“NYX! BREAK LEFT!”

Perhaps I was a little too hasty.

“WATCH OUT!” BANG! BANG!

I’ll have to change my approach next time.

BANG! “WÜ! NOO!” “I’m… fine…”

Who should I go for next? BANG! Hmmm. BANG! BANG!

The sound of gunfire mixes with sirens and screams, ricocheting along the alley walls as the cloaked figure frantically races through, occasionally turning around and firing randomly. Zeel had fled into the back streets to avoid a vehicular chase and hopefully shake them off, but these officers were quite intent on capturing him. The redhead had stopped on her tracks after he’d managed to hit one of them though. He wonders how the gunshot would affect twins, considering the scarcity of such a weapon. Hmm? He’d never considered using a gun in his experiments. He began laughing audibly, surprising even himself. How curious indeed. So many things to explore. New perspectives to consider. It has been a while since he last felt so invigorated.

Hot on his tail are Nyx and Morgan, occasionally darting behind cover whenever the madman turned around, unsure whether he’d shoot or if it was just a bluff, barely keeping them from catching up to him. Emily had stayed behind to watch over Wü’s injury, panic-stricken and in tears. Her concern was only compounded by the fact that Wü’s current responses were no different to her usual emotionless replies, and so Emily couldn’t tell just how severe her condition was.

A spotlight shines down, tracking the suspect along his path. Mr.Sharp, who is riding the helicopter, keeps his rifle at the ready. He spies the jet-black and blonde heads chasing behind. An ominous feeling washes over him, but he can do little in his current position. He maintains his eyeline and holds up his rifle, ready to fire the instant he sees an opening. Just then, he spots some movement from the parallel alley through his scope. He zooms in. He takes a second to assess the situation. Unmistakable. Not good. “Gentlemen,” he radios, “Inyun.” “WHAT!” came a reply. “WHERE??” Nyx’s voice is a mix of worry and anger. “Left alley,” responds Mr. Sharp. But as soon as the words leave his mouth, the target takes a left turn.

Seeing a girl suddenly appear in front of him, Zeel whips out his gun and fires at her. It narrowly misses her, but the bullet flying past her face and then turning to see a hooded figure clad in bright light charging straight for her leaves the usually deft Inyun frozen in her tracks like a deer in headlights. Before she can react, Zeel is upon her, one arm wrapping around her neck, and swinging around to face his pursuers who immediately stop, but keep their weapons up and pointed at him. He raises his own loaded arm and points the gun to them, before slowly turning it towards the bewildered Inyun in his arm, her eyes wide and breathing heavy, gripped in fear.

Police firearms are only loaded with non-lethal rounds, but they certainly pack a punch. If they could just get a few shots in, it should be enough to incapacitate Zeel. “Nyx, stay calm,” came Mr. Sharp’s voice through the radio. Morgan could see that he was raring to go. But the current situation is extremely precarious. “I’m just,” began Zeel, “researching, officers.” Keeping his gun pointed at Inyun, he looks around for a bit. An escape. A way out. “I don’t want to hurt anyone-“ “YOU ALREADY HAVE!” shouts Nyx. He could barely maintain his composure. Zeel contemplates this. “Well, not any more than I already have, then.” He’d taken a bit too long on this confrontation, and all his exits were blocked, sirens engulfing the night air. “Look, just let me return to my research, and no one else has to get hurt!”

“What research, Mr. Zeel?” came Morgan’s reply. He has to calm him down before he does anything drastic. “Let us help you! We can work something out!” How long would it take for the snipers to get into position? Zeel is cautious. He narrows his eyes. “No no, that’s fine. This sort of work requires a rather… delicate approach. I’m on the cusp of a BREAKTHROUGH! JUST GIVE ME SOME TIME AND I CAN PROVE TO EVERYONE THAT IT’S ALL WORTH IT!” “People’s lives aren’t something you can play with!” Morgan could feel Nyx’s frustration. But the discourse is getting Zeel excited as well. “It’s necessary for SCIENCE!” he shouts back. Should I tell them? A smile on his face. Would they believe me? His eyes sparkle. If I could show them somehow… Lost in his own thoughts, he doesn’t realise he’s lowered his weapon slightly and loosened his grip on his hostage. Nor does he notice her elbow coming straight for his jaw.

BOOM!

Inyun breaks free as Zeel reels back from the hit. What? Disoriented, he begins firing wildly as the officers duck for cover. But as he begins collecting himself, he’s immediately pinned to the wall by Mr. Sharp’s signature net trap. Ugh.. The strong magnetic anchors squeeze the net on to him tightly. No.. Having been shot at an angle, the net has forced him into a rather awkward position, with his back to the wall, Why…, and his legs bent at the knees and pinned to the side. No no… He continues pulling the trigger, BANG! This shouldn’t have… BANG!, hoping it'll help release him somehow. BANG! *click* *click* He assured me... Trying to shake his head to clear his mind but unable to due to the net firmly holding it in place, he instead squeezes his eyes shut and then opens them, allowing them to readjust. No no no… His clouded vision refocuses only to see through the net the officers dashing in to secure him. No no NO NO “NO! AID-”

The silence that followed is deafening. It feels like time has stopped for a moment. Inyun, hiding in the corner, watches as the man goes limp. She clasps her hands over her mouth, stifling her breathing as they come up in erratic spurts. Her eyes are fixated on the man that had, mere moments ago, held a gun to her head. A plethora of emotions swirls around within her, but all she can do is watch, unable to tear her eyes away. Nyx and Morgan are but a single step away from getting to Zeel. They can clearly see the deep red liquid slowly oozing out of the hole in Zeel’s skull as his lifeless body remains slumped on the wall, the net firmly keeping it in place. Framed by the helicopter’s spotlight, the blood shines in the light, flowing unhindered as it soaks the coat of the madman whose eyes remain wide and mouth agape. An instant everlasting.

“SNIPER SOUTHWEST!” Mr. Sharp’s voice shatters the scene as it erupts through the radio. Morgan snaps to focus and pulls Nyx back into the alley they had just left, slamming both Nyx and himself into the left wall. Shocked back into reality by the rough handling, Nyx immediately begins to look around frantically. "INYUN!" he cries out. "I'M HERE I'M FINE I’M OKAY!" came her reply, though the two of them could clearly hear the desperation in her voice. "DON'T. MOVE." Nyx looks to Morgan, who shakes his head. "Wait for Mr. Sharp's call," he says over heavy breaths. "We've also got officers down that alley. They can get to her. Calm down,"  he reassures Nyx, looking him straight in the eyes.

The spotlight breaks point and shifts toward the direction of the sniper. Roughly three kilometres southwest is an apartment building with windows lining every floor. A few of the officers that had surrounded the scene in the alley are already following after the helicopter. Mr. Sharp scans each window that could possibly be a sniping point through his scope with an inhumane speed and precision. After a brief moment, he lowers his weapon. Mr. Sharp Mr. Sharp sighs.