Claire jumped back, staring in shock as a stranger walked up and plucked the squirrel right off her sister. She had tried everything to save her, but nothing worked. It was too quick to stab, too smart to be caught, and too agile to grab. Even when the beast scampered around her and pounced on Sophia, she still couldn’t move fast enough to stab it with her knife. She had to eventually grab a stick and try to beat it away and still failed spectacularly.

It was just too fast. And yet here he was, casually grabbing the furry beast with almost no effort at all. It even tried to dodge him, but he was too quick for it, his hand moving like it was guided by fate. Never erring from its path until, inevitably, it wrapped around the squirrel’s neck.

He held the beast up as it thrashed in his grip. It scratched at his arm and bit at his hand from an awkward angle, but before its teeth could find purchase, a sickening crunch echoed throughout the forest. Everything became silent as Claire held her breath. The man just stared at the limp creature in his hand with a dark expression, pondering something she likely couldn’t fathom. Or maybe he was pausing to fully enjoy the thrill of killing a small animal.

Then he turned and smiled at her, his lop-sided grin sending a shiver up her spine. “Hey, are you guys alright?”

His smile was almost contemptuous, and his eyes were laughing at how weak she was. Pitying in a way that made her feel small. He glanced between them and she found herself moving. Before Claire knew it, she was standing between the stranger and her sister.

The man winced and stepped back. “Have either of you ever skinned an animal before? I can’t use my left arm and I don’t have a knife, so…”

He held the squirrel up, directing her to look him up and down. He had short brown hair that was grey with dust, and his clothes were all but ruined. With no shirt and dirty jeans, he looked like he’d just crawled out of a collapsed building. She only gave those details a cursory glance, however, moving on to the important parts. His toned body was a mixture of purple and yellow bruises, making her wonder how he was even moving right now.

And then there was his arm. Why the hell was it grey and in a sling? It was the same texture as those goofy aliens from the movies her grandfather liked to fall asleep watching.

The stranger’s smile began to fade. “I have a fire going and a backpack with some first aid equipment if you need?”

Claire swallowed. Was this a trap? She had dismissed the possibility of him being allied with those bastards, but now she was beginning to wonder if they had come back for her. No, they would never find her out here. And even if they did, they wouldn’t be separated and alone like this. Whoever this man was, he was from a different group-

“I come with no ill intentions. I just wanted to help, but if you don’t feel comfortable with me here, I understand. Stay safe out there guys.”

The man turned and started walking away, making Claire’s heart leap into her throat. “Hold on!”

“Yes?”

“Who are you?” If he really had good intentions then Claire wanted to know what he was planning and who else he was with. If he couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer, she would have to fight him off.

“Uh,” the man said, tilting his head. “My name is Leon.”

Claire winced, her words not coming through right. She’d meant to ask who he was with. But before she could correct herself, Sophia took a shuddering breath, her whimpering getting louder. Claire looked back with worry.

“Is that your sister? I think we should help her before we shake hands and introduce ourselves.”

“No, I…” Claire shook her head, her thoughts slow. When was the last time she slept? “Why are you here, is what I meant.”

The man stepped forward, making her flinch. He loomed over her even from a distance. He was a head taller than her, and as he stepped out from under the canopy and into the light, the outlines of his powerful body became even more noticeable. He was like a purpose-built machine. Unlike those goofy bodybuilders, there was not a single gram of unnecessary muscle on his frame.

“I don’t know,” Leon shrugged. “I was running from some monsters in a subway tunnel and, when I realised I couldn’t escape, I collapsed the roof onto myself to save my friends. Woke up here a few hours ago all battered and bruised as you can no doubt see.”

That was the most insane thing she had ever heard someone say. The idiot collapsed a tunnel on himself? His friends were probably all dead and buried and the dumbass didn’t even know. Or was that some kind of lie? No, it couldn’t possibly be a lie. Claire could do a better job even while half-asleep. She had no idea what to think when he spoke again, interrupting her thoughts.

“Look, I have bandages and food in my backpack. I don’t know what’s happened to you both, but it looks like it was rough. I can help you if you let me.”

Claire blinked at that. She looked rough? He was half dead, appearing closer to a purple tumour than a human with a bruise. She almost wanted to laugh at that but nothing happened, her body too exhausted to pull off the once familiar motions. Still, she couldn’t tell if this was some kind of trick.

It was all too ridiculous. Some philanthropist superhuman just happens to be wandering nearby in her time of need?

More than likely, he was some kind of beast in disguise.

God knew some of the creatures in the blood forest had abilities like that.

“Your sister is literally bleeding out behind you. You obviously need help if you called after me so just say what you want or let me leave.”

Claire didn’t know what to think. They could survive without a stranger’s help, but on the flip side, he may very well be their doom.

It wasn’t a risk she could take.

The man sighed, looking defeated. “I’m just going to go.”

Claire felt her heart sink. “Stop moving!”

She stood in a small clearing, the forest around her laden with shadows. If this was a monster in disguise, it may very well blend in with the darkness and attack her the moment she turned away.

Trust, run, or fight. Her sluggish mind tried to decide but nothing stood out. Claire turned to see what Sophia had to say, but the second she looked at her sister, all she saw was an expression of shock plastered onto his bloody face. Claire turned and found the man almost upon her, his body cloaked in an uncontrolled haze of Qi.

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The world tumbled as she found herself on the ground.

Claire tried to inhale but all she managed was a strangled gasp. The monster’s hand was like a rope around her neck. She thrashed and kicked against him but her limbs found no purchase, barely shaking the pillar of muscle on top of her.

It felt like there was a boulder on her chest. With her arms pinned, she could do nothing to save herself. She lightly bumped him with her knees or made him wobble every time she found the strength to writhe, but that was the extent of her power when she was held down like this.

Then his hand tightened and her breathing stopped altogether.

“Your life is in my hands. Even without a weapon, I could kill you right now. Do you understand me?”

He stared down at her with a merciless gaze, not even twitching as he slowly murdered her. Her wriggling stopped when the forest began to spin. Lightheaded, Claire thought she heard him say to nod if she understood. She moved her head. The movement freed a tear from the corner of her eye, stinging the cracked skin on her face.

As the feeling of death - of unconsciousness - crept upon her, the man let go of her neck. The weight disappeared and she choked on the sudden influx of air. She rolled over onto his elbows and gagged, coughing and sputtering with each breath.

“Sorry about the choking, but if you reach for a weapon you should be ready to use it,” The psychopath said, his voice annoyingly soft and apologetic. She even saw him step back in her peripheral vision, giving her some space. “If I wanted to kill you then you would already be dead, understand? I don’t want to fight and I mean you no harm. I just want to go home and see my family. Now, are we cool or are you going to try and stab me in my sleep? Your sister fainted just now so we should get moving as soon as you’re recovered enough to carry-”

Claire leapt up and charged the man, her emotions from the last few weeks overwhelming her. She had been hunted, tracked, harassed, and bullied for as long as she could remember, and now some random stranger thought he could get away with doing the same? Enough was enough. She wouldn’t put up with this bullshit anymore. Qi moved in the pattern of her uncommon skill, thundering into her body as she lowered herself to crash into the man’s waist and bowl him over.

He was a foot taller than her, making it easy to push him off balance.

Then he moved, and she almost didn’t believe what she saw. He made to casually brush her aside but seemingly changed his mind halfway through, allowing her to bowl him over. She was on top of him now, staring down at his blank expression as he waited for her to do something.

He could’ve dodged out of the way. She was so tired that there was no way for her to retaliate, leaving her to fall into a bush after her failed tackle. Her anger flared up again. Did he think she was some weak little girl? That even in a vulnerable position, she couldn’t grievously harm him? Feeling her emotions spin out of control at how relaxed he was, she pulled back her fist and held it there. She didn’t need pity, and she didn’t need it from this bastard.

He glanced at the fist and didn’t even blink at the implied threat.

Her exhaustion forgotten, Claire punched the man in the face. She didn’t intend to keep going after the first, but she found it hard to stop once she started. The blows were unrestrained and wild. All she could hear was the sound of her fists smacking into flesh and the wind in her ears, adrenaline and a cocktail of emotions fuelling her exhausted body.

When she was done, her arms burning, Claire stood up and held out her hands in shock at what she’d just done.

Her left hand was only a little sore, but the knuckles on her right hand were split and bleeding because she had punched an exposed root beside the man’s head. She could see the blood as clear as day on the golden root.

When Leon stood up, he was completely unharmed. He only defended himself with one arm. Only one, and yet there was no blood on his face. Not even her own. She had thought him a monster before, but that was because of his actions, not his ability to fight.

He shook his one functioning arm, acting like her skill-empowered blows were nothing but childish slaps.

“Again, sorry about choking you,” He said, scratching his neck. “You were reaching for something on your belt so it was either that or run away and hope I don’t get shot in the back. I hope you can understand where I was coming from... and if not, I hope you feel better now that you’ve worked through whatever you’ve got bubbling under the surface.”

Claire felt for her knife and realised it wasn’t there. She looked back at the man and found him grinning at her. He reached into his sling and pulled her knife out.

To her surprise, he tossed it back to her.

“I know I’ve already introduced myself, but I’ll do it again. My name is Leon and I’m stuck in this place just like you. Shall we head back to my little campsite now? I know how to brew a magical potion that can fix split knuckles and squirrel bites. One sip will cost you about ten grand, but I’m happy to give you an interest-free loan since we know each other.”

Claire felt her eye twitch. Was that a joke? The man, Leon, had completely dominated her even while she was in a position of complete power over him. She tried to let out her frustrations and was unable to even leave a mark on the guy’s face. And that included her own blood. She felt better for letting it all go, sure, but seeing him unharmed and relaxed while she could barely control her breathing was just infuriating her all over again.

“Claire,” She said through gritted teeth, both angry at the man and sad at the person she had become in the last few months. She used to be quiet and accommodating. A pushover that everyone liked because she was less a person and more a convenience; a tool.

Now she had to beat up strangers to manage her emotions.

Five minutes later, Claire gently lay her sister down beside Leon’s ‘camp’, if it could even be called that. No roof, a sputtering fire, and a corner of a dilapidated house. She tossed her pack down and collapsed onto the grass. Her energy was spent two days ago, leaving her yawning and rubbing her eyes as she rolled out her sleeping bag. Before she knew it, she was basking in the sun, her eyes drifting closed as she fell into the deepest sleep of her life.