[h3][u]Ayer Lecomte[/u][/h3]
[b]- Half past 9PM[/b]
- Mentions: [@Mataus] 

The air, even despite being close by the sea, felt intense and musky, reeking of brine and sweat. Though perhaps it was just Ayer. Knowing he was no match, much like a defenseless rat, he silently stalked after the shadow looming above. With each step forward, he would glance out and instantly duck his head, hoping not to be seen. He moved like this until he reached the stairs back up towards the upper floors. The inventor flinched when he heard a quiet splash down the hallway and up the stairs he was crawling on, instantly turning that direction with his Ars aimed out. 

His hands shook even though his eyes glared. Not much an intimidating force, he'd have to admit. 

But the battle struck a different tide. Though he prepared himself for the worst, upon turning the corner he saw a savage shark burst out of the water and leap at his ally instead. Ayer could barely catch the fleeting form as [b]'Mop'[/b] darted across the room, like a predator in the tides. He pivoted, blade lowered and swung, all in one fluid motion. In a split moment, the jolly drunken that once was absently hollering sea shanties had transformed into a beast. He wanted to shout out to Paric but even his words wouldn't hope to reach him before the blade would. He wanted to pull the trigger too, but what if the man moved and he missed? If he was too slow and their opponent changed position, Pacis was directly in the line of fire.

He clenched his teeth and did the only thing that came to mind. He took aim and fired.  

Squeezing the trigger, the Ars main chamber would suddenly emit a spark that traveled through the compressor and condenser units and down the handle an barrel in an instant. The whole alleyway would flash, followed by a soft low frequency. The many Ars cores sticking out the main unit would charge a bright rainbow-like spectrum, this higher intensity a result of using a higher mana charge, combined with a more unstable 'lightning' mana-elemental profile. 

It would be obvious to [b]Mop[/b] that he was being attacked from behind. In essence, he wanted it to be [i]very[/i] obvious. Ayer figured the man was smart and wasn't some complete berserk maniac who had no interest in self-preseveration. In his mind, [b]Mop[/b] had only two choices before the lightning would hit. He was in the middle of an attack, so his movements were already narrowed. Realistically, the shaggy-haired man can either let the swing rip to hit Paric, but tank the artificialized lightning bolt. Or do the more sensible thing and try to evade the lightning beam, thus moving the scenario back to neutral. 

However, this action was nothing more than a bluff. He knew they had a losing hand and was calling all-in, hoping to get a fold. 

Ayer purposely aimed the lightning spark slightly off center, towards the pool of water that Mop surely just ran over. He heard it, after all. The blast would spread enough to hit it. If [b]Mop[/b] decided to dodge backwards back into the water, he'd go right into the trap. If he didn't, it wasn't a big issue. As a man of science, he didn't bank on pure luck anyways. He wanted to avoid getting his partner struck, more than anything. He wasn't entirely confident on Eldi physiology, but a direct hit from the beam at this level of intensity will stun even larger beasts of the wild. So fatality was almost guaranteed on smaller beings. Plus, if they were back at a neutral fighting position, their chances would be significantly better against [b]Mop[/b].

Ayer knew playing a trick was the only option he had, knowing how unfamiliar his technology was to practically everyone and how inept he was in straight combat. 

"Drunk on the job, are we? Don't worry, this'll sober you right up!" he shouted over the air flux, just as the lightning charge fired. 

...