Nope.
Sabine fled the instant he stepped towards her. She didn’t think, she didn’t speak, she didn’t look back; she just ran. She tore out of the side street like she was being chased by a demon, every step a promise that she would never again play his game of “pin the journalist to the wall.”
The unfamiliar buildings passed in a blur as she sprinted down the main road. Beer sloshed in her stomach, and a cramp quickly twisted around it. She swore, slowed, and then sped up once more with her hand clutching her side.
After two bits of pushing herself to go faster in spite of her pained muscles and waning endurance, she dodged a stray cat and ducked into a side alley, finally glancing back to see if he had followed.
He hadn’t. She was alone.
Alone, and safe. Her chest heaved, and she dropped her hands to her knees to catch her breath. The full impact of the night’s events was only just beginning to hit her, so she focused first on slowing her racing heart.
Breathe. You’re all right, you’re safe, you’re-
“You okay there, sweetheart?”
A man’s voice called out from darkness and ran through her like a knife. Her memory sparked, raising the hairs on her arms.
She had heard his voice before.
“I’m fine,” she muttered. She straightened and immediately lurched back against the wall. Damn. Her energy was depleting by the second – a result of both her run and the shock of her earlier attack.
“Say… do I know you?”
She shook her head desperately and pushed herself off the wall, angling towards the main street.
“Isn’t that the bitch who got us arrested?” Sewage Water’s voice slunk out of the shadows like a nightmare. He stepped forward with a hard look on his face, followed closely by his companion.
“So it is.” Baldy. “Long time no see, sweetheart.”
This was not her night.
Sabine stumbled away, but not quickly enough. Sewage Water lunged forward and grabbed both her arms in an iron grip, pinning them behind her back. “I don’t think so,” he said, his smugness dripping down her neck. “This time, you don’t get a choice.”
Baldy rolled up his sleeves with slow precision. “Thanks to you and your little Skyrider friend, we both sat in jail until mid-Ashan,” he said. “I don’t like jail. Too much time to think. Would you like to know what I thought about?”
“Get off me!”
“I thought about you,” he continued, ignoring her cry. “You, and what I’d like to do to you for all the trouble you put us through.”
He struck out, backhanding her so heavily that stars danced in her vision and her ears began to ring. “Figured I’d start with a little arena fight of our own and see where that takes us.”
“Don’t, please-!”
He hit her again, and she tasted blood.
“Not so brave now, are you? Yell as loud as you like, sweetheart. No one’s coming for you.”
She screamed her frustrations and kicked out at Baldy in a haze of pain and panic, using what little energy she had left for the attack.
He sidestepped her easily. “Your turn,” he said, and nodded at his companion.
Sabine was shoved unceremoniously towards Baldy, who wrapped an arm firmly around her neck to hold her still. She gripped his arm with both hands and fought to pull it away.
“I’d tell you it would hurt less if you stopped struggling,” he said, tightening his grip and cutting off her air. “But I don’t like to lie.”
Sabine fled the instant he stepped towards her. She didn’t think, she didn’t speak, she didn’t look back; she just ran. She tore out of the side street like she was being chased by a demon, every step a promise that she would never again play his game of “pin the journalist to the wall.”
The unfamiliar buildings passed in a blur as she sprinted down the main road. Beer sloshed in her stomach, and a cramp quickly twisted around it. She swore, slowed, and then sped up once more with her hand clutching her side.
After two bits of pushing herself to go faster in spite of her pained muscles and waning endurance, she dodged a stray cat and ducked into a side alley, finally glancing back to see if he had followed.
He hadn’t. She was alone.
Alone, and safe. Her chest heaved, and she dropped her hands to her knees to catch her breath. The full impact of the night’s events was only just beginning to hit her, so she focused first on slowing her racing heart.
Breathe. You’re all right, you’re safe, you’re-
“You okay there, sweetheart?”
A man’s voice called out from darkness and ran through her like a knife. Her memory sparked, raising the hairs on her arms.
She had heard his voice before.
“I’m fine,” she muttered. She straightened and immediately lurched back against the wall. Damn. Her energy was depleting by the second – a result of both her run and the shock of her earlier attack.
“Say… do I know you?”
She shook her head desperately and pushed herself off the wall, angling towards the main street.
“Isn’t that the bitch who got us arrested?” Sewage Water’s voice slunk out of the shadows like a nightmare. He stepped forward with a hard look on his face, followed closely by his companion.
“So it is.” Baldy. “Long time no see, sweetheart.”
This was not her night.
Sabine stumbled away, but not quickly enough. Sewage Water lunged forward and grabbed both her arms in an iron grip, pinning them behind her back. “I don’t think so,” he said, his smugness dripping down her neck. “This time, you don’t get a choice.”
Baldy rolled up his sleeves with slow precision. “Thanks to you and your little Skyrider friend, we both sat in jail until mid-Ashan,” he said. “I don’t like jail. Too much time to think. Would you like to know what I thought about?”
“Get off me!”
“I thought about you,” he continued, ignoring her cry. “You, and what I’d like to do to you for all the trouble you put us through.”
He struck out, backhanding her so heavily that stars danced in her vision and her ears began to ring. “Figured I’d start with a little arena fight of our own and see where that takes us.”
“Don’t, please-!”
He hit her again, and she tasted blood.
“Not so brave now, are you? Yell as loud as you like, sweetheart. No one’s coming for you.”
She screamed her frustrations and kicked out at Baldy in a haze of pain and panic, using what little energy she had left for the attack.
He sidestepped her easily. “Your turn,” he said, and nodded at his companion.
Sabine was shoved unceremoniously towards Baldy, who wrapped an arm firmly around her neck to hold her still. She gripped his arm with both hands and fought to pull it away.
“I’d tell you it would hurt less if you stopped struggling,” he said, tightening his grip and cutting off her air. “But I don’t like to lie.”
