[i]Thunk![/i]

A loud, heavy sound echoed throughout the alley, off the walls and into the air.
It was the combination of heavy boots against the alley floor and the dropping of heavy weight against the earth. It was the sound of someone dropping to the ground from above.

Standing in the alley, on the opposite side from where Alice had fled to, was a [u][url=https://postimg.org/image/p3n1rh6sb/81f2f95a/]tall, dark man[/url] [/u] in a heavy coat with a rather ragged wide-brimmed hat. On his feet he wore leather boots, weathered and marked from ware. On his hands were black leather gloves, and around his face he wore a heavy bandanna, hiding his appearance from prying eyes.

His left hand was at his side, lax and open, while in his right hand he gripped [b]crossbow[/b], a bulky heavy weapon with a black stock, a narrow long-range scope fixed on it's back, and from the end of the bow pointed a menacingly sharp arrow, the black head glinted even at the distance.

The mysterious man stood still, silent and unmoving, aside from his left hand, which now curled into a tight fist, the leather glove protesting in a straining of material. Unseen eyes bore into Alice from beneath the wide-brimmed hat.