of his feet outward in a flying sidekick, Proteus immediately knew that he would fall short on his jump but his instincts told him to move anyway. He sidestepped to the right of the attack and felt an invisible force of energy shoot out from Darren's kick and landing slightly behind his original position, hitting through leaf, branch and upsetting the soil. Darren had aparently advanced fairly far since the two had seen and sparred last. Proteus would have to be careful.
.: 00:01.014
Proteus now with Darren to his left, and a large tree to his right turned towards his assailant and knew that hand-to-hand he would be defeated in no-time. Proteus went for his pistol, drawing it out of it's holster strapped to his stomach and firing at Darren. The shot went wide, spitting up dirt and twigs as it hit the ground off in front of Darren. A flock of birds, upset by the loud weapon's fire, took from the trees to the skies, cawing as they went.
The bullet was meant to go into Darren's leg, Proteus didn't want his ex-squad leader dead, but he didn't have the time to get into an elaborate fight with him. He shot again, aiming better this time. Darren, alerted by the first shot jumped back and let himself drop to the ground, catching himself on his back in such a way that let himself recoil back to his feet again in no time.
.: 00:01.943
Darren, visibly appalled at the use of the weapon, snarled as he turned towards Proteus, jumped up and delivered a triple-kick before landing back down. Proteus dropped the weapon and blocked all three kicks as he was pushed back, toward the tree.
Proteus retaliated with a punch. Darren came walking in and off-handedly blocked the punch and struck Proteus with the edge of his hand in the throat causing him to cough hard and spit up some blood. The punch sent him back, forced right up against the tree.
.: 00:03.881
Proteus, now pinned with his back to the wall, launched a heavy blow right in Darren's stomach which made him take a few steps back, giving Proteus some breathing room. Proteus didn't have the feeling he had done any damage other than the pain in his own hand from the heavy blow, as Darren regained his wit.
Darren pulled up his right leg and snapped his leg left and right of Proteus, starting low snapping at the sides of both his knees, the his waste, the his shoulders, then his head. The barrage of of kicks, some of them landing against the trunk of the large sequoia tree against which Proteus was standing, hit Proteus a couple of times, from different sides. He wouldn't keep this up long enough.
.: 00:05.537
Darren was still standing a good distance from him, being able to extend his attacks like that was a definite advantage to him, standing there with his leg still cocked, like holding a smoking gun, ready to deliver another barrage of kicks. Proteus took a few steps forward, coming in close, throwing two punches. Darren was pushed back but blocked both punches and swung wide and hit Proteus square in the jaw, sending him sprawling back, slamming into the tree again.
Proteus put his hands on his knees and had to regain his balance as blackness almost overcame him. He was bleeding internally, he knew, and had torn a few tendons and ligaments from the assault. When the dizzy spell faded, and he regained clear consciousness he could hear Darren walk up. At his feet he saw his discarded pistol, he dropped into a crouch and picked up the weapon. He stood up, pointed and fired at Darren.
.: 00:07.121
The bullet hit Darren square in the chest, but most of his excellently crafted form-fitting armour must've taken the blow. He was sent sprawling back a couple of steps and as the bullet hit Proteus can hear him grunt loudly, followed by a violent cough as he tried to inhale again.
Angry and hurt now, Darren ran forward snapping a backfist across Proteus' face with his left arm and hammer punching Proteus against the connection between his neck and his shoulder. Proteus shifted his position slightly and the second blow hit against the trunk of the tree, sending loose leaves and twigs falling down.
.: 00:08.663
The strength that this Elf possessed was rivalling that of a Troll. Proteus started to panick slightly.
Proteus leveled his pistol and fired, sending the shot over Darren's shoulder, leaving powder burns on the side of his face. Proteus aligned the weapon for a second shot as Darren dodged inside his arms and defences, pushing the gunhand to the side. The following shot rang hitting nothing.
Standing close now, the ringing in Darren's ear was tremendous. He shrugged like a bull before a charge, grabbed Proteus' right shoulder with his left arm and started throwing heavy punches with his right arm against Proteus' left flank. One after another, punching, punching, until he felt a crack.
Groggy now Proteus fired another couple of rounds into open air. Darren stepped in with his right foot, pulling Proteus towards him, away from the tree, before ramming his right elbow into his stomach, using the momentum of the pull as the power of the attack. Another shot rang, going wide. Proteus began to panick and put the gun up against Darren's side and pulled the trigger.
.: 00:10.003
In almost slow motion, Proteus heard the muffled explosion of the shot, and he saw the spray of blood coming out of Darren's back. Furious, Darren was howling with pain, feral. Darren forgot he was supposed to bring Proteus in alive and landed an incredibly savage swinging backfist against his face. sending blood, tooth and saliva flying from Proteus' mouth.
Proteus regained his footing, using the tree at his back as support and looked down upon Darren, who had left his torso completely open after the brutal hit. A shot rings, hitting Darren in the stomach, a spray of blood washes over Proteus as the bullet bites deep into Darren's abdomen. A second shot rings that goes wide as Darren stumbles back.
Darren puts his hands up in defense and walks up as if wanting to punch, instead openening his defense and sending his right leg out in a push-kick, digging the heel deep into Proteus' stomach. Two shots are fired in rapid succession as Proteus is pushed back, all air escaping his lungs.
.: 00:10.249
Another kick by Darren falls short as the pain seeps the strength from his body. Proteus, wanting to pistol whip the oncoming Darren, send his attack flying high as Darren sinks to the ground in mid stride. Darren's clinches Proteus. who feels blood spills over his body, not his own.
Having his arms free as Darren clasps Proteus' body to keep himself up right, Proteus fires, grazing Darren's lower back, buckling his knees, sending him to the ground. How many rounds has he pumped into this man by now?
.: 00:11.910
Having Darren at his mercy, he shoots again, down at his almost prone form. Darren, with a surprising amount of energy rolls to the side dodging the shot.
Lying on his side now Darren is tired, there is little he can do as another shot plunches into his side, ripping through organ, muscle and rib. Everything goes dark.
.: 00:12.832
Proteus, breathing heavily looks down at Darren's quickly dying form. He suddenly realizes what he has done and quickly takes a knife to rip up part of his shirt in order to bind him. Feebly trying to stop the bleeding by applying pressure, Proteus looks around in panic, hoping that someone is there to help him save his ex-squad leader. Slowly Darren's breathing calms, and the frantic spray of blood, pulsing from multiple gunshot wounds becomes slower and slower, more steady.
With his last energy before going into statis, Darren curls up his body and assumes a fetal position.
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