I leapt back instinctively as the Traveller shot her revolver.

"What the hell are you doing?" I shouted, looking around frantically. In her own words, she was seriously trying to get others to come attack us. This was what it was. My punishment. Punishment for thinking I was a badass all this time.

I always envisioned myself in a dangerous situation beating up an armed enemy, taking the gun, and going on to kill everything else that threatened my life. Sometimes I imagined cartoons of myself in which a dangerous monster appeared before me right before the scene cut to one of the monster being horribly beaten or ripped apart. No epic battle, just two scenes to show what a bad idea attacking me was.

But of course, now it was actually happening. I wanted to run, but they could come from anywhere. I began shaking. I was in a panic. Shit was coming, to eat me, or skin me alive, or god knows.

There was no real place to hide, so I did the next best thing. The Traveller was looking in one direction. I got up behind her, and face opposite. Knowing I couldn't really fight, as I had some martial arts training but no literal combat experience, I crouched down to make myself less visible. I couldn't breathe normally, and my whole body was quivering out of control, but I resolved I could at least warn if something was coming.