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The scene that played out before her was a gruesome one. The man who seemed to interrupt the scene of the two gangs, she wasn’t actually sure if they were gangs but couldn’t think of anyone else who would casually blow up a street, had taken to absolutely ripping apart the two sides. Annabelle, despite wanting to, could not turn away. The scene was simultaneously fascinating and nauseating. The man seemed to have no side in the fight, and simply enjoyed causing carnage. The assassin almost wondered if she should hire him to come cause trouble on Haster. Things would certainly get done. A ruckus would certainly be made. She knew better though, a man like that would only make Haster worse off than it currently was. 

Anna had been so distracted by the scene she was viewing through her scope that she didn’t initially hear Jazz cawing to get her attention. Not until she heard the sounds of footsteps much to close for comfort. She opened her other eye and moved away from her scope only to see several marines looking up at her, their own guns pointed in her direction. 

[i]“Put the weapon down and come down from there.”[/i] One of them called up to her as she surveyed the situation. It seemed they hadn’t initially known she was there, it was likely they had only seen her by accident. One marine being much more observant than the others. 

[color=#6ECFF6]“You are pointing your weapons the wrong way, the trouble is that way.”[/color] Annabelle pointed toward the dock where she was sure the carnage was still going on. 

[i]“Get down immediately. You are under arrest for the attempted assassination of Prince Aztec.”[/i] Another one called from somewhere to the side of her. She looked in the direction to see a Marine clambering clumsily onto the roof adjacent to the one she was on.  

[color=#6ECFF6]“There seems to be a misunderstanding, I was simply observing the carnage you are so clearly ignoring.”[/color] Annabelle was stalling, looking for a clean escape. It only took her a moment to find one, it seemed the marines hadn’t fully circled her building. In an instant she bolted for her way out. A gunshot was heard and her senses were suddenly filled with a searing pain before the adrenaline forced it away. A shot had grazed her arm. Someone was trigger happy and it wasn’t her. [color=#6ECFF6]“Damn Marines.”[/color] Annabelle muttered as she secured the rifle onto her back with its strap and nimbly jumped from the roof, bolting into the streets and side passages. She had no particular direction in mind, just away. Though she couldn’t help a final quip as she landed on the ground. [color=#6ECFF6]“If I was trying to kill your beloved Prince he would already have a bullet dead between his eyes.”[/color] A small play on her own assasin name. 

She heard the sounds of footsteps pursuing her but she was fast, and nimble. She had been in her fair share of chases before. Not every job was a clean escape. And she knew better than to head in the direction of the place she was staying. She would have to make a wide circle once she lost her pursuers. 

[h1][center]Some Time Later[/center][/h1]

It took her close to 20 minutes to be sure she lost the men chasing her, and another hour to circle back carefully to the inn she was staying in. Another hour for Jazz to make it back as she had sent the bird off on his own, partially in hopes that he would be able to trick the Marines off her trail, and partially because she didn’t want the bird to end up getting shot. 

Speaking of being shot. The wound on her right shoulder wasn’t that deep but it sure hurt like hell and it still bled quite a bit. When she made it back to her room at the inn she stashed assassin gear, mask, gun and coat and then went straight to the bathroom to clean and treat the wound but now her right shoulder was throbbing in pain, wrapped in gauze and bandages. She finally had time to process what had happened. 

The man, no, the monster she had been watching was actually Aztec, the Prince that was supposedly the target of the Hexxer. No wonder someone wanted him dead, he was a menace. She wouldn’t be shocked if it was the royal family themselves who put the hit out. No self respecting leaders would want that kind of behavior from one of the Princes. If she had only pulled the trigger. She was sure the money that someone would have paid would have been more than enough to buy a whole army to help her back on Haster. Too little too late.

It didn’t take long, despite the pain, for her brain to slowly shut off and Annabelle fell into a dreamless, exhausted, sleep. One she did not wake up from until around midday.